Rock and A Hard Place 5

I glance at him.

Jack sits for a minute, just watching me. I can tell he isn't fully awake yet and if I'm being honest, neither am I. My eyes want to shrivel up and stay closed for another eight hours until the muscle are strong enough to open.

As it is, I just wrinkle my nose and widen my eyes. I probably look pretty stupid because Jack gives me a funny look.

"So..?" I prod, leaning forward slightly.

Jack shrugs. "Not sure. It sounds like they met up with Cray last night. Angel beat up on some guy and they're at the hospital. He broke his arm. They—"

"He broke the dude's arm?" I ask in surprise.

Jack frowns. "No, uh, Angel. His arm is broken. The other guy is bad off too, but it's Angel."

"Shit." I whisper.

Jack nods slowly, lethargically. Then he sighs, shifting to push up off his knees. He looks at me. "Get dressed, okay? Let's go see them."

I nod quickly. "Yeah, but what about Cray? I mean, you said they talked. What did they say? Are we good or what?"

Jack moves to stand. "I don't know. We might be good, but I think you and Bobby—"

I roll my eyes. "Oh come on, Jack." I say in frustration. "Stop doing that!"

"What?" He looks annoyed, glancing back at me.

"I don't know." I grumble. "Talking about that. Everything. You don't think I know he's going to kill me?"

He starts walking towards the stairs, not looking at me. "Stop interrupting me, you little idiot." He grumbles.

Jack doesn't do mornings.

I glower. "That's not an answer!" I call after his retreating form.

I see his shoulders shrug. Then, almost too quiet for me to hear, he adds: "It isn't an apology either."

Damn brothers.

Damn morning too.

XXXXX

"Yes, we're looking for an Angel Mercer." Jack speaks at the woman's head. She is a large woman with dark hair and kind eyes. It sounds stupid to say, but she just seems likes one of those ladies who is nice and would call you sweet heart or sugar, not matter how old you are.

It's all in the eyes, I'm telling you.

She isn't actually paying attention to Jack, not really. She glances up briefly, but she's in the middle of something, so we wait in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

She looks up from her file, quickly glancing over us both with a smile. "Hello there." She continues typing.

Jack nods. "Uh, yeah. Hi. We're—"

"What's your name, sugar?" She asks kindly enough, finally giving us her attention. She has a deep southern drawl, which sounds so out of place here. It matches how she looks though.

But I guess that's also a strange thing to say.

Jack looks intimidated by this lady, so I step in. "I'm Alex and this is my brother, Jack. We're looking for Angel Mercer."

She smiles again. "You know him?"

I look back at Jack. Still immobile and worried. Okay then… "Uh, yes, ma'am." I say. I figure the ma'am part won't hurt.

She nods, checking the computer for the Angel. "Not everyday someone calls me ma'am." She muses humorously, giving me a wink.

I force a laugh. I just don't know how to handle this type, so I elbow Jack. He gives me a shove.

I move to hit him again, but the nurse looks up again. Her nametag says Alice, I note. "Well, boys, how do you know our Mr. Mercer?" She asks conversationally, leaning back in her chair, hands resting on her lap.

"He's our brother?" I say slowly.

"That a questions?" She looks me up and down, a quirky smile replacing the kind one.

I shake my head. "Uh, no. No, ma'am. He is. Our brother, I mean. Yeah."

She nods. "Mm hmn. And how many brothers do y'all have?" She looks pretty skeptical.

"A lot." I blurt out.

She nods again. "Looks like it."

This is a weird conversation and I don't know what she wants from it, so I just start talking. Normally Bobby would argue it's a bad thing when I blab, but it looks like that is exactly what this Alice character wants.

"Well, Bobby and Jerry are in there with him. The thing is, there's five of us, me, Angel, Jerry, Jack here, and Bobby too. None of us are related, but we're brothers. Foster care, you know? So Jack and I…. well, Jack has a license. Our last name is Mercer and we're the other two. And—"

"You have a license?" She turns to Jack, still kindly.

He nods slowly. "Yeah, I do." He pulls out his wallet, handing her the license.

She checks it, glancing between his face and the little card. "Alright, sugar, you two just sign in on this clipboard." She indicates the lined paper in front of me and the pens with flowers taped to them. "And we'll get you two stickers and send you to your brothers. Alright?"

"Yes, thanks." Jack says shortly, easing a small smile.

By the time we're out of earshot, I'm almost laughing. "What? You don't like hospitals or something?"

Jack gives me a frown before checking another door number for Angel. "No." Is all he says.

I snort. "Glad we had this talk." I reply cheekily.

Jack doesn't say anything, so we keep walking.

