Chapter 18

Alexander Ludwig as Kyle Audney

Despaired

Part 2

Kyle Audney lay sleeping in an uncomfortable hospital chair slumped over a wheeled hospital tray. The kind they use to put their god awful food on. He was drooling and snoring loudly, but his hospital companion couldn't hear him.

Travis had been out now for over two weeks with no sign of coming out of his coma, and Kyle refused to leave. The only thing that gave him hope was watching as each of his brother's hairline cracks mended slowly.

The worst part had been Trav's stomach. It still looked like scorched earth rather than stone the color of hard granite. That part worried him the most. The doctors couldn't explain why he was still in his stone form, nor could they explain why he was unconscious or even how to wake him.

Mountain Trolls are so reclusive and secretive that the MedMages had no clue what to do for him but make him comfortable.

For the first few days of his hospital stay Kyle had not been able to come see him, because he and his friends had been detained by the council guard. This time the Commander himself interrogated them. He wished he could say it was an honor to meet the legendary hardass but no not so much.

They all had to lie and say that they knew nothing about the attack prior to its occurrence. That just by chance Lauren happened to be walking by when she spotted Liam and his compadres going into the school. Of course the commander wasn't stupid, he didn't believe that for a second, but without anything to prove otherwise his hands were tied.

He grilled them on what they knew about the attack. Did they know why the insurgents attacked the library? Questions like that. He was digging to see how much they knew. He even sent in powerful psychics to dig in their brains for the truth, but Brenna had created a powerful amulet to safeguard against that ages ago.

At one point they had placed them all in the same room no doubt hoping they were stupid enough to start blabbing when the guards left. You didn't have to be a genius to guess they were using magic to observe them and listen in. In the end when the kids still didn't cooperate the guards marched in, and one by one, menacingly strode up to them demanding they take off the amulets, but when you've gone up against a full grown death worm, rampaging horde of berserkers, and Liam's crew the guards lost their power to intimidate.

It was hilarious when the guards in desperation tried to remove them. They had tried to remove the bracelet from every member of his crew each time expecting a different result and each time getting throw across the room like rag dolls. Kyle had to bite his lower lip so hard it bled to keep from laughing.

They dragged Zach off then. He told them later that it had been touch and go for a while though when the commander questioned him. The poor guy can't lie worth a damn – literally. As a halfblood angel, he can't speak an untrue word. He said in the end the only thing he could think to do to ensure the guards didn't lock them up and throw away the key, was to shut the fuck up and not say anything.

The scariest part of the whole ordeal though was when the commander called them all into his office at the same time and told them if they were all too eager to fight on the council's behalf then that could easily be arranged with an early conscription request.

Kyle had looked around at his frightened friends. Out of anything the commander could have said that was the worst. Not a one of them wanted to give up being a teen that badly. In all the time they'd battled Liam's hateful crew they never once thought this might be the outcome. Now here they were in danger of never leaving the garrison, not because they were prisoners but because they were enslaved to the council.

No freakin way! They had three years of freedom left and they wanted to enjoy every minute of it. At least he did. Kyle waited with batted breath to hear what he would say next. When he said you're dismissed. Everyone exhaled like they'd been holding their breath and quickly left the room.

When they got outside to the parking lot of the Presidio, Xander's butler was waiting in his stretch hummer. They all piled in exhausted and ready for some epic zzzzs. No one talked; they were pretty much talked out. When Kyle asked to be dropped off at the Mage Medical Unit no one was surprised, they even went in with him to check on Travis, but they could only go in one at a time to see him. Kyle went in last telling Xan he could go on without him he was staying.

And he'd been here ever since. He knew he stank to high heaven, he hadn't showered since the battle at the school, but he didn't care. He'd stay until Travis woke up to complain about his odor.

The council had replaced them both with changelings anyway, so his folks wouldn't expect him or miss either of them. He called the boys and girls club to say he would be gone for a couple weeks; he'd even called the animal shelter to let them know Travis' wouldn't be in either, that's when Bonnie informed him that Lucky's behavior had improved and now he just paced the cage waiting for Trav's return.

She let him know that his anxiety was impeding the healing process though. When he asked what he could do, she suggested he bring in a piece of clothing with Travis' scent on it. So when the nurse changed his Johnnie coat he snuck it away into his duffle and gave it to Lauren to run over to the shelter the next day.

Every once and awhile he'd get a text asking him if there was any improvement. It was frustrating to text back that aside from the physical signs of healing he was still unconscious. Kyle hoped this was just a Mountain Troll thing, and Travis would wake up when he was completely healed, but there was no way to tell.

