Plan B(aby)

3.

BRIELLA CARTER

"Can Marlon stay with us for a while? When I rushed out last night, Marlon called me to tell me he popped his achilles — which required immediate surgery — and now needs supervision. I forgives he could just crash with us." I say to Nik, sitting in my brothers living room.

It was about 9 pm when I got the call. The doctor had called me, saying my brother would need help and since I was his emergency contact... I was the help.

I rushed over to the hospital, leaving Sebastian with Nikolas. By the time I get there, Marlon already had a bright yellow cast from his foot practically to his knee. He was standing with the assistance of crutches and a slight smile on his face.

Marlon claimed he was alright — even though your achilles getting even slightly torn feels worst than childbirth, and he had it ninety five percent popped — and didn't need any supervision, he proved himself incorrect the moment we entered his apartment. He tried to grab something out of the fridge and fell.

Idiot.

I ended up staying the night instead of going back home. I had left a change of clothes for both Sebastian and I, just in case we ever crashed here after a long day with Marlon. After helping my brother to his room, we both got some sleep.

Now, I was sitting on Marlon's couch while he was laid across his bed. I'm pretty sure he was still sleep.  He hadn't called out to me or even went to the bathroom if he was awake.

"Yeah, of course, we have a really slight — okay, maybe not slight, big — problem." Nikolas says. He was a guy who you could lived by the 'hakuna matata' motto. So, when you hear that tone in his voice, your blood instantly runs cold.

"Nikolas. What did you do?" I sit on the couch, braving myself.

"That's the thing, I have no idea what I did. Can you hear that?" He asks me. I shake my head although he can't see me. All I hear is him speaking into his phone.

"Hear what?" I question.

"Wait a second," he mutters and I hear him shuffling around, maybe running up the stairs?

I hear a vaguely loud noise, which immediately seized as Nikolas swings a door open so hard that it hits the wall and I hear it.

The noise begins again and Nikolas speaks. "Now do you hear it?" his tone is sarcastic. I roll my eyes.

"You scared him!" I say, listening to Sebastian scream in the background.

"No, you should have heard him earlier. He's been crying all day. No reason, at all." Nikolas says and I imagine him running a hand through his hair, stressed.

"It's only nine in the morning." I say. He couldn't have been crying that long. Nik was probably being dramatic.

"He's been at this since six. Woke me out of my slumber. He was standing in his crib. Bash threw everything out of it." He says, whispering in a hushed tone. The baby is still crying in the background. Hollering, even.

"Maybe it's the storm?" I suggest. My heart aches as I listen to him scream. His throat will be raw by the time he's done.