A/N) A calmer chapter, mostly brother sap and bonding. Let's see who's alive and who's not ;)
Butch gasps awake – eyes wide, pupils dilated as his chest heaves – where, where the hell am I?
His head hurts, thoughts feel like they're floating through water in his cracked brain, he's confused and – and terrified. His arms shake, his stomach twists so violently he grabs at it and whips his head around, neck cracking as he splurging sick everywhere. It splatters and he winces through hacking and then he remembers – he'd been infected and then endless years of delirium, nightmares that chewed at his mind – faces warped, words slurred - screaming – so much screaming and pain, a searing pain – his blood burning him – every vein burning like fire was raging in them –
He shudders and tries to sit up –
"No, don't." A hand presses against his bare shoulder gently, he barely feels it – it's like a faint prickle against his skin. "You aren't stable yet son."
Butch blinks rapidly to see who's talking to him – oh – it's the professor man. "S – where's - my – my B-" He stutters, mouth so dry it hurts to speak. His throat is raw from screaming and he feels like something black is inside his lungs – why does everything smell – burned?
"They're alive – at least for now. Now settle down. I need to give you a few more test to strengthen your minerals – you've been out for some time you know. Haven't really been easy to keep you fed." Professor sighs and ribs at his ancient looking face.
Wait – alive at least for now? What's happened to them then? Butch struggles to get up, his limbs feel like they weigh a ton each – why? Why is this happening – "I need ta – I need to get the hell up and find – find 'em." He slurs.
The old man sighs again. It's starting to annoy him. "Blossom?"
The red head walks in and Butch can't help feeling really uncomfortable, he's naked – isn't he?
She doesn't even look at him. "Brick's burn is treated, Boomer – Boomer stopped screaming at least." She says slowly. Her weird colored eyes flickering to him and Butch's heart seizes.
Boomer? Screaming? Brick? Burn? What? Why? Why?! He needs to get up -he needs to – dammit! He lets out an angry whimper, he's helpless – and it's freaking him out.
"Shh – they're fine Butch really - um – should we – should we move him to their tent now Professor? Brick wants him there and if he doesn't get it well – he's a stubborn idiot."
Butch could laugh at that, if he wasn't so scared. Damn – he hates being scared -it's not – he doesn't – he doesn't get scared easy, just when something happens to – to them. He'd sooner die first then let them do it. Bastard's wanna ditch him huh? After the hell he went through to not die!? Hell no.
"Alright, let's move him. He's stable enough."
Butch doesn't have the energy to snap at the old man, he stays uncharacteristically silent as they slowly push his cot thing he's lying on – his back is stiff and he feels like crap – towards hopefully his brothers and not another cage.
"Brick?" Red calls out slowly, like she doesn't wanna wake someone up or something.
"Hey Butch." Brick's voice, scratchy and hard sounding as it is, makes Butch feel so much relief it's almost embarrassing. "You ok?"
"Are you?" ButCh wheezes, it's meant to come out angrier than it does.
"I'll leave you to it Honey." Professor says quietly and pats the red haired girl before leaving.
"I'm fine Butch – we're fine – " He sounds like crap and he's lying. Butch knows he is.
"Oh yeah? What happened to the Zombie raid thing then?" Shouldn't they all be dead by now?
Brick comes into view, because he can't move his freaking head, "It's over – everything is over." It sounds like a suicide note.
"What?" Butch doesn't get it – what happened, he doesn't even remember much besides pain and darkness but – something bad was happening and it obviously did so – what's going on?
"We don't know." Blossoms' voice sounds smoother then his brothers. "One moment we're sure they're going to break in and kill us all and the next - they just – they just leave."
What?!
"A-and then what?"
She shakes her head. "Nothing – they leave, we put out the fire and gather – casualties - and – "
"I'll tell him the rest Blossom." Brick cuts in and Butch sees his arm – it got something white and thick spread over the entire back of his forearm – underneath are blistering bubbles and – swelling and – it looks so bad Butch's eyes water.
"What's wrong with your arm?"
"Nothing, just a burn."
Blossom makes a weird wheezing sound in her throat. Butch doesn't understand her reddening face suddenly.
"How's your head?" Brick asks, changing the subject – why's he changing –
"I can't move, I feel like shit and I'm so confused, it's starting to piss me off." Butch grunts, anger – sweet, familiar, safe – anger starts seeping into his body. Good – good – better than feeling numb and empty and delirious. So much better.
"Professor said you're weak, you'll be able to eat something soon - Hey Blossom, give us a minute?" Brick gives the girl a pointed look and she seems to give him her own and – why the hell were they talking without words? How are they doing that? Since when had Brick gotten close enough to this chic to – to talk to her without words! He only did that with them – not – not some random girl!
"I'll see what Bubbles found for food." And she leaves quietly.
