Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The problem had arisen when Albert Spencer had berated his oldest son for not having a job. 

He was an intern at Albert’s law firm and was paid in expenses rather than actual money, Albert always liked to be in control of things, that he would admit, so his son relying on him kept him under Albert’s control, his protection.
He had berated him about the job when he had been irritated, perhaps over something at work, perhaps at something else, Albert couldn’t remember, but it wasn’t the first time he had berated him about the lack of a job.

He hadn’t expected him to actually get a job, two in fact, the first job was in a bar, he worked from evening until close, which in Storybrooke was around midnight. James would come home smelling of beer, but not as strongly as Albert had expected. Still it was not the sort of job Albert would have found for him, and he told him so, but for some reason James disregarded this. 

That had been the start of the problem. 

He hadn’t realised it was going to become a problem. Not until James told him he had found a day job (the second of the jobs) in a bookstore, thanks to his co-worker, his friend , who he had met at the bar. 

James valiantly tried to balance his interning with working in the bookstore, even as Albert piled on more work for him, nothing of importance really, he wouldn’t trust him, but more paperwork, typing up old cases for their records, fetching copious amounts of coffee. 

Something had to break and Albert expected it to be the bookstore and the bar, he expected James to come grovelling to him, on his knees, telling him that the jobs were too much work, they were too hard, begging him to let him quit. 

What he got was a neatly typed letter in an envelope on his desk.

James’ thanks for the internship and a list of the things he had learnt, and his two weeks notice. 

He had quit. 

This was when Albert started to take notice more of his son, and what the hell had changed in him. 

The job, the co-worker, the friend… the girl. 

Lacey French was her name, apparently, she worked haphazard hours, from what he could tell, trying not to take too many night shifts due to the fact she had a young son, yes, this was certainly trouble. 

She was not the sort of person he would have expected, would have let , his son socialise with. He had said this, on the third day after he had read the resignation letter, he had brought it up during their silent dinner he insisted on having with his son every friday. 

This was when James told him that he was moving out. 

That had, for once, left Albert Spencer lost for words.

It wasn’t that James was particularly young, he was twenty four, he had an undergraduate degree which he had studied from home, not in a degree which Albert held much regard to but he had still been a dedicated student, he had never moved out before.
He had barely stayed away for the night, in fact Albert couldn’t even remember him going to sleepovers as a child, though those memories were becoming hazy due to time.
James had once been gone for a week and a half-  the week after his high school graduation, he and his brother, Albert hadn't been aware of their plan and his anger upon their return had been vitriolic - but even that was too hard to properly remember.
Probably due to age, not that he was that old. 

He didn’t bother to help as James packed up his belongings into cardboard boxes, he was careful not to take anything which Albert could have claimed as his belongings, Albert felt a tinge of pride at that, he wasn’t sure if it was because he had taught his son to be cautious and observant, or because it felt as though they were playing some sort of game which James had finally caught onto. 

He did notice him take several photo albums and framed pictures and rolls of negative film though, technically they weren’t James’, but they didn’t feel like George’s either.
They had been the product of his long departed wife’s hobby- photography, well once it had been more than a hobby, it had been a career. It had been how they met.
But George’s family had been of good standing in the community and in those days wives were expected to give things like that up to fit in, at least in the social circles the Spencer’s moved in.
Albert didn’t protest him taking those, if Albert wanted to reminisce he would just think of his memories, the mementos of the past served no purpose, what was the point of regretting or longing for what was, it wouldn’t make a difference. 

He had also noticed James spending more and more time in the bedroom opposite the one he was moving out of. The room of his twin brother, younger by twenty two minutes, David. 

Albert didn’t spend any time inside the room himself, he hadn’t for a long time, it was like the photographs, what would be the point of trapping himself in the past?
There was nothing in David’s room he needed.
And there was nothing in David’s room David needed. Not anymore.

“So, you’re really leaving?” His lip curled as he watched James carrying a cardboard box labelled ‘records etc’, he shifted his body as he stood still in a way which people did when something was heavy. 

James sucked in a breath, he nodded his head, then remembering how his father hated that he gave an audible answer as well.
“Yes, we have the apartment all set up, I helped move Lacey and Gideon’s things this morning, it seemed best that way.” His eyes glanced toward the open door, towards his freedom, towards Lacey in her beat up old car waiting for him, he had asked her not to come inside, he didn’t want to subject her to his father. 

