Brothers & Sisters - Secrets and Sundaes
Title: Secrets and Sundaes
Author: semisweetsoul
Fandom: Brothers & Sisters
Characters: Justin, Kevin/Scotty
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Rating: G
Prompt: samurai @ tamingthemuse
Summary: Sometimes, the past catches up with you. Justin learns it the hard way.
Word Count: 1,471
Disclaimer: I owe nothing, please don't sue.
A/N: In the nick of time.
Secrets and Sundaes
Fear: he knew it too well. It used to rule his life.
Justin did not pay much attention to that emotion until the day he enrolled in the military. It exploded in his face. His mother screamed and cried, his father kept a serene face while secretly struggling with the news, and his siblings argued over whom to blame. Who could have put such a stupid idea in his immature, little brain? No one wondered whether he was scared. Hell, he was! He left to fight for his country like he had decided. With time, he learned to control fear or ignore it at best. He embraced his responsibilities. Many lives were at stake, more than just his. Soldiers would have bleed to death, or been amputated had he let fright win over his self-control. More than making sure the patient would arrive alive at the hospital to be given a chance to survive, he had to find the right words at the right moment to comfort and reassure-an aspect of the job too often overlooked.
No one needed to go as far as a country in war to witness fear, Justin realized on his first day as a paramedic. He imagined he would not see worse than war-inflicted wounds and battlefield corpses. He was wrong. No matter what caused the injury, the pain, the fear, it all boiled down to one question: would the person live or die? His intervention indicated which should be the answer.
Cases succeeded one another at a rather calm rhythm, and as the hours passed, the specter of a difficult one loomed ahead. It did not fail to happen. Dan jumped out of the ambulance, opened the back doors, and grabbed his bags. Justin, fully equipped, followed him inside a suburban house in the vicinity of Sarah’s neighborhood.
A woman in her mid-fifties sobbed into her handkerchief. “Please, save my husband.” Her finger pointed towards the second floor. As Dan ran up the stairs, Justin stopped, gave her a sympathetic smile. “Can you tell me what happened, Madam?”
They walked upstairs together and reached the room, where Dan was working on the sick man. When they entered, Dan looked up. Justin read in his colleague’s eyes what he feared the most. They arrived too late. The man had passed away.
Justin took the wife apart to break the news-the dreaded part, accepting you’ve failed saving someone’s life.
When he came back in the bedroom, Dan was packing his equipment. “Where’s the wife?”
“Downstairs. On the phone.”
“Already?”
“She’s calling her daughter. Keeping busy is a good way to avoid thinking about what happened.”
Dan gathered his bags in the corridor, and took his radio to update their situation to dispatch, let them know they were not available right away. Justin glanced around him: a large bedroom in brownish tones, family pictures on the wall, and a diploma in a frame on a cupboard. Something drew his attention: dog tags hanging from the closet doorknob. After a second of hesitation, he took a step forward and threw a glance at the identification plates. A twinge of sadness filled his heart when the touch of Dan’s hand on his shoulder startled him.
“Justin?” Dan looked half-intrigued, half-serious. “Hey, you okay? Seems like I lost you for a minute?”
“I’m sorry. I just…” His shoulders drooped. He sighed. “I just realized. I knew this man.”
*
Justin could not take him out of his mind. Past memories came rushing in; so much that he could not focus on anything. He filled the paperwork three times each time writing his thoughts instead of the actual information, which irritated him. Dan noticed, and offered to do it for him. “Thanks man, I owe you one!”
He went home missing a stoplight, and nearly getting into an accident, only to find Kevin and Scotty waiting at the door.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“You invited us remember?”Kevin said.
“It’s okay Justin, if you’re busy, we can take a rain check.” Scotty seemed to have perceived his confusion.
“No it’s fine. Come on in.”
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
“Stop it, Kevin! Maybe he was swamped with work.”
The place looked like a teenager’s bedroom: chaotic. “You need to find yourself a girlfriend. Or invite mom over.”
