Domino Effect {tag; Dez}

[Desiré Alys]

It really wasn't as though Desiré needed anymore reminders that his leg was a wreck and totally useless, so he appreciated Sebastian's consideration of the issue.  He also appreciated that his brother stepped up to pull the blanket and sheet out from under him, then over.  He'd have gotten to it eventually, but this made it easier.  He hurt enough already without trying to maneuver that one.

Regardless of their unspoken agreement to always take care of each other, Desiré really wasn't used to being the one taken care of.  In smaller ways, yes, sure, it happened regularly, but this was major.  Usually, he and his brother looked out for each other all day, everyday in little things.  Dirk would bitch about some chore that hadn't been done, Sebastian would overhear and know that it was Dez's ass in the fire, and he'd go behind and do it.  Desiré had done the same for his brother, and that was just one of the more mundane things.  Desiré couldn't count the number of time his younger brother had come up after their mother had left, obviously not believing Desiré when he said he wasn't sick, and felt his head or shoved medicine of some sort at him.  Dez had watched out for his younger brother while Sebastian was sick before, but the younger boy was much better about just saying that he felt like crap.  Desiré knew he was frustrating because he didn't do that, but Sebastian seemed to have picked up on subtle things that his older brother did (and didn't do) when he wasn't well, so it still worked out.  To assume that the two brothers being so different at first glance meant that they weren't incredibly close would be a very stupid assumption, indeed.

As was usual, Sebastian took only a moment or so to get suspicious curious enough to check his brother's forehead, and then Desiré knew he was going to be pumped full of antibiotics, none of which were likely to work if this was supposed to happen with Nero's 'regeneration water'.  At least, he didn't think so.  "This should be a pretty good excuse not to go through with that surgery, you know.  I don't think they like operating on someone like this," he pointed out.  Maybe it was the fever, or maybe he was just willing to give Nero's concoction a chance, because he definitely remembered Nero saying that he shouldn't go through with the surgery.  He still wasn't in a hurry to get a nurse in there, though.  Any nurse that came in and found him getting worse somehow was going to end up calling his parents, and having his mother sitting in there even longer that evening was going to suck.  It just made him feel guilty.

Hopefully, this would work and she could stop worrying.

[Martine Liten]

It had been a couple of days now, nearing the week mark.  Sebastian had been in and out of the hospital often, dropping by after school and just after his additional college courses.  He had even dropped by Nero's office a couple of times to update him on his brother's condition and pry him for more answers to his pressing questions.  Nero was highly evasive, though, much like a politician.  But Sebastian was good at that game too, he wanted to be a lawyer after all, and tried to cut into Nero's unwillingness to give him straight answers.

So far he had only gathered that what Nero had given Desiré was highly experimental, something that Nero had never tested ("Your brother gets the honor of being the first one to get the works.") and that Nero was expecting them both to be highly surprised by the end of this.  He had said something about a grand finale.

Nero was a very frustrating man.

Desiré was still sick, although not as much so as he had been just two days ago in the middle of his flu, and he seemed to be feeling better.  Even his wounds were looking better.  The doctors were screaming "medical anomaly" and some were even uttering "miracle."  Sebastian had asked about Desiré's leg and the doctors seemed to think that it was healing.

Sebastian had to admit, he was really proud of himself.  He had been skeptical, with reason of course, but he had tried Nero anyway.  He squeezed him for information, even argued with him at one point, and now Desiré was getting better.  It was a feeling that he wasn't used to, so Sebastian hardly wore the emotion.  He only patted himself on the back silently, and only sometimes. . .

Like right now, for instance.

He sat beside Desiré, much like he had been doing for what felt like forever now, and smiled slightly.  It was so nice to know that he had helped.  If he hadn't intervened, well, Dez might just not have his leg at all.  And while he still blamed himself for this even happening in the first place, he was glad that he had done something to make it up to his brother.

[Desiré Alys]

Unlike Sebastian, who had been in and out of the hospital, visiting Desiré and then stopping by to see Nero between school and his extra classes, Dez had been stuck in the hospital, listening to his parents talk to doctors, Sebastian pass on the news of what he'd heard from Nero, and the nurses tell him it was a miracle that he was healing like this.  Basically, that all boiled down to Desiré accepting that Nero had been right, Sebastian had been right, and that it had worked.