“Hmm.” He hummed slowly in response. 

What he didn’t tell James was that when James and Lacey had expressed an interest in the apartment Sidney Glass had rang him asking if he wanted the ‘lowdown’ on the place, apparently it was pretty small and run down but up to proper housing codes, just.
He had sent Albert photographs, Albert didn’t know what James saw in the place, their cellar was nearly twice the size of the place, the only possible reason, attraction , was his roommate, Lacey. 

Sidney had sent him photos of that, her, too, for a price, it seemed that they were a lot more than friends as they sat in that dirty diner, James’ arm slung over her shoulders as they laughed.
There was the young child who would be moving in too, something Albert thought should have shown James red flags, should have sent him running, but there were many photographs of the three of them too, a makeshift family. 

“Have you been to see him?” 

The question brought Albert out of his thoughts, he raised his eyebrow ordering James to expand his question, but he stayed otherwise silent. 

“Davey.” His voice came out quiet, soft, younger than his twenty four years. He despised that voice because it reminded him of the boy his father had so easily manipulated, not the man he was now.

Albert let a breath out through his nose, nostrils flaring ever so slightly in annoyance, but his mask didn’t slip. He simply retrieved his cell phone from his suit pocket, flicked down the screen as though checking for important emails, then placed it back. 

“What use would that be? He is in a coma, he doesn’t know that we’re there, he doesn’t even know he’s in a hospital. If there was any update on his condition I would be informed.”
His words were steel and for a reason, Albert would be informed, but officially James was David’s next of kin, as soon as the twins had turned eighteen they had put their emergency contact information as each other, not their father.
Albert would be informed because everyone in the town knew who he was, not because he legally had to be. 

“There have been studies. It’s thought that people in comas can hear more than we thought they did even just a couple of years ago.” He intended to sound informed but he knew, even as he spoke, that he sounded naive to his father’s ears.   

“If he ever wakes up he will be mentally handicapped and infirmed.” Albert told him firmly, all emotion stripped from his voice. “It has been six years.” 

James’ eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to protest, to shout, to do something to stick up for his brother, but he just shut it and shook his head. Albert was a lost cause, he knew that. 

“Goodbye, father, thank you for everything.” He didn’t exactly have a lot to thank him for except perhaps many years of counselling needed, but he had learnt young it was best to at least seem polite and thankful towards his father, it made life easier.
His mother had always told him to seem like he was agreeing and then do it his way in secret, it made life easier and quieter, his younger brother had always found that difficult, he didn’t think that you should pretend to hide your morals to give in to bullies, it had always left David being punished more, and being the second favourite son of Albert Spencer. 

He waited for the small nod from his father, dismissing him, he made his break for freedom, and just hoped that Lacey’s pile of junk car wouldn't break down in front of Albert’s house before they could drive off. James could think of very few things which would be more embarrassing.

“I expect to see you for dinner on Friday, as usual.” 

The words cut down James’ spine like a frozen knife. It wasn’t a request, it wasn’t an offer, it was an expectation, and James even now did not dare push his father. “Of course.” 

Chapter Text

James could feel the cardboard box beginning to split at the bottom as he carried it up the stairs, he really should have splurged on slightly more expensive boxes for the big move, but it didn’t really seem worth it. He finally got to the top of the flight of stairs, Lacey had left the front door open for him, he dashed in and placed the box on the floor next to the fireplace where all the other boxes were piled. 

“Yes!” He cheered, throwing his arms into the air as though he had just run a race and won. 

“Yeah!” Gideon had been stood looking outside of the window waiting for James to bring up all of his boxes. He had been told he had to stay away from the front door while it was open, his mother was moving the boxes into one of the rooms so he had been told to stay reading his book, but he had been watching James instead. Gideon cheered when he saw James cheering, and as soon as James held his hand up Gideon ran over and high fived him, both of them were beaming. 

“You officially moved in?” Lacey asked, her forehead was shining ever so slightly from the sweat of having moved several boxes of clothes and books and toys into the third bedroom. 

“I am.” James continued to smile, he felt Gideon lean against his side and he ruffled his hair out of habit, he continued to look at Lacey. “I really can take the spare room, I don’t want to push things too far…” He trailed off when he saw the look on Lacey’s face, her eyebrow was raised and she looked as though she was trying her best not to smile.