He'd give anything to have him back, do anything, he bargain with the devil if that was what it took. When he thought of where he'd be without his kind hearted brother it sent chills down his spine. He had been a hateful prick before Travis showed him there was a better way.

Kyle's mother abandoned him in a road side dinner outside of Reno when he was six years old and ever since then he can't even look at pancakes without gagging. Nope you'd never catch him in an IHOP, that's for damn sure.

He barely remembers the bleach blonde mess. The gambling addict would leave him in dingy hotels while she played the slots in Las Vegas and Reno Nevada. When she hit rock bottom she started just leaving him in their 1993 dodge dart. If he needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night he had to urinate in a bottle. He went hungry more often than not. Only if she won would they celebrate by hitting up a greasy diner.

So when they'd driven out to the outskirts of Reno to a greasy spoon truck stop he thought it was more of the same old same old, but no, she'd ordered the stack of flapjacks and skipped out on him and the bill. He'd eaten every single one assuming she was still in the bathroom, but when the waitress became suspicious and checked the ladies, she discovered she was gone.

When he'd heard he ran out to check for their two door little red Dart, but that was gone as well. He had stuffed himself so full anticipating not eating for a couple of days that he barfed all over the pothole ridden parking lot. He had emptied his entire stomach contents before he could stop.

When the waitress called the police he was too young to understand that he wasn't in trouble. He thought they were going to arrest him and cart him off to jail. If he lived to be a thousand years old -- and he might -- he'll never forget the looks on the other patron's faces. They'd looked at him with such pity; some even looked at him with disdain, like he and his kind were what was wrong with America today.

The police arrived and questioned him. Thank God it was a nice lady cop who'd cried when he asked if he was under arrest and said he could work off the bill if they'd let him. She'd gathered him in her arms to comfort him but he still didn't know what was happening. He insisted if they weren't going to arrest him that he should stay there because his mother would be back to get him eventually. She left him alone lots of times before, but she'd always come back though.

But they insisted that he come with them and took him to child protective services, where he was assigned a social worker who found him a foster home that day. When he moved in all he had were the clothes on his back, which were frankly too small and worn out. There were five other kids in the home who frankly looked as battle worn as him. That was the day he learned how to fight. And he'd still be fighting if it wasn't for Travis.

He started school late having never gone before being put into the system. The other kids had called him stupid which irked him to no end. He was determined to learn fast so that he could prove them wrong and he did. He devoured every bit of information they put in front of him until he not only caught up with the kids his age but started to excel in his age group.

He spent the next five years toting a garbage bag around going from foster home to foster home and getting angrier and angrier as the years went on. No one really wanted him for more than their monthly stipend. So when he'd get in trouble for fighting at school they'd ship him off to another home in another school district. In five years he moved more times than he could count until they placed him in the Marcocchio's home with Travis when he was ten.

It was only the two of them and Travis seemed nice enough, but if he'd learned one thing from foster care it was: if you don't fight everyone walks all over you. Your stuff gets stolen by the other kids, and if they can't fight you fair, one on one, when you're awake they'll gang up on you and fuck you up when you sleep, no matter what you'll have to fight eventually. In the wild it was kill or be killed and in the land of foster care it was bleed or make them bleed. He wasn't a bleeder.

So of course Kyle had shown Travis who was boss right off the hop, but even though he'd bloodied his nose and blackened his eye he refused to rat him out. When he stole most of his toys he still didn't fight back, and when Travis was beaten at school he never asked him for help, but when Kyle was ganged up on by some bigger kids Travis had stepped in and taken the beating for him and later had even tried to comfort him. One night when he accused the fat fuck of being from outer space and called him every name in the book he still refused to fight him, but that hadn't stopped Kyle.

He fucked him up good. Now when he looked back he could understand why he was so mad at Travis, but back then he could not. Now he knew he wanted to knock the goodness out of Travis because he showed him there was a better kinder way to be. That he didn't have to be an angry jerk just because he was a foster kid, and his choices had turned him into a villain.

That night after he'd kick the snot out of Travis he heard him cry quietly from his single bed on the other side of the room. Any other foster kid he'd known would die before they showed weakness like that, so his actions had never hit home like that before. His violent ways had come home to roost and he didn't like it one bit.

That's when he promised himself that he'd look out for the weakling maybe in doing so he wouldn't be the villain in his own life story any more; he'd be the hero. So from that moment on he stood up for the dude. Never said another unkind word to him and eventually became a friend to him.

Kyle started fighting less and less, if someone didn't start the fight he didn't pick one. Bruno and Bo were great for them both. They had early morning and after school chores. They did everything together like a real family and he never once got the impression that they were in it for the money. And years later when Bruno took both him and Travis aside and showed them their savings accounts it was confirmed.

