Brother's Keeper: Ch.5
By: The Confused One
A/N: I'd like to thank InfinityStar for reading over this for me, again. She's been a lifesaver. Everyone enjoy, and please remember to review. Thanks.
Alex threw the door open. Scanning the room, she saw David bleeding unconscious on the ground. Noticing the door to the deck open, Alex cursed David's first story apartment. Calling for a bus, she checked the apartment, making sure no one else was there.
Getting back to David, she grabbed a towel from the kitchen and tried to stop the bleeding. She held the towel there in silence, hoping for Bobby's sake that David survived. No matter how angry Bobby was, David was all the family he had left. She didn't want that taken from Bobby. She only moved when the paramedics and other cops began swarming the room and building.
Giving her statement, she watched the paramedics prepared to move David. Excusing herself from the detectives, she caught up with them as they were loading him up onto the rig, asking, "Can I go with him? He's my partner's brother."
Relieved when one of them nodded, Alex jumped into the truck. Alex still resented what David had tried to get Bobby to do earlier, but she felt a sense of duty to take care of him. She didn't want to let Bobby down.
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Arriving at the hospital, Alex stayed outside and made the call she was dreading. She knew he was going to furious with her for looking for David. She imagined he was in his car by now, headed to the apartments on the list. Yet, despite her anxiety about having to tell Bobby what happened she was relieved when he answered his phone, "Hey."
Alex closed her eyes and just said it, "I know you told me not to, and I know I promised I wouldn't, but I went to see David. You need to get to North Central Bronx Hospital, Bobby. He's been stabbed. He was unconscious when they brought him in, and he's not very stable. It doesn't look good."
Bobby's heart nearly caught in his throat. He began to panic. Pulling over to the side of the road, he went pale and yelled, "Damn it, Eames!" Feeling his stress and agitation level rise, he demanded, "Are you OK?"
Alex nodded. Realizing he couldn't see her, she answered, "Yeah. I'm fine. I didn't even see the guy. It's David, Bobby."
It was easier for Bobby to be angry than worried. He argued, "What were you doing there after you promised me you'd stay away?"
Irritated that he was picking a fight, she yelled, "I was trying to find out what the hell happened seven years ago! You won't tell me, and I'm worried about you. What am I supposed to do, Bobby? Just wait and see if you make it out of this alive?"
Bobby took a deep breath. He knew she had a point. Trying to calm down, he finally replied, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."
Alex closed her eyes again. Closing her phone, she took a deep breath and walked inside to find a seat and wait. She was reminded of the night her husband, Shane, had died. She wasn't surprised. This was the first time she had been in a hospital waiting room since that night. She had avoided them. Sitting down, she let the memories come.
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Bobby walked into the waiting room. Meeting her eyes, he sighed with some relief. Just seeing her in one piece calmed him down a lot. Maybe he hadn't totally failed Shane. He watched her up, and he met her halfway. Panic began to build again when he saw the blood. He asked, "Are you sure you're OK? You have blood..."
Alex sighed and interrupted, "Its David's blood." Relieved when he stopped, she continued, "I'm fine. I didn't even see the guy. I told you that."
Bobby rubbed the back of his neck and nodded slightly. He was relieved again. He was almost back to his normal level of agitation. Seeing her eased his mind. Sitting down, he asked, "How is he?"
Alex sat down beside him. She put her hand on his and explained, "The last time there were over here, they told me they stopped the bleeding. They're trying to repair the damage now."
Bobby nodded slightly again. He apologized, "I'm sorry. I heard David, you, and stabbed, and I freaked out."
Alex nodded. She asked, "Yeah. I noticed that. What is about him and me that sends you into such a tailspin?"
Bobby took a deep breath. He wasn't going to tell her here. He just couldn't. He practically begged, "Don't."
Alex turned to face him. She took her hand away and insisted, "You're the one who demanded I stay away from David. You were furious that I was even there at his apartment, but you won't tell me anything. It's making absolutely no sense to me. You don't think I understand how badly stings can go wrong? It's how I lost Shane. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault."
Shaking his head, Bobby refused to talk still. He refused to look at her. He finally replied, "I'm not going to put you in the middle of this."
Alex felt like screaming. At the end of her rope, she played the only card she knew she had left, "I talked to Lewis this morning. He wouldn't tell me what happened, but he said you were afraid of losing me. I'm going to tell you this right now. If you can't or won't trust me and open up, you will lose me. I'll walk out that door and get a new partner. I can't watch this. I can't watch and sit on my hands while you are in obvious danger. This guy is probably going to come after you, too. I can't sit around, pretend I know nothing, and worry that I'm going to get another call in the middle of the night saying someone else I love is in the emergency room. I won't do it again. You have to choose right now. You can lose me for sure, or you can trust me enough to know I won't walk away and let me help you."