Chapter 28

                                            

 “What do we do now?” AJ was pacing around the living room, “ Jane’s gonna pull something I know it!”

  

 Brian slapped the table hard with the palm of his hand, “We were so close! We had him! Now Jane’s gone and destroyed everything! Did you see his face?”

    

Howie entered the room shaking his head.

    

“What’s going on in there Howie?” Brian asked.

    

“He’s throwing up,” Howie said in a small voice. He threw himself down on the couch beside Brian, “Six tablespoons of soup...he couldn’t hold down 6 tablespoons of soup.”

    

“Damn... I know it has to do with Jane being here!” Brian was grumbling, “I’ll take him some tea.”  He stood and disappeared into the kitchen.

    

Howie sat down in Brian’s place and watched AJ pace, “AJ, you’re going to wear a hole in the carpet.”

  

 “Damn it Howie! I don’t care!” AJ growled. He threw a magazine across the room, “That stupid woman! Didn’t she see him? Couldn’t she see what see was doing to him? He was shaking all over he was so angry with her.”

    

Howie was nodding, “I don’t understand it either AJ. I used to think she was the perfect mother.”

    

AJ rolled his eyes, “We used to think the whole damn family was perfect. I guess this is what happens when you put something under a microscope.”

  

 “Is that what you call this?” Howie questioned him.

    

AJ nodded, “You know how you can take the simplest thing, like a cookie crumb or something, yet when you put it under a microscope it turns out to be a complex design.”

    

Howie nodded, “Yeah, I know what you mean.”  He stood, “I can’t just sit down here. I’m gonna go back up, you coming with me AJ?”

    

AJ nodded, then cocked his head at the sound of a tea kettle whistling, “Lets go see if we can help Brian first...”

    

Howie and AJ wandered into the kitchen to see Brian slumped on the floor by the stove in the kitchen.  The tea kettle spewed steam on the stove top, but Brian paid it no mind as he struck his head lightly on the oven door.

   

“Brian?” Howie was the first one to him, “What’s going on? What happened? Are you hurt?”

    

Brian shook his head but remained sitting, he swallowed harshly, “I don’t know... how much more of this I can take, guys.”

  

 “So what, you wanna just give up? You wanna leave him Brian?” AJ was on the attack.

    

“I didn’t say...”

    

“You can’t take much more. That’s what you said Brian.  You can’t take much more, or you won’t take much more, either way, it sure sounds like giving up to me. You’re supposed to be his best friend!”

    

“Well so are you!” Brian countered, tears ran down his pale face, “He’s not getting better, he’s not!  We got to him but it was ruined, smashed, by his own mother! If his own mother could... He’s never gonna trust us! He’s never gonna let us in!  For every window we open we get two more doors slammed in our faces!  Those two doors are labeled Jane and Bob! If a kid can’t rely on the people who brought him into this world... why should he feel he can rely on us?”

    

AJ blinked, “Because we’ll make him feel like he can. We’re his family.  He’s always leaned on us before....”

    

“But things were different. We’ve proved ourselves to be rather unreliable too.... we’re trying to make up for it. But Aje, it’s too late. He’s gone. We’re gonna lose him, I know it.”

    

“If you keep spouting shit like that then we will B-r-ok, don’t you understand, he needs us to be strong for him. If we’re strong maybe he’ll be able to tap into our strengh and get a refill on his own! We can do this Brian. Nobody said it was going to be easy, and they weren’t kidding. This is damn hard, but it’s also damn worth it. YOU are not giving up on him. I am not giving up on him. None of us are gonna just let go of him, until its over,” AJ was gripping Brian’s shirt collar, “B-rok, you gotta stick with it man. Now stand up, get the mug, and pour that tea.”

   

Brian blinked and stared at AJ with tears in his crystal blue eyes. He hiccuped softly and nodded.  He stood with Howie’s help and went to the cupboard to get a mug like AJ had instructed.  

    

“Why Alexander James, I never knew you had it in you,” Howie smirked elbowing AJ in the side, as he watched Brian pouring the tea and putting sweetener in it.  He sampled a bit of it before adding more sugar.

   

AJ chewed his lip, “I did, I just never wanted to have to use it.” Brian now stood in front of them trembling slightly holding the steaming mug, “Bri, I ‘m sorry for being so harsh, please stop trembling.”

    

“I can’t help it Jay, I’m so scared,” Brian handed the mug to Howie so he could cover his face, “ I’m so afraid he’s going to let himself wither away and die.”

    

“Not if we have anything to say about it,” Howie said rubbing Brian’s shoulder, “and Brian, you better believe we have a lot to say about it.”

    

That actually got a smile out of Brian and a weak chuckle, “Yeah believe it Howie D, especially with all the talking you like to do.”

    

“Shut up Bri,” Howie smiled and smacked Brian playfully, “Lets get up there, and let Nicky know that we’re still here.”