"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

~ Dalai Lama

"The X-rays don't show any breaks or fractures. The MRI, however, shows a minor tear to his LCL," explained Dr. Victor as we stood in the hospital corridor.

"But he's okay?" I expressed my concern quickly.

"He is." With a concentrated stare, Dr. Victor skimmed over Jonah's reports once again, "Could've been a lot worse but the kid's one tough cookie."

Upon hearing his words, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I unclenched my jaw, heaved a sigh, and inhaled deeply.

He's okay. My baby brother's okay.

"How long before he can walk or play?" Dan asked, knowing how important football was to Jonah.

"With the proper care, somewhere between a few days to a week and a half," Dr. Victor articulated while scratching the side of his face.

My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, "That's great!"

"Yes, but if he doesn't adhere to bed rest for at least a week, it could unnecessarily aggravate the tear." Dr. Victor's voice was serious, "I've prescribed medication for the pain and have scheduled an appointment for a week from now."

"So, does that mean he can go home?" My tone was hopeful.

Dr. Victor smiled politely, "I'll have the nurses bring him out. Just keep his knee iced and if necessary use crutches."

"Thank you, Doctor." Dan shook Dr. Victor's hand firmly.

As we waited for Jonah, I took the opportunity to contact Stacy but she didn't answer. Mom and Dad didn't either. It was only 11 p.m. and it pissed me off that none of them were attending my calls. 

————

"I'm fine," Jonah grunted when I sat down on the edge of his king-sized bed.

"Now. You're fine now." I corrected him.

"I can't even feel anything," he argued.

"That's because you're doped up on meds." I snorted.

"I feel numb and fuzzy," he mumbled brainlessly.

"Jonah, you scared the fucking shit out of me," I told him seriously as I fluffed pillows on the empty side of his bed, preparing it for myself. "I thought you were going to—just don't ever do that again."

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't teleport when Man of Steel rammed into me," he said sarcastically before frowning, "What are you even doing?"

"Making the pillows all soft and fluf—"

"No, I meant why..." He cut me off.

"Oh."

"You're not seriously sleeping here, are you?" He scowled, adjusting his knee brace so he could place the ice pack over it. "Fuck, that feels good," he muttered under his breath.

"Uh, of course, I am." I sipped some water from my bottle before offering some to Jonah.

"No, you're not," he retorted stubbornly, dismissing the water bottle with a hand wave.

"Yes, I am." I crossed my arms over my chest, a stern look occupying my visage.

Jonah groaned loudly, "No, you're not. I'm not a goddamn baby. I already feel pathetic. Just—look, I'll call if I need anything, okay?" He clutched his phone in his hand and waved it around trying to convince me, "Look, my phone's even within reach."

I contemplated his suggestion for a few minutes before rolling my eyes, "Fine." I begrudgingly stomped towards the door, "You better call me if you need anything."

"I will," he groaned.

"If you need anything, Jonah. Anything." I reminded him.

"Jeez, Mom. I'll call you," Jonah responded with an irritated eye roll.

I shook my head at his I-don't-need-anyone facade but didn't say anything because I knew how much of an emotional rollercoaster he was on. Not only did he injure his knee, but his ego was wounded too. With one last glance at his distressing state, I twisted the doorknob and exited his room.

I was beyond grateful that despite Jonah's frightening cries, it was just a minor ligament injury. Nose-diving into my bed without changing my clothes felt unbelievably uplifting. It had been one hell of a day, my muscles were cramped, my feet sore. Tossing and turning in bed, I groaned into my pillow. I was delirious with sleep, but annoyingly so, I just couldn't fall asleep.

My body was prepared to shut down, like a mobile blinking "battery low" but my mind was wide awake. Like cars on a track, a million thoughts raced through my mind. Jonah's injury made me realize how unpredictable life really was. That made me think about Nana. Then Tobias' mother. It terrified the shit out of me, how someone could just dissapear.

Breathe.

I was supposed to be strong, have faith, and believe that everything happened for a reason. Had I been in a rational state of mind, I would have stood by my beliefs. But I wasn't. I was a mess. My heart felt heavy, my eyes stinging; I felt alone.

My mind was speeding down an irrational highway, my anxiety peaking more than it had in a while. Like a hard pill, I had been swallowing my butthurt feelings, pretending as though I was okay. As though nothing had happened between Tobias and me. Denying my feelings, denying how much it hurt when he said there was nothing.

Just breathe.

It was my fault. I did it again. I let a guy who didn't give two shits about me get under my skin. A guy, because of whom I got attacked. I didn't think about the consequences, I didn't think about how it would stir up the ghosts of the past. A sliver of a tear slid down the corner of my eye as I clung to my pillow for emotional support. Suddenly, I felt the need to thank Dan.

Me: thangk you for everythink you did tofay

I typed an appreciative message to Dan through tear-filled eyes. He was so strong. He was there for me. He was always there for me. And that made me feel worse because I didn't remember the last time I was there for him. I was so self-absorbed, I didn't even stop to think about how Dan felt, how Emily felt, how any of my friends felt.

