The Treatment - Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

David sat on the couch scrolling through his phone and eventually let it slip out of his hands. “I’m bored.” David announced.

Aaron was in the kitchen, he was surprised at his brother’s rather loud and obnoxious admission. Usually he would hide away in his own bedroom but after getting home he seemed to always be close by. “Is that why you wanted the LEGO?” Aaron asked.

David let out a loud huff of breath. He didn’t really think those two things were related. He just thought the LEGO was cool. “I guess.” He admitted. He knew if he had gotten the LEGO he would currently still be piecing it together.

“I guess we could buy some toys if you really want them.” Aaron reasoned. His little brother had been acting strangely all afternoon. He had caught him jumping on his bed which David explained away that he was cleaning. Only for Aaron to catch him doing it a second time. Getting him to spend time downstairs was mostly to save his mattress.

“I don’t know.” David said. Having now gotten up and was pacing around the kitchen.

“Do you think it’s because of The Treatment?” Aaron asked.

David froze. He frowned at his brother, opened his mouth and closed it again. He honestly didn’t know. It’s not like he hated LEGO a week ago, but he just felt a strange obsession over it at the store. He wanted to build it, then he also wanted to play with it a little. It wasn’t as simple as just liking it. When he was little he had all kinds of LEGO, he had his brother’s old stuff and his parents bought it for him all the time. None of it survived the fire.

“Maybe.” David admitted, his lips quivered at the admission. It was like he had told Aaron a secret he was holding in. As if by saying it he was admitting something embarrassing.

Aaron sucked in a breath as he put together their dinner, some spaghetti. He had a feeling the treatment was affecting his brother more than physically. In fact he was absolutely sure of it. It was worrying to think how much has changed and what was happening to him. “It’s okay.” Aaron told him. “We’ll pick some up after the Zoo tomorrow.”

“The Zoo?” David questioned. “Are we going again?”

Aaron brought the dinner over to the table. David happily joined him. “I thought you agreed to volunteer.”

David looked at Aaron like he was out of his mind. “How can I?” He demanded.

“Well you are sixteen.”

David swung his feet back and forth on the chair, demonstrating how short he was now. “They won’t believe that, I look like I should be in the class.”

“So you don’t want to go to the Zoo then?” Aaron asked.

David smiled. “Of course I do!” He told him. “But I look like a kid.”

“You could join the class.” Aaron offered him. “We could explain the situation to Lyla.”

David smiled a little more. “Will she believe me?”

“I’m sure she will.” Aaron reassured him.

“Okay!” David cheered. “We are going to THE ZOO!”

“Calm down.” Aaron chuckled.

“THE ZOO! THE ZOO! ZOO! ZOO! ZOOOOO!” David said getting out of hand and finally started eating his dinner.

For a teenager that was so closed off and moody. This version of David reminded him of his little brother he used to know. The one he left with his parents before going off to college. Aaron felt nostalgic. While David’s life was a whirlwind of tragedy. Aaron felt like he had left his home and never got a chance to go back, it was ripped away from him by the fire. His parents gone and his little brother traumatised and hurt he never really got a chance to think about everything he lost. He watched his brother create a song about going to the Zoo. The back door framed behind him. For a moment he let himself believe that all the bad things in his life never happened.

***

In the evening Aaron had to get some work done for his software job and left David to himself. Even though he was the size of a seven year old he was still sixteen, he didn’t need constant supervision.

David was in his room on his own computer. He didn’t really have all that many friends and he wasn’t exactly a “gamer”. He was mostly browsing some familiar sites he went to. He found them all a little boring now and eventually found his way to YouTube. He watched funny videos of kids doing challenges and pranks but most of them would show a big family. Every time he saw them he lost interest and eventually closed his laptop all together with a yawn.

He got up from his desk and crashed into his bed. He spread out his arms in comfort, his bed felt so big now. Being smaller meant a lot of small problems but his bed felt huge. He laid there for a moment but the feeling of physical comfort disappeared when he noticed how empty the bed felt. Finally he sat up unsatisfied with the way he was feeling and went to the washroom.

He didn’t have to go to the actual bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. The younger version of him stared back, the youthful face staring at him. He ran his hand over where the scar used to be. He looked at the way his hair was longer and lighter. He looked at the freckles that filled his cheeks. He felt off about everything. He brushed his teeth and yawned deeply. He wasn’t ready to go to bed quite yet, it was still early.

David wandered the house and peeked into his brother’s room, he was typing away on his own laptop. “Hey.” David said sheepishly, he didn’t usually interrupt Aaron.

“Oh Hi.” Aaron said. He looked up from the laptop. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” David said then yawned.

“Tired?” Aaron asked. Now closing the laptop.

“I guess.” David agreed. “My room… Feels big.” He admitted.

“Big?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah, the bed feels huge.” David told him and now felt stupid for even saying it.

“I guess that makes sense.” Aaron agreed and went to a bag in his room, it had the logo from the Zoo on it. He picked it up and led David back to his room. “You seem tired though.”

“I am.” David said and followed.

When Aaron got to his room and opened the door he rolled his eyes at the mess. He couldn’t really blame his brother, he had too many clothes of different sizes strewn around. He would have to put those in storage tomorrow.

“Here.” Aaron said and pulled out the red panda stuffed animal and placed it on his bed. “This way you won’t feel lonely.”

