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Emmet sat in the waiting room, the note he'd found clutched in his hand. How could things have gotten so fucked up?
That was a stupid question.
He knew how. The events wouldn't stop playing on loop in his head like a demented toy train.
It had been such a mundane day, one of the rare ones where he and Ingo did not share a work day. It had been Ingo's turn for an overnight shift at the station and he'd gotten home just as Emmet was waking up.
They ate breakfast together before Ingo retired to his room for some much needed sleep while Emmet caught up on their daily chores and cared for their pokemon.
By the time his older brother had woken up it was well past 2pm and most of the chores had been completed so he sat languidly on the couch, some show or other playing on the TV to fill the silence. Ingo joined him on the couch and gently rested his head on the smiling twin's shoulder without a word.
"Want me to cancel movie night with Elesa tonight?"
He asked, already knowing the answer as he pulled up his Xtransceiver and typed up a message to send to their electric friend, the only response was a gentle nod from Ingo before he sighed and stared off into nothing.
At some point after that they had changed positions to laying on opposite sides of the couch facing each other, their favorite train channel playing on the screen. They hadn't spoken since the previous interaction, Ingo lost in his brain like he sometimes did, his expression distant as if he wasn't currently there in the living room. It would start soon. Emmet'ssmile tensed as his stomach twisted into knots inside him.
"I love you Emmet."
There it was.
"You know I can't respond to that Ingo."
His brother looked down, the same empty expression on his face but now his eyes seemed to be filled with something akin to desperation.
"Why do you stay with me then? You could leave. I wouldn't stop you. You are not required to stay at this station."
Emmet hummed to himself before responding. "Maybe because I'm selfish. I still need my big brother with me."
Ingo let out a small chuckle. "You are the least selfish person I know, Emmet."
The silence stretched. Not quite awkward, but no sane person could call it comfortable.
Ingo was the one to break the silence once more, sounding almost more relaxed than before though his expression remained distant.
"We should have takeout for dinner, that Sinnohan place down the street sounds good. I'll place the order if you'll pick it up. Want your usual?"
The sudden change in tone and subject almost gave Emmet whiplash, Ingo could be quite, unpredictable when he got like this. Though it wasn't uncommon for him to suggest takeout, Ingo was not fond of the place he had just suggested as there were few items on the menu he fully enjoyed.
But it was one of Emmet's favorites. He simply nodded in response and added.
"The usual is fine. I'll pick you up something extra from the store on the way back."
Ingo insisted what he had ordered would suffice, Emmet made a mental note to pick up something for his brother anyway. Fifteen minutes later, Emmet head out to pick up their order.
The sun was beggining to set and a nice breeze cooled the air around him. Perhaps he should have brought a pokemon with him? It would be dark by the time he returned.
His mind wandered. Bounced around between thoughts of joltick season, trains....and Ingo.
His stomach twisted uncomfortably. He loved his brother. He really did. But. Was it the same love Ingo would occasionally profess? How long would it take for his brother to give up this tainted idea of love?
And what if he didn't?
Would Emmet be willing to take that plunge together with Ingo?.... Did he want to? He didn't hate his brother. He didn't feel disgust towards him either and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten more and more with every "i love you" from Ingo. He couldn't say he hated hearing Ingo say he loved him.
But.
Was that enough? Did that mean he too loved Ingo in that way?
No.
Ingo deserved better.
He deserved certainty.
He deserved someone better than him.
His legs had apparently moved faster than he thought as his mind returned to the present and he realized the hostess was smiling patiently at him, waiting to respond to his question.
"Pickup for Emmet." He mumbled, a small tint to his cheeks u sure of how long she had waited for those three words.
She nodded and pulled a bag from behind the counter. It looked.
Smaller.
Than he expected. He took it from her and dropped a couple bills inside the tip jar before heading out.
Something told him to hurry.
He got home later than he wanted to, the small shop he stopped at to purchase something extra for Ingo to eat had been surprisingly crowded.
He opened the door to their apartment. The lights were off. Odd.
"Ingo?" He called out. No response.
Had he decided to sleep early? Where were their pokemon? Ingo rarely put them back in their balls when there was someone home, especially if the other was to return soon.
Emmet walked to the kitchen and turned on the lights before he set the bags on the counter.
There was. A note? And was that. Chandelure's pokeball next to it?
His face paled and panic began setting in as soon as he laid eyes on it shakily reaching for the piece of paper to read its contents.
" I'm sorry, I swear I tried. I'll leave so you don't have to. Take care of eachother. I love you Emmet. More than life itself. "
"INGO?!" Emmet yelled into the quiet apartment before running to his brother's room.
Empty.
He ran from room to room, yelling out for his older brother. He reached the bathroom door and hurriedly tried the doorknob.
Locked.
He slammed his fist on the door knocking and yelling frantically for Ingo to open up.
Silence.
No.
Nonononono!
This wasn't happening!
He rammed his shoulder against the wood multiple times, trying to break it down before thinking of running for the spare key in the kitchen. After unlocking it he slammed the door against the wall.
