Of Dives and Falls

This chapter has been prompted by mucusshifter50 and the request was Robbie and Jason have both been swimming for as long as they can remember, that doesn't change when they move up to Chester. Though when Jason doesn't disappears under the water after a dive, Robbie worries that something has gone terribly wrong

For as long as Robbie and Jason could remember, they had loved swimming. Sandy had signed them up for classes at the age of five, and neither teen had looked back since. Whilst the rest of their classmates had slowly lost interest, most of them dropping like flies once high school had started, the two young Roscoe's had stuck with it, joining the school team soon after.

They weren't stupid, swimming, whilst an escape for them, a great pass-time, was not going to be their future. They didn't train enough, especially to get into any international teams, but competing for the school was more than enough for both.

Every couple of days, the pair would make their way down to the local swimming pool, getting in a good hour's practice before moving over to the diving boards, buzzing with adrenaline. Both teens most have jumped from every possible height at least a hundred times respectively, but still the novelty hadn't worn off and they didn't think it ever would.

This was just as true one Thursday afternoon as Robbie watched Jason make his way to the 10m diving board, treading water as his twin jogged up the final set of stairs, getting into position to complete the dive.

It wasn't a difficult one, just a simple flip off the board, with a few somersaults to complete before hitting the water, and one Jason had been able to do since he was fifteen. It was his smoothest routine too, one he had won many school leagues with over the years, making what came next even more unexpected.

From where he was Robbie could see Jason take a final calming breath before moving off the board, tucking into a small ball though he was too slow. As he went, his head hit the solid diving board with an audible thump, the pain so great he came out of position and fell to the water, limbs flailing.

It was like watching it in slow-motion, Robbie couldn't help but think as Jason fell, absently noticing that his twin wasn't actually moving. His eyes were shut and any movement came from the upward air resistance, blood already covering his forehead.

The whole pool was silent as he fell, like a spell had been cast as Jason continued falling, no-one moved, no-one did anything, it was like they had all been frozen. The spell was broken the second he landed in the pool, a massive wave being caused from the action.

Before the water had even settled screams began to fill the air as lifeguards dived into the water, Robbie not too far behind. He could barely see anything with the surge of people filling the pool, but it didn't stop him from diving underneath the surface, frantically trying to spot Jason, as the water around him became more and more dyed with red. It didn't take a genius to figure out how that was happening.

"Move would you?" he found himself snarling to another one of the pool's regulars when he'd resurfaced, desperate to get closer to where Jason had fallen. He didn't make it very far when he saw his brother, the sight enough to stop Robbie exactly where he was.

One of the lifeguards had found him and dragged him back up to the water, a co-worker moving onto Jason's other side to make sure he didn't go back under the once clear surface, as they tried to carry his limp form to the side of the pool and out of the water,

His hair and face were completely covered in blood from when he'd hit his head on the diving board, though Robbie couldn't see where the cut was from the distance he was at, and the swarm of people in the pool were making it practically impossible for him to get any closer to his brother.

One thing he could see startlingly well, was just how pale Jason was. He was as white as a sheet, the starkness made even more obvious when contrasted with the blood that was getting just about everywhere. His current complexion, paired with his limp form made it look like he wasn't just unconscious, in fact, it looked like he could even be dead?

Robbie banished those thoughts as quickly as they could, though they had already taken up residency, taunting him as he finally managed to get to the edge of the pool, whispering cruel things as he hoisted himself out and made his way to Jason.

The other teen had been carefully placed on the floor, lifeguards all buzzing around him whilst the other staff tried to keep the swimmers away. "You've got to let me through," Robbie pleaded as he was stopped by a short, stout woman, mouth downturned into a thin, disapproving look. "I'm his brother, I need to see if he's okay."

After a second of silence, the woman moved back to let Robbie past, having apparently seen enough resemblance between the twins to believe his words. When Robbie got closer to Jason he almost wished that the woman hadn't let him pass, because then he wouldn't have to see the other teen in such a vulnerable state.

Without the pool water to disperse the blood, it had started to gather, dying his hair and skin a deep red, dripping onto the floor below. At the close distance, Robbie could see the blood was coming from a deep gash on Jason's forehead, the cut making its way up into his hairline, though the matted hair was making hard to see just where the cut ended.

"Is he-" Robbie breathed to no-one in particular as he struggled to catch sight of the bleeding boy's breathing.

"They've found a pulse," a nearby lifeguard said, having overheard Robbie's question over the din of the pool, as medics raced into the area. "But he's losing a lot of blood and there's no telling what damage the head injury will have caused. An ambulance has been called though, they'll get him to the hospital in no time."

Robbie could only nod in reply as he watched the pool staff working on his brother, trying to clear up the blood and checking the rest of his body incase any more injuries had been sustained in the fall.

