CHAPTER 159

CHAPTER 159
Beeping, that's the first time Ciel becomes aware of when he comes alive, and it's loud, like it's ringing right in his ear and he pulls him out of the dark as his eyes snaps open.

For a moment, all he sees is the ceiling and then he's jerks up straight to a sitting position on the bed and the beeping goes as fast as the racing of his heart and the throbbing of his head, his body heavy, his breath rugged and uneven and a dull pain sitting behind his eyes.

He shuts his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down but instead, everything comes flooding back. The strange doctor, gun, Xerxes, blood.

Ciel gasps for air as his eyes instantly snap open. His hand immediately flies up to his head where a bandage is wrapped tightly, and his hand where an IV needle rests and without hesitation, he grabs and rips it out, blood instantly trickles but Ciel doesn't care.

“Mr. Reid, what are you doing? You need to stay in bed,” a nurse comes rushing in but Ciel has already pushed off the covers and climbed out of bed, barely feeling the cold hospital floor underneath his feet.

“Sir, please-”

Ciel cuts her off. “Where is Xerxes?” He demands, his voice raw and hard with emotions, his eyes holding no emotion as they pin her with the deadliest stare, causing her to shiver visibly.

“H-he’s still in the operating room, they are trying to stabilize him,” she says quickly. “Please, you had hit your head pretty hard, you are not supposed to move yet,”

Ciel barely heard a single thing that came out of her mouth after she told him where to find Xerxes and he's out the door.

He races down the hallway, ignoring the spinning in his head and ignoring the pain in his side. His heart races faster than his long legs and the images won't stop.

Xerxes had pushed him, took a bullet meant for him, it's him who is supposed to be on that operating table, not Xerxes. Not Xerxes.

Hs finds the operating ward and bursts in through the double doors and Sebastian is there, pacing back and forth like a storm waiting to break.

“Sebastian!” Ciel shouts, out of breath. “Where is he?”

Sebastian turns around quickly, his eyes widening when he sees Ciel. “You’re awake? What the hell are you doing out of bed?”

“Where’s Xerxes?”

“Inside,” Sebastian responded grimly, pointing at the operating room doors. “It's been hours and the doctors are not out yet. What's taking them so fucking long?!” he grits through his teeth. He has only stepped out for a minute and returned to see his boss and friend bleeding on the floor, a bullet hole in his chest.

Ciel's knees instantly weaken. He leans on the wall. “Do you know the person?”

Sebastian’s jaw clenches and his eyes darken like a storm. “It's Liam,” the answer comes out low and bitter.

Ciel looks up sharply. “What?”

“He was the only one who walked in, dressed like a doctor,” Sebastian's hands clenched tightly beside him. “They got him,” he continues after a pause. “The police got him before I did because I would have shot that bastard in the head. As much as I'd love to but I can't get involved with the police, not now when Xerxes needs me the most,”

The lump that has grown on Ciel's throat is thick enough to suffocate him. If this had happened a few minutes earlier, Ciel would have no idea who Liam is but fortunately, his memories are back, that hit on the head did more good than harm and right now, he's boiling

“Where is he?” he grits through his teeth.

“They haven't left. He's still in the front, waiting to be taken to the station. Xerxes had shot his shoulder, he's getting treated,”

Ciel doesn't need that much information. He pushes himself off the wall and takes off, down the hallway.

“Ciel!” Sebastian calls after him, but Ciel doesn't stop.

He sprints until he sees them, two officers standing by the reception desk, talking to a nurse and between them stands Liam, handcuffed, with a bandage wrapped around his left shoulder.

His stupid face is calm, amused even.

Ciel inside feels explosive. He walks straight up to him and when the bastard looks at him, Ciel's hands meet his face.

SLAP.

The sound cracks through the room like the clapping of thunder, causing Liam's head to snap to the side.

Ciel is shaking with rage, face inches away from Liam. “You tried to kill him, you tried to kill your own brother! You fucking monster!” He screams, raising his hand to hit him again but it's grabbed by one of the police and then Sebastian who suddenly shows up, pulls him away.

“I should kill you right now! You monster!” Ciel fights to reach Liam, fist clenched, teeth gritting in pure rage and his blazing in animosity.

Liam looks at him with a smirk. “You know what's funny?” He asks with his shoulders vibrating in laughter. “I was aiming for you, Ciel. I wanted Xerxes to lose the one person he finally decided to care about. I wanted him to taste what it's like to lose everything, to see the world suddenly crash as he holds your dead body.”

Ciel freezes.

Liam laughs even louder now. “But no, he had to be the hero right? Took the bullet like a fool. Too bad. You were supposed to die first and then he joins you later, the poison in his body serving his purpose,”

Ciel’s breath catches in his throat and his eyes widens in realization. “It was you. You poisoned him,”

Liam chuckles. “Yes I did, mother did too, many, many years ago, I wonder how he's survived for this long but not anymore. Even if he survives the bullet, his body is going to shut down, he's going to die slowly and painfully, just like he deserves,”

“You’re insane!” Ciel exclaims.

“Insane?” Liam raises his eyebrows and smiles wider. “You have no idea the pain, suffering, and humiliation I went through for years. Our father always favored Xerxes, he didn't even care that Xerxes liked men, he supported him but guess what, father wasn't homophobic and I killed him but everyone thought Xerxes did it, that was the first time he fell right into my trap and then he got wiser,”

“Come on, that's enough. You can continue your confession at the station,”

The officer grabs Liam roughly and begins pulling him towards the door. And Liam doesn't resist, he laughed the entire way while Ciel stands there, chest heaving, suddenly unable to breathe. Everything is overwhelming and suffocating.

Sebastian places his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Xerxes needs you right now,”

But Ciel doesn't move. He can't. All he can see is Xerxes, bleeding, pale and quiet and then there's the echoing of Liam's laugh like a curse, as if he knew he has won.

He hasn't won, right?

The question echoes in Ciel head and he doesn't wait there for an answer, he turns and sprints back to the operating ward, that’s where his answer is.