Bruno and Bo had been taking their monthly check and saving it in a college fund. In another couple of years there would be enough to cover the entire four years. Kyle hated to think they were wasting their time because halfblood's don't get to go to college; they join the guard after graduation instead, and if they survive their five year conscription; then maybe they go back to school, but many don't.

That was how their magical world worked. Was it unfair, of course, was it necessary, unfortunately these day, yes. Thanks to Liam the dickwad who was fucking with all their futures in the name of independence, but don't erect a statue in his honor just yet. The guy doesn't give two shits about the halfbloods, he only wants to exact revenge for being sent to a prison realm when he was five years old.

He'd actually feel sorry for him if he wasn't such a psychopathic ass-wipe. He and his crew of psychotic misfits had tried to kill them several times now, and they'd nearly succeeded with Trav. But come hell or high water he wasn't letting Trav go. If he was intending to shuffle off this mortal coil, he could guess again, because Kyle would follow him all the way to the gates of hell and drag his sorry ass back before he let that happen.

Travis had rescued him years ago from a life of anger and hate, and lord knew where he'd be today if he hadn't. Probably in jail for assault or murder -- still fighting on the regular --Nope he owed him his life. He'd gladly sacrifice his for his kinder gentler Bro's. In a heartbeat.

He just wished he'd go ahead and wake up already. Just then a text came in from one of the gang it appeared on the hospital wall.

No news of Liam's crew they seem to have gone back under ground.

How's Trav? Z. R.

He dug the black pen Lauren had spelled out of his jeans pocket and wrote back.

No change, but if you hear anything about that fucker you better tell me.

I want some payback.

In half a minute he received a response.

You'll be the first to know. Give him a kiss for me. L. N.

He had to smile. That girl was something else. She was the smallest of their crew but definitely not the weakest. And if you underestimated her, you'd be sorry.

She was the tiny Fae whirlwind with big hazel eyes and a body that just wouldn't quit.

Once he'd made her laugh so hard milk had shot out of her nose when he said, "You're like a fun size candy bar having you would only leave a guy wanting more."

And it hadn't only been a cheesy line; he'd meant it, but he laughed it off like he had been joking when Zach and Quinn had stared him down. Nope he had no intention of going there. He wasn't interested in getting tangled up in their screwed up love triangle. No thanks.

He texted back.

Will do.

Has anyone found anything in the library to explain what's wrong with Trav?

Nothing yet, but we're still looking. L.N.

Do you need anything? We're swinging by this afternoon. Q.W.

Nope.

Well actually I could use some real food like Mcee Dees,

maybe the smell might wake up Trav too.

Sounds good we'll bring enough for him just in case. B. T.

C U Later.

When the texts stopped coming Kyle thought about what Lauren said about giving him a kiss. He hadn't tried that. He wasn't a fairytale prince like prince charming and Travis wasn't a princess like sleeping beauty, but in some ways they would be considered Fairytale creatures.

He wasn't so homophobic that he thought kissing his brother was gay, but he did grow up in a world were showing affection physically wasn't the norm. So it did feel weird to be bending over his brother's unconscious form getting ready to kiss him on his forehead. He'd never kissed a guy before. He didn't want to just peck him on the cheek he wanted to mean it. To put all his love into it. He had a feeling it wouldn't work if he didn't.

He almost chicken out but thought fuck it. AS he bent down and laid his lips on his brother's forehead he concentrated all his love on him.

When he backed off he even said the words, "I love you Bro. Don't leave me."

He stood back his heart hammering in his chest and waited for any change, but after a few minutes he had to sadly admit that it hadn't worked. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to his brother feeling like he wanted to cry.

CRYING might do the trick why not it works in movies. So even though it was out of character for him to let the tears flow. He'd learned he could feel the pain; he was never one to let the weakness show, but he'd do anything for his brother. Just this once he gave in to his emotions and let his salty tears fall on his brother's stone hand. Still nothing happened.

Then he started to get mad. Nothing worked. Maybe if he slapped him the fuck awake then he'd have him back. And even though he'd promised to never strike his brother again after the last time, he'd gladly break that promise if it brought him back.

So he struck him hard enough to numb his palm and to his horror he saw a reaction. His brother's stone surface started to crack and it kept cracking as he thought holy freakin' hell I've killed him. He started scream down the joint trying to get everyone's or anyone's attention.

He was such a useless piece of shit he'd killed his own brother. When was he ever going to learn violence wasn't the answer.

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Holly Hanna the gang almost got conscripted.

Something tells me that was there last strike.

They better hope not to get in trouble again.

OMG! What did Kyle do to Travis?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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