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And even though I was against it, I couldn’t possibly disagree that Killian needed more help than we could give.
His eyes were still blank as we unloaded him from the car, walking him into the hospital without much of a fight. A nurse met us at the door, eyes wide as we carted our fourth into a small office and sat him on the lounge. I held him close, Slash on the other side and Samael standing menacingly by the door as a doctor sat forward at his desk.
The doctor introduced himself as Dr. Braeden Lewis. “I’m assuming we’re here for-”
“Killian,” I quickly offered. “Killian Matthews.” Primrose was a small enough town that this would be relayed back to his father in a matter of how hours, however, I cared more about Killian’s safety than the wrath of his father.
The doctor stood and approached the man in my arms, rubbing his chin as he observed Killian. “There’s usually a process that goes along with an involuntary hold. Who’s his guardian?”
Samael cut in, the weight of his words showing through his expression. “He’s 26 and until recently, this wasn’t a step we were prepared to take. However, we feel it necessary after more recent events that he at least be subject to the 72-hour hold.”
Dr. Lewis chuckled. “Detective Stenson. I thought I recognized you. In fact, I’m pretty sure I recognize most of you. Not the point. I can’t just lock up your lover because you want me to.”
Samael didn’t even blink at the ‘lover’ comment. “And I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to observe him. His mother had Hyzophrenic Manic Disorder and I think-”
“HMD? There’s only been five or six actual reported cases, Detective Stenson. You’re saying Killian has it?”
“It’s a hereditary disease.”
Dr. Lewis bit his lip and returned to his desk, shaking his head. “I… I can’t discuss his mental health with you but I’ll do this one favor for you. HMD is a nasty disorder and I would hate to have someone running around with it undiagnosed or unmedicated. We’ll keep him for the 72-hour hold but unless I see something, he’s free to walk out that front door.”
We all nodded, grateful for the help. No doubt Dr. Lewis would ask for a favor in the future but I was prepared to give him anything if it meant that Killian was safe. The process took less than an hour as we left Killian in his care.
We conveniently left out a few details to keep them from trying anything funny or leading the problem back to us. The newest bruises and cuts seemed to help the story we had concocted and his need for secondary help.
As we returned to the car, I hung my head, defeated. Killian’s dead eyes held every ounce of betrayal they could. He had told me time and time again that he didn’t want to be admitted, that we were no better than his father if we did. But there was nowhere else to go.
His voices had been mostly harmless up to this point. But those few moments in the kitchen? I couldn’t handle it.
“Aeron, we had to. You know that.” Slash grabbed me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “You have to fucking know that he was falling apart. We can’t keep babying him.”
“Says the guy who gave into his bloodlust and fucked him silly.” I mustered up a laugh, but I wasn’t feeling it.
“I apologized for that shit. No, Killian’s had been falling apart since way before then.”
“We should have known when he started waking up in places he didn’t remember.” I blamed myself for this. I always knew that Killian was a bit different and needed a little extra attention to not lose himself to his voices. If I had done something earlier…
Samael placed a strong hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. We won’t let Killian stay in there, but if it comes to that… we’ll be there every step of the way through the entire process. He won’t rot in there like his mother did.”
I believed them. I believed those fancy words, but they didn’t make me feel better. I still felt like I had betrayed my first love. That feeling didn’t sit well with me. I leaned into the car, grabbed my bag, and headed in a direction away from home. I needed time to think, to process.
Slash reached out to grab me, but I dodged it. “Don’t.”
Samael sighed, looking just as pained as I felt. “We just—”
I shook my head, “You all get to deal with this how you need to, but I saw him in there. He felt betrayed. Not angry at us, but betrayed. I don’t think you understand what that really feels like. My heart hurts, and there’s nothing I can do for him. I just need…”
“Time,” Samael added. His expression soured as he knew I was right. He had to let me go, to process. Killian was the glue between us, but he was also the only one that could pull us apart. “Be safe. I don’t need to see you on the news. Finn is still out there.”
I shot them an uneasy smile. “I know.” Finn was on my shit list for obvious reasons, but we briefly discussed the inconsistencies between Finn’s and Killian’s kidnappings. Something wasn’t adding up, but we couldn’t figure out what it was. I intended to find out.
SAMAEL
“No leads? Not one?” Chief Matthews yelled at me as I leaned back in my seat.
I shook my head. Three days ago, we had admitted Killian to a mental institution after we found him eating raw human meat like a rabid animal. It was the last straw in the crazy downward spiral, and asking his father for help was out of the question. Aeron still hadn’t come back, but I hadn’t expected him to. Not this soon, anyway. That cannibal could survive on twigs and leaves if he had to, but his heart had been broken.
He had yelled at us for betraying Killian, but I knew him better than he thought I did. He felt betrayed by us. He hadn’t wanted to commit Killian but knew it was the only way. And when he watched Killian walk down the hall to his new room, the reality finally settled in. I think it hurt worse that years ago, Aeron had taken his first bite of raw flesh and fallen in love.
