Chapter 24

November changed to December, and Diana and Jessica's plan for the family to learn sign language was put into full swing.  The children enjoyed the fact that their parents were having to study and practice and test each other in much the same way as they'd all had to do for so long.  At first, Taylor had been self conscious about so much time and effort being put into something that he was the cause of.  But, as they all began to learn and actually communicate with each other using only their hands, he began to appreciate the beauty of it and he wasn't feeling so singled out.  He even worked with Sparky who would sit, stay, roll over, and speak responding to Taylor's hand signals to him as well as any dog would to vocal commands.  The only drawback was, Taylor seemed to be the only one he would respond to.  Other than that, the little dog pretty much did what he felt like and pity the poor soul whose chair he grabbed.

Lee and Isaac were getting closer and spending more time together.  For Zac, home life was not a lot different, he hung out with friends or his family.  The only difference was, Taylor was no longer there with the small circle of friends they had.  He left the house but only if Zac and Isaac or their parents were with him and he avoided all his old haunts.  Except, sometimes late at night when he would disappear assuming no one knew he was gone.  He would return anywhere from an hour to six hours later.  Zac noticed and tried to ignore it, but it was beginning to worry him.  Isaac didn't approve but had refused to get involved believing it was a phase and a reaction to his sudden lack of fame and attention.  Until the day Marcy Gutman walked by while he was on the porch reading a book.

"Hey, Ike.  What's up?"  she asked.

"Not much.  How about you?"

"Not a thing.  You busy?"

"Nope, just wasting time."  He answered.   She looked around, then walked up the front walk to stand in front of him.

"Can I talk to you a minute?"

This was rare and Isaac was suddenly overwhelmed with curiosity about her.  They'd known each other for two or three years and it was no secret she and her brothers had never been too fond of Isaac and his brothers.  "Sure."  He said.  She sat down on the step next to him.  The sun shone on her hair bringing out red he'd never noticed before.  She didn't look at him and he began to wonder if she would get around to whatever it was she wanted.  "How are your brothers?"  He asked, tiring of the silence.

Now, she looked at him in a way that made him very uncomfortable.  "Fine.  How are yours?"  she answered.

"Uh, well, I guess they've been better."

"Yeah.  I'll bet."  She paused.  "Y'know, Isaac, everybody in Tulsa knows about Taylor."

"What do you mean?  Knows what about him?"

"Everything.  That he can't talk.  That he got kidnapped.  That he's freaked out."

"Don't believe everything you read Marcy."  He was getting aggravated.

Now it was her turn.  "Ike!  How stupid do you think we are?!  You're not helping him by hiding it.   Everybody knows."

Isaac sighed.  "How?"

"The girls he screws around with aren't shy Ike.  They talk.  A lot.  And I'm just letting you know that reporters and stuff have been hanging around asking questions and before you know it, the shit is gonna hit the fan."   She looked at him again.  "Isaac, I know we've never been close and I don't know why....  I think my brothers were jealous of you guys and somehow I got sucked into it, but really, I've always respected you all.  Especially you and Taylor.  Now Zac, I'd like to slap around sometimes.  He can be a real smartass, but that's beside the point.  The point is, I know he's just using them, but they're using him too and at least he's got a reason.  Some things never change Ike, it's still a feather in her cap for a girl to get Taylor Hanson and he's damaged goods and a bargain right now and I don't think it's right."   She stopped and took a breath.

Isaac was shocked.  This girl had hardly said two words to him since he'd known her and now he couldn't get a word in edgewise.  "Well..."

She cut him off.  "I'm not finished." She said.

"Ok, go on."

She looked around again as if she were afraid someone might see her.  "Ike, I don't know what went down with Taylor, but he always seemed like a nice enough guy, so all this is almost unbelievable to me but... from what I've heard, it's not just drinking.  They're doing some dangerous shit there and they're taking him with them."

Now, she had his undivided attention.  "Like what?!"

"You've been around, I'm sure you can imagine."  She stood up now and faced him.  For the first time, he noticed she had little freckles across her nose and cheeks.  "Bottom line Ike, if you love your little brother, you better do something about him before it's too late."   She started walking up the driveway.

"Marcy..."

