Jackson Read Online Free Page B

brother, and I quickly rose and ran from the dorm down to the smaller cabins at the bottom of the hill. I went to the one where I knew I’d find him, where I hoped I’d find him, and went around to the small window I remembered being propped open. Dropping to my knees, I looked through the space, and there he was.
    For a moment I could only watch him, that painful ache twisting in my chest. I tried to make my eyes see him as scary or strange and alien, but I couldn’t. He simply lay there on his back on the bed, an arm over his eyes. I studied his scars, remembering the horrible story of how he got them, a little boy trying to protect himself against blow after blow in a savagely executed attempted murder. More pain twisted in my chest, and I wanted to keep him close, to know he was safe.
    “Gallatin?” I whispered, and he dropped his arm, sitting up to look at me through the screen.
    In seconds, he was opening the window, helping me step through into his room. “Why are you here?” His voice was hopeful. “I thought you were angry with me.”
    “I need your help.” Our hands remained clasped.
    “Anything—”
    “It’s my brother. He...” A sob snatched my voice away, and I had to sit.
    Gallatin caught my arm as my knees gave way, and he helped me to the side of his bed. Then he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I didn’t pull back. I wanted him to hold me this way; it was so good. He softly shushed, and for a moment I clutched his shirt, knowing how in just a few days he’d be gone, taking our memories with him. He’d be gone along with this safe place in his arms, where I could release my fears and pain for a little while and lean on his strength.
    Slowly, I pushed up, out of his embrace. “I’m sorry,” I said, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.
    He handed me a towel. “Why are you crying?”
    “My brother tried to kill himself. D’Lo found him, and—”
    “What? How is that possible?” Gallatin stood and walked to the other side of his room. “That should never have happened!”
    “It was while we were out. I don’t know if he went where no one could see him, or—”
    He turned back to me. “What can I do? I don’t know if we have anything to give him here.”
    “I thought about... The way you touched me. You said you could put thoughts, feelings in my head.”
    “That’s not exactly how it works. It’s more like distracting the mind.”
    “But it made me feel—”
    “You want me to try it on him?”
    I studied my feet, knowing it was a complete reversal of what I’d said before. “I just thought it might help.”
    “It might, but you were so upset when I did it to you.”
    “I know, but this is different. He’s been getting worse and worse, and now he won’t even look at me.”
    I watched him pull open a drawer and quickly change his shirt. “It’s probably being aggravated by the meds.”
    “What meds?”
    “Ovett’s idea. He called it an insurance policy in case any of the larger males gave us trouble.”
    He held out a hand for me to go with him, but I didn’t move from where I sat on his bed. That old sense of betrayal nudged me.
    “What does that mean? What kind of drugs?”
    “Nothing dangerous.” He crossed back to me. “Come on. I thought you wanted me to help your brother.”
    “Just hang on a minute. Have you been drugging all of us?”
    “Well, not me specifically.” He tried to reach for me, but I pulled away. “You’re angry again? It was just a mild sedative to prevent anxiety and panic. When I learned of it, I actually thought it was more humane.”
    “That’s why I felt so heavy and tired some days.”
    “To be honest, I couldn’t tell it was affecting you at all. Another of your strengths.”
    “I don’t like this. I don’t like knowing you would do something like that to me.”
    His shoulders dropped, and he held out his hands. “It was already happening when I got here.”
    “But you could’ve told me.”
    “It