“James. This is like the eighth time you’ve checked, I promise that I want to share a room with you.” Her smile appeared on her face, a small smile, and she softened a little. “If this is moving too fast…” Her voice had quietened slightly, aware that her four year old was right there. 

“No. No, I want to, I swear, I was just making sure. I know you’ve been through things with other people.” His eyes flickered to Gideon who was looking around the apartment then back to Lacey. “I didn’t want to push too far.” He wanted to hold her hand, then reminded himself that he could do that now, he has been able to for months. He reached out and took her hand, her hand felt small in his, he was able to easily hold it and brush his thumb on the mountains of her knuckles. 

Lacey went up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Get your stuff into our room, Spencer.” She told him with a smirk. 

James couldn’t help but roll his eyes, but there was an unmistakable smile on his face, he stole another kiss from her and smirked like a thief when he pulled away. “Yes ma’am.” 

“Jamie I wanna help!” Gideon called to him, the kid was bubbling with excitement, bouncing on his toes. 

“Erm…” James quickly rooted through the last box he had carried upstairs. He found a photo album he wasn’t sure he had ever even looked through. “Can you carry this through for me?”

Gideon took it and held it close to his chest using both arms. “Yeah, I’ve got it.”

“Thanks buddy, you’re the best.” 

Lacey couldn’t help but smile as she watched her young son and her boyfriend interact. She was always so careful about introducing Gideon to anyone, even her friends, but with James, well it just felt right. She was still careful, of course, and James was even more so, never getting offended about if she had to cancel, volunteering to cover her shifts if she ever needed it, he had watched Gideon for her several times, and Gideon was always so happy to have him around. 

Which was why, five months later, she was moving out of her crappy small apartment into this much bigger crappy apartment. There was currently a bucket in the corner as the ceiling was leaking earlier when it was raining, James had already messaged the landlord who would be by the next morning, it wasn’t leaking anymore but she left the bucket there anyway just in case. 

The apartment was nowhere near the luxury of James’ house, well his father’s house, but it was miles better than her old apartment. This one had three bedrooms, which weren’t massive but there was in built closet space, and even a loft. There was new carpet in the bedrooms, and although the walls were bare with white paint, or white painted over brick, the landlord Mrs Wu told them that they could paint and even put up wallpaper so long as they didn’t damage it. There were already shelves up on the walls and in-built bookcases on either side of the old style fire, which was lucky as now there was plenty of space for the many, many books and vinyls James and Lacey owned. Even four year old Gideon had started to create his own collection of books.
They had been the most important thing Lacey had packed, along with a big old style standing record player she had found in a junk store, she had arranged for it to be delivered that day, along with the rest of the their furniture, all of it was second hand but they had all chosen it together and they could paint things if they needed it. 

“Mama.” Gideon barrelled into Lacey’s legs and he was swooped up into her arms. He laughed, not because anything was particularly funny, but because it was an exciting day. “I helped move all the boxes. Can I do some colouring for my room?” He asked. 

Lacey bit her lip. “Erm, well your things are in a box somewhere around here, I think we need to put some things away first though.” Her mind raced as she tried her best to think of something Gideon could do while they unpacked some of their things, she honestly wasn’t even sure that she had packed the old colouring books, they had been nearly finished and contained a younger Gideon’s scribbling. 

“I was thinking,” James interrupted walking over to meet the two of them, “maybe Gideon and I should go to the grocery store to get some ingredients for our first meal in our new home, I know that I’d be lost if I tried to figure out what to get on my own, I’d have no idea.” 

His tone of voice had taken on a style which was slightly louder as though he was trying to make sure that Gideon could hear him. He met her eyes and smiled when she started to smile. 

A frown flickered upon James’ face and Lacey felt her heart flutter, he was so often concerned which had worried her at first, but she had grown to realise it was because he cared so much, even about the little things. “What’s up?” She asked softly, his frown softened when he realised she had noticed it. 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay sorting out the deliveries alone?” He checked, he always respected her decisions, and she was the bravest person he had ever known, but he cared for her so much sometimes it hurt.
There was a couch being delivered, along with a dining table, chairs, and two beds, from the Goodwill. They had been assured that the delivery people would carry them up for them and set up anything which needed to be, and James wasn’t certain he could do much to help, he wasn’t out of shape but he also preferred libraries to gyms. 

“I’ll be fine, it’ll be easy to put them into place, probably easier without you two underfoot.” She smirked. “And it’ll be nice to have a homemade meal. What are you both thinking.” 

