I wonder if there’s a heaven, or a life after this one. Latori thought to himself. He hoped there was, but not for his sake. The soaking white sheets dyed yellow in his hands had a faint odor of ammonia. He sighed when his hand accidentally slipped and touched some of the still warm urine.

“I’m sorry, Latori. I didn’t want to bother you while you were doing homework…” Tommy’s voice trailed off. If he continued to speak, he knew those words wouldn’t come without a few tears.

“It’s okay, Tommy. I wasn’t that busy. I got caught up in texting some friends. It’s my fault for not checking up on you,” Latori lied, comforting his little brother. He put an empathetic smile on his face and reassured the boy with a kind, understanding gaze. It was a look expected more from a mother than a brother.

Latori had cut off his university friends six months ago. He had adored them. They always put up with it idiotic antics and his occasional poor taste jokes, but he didn’t have time for them anymore. Work and school kept him busy enough. He only had so much time in the week for leisure time. Now, leisure was almost out of the question. Tommy’s condition was worsening every month.

“Are you having trouble getting up again?”

“Yeah, I always feel like I’m gonna fall when I try standing up.”

“That’s okay. Just try your best for me. I won’t be able to help you while I’m at school. I’m getting a promotion to manager at work soon. I’ll be able to hire someone to look after you while I’m out.”

Of course that promotion would come with its own set of problems. Latori was the star employee at work, so he climbed the echelons of his store’s hierarchy quickly. His diligence to always complete tasks on time and his never waning patience with customers hadn’t gone unnoticed. The pay that was promised would be a godsend for the brothers, but Latori would see Tommy even less than he already does now. Latori already set up his classes for next semester to be at night so it complied with his upcoming work schedule.

“I wish we were born in the future, Latori. Then neuwo… neuwo… degen…tive deceases.”

“Neuro degenerative diseases,” Latori laughed. It was the first time he had genuinely smiled out of joy all week, and of course it was because of his adorable little brother.

“Yeah! That’s what the doctor said it was. I wish we lived in the future so we can cure everyone who has one.”

“That’s sweet of you, Tommy. Well, tomorrow is always the future, right? Maybe we’ll find a cure someday. I’ll ask God every day.”

Latori dumped the sheets in the dryer and moved Tommy to the couch to tuck new ones on his bed. Guilt washed over him as he thought about his brother holding. Homework could wait. He went to the shelf in Tommy’s room and pulled out a book. The cover and the spine were dressed in a dark color palette, and the front featured a boy riding a pegasus. Even with its worn spine and plethora of marked, stained, and bent pages, it still looked beautiful to Latori. The wear and tear gave it character. It was a story in its own right.

“Yay! Percy Jackson!” Tommy cheered.

“You wanna keep reading it, right? We left off in the middle of book three when you decided to switch it up to read Eragon instead.” Latori reminded his little brother.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“The dragon looked cool on the cover. I didn’t think it was going to be boring.” Tommy fell back on his pillow as if he was exhausted just from thinking about the verbosity of the book's descriptions.

“Eragon isn’t boring, Tommy. Be nice to Christopher Paolini.” Latori playfully chided his little brother.

“I love Percy Jackson.”

“Yes, I know you do. This is the fifth time we’re reading through the series.”

“Because I love it so much.”

Latori nodded at his brother and did his best to suppress a laugh. This was his reason for getting up every day in the morning. Tommy made it all worth it. Dealing with all the angry customers at the grocery store that berated him for something out of his control; the rigorous studies he was undergoing to one day get into med school; the constant care that he had go give his brother at home—none of that mattered as long as he was able to keep his brother happy.

Wood grinded against wood and Latori found a comfortable position for himself to sit in as he pulled up a chair to sit by his brother’s bedside. When Latori read books for his brother, everything, all the worries, the stress, and the problems, seemed to wash away. The brief reprieve helped keep Tommy entertained, but it also served to keep Latori’s own mental health intact.

“Okay, where were we…”

***

“What do you mean you’re fucking leaving? What about Tommy?” Latori spat out at his drunkard for a dad.

“Sorry. I want to live my own life. You’re an adult now. You can take care of him,” the boys’ poor excuse for a father zipped up his suitcase and headed towards the door.

“What? That’s your fucking son, you piece of shit. You’re just going to up and leave him? What kind of person are you? You bitched all day and night how mom left us, but you’re just as bad as her. No, you’re even worse for leaving him after he’s gotten sick.”

“Latori, I don’t give a damn what you say. People have their own lives to live. I have mine. If you want to waste years of your life taking care of Tommy, go for it. I know I’m not happy with you just being here with you two. I need a fresh start.”

“Fresh start? I hope you fucking drink yourself to death.”

“Bye, kid.” Latori’s father walked out through the front door of their cramped, dingy apartment without any hesitation. The door slammed shut behind him, briefly echoing and elevating a puff of dust. All the noise that was left of the ringing in Latori’s ears, his thudding heart, and the distant clamor of a pitbull barking and two neighbors heatedly arguing.

Latori went to his brother’s bedroom to check in on him. Tommy was curled up in a ball and shaking in his superhero pajamas. His ears covered by his arms. The black bowl cut on his head was even more chaotic, a result of being pulled at out of extreme distress.

After a slow, careful approach, Latori reached out and gently slid his hand down his brother’s back. Tommy jumped up and gasped. He jerked his head up to see the source at the sudden act of affection. Once he saw Latori’s solemn smile, he sighed and calmed down.

“Is… is it over?” asked Tommy.

“Yeah… It’s over. He won’t be coming back. Sorry, Tommy, I tried.” Latori shut his eyes and chewed at a small scar on his lip. He was on his way to producing a new one.

“It’s okay… All he really did was drink and yell at us, anyway.” Tommy reached out and held his brother’s balled up fist, quickly relaxing it.

The boys had each other, and that’s all they needed, at least for now.

***

Latori got lost in his thoughts as the clamor of the intermission between classes. Tommy’s condition was rapidly worsening. Here he was at school, just lounging around and waiting for the next class. He had gotten ahead in all his homework, and he applied to all the scholarships he could in hopes that he’d be able to reappropriate the money for taking care of Tommy. Something else was also tugging at the back of his mind, like the feeling that you left the stove on. Or the feeling that you know something bad might happen now or later. What was it?