It felt like a living nightmare, as he realised that for the first time he had no idea on what the outcome would be. His brother, usually so full of life, could be dead by the end of the day. As the thoughts hit him, Robbie found his legs giving out on him, unable to even begin processing recent events, because it just couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

Jason couldn't be fighting for his life, in desperate need of a hospital and proper help, he had been fine little over ten minutes ago, it didn't add up. He was fine, it was too quick, it wasn't supposed to happen.

He'd have to tell the others. They had no idea that in just a mere second their whole lives had changed, were still going on with their day like usual, with only Robbie truly aware on what happened.

The arrival of more people grabbed his attention, though it didn't take a lot of time for Robbie to realise that they were paramedics. The three adults gathered around Jason, taking vitals and asking the surrounding staff various questions.

Robbie had to admire just how smooth they were, in front of them laid a teenage boy, covered in blood and completely dead to the world, and none of them were even blinking an eye. In barely any time at all Jason was being lifted onto a nearby stretcher, ready to be taken to the hospital, though Robbie knew he couldn't let his twin go on his own. He needed to be there, incase there was any progress, or worse, Jason went downhill.

Grabbing his bag from the side locker, scrambling at the lock desperately, Robbie pulled a top on and ran after the paramedics, catching the attention of the only one not helping to move the stretcher.

"He's my brother, I need... I have to go with him, and no-one's here to give me a lift, but I can't leave him-"

"There's plenty of room in the ambulance," the paramedic said with a kind smile, successfully interrupting Robbie's worried babbling. With a grateful smile, Robbie followed the team out of the sports centre and into the ambulance, watching with even more worry as they began hooking Jason to machines almost instantly, not paying the sudden movement of the vehicle any mind.

He needed to tell the others what had happened, they had to get down to the hospital sooner rather than later, so with shaking hands and a heavy heart, Robbie grabbed his phone, dialled in Sandy's number and pressed call, wondering just what he was going to tell her.

}}}}}}}}}

"Where is he? Have you heard anything?" A frantic Sandy asked as she rounded the corner onto the hospital corridor where the whole family were currently located, all desperate to get some sort of news on Jason's condition.

So far they had been at the hospital for just over two hours and still nothing. Robbie tried not to think about just why the doctor's weren't telling them anything, but it wasn't a battle he was going to win anytime soon, especially if new scenarios kept entering his mind everytime he blinked, each more horrific and vivid than the last.

Joe sighed before explaining to Sandy just that, causing the older blonde to sag into a nearby chair, her foot tapping on the ground with ever-increasing speed as she tried to keep her emotions reigned in.

No-one was saying anything, they couldn't. Talking would break the silence, and when everyone was so focused on Jason, it was likely that was where conversation would turn to. And no-one really felt like speculating just what might happen to Jason, not when their darkest nightmares could be true and more.

Eventually a doctor emerged from Jason's room, shooting a small smile in the Roscoe's direction, checking over his clipboard before making his way over to the seats.

"How is he?" Sandy asked instantly, not even giving the doctor time to introduce himself. "He's going to be okay right?"

"Jason sustained a serious head injury when he fell, but it could have been a lot more serious than it was, especially when taking into consideration just how far he fell. We believe that he mistimed his dive, leading to him hitting his head on the board, which knocked him unconscious immediately. He's resting now, but initial scans are showing that bar a nasty concussion and whiplash, Jason hasn't got any brain damage, though we'll need to do more scans over the course of tomorrow to make sure."

"So he's going to be okay?" Robbie asked, breathing a sigh of relief when the doctor nodded.

"All signs are pointing to Jason being just fine. Like I said, he was very lucky, if he had hit his head just a couple of centimetres lower down, he would have been in serious trouble. Do you have anymore questions?"

As Sandy asked the older man for more details on Jason's condition, Robbie found himself unable to concentrate, and not just because he didn't understand any of the terms being used. When he had seen Jason fall from the diving board he had been convinced that this was it, this would be the moment he'd lose his twin forever.

The fear had stuck with him through the hours, as Robbie prayed to whatever deity that might be out there to let Jason live, and it seemed they had been answered. He had never been more relieved in his life, and for the first time that day, a flare of hope began to rise as Robbie realised that Jason would recover from this. After all, he was a Roscoe, and they were nothing if not survivors.

Again sorry with the lateness, I've been oddly busy this week, but I promise, this won't become a regular occurrence! Except for the next chapter of course ;) I'm away on a school trip next week, so won't be able to update till the 7th of July at the earliest.

Next Chapter - Joe was always seen as the 'head' of the family, the one his brothers went to when they were in trouble, a father figure if you will, but when Sandy tragically passed away, he finds himself having to step into the role for real, with no help. How does he handle this burden throughout the years, especially when his brothers find themselves getting into all sorts of trouble? - prompted by CBurns1995

Guest – You're a few months out my lovely! My birthday is actually in September (and I pity everyone waiting for on an update on that particular weekend, because celebrations will be messy ;))