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Description
A/N: This one shot takes place sometime before Derek and Angie come to Caduceus.  I’ve been wanting to write something with Victor lately and seeing as how well received my original character, Jessie, was I decided to write a cute little brother and sister drabble.

Were It Not For Me

Victor never took vacations.  Ever.

Hell with vacations - Sidney was lucky if he could get the researcher to stay home on his days off without a fight.  Not that it mattered much.  As stubborn as Victor may have been, he was no match for the younger Kasal twin, and the standoff always ended with him going home, grumbling.

His addiction to work was universally known throughout the hospital.  The lab, as some would put it, was his natural habitat.

Case in point – Victor never took vacations.

Except for February 12th and 13th.

Every year, he would fly to Seattle one day, fly back the next and be in the lab before dawn of the third.

He never breathed a word of what was significant about those days, and no one every asked.  Not as though they would have gotten an answer if they tried.

So no one ever questioned it.  Whenever the 12th of February rolled around, they simply stood aside and let their head of Research and Development venture off to the Emerald City, whispered rumors and theories bubbled in his wake as to what could possibly be so important to him there.

-----
February 12th, 2018

The dark clouds above the city looked intimidating.  Their bruised purple against the sun that desperately tried to shine through was enough to make anyone shrink away.  Yet, the most they had done that day was let out a gentle whisper of rain, pouring a soothing melody all through the streets.  Not as much as a single rumble of thunder interrupted their song.

It was enough to lull even the toughest insomniac to sleep.

Victor covered his mouth as he yawned, his long trench coat wrapped around him, protecting himself and a small parcel he carried from the rain.  He let out a sigh as he pushed open the doors leading to an apartment complex, flicking his wet bangs from his forehead.  A puff of warm air from the indoor heating greeted him.  He was relieved to be out of the rain, though the unease of his task spread through him much like the warmth that thawed him.

He savored the indoor heating and was almost completely dry by the time he reached the fifth floor.  He quickly sought out his destination and knocked on the door.

A strip of light sliced through the dark apartment as the door peeled open, illuminating the dark haired woman on the other side.  She looked up at him with her usual stare until a small hint of warmth blink into them.

“Ah, Victor.” she said.  “To what do I owe the horror?”

“You should know.  The one thing I’d actually come to this water logged city for.”

She stepped back to let him in and sighed softly.  “I know.  My co-workers made it appoint to remind me all day long.” she murmured.  Shutting the door behind him, she stuffed her hands into her oversized hoodie’s pockets.

“Would it kill you if you were reminded one more time?”

“It might . . .” she said, looking at her feet.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

She laughed briefly at that but did not life her gaze.

Victor pulled the box from his coat.  “Happy birthday, Jessie.”

Jessie looked up at him with a small smile.  She walked over and tightly wrapped her arms around her brother.  Still hugging him, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek as he handed her the box.  “Let’s sit down.”

They walked towards her couch, sitting as she placed the box on the coffee table.  Victor crossed his arms as he leaned back, watching Jessie slowly tear off the wrapping paper.  “Dad called me today . . .” she said without looking up.

“Yeah?” Victor arched a brow.  “How’s he doing?”

“He’s fine . . . but,” she murmured off as she pulled the last piece of paper away.  “Victor . . . you got me African Violets?”

She looked over at him and he lightly shrugged folded his arms.  “I figured you could use them for your garden.”

“Yeah, I was looking for something new to plant.”  She carefully removed the flowers from the box, cradling the pot to her chest as she planted a small kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you, Victor.”

“Meh . . . don’t mention it . .”

Jessie got up and placed the flowers on a table by her window, admiring their color in the grey tinted light.  Shadowed raindrops dripped off its petals, seemingly washing the plant with the sky’s somber hue.  She stroked the flower, contrasting her touch with an astute stare.  “I’ll plant these tomorrow before work.  I know the perfect spot for them.”

She turned and joined her brother on the couch.  Drawing her knees to her chest, she rested her chin on them as her hoodie sleeves draped past her knuckles.  Victor draped an arm over the back of the couch and slouched against it.  The two were content to share mutual silence, though Victor could tell her mind was anything but.  “Hey, Jessie . . .” she turned towards him.  “Are you . . . feeling okay?”

She blinked, pushing her cheek against her knee as she looked at the floor.

