Bleeding Brother
Author: Dichotomous Keyes
Rating: PG-13
OMG NO PAIRING LOL! Except I guess Jake and Elwood experiencing some brotherly love.
Summary: Elwood is beaten up and Jake reacts.
Characters: Jake Blues, Elwood Blues, the Penguin, Curtis, and an elderly ex-doctor.
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“Elwood! Elwood!” Jake had never felt as frantic in his entire life. He had always had things under control. He always knew how to play his game, but with his unconscious brother beside him, bleeding, his chest barely moving from fractured and bruised ribs, he had never felt so out of control and clueless to the game. He gently slapped the long, paling purple and black face. He hugged the taller man to his breast and begged some sort of prayer that he only half remembered.
Elwood began to cough and gasp. His eyes fluttered open for a few moments and Jake tried to get him to look at him, to focus those eyes on something solid and real as he aimlessly reached out to the air. “What happened, Els? Tell me what happened. Come on, buddy, tell your big brother.” Elwood’s head was a dead-weight on his chest and Jake slowly eased him to the ground, smoothing his hair away from his forehead. He patted him softly and stood, running as fast as his legs could carry him to the nearest store.
The drugstore on the corner was lit up and there was a man inside. The sign said ‘closed,’ but Jake knocked desperately on the transparent glass. The clerk came from behind the counter on the side of the store and opened the door, peering outside.
“Please, sir, we need to call an ambulance. My brother his laying in the alley and he’s beat up pretty bad. Please, sir. Let me use your phone.”
The man nodded mutely and gestured to the contraption directly behind the counter. Jake didn’t take a second glance when the man sped past him and toward where he described Elwood to be.
The man turned the corner, walking quickly. He saw the young may laying on the ground on his back. His right hand was resting over his stomach and the man could see the shivering breaths he took. Blood came out of his mouth with every exhalation.
“Hey, buddy.” The man took Elwood’s head in his hands. His eyes fluttered open and met the smiling face with terror. The man almost drew back with the intense horror in the young man’s eyes.
“Can you talk?”
Elwood coughed viciously, blood spattering his fist that he drew up to cover his mouth. He raised his hand and placed his thumb and forefinger close together, but not touching, indicating that he could speak a little bit.
“Touch what hurts.” Gently, then man placed Elwood’s head back on the ground and moved to the side to watch as his arms slowly, painfully went up to touch parts of his body. He flinched as his fingers came in contact with his bleeding head and face. He moaned as he touched his cracked nose and he drew back at the bruises on his neck. He tenderly touched his abdomen and chest, his groin, and legs.
“Everything,” he rasped.
“What about your lungs? Huh? Can you breathe alright?”
“‘Don’t know.” He coughed again and the man took him up in his arms and pulled his jacket off of him. He pulled off the tie and began to work on the buttons of his shirt. Elwood rested his head against the man’s chest, listening hard for his heartbeat. It was there, frantic with his own. He felt the blood pulsing in his mouth and the chilly hands that met his swollen skin. The pain was numbing him, and he wished with all of his being that the ambulance Jake said he was going to call for would be coming quickly.
He didn’t mean to nearly run over those people. He couldn’t see them until they showed up in his headlights. He was just going to slowdown and apologize but they ran up to his car and pulled him out, causing a burn on his neck from his seat belt, and he was no match for them. The Penguin and Curtis and Jake never taught him how to fight. He always learned fighting was bad and that you should not associate yourself with people who do fight. But he did try. He tried to kick and punch and defend himself, but he was too inexperienced and there were too many people.
He stared down at his pale, bruised abdomen. His face paled as the dark colors met his eyes. He looked up at the man, who’s arm was wrapped around his comparatively healthy chest.
“You haven’t punctured anything, as far as I can tell, buddy. The ambulance will be here soon.”
“Hey! Get off of him. He doesn’t need to get any more hurt.”
“Sir, I was a doctor for twenty-five years. I know what I’m doing. If you would please remain calm, your brother would be more calm, as well, and his excitement may hurt him more that I.” The man leveled Jake with one look, and Elwood raised his eyes. His head was held in the man’s lap and when his brown and blue eyes met Jake’s, totally calm and accepting of any fate.
“Don’t look at me like that, Elwood. Where are your glasses?”
Elwood pointed feebly to the edge of the alley. His mouth twisted as he looked over his chest again. “Ow,” he said blankly.
He reached over for his tie, but winced fully, hissing.
“Els, don’t move. I can hear the ambulance.”
Elwood nodded and rested against the elderly man’s lap and closed his eyes. The EMT’s arrived and gently eased him onto the stretcher. They lifted it and began to walk Elwood to the ambulance, but Jake grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Elwood opened his eyes and gently squeezed back.
