Trigger-Trigger-Trigger
WARNING NOW ⚠️

***Milo's POV***

Nothing could have prepared me for today. Life doesn't work that way. You don't get a blaring, flashing light of warning.

I walk into my house. My book bag slides down my shoulder and hits the floor. I face my father. Steve has a look of murder and a smirk of knowledge. I freeze where I stand.

My head hits the back of the door as my eyes open in fear. The first punch makes contact and I barely flinch. The fist is so powerful that it produces a wave of pain so strong it numbs simultaneously. Blood flies from my nose as my eyes fill with tears.

"BASTARD! FAGGOT!" Steve screams into my ringing ears. Each word is punctuated with a matching blow. His face is red with anger and anticipation. Sweat boils under the pores of skin waiting to break out.

My head explodes into a fiery pain as the screaming becomes louder and more distant.

I feel the knee in my groin. The velocity of the kick sends a high pitched screech out of me, vomit projects from my stomach.

"Did you think they didn't call me? I followed you. I heard you tell that gay boy our secrets. He kissed you." Steve yells in my face. His hand grips my head. He slams my skull into the solid wood door. Once. Twice. Three times.

"You ruined everything. My name is worthless in this town. This is all your fault. Why were you even born?" The man, I call Dad, punches my temple. I slide down the door as my world spins on its axis.

"I don't even care that you suck dicks, you fucking whore. But, to tarnish everything I built. You disgust me. After everything we did for you." Steve kicks me continuously in my side as my ribs protest the assault.

I scramble to my knees to crawl away but, his size 13 steel toe boot collides with my jaw. My face whips to the side and blinding pain explodes in my facial bones. I lay below the six foot-two monster and gasp for air.

The door flies open and my mom walks in. Her face looks evil with her red lipstick smile plastered on her caked up face. She laughs maniacally while her red hair falls from it's french twist. She crosses her arms over her chest and stands at attention.

I let loose a prayer to please make it to help. I beg whatever God that will listen to send help. Please. I have to make it to Neko. He needs me. I need him.

My father picks up an object and slams it into my leg. The loud crack vibrates off the cathedral ceilings and wood floors of the living room. My leg throbs violently with sheer pain. I let out a monstrous scream of agony.

"Shut your cock sucking lips boy. No one is gonna save you. No one loves you." Marla screeches as she throws a lamp at my broken body.

"We should have left him at the hospital." Marla shakes her head. The motion looks too fast and all too slow. My eyes swell and the images blur. Another kick lands to my hip and I yelp.

Marla jumps on top of me and repeatedly slams my head against the oak flooring. I cough and sputter as my lungs beg for oxygen.

Her bony fingers wrap around my neck and her thumbs dig into the hollow of my throat. I kick my right leg trying to reach any portion of her flesh. I fight for purchase. My left leg won't move at all. It feels heavy and dead.

My coughing comes to a standstill as heat radiates down my esophagus and my eyes bulge. Sweat drips down my forehead and stings my eyes.

Marla releases me and I barely comprehend the words coming out of her mouth. She slams something into my right arm. A ripple of pain bursts thru the vibrations.

"Leave. Run. You aren't welcome here. You don't deserve our love." Marla yells and I smile as my world goes into a vortex of pain and tears.

The front door opens and I hear the click of heels, the stomp of boots. They drift until they are no longer a sound on the wooden floors of a place I called home.

I use my right leg and my left arm to roll over and I army crawl towards my back pack. I feel for the zipper on my front pocket of my bag and open it slowly with my shaking fingers.

I grasp my phone and hit the side button five times. I relax onto the cool surface of the flooring. My cheek lays against the grain and I smile. They will never hurt me again. I won't ever let them hurt me again.

I wait for what seems like hours. I'm sure minutes passed by. I hear the familiar sirens of help. I can't help but smile when several sets of boots make their way into my line of vision, parallel with the floor.

"Oh God." I hear a husky voice.

"Son. Can you hear us?" I tap my fingers against the boot that is closest to my face.

"I need an ambulance. 1917 E Alder St. Hurry. Seriously." The husky responder breathes out over the radio.

"Who did this?" The officer requests.

I try to talk but, my throat is swollen shut. I tap on the floor to let them know I'm at least conscious. Barely. The noise is a low echo between my ear drums.

"We need to turn him over." The second officer calls out.

"No. Wait for paramedics. There's no telling what injuries he has sustained." Officer one halts Officer two.

The cops sit beside me and talk lowly to me. Their words are comforting but, I can't respond. I lay there in a haze of pain and bliss. It's finally over.

The next round of sirens vibrate thru the air and I relax into a welcoming air of calm.

<<<<<<<<

***Neko's POV***

I'm in the middle of PT and my phone goes off. I reach for the device and quickly alert my Platoon Leader that I will be taking the call.

Sgt. Tracey walks towards me and I put the phone on speaker. If you take a call during training, the Sgt. gets to listen in. I comply.

"This is the Seattle police department. You were listed as an ICE contact." The officer begins.

"Milo." I whisper.

"Sir." The officer speaks.

My Sergeant grabs my phone.

