A Twisted Love

Distantly, Colton noticed when Cameron sat down next to him. The flimsy hospital chair squeaked obnoxiously beneath him, and Colton cringed. Any kind of noise only added to the immense pounding in his head. It was as if someone was slowly hammering at his temples.

After almost four hours of waiting in the hospitals lobby, the two of them were summoned by an old male doctor. His graying hair fell in slight wisps around his forehead, and the skin around his sunken, kind eyes crinkled when he gave the two twins a sad smile.

"Your mother is waiting for you right through this door." The Doctor said, waving towards the room in front of him. Cameron stood stock still, staring straight ahead of him for a long time. Both of them knew what was behind these doors, and neither of them were eager to enter the room.

Finally, with a slight pat on the back from the old doctor, Colton stepped forward and inched the door open.

The sight revealed before him made Colton's whole body freeze. Cameron stepped through the door's threshold and sucked in a sharp breath. His shoulder brushed lightly against Colton's and they both glanced at each other briefly. Their mom was crouched next to a large hospital bed holding the hand of her only daughter.

Cameron was the first to walk up to her. He put his arms lightly around her shoulder and gave her a warm hug. "That should have been me." Cameron whispered, anger and sadness laced deeply into his voice. Their mom shook her head, but said nothing. Tears were streaming in an endless flow down her cheeks.

Slowly Cameron reached his arm out, and held Olivia's small, frail hand; the only thing that wasn't covered. Her whole body was bandaged and broken. She was practically hidden in gauze, from her many wounds. What a horrible way to die... Colton thought, and suddenly he was acutely aware of everything around him.

He watched Cameron comforting his mother, the pain of losing his sister evident on his face. Colton realized that he should be over there, doing the same, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He hardly registered it when his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground, crying silently to himself.

He was dimly aware of Cameron walking over to him and slowly pulling him into a standing position. He wrapped a supportive arm around Colton's shoulder and guided him closer to Olivia's bedside. At the very sight of her, Colton broke down again, sobs wracking his body like never before. He had never been one to cry in public, but this was something he refused to be ashamed of.

After what seemed like forever, the tears stopped flowing from everyone's eyes and the family of three was ushered outside of Olivia's hospital room. Their mom spoke quietly to the old doctor, a good distance away from her two sons.

Cameron and Colton made there way back to the lobby, there eyes red and puffy. The sat in silence, neither saying a word, until Colton decided that he couldn't deal with just sitting, and not saying anything.

"I-I can't believe she's gone." He whispered. His voice was barely audible, but Cameron heard.

He let out a long sigh and then met Colton's blank gaze. "I know." He said, his voice cracking.

"I just...I should have been in that seat. If I had then she would still be-" Colton cut him off with an angry glare.

"If you had been in her seat then you would have been dead. Do you know how hard that would have been for me?" Colton inquired angrily.

"Do you only think about yourself? Olivia was younger, and so much happier. She had a great life ahead of her!" Cameron all but shouted.

A small tear slipped down Colton's cheek, betraying his act of anger to what he was really feeling: A sorrow that ran deeper than anything he'd ever felt before.

Cameron sighed, slightly mad at himself that he'd made Colton this upset. Carefully, Cameron reached out and wiped the lone tear away before it dripped off the edge of his brothers chin.

"Everything will be alright." Cameron murmured comfortingly, although he seriously doubted it.