Brother's Keeper

Chapter 10

After having seen his brother, Nathan was ordered by Ryder to get some rest himself, lest he collapse.

“You’re not helping your brother by neglecting your own most basic needs,” the doctor argued. “Right now you need sleep, and you are going to get it, even if it means I’ll have to give you a sedative.”

Nathan finally yielded and allowed a nurse to take him to his room at the patient hotel. While still plain, the room was a step up from the sterile hospital rooms, and Nathan knew he would not be able to resist sleep once lying down. With thoughts of Peter occupying his mind, the lawyer stripped and crawled down in between the cool sheets, and he was asleep almost before his head touched the pillow.

Despite his exhaustion, sleep was no good for him. Though he was truly spent, he continued to jolt back into consciousness from horrible nightmares. Thinking of Peter soothed him back into a slumber, but the same thing made his dreams unbearable.

*

At 7:30 AM the next day, Nathan could no longer deal with the nightmares and rose from bed to make coffee. He added no cream or sugar to it, and just drank it black and bitter. He considered calling the hospital just when his phone rang, and he bolted across the room to answer it.

“Mr. Petrelli, your parents have arrived.” It was Doctor Ryder’s voice.

“When?”

“Just five minutes ago. They’ve been asking for you.”

Nathan felt his stomach sink at the thought of seeing his parents. He was the more responsible of their two children and yet Peter was presently fighting against the grasp of death.

“I’ll be right down,” Nathan said after a moment’s hesitation. Knowing that he could not postpone the confrontation forever, he figured he might as well deal with it right away.

The three minute walk back to the hospital building felt like an eternity, and his feet felt heavier with each passing step. He had promised his parents to look after Peter. Surely that included protecting him from sadistic outback psychopaths who fed on human flesh. Nathan Petrelli had failed his parents’ trust, and he almost wished they would never forgive him, because what had happened to Peter was unforgivable in itself.

Arthur and Angela both quickly rose from their seats when they saw Nathan approach them in the hospital lobby. Even from a distance, Nathan could tell that his father had most likely had a drink or two on the flight over from NYC.

Angela enveloped her oldest son in a nearly bone-crushing hug as soon as Nathan was in her reach, and the lawyer could not help but shriek from the pain in his fractured rib.

“Gracious, Nathan, I’m sorry,” his mother apologized, backing away a step. “I haven’t worsened anything, have I?”

“No,” Nathan groaned, fingertips tenderly touching his ribs. “It’s just a fractured rib. It could be much worse.”

“Speaking of which,” Angela’s eyes looked down to the floor for a moment. When she looked at her eldest son again, her face was suddenly sad in a way Nathan had not seen before. “How is your brother?”

“Unconscious. But not in danger like he was. He’s still in the intensive care unit. They still need to operate once they know he’ll survive surgery.”

“Operate?” his mother repeated, a signal for Nathan to explain.

“His…” Nathan’s throat felt dry, even when he swallowed. “The abuse that was done to him… it was enough to cause his rectum to prolapse. They have to put it back in. That’s how bad those horrible people treated him.”

“Oh my God…”

For a split second, Angela actually looked like she might pass out, and it was the first time ever Nathan saw his mother in such a state. Arthur even grabbed her elbow to steady her, but she quickly regained her composure and shook off his hand.

“How…?”

“He was raped, Ma,” Nathan said. “Didn’t they tell you that when they made the call?”


The look on the woman’s face was the only answer Nathan needed.


“They said you were… assaulted… and that Peter’s condition was… severe.” Angela swallowed. “But not that Peter was raped.”

There was a sudden snort from the older man, and Nathan turned to quizzically regard his father. Arthur, however, gave no explanation to his reaction, and Angela spoke again.

“What about you, Nathan? Were you also…?”

“Not like Peter. That’s probably why I’m still alive.”

“Why him?” Angela asked aloud, though the look on her face indicated she did not expect an answer. “I need to step away for a moment… Nathan you understand…”

Her son nodded, feeling awful as he watched her walk down the hall.