Drowned in a puddle of tears and hiccups, somewhere along the way, I drifted off to sleep. When I jerked awake after what seemed like seconds, the sound of my ringtone flooded my ears. My heartbeat spiked, my breathing uneven. I flung the covers off my body, the phone juggling between my shoulder and ear as I jolted out of bed.

"Jonah? What's wrong? Are you in pain? I'll be right there," I rambled, panic-stricken.

"I—what happened to Jonah?" A confused voice responded to my erratic questions.

"Wait, who is this?" I tilted my head to the side and asked, disoriented.

"Tobias..."

Upon registering his words, I regained consciousness. It was abrupt, as if I was being electrocuted back to my senses.

Tobias.

"Tobias? Oh. Um, why are you calling me..." I squinted to read the wall clock, tripping slightly in the process, "...at, uh, 6 a.m.?"

"I'm outside. Figured we'd train." He revealed his intentions slowly.

"Oh." I frowned and stopped walking, clearly taken aback.

I thought there was nothi—

Tobias cleared his throat, not allowing me to gather my thoughts, "Is everything okay?" His voice carried traces of concern.

"Yeah, uh..." I instinctively cleared my throat too, "...why wouldn't it be?"

"You sounded worried about Jonah..." he explained rather awkwardly.

"Oh, right. Jonah." I tiptoed down the hall, "He, uh, hurt his knee during a football game," I whispered, gently pulling open Jonah's bedroom door to see if he was alright.

His bed was empty and I suddenly felt myself get breathless, lowering the phone from my ear unconsciously. When I heard a loud thud from the bathroom, my pulse quickened to a significant degree.

No. Not again.

"Jonah?" I cried out, my voice loud and shaky. "Jonah, are you okay? Fuck. Jonah. Answer me." I frantically ran towards his bathroom door, rattling the doorknob. When I realized that it was locked, I began pounding on the hardwood door. "Jonah, open the fucking door," I insisted.

Breathe, for fuck's sake.

"Ariel, what's happening?" A faint voice lingered in the background and I suddenly remembered that Tobias was still on call.

Pressing my phone to my ear, I attempted to explain, "It's Jonah. H-He's locked in the bathroom. I d-don't know what to do. Fuck, w-what do I do? He c-ould be hurt." I was trembling like a leaf, my heart in my mouth. 

Tobias hung up. He fucking hung up.

I walloped my fists against the door, yelling Jonah's name. Out of nowhere, Jonah's bedroom door swung open. Like a storm, Tobias charged in. With a lethal visage, he approached me. My breath caught in my throat, my pupils dilated.

"I—How did you—" I altered my words with the shake of a head, pointing towards the door, "I-It's locked, he's i-inside," I murmured breathlessly, trudging away from the door.

Tobias immediately rammed his shoulder into it, attempting to force it open. When that didn't work, he began kicking the door. A loud crack resonated as it propelled open to reveal a dazed-looking Jonah. With an empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, his eyes half-closed, my younger brother lay on the tiled floor.

I retrieved the bottle, placing it on the countertop. The stench of alcohol was absolutely stifling. Without breaking a sweat, Tobias lifted Jonah off the ground. Throwing one arm around his torso, and drawing support from Jonah's arm which I helped position over his shoulders, he led us out. Tobias laid him down on the bed carefully. I tried to adjust the bolster pillow under Jonah's knee as he muttered incoherently in his drunken stupor, but his leg was too heavy.

Tobias wrapped his fingers around my hand which was reaching for Jonah's thigh. I shuddered, closing my eyes to gulp. His amber orbs connected with mine for an infinite second until he asserted, "Let me."

"I should handcuff him to the goddamn bed." I huffed, trying to calm my nerves.

I didn't even have the energy to be angry anymore. Tobias settled Jonah carefully, positioning him upright, and on his side, in case Jonah threw up. The way Tobias handled the situation was praiseworthy. I couldn't help but wonder what I would have done had he not been outside my house. He saved my brother when I failed to; he was an angel.

It restored my faith. I didn't waste a moment, thanking God with silent prayers. Once Jonah was out cold, I led Tobias into the hallway. Under the heat of his watchful eyes, I suddenly felt self-aware.

Tobias was in my fucking house.

Breathe.

"Thank you." I lowered my head, unable to meet his stare. I fiddled with my fingers before whispering, "You don't know what this means to me. You saved him."

"He'll be okay, he's a strong kid," Tobias replied. "I didn't do anything special." He shrugged.

"Yes, you did. I just got so scared," I admitted. "To be honest, I've been terrified all day." I sat down on the stairs.

He joined me after a few seconds, supporting his elbows on his knees.

"Is this what it feels like? Losing someone." My voice was a quiet whisper.

"Worse."

The way he said it made me shudder. I shook my head, "I'll break down if something happens."

He had every right to say I told you so but he didn't. Instead, he suggested, "You should get some rest." He got up, taking two steps at a time to descend the staircase.

"Tobias?" I called out when he reached the bottom.

"Yeah?" He stopped, looking over his shoulder.

I wanted him to stay but my words were lodged in my throat.

"I—nothing, just thank you."

He responded with a curt nod before striding out the front door.

————

It's a temporary world.

Please don't forget to vote, comment, and share if you enjoyed this chapter.

Love, Ari