Brothers by Bond Read Free Page B

and replied, "I believe it helps everyone." With those parting words, the doctor left ICU-4.
    "You look much better today, Mikey." Mrs. B. spoke as she straightened the covers over Johnny. "Have you eaten?" Leave it to Mrs. B. to make sure both of her boys were being taken care of.
    "I had something," Mike replied because in his book coffee was considered the first meal of the day.
    Mrs. B. turned and came to stand next to him at the foot of the bed. When she laid her hand upon his arm, he trailed his eyes away from Johnny and looked down at her.
    "We will bring you something when we come back later." Mike opened his mouth to tell her not to bother but she cut him off before the first word slipped past his lips. "It won't do for you to fall ill as well. You need to take care of yourself for when Johnny wakes. He will need all of us to be strong while he recovers and if we are not, you know he will worry."
    She was right, Mike knew, so he nodded to appease her even though the thought of food made the coffee in his stomach lurch.
    "All right, Mrs. B.," Mike reassured her. "Now go and get some rest yourself. Johnny is in good hands with me."
    Mike leaned down and gave his adoptive mother a kiss on her cheek. It was then that he heard her soft words.
    "No better hands than yours. Always has been and always will be." She disengaged from their small embrace and left Mike to watch her leave as he wondered at what she had said.
    The chair he had occupied the day before had been moved closer to the head of Johnny's bed. He was sure this was so Mrs. B. could be closer to her son. As he sat down, he took his best friend's listless hand into his own and fought off another wave of guilt and tears. Mike could not imagine his life without Johnny. For two boys who had not known each other before the age of ten, they were as close, maybe closer, then brothers.
    He raised his eyes to Johnny's face, a face he knew as well, if not better then his own, and studied him. Mrs. B. was right the day before. Johnny did look peaceful. He even seemed to have more color in his beautiful face. Without giving any thought, Mike's hand raised and repeated the tender gesture, of brushing that stray blond lock from Johnny's forehead, which Mrs. B. had done the day before.
    How many nights have I lain across the room from him as a boy and watched him sleep without him knowing? Too many to count.
    It was not a boy who lay in the hospital bed next to him but Mike could not help comparing the man to his memory of the boy. Johnny still had long blonde lashes, that made most women jealous, and they rested gently upon his cheeks. His nose had the slightest bend from when it was broken in ninth grade but it did not distract from his beauty. His lips were neither thin nor pouty but looked just right above his strong chin and stubble covered jaw. Beautiful. That was the only way Mike could describe his brother. Not beautiful like a woman but he was a beautiful man.
    Mike's train of thought brought back his guilt for avoiding Johnny this past week. It was the longest they had ever gone without seeing each other and he knew Johnny had been worried about him. Mike thought that putting a little distance between himself and his best friend would clear his head and give him time to figure out what was wrong with him. He figured it out alright and now he felt worse than before. Still, how he felt did not matter. All that mattered was that Johnny would wake up.
    Mike leaned back in the chair, still holding Johnny's limp hand, and let out a sigh. It was then that he noticed the photo album on the bedside table. He recognized Mrs. B.'s hand made album as one similar to those she had given him and Johnny for Christmas last year. The three albums she had made had different fabric covers but included identical pictures in all of them and the pictures told the story of his friendship, his life, with Johnny. Mike never let go of Johnny's hand as he reached out to pick up the heavy