“Sir, we’ll need you to come to the hospital and help answer some questions.”
“Alright. Anything you need, I’ll be willing to work with.”
Jake turned and headed back to the car--Elwood’s car. As pre-usual, he hopped into the passenger side and looked to his left, where Elwood, under other conditions, would be sitting. Jake glanced down at the keys still in the ignition. He turned them and scooted over to the other seat. He knew how to drive, but he never had to do it until---. He turned the ignition and the old cop car roared to life. Elwood’s Sam and Dave tape played in the stereo as the car turned on, and Jake glanced at the stereo. He reached his right hand over to turn it off, pressing the button firmly. There was no point to listening to Elwood’s music when he wasn’t there to enjoy it.
The ambulance pulled out into the street and its bright red lights lit up the way to the hospital. Jake stared at the white interior the entire time. He didn’t think about Elwood laying there, barely conscious, wondering why Jake wasn’t beside him, smoothing his hair back and holding his hand as they stuck needles in him. He didn’t think about Elwood hating needles or that he wasn’t driving. And he didn’t think about his glasses, shattered in the dark alley and his blood spattered on the walls and sidewalk between those two buildings. Jake Blues thought about the day that he got out of prison and how happy he was to see his brother alive, well, and with a glint of mischief in his eyes as they embraced. He wanted that back again. He wanted to know that his brother was invincible, an infallible motor-head. Jake never, ever wanted to see his brother bleeding ever again, his eyes becoming vacant, all of his pent-up energy going into surviving, not the music that he loved.
He followed the ambulance into to the hospital parking lot and killed the engine. He stepped out of the car and walked up to the emergency room where he saw the EMTs unloading his brother, a man holding an IV close behind.
Jake entered the lobby and sat down. He took off his hat and glasses and stared at the floor, his head in his hands. He ran a hand over his eyes and blinked blankly at the green and white tiles. He glanced at his watch: 12:47 AM. He sighed and looked after the hospital bed that Elwood had been moved to, now moving deeper into the hospital’s corridors. He hummed something that he didn’t even pay attention to and glanced over at the empty chair next to him. He half-imagined Elwood sitting there, smiling, laughing, rebuking him for something or another he did. He wanted it back, and he wasn’t going to leave the hospital establishment until his brother walked out of those doors happy and well.
Rating: PG-13
OMG NO PAIRING LOL! Except I guess Jake and Elwood experiencing some brotherly love.
Summary: Elwood is beaten up and Jake reacts.
Characters: Jake Blues, Elwood Blues, the Penguin, Curtis, and an elderly ex-doctor.
| |
“Elwood! Elwood!” Jake had never felt as frantic in his entire life. He had always had things under control. He always knew how to play his game, but with his unconscious brother beside him, bleeding, his chest barely moving from fractured and bruised ribs, he had never felt so out of control and clueless to the game. He gently slapped the long, paling purple and black face. He hugged the taller man to his breast and begged some sort of prayer that he only half remembered.
Elwood began to cough and gasp. His eyes fluttered open for a few moments and Jake tried to get him to look at him, to focus those eyes on something solid and real as he aimlessly reached out to the air. “What happened, Els? Tell me what happened. Come on, buddy, tell your big brother.” Elwood’s head was a dead-weight on his chest and Jake slowly eased him to the ground, smoothing his hair away from his forehead. He patted him softly and stood, running as fast as his legs could carry him to the nearest store.
The drugstore on the corner was lit up and there was a man inside. The sign said ‘closed,’ but Jake knocked desperately on the transparent glass. The clerk came from behind the counter on the side of the store and opened the door, peering outside.
“Please, sir, we need to call an ambulance. My brother his laying in the alley and he’s beat up pretty bad. Please, sir. Let me use your phone.”
The man nodded mutely and gestured to the contraption directly behind the counter. Jake didn’t take a second glance when the man sped past him and toward where he described Elwood to be.
The man turned the corner, walking quickly. He saw the young may laying on the ground on his back. His right hand was resting over his stomach and the man could see the shivering breaths he took. Blood came out of his mouth with every exhalation.
“Hey, buddy.” The man took Elwood’s head in his hands. His eyes fluttered open and met the smiling face with terror. The man almost drew back with the intense horror in the young man’s eyes.
“Can you talk?”
Elwood coughed viciously, blood spattering his fist that he drew up to cover his mouth. He raised his hand and placed his thumb and forefinger close together, but not touching, indicating that he could speak a little bit.