James looked at Gideon who shared a look with him. They both smiled. 

“It’s a surprise.” James told her. 

“Yup, you don’t get to know mama.” 

“You know he was a mama’s boy before you came around, don’t you?” Lacey playfully glared at her boyfriend before helping Gideon into his jacket.”

“He still is one, trust me.” James told her in a hushed tone before kissing her. He took hold of Gideon’s hand. “Come on, big man, let’s go.”

James and Gideon arrived back home around an hour later, in that time Lacey had managed to set up both her and James’ bed and Gideon’s bed. She had unpacked some things in the kitchen, a few plates and dishes, cutlery, and the basics required for cooking. She and James had been buying these things together and storing them with her when he was still living in his father’s home. She was onto Gideon’s toys into a lid-less bug plastic box in the living room when the boys entered. 

“Mama, we’re home!” 

Lacey looked up and saw her son beaming, they had lived in an apartment before, across town, but this place really did feel like their first home . 

Gideon was carrying a fern in a black pot, it was pressed to his chest with his arms wrapped around it. “We’re gonna make our own pizzas, we chose the things to put in it. And we got you presents!”

The fern was thrusted out to her and it was then that she realised that James had two in his own arms along with a few bags of groceries. 

James pressed a kiss to Lacey’s cheek. “I know you didn’t have plants at your old place, for a good reason, but I know that you miss it. You can still have good memories, even if you hate the place now. Your mom was part of the florist too.” His voice was soft and cautious as though afraid she would fracture. 

Lacey looked at the plants, a fearn, a leafy succulent, and a easter cactus, she remembered having one of those in her bedroom when she was a child. “I think that you might be right.” She admitted. 

“Wow, I’ll make sure to write that down in the history books.” James smirked. He had hidden his sense of humor since David had fallen into a coma,sometimes he had felt like he had fallen into a coma as well, but there was something about Lacey which drew it out of him.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it won't happen again.” She winked. She placed the plants in a row at the window. She remembered helping her mother water the houseplants in the mornings and she suddenly looked forward to doing the same with her child. She felt James take her hand as she stared at the plants for a minute. Then she finally broke out of her trance. “So, pizzas?” 

The three of them decorated the ready made pizza bases with tomato paste, a couple of different types of cheese, meats, onion, peppers, Lacey chose to add mushrooms to hers while James went for olives. Gideon ended up with sauce all over him, somehow, and the three of them settled down at the wobbly table to eat. 

The cloudy sky outside of the windows of Storybrooke General Hospital added a slightly grey dim to the ward despite the fluorescent lights.

The ward was not yet open to visitors but the lady moved from bedside to bedside, placing small jugs with daffodils on each table. She was a teacher, finally qualified and with her first class, yet she still volunteered at the hospital. She wanted to give back, she needed to, and the hospital seemed like the place to bet he ly had 

David Spencer had been led in the same bed for six years. His hair was clipped short and he was clean shaven, the nurses took care of that often enough. He was only just an adult when he had ended up in a coma, he had come of age and grown from a slightly scrawny teenager to a slightly scrawny adult, without him batting an eye.
He was in a separate room, he had the best insurance money could buy, thanks to his father, yet he only ever had one visitor, twice a week, more during the holidays, his identical twin brother. 

The volunteer, the teacher, Mary , moved into David’s room. “Here you go, Mr Spencer, something to brighten your room, it’s so warm outside yet it’s still grey skies. Perhaps you’ll wake up soon and the sun will come out.” She suggested lightly. “Your brother will be here tomorrow, so will I.” She promises, she didn’t know if he could hear her but she said it anyway.

Chapter Text

“Well hey there stranger.” 

James let out a laugh as he moved behind the bar. He accepted the hug from Roni, he hadn’t been comfortable when she had first done it but she was persistent and he had changed since he had first got the job at her bar, since he had met Belle. 

“Hey Roni.” When she finally let go of him he moved into her small office she had a cable plugged into the wall he slipped his phone from his pocket and plugged it in, it had died during the car ride. The screen lit up and he headed back to the behind the bar. Roni was there smiling at him, he had found that she was impossible not to like, but she was also fiercely protective: even his father avoided her. 

“It’s been a month. You don’t call, you don’t write.”

James chuckled at her fake dramatics. He held his hands up in fake surrender. “Sorry, sorry, we’ll send postcards next time we’re off.” 