She turned back and pointed at him.  "And if you don't, I'll lose any respect I ever had for you."  Then she was gone and Isaac was left wondering what had just happened and what the heck he was going to be able to do about Taylor.

~~~~

"Zac, I need to talk to you."  Isaac spied Zac playing video games in the back room by himself for once.

"Hang on..."

"Now."

Zac knew what that meant.  When he got upstairs, Isaac was in Zac's room sitting on his bed. "What's up?"

"Where's Taylor?"  Isaac asked.

"Um...  downstairs.  He said he didn't feel good and he went to sleep in Mom and Dad's room."

"Alright.  Now, I want to know what you know."

"Ike, what the hell are you talking about?  What's this about?"

Isaac stood up and walked over to his younger brother.  "Remember when I told you what Taylor did wasn't any of our business?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I was wrong.  I want to know what you know about those people and why they hurt him like they did.  I know he told you and I didn't want to get into it, I figured he'd tell me when he was ready, but I need to know now."

Zac was getting nervous.  "Well, he made me swear not to tell you."

"Why me?"

"He was afraid you'd be disappointed in him.  If it makes you feel any better, Mom and Dad don't know either."

Isaac sighed.  "Zac, Marcy Gutman told me some things today and if what she says is true..."  He stopped mid-sentence.  He suddenly realized he knew it was true.  He'd known Taylor went out once in a while, but it was obviously more often than he thought.

"Ike, what's going on?  What'd she say?"

Isaac decided to play hardball.  "You tell me first."

Zac looked around and out in the hallway.  Then, he shut his door.  "No, you tell me what she said and if I think you need to know enough for me to break a promise to Tay, then I'll tell you."

"Crap," Isaac thought, "Zac had always been better at hardball than him."

Once Isaac had spilled his guts, Zac felt relieved.  Relieved that he wasn't the only one who'd noticed Taylor looking frayed around the edges.  In some ways, things were looking up, Taylor was getting good at signing and they had all learned to understand him pretty well.  Of course, it would take a long time for it to be natural for all of them, but they were on their way.  As much as he disliked him, Zac had been glad Sparky had come into their lives.  Taylor needed that unconditional love and words weren't necessary between them.  But it wasn't enough, Taylor was going downhill and picking up speed.  Though he couldn't stand the thought of betraying Taylor's trust, he decided that he would tell Isaac everything.  So he did.

"Zac, Mom and Dad really should know about this.  I mean, he's not just dealing with the voice thing, as if that wasn't enough.   He's on some kind of guilt trip or something too.  No wonder he's going off the deep end."

Zac was shaking his head.  "No, no.  It is not our place to tell them."

"Zac, if things don't get better soon, I'm going to tell them.  I'm not waiting 'til he's dead."

Zac could tell he meant it and he couldn't disagree with him anyway.  "Ok.  But please, don't let him know I told you."  Isaac just looked at him and left.

~~~~

In the kitchen, Diana was sitting at the table reading over Taylor's paper he'd written about the Gettysburg Address and what it meant to the outcome of the civil war.  It was not up to his usual standards.  She looked up as Isaac walked in and took the orange juice out of the refrigerator.  "Hey sweetie.  Why's it so quiet around here?  What are you all up to?" she asked.

"Well, Taylor's asleep and Zac's upstairs.  I don't know where the rugrats are."

"They went Christmas shopping with your dad.  We're putting up the tree this weekend, so don't make any plans, ok?"

"Too late."  He answered.  "Me and Lee are going out with some of her friends Saturday night."

"Hmmm," she was thinking.  "How about bringing her over Saturday morning?  We'll just get the tree Friday instead of Saturday."

"That sounds good.  I'll ask her."  He poured his juice, put the carton back in the fridge, and sat across from her at the table.  He looked at her and then signed, "How is T-A-Y ?"

She smiled and signed back, "He is O-K.  T-I-R-E-D."

"Mom," he said, "do you think he is ok?"

Now, she looked tired.  "No.  I'm pretty worried about him Ike.  Your Dad and I don't know what to do.  How can we fix this?"

She looked at Isaac.  Taylor may have been doing poorly, but Isaac was doing just fine.  The time off had done him good.  He had a girlfriend and a social life.  Funny how things work out, she thought.  "Mom, he has to fix it himself.  He'll be ok, we just have to give him time."

