On The Run

Chapter Sixteen

I'm having one of those dreams where I know it's a dream, but it affects me non the less. I have to choose, my brother or Ty?
They are both drowning, that's how I know its a dream, my brother knows how to swim... He taught me.

But they are both fading fast, I see them sinking further and further, and I know, I can't save them both.
I don't know who I want to choose. So I just sit there, watching both of them as they both scream for my help. But I can't move. I know what my decision would be.
And I can't stop myself as I head for the water, treading as fast as I can for him.
I'm making progress as I scream his name
"Hold on-" but I don't get to call out his name, because I'm being shaken awake.

"Iz! Please! Wake up! Please, Iz!"
Slowly, I open my eyes. I see his ankle, bleeding, but it looks a lot better. We both cleaned up and made sure to take care of our dirty wounds after we got back to our hide out the day we were in the woods. But my head hurts so bad. And I'm drenched in sweat.

"Your running a fever."Ty says. I'm so hot right now I can't even push off of him as he picks me up.

"Say something." He says, but I can't, I don't even want to try, I feel horrible. I don't know how I can be so sick.

It takes about ten minutes to get back to the trailer, I'm barely even able to keep my eyes open. I am on the couch as I hear water running.

He comes back, picks me up, and he walks right into the shower with me, and it's freezing.

"What... The... Hell!" I say between shivers, and I know he has to be freezing too.

"I need to... Get your temperature... Down." He struggles to speak. I feel bad, and I try to push him out of the shower, but he just sits down holding me as the ice water runs down our bodies.

After a few minutes, he turns the water off, and gets out. Leaving me in the bathroom, alone. I expect him to come back, but after waiting for a while, I decide to get out.

My shoes squeak as I make my way to the couch and plop down, not even bothering to dry up. And Ty is there, in the room, only wearing a towel, as he drys his hair with a hand towel. I feel guilty staring at him, but I can't remove my glance. His huge biceps, and nice abs...He doesn't notice, and after a while, I tear my view away remembering that I'm supposed to be mad at him. So I sit there, pout, and shiver.

Welp. My temperature is down. After a while he comes and sits by me, he has on jeans now, still trying to dry is hair. It's sticking to his face, and dripping. He looks....
No. I'm mad at him. I pout more.
"You scared the shit out of me, Iz!" He says. I don't know if he thought I was going to the cops, or if he was scared that I was lost, or the fact that he could barely wake me up as I was slowly drifting away in a pool of my own sweat.

I don't say anything. I just sit there in silence. He gets up, takes medicine out of one of the cabinets in the kitchen, comes back and hands it to me.
But I don't take it.
"Come on Iz." He says.
I just sit there. What's the point.
"I'm sorry I blew up at you..." He's trying everything he can to get me to take the pill.

Reluctantly, I take it, with the water that he hands me. I still don't say anything.

"Iz... I know you want to go home, but I still have to help my sister..." At this, I break.

"You kidnap me, put me through.." I gesture my hands as I say, "all of this, I'm nothing but good to you, and you get mad at me the first time I get homesick!" My voice has raised to a yell.

"I'm sorry, Ty but your unreasonable, I miss my brother just as much as you miss your sister!" I'm still yelling and I feel tears in my eyes. I hold them back, I don't want him to see me cry anymore.

"I just need to know your in this with me!" He says, trying not to get mad.
"I have helped you so much, and your just... Ugh!" I yell. As I stomp off to the bed and sit down at the edge.

I don't hate him, but I am pissed.
I haven't had much food lately, and I ignore the noise my stomach makes.

He brings me something, I think it's food, but I don't even look, I swat it out of his hands and turn around so my back is facing him.

"We are going to have to talk this out, Iz, you can't just keep ignoring me." He says, but I don't want to hear it. I didn't get my alone time in the woods. It was dark, I was sick, and I fell asleep, so right now, I just want him to leave me alone.

"I know." I say, still not turning around, "but not right now." And at that, I feel like I'm going to throw up. I push past him and run to the toilet, and start to get sick. It's a mixture of the nerves, and the anger, ands longing for my brother.

I have barely eaten in the past few days, so there is little that comes up, but I feel Ty's hands pull my hair out of my face.

Even when I'm mad at him, and he can't stand me, he's so... Patient, and caring. After a while, he knows it's over, he flushes the toilet, helps me up, and hands me my tooth brush.

He leaves me on my own, as I brush my teeth, looking at the shattered mirror. It's a horrible reminder. I finish, wash my hands, and splash cold water on my face before hurrying out of the bathroom.

I'm so tired but I can't sleep. He calls me over to the table, and tells me to eat. It's light, just chicken noodle soup, and I do, trying so hard to keep it down.

When I'm done, I just sit there, and I decide I need to get over my fit and talk to him.
"When I was little, my brother got sick. Something with his blood, I don't really know what it was I was too young to remember. But we almost lost him. I remember waiting in the ER anticipating the news as my parents fought, blaming each other." He turns around and looks at me. Finally he sits, and I finish my story.

"When he was stabilized, I went in alone to visit him... That's when we promised to always stick with each other... And that's when we promised to protect one another. Being away from him, for this long, knowing that he's worried sick about me... It's hard." I try to make Ty understand.
"He thinks he let me down, and I hate it. I hate him not knowing that I sided with you, that I'm helping you, when he's hurting like that." I pause and let the information sink in.

"That's why I'm so torn." I finalize.

"I didn't know, but Iz, your going to go home... It's taking longer than we thought, but the plan will work. I wouldn't keep you longer than I need to..." And I know it's true, I just need to be patient. Once this is all over, I will go back home, and Ty and I will keep in contact, and he will live with his sister, and things will go back to normal.

I smile, give him a quick nod, and put my bowl away. I was tired of all the fighting, and I'm glad we worked it out. I take another pill that Ty gives me, since I threw up the last one, and I climb in the bed. I have a hard time sleeping, but finally I drift off.

I'm met with the horrible dream again... But this time, Ty holds his little sister as she cries for help, while my brother holds on to nothing. He's alone... I know it's a dream, so I sit down, and watch the horrible events unfold. Who would I pick now? Ty and little sister? Or my brother, who has always been there for me, who I swore I would always protect.

I don't know, and I don't want to think about it so I don't. I close my eyes, and ignore the screams, there is no reason to make a decision when it's not even real to begin with.

The dream fades away... And I sleep. Peacefully for once in a long time.