Roni laughed, he had changed so much since she had first met him, she hoped that it was in part due to her, but she knew that Belle took most of the credit. Judging by his happy smile, the spring in his step, and the lack of stress lines on his face, moving out of his father’s house had done him the world of good. She was about to say something when two groups of people came into the bar, instead of finding tables they headed straight for the bar, so she didn’t have time. 

The two of them set to work, pouring pints and straight liquor, and crafting fancy cocktails, they were both perfectionists so they were more focused on these productions than talking. 

The night was busy, there were some bars in the area, but Roni’s was famous for being cheap but not a dive, so it brought plenty of regulars, and semi-regulars, and every friday night a string of soon to be regulars - as soon as they found out how awesome the place was. Roni knew (from the way a particular hen party kept coming back to the bar for any excuse and standing with the backs to her, so James would serve them) that plenty of people came back for her barman, the same happened when Lacey worked. 

It took over an hour for them to hit a slight lull where they could actually talk. 

James asked her some questions, how it was going at the pub while he and Lacey hadn’t been there, how a couple of the new weekday hires were going, how her ongoing feud with the owner of the english style pub down the road was going, that sort of thing.

“Okay enough about me.” She told him finally. “How’s the new apartment? How’s living with Lace?” She gave him a knowing look, telling him that she had noticed all the flirty looks and glances between the two and was bored of watching them not act. 

“It’s good, really good,” James was unable to stop himself from smiling and slightly bouncing on his toes as he tried to sound casual, “Lacey’s good, so’s Gideon- oh she meant to tell me to invite you for dinner one day when you’re free. 

“And you and Lacey?” She folded her arms over her ripped band t-shirt and gave him her ‘no bullshit’ look. 

“Well…” James spoke slowly. “There’s three bedrooms. One bedroom is Gideon’s, we even painted it for him, and then the third bedroom currently holds any unpacked boxes….”

“Finally!” She shouted, throwing her arms into the air. “Tell your girlfriend that if you guys ever need a babysitter I am right here, it’s been a long time since I’ve babysat him, auntie Roni has plenty to teach him.”

“As long as you don’t teach him how to make cocktails.” 

“Of course I wouldn’t!”

“You taught me how to make them, and that was way before you hired me.”

“Well, he’s a baby, you’re just babyfaced.” She teased jokingly squeezing his cheek. He rolled his eyes but laughed regardless. 

“We’ve had a few dates, dates in and out, and we’ve been spending a lot of time with the three of us together.” The two of them had saved up enough paychecks and were saving enough on the rent that they had been able to take holidays from Roni’s and from the bookstore. 

“Well you look very happy. I know I tease, but I am really proud of you, both of you.” 

James dropped his head to hide his proud smile. “Thanks Roni, it’s all thanks to this place, and you for giving me a job.” 

“You taking the chance and moving out of your childhood home is all on you, kid.” She told him sincerely. “How’s Gideon taking the move?” 

“Brilliantly, the apartment’s a lot bigger than that dark, damp loft Lacey had before so he’s got all of his toys out instead of most of them packed away, and we even have a garden behind the bodega we’ve all been planting flowers, Lacey knows all about them and Gideon has some little kids encyclopedias about gardening. I was reading him a bedtime story before I came to work tonight, well three, that’s probably why he always wants me to read them.” He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“That’s good, really good.” She paused to pour a jack and coke for someone who had walked up to the bar carrying their empty class. Once she was gone she turned to James who was wiping down the sticky bar. She hesitated before speaking. “Have you heard from your dad? Since moving out, I mean.” 

James’ constant smile fell. Then he finally nodded. He looked down at the dark wooden floor. “Yeah, I have, he texts every Thursday evening to remind me about our long standing Friday night dinner. Then it’s just a three hour weekly ordeal.”

“James, you no longer live with him, you don’t have to go.” Her normally somewhat brusk voice was now low and careful. 

“I do.” He looked back up at her a bittersweet smile on his face. “My father, he has his fingers in many pies, a lot of them even I have no idea about. It’s safer I go, at least this way he’s not demanding that Lacey and Gideon come, I don’t trust what he’ll do if I don’t go.” 

Roni didn’t know what to do, what could she do? There wasn’t anything? She knew James was right, there was a reason that Albert Spencer was treated so carefully by everyone. So she was left to just squeeze his arm. Luckily a large group came into the bar bringing their ruckus with them. James told her he was going to clear up some glasses, and she was left to refill drinks and pour new ones. 

