His unconscious mind brought him here. Quietly dragged him to this room. The person inside doesn’t notice him watching. He’s rather grateful that they haven’t. Especially given their condition. Something he’d done left them this way. Left them with a severely reduced quality of life. And he hates himself for it. Hates that he has a temper that he can’t seem to control. He’d take it back if he could. Maybe he would’ve handled the situation differently if he’d been more careful. It’s not supposed to be this way. You made him that way. Him and Simon. Did it ever occur to you that maybe they were right all those years ago? Silencing the thought he turns to leave. Except, the very people he doesn’t want to see are looking at him with bewildered anger.

“You don’t belong here.”

He doesn’t respond to the woman. As far as he’s concerned, she hasn’t hanged a single bit. Still as full of herself as ever. And he couldn’t really care any less about her than he does now. Figures she may have picked up her ‘high and mighty’ attitude from her husband. Unless, she was that way before they had Samuel, which would explain everything. Including their treatment of him. They were both young when she had Sam, but they were in love and nothing mattered. And his existence is probably the only thing that’s bothered them.

“You should go. He won’t want to see you when he wakes up.”

“He’s been in this hospital off and on since I was 15. Pretty sure he doesn’t care what I do. And if I shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t have started having kids at 17. In fact, you shouldn’t have had kids at all.”

Her eyes burn holes into his tattooed arm. Right where his demos are exposed on his skin for all the world to know. Despite the fact that he was already leaving, he stays in place. Refusing to let her think that anything she says to him will get him to just go away. All she’s really doing is making him angry. Very angry. She’ll be lucky if all he does is just cuss her out. She could use some public humiliation. Maybe she’ll fix her attitude. Or we could just hospitalize her for the rest of her life.

“You don’t know anything. You got expelled from school. Nearly killed your brothers, and ran away from home. Surprised anyone took you in with the way you are.”

“You don’t know shit about me. Or we wouldn’t be where we are now. I’m fortunate enough to have friends who care about me enough to not let me be homeless or go hungry. Not that it matters. I don’t have to tell you shit. What I do with myself and my life is none of your fucking concern.”

“You will not speak to me that way! I am your mother!”

“No, you’re not. The moment you put me out at 15, you were no longer my mother. All you did was help bring me into the world. You don’t get to claim me when it’s convenient or beneficial to you. Or, ya know, when you want to make me look like a monster. And maybe I am one, but the two of you have only yourselves to blame for that.”

The woman frowns. He knows how much that upsets her, but as far as he’s concerned she needs to be reminded of the truth. He just wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t destroy her illusion of what she wishes happened. Yet here she is demanding respect from me. She can attempt to live a lie if she wants to. At the end of the day I know my worth. There is nothing anyone can take from me without my permission. That includes her.

“She gave everything for you.”

“Fuck you too. Both of you can rot. I don’t need either of you to act as though you care about me now. I didn’t forget you had the police put a warrant out for my arrest. After you put me out too. Labeled me a murderer. Called the authorities when I showed up to grandad’s grave. By the way grandma is the one who told me where it is. She even gave me clothes when it was necessary. “

“My mother would do no such thing! How dare you lie on that woman!”

“What’s sad is she gave birth to an evil bitch like you. She knew even before I did about my sexuality. She knew and still treated me like I was the most precious thing to her.”

He doesn’t have to look at her to know she is not pleased with his confession. Or rather, what she considers a lie. There are so many things about her that his grandparents told him as he was growing up. With them was the only time he felt safest. Whether he’d gotten in trouble at school or at home. His grandparents showed him the kind of love and affection that his parents saved for his siblings.

“Being out there really hasn’t done anything to improve who you are as a person. That’s no way to speak to the woman who carried you for nine months and gave birth to you. We did all we could for you and all you have ever been is ungrateful and useless.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, actually, I do. Aaron, they want to talk to us. By they, I mean police.”

Aaron looks at his friend, noting the agitation. Whatever it is, it’s serious and he can only hope no one’s made a scene.

“You could’ve texted me.”

“I did. We all did. So, I came to see why you hadn’t responded. Thank goodness I did, because this doesn’t look like a healthy interaction. Also, does she know she looks like something a shark threw up?”

“Bryant, please, let’s just go. I don’t want to deal with them any longer than I have to.”

“And I wish I hadn’t seen her outfit. Alex would literally cry. Seriously.”

