Blanket Buddies

Three months since he's been taken. That's all i can think about as i work my late shift at the county bar. I'm swirling a chilled jack for someone whilst cooking a pie for somebody else. I slide the drink over to the person who ordered it and take the pie out. It's warm in my cold hands as i slip it onto a plate and cut it up. I drop it off at the table who ordered it and go back to the bar cleaning glasses and whipping down surfaces. Admits all the chaos i hear the bell jingle as the door opens and a man comes in. He's shirtless in jeans and a heavy belt with a cat tattooed on his chest as he plonks himself down at the desk and orders a gin and tonic. I grab him his drink pour it and pass it over he pays as soon as i hand it to him and i thank him. His eyes gleam when he hears my voice as he asks, "Are you Ethan Turnip?"

I froze, how did he know my name? I nodded as he sipped his drink and i started making another customer theirs. He smirked, "I know where to find your brother."

I dropped the drink i was making spilling alcohol down my front and glass shattering on the floor. I quickly pulled myself together and started to clean up as everyone stared. I had never broken anything before. The man spoke again, "Find me when your shift ends."

He got up and left as my mind started to race. My heart was thumping so loud that i swear the entire bar could hear it. Eventually, people's gazes returned to what they had been doing and i took deep breathes as i continued my shift. When i finally got off i left the building only to bump into the man again. He took me into his car making small talk as we did so but the moment he sat in he locked us both in the car and said into the radio, "Asset acquired."

My brain tried to wrap itself around this and then a memory came clashing in hitting me like a tidal wave. *I was sat in the waiting room at the doctor's when my father came out of the room and said gruffly, "You're giving your sister your bone marrow."

I looked up at him truly flabbergasted, "I'm sorry, what?"

He frowned, "You heard me you're giving your sister bone marrow."

I stiffened for a second thinking of the knives cutting it out as i said, "No."

He suddenly grabbed my ear and pulled, "YOU LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT. I DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU AND YOU WON'T EVEN DO THIS ONE LITTLE THING FOR ME YOU'RE PATHETIC AND SHOULD HAVE DIED WITH YOUR MOTHER WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A USELESS LITTLE RUNT LIKE YOU!!!!"

That shut me up and made me comply. I had been called the asset by doctors and nobody looked at me the same. My other family members said i was ungrateful and my sister never thanked me for looking and being normal due to my hardships. They said they would only need it once but eventually it became a monthly thing until the doctors had to removed the dead bone marrow in my leg and replace it with a prosthetic which my sister could've had instead of me going through all this traumatic surgery for her.*

Now that very same family has left me and my brother so i've been looking after us.

Panic rose in my chest as my breathing became heavy and laboured. What the fuck was all i could think before i blacked out entirely.