"He doesn't look good Ike, and he doesn't eat like he used to."  Isaac wanted to tell her right then but he and Zac had promised each other they'd give Taylor the chance to clean up without involving their parents.  His thoughts were interrupted.  "We got some good news today."  She said.

"Really?  That's a change.  What is it?"

"It seems the record company had insured Taylor's voice."  Isaac was shocked.

"You mean, like Jennifer Lopez?"

"Yes,"  she said, "it's really not that uncommon.  Betty Grable's legs were, there's plenty of that..."

"How much?"

"Seven million dollars."

He almost choked, "Oh my gosh!"

"Hang on, that was the record company, not us.  But, Chris had added on a personal addition or something like that, I really don't understand all of it, but he says Taylor should be getting a check for 2.5 million for loss of future income.   At least we know that, invested, that will take care of him for the rest of his life.   You and Zac have one too."

"You're kidding!  Don't tell me, Zac's lips!"

She laughed.  "Hands and voices."

"Hands?  Are Tay's too?"

"Yes, he plays piano for the band.  But don't get any ideas and try to cut your pinky off or anything."  She patted him on the shoulder as she put her coffee cup in the sink.  "Oh, guess what else?  It seems "Cried" has become some kind of cult hit out there, some DJ played it in response to him losing his voice and it caught on.  Weird, huh?"

"Very."  He said, thinking about everything that he'd learned that day.

"I'm going to the grocery, do you need anything?"

He thought a moment, "We're out of shampoo, and peanut butter."

"It's on the list."  And with that, she was out the door leaving Isaac alone.  He went into his parents' bedroom and sure enough, there was Taylor.  He was on his stomach, his face all squashed into the pillow and his hair a mess.   Sparky was asleep curled up between his legs.  If Taylor were to turn over, it would crush him.

Zac came down the stairs to a quiet house.  "Ike?"

"I'm in here."  Isaac responded.

Zac came in the room and stood next to Isaac.  Taylor hadn't moved a muscle.  "When did he come home last night?"  Isaac asked.

"About 3."  Zac answered.

"How come you always hear him and I don't?"

"Your room's at the end of the hall, goofy.  Besides, sometimes he comes in the basement window and sometimes he comes in his bedroom window."

"Zac, why didn't you tell me all this?"

"I don't know.  He doesn't do it every night, he'd be dead by now if he did."

"Well, if he does it again, he's not getting back in."

Zac looked over at Isaac, then down at Taylor.  "Whatever you say."  He said and left the room.

~~~~

That Friday night, the whole family plus Lee, went out looking for a Christmas tree.  Lee, being an only child, was always overwhelmed by the "Loud Family" as she called them.  She sat in the van between Isaac and Taylor.  She was amazed when Taylor would use his hands to speak to Mackenzie and the little boy would understand.  They had really put their heart and soul into helping each other through it all.  She hoped Taylor knew how lucky he was to have his family care so much for him.

By the time they were at the fourth Christmas tree lot, and it had started to rain, Lee had elected to stay in the van and wait.  She wasn't alone for long, soon she was joined by Taylor and Avery.  "Oh no, they still haven't found one?"  she asked.  Taylor shook his head and signed something.  Usually, she was able to get a pretty good idea from his mouth and his expression what he was saying but inside the van there was no light.  "Sorry dude, I'm not too good at that yet."  She said.

Avery spoke up, "He said he doesn't care anymore."  He had lain his head back and she was playing with his hair.  "Awww, are you tired, Taylor?"

Lee knew he was tired and she knew why.  She'd always thought him to be so good looking, but the last couple of times she'd seen him, she couldn't help thinking of something her grandmother had always said.  He looked like he'd been "rode hard and put up wet."  Isaac had told her what he'd found out from Marcy.  She'd heard a little through the grapevine anyway.  The Mall was a gossip lover's paradise.  In fact, one of her co-workers claimed to have a friend who thought it was "wild" to have sex with a guy who made no noise whatsoever during it.  She hadn't told Isaac that little tidbit.  Her thoughts were interrupted by Avery.  "Do you want me to teach you some?" she asked.

"What?  I'm sorry,  I think I went away for a minute there."

"Some signs.  Do you want me to teach you some?"

"Sure."

"Okay, first I'll show you some really easy ones and you see if you can guess."  Taylor sat up and watched his sister excitedly show Lee the sign for rain.  Lee guessed it right off.  He smiled to himself and looked out the window to see the rest of his family coming towards the van, their breath visible in the cold, wet December air.

"Hey guys!"  Diana said as she opened the door.  "They finally found one!  Taylor, go help your Dad and your brothers get it up there.  It's huge!"   He got out as the other children got in.  In no time, Walker was giving orders to his sons and the big evergreen was hoisted up on top of the van.  The rope they'd brought was tied here and there and since many hands were working together, they were on their way in minutes.