“I can’t help but think.”  Another sigh escaped her as her eyes grew sad.  “When I was talking to Dad . . . he sounded so . . .  lonely . . .”

Victor stiffened at that.  Sometimes being a genius could be frustrating.  He could perform calculus in his head and solve a complex puzzles in no time.  Yet, for all his intellect, he could not think of a single thing to say.  Victor clenched his fists as he moved towards his sister.  Her head was down, hiding her face behind a draped curtain of hair.  “Jessie . .?”

He cursed as he heard a sniffle.  “Dammit . . .” she murmured.  Victor sighed as he brushed her hair behind her ear.  Her eyes were tightly clenched, tears squeezing through her lashes.

“G-God dammit . . .” she choked. “It’s . . . my f-f . .”

“No!” Victor snapped, grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards him.  “Don’t.  You.  Dare finish that sentence, Jessie!”

She bit her lip as she looked up at him.  “But . . . if it weren’t for me . . .” she clenched her teeth as tears ran down her face.  Victor carefully brushed the salt water from her eyes.

“Listen to me.  It wasn’t your fault.  You’re a smart girl, Jessie.  Why do we have to go through this over and over again?”

“Because you don’t understand.  I know nobody blames me for what happened, but that’s not the point.  I feel like such an idiot, getting upset over something like this.  I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve ruined your life . .”

“You didn’t ruin my life!”  Victor tilted her chin up to look at him.  “And you didn’t ruin Dad’s.  C’mon, stop crying.”

With a bit lip, Jessie took in a breath and attempted to swallow her anguish.  She angrily wiped her tears on her sleeve and snapped her head away from him, gritting her teeth as she stared at the floor.  “I’m sorry.” she said, pausing as she fought to contain a sob which threatened to shake her body.  Within the struggle to keep her sorrow contained, she clenched her eyes shut, only to open them when she felt her brother’s arms wrap around her shoulders.  With a sigh, she allowed her head to collapse on his chest and silently cursed herself when a fresh set to tears stained his shirt.

“I hate my birthday . . .”

“I don’t.” Victor mumbled, gently stroking her hair.

No, what Victor hated was not being able to make her feel better, for failing her as a brother.  For not being able to protect her when she needed him the most.

He sighed.  “God dammit . . .”

Description
A/N: This one shot takes place sometime before Derek and Angie come to Caduceus.  I’ve been wanting to write something with Victor lately and seeing as how well received my original character, Jessie, was I decided to write a cute little brother and sister drabble.

Were It Not For Me

Victor never took vacations.  Ever.

Hell with vacations - Sidney was lucky if he could get the researcher to stay home on his days off without a fight.  Not that it mattered much.  As stubborn as Victor may have been, he was no match for the younger Kasal twin, and the standoff always ended with him going home, grumbling.

His addiction to work was universally known throughout the hospital.  The lab, as some would put it, was his natural habitat.

Case in point – Victor never took vacations.

Except for February 12th and 13th.

Every year, he would fly to Seattle one day, fly back the next and be in the lab before dawn of the third.

He never breathed a word of what was significant about those days, and no one every asked.  Not as though they would have gotten an answer if they tried.

So no one ever questioned it.  Whenever the 12th of February rolled around, they simply stood aside and let their head of Research and Development venture off to the Emerald City, whispered rumors and theories bubbled in his wake as to what could possibly be so important to him there.

-----
February 12th, 2018

The dark clouds above the city looked intimidating.  Their bruised purple against the sun that desperately tried to shine through was enough to make anyone shrink away.  Yet, the most they had done that day was let out a gentle whisper of rain, pouring a soothing melody all through the streets.  Not as much as a single rumble of thunder interrupted their song.

It was enough to lull even the toughest insomniac to sleep.

Victor covered his mouth as he yawned, his long trench coat wrapped around him, protecting himself and a small parcel he carried from the rain.  He let out a sigh as he pushed open the doors leading to an apartment complex, flicking his wet bangs from his forehead.  A puff of warm air from the indoor heating greeted him.  He was relieved to be out of the rain, though the unease of his task spread through him much like the warmth that thawed him.

He savored the indoor heating and was almost completely dry by the time he reached the fifth floor.  He quickly sought out his destination and knocked on the door.

A strip of light sliced through the dark apartment as the door peeled open, illuminating the dark haired woman on the other side.  She looked up at him with her usual stare until a small hint of warmth blink into them.

“Ah, Victor.” she said.  “To what do I owe the horror?”