“You know why, Angela,” Arthur grumbled, more to himself than anyone else, distraction in his eyes.

Nathan frowned at his father in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

“Tell me the truth, Nathan. Those bastards saw him as what he was and jumped at the opportunity.”

Brow knitted, Nathan answered. “Well, they said I wasn’t as pretty as he was. He appealed to them the most.”

“Of course. They knew, and it certainly takes one to know one.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?”

“Your mother found something in Peter’s room. Something he was hiding. Male pornography.”

Nathan closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to keep himself from snapping at his father in a public place. He could not fathom how Arthur Petrelli could be more interested in bashing his younger son’s sexual orientation than knowing how Peter was coping.

“What has that got to do with anything?” Nathan finally said, his voice trembling despite his attempts to sound calm. “Peter was almost killed, and you have the galls to bring up this?”

“You’re saying you knew about it?” Arthur asked with suspicion and outright disgust in his voice.

“Of course. Peter told me he was gay a while ago,” Nathan said, figuring a small, white lie would not hurt. “Probably because he knew I would not judge him for it. He’s still your son, Dad. Why are you making a big deal out of nothing? Peter’s hurt and he needs us. All of us.”


The colour quickly rose in the older man’s face, and Arthur looked almost ready to explode.

“I’ve just found out that my son is a homo, and you expect me to pretend like nothing’s happened?!”

“Of course nothing’s happened!” Nathan snapped. “He’s still who he was before you found out, and nothing has changed about him. Nothing. Only now he’s been tortured to the point that he almost died, and you don’t seem to care at all!”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that, Nathan Petrelli,” Arthur responded, a growl forming in his voice. “I know what he is now and it has everything to do with the situation Peter is in this very moment. For all I know, he’s brought this on himself!”

“HOW DARE YOU?!” a roar came charging up from Nathan’s throat, and he would have shoved his father into the wall behind him if Angela had not approached at that moment.

“Nathan, calm yourself at once!” she hissed with hushed tones.

“Of course, Mom. Don’t let anyone think badly of us while Dad stomps all over Peter and thinks he’s a damn hero for it!”

Angela’s confused gaze moved between the two men. “What are you talking about, Nathan?”

“Dad seems to think that it’s Peter’s own fault he got raped and almost tortured to death,” Nathan replied, fixing his father with a cold stare. His balled fists still rested against his thighs, and the itch to punch the grey-haired man before him had not yet disappeared. Sure, their father had always been ruthless and stern, but it wasn’t until now that Nathan realized what an inconsiderate, bigoted bastard he really was.

“Surely that’s not true,” Angela objected, turning to her husband. “Arthur?”

“Nathan is twisting my words. As usual,” the Petrelli family patriarch growled.

“You said Peter brought this on himself just because he happens to be gay! How can anyone misinterpret that?”

Angela placed one hand each on their chests, seemingly ready to stop them from charging one another. She looked at her husband again.

“Darling, don’t you think you’re over-reacting? Surely I was also shocked to find out, but… he’s still our son, and we love him.”

This was one of the rare occasions when Nathan wanted to cheer at his mother. “Besides, Dad, what Peter does in his bedroom is no business of yours,” he said.

“It’s in my house, so it is my business,” Arthur retorted. “And it’s in my family. I’d say that’s enough cause for my involvement.”

“What kind of involvement?” Nathan inquired, his glare still directed at his father. “What are you going to do, throw him out? Disown him?”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “If need be…”

“Arthur!” Angela blurted out in shock. “Peter is not just your son. You are not throwing him out on the street like a dog.”

Nathan knew his father too well. The reference to a dog would inspire another hateful remark about Peter. He would not hear any of it.

“And I’ll tell you what happens if you disown my baby brother,” the lawyer said, his voice low and tainted with an anger that even made Arthur nervous. “I go with him. You lose him, you lose both of your sons.”

Arthur looked like he’d been punched in the face. Little did he know that a moment ago, he almost was.


