Chapter Title: Poison
Series Title: Unlikely Brothers
Ages in this chapter: Tanner (15) Dashen (21)
POV: Dashen
Chapter Summary: The man who claimed responsibility for killing Dashen's brother, Kossi, again brings emotional turmoil into his life.
The brain is foggy at three in the morning, especially when you've had a little too much to drink the previous night. Nevertheless, I woke up instantly at the desperation in the voice that stood in my bedroom doorway.
"Dash, I feel funny. Something's wrong."
Tanner had hit the floor in the five seconds it took me to hurdle out of bed. I quickly scooped him off the floor to lean against my chest. His skin felt wrong. Clammy? Is that the word? Sticky might have been more appropriate. I felt all over, looking for injury, but there was none. I resorted to slapping his face with my hands and crouching over his shoulder to try and look into his eyes in the dark room.
"Tanner, talk to me, what's going on? What do you feel?"
His words were muffled even though his mouth was not covered and he began licking his lips repeatedly. His face flushed with sweat, but was ice cold. This was all familiar…but why? And why couldn't I immediately put my finger on it? It was important to remember. It was life and death to remember. And then it came. It came and I screamed at the top of my lungs, yelling for Colton. Screaming bloody murder for him to come. Even at three in the morning, I knew he'd hear me. He did and he came, flipping on the bedroom light to find me on the floor with my brother in my arms.
"What the hell, Dash? What's happening?"
I rocked Tanner as he grimaced in the pain that I knew was coming now. It would be followed by more sweating, high fever and then intense chills, the pain never ceasing as the entire body would ache. The galaxy's nastiest flu times forty. I knew this. I knew it like it was my own blood as the victim. Because it had been. This is what killed Kossi – my blood family - eight years ago.
Mumbling into Tanner's shoulder, I said, "Healer Quin. Get Quin now. This is Kossi all over again. The same poison. Malek. The bastard. He got to Tanner. Please, Colt, get your healer! Please!"
Colton did something to the comm in his hand and then returned to my side. "It's done, Dash. She'll be here. These are the same symptoms that Kossi had?"
"Exact to the details, except these are faster. The poison must be a stronger dose. He said before he'd go after Tanner if he could. Colton…"
"Easy, kid. Even if it's a stronger dose, we should have a little time. And we know where to start."
But we didn't have that much time. Kossi's symptoms took hold strongly, but slowly. Tanner was already in a second round of it. I hugged him tight and continued rocking.
"This can't happen again. Not again."
The large hand on my shoulder tried to still me, but my motion continued. Tanner was semi-conscious and grabbing blindly for my hand. I held it just as the hand on my shoulder disappeared. Then a moment later, it was back and along with it, the hands of a healer. The best healer money could buy. And it's what Colton had done years ago. He'd bought the healing services of Quin Kalis for his own use upon demand. In the process they'd become trusted friends. Quin knew the secrets Tanner hid about being a Jedi. Loyalty or money kept her from saying anything. Didn't matter which, it only mattered that Tanner would be in the best possible hands…assuming he lived.
I spouted out the name of the poison and what I knew about it. After Malek had spilled the news last year with the truth about Kossi's death, I'd done my homework on the drug and learned everything I could about it. Quin too had looked into it and although not prepared for this specifically, the well-aged, white-haired woman was always prepared for just about anything.
"Dashen, we must move him." She told me. "I cannot treat him here. My transportation is just outside. The hospital is moments away at high speed. Please come."
Colton tried to move me out of the way. He was stronger and bigger than I was. The thin build of my brother would have been nothing in his arms, but I refused to let go. Picking him up, there was no quarrel from Colton and he stayed at my side as we moved down the stairs and to the healer's enclosed speeder. I sat sideways on the rear seat with Tanner still in my lap. He was calm at the moment, but I could see his muscles twitching in pain. I don't know if he was able to use any of this Force magic to dull the pain or other symptoms, but I couldn't understand his ramblings anymore. Most of the words didn't make sense or maybe they weren't even words. Just noises. Just like Kossi. This was a replay of my worst possible nightmare. The nightmare that had come true. And now this new nightmare seemed destined to follow the same path.
Colton did take Tanner from me when the speeder stopped. The shock was getting at me and I was moving too slowly. I reached out as Colton lifted him. "Careful, Colt. Please."