~~~~

When they got home, everyone piled out of the van and left the guys and Walker to get the monster into the house.  The others went into the kitchen to make hot chocolate for everyone.   A commotion was heard from the living room and soon a cold, wet Taylor came in, followed by Sparky.  He went straight to the sink and pulled his shirt sleeve up putting his elbow under the faucet and turned it on.

"What happened?"  his mother asked walking over to him.  "Ew!"  she said.

He had a rough looking scrape on his elbow and a grumpy look on his face.  Zac walked in and Sparky growled at him.  "Man, we said we were sorry."  He said, but he looked like he was about to bust out laughing.  He reached up and pulled some tree needles out of Taylor's hair.

"What happened?"  Diana asked Zac.

"We were bringing in the tree, right?  So, Dad and me were carrying the fat part, Ike was in the middle and Tay was pulling the top part and we were going up the front steps."  Now, he was grinning and Taylor slapped him on the arm.  He held a paper towel over his elbow.  "I'm sorry, but you gotta admit it was funny, Tay."  Taylor narrowed his eyes at his brother then plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table.

Jessica was getting impatient.  "Zac!  What then?!"

"Then Tay slipped on the step but we didn't know it and we kinda drug the tree over the top of him before Ike figured out what happened."  Avery and Diana went over to Taylor to look at his arm.  Zac looked at Lee and shrugged.

Jessica hit him as she walked past him into the bathroom.  Diana called into her, "get the neosporin too!"

~~~~

After getting the tree set up, Diana and Walker decided to take the youngest Hansons out for pizza and a movie.  The guys had agreed to get the lights on the tree so all they'd have to do the next day was put on ornaments.  It was no easy feat, but by about 8:30 and a lot of bickering, it was done.  Taylor went up to take a shower and Isaac and Lee went to the video store leaving Zac with instructions to pop popcorn and pour cokes.  By the time they left the video store, the rain had turned to sleet.

When they got back to the house, Taylor was going out the door as Isaac was coming in.  "Where are you going?"  Isaac asked him.  He pointed out into the yard.  "What, you're going  to hang out on the front lawn in freezing rain all night?  Get back in the house."  Lee saw it coming  as Taylor's eyebrows went together in an alarming fashion and his blue eyes instantly looked stormy.  Isaac was oblivious.  "You don't need to go and hang around all those assholes Taylor, you're just asking for trouble."

Taylor signed and spoke, "Don't tell me what I need."

In the glow of the porchlight, Lee had no trouble understanding.  She went in the house to get Zac.  When the two returned it was to see Taylor stomp off down the steps and Isaac yelling "If you leave, you're not sneaking back in, you'll have to knock!"  His brother didn't look back.  The three of them stood on the porch watching Taylor disappear into the darkness.

~~~~

At 11:00, Walker called to tell Isaac the roads were covered with a sheet of ice and that they were going to just spend the night at Grandma's house because she lived just a few blocks from the movie theatre.  Lee called her parents and told them she was spending the night as well.  Now, the three of them settled in to wait.  Zac was worried, the normally calm, easy going Isaac was still angry.  Nothing he or Lee said or did was helping.  Isaac had gone to the basement and locked the window and done the same to the bedroom windows upstairs.

Around midnight, Sparky, who'd been asleep on Taylor's bed came down and stood at the basement stairs.  He cocked his head to the side.  Then, he went in the living room and stood in front of Zac.  "What?"  He asked as if the dog would tell him.  He growled and Zac pushed him away with his foot.  Isaac got up off the couch and went upstairs.  Now the little dog listened again and looked up.  He looked at Zac one more time then took off out of the living room and up the stairs.

