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Chapter 49: Revealing the bully

Brax carried Casey into the hospital and took a seat while holding Casey in his arms before sitting him on his lap. Casey gave a grumpy face.

"I don't want to see no stupid doctor! I just want to go home."

"We have to Case." Casey moaned in frustration and hit Brax on the chest. "No!"

"Hey! You are getting checked regardless." Brax told him.

Casey pouted at Brax who then gave him a hug. "It's alright Case. It'll be over quick, I promise, and then I will take you to get an ice-cream before we go home." Brax smiled at Casey.

"Casey Braxton?" The doctor called.

Brax stood up and carried Casey into the consulting room. "Hi my name is Sid and I'll be seeing to Casey today, now what has happened?"

Brax placed Casey on the table. "I just picked him up from school, he appears to have been beaten."

"I wasn't." Casey tried to defend.

"Right, let's take a look at you Casey."

Casey looked at the doctor and withdrew a little. Brax placed his hand through Casey's hair to comfort him. Sid checked Casey's vitals.

"All his vitals are normal." Sid then asked Casey to take off his shirt. Brax helped him as he winced in pain.

"Now Casey I want you to tell me if this hurts okay." Casey nodded.

Sid pushed down on Casey's abdomen and Casey winced and yelped. "Okay you can put your shirt back on now."

Brax helped Casey again as Sid made some notes on Casey's file then turned to Brax.

"Well the good news is, is that Casey has not sustained any internal injuries, it has all been superficial and the bruising and swelling should go down within 2 weeks and his nose is fine too, just a minor bleed. If anything gets worse bring him back."

Brax nodded. "Thank you."

"Okay, you are right to go Casey." Brax picked Casey up and walked out of the hospital.

When they got home, Casey was really tired from crying and what had happened, so Brax carried him to his bedroom and laid him down, covering him over and sat with him until he fell asleep.

When Heath came home from school he slammed the door. "Heath quiet, Casey's asleep."

"Why does that kid get to come home from school and sleep and I have to study." Heath grunted, why does he get special treatment?

"I had to pick Casey up from school today. I believe someone had beaten him."

"Who?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me, he won't even admit that someone did hurt him."

"Well make him tell." "I can't push him Heath."

"When I find out who it is I'm gonna bust 'em. Only I'm allowed to beat up my little brother."

"No you won't. I'll sort it out." With that Heath headed into the lounge room and sat on the couch.

That night Brax entered Casey's bedroom. "Case, how are you feeling?" He asked as he walked over to his bed and placed a hand on Casey's shoulder.

Casey didn't answer and shrugged. "Listen mate, you need to tell me what happened today and who hurt you."

Casey shook his head and turned away. Brax sighed.

"We are going to have to talk about this sooner rather than later Casey."

Casey moaned. "I fell…No one hurt me. Honest."

Brax stood up off the bed, shaking his head. Casey still was not telling him. Giving Casey's shoulder one last rub, Brax decided he'd let Casey rest and ask again tomorrow.

"Goodnight Case." Casey didn't answer and left Brax to exit the room.

During the night Casey tossed and turned, his mind was flooded with the events of the day, he thrashed around in his sheets.

"No, leave me alone." "You're weak kid. I'll finish you off."

Kyle punched Casey over and over. "Stop it! Stop it! Brax please help!"

Casey woke with a start to find himself safe in his room, darkness surrounding. He was scared, what if today happened again?

Casey got up out of bed and walked down the hall to Brax's room. Casey opened the door and walked into the darkness of Brax's room and approached his bed. Brax stirred feeling a presence. Casey tapped him, causing Brax to startle.

"Casey?" Brax sat up and turned the light on. "Casey what's the matter?"

"Brax I had a nightmare."

"Oh, come here." Brax sighed and pulled Casey next to him so he could sit on the bed, only to have Casey climb onto his lap and snuggle into him.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

"It was about today. I'm...I'm sorry I lied to you." Casey whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Today…a kid at school…did hurt me."

"Ah Case I know, it's alright." Brax comforted.

"He's been hurting me for awhile now, like the day I said I got off at the wrong bus stop...he...he forced me off the bus...and wh...when I was leaving the school...I was scared to be there because of him."

Brax sighed and hugged his brother. "Casey why didn't you ever tell me any of this when it was happening? "

"I'm sorry Brax...I...I thought I done something wrong and that was why he was hurting me...Like Daddy hurts me when I'm bad."

"Casey no, it's not like that at all. You did nothing wrong, this kid only picked on you because he must have his own issues that he had to deal with but I wish you had of told me Casey. You know you can always tell me anything, no matter what." Brax gently rubbed his brother's arms.