“Kevin!” Scotty could be easily pissed off by Kevin’s comments, sometimes and, any other day, Justin would have participated in the banters, but tonight, he could not think of anything to add.
He couldn’t even give Kevin some wine, seeing he had forgotten about their plans tonight, and unless he served his guests the leftovers, they would dine on tap water and peanuts. Even Scotty could not prepare these into a three persons’ meal.
“Sorry, guys, I was distracted. Maybe we could order a pizza?” he suggested.
“It’s okay, Justin, let’s go back to the restaurant, and I’ll cook up something.”
“Or, I know a place with great food available 24/7.”
Justin and Scotty exchanged a look, all too familiar. They knew Kevin too well.
“Fine,” Justin said, abdicating, “Let’s go to Mom’s.”
*
“So what do we have in here?” Scotty said, as he opened the huge fridge from Nora’s kitchen.
“Where’s mom again?”Kevin asked.
Justin did not answer.
“Hey! Are you okay? I’ve never seen you this distracted before, except for a girl or when you were stoned, which I hope you’re not. You’re not, right? Justin? … Justin?”
What? Umm, sorry, I don’t know where Mom is.”
“Found it!”
“Mom’s in the fridge?” Kevin laughed of his own joke, or no one would have.
Scotty took a big casserole from the refrigerator and put it to simmer on the stove. “No silly, fish stew. I think it’s Brazilian. It smells delicious.”
“Justin! Fish for dinner!”
Justin mumbled something, which Kevin understood as an agreement.
“What’s going on with you? You hate fish.” He snapped his fingers near his brother’s ear, and Justin came back to reality.
Kevin’s tone of voice changed. “I’m concerned about you Justin. What’s on your mind?”
“Just had a rough day, that’s all.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“So, what’s for dinner?”
“I guess that means no.”
*
The stew disappeared quickly, and so did the sandwich Kevin prepared for Justin. Kevin’s appetite not entirely filled, he went in search of a dessert. His baby brother looked like he could use some comfort food, and he knew the perfect one: chocolate Sundae!
As he scooped the ice cream, Scotty came to him and took the spoon from his hands. “I’ll finish. He needs you right now.”
Kevin stopped, wiped his hands on a towel and sat back next to Justin on a stool at the far end of the kitchen table. “Tell me.”
“I lost my mentor today.”
“Oh, Justin! I’m sorry.”
“So am I. I didn’t even recognize him at first. He was the doctor in my unit in Irak. He taught me the basics. Everyone loved and respected him. We called him Samurai because of his Japanese decent. He was a true warrior, would do anything to save a life. He became like a father-figure to the guys. And now he’s gone. He lived so close. I wish I had known. I wish I had visited him, and said something.”
Kevin listened to Justin’s story, trying to find the appropriate attitude. Scotty placed the ice cream bowls on the counter in front of them, but they did not seem to notice. Justin fell quiet, and neither Scotty nor Kevin knew how to find the words.
“I wish I could have saved his life like I saw him save lives back there.” Justin saw tears showing up in Kevin’s eyes. He never intended to make his brother sad. He smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Now, let’s eat those Sundaes before they melt.”
“Okay.”
The spoons dug into the ice cream.
“I think I’ll attend the funeral.”
“Sure, it’s a great idea,” Scotty said, offering him a smile. “Maybe you could go with him Kevin.”
“Only if you want me to, Justin.”
"I'll think about it, Kev."
"Sure, let me know."
"Samurai, that's a nice nickname. Did they give you one, too?" Scotty asked.
"Yes, they did."
Kevin had to know. "What was it?"
"You won't believe me."
"No, tell us."
The Walker-Wandells were dying to know.
"Rainbow."
"Rainbow?" They repeated, incredulous.
"Yep. My fault really. I took a stand for my gay brother once. Hence the nickname."
Scotty and Kevin exchanged a look, full of adoration.
"You win a brotherly hug."
"And a step brotherly-hug, even though that's not a word."
They hugged him so tight, Justin felt like he was going to suffocate. "Guys, guys, it's nice but, how about I finish your sundaes instead."