“Touch what hurts.” Gently, then man placed Elwood’s head back on the ground and moved to the side to watch as his arms slowly, painfully went up to touch parts of his body. He flinched as his fingers came in contact with his bleeding head and face. He moaned as he touched his cracked nose and he drew back at the bruises on his neck. He tenderly touched his abdomen and chest, his groin, and legs.
“Everything,” he rasped.
“What about your lungs? Huh? Can you breathe alright?”
“‘Don’t know.” He coughed again and the man took him up in his arms and pulled his jacket off of him. He pulled off the tie and began to work on the buttons of his shirt. Elwood rested his head against the man’s chest, listening hard for his heartbeat. It was there, frantic with his own. He felt the blood pulsing in his mouth and the chilly hands that met his swollen skin. The pain was numbing him, and he wished with all of his being that the ambulance Jake said he was going to call for would be coming quickly.
He didn’t mean to nearly run over those people. He couldn’t see them until they showed up in his headlights. He was just going to slowdown and apologize but they ran up to his car and pulled him out, causing a burn on his neck from his seat belt, and he was no match for them. The Penguin and Curtis and Jake never taught him how to fight. He always learned fighting was bad and that you should not associate yourself with people who do fight. But he did try. He tried to kick and punch and defend himself, but he was too inexperienced and there were too many people.
He stared down at his pale, bruised abdomen. His face paled as the dark colors met his eyes. He looked up at the man, who’s arm was wrapped around his comparatively healthy chest.
“You haven’t punctured anything, as far as I can tell, buddy. The ambulance will be here soon.”
“Hey! Get off of him. He doesn’t need to get any more hurt.”
“Sir, I was a doctor for twenty-five years. I know what I’m doing. If you would please remain calm, your brother would be more calm, as well, and his excitement may hurt him more that I.” The man leveled Jake with one look, and Elwood raised his eyes. His head was held in the man’s lap and when his brown and blue eyes met Jake’s, totally calm and accepting of any fate.
“Don’t look at me like that, Elwood. Where are your glasses?”
Elwood pointed feebly to the edge of the alley. His mouth twisted as he looked over his chest again. “Ow,” he said blankly.
He reached over for his tie, but winced fully, hissing.
“Els, don’t move. I can hear the ambulance.”
Elwood nodded and rested against the elderly man’s lap and closed his eyes. The EMT’s arrived and gently eased him onto the stretcher. They lifted it and began to walk Elwood to the ambulance, but Jake grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Elwood opened his eyes and gently squeezed back.
“Sir, we’ll need you to come to the hospital and help answer some questions.”
“Alright. Anything you need, I’ll be willing to work with.”
Jake turned and headed back to the car--Elwood’s car. As pre-usual, he hopped into the passenger side and looked to his left, where Elwood, under other conditions, would be sitting. Jake glanced down at the keys still in the ignition. He turned them and scooted over to the other seat. He knew how to drive, but he never had to do it until---. He turned the ignition and the old cop car roared to life. Elwood’s Sam and Dave tape played in the stereo as the car turned on, and Jake glanced at the stereo. He reached his right hand over to turn it off, pressing the button firmly. There was no point to listening to Elwood’s music when he wasn’t there to enjoy it.
The ambulance pulled out into the street and its bright red lights lit up the way to the hospital. Jake stared at the white interior the entire time. He didn’t think about Elwood laying there, barely conscious, wondering why Jake wasn’t beside him, smoothing his hair back and holding his hand as they stuck needles in him. He didn’t think about Elwood hating needles or that he wasn’t driving. And he didn’t think about his glasses, shattered in the dark alley and his blood spattered on the walls and sidewalk between those two buildings. Jake Blues thought about the day that he got out of prison and how happy he was to see his brother alive, well, and with a glint of mischief in his eyes as they embraced. He wanted that back again. He wanted to know that his brother was invincible, an infallible motor-head. Jake never, ever wanted to see his brother bleeding ever again, his eyes becoming vacant, all of his pent-up energy going into surviving, not the music that he loved.
He followed the ambulance into to the hospital parking lot and killed the engine. He stepped out of the car and walked up to the emergency room where he saw the EMTs unloading his brother, a man holding an IV close behind.
Jake entered the lobby and sat down. He took off his hat and glasses and stared at the floor, his head in his hands. He ran a hand over his eyes and blinked blankly at the green and white tiles. He glanced at his watch: 12:47 AM. He sighed and looked after the hospital bed that Elwood had been moved to, now moving deeper into the hospital’s corridors. He hummed something that he didn’t even pay attention to and glanced over at the empty chair next to him. He half-imagined Elwood sitting there, smiling, laughing, rebuking him for something or another he did. He wanted it back, and he wasn’t going to leave the hospital establishment until his brother walked out of those doors happy and well.