Sewage

Eddie carefully jumped down from the ladder, avoiding any pools of filth that might have an agenda to spoil his old yet comfortable shoes. His favourite pair of boots, only ones he had left. Mary had gotten him a few new ones but he stubbornly refused to use them. They just don’t make boots as good as these anymore, Eddie thought as Mary’s voice complaining about the rugged, worn out boots filled his mind.

Stench of the sewers didn’t bother Eddie. He was more concentrated on picking up the scent of his brother. He wasn’t that surprised of the large variety of blood trails in the moist and fresh sewer air, considering the city he was living in. But it made the job a lot harder for him.

Too many bloody scents. Shouldn’t have mentioned I can feel him, I’m almost blind here, Eddie thought and lit up a smoke as he moved slowly forward in the dim dank tunnel. He had tried to explain to Mary that the feeling was just that, a feeling. It wasn’t a compass pinpointing his brother’s exact location. Eddie just felt big brother was in town, but had no idea where. The sewers near the spot where Andrew had jumped into the river seemed like a good place to start though. Almost like finding a pair of needles in a haystack.

After a long, refreshing stroll inside the minefield of crap and a half a pack of smokes later, Eddie got a hint of Andrew’s scent. He noticed he’d arrived at the tunnel leading into the river. Probably the place he climbed out, he thought as he kneeled down on ledge to have a better look at the ground. Blood drips. Eddie stood up and turned around.

“Here kitty, kitty,” Eddie muttered and followed his nose. A few tunnels and a couple of turns later he nearly stumbled on his brother who was lying unconsciously against the wall. Eddie stepped back and grimaced at the mess, Andrew was literally lying in a pool of his own blood.

“Hey!” Eddie slapped his brother on the cheek, “You still not breathing?” Eddie slapped Andrew again, who opened his eyes a little and growled at Eddie, Andrew’s demon-features surfacing for a moment until they faded away again. He was weak. Andrew tried to focus his sight on the dark figure in front of him.
         
“It’s me, Eddie, Edward. Your brother,” Eddie said calmly, “You’re a bloody mess, and I mean that literally.”

Andrew sighed and grimaced while he tried to sit up to a better position.

“Got anything sharp on you?” Andrew uttered, “Got three bullets in me, they kinda sting a bit. Would help to get them out.”

“Got my wits and got my knife,” Eddie said and pulled out a stilet, “Want to dig them out yourself or you want me playing the doc?”
         
“Do it.”
         
“My pleasure,” Eddie grinned. “How many are there and where exactly? Seems like the one that hit you in the neck went straight through, the wound has almost closed up,” Eddie said while examining Andrew’s bloodied up neck.

“Got two in my sides and one in my left leg. Start with the leg,” Andrew sighed.

Eddie wasn’t trying to be careful, his method was basically sticking the knife in the wound, twisting it so he could reach the bullet with his finger and pulling it out. Andrew growled the whole time while Eddie was cutting him up. It was bloody and painful. Eddie accidentally stabbed him in the rib while pulling out the second bullet. Eddie didn’t care enough to be gentle, and Andrew understood that. After Eddie was done, he smiled and put the knife away.

“Feeling better?”

“Never liked being the tortured one,” Andrew said and slowly stood up. After a few seconds he fell against the wall. He felt unreal, the world was spinning too much for his taste. But he knew he’d get better now that the bullets were out.

“You look like shit, betting you feel even worse,” Eddie said and lit up a smoke.

“I need to eat. I need blood,” Andrew said and leaned his back against the wall, still feeling too weak to stand on his own.

“Yeah, I’m feeling peckish too. How about some Chinese?” Eddie snorted. Andrew glanced at him and let out a low growl. Eddie couldn’t stop snickering.

“Fuck off,” Andrew snapped and started to walk alongside the tunnel wall. Eddie let out one last snort and followed.

“There’s a ladder just around the corner. What do you say if we get up on the surface, go grab a beer with the appropriate snacks and… catch up?” Eddie suggested while puffing his smoke. “After that you can tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”

“Sounds… good,” Andrew replied and smiled a bit, “Thank you.”

Eddie looked at him for a while and tossed out the smoke.

“No problem. I know it’s not what you would’ve done to me but hey, nobody’s perfect,” Eddie responded with a cold stare. Andrew’s smile faded and he looked down.
         
“Let’s go, I’m buying,” Eddie said and walked pass his brother.