“I didn’t say I felt lonely.” David told him and huffed, crossing his arms. He glared at the stuffed animal sitting on his bed. It’s not like he hated it, he didn’t like the way his brother knew he would like it.

“Well, he’ll make the bed feel more full.” Aaron reasoned and propped the doll up on a pillow.

David just rolled his eyes and climbed into the bed.

Aaron just smirked and thought his little brother looked cute next to the stuffed animal, he was once again reminded about how he was before the fire. “Have a goodnight Davey.” Aaron said and went to close the door.

“Goodnight Dad.” David said. He regretted it immediately but heard the door click shut before he could say anything. He knew Aaron promised not to correct him but his cheeks burned red from the mistake. He was flustered and reached over to the stuffed doll for comfort. He knew Aaron was his brother, not his Dad.

***

David sat on his brother’s bed and watched him as he stuffed clothes into a duffle bag. “You’re taking everything!” He told him.

Aaron smiled at him and ruffled his brother’s hair. “Well once I’m done with school I’ll be off to work.” He said. “I’ll probably go live in California or something.”

David gasped. “You aren’t coming back?” He asked.

Aaron shrugged. “Probably not kiddo.” He said.

“I’m not a little kid anymore.” David said.

“Well, you’ll always be little Davey to me.” Aaron told him.

“Wait! You need to pack Bearington!” David said and scampered off the bed and out the door. He was back in a flash with a worn out looking brown teddy bear. “You said I could only borrow him, remember?”

Aaron bit his lip but took the stuffed bear from his brother. “Okay, okay. I’ll take him with me.” He told his brother. The two laughed together.

David dreamed happily about the final day before Aaron left for college. He was sad to see him go but they ended up hanging out all day in his room. Aaron had let him take whatever he wanted. His books, clothes that he would have to wait until high school to wear and pretty much any toy that Aaron hadn’t already let him play with.

David felt relaxed for the first time in a long time but eventually he shivered. He felt cold, as if the window to his room was burst open. He rolled over and wrapped the blanket further around himself when he discovered what was wrong. His bed was soaking wet.

David shot up out of bed and ripped the covers back. He flicked the lights on but he already knew what happened. He had an accident. David felt horrible, embarrassed and helpless. He looked down at himself. His sweat pants had deep stains from where it had gotten wet. Worst of all, he could smell it. The acrid stench in the air clung to his nostrils. Tears filled his eyes. He tried wiping them and that only caused him to start snivelling. He wanted to rip off the sheets and throw everything into the washer but he was too upset and just stood looking down at his mess in tears.

David’s snivelling turned into a full blown cry. He was loud and sucked in wheezy raspy breaths.

Aaron had been lying awake in his bed reading a late night novel. When he heard the commotion coming from down the hall he went to investigate. He knocked once on the door. “Davey.” He asked. “Are you crying?”

“Nwo!” David snivelled.

“I’m coming in.” Aaron announced and opened the door. His little brother’s pants were soiled and when he looked at the state of the bed he understood what happened. “Oh Davey.”

David made a long drawn out moan. “I’m soooooory.” He cried.

“Davey, it's okay. It’s not a big deal.” Aaron reassured him. “We have other sheets and more clothes.” Aaron turned into problem solving right away and started to strip the bed of the soiled sheets.

“I ruined it!” David cried with tears still streaming down his face. “I didn’t mean to!” He pleaded

“Davey, it’s okay.” Aaron told him and kneeled down so he was closer.

David visibly recoiled and took a step back. “Please don’t hit me.” He squealed.

“Davey.” Aaron said carefully. He watched his little brother’s reaction and felt his own heart ache. He had a feeling he knew where that reaction came from. It made him feel guilty. Even though his brother had been through so much and they were still treating all his physical pain there were parts of him that needed a different kind of treatment. Aaron opened his arms up to invite David in. “Come here.” He told him.

David stepped toward his big brother and wrapped his arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Dad.” He told Aaron again. Aaron noticed that David didn’t even correct himself, clearly too upset to be worried about calling his brother Dad.

Aaron squeezed his younger brother and rubbed his back. “Why don’t you hop in the shower and I’ll clean this up. Okay?” He asked him.

“Okay.” David whispered.

Aaron let him go. He reached and started pulling his shirt off. David raised his arms and let him do it. David was quick to pull down his own pants and then his underwear and hurried off to the washroom.

Aaron replaced his sheets and got a second blanket for his bed, you couldn’t tell at all something happened. He took away his pajamas and left him a T-Shirt of his from when he was sixteen. At least they were good for makeshift nightwear.

Once in the shower David felt a lot better. The hot water washed away the foul smelling pee quickly and it was good to feel warm again. He was flushing rather deeply and didn’t want to face Aaron again. He must have cleaned himself multiple times because eventually Aaron knocked on the door and asked if he was okay.

David finally shut off the water and returned to his room. Aaron was waiting for him but David didn’t want to talk about it, not yet. “Thanks.” David said upon looking at his new bedspread.

“Sure Davey, have a good night.” Aaron told him.

“Good night.” David said and closed the door to his room. He was quickly back in bed.

Aaron took some of his own notes about what happened in order to talk to Dr Bellamy about it tomorrow. He thought about calling her right away but gave up on that idea when he saw the time.