A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

Never Enough Time

Ashlynn headed out of the room, guarding the door and ensuring Austin didn't slip through or spot Soren on her standing desk. He was asking her a hundred questions all at once, but Ashlynn was only concerned with getting Soren the supplies he needed to help save Brady. She was quick to lock the door behind her and went to the side closet and the bathroom for the other supplies – bandages, bowl of water, peroxide, cotton balls, q-tips – anything she could think of. Austin was right on her heels.

"What are those for? Did you cut yourself? Can I see? Does it hurt? Is there blood?" The boy's questions fell on deaf ears as Ashlynn retreated back to the television and plugged in the next show she could think of that was actually appropriate for kids. Austin unfortunately seemed more interested in what Ashlynn was doing. She had to force herself to sit and fake an injury on her finger, answering Austin's questions until the moving characters on the screen interested him more. Ashlynn took this time to slip back into the room to deliver the supplies.

~~~~~~~~

In the meantime, Soren was left on his own on the top of the standing desk with Brady, who was still wheezing and unconscious. The bedroom door was open and shut in the blink of an eye, secured once again by Ashlynn. Austin attempted to slip into the room, but Ashlynn wouldn't allow it. Soren thanked the heavens above Ashlynn was on his side.

The eldest Borrower turned his attention to his unconscious charge now. Soren had imagined in recent weeks what he would say or do to Brady if he ever had the chance. He debated which hand he would use to swing at Brady's jaw first – the left or the right? What utterances and curses could he inflict on the one who abandoned him to die? What could he say? What could he do?

The possibilities at the time felt endless. All of that frustration, that rage, had built up and had been the sole driving force behind Soren's motivation to get better faster as well as getting to his brothers. The revenge Soren craved and longed for now paled in comparison to what happened to Brady. The harm Soren wanted to inflict was done, and Soren couldn't help but feel, of all things, pity. It was an uncommon feeling and one Soren had never felt for Brady.

So, Soren sat on the edge of the takeout box where Brady lay not sure what to do. That boiling frustration and desire to tell Brady exactly what he thought of him had not left Soren's heart; but how could he beat an already broken man?

Soren wanted to shout, scream out his frustration, but he could not. For once in his life, he wanted to do something for him, but could not. He had to be the example. He had to show his brothers what it meant to be the bigger man; at least, as big as a Borrower can be.

The eldest Borrower had been so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't notice the pale blue eyes of Brady flicker open and fixate on Soren's contemplative face nor the door opening and Ashlynn stepping through with the necessary supplies.

What brought Soren's attention back to the present was Brady's rapid wheezing as Ashlynn's shadow overcast them. Ashlynn apologized under her breath and retreated back to the boy watching cartoons. Brady's eyes were lulling, but wild until they locked onto Soren sitting a few inches from him. Then, Brady stilled, his breath calming but only slightly.

The wheeze slowly began to sound like an intelligible form of speech, and one Soren recognized. "S-s-so-re-n?" It was his name accompanied by a tone of disbelief. "Yo-u're... al-i-ve?" Soren bit back a snarl and simply glowered at him.

"I am, no thanks to you," he retorted bitterly in reply. Brady's eyes lulled again as his body attempted to pull him into unconsciousness. Soren, thinking of nothing better to do, grabbed a cotton ball and dipped it into the bowl of water to start cleaning the scabs, old and new, from Brady. He tore pieces more manageable for his hands from the large ball of fraying cotton threads and began dabbing at the wounds.