Max nodded and stood up a second after Alina, glad to not be forced to try and push down the food that kept threatening to come back up any longer. They washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen in silence before going their separate ways to their bedrooms, mumbling incoherent good nights.
A few hours later....
Alina tossed and turned, but try however she might, she could not fall asleep. The past two days kept running in her head on repeat. It had been her who had found Alex.
Alina and Max had woken up yesterday like any other day, bright and early. Alina had prepared breakfast and Max had helped her. Alex had still been fast asleep, he had been unable to get up from the bed for quite a few days now, and usually had his meals in bed.
Max and Alina had set up a small table in Alex and Max's room to be able to eat together. They would pull two chairs from the dining table to the room to have their meals. They did the same, Max and Alina taking turns feeding Alex and finishing their own breakfasts before heading off for morning training.
Weirdly enough, Alex had seemed chirpier than usual during the breakfast. He had also insisted on hugging Alina before she left for the training. It now seemed to Alina that he had hugged her a little tighter and longer than usual, and she cursed herself for squirming and running away from his arms.
Anyways, Max and Alina had returned from their hand - to - hand combat training, Max sporting a cut from a thorn on his right forearm. As was his habit, Max had called out to Alex and wasn't much surprised to not hear a reply from their bedroom.
Alex usually fell asleep a lot during the day, and even when he was awake, he rarely had the energy to shou across rooms these days. Max had made towards their room to meet Alex before he headed for the shower as usual, but Alina had stopped him. She had asked him to go dress his wound as it was susceptible to infection, assuring him that she would check up on Alex.
But Alina had been unable to wake him up. She had found him in his bed, asleep with an open book in his lap. She had called out to him, and when that failed, had shaken him with all her might. It hadn't occurred to Alina for a few minutes to check his pulse. Because it hadn't occurred to her that her big brother could or would leave her all alone in this world.
But her senses had returned after a few minutes and she had checked for his pulse and breathing, and a heart wrenching wail had issued from her throat upon finding neither.
It had been then that Max had rushed into their bedroom upon hearing Alina, expecting that something was wrong with Alex, and fully intending to rush him to the hospital.
He had even pulled out his car keys on the way to the bedroom. But he had soon reached the door to the room to find Alina clutching onto Alex for dear life. It was then that Max had realised that Alex was gone.