Isaac stood in front of Taylor's bedroom window looking into the steely eyes of his younger brother through the pane of glass that separated them.  Even in this light he could see his pupils were huge.  Isaac had been to enough parties to know that alcohol wasn't the only thing he'd consumed that night.  He wasn't wearing the coat he'd left in and the wind was whipping his hair and the white button down shirt he was wearing in a way that made him look like a ghost to Isaac.  He couldn't imagine how he'd managed to climb the tree to get up on the roof without killing himself.  He kept saying "Let me in."   Over and over.

Isaac shouted so he could be heard through the thick glass.  "No, you come through the front door like everybody else in this family."

Taylor tried again to raise the window and his feet slipped out from under him on the slippery roof.

Isaac stood his ground, praying he wouldn't fall off the roof.  "Taylor!  Stop that, you're gonna fall, go downstairs and I'll let you in."

"Let me in, NOW!"  He was getting angrier.

"No."

With no warning, Taylor slammed his fist into the window shattering it into sharp splinters and jagged edges.  His arm went through it up to his elbow and before Isaac could do a thing, he had proceeded to reach around to the lock of the window.  Within seconds of breaking the glass, he had it unlocked and was coming through.  Isaac was aghast.  He'd never seen his brother like this.  Taylor's eyes hadn't left Isaac's and he hadn't noticed the blood staining the white shirt.  He was half frozen and he couldn't believe Isaac had locked him out of his own room.  He grabbed the first thing he could, a stack of CD's, and flung them at his brother.  Isaac raised his arm to deflect them, but one caught him across his cheekbone as the others hit the door and the surrounding wall in a clattering noise.  He was moving closer now and Isaac was suddenly sorry he'd locked the door.  He had a feeling if Taylor caught him he might try to kill him.  Like really kill him.  He jumped up on the bed and down again on the other side so that it was between them.  "How could you do that to me?"  Taylor asked.

"Tay, I can't understand you."

Taylor smiled and shook his head.  He signed and spoke very slowly.  "Why did you lock me out?"

"Because I want you to stop sneaking in and out of the house at all hours of the night..."

Taylor cut him off by throwing the next group of CD's at him.

"Dammit, Taylor!"

"It's freezing out there, Ike!"

Isaac looked at him and noticed ice crystals in his hair and his cheeks were bright red from being in the cold.  Tiny beads of ice had formed on his lip where he was sweating.  "Where's your coat?"  Taylor used his thumb to point behind him, out the window.  Isaac noticed for the first time the blood on his hand, "Tay, you're bleeding."

Zac and Lee had heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking and both had run up the stairs to see Sparky outside Taylor's door very excited.  When he saw Zac, he began to bark.  Suddenly, something crashed against the door.  They could only hear Isaac's side of the argument and everytime, he was answered with more flying objects.  Zac tried the door but it was locked.

Taylor didn't notice or care that he was bleeding.  Though the cold had sobered him up considerably, he still wasn't entirely rational.  The drug induced paranoia he'd mildly experienced earlier was now full blown.

Zac was now banging on the door.  "Ike, let me in!"

When Isaac moved toward the door, Taylor flung a history book at him.  It missed but struck the door with a loud "THUNK!"  Zac was scared now, he backed up and kicked the door but it didn't give.

Isaac rushed for the door but Taylor beat him to it.  "Unlock the door, Taylor."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Why?"

"Because you're scaring Zac."

At that moment, their little brother gave the door another kick that pulled the screws out of the jam and the door burst open hitting Taylor just hard enough to distract him for a moment.  Long enough for Isaac to grab him and get him face down on the bed.  When he began to struggle, Isaac did what he'd always done when he and Taylor wrestled.  Because Taylor's long muscular arms gave him an advantage, Isaac sat on his back grabbing both his wrists, holding them behind him.  Sparky darted in and grabbed the leg of Isaac's pants and began tugging as hard as he could.  Zac and Lee rushed in.  Zac grabbed Isaac and pulled him off Taylor.

"Why'd you lock us out?!"  He said as he reached down to Taylor.