“Nathan, you don’t know what you’re saying,” the older man said in a strained voice.


“I know exactly what I’m saying,” Nathan replied coolly. “Peter is what means most to me, always has been, and always will. If you treat him like dirt, you know whose side I will take.”

Arthur pushed his glasses higher up on the ridge of his nose. “Why, Nathan? Why do you always protect that little runt? He contributes nothing to my household, and it’s obvious he’ll do nothing with his life. Now that it turned out he’s also a fucking faggot…”

“Arthur, please!” Angela’s voice was unusually high-pitched and almost desperate.

“He’s an embarrassment to all of us,” Arthur continued, unfazed. “I won’t have him spending my money on gay clubs and fucking Pride parades!”

“You don’t deserve to call Peter your son,” Nathan spat. “One more word about my brother, and you will never talk to me as your son again, either!”

A cleared throat from behind made all three heads turn to see Doctor Ryder looking anxiously at them.

“I just thought I’d mention that Peter is still unconscious, but he’s doing very well.”

“The blood poisoning…?” Nathan asked.

“He’s fighting it very well. We’ll still be sedating him so that he’s unaware of it, but if he goes as expected, he’ll be awake in another four or five days.”

Angela allowed herself a sigh of relief. “When can we see him?”

“Actually, you can have a visit with him now, since he’s doing so well. A short one though.”

Eagerly Angela Petrelli followed the doctor, Nathan close behind. Arthur appeared hesitant at first, but began to follow, only to have his son turn and stop him.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually coming with us.”

“I still have the right to see him, whether he’s a failure or not.”

Nathan’s eye twitched as he stood his ground, and when his father moved to walk past him, he moved in time with him.

“And he’s still my brother. Why don’t you just stay here since you insist that he’s no son of yours? You’ve never wanted him anyway.”

The older man’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said. “I might as well stay and have that coffee your mother failed to bring me earlier. I’m sure it’s lousy, but at least it’s hot.”

“Good idea, Dad.”

Nathan spun on his heel and ran to catch up with his mother and the doctor, not turning to see if Arthur was following them.

*


Outside the door to Peter’s room, Ryder took Angela aside before she could enter.

“Mrs. Petrelli…” he began. “Before you go inside, I want you to understand that your son has been very badly abused. I don’t expect there to be any permanent damage to his face, but before the swelling has gone down, he might still look… different. I just don’t want you to be shocked when you see him, ma’am.”

“I understand,” Angela replied with almost perfect composure. “Now please, can I see my son?”

As soon as Ryder had given his permission, Nathan and his mother entered Peter’s hospital room, and despite her earlier impassive façade, Angela could not help but give a small whimper at the sight of her youngest son.

Peter’s right eye and the entire right side of his face were covered by a huge bruise. The boy’s lower lip was split and swollen, and his normally milk-white skin practically livid. Oily, damp locks of his hair clung to his forehead, as Peter had obviously been sweating in his state of unconsciousness. Just as last night, there was an IV in his arm, and an IV bag of yellowish fluid, which Nathan figured was antibiotics, was steadily going into his system.

“Oh my God, my little baby!” Angela rushed to her son’s bedside and reached out her hand, as if to touch Peter’s face. Just a few inches above the black and blue little visage, she hesitated, unsure if she was allowed to touch him.

“He’s alright now, Mom,” Nathan gently reminded her, though he had trouble believing his own words. He joined her side at the edge of the bed, staring at the motionless form that looked more dead than alive. Only the beeping of the nearby machinery was of any indication that he was still amongst the living.

“When will you operate on him?” Angela asked, glancing somberly at his suspended legs.

Doctor Ryder took a step closer to the group. “We can operate as soon as we’re sure that his sepsis has passed. If you want we can wait until he’s reached consciousness before we perform the surgery…”

“No.”

Both the woman and the doctor turned to give inquisitive looks at Nathan, who only gazed at his brother.

