Coping by TAG

- Hold on!

I did not respond. Just kept on going.
- Wait up! What's the matter with you?
- Nothing. – it was a rather weak reply, I thought. Not the manner – the sound itself.
- Stop, I tell you! – on this he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
- Let go of me. – still weaker.
- Now, calm down and let's go back.
I sneered and went on going my way when he clutched my waist.
- Ahh! – it rather hurt, to the bones I might say.
- Sorry! God! I didn't mean to…
- Never mind. It's nothing.
- No…NO!!! You are bleeding! We have to go back!
- I must see it first…
- Are you mental?! You are in no state to go anywhere!
- Does it matter?
- You...
- Listen. I won’t let this go.
- Neither will I.
I smiled on his saying this. – Yes, I know, Dave.
Dave sighed. – Let us at least get your wound redressed.
-It doesn’t hurt much.
He looked intently at me. – No, of course it doesn’t. Still, better be on the safe side.
-I guess... – I started revolving a thought.
- You won’t get rid of me and I’m not stupid enough to let you out of my sight.
- No, you aren’t. It’s a lovely day outside, though.
- Don’t be a fool.
- Alright, alright.
And after a jiffy – The kind of weather she liked.
-For God’s sake!
-What?
- Could you stop depressing yourself?! - Dave sounded rather cut off.
- I’m not.
- Yes, you are. Do you like that much the anguish you’ve been making yourself go through every day since they brought you here?
- I don’t understand what you are going on about. I’m fine.
- The hell you are! – this seemed rather harsh of him.
I droopped my head. I felt my legs give way, so I had to reach for his shoulder for support – hit him in an eye in the process and ended up on my stomach.
-This is just brilliant! – snipped Dave. -Now that we are both hurt can we go back? Hey...what’s?...
He stopped short. I gathered he noticed my body shaking all over.
-I wasn’t here! All that time....I wasn’t here.
He helped me sit up.
-No, you WERE here. At least your mind was...or rather your heart.
- Oh, leave of this sentimental gibberish!! -I roared. – You know as well as I do that I forsook her!!!
- It’s not, fair. You...
-NO!! All this pain I caused...for nothing! I meant to help and ended up losing...losing...
I broke into tears. “Very well, boy.” – I thought. – “That’s just what she would like.”
-It's so you, isn’t it? – said Dave. I looked up and saw him smiling.
-What are you smirking about?
-Nothing. It’s just so typical. “I’m a nonentity. Despise me. Look down upon me. I’m always the one at fault.” That’s the kind of guy you are. Well, it’s no good asking for pity from me.
I leaped up on my feet as if there had been no pain to begin with.
-I wasn’t!
-Oh, weren’t you? Face it, it’s not that fact that she died that eats you up! It is the realisation that she won’t be able to be there for YOU anymore...
Up went my fist and down fell the blasphemer.
-You know nothing!
- Oh, is that so? – Dave said it with a tangible derisive note. – No, how could I?
- You can’t.
- No, I can’t.
On this Dave set up and tilted back his head – blood was rushing out of his nose. He looked at me. And he smiled.
-Forgive me. – I whispered. It was just now that it dawned upon that she was  his little sister.
- Forget about it.
- I...I...- I started sobbing again, that’s what I did.
- Cut this off!!!
I felt his large hand slapping my right cheek, and I fell – again – near him.
-What...
-No! – Dave yelled. – No. Enough of this. I don’t remember her appreciating this kind of behaviour. I never once saw her with a crybaby of any sort by her side. Never once.
-Hah, yes.
- And I never saw you feel a bit of regret to anything connected to her.
- No.
- Come on. Help me up.
- Right. Very clever. – still I was already on my foot and actually offered him my hand.
- You’ve always been barmy. – he took the proffered hand.
- I guess I have. – on this I put all my force in that action of getting him up. And there were his grey, almost light-blue eyes, looking down into mine. – We better go and see to your nose. And...my side.
- We'll go there later.
- Yes, it’s a grave. Wouldn’t rush off anywhere, would it?
- Hah, joking already? That’s a good sign.
- Yes, she loved a good joke, didn’t she?
- I guess. – said Dave musingly.
- Or rather she liked to make people laugh. – I remarked.
- Rather.
- Dave?
- Yeah? – answered Dave as if summoned back from somewhere far away.
- I’m sorry for breaking you tiny little nose.
- Oh, naff off, you idiot! – Dave said and nudged me.
We were going upstairs to my ward, laughing. Me – a widower, he – a former elder brother. Both heartbroken. But not alone. Not anymore.
-You know, – I said after some minutes of chuckling, - I was dying for a hot, fat, juicy steak all that time I spent there.
- You can have one when your doc says it’s alright to, kiddo. – he said, sniggering.
- I’m two months older!! – I regretted saying this as soon as it came out.
- Oh, what are you, seven?