Then I followed him down the hospital hall. I staggered a few steps before I straightened myself. Quin was swift in her next actions. Disappearing for a moment and returning in a full sprint back to the room. The woman was old. Ancient really. I didn't realize that running was even in her vocabulary. Or maybe she was just ancient to my eyes. She looked human but wasn't, and longer life spans were not uncommon for certain races. And I had no idea why I was thinking or even worried about these things. Did they matter? Not one damn bit. I tried to get closer to the bed where Tanner now lay, but I was pushed away. Quin had brought in two others to help. I was in the way. From behind me, Colton stood and put his hands on either of my shoulders and pressed gently.
"There are no better hands for him now, Dash."
I nodded as my mind began wandering. Staring at my stricken brother was heartbreaking enough, but thinking about the man who had done this…first Kossi, now Tanner. It was too much. I pulled forward. Colton stopped me. He knew me too well it seemed.
"You will do nothing but stay in this room and tend to your brother. If Malek is behind this, I will find out and I will take care of the problem."
Simple as that, huh? Colton had just volunteered to kill a man. A murderous, evil monster, yes, but still a man. I'd shed no tears, but I didn't want Colton's hands bloody over something that was aimed at me.
"I want at him, Colt. I mean it."
"No. And don't make me say it again. You're a good person, Dash. I won't allow your hands on this. My hands were dirtied long ago."
As I nodded my understanding, he gave my shoulders a last squeeze and then disappeared. We didn't know how Malek would have gotten to Tanner. I know for certain that the two had never come face to face in this last year. I'd never have allowed it. But I didn't know all of Malek' tricks, nor did I know all of his henchman. Anything could have happened without my either of our knowledge.
—-
Long into the late morning, there was no sign of Colton. I sat silently off to the side as the three healers continued…and then they stopped. Healer Quin turned to me and smiled kindly. "It's lunch time now. We finished just in time. You know how I hate to miss a meal." I was completely confused, but waited for her to finish. "You were correct, Dashen, and your knowledge of the time progression of these symptoms probably saved Tannerlin's life today. He received an extra large dose of the poison. Ingested orally. Possibly in a drink or food. We were able to ward off any further progression into the bloodstream and organs. Countering poisons with lesser poisons isn't always wise, but if you know all the right tricks and say all the correct magic words, things happen. And the secondary poison we actually administered will mostly just fatigue him."
What the hell was she talking about? Healer-speak wasn't my forte and they injected him with a poison to kill a poison? Huh? My head hurt, I didn't have the patience to wander around a conversation, so I asked her directly, "He's not going to die?"
Another warm smile. "No, he's not. He'll be in bed for some time though. Seven or ten days perhaps. His body worked impossibly hard to try and destroy the invader and it appears that his mind was also engaged in the battle. He's exhausted, body and mind. It will be some time for him to recover his strength and he will remain here for several days. He will have some aches and pains and it will take that long for both poisons to be completely expunged from his system, and…" The healer lowered her voice for my ears only, "…we must make sure the danger is properly handled before allowing your brother to leave. Virgil will handle the problem." Or in other words, Malek would be dead before Tanner would go home. I think my heart just skipped a beat…or eight. And did she just call Colton, Virgil? How was this woman still alive? No one got away with calling him that. I mean…wait. My mind was straying again. I should stop worrying about menial things and focus on my brother.
I said to Quin and motioned towards Tanner, "Can I sit with him?"
The old woman nodded. "You may. It is likely that he will not wake for a day. However, do not fret. The more he rests, the better for his entire being." Then again, Quin leaned to me to whisper, "Virgil has the room guarded. Just in case. And only the three you saw here today, myself and the other two healers are permitted to treat Tannerlin. No others should lay hands on him."
I agreed, but damn did Colton work fast. Not sure when he had time to set up security and in what form that security took, but I was impressed. I was also exhausted. It was early afternoon now, the healers had left. Quin for lunch, the other two for other patients I suppose. Didn't care. I was feeling my hangover now combined with the intense anxiety of my brother's attempted murder and now the waiting to see what came after. The chair I was in moved easily enough and I dragged it bedside so I could take hold of Tanner's hand. He was out cold, but I talked to him anyway.
"Don't do that again, Mouse. You hear me? Don't you ever try and die on me again. You do it and I'll kick your sorry butt from here to Loma, got it?" A finger twitched in my grasp. He heard me. Another twitch and then Tanner's hand tightened ever so slightly. "I'm here, little brother and I'm not leaving. So, just rest. Colton and Quin and I have taken care of everything. You just do your part and rest."
