Chapter 73: Traumatized
Casey sat between his brothers in the front seat. He gripped Brax's arm tightly, making it difficult for Brax to drive properly, he had tried to get Casey to let go by comforting him and telling him he was safe, but Casey was far too terrified and would not let go of his big brother.
When they got home Brax sat Casey on the couch where he sat staring at the carpet. Heath stood behind the couch, whilst Brax sat in front of Casey on the coffee-table and held his brother's hands.
"Are you okay Case?" Casey didn't answer and only sat staring.
Brax sighed. "Case, I need you to tell me if Jake hurt you in any way okay?" Brax spoke quietly. Casey didn't answer.
"Casey, I'm serious. Please answer me." Brax spoke. With worrying about his brother it had come out harsher than intended and caused Casey to look up at his brother, startled by his tone and gently shook his head, before tears fell rapidly from his eyes again.
Brax rubbed Casey's arms. "Hey. Mate I'm sorry if I snapped. I'm just worried about you."
Casey sniffled and played with his hands in his lap, which he was still in too much shock to notice had started hurting again.
"I'm sorry..." Casey whispered. Brax rested his hands on Casey's knees and listened attentively.
"I'm sorry I set the cabin on fire and told them of your plans and Heath, I didn't mean to ruin your life. I'm sorry for everything...I just didn't want you both to me mad at me, so I ran away." Casey mumbled.
Heath who still stood behind the couch became angrier as his little brother spoke, everything he had said to him had blown up in his face and before he had time to consider what he was about to say, Heath snapped.
"Don't you ever think? This isn't about the stupid cabin or plans or even getting involved anymore! How could you be so stupid and selfish?"
"Heath." Brax warned.
"You think running away would have stopped us being mad at you? If anything we are more mad at you now! You hurt us Casey!"
"Heath! Enough! You're upsetting him!" Brax yelled and stood up and glared at his brother pointing towards the kitchen. Heath stopped and looked at Casey. He had indeed upset him more.
Casey sobbed heavily and was shaking again. "Brax?" Casey called.
Brax sat back down and held his brother's arms as he watched Heath storm into the kitchen. "It's alright Case."
"I didn't mean to hurt you or Heath. I was scared you were going to get hurt." Casey sobbed.
"I know mate, let's not talk about that now, just calm down." Casey coughed and choked on his sobs.
"Settle down Case, you're gonna make yourself sick. Breathe for me okay, breathe." Brax soothed. Casey slowly took in a few deep breaths and settled.
"I'm gonna go and have a word to Heath. I'll be back in a minute." Brax stood up and Casey jolted and grabbed his hand.
"No! Please don't go! Brax!" Casey panicked and squeezed his hands tightly around his brothers, yelping as the pain in his hands was now showing through.
"Hey. It's alright. I'm just going into the kitchen." Brax tried to push Casey's hands off.
"No! Don't leave me please! I'm scared!" Casey begged.
"I'm not going to leave you Case, you're safe. I promise you. Heath and I will just be in the kitchen. I won't be long. Have I ever made you believe you couldn't trust me?" Casey pulled away and shook his head.
"Good. Now rest here. Are your hands hurting?" Casey nodded and sniffed.
"I'll re-bandage them for you when I get back okay. You're safe Case." Brax reassured and smiled at Casey then headed into the kitchen.
Upon seeing his brother, Brax stormed up to him and poked his chest. "What was that? Casey is petrified Heath! He doesn't need you yelling at him!" Brax shouted.
"The little kid doesn't understand what he done! He hurt us Brax! He made such a mess of everything!"
Brax listened as he kept firm eye contact with Heath, he could tell Heath was hiding something. "Heath I know you don't really mean that. What's the real problem?"
"He is the problem!" Heath shouted. Brax held Heath's chin to stare him in the eye.
"That is not the problem and you know it!" Brax snapped. Heath pulled away and avoided his brother's gaze.
"It really scared me...Seeing that gun pointed at Casey...I don't know what I would have done if we lost him. I would never have forgiven myself for telling him to get lost and that he ruined my life...He's my little brother Brax, how could I have done that to him? I know I don't always show it but I really care about him."
Heath turned to look at his brother. Brax had no idea how guilty Heath had been feeling or how his anger at Casey had more to do about his anger on himself.
"I know mate. It scared me too. I understand what Casey put us through gives you every right to be angry with him, but he really needs us now."
Heath sighed. "It's just...I don't know if I can...I have to get my head around this Brax." Brax nodded.
Brax heard Casey call for him and he grabbed the bandaging material and headed back into the living room.
"I'm right here Case." Brax smiled and sat down opposite Casey again and took his hands.
Brax cleaned Casey's hands and Casey winced at the pain before Brax re-applied the bandages. Heath watched from the kitchen and just felt too overwhelmed, he had to get out. Heath walked past his brothers and out the front door.
Brax had finished bandaging the last of Casey's hands when Casey broke the silence. "Brax?"
"Yeah mate?"
"Where's Heath gone?" He asked quietly.
"I don't know. He just had to think about a few things." Brax replied.
Brax stood up ready to clear away the bandaging material when Casey burst into tears again. Brax immediately sat back down next to his brother and wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.
"Case, what's wrong? Talk to me." Casey continued to cry for a few more minutes before he choked out. "Do you hate me?"
Shocked at his brother's question, Brax immediately pulled Casey away from him and held his upper arms.
"Casey you look at me right now!" Brax said sternly with his voice raised slightly.
After hearing the harshness in his voice Casey quickly done as he was told and glanced up at his brother. Brax kept firm eye contact and continued.
"I do not want to hear you ask me something like that ever again. You understand me?"
Casey heaved and cried harder, breaking his gaze. Brax pulled Casey back to him and held him tighter and closer than before.
"Casey I love you more than anything, no matter what you do. You are so important to me and it hurts me to hear you even thinking that I wouldn't love you." Casey snuggled his face into Brax chest.
"'orry" He mumbled.
Brax rocked his brother in his arms. "What about Heath?" Casey asked his voice muffled from being hidden in Brax's chest and from crying.
"Case, Heath loves you so much, too, even if he doesn't show it." Casey pulled away slightly and looked up at Brax.
"Can you and Heath ever forgive me?" Brax held Casey's chin up.
"Heath and I have no need to forgive you." Brax's heart melted when he saw fresh tears fall from his brother's face.
"Case, listen to me. It was my responsibility to have made sure you didn't do what you did."
"No..." Casey pleaded. He did not want his brother taking blame for this. Brax put his finger up to quieten him.
"Just listen. What you done was a reckless mistake. Just a mistake and everyone makes mistakes. Heath has and I have. My point is that even though you really scared Heath and me half to death with running away and the stunt you pulled, and we have every right to be angry and deal with it in our own way, we both love you Case. You're our baby brother and we are here to protect you no matter what. So this mistake it's over now, you're safe and that's all that matters. You don't need to be forgiven."
Brax looked into his brother's eyes to make sure he understood what he had said. Casey grabbed Brax tightly around the waist and cried into his chest again.
"I'm really sorry."
"It's okay. It's okay." Brax comforted. "You know what Case, you've got a good heart, and I'm really proud of you for that, you just need to learn the right time to get involved."
Brax felt Casey squeeze his abdomen tighter at his comment. After a while, Brax felt Casey shaking against him. Brax pulled him away and gently wiped his tears.
"Why don't you lie down and get some rest." Brax gently pushed Casey down on the couch.
"You won't leave me will you?" Casey whispered. Brax shook his head.
"You know I won't." Casey rested his head on a pillow and his feet on Brax's legs and soon fell asleep.