Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 31

(Angel's POV)

It was happening again.

Another treatment. Another day when I couldn't breathe.

I watched Hendrix from across the room. His face was pale and his eyes looked unfocused. He sat on the edge of the bed and his hands trembled slightly as if he was trying to hold it all together. But I could see through it.

I always saw through him.

"They're doing it again," I whispered and my voice shook. I couldn't help it. My stomach twisted into knots as I pictured him in that room with those needles and those machines.

The door swung open and Dr. Nixon stepped in. She was cold and clinical. She didn't even look at me.

Just Hendrix.

"Are you ready?" she asked him in a low tone.

Ready? For what?

Another round of who-knows-what. My fists clenched at my sides.

Hendrix nodded and his jaw tightened. He didn't say a word. He never said anything about these sessions.

And that scared me more than anything.

I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming and from grabbing him and pulling him away from here. From this nightmare.

"We need to talk," I blurted out and my voice was sharp in the heavy air.

Dr. Nixon finally looked at me and her eyebrow arched. "Now?"

I nodded and stepped forward. I felt the weight of Hendrix's eyes on me but I didn't care. Not right now. I needed answers. I needed to understand what was happening to him. What was happening to us. "Alone," I said with a firmer voice this time.

She sighed and glanced at Hendrix before nodding towards the hallway. "Fine. But make it quick."

I followed her out of the room as my heart raced and my pulse drummed in my ears. The door closed behind us with a quiet click and I was alone with her. With the woman who held all the cards. The woman who could tell me everything if she wanted to.

"What are you doing to him?" I asked as my voice barely rose above a whisper.

Dr. Nixon crossed her arms and her expression was unreadable. "I'm helping him."

"That's not what it looks like."

She didn't respond and just stared at me with that same detached, almost robotic calm that made my skin crawl.

I stepped closer and my voice trembled with anger. "You said... you hinted that his illness might not be real, that something else is going on here. I want to know what you meant."

She watched me for a moment as her eyes narrowed like she was deciding whether to say something. Then finally, she spoke.

know there's more to this place than meets the eye. I don't need to tell

implication, but it wasn't enough. I

stupid," I snapped. "Tell me the truth.

step closer and her voice dropped to a near whisper. "I'm not the

My blood turned cold.

what does that

I knew Dr. Joe's office was. A chill

almost got drowned out by the pounding in my chest. "Some people have their own agendas. And not everyone is interested in curing patients." I stared at her and my mind raced.

I choked out even though I already knew. I already suspected. I

She didn't.

cold mask slipped back into place. "You should be careful, Angel. Sometimes when you dig too

my mouth to argue and demand more answers, but she was already walking

left standing there, feeling like the ground had been pulled out from

...

back into the room right

and stared at the closed door while my hands

everyone is interested in

But now it felt so much bigger than

he moved through the center like he owned everything. Like he was playing a game and we were all just pawns. I pressed my back against the wall and tried

was going through and

...

into the room, Hendrix was sitting on the edge of the bed again and staring

asked in a quiet, almost

the lump in my throat. "Not much. Just... just

Hendrix's brow furrowed. "Careful?"

and sat down beside

in my chest and I couldn't help glancing at him from the corner of

did he have

and reckless stepbrother I grew up with.

yet... someone I

looked pale and soft in the dim light. The way his jaw clenched when he was deep in thought. The curve of his neck, the

He was my

he said suddenly and snapped me out of

and turned to face him. His eyes were dark and filled with worry.

shouldn't want him

But I did.

fine," I said in a voice

leaned closer. His hand brushed against mine and I felt a spark shoot up my arm like

believe you," he whispered in a low, almost teasing voice. But there was something else there, something deeper. "What's going on? Why's Dr. Nixon suddenly talking

hand away and stood up quickly. My heart raced and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I

today," I said and tried to change the subject, to distance myself from the pounding in

me and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you

to say. I

hurt," I murmured with my back still to

he asked and

eyes and my fists clenched