“He shouldn’t have to wake up and realize there’s still damage left over from those monsters. Maybe it would be better that he wakes up after all your work is done.”

Angela looked forlornly at the beaten face. “He’ll still wake up to this.”

“The swelling will go down,” Nathan placed a reassuring hand on his mother’s shoulder. “And it won’t hurt physically and emotionally like a protruding rectum would.”

“I meant that he’ll still wake up to the memories of what happened,” Angela said. “You know how frail Peter is. His soul might never heal after something like this.”

Nathan himself had brushed that particular thought several times, and though he wanted to deny it, he had to admit that his mother was right. His baby brother was a sensitive, perhaps even fragile little creature, and Nathan was sure that his mind would not heal as quickly as his bruised face.

“How long does he have to stay at the ICU?” Nathan asked the doctor.

“That depends on how quickly he recovers. As soon as he is no longer in danger from the sepsis, it should be safe to move him to the surgical ward.”

“And when might that be?”

“In two days, maybe three. Why, Mr. Petrelli? Your brother is in good hands here.”

“The visiting hours here are limited. As soon as Peter can be transferred, I’ll be staying with him at all times.”

Ryder lifted an eyebrow at him. “When you say ‘at all times’, you mean…”

“At all times.”

Clearing his throat uneasily, the doctor nodded, as though he knew his patient’s brother would have it no other way.

“I’ll give you and your mother another three minutes,” he said before exiting the room.

Nathan glanced back at his mother, whose chin quivered in a very fleeting acknowledgment of fragility.

“We’ll leave in a day or so. Your father is doing more harm than good by staying here. I’ve packed some clothes and such for you and Peter, and I’ll leave some money.”

“Mom, you don’t have to, we’re…” Nathan stopped himself. He was so used to having his wallet that he did not remember right away that all of his resources were gone. When his mother stood up from Peter’s bedside, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Ma.”

“Take care of him. You’re all he has until you return home.”

Right. Nathan’s guilt gripped at his heart like the jaws of a predator. He had taken care of Peter so excellently during the camping trip…

“Shhh, Nathan. I know you did all you could for your brother,” the woman said, seemingly able to read her son’s thoughts. Nathan figured that guilt was written all over his face, and to notice that, one did not have to be a mind-reader.

“I really tried to protect him…” he whispered. “I tried, but the monsters who kept us captive did everything in their power to hurt him. They even…”

“What, Nathan?”

“They tried to force me to rape Peter. I didn’t do it,” he quickly added upon seeing his mother’s horrified expression. “They said they’d kill me and have Peter for themselves unless I did it. Really didn’t give me much choice.”

“So what did you do, Nathan?”

“I killed them,” Nathan replied quietly. “I had no choice. It was them or us.”

A moment of silence passed before his mother spoke again. “It was all in self defense and the defense of your brother. Don’t dwell on what you had to do for yours and Peter’s life.”

“But… the police… they’ll know I killed them.”

“You’re a lawyer, darling. You know how the system works.” As she spoke, Angela brushed her fingers through her son’s thick brown hair, occasionally stroking a stubbly cheek. “I know you feel like a murderer now… but soon they’ll be calling you a hero.”

Looking miserably at the floor, Nathan closed his eyes, a pain in his heart. “I don’t want to be a hero. I just want Peter to be okay.”

“So do I.”

Ryder stepped into the room as though on cue. “It’s time to give Peter some peace for now. Mr. Petrelli, there’s a call for you from the police.”

Nathan’s jaw clenched, but a hand against his own comforted him, if only for a moment. He knew he had to be brave, especially for Peter. Peter was the reason this had all happened, and he would be worth anything Nathan had to face with the police.

Five minutes later, Angela had gone back down to the lobby and Nathan was approaching a nurse holding out a black receiver to him. Even though his logic and experience as a prosecutor told him that he had nothing to fear as far as legal consequences, he still could not help dreading that he would be taken by the police and away from Peter.

“This is Nathan Petrelli,” he spoke into the receiver, pleased to discover that his voice did not tremble.

