Cary was limping home. It took him 10 minutes, and ten minutes exactly, to pick himself up but the moment he was on his feet, his body felt like it would crumble any minute. He had to hold himself up by the railing of the stairs before he started his walk down the street, leaving his bike and bag at Joe's.
He had cried…and if felt good. He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, sniffling. He could barley keep a low profile with how banged up and wrangled he looked. He breathed heavily which made his body ache less. He held both hands on his side, grasping it. That was where he had hit the most during that fall. He stopped at a cross walk, waiting for the light to turn red. He leaned against a pole, when he slumped his body he immediately shot back into an upright position, only making his back hurt more than it had to.
He was relieved once he made it to his street. So close he thought…so close to home…and to Caleb.
He hesitated.
He stood next to the light pole wondering what he was supposed to do now…maybe a shower would be nice. Suddenly he groaned in pain once he let go of his side. He winced in pain letting himself fall onto his bottom. He leaned back against the pole. He wanted to see himself. He felt himself welt up once more but forced it inside. He lifted up his jacket and shirt so he could see, horribly abrased and nearly bleeding. Thankfully he hadn't stressed the wound enough to do so. He looked away lowering his jacket, pulling over where his shirt ended. He felt pain at his shoulder, he lifted up his sleeve. He later observed that both his arm and leg looked like parts of a roadmap of Chicago. City marks of purple and green and red streaks of interstates and turnpikes.
He pulled down the leg of his jeans as he sighed in pain again. He twitched as he wanted to cry some more. He wouldn't let himself. He painfully capped himself up as he held his side again. Leaning over himself in pain.
When he got home the first thing he did was struggle to get himself into bed. Closing his eyes lying straight on his back. To his surprise no one was home…nor was either car in the driveway. It was only 3 in the afternoon. Where the hell would they go?
He could hear his clock ticking again, but he was in too much pain to care. Too distraught. He didn't know what his next move would be…
Maybe it was about time he began to wonder. To swallow his pride and just tell someone. No way could he hide this. For now, maybe if he rested he'd be able to think. He turned over onto his side, the one that didn't hurt and forced himself into an uncomfortable sleep.
He was then awoken an hour later by the sudden sounds of the front door opening.
"My god I can't believe this!" yelled his mother throwing her car keys down on the chair, "Where the hell could he have gone?"
Cary had slept for an hour, not feeling any better as he tried to push himself upward.
"Amy, clam down."
"No! I will not calm down!" his mother sounded distressed beyond all means, "Cary is missing!"
Missing? He walked over to the door cracking it open. He saw his mother and father in the living room,
"Just calm down," he saw his father with his hands on her shoulders, "Look here, Cary!" he called. He realized what was going on,
"Cary! You home?" Cary wasn't comprehending whether he really did want to be 'home' or not.
"You see? He's not here!"
But giving his mother a heart attack wasn't helping. "Amy. He's somewhere."
He let out another sigh of pain and tried to maintain an upright position as he walked out, "Mom? Dad?"
Amy was thrilled when she saw him running up to him, "Oh my god! Cary!" she squeezed him. He held his breath. Wincing in agony. "Where the hell were you?"
"At Joe's." he replied, trying not to seem like he didn't want her to hold him. She pushed him away (thank god), looking disdainful, Cary grew nervous as his heart rate increased, especially with the stern look on his dad's face, "I was! You have to trust me-"
"Cary! Caleb said he stopped by and told me Joe said he didn't see you."
Cary's heart dropped in disbelief and disgust… "Caleb's lying." he explained, trying to stay calm,
"Cary-"
"Listen to me! You can't trust him alright! There's something wrong with him-"
"Cary…" his father chimed in, "Go to your room."
Cary swallowed the anger that was rising yet again. He was left speechless, in deep shock, he muttered in a weak voice, "Dad-"
"Just go. Please."
"Your not even gonna hear me out?" he yelled, "That's your nephew! Your lunatic drug obsessed nephew!" he ignored the slowly draining looks on their faces, "Alright! I'M YOUR SON!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" his father yelled, scaring both him and his mother. He pointed behind Cary, "Go to your room and stay there then until he leaves." he was exaggerating. He always did when he was angry, but this was not a good time to be angry at Cary, "Now." Cary stared at the two in despair, his eyes grew glassy as his stomach was turning. He turned around and walked into his room, doing as he was told. Amy looked at her husband,
"Maybe we should listen to him-"
"Amy, no." he walked away into the kitchen, cutting her off.
Cary locked his door, sliding down and leaning against it. He wrapped his arms around his legs as he bit his lip, trying to make sure he didn't cry. It was out of the pain on his side. He checked it again. Not bleeding, but something may be wrong. It hurt to walk, it hurt to stand…hell, it hurt to sit upright. He didn't want to be at home where his own parents didn't trust him. He heard the front door open, he heard his aunt Sherri,
"Hello?"
"Hey!" that was his mother.
"Did you find him?"
"Yes…he's home."
"Thank god." he leaned his head back, putting his ear against the door. He heard his uncle,
"You found him?"
"Yes." he heard Nathan…who sounded hysterical,
"Is he home?"
"Yes, yes calm down."
"Oh jeez…" he sounded like he was calming down. At least Cary knew someone cared about him at least a little.
"Hey, is he home?"
…Caleb. Just hearing his voice made Cary bitter. His mother responded to him,
"Yes, he's home." he hated everyone in the house at the moment, unaware that Amy was unsure of Caleb as of then. He could hear upcoming foot steps towards his door, Cary reached up locking it. The knob was turning back and forth but wouldn't budge. Cary remained slumped against the frame.
