Contagious

Date/Timing: 17 December 2005
Setting: Gottlieb house; Berlin, Germany
Revision of "Bastien's Brother"
.
Bastien wakes up, blinks away the last of sleep. He stretches his arms and pops his back—
Manny's here!
—flings himself out of bed and down the stairs.
Dee steps from the kitchen, waves him over.
Bastien slows down, pads to the table.
Karla's already sitting there, clutching a mug of steaming coffee, sporting dark rings under her eyes like she hasn't slept.
Bastien looks to Dee.
He looks just as tired as he takes the place across from Karla.
Bastien's heart drops and he squeaks, „What's wrong?“
Dee and Karla exchange a look. 
Karla nods, 'go ahead'.
„Sit down, please, Bunny,“ Dee says gently.
Bastien climbs into the chair next to him, heart sinking further.
„Manny's sick.“
„I can't catch it, can I?“
„He's not contagious,“ answers Karla, voice hoarse.
„That's good, but, then, what's wrong?“
Dee takes a very, /very deep breath. „Manny hurt himself very badly last night.“ Wraps his hands around his cup. „He tried to kill himself. He almost did.“
Bastien's heart jumps into his throat and his eyes fill with tears.
„He's alright now, but we'll have to watch him carefully for a while.“
Bastien swallows, nods, wipes his eyes.
Karla and Dee both sip coffee.
„Is ... is this because Mother killed herself?“
Dee startles. „It has nothing to do with that.“
„He tried because Father's making him leave his friends and move back here,“ Karla growls.
Bastien wrinkles his forehead, tries to make sense of that.
„Father's afraid one of his friends will find out about his wings.“
„Why would that make Manny ....?“
„He's never had friends before—“
Bastien's heart /hurts.
„—and he's in love with one of them,“ says Dee quietly.
„Manny has a girl—“
„Boyfriend.“
„—boyfriend and Father's making him /leave?“
Karla nods and Dee sighs.
„Because Father's afraid Manny's boyfriend will tell about his wings?“
Dee nods and Karla sighs.
„But if his boyfriend loves Manny, he wouldn't, right?“
„Of course,“ says Karla.
„Father worries love won't be enough to keep Manny safe.“
Bastien puffs out his chest. „Then I will!“ Slides off the chair, plants his feet. „I'll take care of him until he gets better and then I'll go to England with him and make sure no one hurts him or tells.“
Karla laughs.
Dee smiles, but ducks his head and runs a hand through his hair. „Why don't you start by checking if he's awake and, if he is, asking if he needs anything.“
Bastien grunts agreement, marches to Manny's room at the back of the house.
The door's open and blinds and curtains are closed when Bastien peers inside.
Manny sleeps on his stomach, his wings loose and spread across the bed, his face turned away. Next to him, on the sheets ....
Bastien swallows.
Next to Manny, on the sheets, are spots of blood.
And the arm Bastien can see is bandaged almost to his elbow.
Bastien sniffles, wipes away the new tears on his cheeks. Then he straightens up, climbs into the desk chair, spinning it so he has a good view of both Manny and the door, and settles in to keep watch.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien's POV
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich
Category:Dietrich (ficlet)
Category:Karla
Category:Karla (ficlet)
Category:Edan (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Birgit (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images