The End
Author: semisweetsoul
Fandom: Brothers & Sisters
Characters: Justin, Kevin/Scotty
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Rating: G
Prompt: samurai @ tamingthemuse
Summary: Sometimes, the past catches up with you. Justin learns it the hard way.
Word Count: 1,471
Disclaimer: I owe nothing, please don't sue.
A/N: In the nick of time.
Secrets and Sundaes
Fear: he knew it too well. It used to rule his life.
Justin did not pay much attention to that emotion until the day he enrolled in the military. It exploded in his face. His mother screamed and cried, his father kept a serene face while secretly struggling with the news, and his siblings argued over whom to blame. Who could have put such a stupid idea in his immature, little brain? No one wondered whether he was scared. Hell, he was! He left to fight for his country like he had decided. With time, he learned to control fear or ignore it at best. He embraced his responsibilities. Many lives were at stake, more than just his. Soldiers would have bleed to death, or been amputated had he let fright win over his self-control. More than making sure the patient would arrive alive at the hospital to be given a chance to survive, he had to find the right words at the right moment to comfort and reassure-an aspect of the job too often overlooked.
No one needed to go as far as a country in war to witness fear, Justin realized on his first day as a paramedic. He imagined he would not see worse than war-inflicted wounds and battlefield corpses. He was wrong. No matter what caused the injury, the pain, the fear, it all boiled down to one question: would the person live or die? His intervention indicated which should be the answer.
Cases succeeded one another at a rather calm rhythm, and as the hours passed, the specter of a difficult one loomed ahead. It did not fail to happen. Dan jumped out of the ambulance, opened the back doors, and grabbed his bags. Justin, fully equipped, followed him inside a suburban house in the vicinity of Sarah’s neighborhood.
A woman in her mid-fifties sobbed into her handkerchief. “Please, save my husband.” Her finger pointed towards the second floor. As Dan ran up the stairs, Justin stopped, gave her a sympathetic smile. “Can you tell me what happened, Madam?”
They walked upstairs together and reached the room, where Dan was working on the sick man. When they entered, Dan looked up. Justin read in his colleague’s eyes what he feared the most. They arrived too late. The man had passed away.
Justin took the wife apart to break the news-the dreaded part, accepting you’ve failed saving someone’s life.
When he came back in the bedroom, Dan was packing his equipment. “Where’s the wife?”
“Downstairs. On the phone.”
“Already?”
“She’s calling her daughter. Keeping busy is a good way to avoid thinking about what happened.”
Dan gathered his bags in the corridor, and took his radio to update their situation to dispatch, let them know they were not available right away. Justin glanced around him: a large bedroom in brownish tones, family pictures on the wall, and a diploma in a frame on a cupboard. Something drew his attention: dog tags hanging from the closet doorknob. After a second of hesitation, he took a step forward and threw a glance at the identification plates. A twinge of sadness filled his heart when the touch of Dan’s hand on his shoulder startled him.
“Justin?” Dan looked half-intrigued, half-serious. “Hey, you okay? Seems like I lost you for a minute?”
“I’m sorry. I just…” His shoulders drooped. He sighed. “I just realized. I knew this man.”
*
Justin could not take him out of his mind. Past memories came rushing in; so much that he could not focus on anything. He filled the paperwork three times each time writing his thoughts instead of the actual information, which irritated him. Dan noticed, and offered to do it for him. “Thanks man, I owe you one!”
He went home missing a stoplight, and nearly getting into an accident, only to find Kevin and Scotty waiting at the door.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“You invited us remember?”Kevin said.
“It’s okay Justin, if you’re busy, we can take a rain check.” Scotty seemed to have perceived his confusion.
“No it’s fine. Come on in.”
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
“Stop it, Kevin! Maybe he was swamped with work.”
The place looked like a teenager’s bedroom: chaotic. “You need to find yourself a girlfriend. Or invite mom over.”
