Josh couldn't do anything but stare.

Tyler was still standing, blood seeping through his fingers and dripping to the ground . He was making pained noises, and each whimper or gasp felt like a knife stabbing into Josh's heart. He wanted to help, to save the boy, but he was frozen in place.

Brendon made his way over to them. "Guys, we- oh, shit."

Josh finally willed himself to move. He looked to Brendon, and then back to Tyler, who was squeezing his eyes shut and stumbling, hitting the wall. Josh shot forward and caught him as his legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground.

"Okay, it's a shoulder wound, so he'll probably live," Brendon said. "We just have to stop the bleeding, okay? We need to get him out of here. Josh, search for the nearest hospital."

Josh barely registered the word. He just held Tyler, watching as the boy's face twisted into a mixture of pained expressions. His hand hovered over the wound, watching as blood lapped over Tyler's hand and stained his shirt. There was so much blood.

"Josh!" Brendon snapped. "Hospitals!"

Josh blinked and pulled himself out of his daze. He fumbled for his phone and quickly went into Google Maps. He watched as Brendon kneeled next to Tyler. He took his belt off and wrapped it around Tyler's shoulder, pulling it quickly and tightly. Tyler groaned in pain and tried to crawl away from Brendon, but the man held him in place.

Josh looked at his phone, his lip beginning to tremble. "Bren, there isn't a hospital for miles. It says- it says it'll take an hour and a half to get him there. Bren, is that too long?"

Brendon cursed under his breath. He looked behind him, to Mr. Dun, who was still unconscious. "Call the police. Tell them about your dad kidnapping Tyler. They won't arrive for arrive for a while, and we have to be gone before we get there, so we're gonna have to deal with this ourselves. Pick him up, okay?"

Josh nodded, his mouth agape as he tried to process the situation. He picked up Tyler, who whimpered and let out a choked sob at the movement. Josh bit his lip, holding back his own cries, and followed Brendon out of the door. Brendon opened his car and began to rummage through it for something. Josh set Tyler down on the pavement and dialled 911.

He turned to the house and silently thanked God when he saw a clear address printed on the mailbox. He spoke to the operator, not giving many details and running on autopilot. He told them about the kidnapping, but that he would be taking Tyler to the hospital himself. He knew that him and Brendon couldn't be at the scene, or it would unfold their entire web of lies. His words became shaky as he watched Brendon pull a knife and a lighter out of a medical kit from the car.

Josh hung up after hearing the promise that the police were coming. He watched as Brendon poured vodka over the knife. The man tore a bit of his shirt off and scrunched it up before handing it to Tyler.

"Bite down on this," he instructed. "Josh, hold him still. All of this is gonna hurt like hell."

Josh gripped Tyler's arm and pulled the boy into his lap. He softly stroked his hair, shakily whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Brendon tore Tyler's t-shirt open, making the boy let out a gasp of pain that was muffled by the fabric in his mouth. The man took a deep breath, taking a moment to pull himself together, before pouring the vodka all over Tyler's shoulder.

The t-shirt barely muffled Tyler's anguished cries. He writhed in Josh's arms, begging for an escape. His chest was moving up and down rapidly, his breathing growing uneven. Brendon shot him a look of sincere sympathy before -quite literally- digging into his wound.

After a few moments of the most terrible screaming that Josh had ever heard, Brendon had removed the bullet and Tyler had passed out. Josh closed his eyes, hoping for a tiny moment that, when he opened them, this would all just be a bad dream.

The smell of burning flesh make Josh choke on his own breath, his eyes flying open as he watched Brendon press a lighter to Tyler's shoulder, cauterising the injury. Tyler was unconscious, but Josh still felt the need to pull him closer, his grip tightening almost painfully. He coughed, desperately trying to forget the smell of Tyler's own skin burning and the sight of it bubbling, scarring forever.

Brendon gently wrapped a bandage around Tyler's shoulder and began to clean some of the blood. It had stained everything, so it wasn't much of a difference, but it was something. When he was done, he helped Josh lift Tyler into the backseat. They lay him across Josh's lap so the older boy could cradle him, and Brendon got in the front.

Josh silently handed his friend his phone, where the directions to the hospital were open. He nodded and took it, his eyes solemn. Josh leant his head against the window, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. It was to no avail, though, and he leant forward, sobbing into Tyler's hair.