"Butch."
The tone is enough to make Butch shake. "What?"
"I – I need to tell you something."
"Boomer ain't dead – tell me he ain't dead!" Butch bursts, heart spiking. Please tell me he –
"No – he got scratched pretty bad though."
Shit. "He's infected. Isn't he."
"No Butch – I – I kept some of the blood samples – I gave it to him, he's ok, he never passed the first stage. But he did pass out after he was scratched."
"Wuss."
"Never mind." Brick waves him away. "The battle was a disaster."
"Yeah – your arms' proof of that."
"Shut up Butch."
Butch winces but shuts up.
"Supplies is next to nothing now – most of what people had, they burned in the attack, houses and supplies tents were – the return fire took care of them. Everything is gone Butch. They're planning on moving out – we -we – I won't go unless you're are up for it but – it's not looking good." Brick swallows and Butch sees the flicker of uncertainty in his face before he hides it.
He hates that flicker.
"So?" What the hell are they supposed to do now?
"So – unless you get into good condition before the weeks out, we aren't leaving. They'll go without us and we – "
Will be alone again. Damn it – no, no they can't be alone again – true, they have the three of them but – but after everything, after everything – "They wouldn't leave us behind – would they?" They would, won't they.
"They don't have a say in this." Brick sounds angry suddenly. "So – I'm just telling you. Things are done here – they're leaving; either we go with them or not, depends on you. Because I am not going unless you can. Got it?"
Got it – got it – "Yeah." Butch turns his head away and squeezes his eyes shut. But he doesn't know if he can – he feels horrible – he feels like throwing up he feels – he feels –
A suppressed sniffle catches both his and Brick's attention. They turn and see Boomer – back turned to them, curled up in a ball and - is he – is he freaking crying? Aw hell no -c'mon you little loser, don't cry! Don't cry or I'll –
"Boomer?" Brick reaches over and pulls Boomer over. His big blue eyes are red rimmed and he's been fighting tears.
Dammit.
"I don't want to be alone Brick. We can't do it alone anymore – we'll die here – "
"Hate to say it Boom –but we already almost died here, you saw what happened, you were there."
Shoot – baby blue's going to have nightmares for years if everything was as hellish as they're saying. It probably was.
"No, you don't get it Brick. I know – I know we'll die anyway – " What? "But – but the Zombie attack was – you didn't see – they –they – " What?! They what?! Spit it out you – "One s-spoke to – to me!" Boomer gulps and shudders, full bodied, so hard Butch shudders too and Brick miraculously restrains himself. "And then I heard – I heard this – this screeching sound in my head, nobody else seemed to hear it and it hurt so bad I – I passed out and – "
"Wait – what did you say?" Brick cuts him off, red eyes wide and it's freaking Butch out – the look of confusion in them
"I said – a screeching sound in my head – "
"When did you hear it?" Brick's voice drops, Butch feels like something crawling up his neck.
"Last night – um – after the Zombies attacked, I thought I was infected and - am I infected?!" Boomer gasps and yanks his pant leg up – ugly red scabs –four even ones, like claws dug in then dragged down his leg – but they aren't green or yellow or grey. "How come I'm ok?"
Butch's hands twitches to whack him. "Shut up, you idiot, at least you're ok!" Damn moron – could have died and he's asking why?! Just take what you can get man!
"Never mind Boomer, the screeching – I think -I think I heard it too – after I jumped out of the fire and Butch, what about you?"
Butch stops - screeching – he can't remember – his nightmare was – it had hurt; it was filled with screeches – ear splitting Zombie screams – or – or were they something else? He doesn't know.
"I – I don't know Brick – maybe? I was kinda out, ya know." What is he thinking?
Brick nods – "I – right. Never mind – probably just stress and panic and –whatever we were dealing with at the time."
Whatever would it be?
But then, it's weird, why had Boomer and Brick heard the screeching last night? What was it?
"Come on Boomer, sit up. Bubbles is going to bring you two food and we have to make plans." Brick sighs and sits next to the sluggish looking blond boy, holding him up.
"We?" Whoa – Brick's gonna let them help plan? Really? That – that's never happened before. Butch thinks he might have died and gone to another dimension or something.
"Oh shut up Butch." Brick groans and rubs at his temples, stressed. Of course he was, he's always stressed.
So Butch does shut up for once – too tired to say anything anymore anyway as Brick re-tells what happened and what they should do. Boomer ends up falling asleep and Brick's muttering about short attention spans or whatever and Butch's eye lids grow heavier as he listens to whatever Brick is saying, he's lost track but the last thought he has before drifting off to a much less terrifying darkness, less painful too – was. . .
Man – whatever happens next, at least we're all still together.
No one – will ever prove – he had such a sappy thought – so there.
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