SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!

Chapter 15

Ethan cradled Aiden's head on his lap. He tapped lightly against his brother's cheek but Aiden head lolled from side to side, he didn't stir. Jenna carefully parted his eye lids and flicked the light of the torch on them, the pupil retracted, indicating he was still alive. That was all the proof of life they got. Ethan bent over the prone form, crying.

"What did they do? Aiden, please, wake up!" he wailed. But the question was a rhetoric one. They knew. They had already done the inventory on bruises and broken bones, for they had seen many of them over the years. And then the bleeding, which was what worried them.

Jenna picked up the basic first aid and steeled herself.

"Hold him still, alright?" she said, and slowly began the task of cleaning the wounds. The more she wiped away the blood, the more that seemed to seep out of his body. She began with his head, working her way down. With every wound that Jenna cleaned, she suppressed an urge to throw up, and Ethan, he seemed to be feeling every bit of it. Very soon, the kit ran out of cotton so Ethan had to go around the room, collecting clothes which they had worn out, thus softening the fabric. Finally when the kids finished wiping away all the blood, Ethan saw that Aiden's chin and neck had blood streaks across them, slowly trickling down. He was coughing up blood. Ethan turned his red swollen eyes towards Jenna.

"What now? Why is he still bleeding?" he asked, voice trembling because a part of him already knew the answer. Jenna knew he didn't have the courage to check for confirmation so she did the needful. She carefully lifted the blanket they had put over Aiden and ran a light finger down his stomach. It was rigid.

"He is bleeding internally," she whispered, her voice choking.

Ethan and Jenna, though very young, knew their way around the medicine cabinet, mostly because their survival had depended on it. They knew how to fix a broken nose, how to position a broken arm or leg, from experience. It was this understanding of injuries that told them that a first aid kit was no match for internal bleeding.

Ethan sniffed, running a careful finger through Aiden's hair.

"It should have been me!"

Jenna patted his shoulder, "This should never have happened to anyone!" Ethan let more tears run down his already wet cheeks.

"If we tell John Aiden is bleeding internally, maybe he'll take him to a doctor..." Jenna whispered, unsure of herself. Ethan shook his head.

"No. Didn't you see what they did to him? They ra... If John takes Aiden to a doctor, he would have to explain the injuries. We both know John would rather kill us three than tell on his sons."

"Then what do we do Ethan? Aiden is dying!"

Ethan crouched closer to his brother, enveloping Aiden's torso in his.

"Call Mike. He can help."

"What? Are you kidding?"

"No I am not, Jenna! I have seen things, okay? Things he can do. Just trust me on this."

"Do you really think that this is right? I mean..."

"You said it yourself, Jenna. Aiden is dying. Right now, I don't care about the cost."

Jenna hovered over them for two minutes when a gurgling sound interrupted her reverie. Aiden coughed up more blood. That was all the push she needed. She scurried across the room, grabbed Ethan's phone and dialled Mike.

It had been about fifteen minutes since the frantic call had been made. The window board shifted, letting in shafts of setting sun rays, and Mike. He stepped in, carefully replacing board, before Ethan slammed into him, throwing his arms around and sobbing into his chest. Mike held him close, patting his head.

"Sshh, what happened?"

Ethan sniffed pointing towards Aiden. Jenna had put all their blankets of the boy but Aiden still shivered. Jenna sat beside him, his hand in hers. Mike went and bent over him. Ethan filled him in on what happened, while Mike examined the wounds. When he looked up, Jenna gasped, her heart skipping a beat. His eyes were glowing angry red.

"Those pathetic sons of bitches!" growled Mike, his nails extending into claws.

"Mike!" Ethan said, clutching onto his arms, "saving Aiden in more important."

Mike stared at Ethan for a minute and then his eyes went back to being blue. He nodded.

"I'll get him to a hospital, but Ethan, he already pretty far gone. He might not even make to a hospital alive." Ethan's lower lips trembled but his eyes were firm as steel. He cleared his throat.

"I know that. But I wasn't thinking about a hospital. We are in the foster system, the hospital would inform john and then things will only get worse. Mike, you can heal. You told me so! You said, werewolves can heal, so make my brother heal!"

Mike and Jenna caught each other's glance and realised that they each were as unsettled as the other one. Neither of them was comfortable with the idea but they could both see the Ethan had good logic. Mike looked carefully at Aiden before turning to Ethan.

"I can take away his pain, but I can't make him heal, short of turning him."

"Then turn him!" Ethan pleaded.

Mike raised his eyebrows. "Ethan, this is larger than you think! Being a werewolf is not easy; it's not really a gift. You really want this for your brother?"

Ethan grinded in jaws together. "What I want for Aiden, or what he wants depends on whether he lives! And yes Mike, I want Aiden to live!" Jenna came over, putting an arm around Ethan's shoulder, trying to calm him down. Mike could also see that Ethan was cracking at the seams. He spoke in a low comforting voice, like talking to a child.

"Ethan, even if bite him, he might not turn, he could die. Some people are just not meant to be like us."

"He IS already dying, Mike! Just turn him, I'll know I tried."

Mike shook his head, he could feel Jenna's eyes boring into him so he came up with a last chance, a chance to back away.

"Ethan, the Walshes are hunters, you know that. How would they react to a werewolf under their roof?"

"They won't know. And if they, we'll take care of it then. Mike, just please! It's my brother, Mike and he is dying. Help him." Mike glanced at Jenna and she gave him a short nod. Ethan was right, there was no way. Mike took Aiden's hand and was about bite when Ethan extended his own forearm to him.

Mike looked up at him, confused.

"You said Aiden could die. Bite me first. If I'm okay, bite Aiden."

"What?! Ethan do you even hear yourself?" Mike and Jenna both called out in unison.

Ethan defiantly stared at them, his forearm extended.

"Aiden protected me. It's my turn, now."

SO THAT'S HOW THEY TURN... READ AND REVIEW! AND I'LL TRY TO UPDATE SOONER! :P