A chill ran down his spine when he burst into the small room. Each second seemed to stretch out forever as he took in the scene before him.
Ingo was slumped against the side of the tub, unmoving and apparently unresponsive, his left arm hooked behind him to dip inside it. There was water in there. A small blade laid on the floor. Some fresh blood still stained its edge.
The mess was minimal. Thinking back, it was almost funny in a morbid way how, even in a situation like this, his older brother would take into consideration the mess to be picked up after he was…
Emmet knelt in front of Ingo, calling his name and gently smacking his cheek to try and get him to regain consciousness.
He wasn't dead.
He couldn't be dead.
The mess was too small. He couldn't bleed out that quickly.
HE WASN'T GONE FOR THAT LONG!
"INGO! INGO PLEASE WAKE UP!" He pulled his arm out from the tub, water and blood dripping down the curved cut on his forearm. It was still bleeding.
He ripped the towel off the rack and pressed it against Ingo's arm to stop the bleeding, the rod that previously held it clattering on the floor, snapping off its hooks from the strength of his pull. After securing the towel against the wound to continuously apply pressure, he attempted to pull Ingo out of the room.
He was limp, and heavy, but still warm.
He tried telling himself the faint heartbeat he felt beneath his fingers was his brother's and not his own panicked heartbeat vibrating through his brother back to him.
"CHANDELURE! CHANDELURE HELP! INGO NEEDS HELP!" He yelled after the ghost pokemon.
He needed help moving Ingo. They needed to get to a hospital.
A clatter sounded in the other room followed by the pokemon's shrill scream as she approached, she let out scared and confused whistles around Emmet as he finished dragging Ingo out of the bathroom. He looked at her, his breathing agitated and tears streaming down his face.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry! I should've stayed with him! Please! You'll get there faster! You need to take him to the hospital! The one near the fountain and the park! I-I'll catch up! He's not responding I need to find what he took! I'll call ahead and meet you there! GO!"
The Pokémon looked between the panting man and his unconscious trainer on the floor before enveloping him in a purple glow and gently exiting with him through the door.
Emmet fell to his knees, his vision was blurry and he could barely feel his hands and lips. Frantic sobs shaking his body as he tried to control his breathing to calm himself. He needed to calm down. He needed to call the hospital. Make them aware Chandelure was on her way and Ingo needed help.
He had to.
Somehow he managed to dial with shaky hands. A man picked up on the other end. He needed to speak. He opened and closed his mouth wordlessly a couple of time, like a magikarp out of water, before speaking brokenly in-between gasps and sobs.
"My brother- Chandelure- help him- on their way- blood- unconscious!" He managed out.
Praying to Arceus, the dragons ANYONE that he understood.
He needed to calm down. He needed to find what Ingo took! He glanced around, the man from the hospital spoke to him, but he couldn't understand what he was saying. All he could do was continue repeating the broken sentences with a "need to find them- pills- took something-" and "help Ingo-" scattered in between.
His eyes landed on a container near the bathroom sink as he stood on shaky legs. "Found it. Coming- now" he managed to say before ending the call, he thought he could faintly hear Chandelure's cry on the other side of the line.
He stuffed the near empty bottle into his pants and headed towards the door, tripping over the ghost pokemon's ball which had apparently rolled onto the floor after breaking out of it. He closed it, pocketing that too and gripping the counter for support. A piece of paper crinkled against his hand and he gripped it before running out the apartment, barely remembering to lock the door before rushing to the hospital.
Ingo's note clutched in his hand. He ran as fast as he could, even when his lungs screamed at him to stop and his legs stumbled along he continued running. He had to be okay.
Ingo HAD to be okay! He couldn't be gone! He still needed him! He couldn't lose him!
Fresh tears streamed down, sweat and tears mingling and dripping down his face. He burst through the door and stumbled towards the counter.
"Ingo! How's Ingo!" He panted.
The receptionist stared at him wide eyed looking at his clothing before staring at his face.
"Sir! You have blood on you! Are you okay? Do you need of medical assistance??!"
Emmet shook his head no and cleared his throat best he could. "Not mine. My brother. With Chandelure. How is Ingo?" Emmet dug into his pocket and pulled out the pill bottle before pulling out his ID, handing them to the receptionist. "The pills. My ID. "
She looked at both items handed to her before grabbing the phone and speaking into it, nodding a couple of times before looking back at Emmet and handing him back his ID.
"He's in intensive care. The Pokémon who was with him was extremely agitated and has been put under * sleep * for the safety of the staff and is in a spare room. I don't have any more updates sir. I'm sorry"
Emmet nodded and walked away, sitting on one of the chairs in the waiting room and bringing his hands to his head and only then noticing the note.
Ingo's note.
That he apparently was still holding onto, now crumpled up and damp with sweat. He pressed it to his chest and whispered almost in a prayer to whoever or whatever listened, tears spilling from his eyes once more.
"Please don't leave me.. I still need you. Ingo. I'm not that strong. Please. Hold on and come back to me."