Our Big Brother

Chapter 8

Hunters POV:

Something is pulling the blanket from me, and I hear rustling from across the room. I open one eye to see Alex tucking himself under the stolen blanket near the foot of the bed, and I pull myself higher to give him more space. Looking across the room, I see Sebastian shuffling around will a sleeping bag? "Seb, there's space on the bed if you want." I whisper to him. "No there's too many people." He says getting into the sleeping bag. Before I can offer to take the sleeping bag, he tells me to stay in bed. I'm not that predictable am I? Once he's settled, I close my eyes again. I don't know how long I've slept for before Alex kicks my foot, Reid's icy fingers touch my chest, and Spencer elbows my stomach, again. Sighing, I reach for my phone to see the time, only to groan when my alarm goes off. Untangling myself from the boys limbs, I get up to go shower and get ready, then wake Spencer.

"Kiddo, you gotta get up now, you have to get ready for your appointment." I say trying to wake him. "No I don't want to go! It's too early!" He nearly shouts. "Shh! Everyone's still sleeping, I'm sorry it's early, but we have to go. C'mon I'll help you brush your teeth and we can get breakfast on the way okay? I'll even get you a donut." I say trying to bribe him. Of course his head pops up at the word donut. "A sprinkle donut?" He asks suddenly wide awake. "Yes Spence, I'll get you a sprinkle donut, just don't make a mess in the car." I say as he dashes out of bed. Is it bad that I'm bribing him? Probably. Would it be worse if we missed his therapist appointment? Definitely, so I count this as a win.

I leave a note for Nick and Atlas, but they should all still be asleep or just waking up by the time Spencer and I get back. "Why did you make the appointment so early! The sun isn't even up yet!" Spencer whines and I roll my eyes. "Spence it's 8:30 in the morning, the sun has risen, it's just cloudy today, it's going to rain later. Also, I don't make the appointment, they do, but I'll make sure to talk to the receptionist and see if we can avoid early mornings okay?" I tell him but he just huffs and eats his breakfast sandwich. This appointment is only early because it was rescheduled, so I really hope they don't think this can be an every time change.

Spencer runs into the room with his donut when his therapist comes out to greet us, but he runs back out when he notices I'm still in the waiting area. "Can you hurry up! You move like an old man!" He tells me with his hands on his hips, so much attitude in such a tiny body. "It's just you today kiddo." I tell him, ignoring his old man comment and making him frown. "I don't want to go alone." He says and I sigh. "Spencer, how about we go in for now, and then halfway through, we get Hunter to join us?" His therapists suggests, evening offering the bouncy ball to bounce on instead of sitting in a chair. Thankfully Spencer agrees, after negotiating an extra lollipop, he always gets only one, but today he's getting two. Today he's also going to be talking about mom and dad, that's why I had to stay outside, and same with Alex this afternoon. Even though all of us had been going to mandated therapy for months now, the younger boys have only briefly touched upon mom and dad, mostly talking about the home they were in before I got custody, school, their friends or how things are at home with me. I know they usually brush off anything to do with mom and dad or talk about memories of them, but the court specifically wanted them to talk this through, to see that they're all grieving and processing everything's that's happened.

23 minutes in, and the door slams open, and Spencer is running out. I'm quick to catch him, but he's hitting me with his fists, and almost hyperventilating. "Hey hey, it's okay, you're okay. Take a breath, tell me what's wrong." I say holding his fists to soften the blows. "She-she was asking about mom! I don't wanna talk about mom I want her to come home! Why won't she come home?" He cries. I pull him into a hug, but he only cries harder asking for mom and dad to come home. Feeling my eyes start to water, I blink harshly to get rid of it. "Let's go back in her office for a few minutes." I try to convince him, but he pulls back, still holding onto me. "No! No! I don't wanna go back, I want to go home!" He cries. "I know but what about your lollipops huh? Don't you want them, I bet she even has your favorite, blue raspberry." I tell him. Reluctantly he lets me lead him back inside her office, and she hands him 2 blue raspberry lollipops and he immediately opens one. He doesn't talk to her anymore for the remainder of the time he has left, but she lets us sit in her office so he can settle down. I don't even know what to say to him, nothing I could say is gonna help him right now. Before we leave, his therapist tells him something that actually gets a smile on his face, she gives me a warm smile as well as we say goodbye. Maybe I should bring them to see mom and dad soon, I'm not sure what else I could do, but I do hope Alex's appointment this afternoon goes better than Spencer's did.