I slept for a good four hours; despite my awkward forward lean position. My body had begged for the break. When I woke, Tanner remained an unconscious unmoving form on the medical bed, but Colton had returned and sat on the opposite side. He frowned at me.
"You look like hell."
If I'd had a hat, I would have tipped it. "Thank you. I figured as much."
"Malek is in hiding. Won't take much to find him, I suspect. One of Tannerlin's classmates was threatened into assisting him."
"How did you manage to find that out?" I said to Mr. Magician himself.
"I stopped by Tanner's school to let his teacher know he would be out for a time. Class was in session so I walked in and spoke to the teacher with enough volume that the students could overhear me. I mentioned that Tannerlin had been struck very ill very quickly. Interestingly enough, one of the students flinched at that exact moment. Naturally, with my criminally inquisitive mind I wondered why? I coaxed the teacher into allowing me to speak to the boy alone. He poured it all out without me even saying a word. I only had to glare at him." Colton had that way with people. One look and if you couldn't claim immunity, you'd be spilling all your secrets. "Turns out, Malek got a hold of the boy, threatened to hurt his family if he didn't cooperate. All he had to do was swap out Tannerlin's water bottle with a tainted one. The boy did as he was threatened and Malek promised his family would live. I let the child live. Malek is powerful and this is of no fault of a sixteen year old boy. My spies are out. Word comes in on his location and that's all I need."
I felt I should do something or say something to stop Colton from going after Malek. Part of me knew it was wrong. The problem was, the other part of me wanted to pull the damn trigger myself. But that was something Colton would never allow and something that I would never be able to live with. It was also something that Tanner would never wish to happen. It was for that reason alone that I hoped Colton would find Malek and end this before my brother was consciously functioning again.
Colton saw the confusion and dilemma roaming the worry lines on my face. "He's crossed the line and for the second time, attacked a boy innocent of any action against him. It's unfortunate that I didn't know the truth about Kossi prior to last year, but then putting the price of his evil onto one of my own. That is a line one does not cross. His breaths are numbered."
I nodded. It's all I could do. That and feel a swell of something at Colton's words, "one of my own." We'd sort of invaded his home those years ago when I'd found and then started dragging Tanner around with me. He had every right to toss us out on our butts right then and there. But he didn't. And he hadn't since, no matter how hard headed, annoying and frustrating we could be at times. Colton was becoming less a surrogate uncle to us and more of a surrogate father. I hoped he knew the appreciation that came with my nod and half hearted smile. I'm sure he did. Nothing ever got past this man.
A full day came and went, another began. Tanner didn't actually wake until well into that second evening. Quin was pleased with his sloth-like progress and encouraged me to remain patient. Well, it was less of her encouraging me and more of her in a smacking me upside the head type thing. I decided to listen after the third painful swat for fear that one more like that and I'd end up in my own hospital bed with a concussion. My attitude bettered and I reintroduced myself to patience, mindful that Tanner was feeling about forty times worse than I was at the moment.
The third day was better. Tanner not only opened his eyes again and stayed awake for a while, but he also found the energy to talk a bit. An effort that was tiring, no doubt, but I felt a lot better about his recovery now that we could communicate verbally. Naturally he was worried about missing school and that it might affect his credits needed to become a teacher's aide in the next year or so. That was Tanner. Always worried about the most important things. Forget the fact that his body was rampaged by a poison strong enough to kill him within a few hours and that another poison was purposely injected into him to fix the problem. He was missing classes. It's what mattered. And it made me smile. My own first words would have been something to the tune of 'who the hell did this to me and is he dead yet?' Tanner wasn't me and for that, I was forever grateful.
I'd given him the quick version of the story. The one that Quin had approved while he recovered. He'd been drugged quite severely and had come close to not surviving. It was the truth, but an extremely abbreviated version of it. Details for later when he was ready for them. It would also give us the opportunity to decide how much to tell him about the classmate who'd gotten sucked into this assassination attempt. Colton had already decided to let things drop, knowing the threats that Malek had levied against the boy's family. There was no need to stress the kid anymore than had already happened. I'd agreed, although I was all for strangling the kid for a few minutes just so he knew never to do anything so stupid again. Then I decided not to strangle him, thinking about how I would have felt with a madman like Malek taking aim at people that I cared about.