“You should know.  The one thing I’d actually come to this water logged city for.”

She stepped back to let him in and sighed softly.  “I know.  My co-workers made it appoint to remind me all day long.” she murmured.  Shutting the door behind him, she stuffed her hands into her oversized hoodie’s pockets.

“Would it kill you if you were reminded one more time?”

“It might . . .” she said, looking at her feet.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

She laughed briefly at that but did not life her gaze.

Victor pulled the box from his coat.  “Happy birthday, Jessie.”

Jessie looked up at him with a small smile.  She walked over and tightly wrapped her arms around her brother.  Still hugging him, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek as he handed her the box.  “Let’s sit down.”

They walked towards her couch, sitting as she placed the box on the coffee table.  Victor crossed his arms as he leaned back, watching Jessie slowly tear off the wrapping paper.  “Dad called me today . . .” she said without looking up.

“Yeah?” Victor arched a brow.  “How’s he doing?”

“He’s fine . . . but,” she murmured off as she pulled the last piece of paper away.  “Victor . . . you got me African Violets?”

She looked over at him and he lightly shrugged folded his arms.  “I figured you could use them for your garden.”

“Yeah, I was looking for something new to plant.”  She carefully removed the flowers from the box, cradling the pot to her chest as she planted a small kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you, Victor.”

“Meh . . . don’t mention it . .”

Jessie got up and placed the flowers on a table by her window, admiring their color in the grey tinted light.  Shadowed raindrops dripped off its petals, seemingly washing the plant with the sky’s somber hue.  She stroked the flower, contrasting her touch with an astute stare.  “I’ll plant these tomorrow before work.  I know the perfect spot for them.”

She turned and joined her brother on the couch.  Drawing her knees to her chest, she rested her chin on them as her hoodie sleeves draped past her knuckles.  Victor draped an arm over the back of the couch and slouched against it.  The two were content to share mutual silence, though Victor could tell her mind was anything but.  “Hey, Jessie . . .” she turned towards him.  “Are you . . . feeling okay?”

She blinked, pushing her cheek against her knee as she looked at the floor.

“I can’t help but think.”  Another sigh escaped her as her eyes grew sad.  “When I was talking to Dad . . . he sounded so . . .  lonely . . .”

Victor stiffened at that.  Sometimes being a genius could be frustrating.  He could perform calculus in his head and solve a complex puzzles in no time.  Yet, for all his intellect, he could not think of a single thing to say.  Victor clenched his fists as he moved towards his sister.  Her head was down, hiding her face behind a draped curtain of hair.  “Jessie . .?”

He cursed as he heard a sniffle.  “Dammit . . .” she murmured.  Victor sighed as he brushed her hair behind her ear.  Her eyes were tightly clenched, tears squeezing through her lashes.

“G-God dammit . . .” she choked. “It’s . . . my f-f . .”

“No!” Victor snapped, grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards him.  “Don’t.  You.  Dare finish that sentence, Jessie!”

She bit her lip as she looked up at him.  “But . . . if it weren’t for me . . .” she clenched her teeth as tears ran down her face.  Victor carefully brushed the salt water from her eyes.

“Listen to me.  It wasn’t your fault.  You’re a smart girl, Jessie.  Why do we have to go through this over and over again?”

“Because you don’t understand.  I know nobody blames me for what happened, but that’s not the point.  I feel like such an idiot, getting upset over something like this.  I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve ruined your life . .”

“You didn’t ruin my life!”  Victor tilted her chin up to look at him.  “And you didn’t ruin Dad’s.  C’mon, stop crying.”

With a bit lip, Jessie took in a breath and attempted to swallow her anguish.  She angrily wiped her tears on her sleeve and snapped her head away from him, gritting her teeth as she stared at the floor.  “I’m sorry.” she said, pausing as she fought to contain a sob which threatened to shake her body.  Within the struggle to keep her sorrow contained, she clenched her eyes shut, only to open them when she felt her brother’s arms wrap around her shoulders.  With a sigh, she allowed her head to collapse on his chest and silently cursed herself when a fresh set to tears stained his shirt.

“I hate my birthday . . .”

“I don’t.” Victor mumbled, gently stroking her hair.

No, what Victor hated was not being able to make her feel better, for failing her as a brother.  For not being able to protect her when she needed him the most.

He sighed.  “God dammit . . .”