He could have done without the week of the 'Flu from Hell'.  Even the doctors had been going crazy over that one, since he hadn't really been responding to any medication, and the illness just ran its course.  They'd been howling that his bloodwork was all wonky, and suddenly, towards the end of it, his face stopped hurting every time he smiled, the bruising along his right side seemed to be gone, and he'd heard that the rest was improving.  His left arm and leg (and his side, since he'd managed to mess that up, too) were still bandaged up like a mummy, but none of them were hurting as much as they had been.  Of course, that was all relative, since his leg HAD BEEN a whole world of pain in and of itself.  Now, it wasn't great, but it had improved.  From the way things were looking, it would be fine.

He really did owe Sebastian, and Nero.

Of course, he didn't know anything about this 'grand finale', so he couldn't be paranoid about it, yet.  All he knew was that Sebastian had every right to be proud.  He didn't look it, though.  This 'silent pat on the back' wasn't going to cut it.

Sebastian gave him this slight little smile, and Dez returned it with a grin of his own.  One that didn't hurt.  That alone was great.  "I didn't believe it.  Even when I got that sick, I didn't believe that it would actually work, but it is.  This is amazing, Sebastian.  Thank you."

[Martine Liten]

Sebastian clasped his hands together and placed them between his knees, leaning forward and letting his hair obscure his vision.  "I didn't do anything," he told Desiré with a shake of his head.  "You should thank Nero.  He's the genius here.  I was just the delivery boy."  He smiled self-deprecatingly, raising his head to look at his brother.

No, he knew that he had helped out.  But he believed what he said completely.  Sure, he was proud of himself, that was only natural, but Nero was the one who deserved the thanks.  He had created the serum and given Desiré the injection.  He was the one who assured them that he knew exactly what he was doing.  It was all thanks to Nero.

Sebastian didn't feel like he should be thanked for anything.  What had he done?

However, he slowly drew his smile out into a real one and looked away from his brother, a little embarrassed.  "But. . . you're welcome."  And that was sincere.

It wasn't hard for him to make that decision earlier.  The one that led him to Nero.  He loved his brother, Desiré was probably the most important person in his life, so he had been more than willing to search for a solution.  Anything to save his brother the trouble and the trauma that went along with losing a limb.  It only seemed natural.

[Desiré Alys]

It was nothing but natural to both of them to look out for each other, and sometimes, that just meant making sure that Sebastian felt suitably appreciated.  To Desiré, that was just common sense, but if he'd known how lowly his brother thought of himself, he'd have put more effort into it.  "Don't give me that 'delivery boy' nonsense.  Nero only did this because you asked him, and I wouldn't have even known about it if not for you, so you did plenty," he argued.

Then, he smiled again.  Sebastian had actually smiled at him, actually looked like he meant it, and responded.  That was more important than anything else.  Sebastian didn't always look like he meant it when he appeared happy, even if Desiré could still be fooled.  He tried, but Sebastian could be pretty good at pretending, himself. 

"You really saved my ass.  Guess I owe you one," he continued, and nevermind the fact that he'd gotten crushed the way he had trying to keep Sebastian safe.  That didn't count.  "I'll be sure to drop by and thank your scientist friend, too.  Have you talked to him at all since?"

[Martine Liten]

"And I only asked because you're my brother," Sebastian answered without hesitation.  Then he paused, realized what he just said and faltered.  Well, great, that was sentimental.  He sighed and rolled his eyes at himself.  He didn't want to start going there to that squishy, soft place with his brother.  Although, it probably was high time that they have that moment, but Sebastian was putting it off until it had to happen.

He probably should have told Desiré how worried he had been about him, and how much it was killing him to know his brother was stuck in the damn hospital while he got to go home and be free (or as free as he could be at home).  And while he was sure Desiré already knew this without it having to be said out loud, it was probably one of those things that was better said than implied.

But he didn't say anything about it.

"You don't owe me anything."  No, no Desiré didn't and that was that.  "And last I talked to Nero, I told him you're getting better," he motioned towards Desiré's leg.  "He said we'll probably have to stop by and see him again soon.  He seemed pretty sure that you'd have a lot of questions for him. . ."

[Desiré Alys]

Sebastian definitely didn't do 'sentimental' and 'caring' all that well when it came down to conversation and showing his feelings, but Desiré knew what he meant.  He didn't take offense, though he snorted at the response, catching Sebastian's eye roll.  He was betting he knew what was up with that.

The younger of the two brothers wasn't the only one that felt that squishy, sentimental talk coming up, and though Desiré didn't want to be the one to bring it up, he knew someone was going to have to.  Eventually, one of them was going to crack and have to do it, and he was hoping it wasn't him.  That really wasn't his style.  It was true that they both knew that Sebastian had been worried and upset over this, but Desiré also underestimated the extent of his brother's concern.  He underestimated how much he meant to Sebastian, probably in the same way that Sebastian underestimated his own worth.  They weren't really so different, in the end.