They worked together for some hours, James wasn’t as happy or upbeat as he had been earlier, but he was better the further they got from their conversation about Albert. James was nearly back to his old, well new , self by the time that another barman came in to join them and Roni told him she was going to go over the accounts in her office. 

It was half an hour that she came out, the landline phone in her hands. James had just been joking with Sean, the other barman. 

“James!” She yelled for the third time before he finally heard her and turned around.

James was smiling but it dropped when he saw her serious face.

“They had tried to call your cell phone but you must not have any service.” 

James took the phone slowly but his eyes were on Roni, he had never seen her like this, she was biting her lip and looking around nervously as she ushered him into the quiet office. “Hello, James Spencer speaking?” 

“Hello, Mr Spencer? This is the New Hope hospital, we’re calling about your brother, Mr David Spencer?” 

James’ heart dropped. He waited to hear the words he had always dreaded, that David had become brain dead, that he had died. 

“He’s awake.” 

“What?” Jame’s voice came out harsh as though he hadn’t spoken that day. 

“Your brother has woken up, he’s fully alert, though understandably confused. We’d like for you to come here so we can brief you fully.” 

“I’m on my way.” He said, barely letting them get out their words, he didn’t take in the platitude they expressed before he hung up. He turned and saw Roni standing in the doorway. “I have to-”

“Go.” She instructed him firmly, she passed him over his cellphone.” 

When James got to David’s ward it was busier than he had ever seen. David had a room at the very end, it had a wall of glass where he would normally see him, but it was full of white dressed nurses and doctors. He pushed into the room. 

He sucked in a breath. David was in the bed, in the blue pyjamas James had taken in for him a few months earlier, but for once his eyes were wide open. His hair was longer than James, but he was clean shaven by the nurses, and he was pale and skinnier due to the years inside and in a coma. He looked nervous, jumpy, scared . David had always been so brave, it was nearly as weird to see him being scared than being in a coma, he looked so young when he was like this. James was fairly certain that the nurses were standing trying to keep him in the bed, he looked, to James, like he was about to do a runner. 

“Davey.” His voice was barely above a whisper but David’s head snapped towards his own.

“Jamie.” 

David’s voice was about one second away from transforming into tears, James didn’t care about the wires monitoring him he pushed past the crowd and pulled him into a big hug. David buried his face into James’ neck to try and hide the tears which David could feel soaking into his neck and his t’shirt. His hand went to the back of David’s head, down his hair to rest on the back of his head, squeezing it firmly, not to hurt him but to ground him. “I’m here. I’m here, Davey, it’s okay.” 

“Where am I?” 

He strained to hear his voice. “You’re in hospital, you, you were in an accident, you got hurt, your brain, they, you ended up in a coma for a while.”

“A coma?” 

“Yeah, you were, you were asleep for a while, your brain needed to heal. I’ve been visiting you every week, waiting for you to wake up. It’s okay, I’m here.” He soothed quietly. 

James didn’t know if they were like that for a couple of minutes or more but eventually David stopped crying and pulled away. 

“What?” He asked the doctors and nurses. There were tears he didn’t realise had fallen rolling down his cheeks.

“Sometimes they just wake up.” Dr Whale told him, James was certain the guy just didn’t know. 

“I was in here, putting flowers in, telling him about my day.” A meek woman spoke up. She was wearing a visitor's badge, it took James a second to place her, she was a volunteer he had seen often, she seemed to be here all the time in fact, Mary Margaret. She didn’t seem as meek as normal, she was staring at David as though hoping to help him but she didn’t know how, none of them did. “He took hold of my hand, and then, the next second, he was awake.”

“Out of my way.” 

James stiffened hearing Albert’s voice, he turned ever so slightly, his father was shouldering his way in. One of the doctors or nurses must have called him. He seemed stoic while looking at David. 

“David.” 

“Who- who are you?” David asked quietly. He turned to look at James. “I don’t know who he is, who any of these people are, Jamie, I don’t… I don’t know anything.” 

James watched for a second as David broke into tears before pulling him into another hug. He could hear the doctor telling their father about amnesia, but James didn’t care, he just held his twin as tight as they had held each other when they were children. 

James didn’t know what to do other than to hold David, he didn’t know how to fix him, he didn’t know what to say to soothe him.