"This is Neko Evans' Sergeant. He is here with me. Please explain why you are calling about his brother Milo Evans." Sgt. Tracey is in full business mode.

"Milo is being transported to Virginia Mason Hospital. He is in critical condition. Someone did a hefty number on him." The officer explains.

"Neko Evans will be on the first flight out. Don't let the parents anywhere near Milo. This isn't the first time." Sgt. Tracy demands.

"Yes sir. Please have Neko here ASAP." The policeman hangs up.

"Evans. Go pack. I will arrange your flight." Sgt. Tracy pats me on the back and I spring into action.

The flight is scheduled to take the usual 8.5 hours. My nerves are shot. I sip brandy the entire way as I pray that Milo is okay.

Lux, Max and Nat are at the hospital. I called them. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace are there as well. When the plane touches down in Seattle, I rush thru the exit procedures and grab an Uber. The drive is short and I couldn't be more thankful.

I rush thru the doors of the Emergency Room and grab my visitor's badge. A nurse escorts me to the Critical Care Unit.

I am greeted by a Dr. Morales as I announce my arrival to the nurses station.

"Neko Evans?" The doctor greets. "I'm Dr. Joseph Morales. Milo is in critical condition. He is stable."

The breath I was holding releases. The doctor leads me to a waiting room where I see the crying faces of my emergency party.

"I'm so fucking stupid. I shouldn't have taken him home." Lux apologizes.

"Shhh. No one could have guessed. How bad is it?" I ask.

"Not good." Nat cries.

I hold the precious brown haired angel in my arms as she weeps into my chest.

"They could have killed him." Max screams.

"Son. You have to calm down. He is safe now." Mr. Luke consoles a fuming Max.

"Have you guys been in the room?" I ask.

"We saw him in the ER. They are working on him. We were sent here to wait." Mrs. Julie explains.

"It's been a long time." Natalie whimpers.

"I'm gonna need all his belongings from your houses." I demand.

"You're taking him?" Lux asks.

"Yeah. I'm taking him home." I confirm.

"To Hawaii?" Lux clarifies.

"Yeah. I'm not leaving him here." I announce.

"We're gonna miss him." Natalie cries.

"We will visit."I promise.

"First he has to get better." Lux sniffles.

I wrap my arm around my best friend. Lux is in love with Milo. I'm sure this is too much for him.

"Has anyone seen Steve and Marla?" I question.

"The police have the house under surveillance." Mrs. Julie confirms.

"I know they did it." Lux shouts.

"We know." I whisper. My heart hurts. I want to see my baby brother.

The doctor walks out and waves me over.

"Fractured skull. Severe concussion. Crushed windpipe. Broken left Tibia. Broken Right arm. Three broken ribs. Two fractured ribs. Broken jaw. Broken nose. Broken eye socket. He has stitches in multiple locations. The glass was cleaned out of the wounds. He had internal bleeding from the bat. It has stopped on it's own. That kid is fucking fighter." Dr. Morales looks at me with sorrow filled eyes.

"Yeah." I whisper.

"Did you know?" Dr. Morales questions me.

"I had my suspicions." I confess.

"It's okay son. He will make a full recovery. We took him into surgery to set his leg and arm. He had an MRI and X-Rays. It's been bad for a while. I would say three years worth of old injuries." Dr. Morales confirms my worst fears.

It's all my fault. If I never left, he wouldn't have suffered. I drop my head into my hands as tears trickle from my eyes.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't! Just be here now. The bastards that hurt him, they are monsters. They are the ones who are at fault." Dr. Morales consoles me.

"When can I see him?" I ask.

"About thirty minutes. He is in recovery and heavily sedated. It looks as bad it is. Prepare yourself." The doctor states as he excuses himself.

I walk over to my friends and explain the knowledge I have been given.

"I want to kill them." Mr. Luke shouts.

"To think we called them friends." Mrs. Julie spits with disgust.

"My Bean." Lux cries.

"He's mine." I laugh lightly.

"He is yours." Max pats me on the back.

"You can share." Lux whines.

"Not on your life." I pat his back and punch his shoulder.

"It was worth a try." Lux shrugs.

When they finally usher me into Milo's hospital room, the doctor was right. I wasn't prepared. I break down in agonizing tears looking at my Koala.

The wires are protruding from every inch of his exposed skin. His arm is in a hard cast. His leg is in traction. There is compression tape wrapped around his waist. His face is swollen and he is unrecognizable.

The heart monitor beats softly alerting that my Koala is still here with me. Oxygen is fitted under his nose. His breaths are shallow but soft. The medicine and fluids drip down into the needle that is sitting in his vein.

They almost killed him.

Never again.

I take a seat beside my brother and rest my head against his unbandaged arm. I let my fingers lay lightly against the only unblemished skin I can see.

The Wallace family checks in. Tears flow. Natalie Bennett cries hard. Her soft brown hair falls over her face as she bounces her head in her hands. Max holds Nat. Lux looks over at his Bean and whispers his apologies.

Mr. and Mrs. Wallace offer us a home while Milo recovers. I gladly accept. Once they leave, Natalie goes along with them. The Bennetts come in later on and bring me coffee with a meal and I thank them profusely.

We are going to survive.

My Koala will never hurt again.