Involuntary Saga

by Rebershekk

When Scott and Virgil are broken, Alan's left crippled by guilt, Gordon's finally out of his depth, and John's left to spiral out of control. Injuries, dark themes and language in later parts. - Made of many small chapters so not actually as huge as it seems I promise.

16. Two Sides

Relief. That was how he'd describe it, utter relief.

His grandmother had finally left and he'd managed to pester a nurse to take him to Virg.

Now the two lay in an almost comfortable silence, Scott in the wheelchair while Virgil lay in the bed. He had wanted to hold his brother, to cling to him. A solid anchor in this new world, but he couldn't.

He had come in seeking his brother's comfort, his ability to make everything easier, to reassure him with a simple touch. He had come in seeking those hands. Instead, he'd found only more worry, more fear. He was hurt. More hurt than Scott had dared to think. His brother was alive, but he didn't sound it, didn't feel it, and Scott was helpless to fix it.

So they sat there. Scott wanted to say something but what? How did you fix what you couldn't even see, and deep down a small part of him was glad he was blind in that moment, so he couldn't see his brother, because he was sure that would break him.

He was failing, had failed in the most basic of duties. He had failed to protect his brother. He reached out, working his fingers along the bed until he found the warm, rough bed shirt, and he clung on to that with all his strength, praying his brother would forgive his failure, as he knew he would never be able to forgive himself.