Past another gurney and five more empty or occupied rooms, I smile again. "She was really nice. Late forties, kind. Why didn't you like her?"

"It wasn't her." Jack sighs. "I just don't like hospitals."

We keep speed walking around a corner to come face to face with Bobby. He's holding a foam cup of coffee and looking dead tired. "Where the hell have you two been?" He asks.

"Good to see you too, man." Jack says sarcastically.

Bobby smacks him upside the head, to which Jack winces, ducking forward.

Bobby checks me over. "You good?"

I shrug. "Yeah, I'm fine." He nods. "How's Angel?"

"A royal pain in the ass." Bobby grunts, jerking his head to our left. We follow him into one of the off-white room. They smell like hospital. No shit, man… Angel is propped up on pillows in a gown on the bed, his arm is in a cast and his eyes are closed. He only has some bruises and a cut on his cheek.

It doesn't bother me much. I can't remember a week where one of them didn't come home with a shiner or a sprain from sports or a fight. Ma would always get up on all of us for it, but we just play rough. Angel is no different.

He cracks an eye open. "Took y'all long enough. Getting your beauty sleep?"

"Or you are, man." Bobby grins.

Angel opens both eyes, glowering at Bobby. "Shut the fuck up, man." He says more slowly, accentuating each word. Bobby just laughs loudly before sitting down in the chair with his coat hung over it.

I smile. "How do you feel?" I ask, kicking at a piece of toilet paper on the floor.

"Like shit. But I ain't staying here." He shakes his head. "Not anymore." He gives me a wink. "Jackie boy take care of you?"

I shrug.

"Hey!" Jack interjects. "We played solitaire."

I look at Bobby pleadingly. "Please don't leave me with him again!" I joke, putting my hands up in a mock prayer, sinking to me knees.

I pull up just before my knees hit the cold tile, grinning between my brothers. Jack flips me off with a grin.

Even Jerry laughs at that.

"What?" Bobby asks. "No dress up? No skirts or frills? Shit, man, I thought I knew you, you little fairy." He directs this at Jack.

Jack rolls his eyes. "Leave it alone, man." He shuffles forward to lean his weight on the door jam of Angel's room.

Bobby holds up his hand and the coffee mug. "I'm just sayin'. I don't judge."

Jack mumbles something incoherent under his breath.

Let's be nice, folks, please.

Bobby chuckles again, sipping his coffee before making eye contact with me.

I look away quicker than shit off a shovel.

"So." Jerry begins. I look up to see his head on the other side of the lump that is Angel. "We talked to Cray. I bet y'all are interested." The room quiets significantly and my brothers lose their smiles. Even Angel. Especially Angel.

Jack grunts and I stand stock-still. I can feel Bobby watching me from his chair, but I don't want to look.

Jerry nods. "Alright. Well, we headed up to The Ditch and we were stopped by some of Cray's boys. They chatted us up all nice. Then Angel socked one." Jerry shakes his head.

"Hey!" Angel interjects indignantly, suddenly interested. "Man, what I tell you? Y'all can stand there and listen to that fucker talk shit about Ma, but I won't."

Jerry brushes it off with the wave of his hand. "Well twinkle toes beat the shit out of him–" Angle nods in affirmation. "So we went in."

"Cut to the chase, Jerry." Bobby voices. I turn to look at him briefly as he resituates in his chair. Almost like a Lord presiding over a court. You know he's in charge by the way he sits. It sounds strange, but I swear, it isn't!

"Hold on." Jerry frowns impatiently. "Alex?"

I jerk back to look at him. "Uh, yeah?"

He gives me a small smile. "You off the hook, kid. We paid Cray the full amount, so he won't bother you again."

I nod slowly, smiling. "That's it? I mean, there's nothing else?" I glance at Bobby, then back to Jerry and even Jack.

"Shit, kid, you want something else? I got your right arm right here." Angel groans, lifting the casted appendage up for me to see.

I smirk. "Jerry said—"

"Fuck Jerry, man." Angel shakes his head. "He don't know shit. I did what I had to." He lets his head fall back onto the pillow heavily, watching the tiles on the ceiling.

I nod again.

Then I gulp. "I, uh, I'm really… I'm really sorry, I guess." I stare down at my sneakers. They look like crap, which is about what I feel, so it seems fitting.

"You guess?" Bobby asks sternly.

I sneak a look at him. He seems calm, but serious. It's freaky how that man can switch from juvenile humor to fury in a matter of seconds.

Multiple personalities? Bipolar? Maybe he is actually a polar bear. Obviously it doesn't make sense, regardless, I almost like that idea. Except that polar bears are man eating, wild animals. They are sounding more like Bobby by the moment.

