Page 53 of Baiting Kong
Creature was right there to pull him out of harm's way; if Scout decided to swing on him, only Scout just leaned into the bike and tried to push it another step. Creature did the only thing he could think of then and got in front of it, holding it so it wouldn’t move.
“Scout?” Creature said, keeping his voice low and gentle. “Can you look at me?”
It took a moment and a bit of shoving that Creature resisted until Scout stopped trying and raised his head, blinking against the light Creature shone on himself and then Scout, who flinched and recoiled at the brightness, cringing and clinging to that bike. From the dazed look in them and the line of blood dripping down Scout’s face, Creature was certain he had a concussion.
“You know me, right?” Creature asked as Mark and the others crowded around, though he was glad that none of them tried to touch Scout, aside from Axel, who’d slid an arm around him and was holding him steady.
It took a moment before Scout nodded. “Y-yes sir, I’m s-supposed ta work for you on Monday.”
“Yes, you are, though we may need to move that back a little.”
“N-no, I’m okay. I-I need that job. I f-f-finished with the shoots today. I-I did the last three, back to back, s-so I wouldn’t have ta go back. P-please don’t fire me.”
“No one’s firing you, kid; we’re here to help get you and Sawyer to the hospital.”
“Y-your gonna help? You’re not gonna try to stop me?”
“We’re gonna help, I promise. But I need you to let go of the bike now. There’s an ambulance on the way. They’ll take it from here. You did good.”
“He groaned,” Scout stammered. “A few minutes ago, I hit a pothole. I-I stumbled, and the bike shifted, and I nearly dropped it.”
“But you didn’t, and he’s groaning now, so it sounds to me like he’s gonna be okay,” Creature said.
If it hadn’t been for Axel holding on to him, Scout would have fallen when he tried to turn. As it was, he collapsed against Axel’s chest, sending him staggering back a little until he got a better grip on him.
“No one’s gonna hurt you,” Axel told him, clutching him close and stroking his hair, while Mark and Kong eased Sawyer off the bike and onto the ground, where he coughed several times.
“S-scout?”
Sawyer’s shaky voice was punctuated by another cough before he spit out a mouthful of blood.
“I’m right here,” Scout said, lurching away from Axel only to stumble and land on his hands and knees by his brother’s side. “Are you okay?”
“S-sucks ta breathe.”
“There’s an ambulance coming.”
“Then you need to get and don’t tell ‘em nuthin’ ‘bout where you found me.”
“B-but…” Scout stammered.
“Go!” Sawyer snapped, trying to shove him, only he couldn’t even manage to roll.
“Quit movin’ and hold still before you give someone a reason to ask,” Kong snapped, pinning Sawyer in place, while Scout scooted backwards, stumbling and nearly falling, again.
Creature set the kickstand so he could grab the little shit before he did try and take off and only wound up hurting himself worse than he already was. The last thing he expected was for Scout to start fighting the moment his arms wrapped around him.
“No!” Scout wailed. “Let me go; you promised you’d help. I’ll get you your fuckin’ money; just let us go so I can get him help.”
“Scout, dammit, focus. It’s still Creature. I need you to sit down for me before you fall. I’m only holding you so you don’t hurt yourself; I’m not keeping you from getting help for your brother,” Creature insisted, glad when the fight started to go out of him as Creature spoke low and slow by his ear. “Listen, and you’ll hear the sirens.”
Scout’s whole body shuddered as he sucked in a ragged breath and clutched on to Creature’s arm, a little sob breaking loose before he dissolved into tears.
His eyes met Kong’s over Sawyer’s restless form as he fought with everything he had in him to try to get to where Creature held Scout.
“No one’s hurting him, for fuck’s sake,” Kong snapped. “I’m somewhat fond of the little bastard, but you’re pissing me off right now.”
Bright lights filled the alley as Danger helped them back in as far as they could manage, an EMT opening the rear door and rushing to help Sawyer while Scout cried all over Creature’s sleeve. Axel had scooted in next to him and wrapped his arms around Scout too, murmuring words into his ear that Creature couldn’t make out with the echo of the siren still ringing in them. Scout clung, sniffling and rapidly going limper and limper against him.