Tanner fell hard asleep after a while and Colton picked that time to return. Planned to the minute. He stared at me and blinked slowly as healer number three finished a quick check of the tubes (two of them, one for fluids and one to allow the departing of fluids – no need to go there) attached to his body. Once she'd gone, we took our respective places on either side of Tanner's bed.
"The problem of Malek has been resolved. Today, right after lunch actually."
Right. Okay. What do you say to that? A man that I respect and care about, but one who makes his living as a criminal (mostly non-violent, but still), tells you without telling you that he'd just murdered the man who'd killed my baby brother and then attempted the same on my surrogate brother. I mean, is this high five territory? No, probably not. Do you offer congratulations? Don't think so. Do you do nothing? That seemed best. I stuck to it. Colton moved on, just like that.
"Quin says he's better."
"Long way yet though." I touched Tanner's hand. "The only two people in the galaxy who never deserved any of this…Kossi. Tanner. Life's not fair, I know, but this…"
"What you learned from Kossi saved Tannerlin's life. Don't forget that."
Yeah, I didn't forget. As hard as it was to admit, Kossi's death had already saved my life and now it had saved Tanner's. That old saying about 'he didn't die in vain' seemed to apply full force in this case. Although that didn't alter the fact that given the choice, I'd take Kossi back in a second, even if it meant the loss of what I had now. And I'd get no argument from Tanner on that either. But that wasn't going to happen and what I had now, I didn't want to lose.
Colton got up. There was a bag he'd brought into the room with him. He placed it on the end of the bed, just away from Tanner's feet. Inside was another, smaller bag. It smelled of my favorite - roasted Si-hen sandwich – the tastiest edible bird in the galaxy. I do believe Colton had killed Malek and then had actually taken a side trip to the local deli to get me a meal. If that's not multitasking at its finest, I don't know what is. "Food," he told me. "Eat it. And don't give me any crap. You still look horrible, so you will eat or I will stuff a tube down your throat, mash the food into some ugly greenish-brown liquid and pump it right into your stomach." He held the bag to me and finished with, "Chewing is much less invasive."
Needless to say, I took the bag, sat in the recliner in the corner and ate. Colton stayed until I'd finished every last bite, somewhat disappointed that he wouldn't have the opportunity to pulverize food and shove it down my throat in tube form. It was after the little things that made life enjoyable, right?
—-
Tanner got to go home on day six, but under strict orders to rest. No school until given the all clear by Quin at some point in the coming weeks. Tanner knew by now who had been behind the poisoning. He didn't know the condition of that said person however, and Colton and I agreed to keep it that way. We also agreed that Tanner needed to know how the poison had been given to him. In the end, we did tell him that it was a classmate who'd made the bottle switch. And we told him which one. He'd have found out anyway from body language alone once he rejoined his class.
As expected, Tanner took the news as information to be digested. Circumstances what they were, he'd never hold the other boy's actions against him. Hell, for all I knew, he'd befriend the kid and it would be like none of this ever happened. It's just who Tanner was. He had that ability to see the good when all others got angry. If only we all could be so accepting.
That hadn't prepared me for what happened the following day. Tanner had a visitor at the front door asking about him. That visitor turned out to be the accessory-to-murder classmate. Reluctantly, Colton allowed him in, which surprised me – the man didn't allow many visitors unless they were female friends of his. So, another surprise. Two surprises in two minutes. Next? The kid's name was Wren. Sixteen. Human. Blonde and blue-eyed if average in physical appearance. At one point, he'd probably been a know-it-all-teenager. I mean, we were all that at some time in our lives, right? Us guys especially. Currently, he was nothing of the sort. Instead, he was a kid that felt like total and utter crap. Not to mention the anxiety dripping off of him in sheets. He was terrified to be standing at the residence of Virgil Colton after helping to poison a friend of the man. How he'd had the courage to even walk up to the house, I had not a clue.
I told Tanner he was here and left them to talk. Tanner was stretched out on the couch, tired of his bed, but still lacking the energy and strength to do much of anything. I stood off a bit, away from them, but close enough to listen. I heard the most heartbreaking and sincere apology I'd never heard from anyone in my life come out of that kid's mouth. If he could have groveled at Tanner's feet, he would have.
There was no groveling as it turned out, but there were tears.
