The world moves without me (Branch Angst)

Night 2

Branch's pov:

"What...?" I questioned.

"I'm gonna follow you wherever you go. I can't risk this to... to happen again!" John Dory yelled sadly.

I just accepted this now. I looked down and realised I was bandaged up again... but it wasn't John dory's bandages... I didn't like it, this time it was tight and uncomfortable.

"Look, clay and Bruce are leaving. Bruce is going back to his family for awhile and clay is gonna spend time with viva. So it's gonna be me and John Dory." Floyd chimed in.

"Why don't you two leave aswell." I growled.

"Look branch, we're worried for you. And we're gonna be family again, just us three for awhile." Floyd explained.

It wasn't so bad. I really wanted to have my own family again. Did this make me feel better? Not at all. I watched Floyd wave off John Dory and walk into the bathroom and lock the door. Why could he lock the door!?

"Why does Floyd get to lock doors?!" I scoffed.

"Cause I trust Floyd." JD laughed.

"Stop laughing... nothing's funny right now." I whispered.

John Dory just looked away, he realised that nothing was funny. I'm glad he understood I felt off.

"John..." I whined.

John Dory looked at me and raised his eyebrows, he mumbled out a small 'hm?'

"Who bandaged me...?" I questioned.

"Oh i think it was Bruce, why?" John Dory answered.

I felt embarrassed asking this question but I felt it was important to me. My bandages were awful, tight and rough.  

"Can.. can you maybe redo them...? I like it when you do it." I rolled my eyes. I hated asking for things.

"Awh branch of course. You're such a baby." John Dory laughed, and began redoing my badges.

I hated being called a baby as I expressed before.

Floyd's pov:

I slammed my fists on the sink, I fell to the floor. I was suffering silently. I didn't want to bother anyone with my problems now that branch was hurting, he deserved some attention for once. I peeked out the door and saw branch and John Dory bonding. It filled my heart with joy, it was sweet they got along now. I looked at my faded hair. Velvet still had some of my talent. I coughed and choked a little. I wanted to stay strong though, I smiled and picked up some hair dye. I died my drained parts of my hair red and I felt a lot better, I wish branch could just look on the bright side like me.

I opened the door and sat next to branch. He looked embarrassed that John Dory was re-wrapping his bandages. I guess branch didn't like asking for help huh. John Dory just chuckled as he fixed branch's wounds. The look on branches face was an angry and moody glare. I guess we had to get used to 'emotionless branch' for a while. Now I feel like we should be acting more worried for him, but what can we do? Force him to talk? He wouldn't say a word to us. I don't know Why he felt this way or anything. Me and John Dory had tried to lighten the mood but he refused to accept it. The second I saw John Dory remove the bandages from his hand I lifted branch's hand close to my face. I examined it and felt pretty bad, these were deep cuts. Into the skin.

"Don't stare." Branch growled.

I let go of his hand and John dory's finished fixing branch up.

"More comfortable?" John Dory hoped for a positive answer

"Hmph." Branch mumbled out like a snobby asshole.

John Dory looked a little disappointed he couldn't get through to branch. Then the softest sound came out of him, he whispered 'thank you' you would only be able to hear it if it was completely silent which it was.

"Promise no running away again." I spoke up.

"No promises." Branch scoffed.

"Please branch, I really worry for you. It does my heart in." I begged him.

He didn't reply this time.

"I want to go outside." Branch informed us.

"You can tomorrow branch, poppy is still outside and I know you don't want to see her." John Dory comforted branch by putting his hands on branch's knees.

John dory's hands were quickly slapped away.

"She saw me..." branch clutched his chest.

"Easy branch, don't want you to panic." I comforted him this time.

"I hit poppy... I HIT HER!" Branch crawled himself into a ball and cried.

"Branch I..." John Dory tried to answer but I covered his mouth.

"Leave him, sometimes it's better to let it all out." I whispered to John Dory.

Branch's pov:

I cant believe I was crying infront of them. It was pretty humiliating. I heard what Floyd said about 'letting it all out' but he was wrong. The more I cried the worse I felt. With John Dory watching me constantly I didn't know how to escape. I just wanted to scream out how I felt, how I was depressed and wanted to hurt myself. I wanted to go up to John Dory and hug him. I wanted to tell him how I'd leave everything behind for him and how much I cared about him as a brother.
And that I would miss floyd. But another voice screamed in my head about how I was in pain, there was only one way out of the pain.

I really wanted to get better for my family... for poppy. But this pain was more than just something little. I didn't want to forget about what I went through. I... i didn't want my scars to be for nothing.

"Branch you good?" Floyd asked.

I was in a deep thought there.

"Do I look okay?" I flipped him off.

"Look get some rest, floyd and I will be here the whole night." John Dory reminded me.

Thanks for reminding me I was stuck in a prison. I felt like velvet and veneer. Haha, I laughed at my own joke. I laid back in the bed and avoided eye contact. First chance I get out of here I'm gonna make sure I'm not caught.

Hour later

I drifted to sleep and had a dream about poppy... poor thing. I'm a terrible boyfriend! I'm a terrible boy-! I woke up in a cold sweat. I looked down at my hands, I was ripping my hair out during my nightmare. I looked over to my sleeping brothers, I was about to ask for comfort but I hesitated. I leaned back into the bed and felt the cold tears slowly drip off my face one by one. I cried the whole night.