“Mr. Petrelli, I am detective Leigh,” a low baritone voice responded. “I am in charge of the investigation concerning you and your brother Peter.”


“Alright, detective. I’m listening.”


“We had our people examine the area based on the directions you gave us, and we made an interesting but also macabre discovery.”

“I did it in self-defense,” Nathan blurted out. “They were going to kill me and my brother, and that was the only way to stop them.”

“No, no, keep your shirt on,” Leigh interrupted him. “I didn’t say anything about what you did. We discovered several sites in the area where the family lived.”

Nathan, desperate to control himself, breathed slowly. “Yes?”

“Some of them were a little more hidden away, but most were out in the open. Either way, they all had bones in various stages of decay and age. Our coroner said some might’ve been out there for over thirty years.”

Though still terrified of persecution, Nathan’s mind began to bloom with some small piece of hope. Perhaps they were not going to take him away, after all.

“What I’m saying is that we believe your statement, Mr. Petrelli. The evidence points towards these whack-jobs making a living off of kidnapping and killing motorists over the course of several decades.”

Giving a long sigh, Nathan leant against the wall. Otherwise his overwhelming relief would have caused him to take a seat on the floor.

“There was a girl… she was the only one who didn’t hurt us… is she…?”

“She’s in custody of social services now. She’s fine.”

“Fine…?” Nathan inquired, recalling the empty look on her face even as she stood by “Ma’s” dead or dying body at the foot of the stairs.

“Well, by “fine” I meant physically unharmed,” Leigh quickly explained. “She’s obviously retarded… sorry, mentally handicapped. But from living her whole life with those animals, who wouldn’t be?”

“So what’s going to happen to her now?”

“That’s not up to us. She’ll most likely be evaluated by several shrinks before anything permanent can even be discussed. Do you know anything about her origins, Mr. Petrelli? We have no records on these people, and we’re not getting a word out of the poor girl.”

“I think… she was a child Jeff had with his own mother,” he said hesitantly, disgusted at the idea. “And so was Amos. The big lumbering boy.”

“Obviously you will be called in later to give a proper statement,” Leigh said. “You and your brother are probably the only survivors. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, Mr. Petrelli, but this is like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre happening for real!”

“Maybe one day they’ll make a movie out of it,” Nathan replied without any amusement in his voice.

“Maybe. We don’t have to have you give a statement right away. Will you be in town for the next few days?”

“I’m staying here until my brother’s well enough to come home, so it will be a while.”

“Good, very good. I’ll call again in a few days.”

“Alright. You’ll know where to find me.”

Nathan found no comfort in the reality of that statement. Peter would not be out of danger for another few days, and he would not be well enough to travel for another few weeks afterwards. Who knew how much of him was left after that kind of ordeal. Would Peter even be the same brother Nathan always knew and loved, or would he become some empty, permanently altered shell of what he once was?

Rubbing his brow with the palm of his hand, Nathan stood up from against the wall, grunted at the reminder of his broken rib, and walked down the hall to meet up once again with his mother.
He dreaded having to see his father again and possibly have to endure more Peter-bashing, but once he returned to the lobby, his mother was alone.

“Your father went to the library,” she said before Nathan could even open his mouth to ask. “He has to leave again tonight, already has a flight booked. Work, he says, but…”

“What about you? Will you be leaving with him?”

“I thought I’d stay for a few more days,” Angela replied. “To make sure you have everything you need for your stay here.”


“Thank you, Mom.” Nathan managed a weak smile. One could always count on Angela Petrelli taking care of things, especially when it concerned her family. For a moment, mother and son stood close and rested their foreheads together.


“The police want me to come in and give a statement,” Nathan suddenly said. “But other than that, I’m not suspected of any crime.”

“Well, darling, didn’t I say you had nothing to worry about?”

“Nothing?” he reminded her with a raised eyebrow.

Angela slowly nodded. Peter was still in the worst state out of them all. His future hung heavily in the minds of both his mother and brother.

TBC...