"Because I knew you'd let him in and do just what you're doing."

Lee looked up at Isaac.  He had a red scratch across his cheek.  "What happened?"

He put his hand up to his face and said, "I think Aretha Franklin got me, but I'm not sure."

"Tay, are you alright?"  Zac asked.

"He's not alright, Zac.  He's wired on something...  God!  I thought he was gonna kill me.  He put his fist through the window."

"What?!"  Lee was shocked.

Taylor had pulled his arms back up and had his face buried in them.  Lee looked down at him and noticed the blood on the bed.  She sat down on the bed beside him.  "Taylor, we need to see where you're bleeding."

Zac looked up at Isaac and said, "You wanna help here?"  He was getting very upset with both his brothers.

"C'mon Tay, I'm sorry..."  He took his shoulder and pulled him over.

"Geez!"  Zac exclaimed.  "He looks like he did in the hospital when he freaked out!"

Sure enough, he was breathing rapidly and his face was flushed.  Isaac put his hand on his  brother's chest and his heart was pounding.  Lee was scared, she was inspecting his arm and there was a deep cut on the inside of his elbow bleeding badly.  There were a few other smaller ones and lots of scratches, but that was the one that worried her.  Zac pulled him up into a sitting position.  "Let's go in the bathroom Tay, we gotta check this out."  He said in a soothing voice.

The sleeve of the white shirt was turning red rapidly and blood was pooling in the palm of his hand.  Isaac got down on his knees to look him in the eyes.  The anger was now replaced with a vacant stare that was much more frightening to Isaac.  When his brother had gotten on top of him and pulled his arms back, it had taken Taylor straight back to the car and Tom holding him down as Karen drugged him.  He'd relived it enough times in his nightmares.

"Zac, help me get him in there."  Together they coaxed him into the bathroom and got the shirt off him revealing the injury the glass window had inflicted.

Lee grabbed a towel that was draped over the shower door, still damp from the shower he'd taken earlier.  She wiped the blood from his arm.  "Ike, you better make sure he can move his fingers and stuff.  He could've cut a tendon or a ligament or whatever.  I don't think it's bleeding enough for an artery to be severed,  but what do I know?  I have a feeling if your parents were here, you'd be on your way to the E.R. right now."

Taylor looked over at her, a weird look on his face.  "No."

"We don't know how bad this is, it probably needs stitches at the very least." She said.

"No!"  Now he looked away.

"Why not?"  she asked.

He signed, "They'll know what I did."

Zac spoke to him softly.  "What did you do, Tay?"

He shook his head and turned away from him.

"Zac, run downstairs and get the first aid box."  Isaac instructed him.  He looked at Isaac for a moment then did as he was told.  "Tay, what did you do?  I'm not stupid, I know you took something, now what was it?"

He looked to Lee and made an X with his fingers.  She raised her eyebrows and Isaac asked her what he meant.

"Well,"  she said, "I guess he must've done a hit of Ecstacy, what kind of rock star are you, anyway?"

"A smart one, thank you very much."  He answered.

She smiled at him and said, "You're right about that."  It still didn't quite add up to her.  "Anything else?"  She asked looking into his eyes.

He paused, then signed the letters M-E-S-C-A-L-I-N-E.  Isaac repeated as he signed.

"You did mescaline, too?  Good god, Taylor." Lee said.

Isaac watched the exchange, unbelieving that his goody goody little brother was telling them this.  "What's that?  I mean, I've heard of it, but what exactly is it?"  He asked.

She looked up at him.  "It's a kind of acid laced with speed.  It actually comes from a cactus."

"Lee," he asked, "how do you know all this?"

"Freshman biology, Ike."

Now Zac returned with a large box full of every kind of band-aid, gauze, tweezers, tape, you name it, it was in there.   "Good heavens!  Are you all preparing for the apocalypse?"

Isaac looked at her.  "Seven kids is the apocalypse."  She wiped the blood away again.

Taylor looked down at his arm now for the first time.  Zac gazed down and commented,  "It looks sort of like a raw steak doesn't it?"  Taylor seemed mesmerized by the sight.  "Uh...."  Zac said, "Ike, remember?"

"Tay, stop looking at that."  Isaac said to his brother.

