Chapter Twenty-One

John slowed his pace, dropping back in the pack to check on his cousin. "You good?" He asked, speaking in Spanish so that Dominic felt comfortable enough to tell him if he wasn't okay. "You seem a little off."

Dominic looked at his cousin, knowing that he could speak to him better than the others. "I just got really light headed for a second." He looked over the boy beside him, taking in the increased severity of his limp. "You okay?" He nodded to his bad leg, pointing out the limp. "You've got a hitch in the step there."

He shrugged, pounding a fist against his thigh. "It's just been a long day." He tightened his grip on Amelia's ankle, making sure she didn't fall off of his shoulders. "Been rough on the old leg carrying Squirt here."

Amelia looked down at them, puzzled at the strange language they were speaking. "Is that a code?" She asked, making the boys laugh.

"No." John chuckled, tilting his chin up so he could get a glimpse of the kid. "It's Spanish."

Dominic pressed a hand to his head, swaying slightly. "John…"

John, grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his feet and steering him over to a bench to sit down. "Low blood sugar?" He asked, pulling a piece of candy from his pocket and handing it to him. "Eat up."

Dominic nodded, taking a bite of the taffy and leaning back against the back of the bench. "Thanks man."

Ryan stepped up to the boys, sitting beside Dominic. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking between the cousins.

John nodded, looking over at his family. "Yeah, Hypoglycemia runs in the family. He just got a little low blood sugar is all."

Ryan's brow furrowed, watching the young man beside him chew on the taffy that John had given him. "You're sure you're not diabetic?" He asked, knowing that there was a good chance that he was and didn't know it.

Dominic shrugged, as if he couldn't care less. "Don't know."

Ryan patted his hand, knowing that they would have to run a test when they settled down in the new house. "I'm gonna test you for it when we get settled, and I get my tools out so I can do it."

The cousins groaned, both of them knowing that they'd both get tested for all sorts of shit. "Do we have to?" John asked, letting Amelia down from his shoulders.

Ryan nodded, knowing that he'd have to do a routine blood draw on each one of the burners. "It's just to keep you healthy." He cocked a brow as the boys slouched into their seats, amazed that they could be such babies when they wanted to be. "You two can take beatings and drugs that leave you in pain for weeks, but a blood draw is what you're worried about?"

John rolled his eyes, looking over at the doctor. "We didn't choose the beatings, and I didn't choose the last drug I took."

Dominic nodded, looking at the older man. "And I'm three months sober."

"Doesn't matter, I still have to test all of you. Those drugs and whatever else you put into your bodies could still be effecting you."

John kept an eye on Amelia, making sure that she stayed close enough for him to grab her if he needed too. "To be fair, I didn't put that last one into my body." He stood, stepping toward the seven-year-old. "That wasn't my idea." He grabbed Amelia's arms, sweeping her off of the ground when he deemed her too far for comfort. "Where're you going, Squirt?" He chuckled, placing her back on the ground when she pushed on his chin, which caused a spasm to shoot down his neck.

"I thought I saw Peter." She stated, stepping away from him again.

"Uh uh." He grabbed her shoulder again, pulling her back to the group. "We're not having you run off again." He looked down at the child. "Scared the shit outta me last time."

She pouted as he picked her up and sat her on a short wall that was containing a little garden. "I only went to the potty." She scuffed her tennis shoes against the bricks, making John notice her untied laces.

John shook his head, pointing to the laces. "You think you can tie those damn things yet?" He asked, fishing around in the backpack that Claire had given him when she'd gone to the bathroom a few rides ago for a sucker or some form of candy for the child.

She nodded, kneeling down and taking the strings in her little hands. "First… you tie a knot… then, you make a tree." She looked up at John, making sure he approved of her job.

"Good. Next?" He closed his fingers around what felt like a piece of Hubba Bubba gum.

"Then, you make a rabbit… and the rabbit runs around the tree and into his hole." She grinned up at the young man, proud of her accomplishment. "I did it!" She bounced up and down, taking the gum from him as he chuckled at her excitement.

"'Bout goddamn time." He opened another piece of gum, popping the sugar-coated candy into his mouth. "Thought I was gonna be tying those 'til you were my age."

Amelia gave him a very Bender-like glare, punching him in the chest like she'd seen him do to Dominic. "Eat my shorts." She stated, taking in the baffled expression on her hero's face.

"We really need to work on you repeating what I say." He rubbed a hand on his chest, smirking at the little girl. "Just promise you won't say that stuff around your mother." He had to make a quick correction as he went to say 'shit' knowing that the adults would be checking up on him at any minute. "Otherwise, we are both dead."

Amelia smiled, jumping onto his chest like an acrobat waiting for the perfect catch. "Momma won't kill us." She giggled as he caught her. "She loves us too much."

He pulled hugged her close, rubbing his nose against hers. "What and I going to do with you?" He asked, letting her stand on the ground as he heard someone walk up behind him. His smiled fell as he saw Amelia start to back away from him with fear in her eyes. "What's wrong-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, something struck the back of his head, and his world went black.