Now, mind you, sixteen year old guys would rather die than actually cry (or even admit to crying) in front of anyone, especially in front of another similarly aged male. This kid though, he was shaken to his core at what he'd done and what had almost become of it. He explained his side, without using it as a crutch, and that he had no idea what was in the drink he exchanged with my brother, but that he knew it would have been something bad.
That part there had me wanting again to strangle the kid. You know it's bad, then you don't do it, damn it! Then my brain took over from my emotions and wondered what I would have done in his position if my family was being threatened. Probably the same thing he did. Or maybe not. Maybe I would have gone to the authorities. I don't know. I hope I'd never have to find out. All I did know was that regardless of anything, I was still having a hard time forgiving this kid for what he'd done.
Tanner on the other hand, was not. He actually comforted the kid. Was it that whole Jedi Zen thing? Or was this just Tannerlin Vai? And to be honest, did it matter? Bottom line, he forgave Wren and then went so far as to ask the kid to bring him assignments from school, so he didn't lose too much ground.
Yup. Tanner was insane, he had to be. Asking for school work? I had to step in.
"No school, Tanner. You heard your healer."
"She said I couldn't go to school. She didn't say that school couldn't come to me, Dash."
I shook my head. He really was insane. "You've never read between the lines?"
"I'm bored, Dash. I need something to challenge my mind or I'll just keep sleeping all day and never get out of bed." Tanner blew me off with a smile after that and turned back to his new murdering-conspirator friend. Okay, stop it Dash. That wasn't fair. The victim in all this was able to see past human error, I should learn the same lesson. I gave in on the school work thing.
"Fine, you can have Wren here bring you work, but you won't be working it at the expense of your recovery, understand me?"
"Yes, I do. Thank you."
The pair said goodbye and then Wren stood and briefly caught my eyes, then dropped the gaze just as quickly. He knew he'd have a more difficult time getting me to accept this versus what he'd just gotten from Tanner, but I decided to behave for my brother's sake.
"No worries, Wren. We all learn from foolish things we've done. Trust me, I know from experience. Just chalk it up as a lesson learned and let's move on, okay?"
The kid nodded and caught my eyes again. "Yes, sir."
"Yeah, none of that crap either. I'm not that old yet. Come on, I'll show you out the side door so you can avoid the glare of our uncle downstairs."
Kid gone, I went back to my brother. "So, Mouse, making new friends who possess sneaky talents, huh?"
He wasn't having any of that and he replied with, "Yeah and you're Mr. Perfect, right? How many times have you screwed up something big?"
"Fair enough. I promise to behave. Still, did you have to befriend the kid?"
"We're in the same class, Dash. It's the normal thing to do with those you spend all day with. He did volunteer to change classes though if I didn't want to see him."
"Hmm…"
"You know, Master Ayden instilled in me that you don't run or hide from a challenge, you allow that challenge to become part of who you are. You take it on and it makes you a better person."
"Yeah, well, you might not be saying that if you were me and had you dying in my arms."
Slowly moving his legs off the couch and to the floor to sit upright for a bit, Tanner waited for me to sit next to him before saying, "About that. Thank you. For saving my life. That was your challenge."
"What, being lucky?"
"Not luck. You had to sort through the painful memories of Kossi to see the similarities of the poison and then to understand it was the same, just progressing faster. If you hadn't been able to put your worst memories to the side, you would have never been able to do that and I would probably have died, right?"
I nodded but didn't say anything.
"No luck involved, just determination."
"Mixed with a heaping pile of desperation."
Tanner smiled. "Heaping piles of desperation can go a long way."
—-
It was two weeks before my brother was physically ready for school. Mentally, he'd been geared up a while ago and had been driving me nuts ever since. I dropped him off that first day back and escorted him into the classroom to thank his teacher for her patience with his recovery. Tanner took his normal assigned seat – right next to Wren – where only weeks prior actions began that almost took his life. He smiled at his friend. I just sighed. Fifteen years old and able to forgive so easily.
Tanner never did get the final story on Malek. All he knew is that Malek had shown up dead at some point. The word on the street was that his people were calling it an inside job, but they knew the truth. Most likely, Tanner knew it too, but he never said anything. We both knew what Colton was capable of, but it was an area that we'd hoped to never have to explore. For all of us, it was best to just let it rest. Malek was dead, Tanner was alive and life was moving forward absent one less evil in the galaxy.
I even think that maybe Kossi rested a bit easier now too.
END
