Seven

                                    

                                          
Mark lay in the hospital bed, bearing the pain of broken bones and moderate injuries but still surviving. When I entered the hospital room, I found Derek accompanied by a small police presence surrounding him.
"What is he doing here?" Mark gasped upon seeing me. The room was filled with the sound of machines monitoring Mark's heart while nurses attended to his chest, bandaging him and piling up cards and flowers on the counters. Derek and I exchanged glances as I took a step forward.
"I was there when you fell," I conveyed to Mark.
"Of course you were," Mark snarled, his gaze fixed on me as I settled into a chair near the doorway.
"Mr. Reignson, I want you to know you are not under arrest. We have some questions for you," Derek stated. Mark licked his lips and rolled his eyes in response.
"Why would I be?" Mark glowered at Derek.
"It wasn't my fault," I replied, looking at him while Mark coughed in pain. "I don't want to be here either."
Mark frowned. "Then why don't you leave?" He raised his voice.
"Look, Mr. Reignson, we were trying to figure out who did this to you," Derek said.
"How do you know he's not in the room?" Mark asked. I stood by the doorway while Derek glanced at me, making a clear connection between Mark's knowledge of my power and highlighting the unspoken tension in the room.
"Mr. Reignson, did you see anything that might help us, something you could describe?" Derek inquired.
"Maybe," Mark coughed. "I mean, I don't know. It swooped me up, and the next thing I remember was falling. You'd freak out too if that happened to you, Mr. Knight," Mark said, staring down at me.
Another memory flooded my mind. Derek and I, aged fourteen and ten, exploded open woodlands during a camping trip. We had wandered away from our father and Sam to enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of nature.
I pushed myself off the ground, gripping Derek's fingers tightly. He shrieked as we rose above the dry foliage, and I adjusted my hold on his calloused palms. We flew high in the sky, but I only went a little. I was afraid Derek might pass out because of a lack of oxygen.
Derek didn't dare to look down, still adjusting to my abilities. With my brother, I exercised caution. I didn't want him to fall and suffer the consequences for the rest of our lives.
"This is amazing!" I exclaimed.
"No, it isn't," Derek muttered, licking his braces. "I don't like this, James. Please put me down." But I pulled him closer to me with my tiny, sturdy fists.
He froze, horrified, in my arms and screamed at the top of his lungs as I ascended, his voice echoing through the dark forest. "Stop it, Derek. You'll get Dad's attention, and then he'll see us."
"That's the point," he deadpanned, a sudden smile forming.
"I'm going to try something," I smiled.
"What? Please tell me this isn't one of your reckless superpower ideas," he jabbed. I nodded, initiating a countdown.
"One."
"You better not drop me, or I'll tell Dad your secret."
"Two."
"James, I swear I'll kill you," Derek snarled.
"Three!" Derek slipped from my hands, plummeting rapidly. I swooped down, extending my arms to catch him. He landed on my outstretched limbs, scared and half-conscious.
"I'm telling Dad," he muttered under his breath. I shushed him, carrying him as I walked back toward the campsite. He squirmed and wriggled free as we approached, dusting himself off and heading toward our dad.