"Can you tell me who this kid is?" Casey shook his head. "I don't know his name."

"I dreamt he hurt me again, but this time no-one came and you weren't there to help me."

"Ah Case, that won't happen."

"I don't wanna go back to school Brax." Casey whispered and snuggled into his brother.

"I can't let you do that Case, but I won't send you until you're better. Don't you worry about this bully okay, you point him out to me, and I'll sort him out."

"No, You can't! That might make it worse. Please can I just not go?" Casey pleaded.

"I'm sorry Casey but no." Casey slumped against his brother.

"Hey you wanna know a little secret?" Brax asked, giving Casey a nudge. Casey nodded.

"When I was your age I was bullied at school too."

"You were?" Casey replied quietly.

"Yep, but you have one thing that I didn't have." "What?"

"I didn't have a big brother who was there to protect me and keep me safe from the bullies."

"What did you do?" Casey asked, looking up at his brother.

"I got hurt, until I was old enough to stand up for myself and not let anyone push me around, I had a good friend though, who stuck by me."

Casey rested his head on Brax, as his eyes became heavy. "You stick by me?" Casey whispered. "Always." Brax replied.

When Casey had fallen asleep Brax carried him back to his room and placed him back in his bed.

The following morning, Brax was in the kitchen making breakfast while Heath was at the table eating his. Casey wandered into the kitchen when he woke, he wasn't going to school today, so did not have to be up the same time as Heath.

"Morning mate, how are you?" Brax asked. "Okay" Casey replied.

"So who bashed you up squirt?" Heath asked frankly.

Casey scowled at him. "You gotta tell us Case so we can bash him up."

"No please!" Casey yelled back.

Brax sighed. "There will be none of that!" He warned.

"Here sit down so you can have some breakfast." He added as Casey hopped onto a chair at the table and Brax handed him a bowl of cereal.

Heath stood up from the table. "Don't be late for school Heath!" Brax yelled as Heath exited the room.

"Yeah, yeah," Heath groaned. Brax walked out of the kitchen. "I mean it Heath."

Heath rolled his eyes. "So what are we going to do about Casey?"

"You are not going to do anything. I don't want you getting into some fight, understand." Heath sighed. "Fine."

Heath grabbed his bag and walked out the door.

Brax then took Casey to the school. "Now Casey I want you to point to me which one hurt you." Casey hesitated.

"Can we please not do this Brax?"

"Casey we talked about this. It's going to be okay. I promise. Now tell me." Casey pointed at Kyle.

"Okay just stay here."

Brax headed over to Kyle. "Oi, I hear you've been messing with my baby brother."

"What? No I haven't." Kyle asked cautiously, becoming afraid of Brax. "Leave me alone you weirdo."

Kyle went to walk away but Brax gripped his arm, not too hard as he didn't want to get himself in trouble for hurting a kid, but enough to scare Kyle into leaving his brother alone.

"Hey let go!" Kyle yelled in a panic.

"Is that what you did for Casey?"

"What? I don't know no Casey!" Kyle struggled.

"No? See that boy over there? Yeah the one you beat up the other day and have been bullying!" Brax pointed towards Casey and Kyle glanced at the boy he had been targeting.

"Yeah thought so. You stay away from Casey Braxton, you hear me, because if you ever touch him again or bully him in any way. I'll make sure you regret it." Brax warned in a harsh tone.

Kyle stared up at Brax nervously. Not receiving a response Brax tightened his grip slightly causing Kyle to wince. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"Good. Now this is what's going to happen, you're going to go straight into that office and tell them exactly what you've been doing." Brax ordered as he pointed towards the school.

"I...I can't do that...I'll get in trouble." Kyle whispered.

Brax raised his eyebrow at him. "You say something? Because the way I see it, I ain't giving you no choice." Brax warned.

Brax released Kyle's arm. "Go on, get moving."

Kyle stared at Brax then walked into the school grounds towards the office. Brax waved Casey over to him and Casey ran up to his brother and grabbed hold of his waist.

Kyle looked over his shoulder and saw Brax raising his eyebrows at him and encouraging him to continue to the office.

"Ah Mr Braxton, what brings you here? How is Casey?" The receptionist asked as she sighted Brax and Casey.

"Casey's fine and we're just here to sort out an issue." Brax glared at Kyle who had wandered into the office nervously.

Kyle glanced at Brax before approaching the counter. "I was the one who beat up this kid the other day." Kyle whispered.

The receptionist looked at Casey then at Kyle. "Take a seat immediately. Bullying is never acceptable in this school. The principle will be out to see you shortly." The receptionist spoke firmly to Kyle.

