Before we walked up to my apartment I quickly knocked on Eliza's door. Sadly according to her mate she had been out for the moment so we slowly made our way to the apartment as I hoped that Eliza would join us soon. Cain wouldn't take his eyes off of his uncle as he clung tightly to my neck. I could tell he was slightly afraid of the new stranger so I wasn't surprised that when I did let him down he took off like a shot towards my bedroom with Gabi close behind. "Do you want to take a shower, Bro?" I asked as I put the groceries away before they could go bad. "I could help you if you want…"
He turned away ashamed, "Thanks but I think I can manage." It came out as a weak whisper and I wondered what happened to him to make this change. Sure he had always been quiet but when it was the two of us he was never like this.
"Okay." I said as I escorted him to our bathroom and took his jacket off. I had to catch the gasp seeing the wide deep scars and bruises that lined my brother's arms. "Damn…"
One of his hands grasped at his arm and sighed, "Yeah it only probably looks bad but it doesn't hurt that much." He said with a weak smile as he started to peel off his clothes. I hoped he would wait but finally the question I had been dreading came out of his mouth, "So where is Mom?"
After all these years I had thought of what I'd tell him, nothing ever sounded right and so I closed my eyes and let my heart speak, "She's home…"
His head shot up like a rocket as he scrambled for my shoulder, "What do you mean she's home…?"
"I-"
"Alfred?"
"I…I'm sorry Mattie but she's gone." He sank to his knees as his hands fell to the tile with a small thud, he wouldn't tell me then but years later he'd admit that the only reason he kept going for those years was to see me and our mother again. It's all he had so when he found out that it had been in part in vain it nearly crushed him.
I held him close as he was quietly crying for the loss of our mother. Slowly after a few minutes I helped him into the bath tub and helped him wash up seeing more scars that littered his body. I knew exactly what he'd want to hear so as I grabbed a towel I spoke again, "She didn't suffer."
"How?" He said his voice slightly cracking but at least louder.
"She fell while we were traveling. It broke her neck but I was with her when she died." I lied the best I could as I hoped he won't catch any of it.
Finally after letting it sink in, he rose and took the towel from me, "Where is she um buried?" He whispered coarsely.
"Under a laurel tree in the mountains, I buried her myself and I'm sure I could find my way back."
"I want to see her…"
"And you will I promise." I led him into Ludwig's bedroom and handed him a pair of pants and a white shirt that he could borrow. I hoped they would fit but just in case I handed him a belt. As he changed Eliza knocked on my door. She was surprised to see him or maybe that I had found him after all I had told her. "Mattie this is a friend of mine. Do you mind if she checks your eyes and shit?"
"And shit? Well glad to know that you're still swearing with kids running around." Mattie said with a light laugh as he carefully sat in the chair I slid out for him. It was strange, he almost seemed nearly unfazed by the situation but it might have been shock for all I knew. "Hello Miss.."
"Eliza, Dear." She said with a sympatric smile. "You must be Matthew." She said as she took out her scissors and started to snip away at the gauze around his eyes and head.
"Yeah…" He whispered again. I could tell he was uncomfortable but I also knew that it was for his own good that she saw what we were dealing with. Blindness I could bare, anything else he might have had that could kill him I wouldn't have been able to deal with. Call it shallow or selfish but I didn't want to see anyone else I cared for die.
She took her time and after feeding Cain I sat and watched her delicate fingers nimbly remove them and the patches covering his eyes. They were brown and crusty from his tears and blood but once they were removed it was even clear to me that if he ever did see again it wouldn't be more than blurred or shadowy objects. His eyes were a dull milky blue that seemed almost alien like and his eye lids were still red and slightly puffy from whatever chemical warfare had destroyed his eyes. While I was shocked and truly mortified by my brother's condition Eliza merely sighed as she shook her head, "It's not good I'm afraid." It was all she really wanted to say as she washed out his eyes and covered them again. "I'll change them every week if you want and I'll pray for you too."
I spoke up for him knowing that this wasn't new for him in fact he was probably told the same thing a few times over. "Thanks Eliza." I started before smiling, "If you want next time you can show me how to do it and I can do it from then on."
"Al, you don't have too…"
"Yeah but I want to." I answered as my brother turned towards me with a smile but those eyes...they made me shutter. Only now will I say that staring into those eyes actually gave me nightmares for a few nights to come.
I would wake up with a start only to have Gilbert hold me close and pull me back down to the bed as he hushed and hummed quietly. He won't ask me what was wrong and just as I would fall asleep I would hear a whimper in the darkness. It wouldn't be Cain but my brother sleeping in the living room. Those times he wouldn't wake up while other times he'd jolt awake screaming his head off.
While I was afraid that Ludwig or Gilbert would throw him out they never once brought it up. He was as much their brother as he was mine. They were protective of him and would even sit with him when he would have a flashback. Ludwig especially would hold him tightly as my brother tensed up while Mattie would then whimper or scream that the 'bastards' were coming. Gabi would take on the job when Ludwig was at work, she would touch his leg or hand with her nose before licking his hand and fingers until his body relaxed and he let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn't tell me what the flashbacks were of but only not to worry about them but I did and nothing he would say would change that. He was my brother after all and I hated to see him hurting in silence. Maybe again I'm being selfish or probably the better word might be arrogant but I never said I was a perfect little Omega.