AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and for everyone reading!

Enjoy this chapter, I think it shows Brax's determination to stand by Casey well.

Chapter 28- Catalyst

CASEY'S POV

After Brax and I left the hospital there was nothing but silence the entire drive home. I was mad Brax had come for me at the cliff's edge. Why couldn't he just mind his own business? I did not want a doctor telling me something was wrong with what I was doing.

Cutting helps me cope with the troubles of my new life and I just wish everyone would leave me alone and accept that. If I want to cut up my own body that should be my choice, after all I deserved to have one thing in my life that I can rely on and control.

I can't believe Brax and Doctor Cooper were trying to get me to talk to some shrink, like I was crazy or something then saying they would force me to get counseling next time! I'm sick of everyone pushing me to talk. Talking wasn't going to bring back the life I once had, the life where I knew I had three older brothers, a mother who didn't lie to her son and a life without my thoughts draining every ounce of energy my body had.

I guess finding out I had an infection from the wound on my thigh did scare me a little but knowing I had made lasting damage made my life feel just that bit easier. It made me feel stronger. Giving me a feeling that no-one could hurt me.

I looked over to Brax and he was concentrating on the road but his face told otherwise. I could tell he wasn't happy he usually gets this quiet when he's annoyed or upset about something.

NORMAL POV

Brax pulled into the driveway of the Braxton house and got out of the car. As Casey got out of the car Brax grabbed his upper arm and pulled him inside. Heath and Kyle were sitting inside at the kitchen table talking. Brax had notified them as soon as he had taken Casey to hospital.

"Hey Case." Kyle greeted. Heath just stared. He was concerned but angry at the same time.

Brax and Casey just ignored them as Brax simply dragged Casey into his bedroom angrily, leaving Heath and Kyle giving each other quizzical looks as to what was going on.

When inside Casey's room Brax released his grip on his brother's arm and Casey turned to glare at him.

"Give it to me!" Brax yelled.

"I don't know what you're talking about so get out of my room!" Casey snapped back.

"I ain't arguing with you Casey. Give me what you used to cut your leg with and give it to me now!" Brax yelled.

"No! It's mine and you can't tell me what to do! You're not even my brother!" Casey yelled and this comment kept hitting a nerve for Brax as he realised what Casey was thinking.

"Casey I am giving you one chance to give me your damn cutting implement before I tear this room apart to find it!" Brax yelled and Casey just glared at him, becoming angrier.

Brax made a move to start looking through Casey's draws.

"Don't!" Casey yelled, trying to pull his brother away from his stuff, but it was no use, Brax was determined to get that blade.

He did not want Casey hurting himself anymore and after hearing what Nate said at the hospital about Casey having to go into psychiatric care really hurt him.

"Brax! Stop it!" Casey yelled.

Brax glared at his brother. "No Casey! I cannot stand by and watch you hurt yourself again and risk your life!"

Casey was becoming overwhelmed with anger and the need to have control over his life when Brax was still ordering him around.

Before he realised what happened Casey took a swing at Brax and punched him hard in the jaw, causing Brax to stumble backwards. Brax took a moment to compose himself, holding his jaw where he had been hit and staring at Casey, concern filling his eyes.

"Casey, give me what you use to cut with now." Brax said in a softer tone.

Still in shock at what he did Casey pulled out his dirty blade from his draw, keeping his unopened blade hidden and held it in his hands.

Brax held out his hand. "Give it here." He ordered in a quiet tone.

Casey looked shamefully at Brax and reluctantly handed over his blade. "You have it. Now get out." Casey said, turning away from Brax.

Brax nodded and left his brother's room in disbelief at what had just happened. Casey had never hit him or had even tried to hit him. Brax walked back into the kitchen to where Kyle and Heath were still sitting.

"Hey mate what happened? We heard yelling and a loud crash." Heath said.

"Yeah we were going to come down and see what was going on but with you so determined to take Casey into his room when you came home we figured you had it all sorted." Kyle added.

"Hmph" Brax replied as he stared at the blade in his hand and went to sit down at the table.

"So what happened at the hospital? Where did you find Casey?" Heath asked.

Brax didn't say anything and that's when Heath noticed Brax's bruised jaw.

"Geez mate what happened to you?" Heath asked in surprise.

"Casey punched me." Brax replied.

"What? That kid's never hurt a fly, what is going through his head?" Heath was shocked that his baby brother could turn so violent.

"I shouldn't have pushed him." Brax whispered.

"Yeah but you're worried about him." Kyle reassured, receiving a shrug from Brax.

"Hey what's that in your hand?" Heath asked.

Brax put the scalpel blade on the table. "This is what Casey has used to cut himself with. After I found him at the campsite on the cliff's edge, he was all dazed and had a fever. When we went to the hospital it was discovered this nasty wound on his leg that he had cut with this blade had been infected with Staph bacteria."

Heath and Kyle sat wide-eyed.

"It's like I don't even know him no more. He yelled at me that I wasn't even his brother." Brax said quietly, not leaving his eyes off the blade.