“Kevin!” Scotty could be easily pissed off by Kevin’s comments, sometimes and, any other day, Justin would have participated in the banters, but tonight, he could not think of anything to add.
He couldn’t even give Kevin some wine, seeing he had forgotten about their plans tonight, and unless he served his guests the leftovers, they would dine on tap water and peanuts. Even Scotty could not prepare these into a three persons’ meal.
“Sorry, guys, I was distracted. Maybe we could order a pizza?” he suggested.
“It’s okay, Justin, let’s go back to the restaurant, and I’ll cook up something.”
“Or, I know a place with great food available 24/7.”
Justin and Scotty exchanged a look, all too familiar. They knew Kevin too well.
“Fine,” Justin said, abdicating, “Let’s go to Mom’s.”
*
“So what do we have in here?” Scotty said, as he opened the huge fridge from Nora’s kitchen.
“Where’s mom again?”Kevin asked.
Justin did not answer.
“Hey! Are you okay? I’ve never seen you this distracted before, except for a girl or when you were stoned, which I hope you’re not. You’re not, right? Justin? … Justin?”
What? Umm, sorry, I don’t know where Mom is.”
“Found it!”
“Mom’s in the fridge?” Kevin laughed of his own joke, or no one would have.
Scotty took a big casserole from the refrigerator and put it to simmer on the stove. “No silly, fish stew. I think it’s Brazilian. It smells delicious.”
“Justin! Fish for dinner!”
Justin mumbled something, which Kevin understood as an agreement.
“What’s going on with you? You hate fish.” He snapped his fingers near his brother’s ear, and Justin came back to reality.
Kevin’s tone of voice changed. “I’m concerned about you Justin. What’s on your mind?”
“Just had a rough day, that’s all.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“So, what’s for dinner?”
“I guess that means no.”
*
The stew disappeared quickly, and so did the sandwich Kevin prepared for Justin. Kevin’s appetite not entirely filled, he went in search of a dessert. His baby brother looked like he could use some comfort food, and he knew the perfect one: chocolate Sundae!
As he scooped the ice cream, Scotty came to him and took the spoon from his hands. “I’ll finish. He needs you right now.”
Kevin stopped, wiped his hands on a towel and sat back next to Justin on a stool at the far end of the kitchen table. “Tell me.”
“I lost my mentor today.”
“Oh, Justin! I’m sorry.”
“So am I. I didn’t even recognize him at first. He was the doctor in my unit in Irak. He taught me the basics. Everyone loved and respected him. We called him Samurai because of his Japanese decent. He was a true warrior, would do anything to save a life. He became like a father-figure to the guys. And now he’s gone. He lived so close. I wish I had known. I wish I had visited him, and said something.”
Kevin listened to Justin’s story, trying to find the appropriate attitude. Scotty placed the ice cream bowls on the counter in front of them, but they did not seem to notice. Justin fell quiet, and neither Scotty nor Kevin knew how to find the words.
“I wish I could have saved his life like I saw him save lives back there.” Justin saw tears showing up in Kevin’s eyes. He never intended to make his brother sad. He smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Now, let’s eat those Sundaes before they melt.”
“Okay.”
The spoons dug into the ice cream.
“I think I’ll attend the funeral.”
“Sure, it’s a great idea,” Scotty said, offering him a smile. “Maybe you could go with him Kevin.”
“Only if you want me to, Justin.”
"I'll think about it, Kev."
"Sure, let me know."
"Samurai, that's a nice nickname. Did they give you one, too?" Scotty asked.
"Yes, they did."
Kevin had to know. "What was it?"
"You won't believe me."
"No, tell us."
The Walker-Wandells were dying to know.
"Rainbow."
"Rainbow?" They repeated, incredulous.
"Yep. My fault really. I took a stand for my gay brother once. Hence the nickname."
Scotty and Kevin exchanged a look, full of adoration.
"You win a brotherly hug."
"And a step brotherly-hug, even though that's not a word."
They hugged him so tight, Justin felt like he was going to suffocate. "Guys, guys, it's nice but, how about I finish your sundaes instead."
The End