"No. I am. Sorry, I mean." I shrug lamely at my apology, still staring intently at the ground.

Angel snorts and I see Jerry nodding slowly from his chair. Bobby doesn't say anything and neither does Jack.

XXXXX

I didn't notice it earlier, with my head bent down and Bobby's hand on the back of my neck, but Angel wasn't the only one hurt. Bobby pushed me inside the front door. "Go on to your room." He said gruffly, but not unkindly.

The rest of my brothers helped Angel and themselves up the driveway and into the dinning room where the piled around the table. For my part, I stop a few stairs up, just enough to be hidden by anyone walking by, but far enough down I can hear them talking.

"Shit, Bobby, your shoulder—"

"Shut the fuck up, Jack." Bobby cuts him off. "Alex!" He yells.

I slip up the stairs as fast and quietly as I can. "Yeah?" I holler down.

"Your room." Bobby calls at me. "Not shit. Get in your room."

I roll my eyes, but dutifully walk over to my door and shut it, loud enough so they can hear. Then I open it slowly, so I can run in at a moments notice. I slip back down to my initial hiding spot and as my breath calms down, I can hear them talking.

"It went smoothly, huh?" Jack says dryly.

"Smooth as it was gonna go." I can almost see Jerry shaking his head. "They got a lot of muscle and we, well, we didn't."

"Yeah, little brother, you should've come." This was Bobby. "Fuckers woulda loved you."

"I was babysitting, remember?" Jack replies with an edge to his voice.

"Alright you little fairy, don't break that stick up your ass." Bobby mutters. I swipe at my nose, careful not to make any noise.

Jack snorts. "But it is covered?"

"Fuck, Jack. Yeah, we told you that, boy." Angel groans. I hear one of the chairs scrape backwards and something heavy fall on to it.

"Told me everything like you told Alex everything? Or told me everything?" Jack asks hotly. "I'm not a kid, Bobby."

"Oh shut the fuck up, Jack." Bobby snaps. "Yeah we told you everything. No shit. It was fast. There was a fight and we won it. Cray won't be talking anytime soon."

"You broke his jaw?" Jack is as surprised as I am, so I lean in closer.

"Naw. Angel did that one. I cracked the rips." Bobby chuckles.

"How did you even get to him?"

"Oh quit worrying, Jackie boy." Bobby groans, shifting in his seat. "We got guns too. It's taken care of and we told you every fucking thing."

"Better have." Jack grumbles, almost sounding whiny.

"We did."

"Good."

I can feel my right foot falling asleep. I'm resting most of my weight on it, trying not to topple down the stairs, but staying in a position so I can book it if I need to. I'm angry too; they're keeping the reality of their visit from me. It's then I realize Bobby is hurt and so is Jerry. Angel probably has it worse than I know.

Shit, shit, shit.

"I don't know, man." Jerry starts again. "He's got a right to know."

"The boy has a right to get his ass beat." Bobby counters roughly. I shiver. Then I start down the stairs. I'm done listening. I appear in the doorway as Jerry opens his mouth, but rather than talking, he looks surprised.

Bobby spins around, his right arm resting on the back of his chair. He has a leg propped up on one chair and his shoulder is badly bruised and it was probably dislocated.

Jerry has a shiner over his left eye I couldn't see in his corner of the room at the hospital and all three of my oldest brothers have other assorted bruises and cuts along their arms and faces.

"Where do you think you're going?" Angel's voice is loud.

"You're hurt." Is all I can say.

Bobby grabs his jacket, covering his shoulder. "I told you to get your ass upstairs and in your room, Alex." He growls.

"But, Bobby—"

"I don't want your bullshit. Get in your fucking room."

I surprise myself and my brothers when I say simply. "No."

Bobby moves to stand and I shrink back quickly, I hand out behind me to feel the wall so I can turn.

"Bobby—" Jerry starts.

Bobby ignores this, but doesn't get up. "What did you just say to me?"

I gulp. "I said no. I want to know what really happened. I'm not a kid." I reply.

"Yes you're a fucking kid!" Bobby roars, slamming his hand down on the table. I flinch.

"I still wanna know." I mutter.

Bobby smacks the table, this time rising, pushing the chair back with his leg, and grabbing for me.

In my blind panic, I twist away, but my oldest brother grabs my arm roughly, turns me around and applies multiple hard swats to my ass. My hips push forward and I yelp loudly, trying to wrench my arms out of his grip. Bobby winds back for another round, but hollers himself at the pressure in his shoulder and lets go of me.