Brax gave a heavy sigh and placed the blade down on the table, getting up to walk out of the house.

"Where are you going?" Kyle asked as Heath sat staring at the blade, taking it all in.

"I just have to get some fresh air. Look after Casey for me." Brax whispered.

"Course." Kyle replied.

HEATH POV

I didn't know what to think when Brax told Kyle and me about finding Casey at our old campsite and on a cliff none the less. I kept trying to get the picture out of my head about my little brother being moments away from the end had Brax not found him in time.

On the outer surface I was angry and confused at what was happening to Casey but inside I felt I was partially to blame. If I had just watched him that little bit closer and not left the house to get those stupid magazines none of this would have happened.

I just wish we could help Case through whatever it is that is going through his head, like the family that we are.

KYLE POV

I watched Heath paced the floor near the kitchen table, I could tell he was feeling agitated over Brax's news. I couldn't believe what had happened either. Seeing Brax falter like that surprised me and to see him more concerned over Casey's mental welfare than the punch he had received just proved how much family meant to him.

I know it's a tough road for people in Case's situation but I hated just standing by and watching my little brother be destroyed like this. It was scary never knowing if he would make a wrong move or attempt to take his own life and being helpless about it. I sighed and stared up at Heath,

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Heath gave a huff and stared back at me. "I just can't stop thinking this is partially my fault ya know...He took off on my watch and something bad could have happened to him, something bad did happen." Heath shook his head.

"Come on Heath, you know as well as I do that this isn't your fault. I know it's hard to fully understand but Casey's mind frame just isn't in a good place right now and nothing any of us do is going to change what Casey decides to do. I don't like it either that if this keeps up we might lose him, but we can't blame ourselves."

Heath shook his head. "Where do you come up with this psycho babble anyways?"

I obviously managed to change Heath's train of thought. I shrugged, "Seen and heard a lot about this kind of stuff back in Melbourne."

"Well ya doing a good job of keeping us together when Brax and I needed a way to understand all this."

I nodded and gave a smile. Heath picked up the scalpel blade on the table. "You'd think something like this would hurt wouldn't ya? I mean look at the blade on this thing. I always knew Casey was tough but this does my head in."

Heath tossed the blade back onto the table and went to the fridge grabbing a drink before sitting down on the couch.

NORMAL POV

Brax had walked down towards the surf club and was looking out at the ocean when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Brax, how is young Casey?" John Palmer asked.

"Um...yeah...he's still...getting there." Brax replied hesitantly.

"It's good to hear he is back at home with his family and not in hospital, hey?"

"Yeah." Brax replied.

"Hey you alright mate, you seem a bit lost." John questioned at Brax's quiet demeanor.

"Yeah sorry, I'm just really worried about Casey." Brax turned to face John.

"Woah that's quite a shiner you got there, what happened?" John asked, upon seeing Brax's bruised jaw.

"I got into a row with Casey." John raised his eyebrows.

"That's not like Casey. I hope he comes to his senses." John commented.

"So do I." Brax replied and started to walk back home.

CASEY'S POV

Brax had just left my room and I turned around in shock at what I had just done. I couldn't believe I had actually hit Brax. That just proved my point all along, I was cold at heart. I shut my bedroom door and turned the lock. I felt so sick to my stomach.

I grabbed my unopened blade and stared at it in my hand. I knew what I had to do to fix this. I sat down on the floor with a cloth in my hand and my blade and made the necessary marks on my left arm to rid my mind of the guilt, pain, and hatred I was feeling.

I eventually lay down and watched the blood streaming down my arm as I let the tears fall from my eyes.

I startled back to reality about an hour later when I heard a knock on my door, waking me from my resting sleep that I had fallen into, after I became lost in my emotions.

"Case?" I heard Brax's voice and quickly sat up.

The blood on my arms had now dried so I wiped my arm clean and pulled on a clean shirt.

"Case are you okay in there?" Brax's voice was soft.

I sat in a daze for a moment. Brax was asking if I was okay? I was the one that punched him. Then I realised, maybe I was starting to see some connection here.

"Yeah I'm okay." I called out, my voice cracking as I did.

I stood up and opened the door to see Brax looking at me concerned. I could see the bruise on his jaw and instantly felt guilty again.

"Case what did I tell ya about keeping ya door open mate?" Brax asked me quietly.

I was still feeling numb over my realisation about Brax before I answered.

"Um...Yeah sorry." I whispered.

Brax nodded and turned to leave. "Brax?"

Brax turned to listen to me. "I...I'm sorry I punched you."

Brax gave one of his silent approval nods. "Kyle has gone out to get us some pizza if you want to come out for some." Brax told me.

"Yeah maybe." I replied quietly with a nod before he left down the hall with me watching him.

I rubbed my freshly injured arm and felt the prickling sting of the cuts as I again fell into my thoughts. After everything that has happened, Brax still wanted to look out for me, maybe things didn't have to change as much as I thought they did.