Author's Note: I am posting this per the request of a guest who commented on another story of mine. I abandoned this story once the show provided a background story for Ethan which so differed from mine. Here is a little bit that I had written before that happened. In response to you request for more sibling stories, check out my story Start of Something New. I also wrote a one shot posted on the website archiveofourown under the category of Kingdome (2014). There is a bit of sibling interaction in that one. I really like how it came out, but there is not much available in that fandom on this site. Anyway, hope you like this! Thanks for all your review.
The screams were not the first clue that something was wrong. They sounded typical for a Thursday night in the dorms. Parties were in full swing all across the campus and flowed into the surrounding neighborhood. The first signal to Casey's brain that there was a problem was the smoke. It took no time for the room to fill with thick, suffocating smoke. She inhaled to scream but the sound choked out of her and she coughed instead. She dropped to the floor, unsure if the move was intentional, and covered her mouth and nose on instinct. Her friends were no longer visible to her and the roar of the fire coming from somewhere in the building deafened her. She made her way towards where she knew the door would be and kept crawling. Completely disoriented, she willed her body to keep moving, anywhere was better than nowhere.
The glaring light shining down from overhead invaded her sleep, and though they wanted to remain closed, she worked hard and opened her eyes. The events from earlier flooded her memory and a slight moan escaped her lips. She moved her body to see if she could and was pleased to find that everything worked. She ached and a turn the wrong way caused a sharp pain in her side, followed by a twitch.
"I don't want to be here," she said upon seeing her brother in the room. "Please. I have to get out of here." She tried to sit up further, but failed.
Ethan leaped out of the chair before fully waking, and leaned over his sister. He put a hand on her shoulder. Her weak condition prevented her from leaving, but his touch helped her stay rooted. "You can't leave just yet, Casey. You're not well enough."
She tried again, in vain, to sit up. "I am. That other doctor said I was. He said he just needed you to say it's ok. Please."
"Ok," Ethan sat next to her on the bed. "Well, I don't think that's exactly what Dr. Savetti said. Whenever someone suffers from smoke inhalation, there's a chance of the condition worsening. You need to stay here for a couple of days for observation. I'll be here working anyways, and when I'm off I'll be with you. It's better this way. I won't be home to keep an eye on you if you leave."
"I don't need you," she said. "I can stay at the dorms."
Ethan's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Kid, you can't go back to the dorms. They were destroyed in the fire. No one can get back in there for a while."
Her mind clouded over in a fog. Her heavy eyes closed and it took all of her effort to open them again and try to focus on him, "I want to go home," she said. "I just want to go home." It scared her that she didn't know where home was.
He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "I know, kid. I know. It's going to be ok. You're safe here."
Her eyes flew open and found his. "I don't think so," she said before they fluttered closed again. "I don't think so."
It was one thing for her to be hurt and sick. He could take care of that. That was his specialty. But her fear was a different situation. His presence should have been enough to make her feel safe. The hospital setting should have instilled security. To hear her sounding scared and confused broke his heart.
Her even breathing signaled that she once again succumbed to the drug induced sleep. He wiped at a tear that escaped her eye and said, "You are safe, Casey. Sleep now and I'll watch over you."
Thanks for reading. Feel free to let me know what you think.