Neither of them said it.

It wasn't like they had much time to approach the subject, though.  The door had already been open, which meant that they didn't get much in the way of warning before a tall doctor with short-cropped dark hair walked in, shutting the door behind himself.  Why was a doctor shutting the door?  What was going on?

Was Nero's injection doing something crazy to him?  "Um, hello?  Sorry, but who are you?"

Victor smiled that 'bedside manner smile' of his, taking in the two boys in front of him for a moment before answering the boy in the bed.  "I'm Dr. Batten.  I was going to be the surgeon who managed your leg before your surgery was postponed.  I thought I'd come see what all the trouble was about," he informed them casually, taking in their appearances.  The older boy looked far too healed up, especially considering the condition he'd been in upon arrival in comparison to the younger boy.  Victor had seen photos and x-rays.  That boy shouldn't have been healed like that, and his blood tests were showing strange things that hadn't been there when he first arrived at the hospital.

Very, very suspicious.

"Congratulations.  You seem to have made a miracle recovery, one that none of your doctors have any idea how to explain.  Do the two of you have any idea how it happened?" he asked, looking from the oldest, then back to the youngest.  He'd heard some of what was said as he came in, and he had a damn good idea what had happened.  He wanted to see what they said.

[Martine Liten]

Sebastian was not looking forward to their heart-to-heart conversation.  He never, ever looked forward to those and actually tended to avoid them.  When he felt them coming, he generally escaped.  Today, though, he felt it coming and was unable to go anywhere.  He could only sit there and hope that it would pass.

Then the door opened and shut again, a new person standing in the room.  Sebastian stood up from his seat, his back was previously towards the door, and gave the man a level look.  What was this about?  He introduced himself as the would-be surgeon and mentioned the 'miracle' of Desiré's healing.  Sebastian automatically narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering why the hell the surgeon took it upon himself to appear in the room to tell them this?

How it happened?  Yeah, they knew, but what were they supposed to say?  "Oh yeah, a scientist gave him some crazy magic shot that healed him"?  Sebastian shrugged his shoulders indifferently.  "We don't know.  No one seems to."  He frowned a little.  "Why?  What do you expect us to know that the doctors don't?"

That was a reasonable enough response.  What could a couple of teenagers realistically have known or done to fix Desiré's leg?  What Nero did shouldn't have been possible anyway, so that really shouldn't be an option in this game.  However, Sebastian also had no idea that Victor had heard any of their previous conversation.

[Desiré Alys]

So, the younger one was going to play stupid.  That was fine, and not entirely unexpected.  Victor would have thought less of him if he just spilled it all with one vague question.  Victor would just get more specific, and see where this went. 

"Let me rephrase.  Are you two aware of what Nero did?" he asked, looking from one to the other.  He didn't personally know for sure, but he knew that it wasn't going to be as simple as a 'miracle cure'.  Given what he knew Nero was usually working on, he had ideas, especially with the strange blood tests.  If that was the case, he was going to have to push to get Desiré cleared for a release from the hospital. 

Leaving Sebastian to do the talking didn't seem like such a bad idea as far as Desiré was concerned, especially since he didn't honestly know much about what was going on.  He shot his brother the closest thing to a subtle 'uh oh' look as he could (a questioning sort of look with an eyebrow cocked up) when Victor mentioned Nero, and really, he didn't know what to say.  Other than spilling it or denying it, and this doctor seemed to know what was going on, or some, at least, they didn't have a lot of options.

Great.

So, what did this guy want?

[Martine Liten]

He used Nero's name.  He used his name.  Shit, he knew.  Sebastian's whole body went rigid, eyes narrowing in outraged confusion.  Who the hell was this doctor and what did he want?

"Alright, who the hell are you and what do you want?"

Leave it to Sebastian to just get straight down to the point.

"Why would anything that was done be any of your concern?  Unless you know what he did, in which case, you should just say so.  I don't want to play any games, doctor."  Sebastian's expression had faded into something slightly more impassive, not entirely calm but no longer accusatory as it had been.

It couldn't be accusatory because he knew that Nero had done something.  Something bad.  Something he shouldn't have.  He knew by what Nero had said, the smile, the grand finale that they were waiting for.  And honestly?  Sebastian would have been lying through his teeth if he said that he wasn't nervous about it.  He was.  If anything awful happened, it would have been his fault.  His fault again.  And Desiré would be hurt again.  The fact of the matter was that he wasn't looking forward to the outcome of all of this.

He kept telling himself that it didn't matter.  Desiré still had his leg.  Desiré could still walk, run, jump, and be normal.

But normalcy was relative, wasn't it?