Locked Doors

                                    

                                          
Air spent two nights in the infirmary before they allowed him to go back to the lair. Quinn stayed with him, sending him healing energy and soothing him. The first night he had been in shock and slept fitfully in Quinn’s arms. The second night was better but Air was in quite a lot of pain and Quinn did his best to make it as bearable as possible alongside the painkillers.
They left the infirmary after midnight on the third night. Secondo didn’t like the general congregation knowing his business or his ghouls’, so they took Air home when they were unlikely to bump into anyone on the way. Quinn carried him as he was still pretty out of it with the pain medication the Sister had given him and he wouldn’t have been able to walk it by himself.
Earth and Quinn got him settled in his room and went to the kitchen, leaving Air’s door open so they’d hear him if he needed anything. Quinn sat down at the dining table and Earth pottered around, making them some Ghoulish tea.
“You doing okay?” the big ghoul asked.
Quinn sat back and gave a stretch, sighing.
“I think so.”
Earth looked back at him over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
“You sure about that, Quinn? Because you look like shit.”
Quinn snorted.
“Well, thanks, Earth. You’ve just crushed what little self confidence I had.”
“Don’t be a dick. Here.” He came over and put a plate in front of him. “You need to eat. You’re going to burn yourself out. You’re still recovering yourself and now this. Maybe we should see if Zephyr can come and sit with Air for a bit, so you can have a break.”
Quinn growled.
“No! I’m fine. He doesn’t want anyone else. I’ll stay with him and I can recover too. The quintessence can just do its thing.” Earth scowled and watched him as he took a bite of the sandwich he’d made for him. “See. I’m eating.”
“If I think it’s getting too much for you, I’m going to Secondo. You have no idea what we found when you came back from the Council cells. I thought you were dead when I saw you laying there on the chapel floor.” Quinn dropped his eyes and carried on eating. “Your ears and your eyes were bleeding, Quinn. I barely recognised you. And then there were the hours I spent stopping you from clawing your brains out through your skull. You don't know how fucking scared we all were.”
“I haven’t thanked you, have I?”
Earth chuckled.
“You don’t need to thank me. We are brothers. We’d do anything for each other.”
“So you understand why I need to help Air, then?”
“Yes. I understand, but you’re going to let me look out for you again. You came back from the brink of death a couple of weeks ago and there’s no way I’m going to let you go back there. You begged me to kill you. It was that bad.”
Quinn sighed.
“I know. I remember. And I’m sorry about that. That you had to see all of that.”
Earth gave him a glass of the tea and sat opposite him, giving him a half smile. He nodded towards Quinn’s now empty plate.
“You want something else? Primo made carrot cake. It isn’t too sweet.”
He nodded.
“Thanks. I could eat some cake.”
Earth went and got them a piece each.
“So we have a deal, then? You look after Air and we’ll look after you. And if at any time any of us think that you’re not coping, then we’ll let Secondo deal with it. Secondo dealing with it will mean he’ll put you back on bed rest and pull Zephyr and Omega in to help Air.”