"Cary?" It was Nathan…he didn't want to talk to anyone…especially someone who'd know just by seeing how banged up he was something was wrong…Cary wanted to hold out he decided…after today, four more…just four more he told himself. Stairs were stairs…he's been through worse.
"Cary, it's Nathan. Open up!"
Cary didn't respond. He just slammed his head back into the door, listening to the knob turn and be blocked repeatedly.
"My god, Cary!" he started knocking, which pounded a drum in Cary's head. Cary was grinding his teeth. He didn't want to be in the same house as…as him. He suddenly felt a knife in his side as he grabbed it.
Nathan knew how to handle this as he grabbed a coin out of his room. He fumbled with the small lock on the knob as he slowly rotated the coin left in right until he finally had it gripped tightly enough to turn it completely. He heard the lock and happily opened the door,
"Cary what the hell is-" the room was empty, Nathan stepped in, "Cary?"
The window was open, and Cary was gone.
-X-
Cary could barley run. He limped down the long streets back into town. Getting as far away from home as possible. He then had to stop, unsuccessfully able to make it to the cross walk. He had to breathe. His body would definitely collapse if he didn't. He pushed himself, running again, suddenly he stumbled, a half-assed paved sidewalk block he stubbed the toe of his shoe on, but he couldn't maintain his balance with his leg.
He was going to fall, no stop about it. The mobility of his right leg shut down completely, forcing Cary to give it a rest. He almost slammed face first into the concrete but he grabbed the lamp post, falling to his knees. The sun was starting to go down and no one on the street rushing home seemed to notice him, not questioning trying to help him. He panted heavily as anger slithered in his stomach.
And suddenly, the month before flashed through his head, the train wreck, the bus, the cave, then Caleb…
"FUUUUUUUUCK!" He shrieked, holding out until blood could fill his lungs. He ended it with heavy pants, not helping the pain in his side as he seemed to make it worse. The burning hot concrete seemed to make its way through his jeans and onto the cuts on one of his knees. The scrapes on his arm itched. He just couldn't win…it was so pitiful. He let go of the lamp post, letting himself lay on the concrete until his leg would want to cooperate again.
Joe was working on a model of the alien itself. He'd been working on it for two weeks, not being consistent about it. He was trying to perfect the cat-like eyes it had until he heard a knock on the door. He put the airbrush down, Lucy laying next to his chair as he stood up,
"Joe?"
He was shocked to see Cary when he opened the door. He wasn't shocked that it was Cary, shocked at the sight of him. Beaten up, bruised, barley able to stand. "Cary?" He moved aside as Cary began to limp in, Joe put his arms around him, "Let me help-" Cary pushed him away,
"Just stop!" he turned around, capable of walking again, although it felt like suicide when he was climbing the stairs, "I just came back to get my fire works." he lied. He knew the bag was still right by the door, for he was looking right at it, but he'd make the two 'search' for it.
Joe couldn't keep his eyes off him, "Ah-ok, where is it?" his tone was full of concern,
"I don't know. Can I check your room?"
Joe wanted to tie him to a chair and force him to tell him everything, the exhaustion under Cary's eyes were unusual…he'd never seen Cary cry once in his life. "Go ahead." Cary turned around, he seemed casual enough. Joe took a step closer but suddenly, Cary collapsed, grabbing his side in pain and landing with a heavy THUD on the floor.
"Cary!"
He could hear Lucy whine in the other room, running out and sniffing Cary. Cary cringed and groaned in pain, Joe turned him over from his stomach on to his back, "Are you ok?"
Cary had a horrible crooked expression of anger as he, for the first time in his life, saw tears streaming out of Cary's eyes. He snapped inside, he knew something was wrong as he panicked, "Cary! Tell me what's wrong!"
Cary moaned, shutting his eyes. Joe observed him as he rested Cary's head into his hand. He noticed how tightly Cary was holding onto his side, "Cary let me see." he went to life his jacket,
"Stop!" he winced, smacking his hand away.
"Just let me see!" He couldn't stand the look on Cary's face, more tears were involuntarily falling out from Cary's now red eyes, "I want to help you Cary! I have to see what's wrong!"
"Just do it." Cary's conscious for probably the first time in…for the first time spoke to him, "Let him look!" He let go, slowly moving his hand. Joe gave him a look showing him he could trust him and lifted his shirt,
"Ah…AH!" he began to moan in pain loudly. Joe saw the horrible abrasion. Joe could feel the pain by looking at it. Yet no open wound…Joe barley touched it, "STOP!" he yelled, the tears seemed to go faster when he touched it. Joe's heart pounded,
He knew it was bad…it was inside. "Cary…" but he had to be sure, "I'm sorry, but I'm doing this to check-" he slowly pushed on the wound.
"AHHH!" he screamed in pain. Joe's hand was still on it, looking at Cary full of pity, "STOP!" he yelled, lifting an arm to wipe some of the tears off. Joe slowly slid his hand away, he could see Cary shaking. "Stop!" he simmered down, breathing in pain, like a cry for help.
Joe shivered. He knew where they were going next…but he had to calm him down.
And to make sure he did…although Cary hated them…he pulled him closer, holding him,
"I'm gonna help you. Ok?"
Cary wasn't loving the hug, but he wasn't even thinking of anything else, "…he hit me." he moaned, weak, stupid and angry.
Joe thought he misheard him, "W-what?"
"Caleb hit me…He hit me and he pulled me down the stairs. Are you happy now?"