Chapter 17- Hospital altercations. (Fifth day)

NORMAL POV

Josh followed Andy into the surf club. Andy grabbed the pool cue and started setting up for a game of pool.

"How can you leave it like this Andy? I mean don't you want to know about Casey as our brother?" Josh nagged.

Andy glared at Josh. "I already told you to leave it. Casey is not part of our family and never will be so you stay away from him." Andy replied in a cold tone.

"Andy I can't just forget that Casey is my half brother!" Josh snapped.

"Well maybe if you want him so much to be your brother you can forget about me being ya brother." Andy replied.

"Come on Andy don't be like that!" Josh protested.

Andy just pushed Josh out of the way to get his position for his move at the pool table and ignored his brother.

"You can't pretend this isn't the truth forever Andy! You have to realise the truth about Casey isn't going to change." Josh pushed.

John Palmer had overheard part of Andy and Josh's conversation and interrupted.

"You two talking about young Casey?" John asked.

"What's it to you old man, just back off will ya?" Andy warned.

"Ha, and I thought the Braxton's were rude when they first got here. You take the cake young fella." John pointed his finger at Andy.

"Thanks old man now bugger off. I'm playing a game of pool here."

John pulled the white ball off the table. "Now you're not!" John gave a smug smile.

Andy glared at John and slammed the pool stick down. "This place is boring anyway, no wonder no-one ever come in here." Andy snapped.

John glared at Andy as he stormed towards the exit.

Josh turned to John. "I'm sorry about my brother."

"Yeah well he better change his attitude, I don't want his sorts in my business." John said.

Josh nodded but before he walked away he turned back to John.

"Um...Hey, you live next door to the Braxton's right? What's Casey like? I wanted to talk to him but I haven't seen him around." Josh asked.

John raised his eyebrows at the question. "Casey's a fine boy, he don't need the likes of you and your brother messing with him, but the reason you haven't seen him around is because the poor kid's in hospital in a coma." John explained.

"What?" Josh exclaimed.

"Yeah wiped out in the surf, knocked him around pretty hard."

"Is he okay?" Josh asked quickly. John shrugged.

"Haven't seen much of his brothers around either, suppose they're at the hospital all the time. Sure hope Casey wakes up soon though. It'll be such a shame to see anything bad happen to such a good young lad." John said and Josh gave a nod.

"Thanks." Josh replied.

Josh was shocked at the news, he had barely had the chance to get to know his brother, and now he might never know him.

Andy rolled his eyes as he noticed Josh finally walk out of the surf club.

"What took you so long?" Andy questioned. Josh was in a fazed state of mind and mumbled back to his brother.

"What's changed your tune? You were nagging my head off in there." Andy questioned.

"Casey's in a coma in the hospital. He wiped out in the surf." Josh explained, still unsure on what to think.

"Ha this is great!" Andy laughed.

"What? How can you say that Andy?" Josh snapped and went to storm off.

"Ah come on Josh, lighten up will ya?" Andy joked.

"Casey's in a bad way Andy!" Josh snapped.

"And why would I care? That family has done nothing for me." Josh shook his head in annoyance at his brother.

"I'm going." Josh stated in an irritated tone.

"Josh." Andy called but Josh stormed off, not bothering to look back at his brother.

Josh made his way to the hospital and cautiously walked through the doors. He didn't know what he would say or how he was going to act when he got to Casey's room. He didn't know what he should be feeling.

Just because he had only found out about Casey being family didn't mean he knew how to approach a situation like this, especially if Brax, Heath, or Kyle were there which he had barely had any contact with. However he still felt some obligation to visit Casey in hospital.

Josh stood outside Casey's room and looked at Heath and Brax sitting by his bedside. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi." Josh greeted quietly. He received a glare from Brax and Heath immediately stood up.

"What do you want?" Brax demanded causing Josh to hesitate.

"I heard about Casey. I just wanted to see if he was okay." Josh said quietly.

"Well clearly he ain't, or are you blind?" Heath retorted.

"It's your family's fault Case is in this mess!" Heath lunged towards Josh and the sensitive boy stood back, he was not a fighter like his older brother Andy.

"Heath leave it, we have more important things to worry about, like Casey." Brax said.

Heath pulled away and glared at Josh. "You and that rat of a brother of yours better stay away from my little brother, otherwise..." Heath threatened.

"Heath!" Brax warned. He did not want all this fighting in Casey's room. Brax gripped Casey's hand.

"Josh. Get out of this hospital room now, and I don't want to see you back here." Brax warned, not taking his eyes off Casey.