Lee looked at them, puzzled.  Zac said to her, "He passes out easily."

"Oh.  So, you got any butterfly bandages in there?  We need something to close it and keep it that way."

As Zac searched through all the miscellaneous items, Isaac took Taylor's chin and forced him to look at him.  "Lee and Zac are gonna try to patch you up.  If they can't, then we're gonna have to get a doctor.  I haven't said this to you for years, but believe me now when I tell you this, if you ever do anything like this again, I'm telling.  I'm not waiting 'til you get arrested or killed.  I'll tell Mom and Dad so fast it will make your head spin."  He didn't reply, but Isaac knew he understood.  "Tay, why are you doing this?  It's not helping."

He looked away from Isaac and signed  "It helps me forget."

"What are you trying to forget?"  Isaac asked him.

"Who I used to be."

Zac had been wiping the blood away as Lee would apply the little bandages to the cut.  As Taylor would say something to Isaac, he would whisper in her ear what he'd said.  The last statement was chilling.  It took Isaac a moment to answer him back.  "Tay, you are still that same person.  You still write songs, you still play piano beautifully.  None of that has changed."

Lee felt tears come to her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop them, so she continued on with the task at hand.  It looked like the bleeding was going to stop now.  It had taken eight of the little bandages to close it.  Now, she put a square of gauze on it and proceeded to wrap a long piece around his arm to keep it in place.  Two of his knuckles needed to be bandaged and she applied ointment to the many scratches, including Isaac's.

"Please," Isaac continued, "stop all this craziness.  What would we tell Mackie or Avie if you OD'd or went to jail?"

Taylor shrugged and reached down to pet Sparky who had not taken his eyes off his master's face.

"And what about that thing?  He'd pine away if anything happened to you."

Taylor smiled and said something to the little dog and he wagged his tail in response.

"He still creeps me out."  Zac said.

Taylor backhanded him, then was sorry as he felt the pain in his arm.  The same one he'd scraped on the steps earlier that evening.  "Where's Mom and Dad?"

Isaac felt relief then, it looked like his brother was back with them.  He answered, "The roads got too bad so they're staying the night at Grandma's."

"So, that's why you were able to V-I-C-T-I-M-I-Z-E me."  He signed.

"Yeah," Isaac answered, "and because I locked Zac out too."

"At least he was inside."

"Whatever.  You're not going to make me feel guilty about it.  Besides, you threw stuff at me so we're even..."

Taylor snorted.  He slowly stood up from where he'd been seated on the side of the tub.  His head hurt and he felt nauseated.

Lee spoke, "You never did show us if you could use your hand alright."

He looked from her to his hand and flexed his fingers one at a time.  Then he moved his thumb around in a circle.  He shrugged then looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Don't look at me, I'm not a nurse, but if they feel alright to you, then I guess you're alright.  So, which one of you is a handyman and is gonna fix the window?"

"He broke it!!"  Both Zac and Isaac pointed at Taylor.

"I don't feel good, I'll fix it tomorrow morning."  He said.  He walked past them and headed back to his room with Sparky following close behind.  He stepped over the CD's and their cases scattered on the floor and flopped down on the bed.  Sparky jumped up and settled in beside him.  The other three walked in the room.  Zac picked up the garbage can and set it beside the bed.  Just in case.

"Should we clean this mess up?"  Lee asked.

"Nope."  Isaac answered.  "He doesn't clean my room."  Lee didn't think she'd ever get used to the dynamics of a big family.

Zac yawned, said "goodnight" and left the room.

"That blood is going to stain the carpet..."

Isaac looked at her, "Hey, I get to spend the night with you tonight and the last thing on my mind right now is Taylor's carpet.  As long as I know he's safe, I'm happy and I've done my job."

She looked up at him and touched his cheek.  "Are you alright?"  She asked.

"Yeah, it stings a little, but it could be worse."

"I'm sorry you had such a cruddy night." She said.

"Well, y'know, I feel like we got over a hump or something."  He looked over at his sleeping brother, then back to the girl with the dark eyes and the raven hair in front of him.  "Besides, it's getting better."  He kissed her soft lips and she put her arms around his neck.  Sparky watched as they left the room hand in hand.
 
 
 

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