Kyle slumped on the chair and stared up at Brax. It was at that moment Brax noticed something familiar about the boy, but something he couldn't quite pick, so just put it down to someone he had seen before while taking Casey to school.

Brax wrapped his arm around Casey's shoulder and led him out of the office and headed back home. "See Case, all fixed." Brax smiled, receiving a smile in return.

Kyle sat waiting to hear his fate and moved his sleeve up to see a red mark forming on his arm from where Brax had grabbed him.

Kyle was setting up for dinner. Even though he had gotten suspended from school for two weeks and his mother had spent the afternoon yelling at him and he'd been grounded, he was still in good spirits knowing his father was coming over to dinner. He had moved on from his anger over the camping trip and hoped that beating up Casey would make him proud and he couldn't wait to tell him.

Danny walked into the kitchen as Kyle was almost finished. "Hi Dad!" Kyle beamed.

"How's my tough boy? Sorry I had ta cancel our trip."

Kyle smiled. "That's okay Dad."

"So how's me boy?" Danny asked again.

Kyle shrugged. "I'm okay but I'm grounded."

Danny glared at Kyle. "What have you done this time kid?"

"Please don't be mad at me too, but I was suspended from school."

"Why would I be mad at that? What ya get in trouble for?" Danny replied casually, causing Kyle to smile that his father was okay with his suspension.

"Well I have some news to tell you." Kyle beamed.

"Yeah what?" Danny replied slightly uninterested.

"I beat up that kindy kid. I punched his stomach and made his nose bleed." Kyle said proudly, forgetting everything that had happened afterwards.

Danny turned to Kyle interested. "Hah, showing how tough you are already hey? A chip off the old block. It serves that kid right for not stickin' up for 'imself."

Danny noticed the bruise on Kyle's arm. "What's that kid? Don't tell me someone got the better of ya?"

Kyle glanced at his arm. "The kindy kid had an older brother and he came to the school today and threatened me. He made me tell the principle what I'd done."

Danny clenched his fist. "Who does he think he is threatening my kid like that?"

"It was that cry baby kindy kids fault anyway, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Stupid Casey Braxton." Kyle mocked.

Danny stopped and glared at Kyle. "Who did you say?"

"Casey Braxton." Kyle replied.

Danny quickly backhanded Kyle across the face. "You stupid boy! Let me guess his brother was Darryl right?"

"He didn't say." Kyle replied staring up at his father in shock as tears filled his eyes.

Danny stood over Kyle. "You stay away from that family, you hear me!"

"I thought you would be proud."

Danny shook his head. "You have got to be kidding me? I can't explain how disgusted I am with your stupidity! Make sure you stay away from that family or else Kyle!"

Danny stormed out of the room, slamming the door, the last thing he needed was for either of his boys to find out about each other. Kyle was left shocked. He didn't understand why his Dad reacted so much, what was so special about that family?

Kyle sat quietly at the dinner table, playing with his food. "Kyle stop playing with your food and talk to your father, you are always beaming about wanting him here. So stop sulking over what happened today with school and talk to him." Alison pushed.

"I don't want to talk to Dad so leave me alone Mum!" Kyle stood up from the table and ran up to his room.

"Hey! You don't disrespect ya mother like that boy!" Danny yelled.

"Look Danny I don't know what has gotten into him but I assure you I will have a long talk with him about being rude."

Danny grunted and stood up, leaving the Bennett house.

When Danny returned home to the Braxton's, Casey sat on the floor playing with his toys, Heath was in his room, and Brax was tidying up around the house, clearing the empty alcohol bottles and rubbish.

Danny was angry at the whole situation, when he saw Casey he was angered that he hadn't kept his mouth shut, jeopardizing his secret and getting Brax involved with Kyle. He stormed up to Casey on the floor and smacked his arm. Casey let out a scream and started to cry.

Casey looked up frightened at his Dad, unsure on what he had done wrong. Brax heard the scream and raced over towards Casey.

"Dad! Casey has just been hurt at school, don't hit him!" He yelled.

"You don't dare question me Darryl and stay out of business that doesn't concern you." Danny warned.

Brax was unsure what his father meant by that but pushed it aside as he leaned down to cuddle his crying brother as Danny stormed out of the room.

"I didn't do anything." Casey cried.

"I know Case. Let's just clean these toys up ay, it's almost dinner time anyway." Brax smiled at his brother and helped him wipe his eyes before packing away his toys.

"Heath! It's almost dinner will you come out here and help please." Brax called.

Brax heard Heath groan as he walked out of his room. Upon seeing Casey upset and Brax unsettled, Heath asked, "What happened?" Brax gave Heath a look that told him exactly what he already knew.

"Why?" Heath asked. Brax shrugged. "You know there never has to be a reason."