Aaron shakes his head before grabbing Bryant’s arm and walking off. He can hear his parents yelling after him. They’re following them. Much closer than they need to be as well. Their presence making his blood boil. Walking away doesn’t appear to be helping him much at the moment. And given Alex’s personality, there’s going to be more than a few choice words about it. And then everyone will be concerned about dragging him off the tiny malicious mouthed keyboardist.

“I told you Bryant knew where he was. And you said I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

“If I smack you head against the wall will you shut up?”

“Now why would you want me in the same hospital as that tacky nurse. If you want me dead, just say that. Don’t drag it out.”

“I see Alex is in a good mood.”

“I’m not and people should stop believing that I am. I want to go home. I want to pretend I haven’t been on edge these last few nights. Because if I’m honest I’m scarred for life.”

Eijinn sighs, making sure to keep a good distance from Alex. Just in case he actually decides to smack his head against a wall. Everyone is tired. Their nerves dancing on high alert. Not too far off are two police officers. Seeing them elicits a groan from Aaron. He knows the moment he goes to talk to them, that’s it. He’ll be cuffed right then and there. The only other thing more bothersome than the police is the expression on Alex’s face. As though someone gave him a grapefruit coated in the worst taste imaginable.

“Alex don’t start your shit.”

“You were saved by the one person who hates you almost as much as he hates me. I can now say that tux Bryant brought home when we all first moved in will never be as tack as what that woman is wearing. My eyes are offended. I don’t know how you got away, but thank goodness you did. I am forever grateful for you not being a tacky dresser. What cemetery did you roll in lady, because you look atrocious.”

“Are these the kinds of people you hangout with, Aaron? Is this why you have no respect for your mother? Because you hang around deviants like them.”

“I wish Alex was as bad as you think he is. And I wish you would leave me the fuck alone. Honestly, what could you possibly want from me? I have nothing to give you.”

“How about apologizing to your mother? Showing up in court when you’re summoned. Paying the medical bills for your brothers. You owe us that much.”

“He doesn’t owe you shit! Maybe the boys, but never you two! Not when you’re what caused all of his pain and suffering! I sat with him the night you put him out! The night he snapped on the only two people in that house he cares about! And every night thereafter, because you’re too fucking selfish to see what that night did to him! You made sure to turn his own siblings against him from the beginning! If anything, you owe him an apology! For years worth of mental and emotional abuse!”

“Don’t think this one’s our fight, Bry.”

“Not that he’s wrong. The only people getting an apology from me are Sam and Simon. Not you two. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something to do.”

“You’re just going to walk away again. Is that what you do now? You run away from your problems?”

“You’d love for that to be the case. Maybe you didn’t hear Bryant when he came to get me. The police are here. Not in relation to the two of you, but someone I care about. And I’m quite aware I’ll end up getting arrested tonight. Your selfishness and my desire to help someone out of a nightmare situation are going to single handedly put me in jail. Man, that jumpsuit is going to make me ugly.”

“And what the hell are we supposed to tell her if she wakes up and asks for you?”

“The truth. If I find out any of you lied to her-"

“Drop it. You’re not going to jail. It’s not like you did anything to her.”

“There’s a warrant out for his arrest.”

“And they’re not going to hold him if I have anything to say about it.”

Mitchell’s face is tired defiance. The look of someone who’s been doing too much caring for others and not enough for themselves. He’s officially done with the events of the last few days. Not to mention tonight. That and he hasn’t spent all this time keeping them out of trouble for one to end up in jail over unrelated offenses.

“That’s not how it works, Mitchie. Sorry. Before I go, don’t admit her against her will. Or when I get back it’ll be murder.”

“He heard Alex. And he knows it’s five against one on the matter.”

“I hope you have nightmares for the rest of your fucking life, Linda.”

Aaron turns to go talk to the police. Not before taking a mental image of the enraged face of the woman who gave him life. She looks like she wants to tear Bryant’s head off. The only thing keeping her from doing so, being the police. All Aaron has to do is give his name. They know who he is. The boy with the outstanding warrant. Left one sibling in a coma and the other with a lower quality of life. Short temper and a history of violence. It’s practically a miracle that he stayed under the radar for so long. Knowing that he’s a perfect target for blame in what happened to the girl. After letting him explain, not that they believe it, he’s hauled off. Head lowered so no one can see his face. It’s a small price to pay for what you did to your brothers.