Casey lay motionless on the ground. Get up! Get up! Heath just needed him to move.
"Casey?" Nothing. "Casey!" No, no, no. Heath dropped to the ground beside him, for a moment he thought his brother was dead, but Casey moved slowly, pushing himself up on his elbows.
"It's alright, I'm alright," he assured Heath, but it wasn't true. Looking down, Heath could see the blood soaking rapidly into Casey's t-shirt from the bullet hole just below his left ribs. He pulled his own shirt off and pressed it firmly to the wound.
"Yeah, you're right Case, it's gonna be fine." Casey gave him a tight smile. Where the hell was Brax? Heath needed him. He looked up to see his big brother leaning over the bastard that had just shot Casey. Fuck him! Let him die, Brax needed to get over here now.
"Brax! Get over here!" Brax's head snapped up and he grabbed the gun from the scumbag's hand before he got up and came to them.
"He's alive," Brax told Heath as he knelt down beside him. Heath wished he wasn't for what he'd done. "Done yourself a mischief Case?" Brax teased, not letting Casey see the worried look he shot Heath.
"Looks like..." Casey said through gritted teeth as Heath and Brax hauled him up. It was a balancing act between speed and care, and they couldn't be as careful they'd like because they needed to get the hell outta here.
"We've gotta get him to a hospital," Heath said to Brax.
"No," Casey argued, "stick to the plan, they'll catch us if we go there." Heath slid his arm around Casey to help him to the vehicle, there was no exit wound.
"You need a hospital Case, the bullet's still inside you." Even if it hadn't been, he still have needed a doctor.
"What about Nate? Nate could do it."
"You need surgery, it's gotta be the hospital." Heath held Casey while Brax pulled the door open.
"Heath no, it'll ruin everything." Casey clung to him and Heath hated having to do this but Casey's survival was the most important thing. Heath opened his mouth to speak but Brax cut him off.
"Yep, Nate it is." Heath understood the look Brax gave him. It was a lie to calm Casey down and so Heath went along with it. They got Casey into the backseat and Heath climbed in beside him. Brax jumped in the driver's seat and gunned the engine, driving as fast as he could towards the hospital. Heath pressed his shirt hard against Casey's side, it was soaked through now, coating Heath's hands in Casey's blood as well. He looked at Casey's face, his skin was getting paler and his eyes were less focused.
"C'mon Case, stay with me," Heath encouraged. Casey rolled his head to the side to look at Heath, a small frown furrowing his brow.
"Always." The way he said it scared Heath, his tone wasn't right, he was getting further away.
"Can't you drive any faster?" Heath barked at Brax.
"Not in this piece of junk. How's he doing?" Heath's eyes met Brax's in the rear view mirror. For a moment they shared the thought that their selfishness had caused this. But there'd be plenty of time to dwell on that later, for now saving Casey was all that mattered. Heath pressed his hand to Casey's clammy forehead.
"Just hurry."
xxx
Casey was incoherent and barely conscious by the time they finally got to the hospital. Blood was beginning to leak from his mouth and that was never a good sign. Brax pulled up at the emergency department door and jumped out to help Heath.
"I've got him," Heath told Brax, "you need to go now."
"Don't be stupid, I can't just leave you here."
"Yes you can," Heath said impatiently, "go. Ricky's waiting for you, she's got everything you need, she knows what to do."
"No, I'm not gonna leave you."
"For fuck's sake Brax! Go! Otherwise it's all been for nothing." Brax looked at him uncertainly. "That kid still needs a father!" Heath shoved Brax out of the way. He slid his arms under Casey and lifted him out of the vehicle. Christ he was heavy. Heath couldn't hold him and argue with Brax so he turned away and carried Casey towards the building. Brax would have to make his own mind up. The second he was inside he yelled for help. People ran towards him, they took Casey, and Heath let them, there was nothing more he could do to help Casey now. Heath turned back once, Brax wasn't there and the truck was gone. Good, he'd remembered that kids come first. It was for the best, there was no point in Brax sticking around and adding years to his sentence. Besides, this was Heath's fault, if he'd thought this through more, they'd all be on their way now. And so it was him who should pay the price.
Heath was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a strange hand on his arm.
"Can you tell us what happened?" the nurse looked at him warily. Wasn't it obvious?
"He was shot!" Heath raked a hand though his hair in frustration. She took a step back. He looked down at his hand, it was stained red with Casey's blood. Only then did it occur to him what he must look like, shirtless and covered in his brother's blood. "Is he gonna be okay?" Heath asked the nurse, trying his best to soften his tone and not frighten her anymore.
"The doctors are doing their best," was her noncommittal answer. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll get some details about the patient off you?" Like how he was the most important person in Heath's life and he'd die without him. Was that the kind of detail she was after?Or was that just Heath being selfish again?
xxx
He knew it would happen, but what should he have done? Heath couldn't leave this hospital while Casey was still here. Whether they knew about the escape or not, a gunshot wound warranted an immediate call from the hospital to the cops. He hit the delete button on his phone, removing the message he'd just sent Ricky telling her to leave Bianca out of the plan. He couldn't handle the thought of dragging her down too. The boys, or in this case boy and girl, in blue strode purposefully towards him. Yep, they knew.
"Heath Braxton?"
"Yeah," he said with resignation.
"You're under arrest for aiding an inmate in escaping and attempted murder."
"Attempted? So the scumbag's still alive then?" The cops didn't answer that. They just read him his rights and hauled him to his feet, pulling his hands behind him and securing them with handcuffs. At that moment a bed was wheeled into view. On it was Casey, who was on his way to surgery. The cops tried to guide Heath outside, but he couldn't go without saying goodbye.
"Wait, please. Let me see him before he goes in." Heath felt the cops grip slacken slightly, and used that moment of hesitation to pull away and take the few steps required to get to Casey. He leaned over Casey's pale, sleeping form, cursing the cuffs that held his hands behind his back. He wanted so much to touch Casey, what if this was the last chance he ever got? He leaned down further and rested his forehead on Casey's, it was the best he could do. He closed his eyes and whispered, hoping that the words would somehow reach his brother.
"I'm so sorry Case. Hang in there, I'll be waiting."
AN: So that's it mate, I gave it my best shot, I hope this was something like the Heath/Casey story you were looking for :)
Thanks to everyone for reading and especially to those who reviewed (btw, it's not too late if you wanna post one now...hint, hint...)
Oh yeah, and thanks to Eric Carmen, I must have listened to "Hungry Eyes" a thousand times while I wrote this. It really is perfect for Casey's POV in this story.
Now, don't despair, we're not done quite yet, there's still a little more to come. I'm gonna post an epilogue to this at some stage, so keep an eye out for that :D