“How bad’s the damage?” he rumbled, taking a bandage from Archer and pressing it against the wound.
“Don’t think we’re gonna make it to the cabin tonight. I’ll call Murray, see if he knows someone local who can come get us. Might need to leave the rental here overnight until it can get towed.” He looked at his brother guiltily. “I’m really sorry. I thought I was going slow enough. I didn’t see that deer.”
Perhaps he should have let Isaac drive instead of being so damned sure he could handle these conditions.
“Not your fault. Deer came out of nowhere,” Isaac muttered, surprising him. He’d thought he would take this opportunity to snipe at him.
Well. All right then.
* * *
Fuck.
Doc’s head was throbbing. He was trying not to let the pain show but he’d kill for some Tylenol right now. He grabbed his medical bag from Archer as his brother spoke on the phone to his friend, Murray, the guy whose holiday cabin they were meant to be staying at for the weekend.
He tuned out Archer’s voice as he grabbed some painkillers and swallowed them dry.
This was probably karma for being such a grumpy asshole. He knew Archer was trying. But he was trying too hard. It just made it more difficult for him to relax. He was here, wasn’t he? Wasn’t that enough for big bro? Oh no, he had to keep pushing.
Archer didn’t get that all he wanted was to be alone. This was the best out of life he could expect. He hardly ever had to leave Sanctuary. Everyone there accepted him as he was.
They didn’t try to change him. They definitely didn’t try to psychoanalyze him.
He didn’t get why Archer couldn’t leave well enough alone. Not all brothers had to be super close. They were just different.
Archer liked living in the city. He enjoyed eating at restaurants, going to concerts, dating women with as much personality as a wet rag.
While he…just wanted to be left alone.
He closed his eyes tiredly.
“Hey, don’t close your eyes. You can’t go to sleep on me,” Archer demanded, shaking him lightly. Shit. He must have ended his call.
“Jesus, I’m not falling asleep,” he snapped back. “Don’t shake me. My head is already fucking throbbing from having my brains knocked around.”
“What brains?” Archer joked.
He opened one eye and glared at his brother. “Har-har.”
“Sorry,” Archer said again. “Just don’t want you going unconscious on me.”
“Worried I’ll die, and you’ll have to deal with mom and dad on your own in their old age?”
Archer sighed. “We both know I’ll have to deal with them whether you’re alive or not.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. I’m willing to go halves in paying for their retirement home. But I ain’t willing to pay off all the nurses the old man tries to feel up.”
Archer grimaced. “Christ. Fuck. You think he’ll do that?”
“No reason his personality would get better with age.”
They both fell silent thinking about their cheating asshole of a father.
“Remember that secretary he used to have?” Archer asked.
“Which one?” he asked dryly.
“The one who would always hug you and press your face right into her big boobs.”