“Take care of what?” Rin demanded, though he did shoot forward. He crouched at his brother’s other side and tugged him up, pulling an arm around his shoulder so he could hoist the unconscious Sila onto his feet. His eyes widened when he turned and saw the gun as well, then he glanced between the prince and Bay. “Hold on.”
“Why?” Kelevra asked nonchalantly. “It’s clear what happened here. Look at him,” he motioned at Bay with the weapon. “He’s covered in bruises and cuts. Considering the blotches around his throat, it’s a wonder he was able to talk to you over the comms at all. Your brother was exercising his demons and took things too far. If he was conscious, he’d no doubt do this himself.” He aimed at Bay’s chest.
“Do it,” Sila’s mumbled threat gave them all pause, “and I’ll skin you alive.”
Kelevra cocked his head, intrigued. “Sure he isn’t going to report you for torture as soon as we let him out of here?”
“Yeah,” it was obviously a struggle for Sila to remain conscious long enough to have this discussion, his eyes barely open more than a slit, is head lolled against Rin’s for support.
“Brother,” Rin didn’t sound any more certain than the Imperial Prince appeared to be.
“How certain?” Kelevra asked one final time.
“He’s mine,” Sila growled.
Bay moved to adjust his glasses when Kelevra turned that dark gaze his way, realizing too late that he of course wasn’t wearing them. He cleared his throat instead, trying to pretend he wasn’t stark naked in front of the Prince of Vitality. “What he said.”
“I see.” A knowing look passed over him and Kelevra tucked the blaster away with no more argument. “Kinky.”
Rin shook his head. “When we get to the hospital, ask around and see if there’s any pill I can take that can help erase my memory of all of this.”
“Why?” Kelevra turned to hold open the door for him as he started dragging his brother forward. “An hour ago, I had you blindfolded and—”
“Not another word or I will drown you,” Rin snapped.
The Imperial Prince chuckled.
“Wait,” Sila said just as they made it out the door.
“Still awake?” Rin asked at the same moment that Kelevra drawled, “Still alive?”
“Give him your jacket.” Sila motioned with his chin toward Bay. “And if either of you make a joke about liking the view—”
“Here.” Rin practically tossed his brother into Kelevra’s arms, who begrudgingly caught him. He stripped out of the long-sleeved windbreaker he’d been wearing and handed it over to Bay.
Bay quickly put it on and zipped it all the way up. It was long enough that it covered all his unmentionables, and since he hadn’t even thought to look for his clothes earlier, it would have to do. “We should hurry, before he gets any worse.”
Rin nodded and then took his brother back, glaring at Kelevra. “You better not have been about to make a comment about liking the view.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Consort.” Kelevra smirked at him seductively.
“Whatever.”
Bay followed the two of them out to where they’d parked the car in the driveway, silently envious of their obvious chemistry.
Wondering if he’d ever be lucky enough to get to that point with Sila.
* * *
Bay came out from behind the folding screen dressed in a pair of cotton pants with the hospital logo on them and hospital gown. He’d been given slippers as well, though he’d hardly noticed the bite from the cold stone of the sidewalk or the tiles when he’d rushed in through a side entrance of the hospital.
The doctor was checking on Sila who was unconscious again and lying in bed in the private room Kelevra had gotten for them. The Imperial had gone off somewhere, but Rin was there, hovering by his brother’s side, listening intently as the doctor did his examination.
A nurse was currently operating a machine on the other side of room.
“We’re running a test on his blood samples,” the doctor, Dr. Ome, said to Rin. “For now, he’s stabilized, but we won’t know how to properly treat him until we figure out what’s wrong.”
“It’s not an infection?” Bay asked, stepping forward. His chest ached when he looked at Sila’s unmoving form.