I jump back, covering my ass protectively and panting loudly. Bobby walks back to his chair, sitting down as he burses his shoulder. Jerry, Angel, and Jack don't look surprised, although worry is written on their faces. Although I'm not sure if it is for me or Bobby.

"Bobby." Jerry repeats. Bobby turns his head, glaring at our brother. "Let him talk."

They all look back at me and I shift uncomfortably on my feet. "I just want to know what really happened. I-It was my fault. I did this."

"Boy." Bobby interjects harshly. "I never gave you that ass beating for dealing with Cray."

I shake my head vehemently. Bobby just nods. "Keep your eyes on me, Alex. You got that?" He asks.

I nod slowly, meeting his gaze. He looks a little less pissed than earlier, but he still isn't smiling.

"I want the fucking truth, kid."

"I'm the one—" I start.

Bobby smacks his other hand down on the table. "Listen to me." He says angrily. "You blame yourself for this?"

I nod my head carefully. "Yeah.." My voice comes out weak.

"Fuck." Bobby mumbles. "Look, you got involved with Cray, right?" I nod. "You started selling drugs." I adds, but quickly look down. "I told you to look at me." Bobby's voice is hard.

I look up again into his brown eyes. I want so badly to pull back and look away. To watch Jack or the wall, or hell, my shoes.

"Did you start selling that shit?"

"Y-yes." I manage. He knows all of this, because we beat this dead horse yesterday.

He nods seriously again. "That's your fault." I look up, surprised.

Bobby's face is serious and he looks hurt in his anger. "You mess with Cray, he could've killed you and dumped your ass in an alley. And drugs? Those'll kill you too."

I fight the tears threatening to well up in my eyes. I blink hard, trying to avoid Bobby's gaze or the looks from our brothers.

I can't.

"I know." I choke out. "I'm sorry."

"No." He says. "Don't say you're fucking sorry. You're not. Not yet. I'm not done yet."

Oh god, how is he not done?

"What you did was fucking stupid and illegal and you could have gotten your ass kicked or killed." It hurts to hear him say it and I clasp my hands tightly. "Then you lied to us, right?"

I nod.

"Yeah. You told me lies. To my face, Alex. My fucking face!" He yells. "I want to trust you, boy, but your bullshit, that lost my trust. What if we couldn't help you, huh? What if you got in deep shit with Cray and we didn't know about it?"

My eyes are wet and I shift, trying hard to open my eyes wide enough that the tears will leave, but soon they make a thick blockade in my vision and I can't see Bobby. I let them start to fall and my breath hitches.

"That is your fault." Bobby says quieter, looking hard at me. "But you're bullshitting yourself if you think this is." He gestures to the table. To my injured brothers.

"You know better than to think we wouldn't do anything for you. Fuck, man, we're your brothers. I will beat the shit out of Cray and any other crazy motherfucker who tries to fuck with you. You got me? That ain't on you. I did that and Jerry and Angel. We did that because you're our brother."

"We love you, boy." Angel says thickly from the other side of the table. I look up slowly, tears running down my cheeks.

"Yeah. Y'all are my brothers." Jerry smiles warmly. "We ain't blood, but we gonna act like it. We have each other's back. Alright?"

I nod again, swiping at my eyes. "I-I'm sorry for the drugs and lying. I'm so sorry." I cry.

Bobby nods.

After a few minutes I sniff, no tears left in my eyes. My cheeks still feel wet, but it isn't bad. "Are you, uh, are you still…?" I trail off sheepishly, looking carefully at Bobby.

"You think you deserve it?" He asks. I probably looked shocked, because that is the most reasonable thing Bobby has ever said.

"What?" He gives me a look, scratching his forehead.

"You sounded like Ma, Bobby." I grin.

Angel laughs loudly, joined in by Jack and Jerry.

Jack slaps the table hard, buckling forward. "Damn, Bobby, you going to ask him if he wants a salad or vegetables with his order too?" That sends them all into another round of laughter. I try hard not to laugh, but I'm barely containing a smile.

Bobby looks pissed, but not angry. "Oh fuck you." He counters. Then he looks back at me. "Not today." He throws me the look. "I can't hit nuthin', my shoulder fucking hurts."

I nod slowly. Not the news I wanted to hear, but that's Bobby. Jerry smiles wanly at me, his eye puffy and swollen, but his bright intact. Angel is almost encase in casts and stitches, but for some reason, that's how I remember him. We're a mangled group and my ass is stinging fiercely. I push out the chair next to Bobby, positioning myself carefully on the hard wood. It doest help much and I still wince, but Jerry offers be a wane smile.

All four of them.

End.

Thank you all for sticking with me for so long! I hope you enjoyed this story.