Josh slowly nodded and was startled backwards when Heath pretended to jump towards him.

"I'm really sorry. I really hope Casey wakes up soon." Josh whispered.

"Get out baby Barrett!" Heath yelled and waved his hand at Josh. Josh swung his hands in his pockets and left the room.

Heath walked back over to Casey's bed. "The nerve of that kid showing up here." Heath stated, causing Brax to glare at him.

"The nerve of you." Brax snapped.

"What?" Heath was taken aback by his brother's accusation.

"Starting a fight here in this room when your brother is in a coma! He doesn't deserve such disrespect!" Brax snapped.

Heath stood shocked. "Brax, I'm sorry...but you know how I get...I'm just so angry at that family for what they done to Case."

"Just leave." Brax spoke in a low tone.

"Brax you can't kick me out. I want to be here for Case." Brax glared at Heath.

"I said get out! I want to be left alone with Casey and if you can't think of something other than fighting for one second then its best you go."

Clearly the lack of food, sleep, and stress over Casey's condition was really taking its toll on the eldest Braxton.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Heath slammed his hand against a chair. "I'll come back later when you might have come to your senses."

Brax huffed as Heath stormed out of the room.

Flashback-

Five year old Casey was sitting up excited in his bed listening attentively to his big brother reading his favorite story. Brax finished the last line and closed the book.

"Again! Again!" Casey squealed hitting his hands on the bed covers.

Brax sighed. "Casey no. It's bed time." Brax told him.

Casey pouted. "Fine then I'll scream and I won't stop until you read it to me again!" Casey bargained and had now climbed out of his bed and stood on his mattress with his arms folded challenging his brother.

Brax knew when Casey was in his bribing moods being stern would only result in a tantrum and he was not in the mood for that. Brax glared at Casey.

"Is that so huh? Well then I guess I'm gonna have to make sure I do better than that and really give you something to scream about." Brax warned in a gentler tone before he pulled Casey's legs out from under him and dropped him back down on his bed and started tickling him.

Casey screamed out and giggled, trying to escape his brother's tickling torture but it was no use.

"Brax! Brax!"

"I thought you said you were going to scream anyway, I'm just helping ya." Brax laughed and he continued to tickle his baby brother.

"No! No! Stop!" Casey struggled. Brax continued to laugh playfully.

"Brax! Please stop or I'll have to go toilet." Casey gasped.

Brax could see his brother becoming tired from struggling and immediately stopped, resting his hands around Casey's waist and smiled at his brother.

"You had enough...you ready to be a good boy and hop into bed?"

Casey nodded obediently he did not want his brother to tickle him again.

Brax smiled. "Good, come on."

Brax tapped his hands on Casey's waist and pulled away so Casey could climb back into his bed.

"Lie down so I can tuck you in." Brax ordered. "Night Case. Sleep well." Brax smiled and turned to leave.

"Brax?"

Brax turned back and raised his eyebrow.

"You forgot something." Casey whispered.

Brax gave a confused look and watched as Casey wriggled his arms out from under his covers and held them out.

Brax smiled and walked back over to the bed and leaned down, giving Casey a hug.

When Brax pulled away and stood up, Casey still kept his arms outstretched and moaned.

"Brax...Brax...I wanna tell you something."

Brax sighed. "Casey it's getting late, now that is enough. You've had your story and you've had your hug, now its bedtime, for real." Brax said sternly.

Casey pouted and looked away sadly, causing Brax to sigh and lean down to Casey's level.

"Fine, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" He asked gently.

Casey reached himself up and kissed his big brother on the cheek. "I love you."

Casey pulled back and lay back down in his sheets. Brax felt touched and stared at his brother lovingly.

Casey snuggled himself back into his sheets and Brax covered him up again.

"I love you too." Casey smiled at Brax and closed his eyes. Brax turned the light off and left the room.

End Flashback.

Brax stood up and leaned over his brother, staring at the tubes and wires all over his face. Brax gently moved back Casey's hair and leaned down to gently kiss his brother's forehead.

"Come on Casey, I don't know how much more I can take of this." He whispered as he stared at his brother's closed eyes.

Being so affectionate was not something him or his brothers done very often or lightly for that matter, but Heath was right. Looking at Casey in the hospital bed made Brax realise this was still his little baby brother, only now older and taller, but inside he was still the big hearted, vulnerable boy that Brax had raised.

Brax sat back down on the chair and rested his head against the bed, again gripping Casey's hand tightly in his, Brax couldn't force his eyes to stay open anymore, and for the first time in days he fell asleep.