Flash Fiction Friday prompt 232: Among Any Option. 511 words.
'NO.'
Alan stood, arms folded across his chest, staring angrily at his four brothers. (He was not hugging himself. He was *not*.)
'Alan. Please.'
Scott's voice was tired and full of pain, it was an obvious effort for his eldest brother to talk. All the fight went out of Alan.
'There must be another way. Another option. Any other option!'
He was aware he was shouting, but Scott just smiled sadly and opened his one good arm. Alan didn't hesitate. He ran to his brother, hugging him as tightly as he could bearing in mind his injuries. Scott tenderly kissed the top of his head.
'Allie. You're the only one who can fit through the vent. You gotta get out of here. You know Penny and Kayo will be looking for us.'
'But – what if…'
'Shh. No what if's now. It will be alright.'
Alan looked at his brothers. Every one of them had suffered badly at the hands of their captors. There had been no mistaking the intent behind the kidnapping. It wasn't for money, for they were all there and there was no one on the outside who could access that money. It wasn't for intel – at least Alan didn't think it was. Not one question had been asked of him in his only beating.
He'd gotten off lightly, each of his older brothers demanding to be taken instead of him and their captors obliging them. They couldn't stand much more of this, Scott especially.
But he didn't want to leave them. What if…what if they weren't here when he came back? What if they were but…
'Alan. Please.'
'But what about you?'
'You're all that matters now. Getting you to safety.'
He sniffed, looking at his brothers as they all nodded and smiled at him encouragingly. Scott kissed his head again.
'You are the last, most precious gift of our Mom and Dad, Alan. You're the best of us and the most important of us.'
'No. Please don't ask me to go.'
'You need to. Penny and Kayo need you. We need you to be safe and free.'
*And alive.*
The words weren't said but they were there in the ether.
'No.'
Alan whispered. But there was no heat left, no fight left. His brothers were right. There would be no rescue while he stayed. So he got up from Scott's lap and went around and hugged and kissed his brothers until he came to Scott again.
There was so much love in his oldest brother's eyes Alan thought he would drown in it. He threw himself once more into the lap that had held and kept him safe all his life. He felt his other brothers come together around them. And he whispered once more, this time into Scott's ear.
'Love you, Dad. I'll come back for you.'
'Love you too, Sprout.'
Gordon stood on Virgil's shoulders and Alan on top of his, and with one last look down at them, ignoring the tears, Gordon boosted him up and Alan pulled himself into the vent and away.