The Shrink Program

Chapter 29

-Nine years ago-

I blinked, staring up at the white ceiling through blurry eyes.

Still in a sleepy daze, I recognised the dim cabin bedroom I was sharing with Vain and my little brother Devin.

Vain's grandmother had the other room, and our parents shared the cabin next door. We were on a joint family holiday at the lake.

The lake that I had almost drowned in.

My chest ached, a painful reminder of what had happened to me before I passed out.

The stress and fear that I had been too busy to even feel came crashing down, and I felt anxious tears welling up in my eyes.

Shoving the tears away, I began to sit up, only to find that there was a weight resting on me.

I froze, staring at Vain's pale white face where he slept on the covers. He sat in a chair next to my bed, waiting for me to wake up.

More tears came into my eyes.

"That's so cool," I whispered, wiping quickly at my eyes to destroy the evidence. " Just like the movies."

Though I had only spoken quietly, Vain stirred, blinking tiredly before sitting up quickly when he saw that I was awake.

"Maddison." He said, sounding dazed from sleep. He gave me one of his rare, relieved smiles, reaching up a hand to straighten his glasses like a complete dork. "You're okay?"

I tried to smile back.

But I couldn't keep them in any longer.

"I'm sorry, Vain." I sobbed as the tears began to spill. "You were right about the lake, I..."

For once, Vain didn't seem to agree that I had been a complete idiot. He climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms around me.

I cried against his shoulder, too emotional to care that the boy comforting me while I acted like a complete baby wasn't much older than myself.

"You weren't wrong, Maddison." He whispered, hugging me tightly. "The lake wasn't so bad, and it really wasn't so far away. It was just an accident."

"But you were right..." I sobbed, causing him to shake his head.

"I just didn't want you to go someplace that I couldn't." He whispered. "I really couldn't make it all the way across, so I wanted you to stay here with me. That's why I said all those things...."

His voice was so steady that until he pulled back, I didn't notice that he was crying too.

"Vain....?"

"I'm sorry, Maddison." He smiled slightly, shaking away my concern. "I know that you really wanted to swim to the island."

He climbed off the bed. "I know that you wanted to go rock climbing and bike, riding and swimming and so many other things. There are always so many things you want to do, things that I can't do without getting sick."

"Vain..."

He reached under the bed, bringing up a glass jar with a white flower in it. I stared at it in wonder as he climbed back up onto the bed, jar in hand.

I gasped as he brought it closer because sitting upon the stem of the flower was a huge black and white striped butterfly. The butterfly slowly fanned its wings, revealing the blue splash of colour in the centre of each upper wing.

"While you swam to the island, I caught this for you." He murmured "It's a Maddison butterfly."

I swallowed painfully around the tears that wanted to come out.

"It's really a Maddison one?" I asked, meeting his red eyes accusingly. "You're not just making that up to make me feel better?"

Vain nodded, lowering his gaze.

"I know that I'm not a very good friend sometimes. I can't do anything fun, and I say mean things all the time, and I'm always telling you what to do..."

A tear landed on the lid of the butterfly enclosure in his hands.

"It isn't much, but I do know where to find the butterflies that share your name, Maddison." He smiled at me warmly, tear tracks still wet on his cheeks.

"So, instead of bike riding and rock climbing, could we maybe just go catch butterflies together?"