"Kevin…"

Kevin turned around a bit in his sleep to see what his husband wanted at this god-forsaken hour.

"Mhm…?" Came his sleepy reply.

"I'm not well."

Kevin was suddenly wide awake. Scotty sat up in bed, and he was pale.

"I'm having trouble breathing."

"What?" Kevin sat up next to him putting a supportive arm on Scotty's thigh. "Trouble as in I should get you a glass of water, or as in we should go to the ER?"

"I'm sure it's nothing." Scotty answers, lightly gasping after air. "I just wanted you to be awake… in case…"

They sit together in bed for a while, Kevin stroking Scotty's thigh until Scotty grabs hold of the sheet under him, taking in a deep breath of air.

"Okay, we're going to the ER. Get dressed." Kevin is quickly out of bed and in clothes. He grabs his car keys and waits for Scotty by the front door. He comes out of the bedroom, walking slowly.

"I'm a bit dizzy."

Kevin puts his arm round Scotty's waist.

"It's gonna be alright." With his free had Kevin sends a message to his mother. Scotty in er, i call when i know, tell everyone in the morning.

Kevin looks at the time. It's slightly past four AM, but he sends the message anyway. If he knows his mother right the whole family will know by breakfast.

--

One hour later Scotty is submitted in the hospital and a doctor checks his lungs and heart beat. Kevin sits on a chair looking at them. The doctor tells Scotty to cough, which makes him gasp for air even more. Kevin is playing with his wedding ring, and Scotty thinks he look like a vulnerable child hearing his parents argue.

"Mr. Wandell," The doctor looks at his chart when he's done with his exam. "I want a more extensive check of your lungs and your body's ability to absorb oxygen. Nurse Johnson will bring you to the laboratory to do this." The doctor turns to Kevin. "You will have to wait in the waiting room."

Kevin caresses Scotty's arm and smiles. He wants to be supportive, and hopes his smile doesn't show off how scared he is. He isn't ready for Scotty to be ill or sick, he just wants them to be happy newly-weds.

Kevin walks out into the waiting area, and somehow he's not chocked to meet his mother and all his siblings. He walks right into Nora's arms and hug her tight.

"It'll be alright, sweetie." He hears her whisper softly to him, while rocking him slowly back and fourth.

--

"Mr. Walker?" A doctor entered the waiting room an hour later and the whole Walker family stood up. They had silently been waiting for more information on what was wrong with Scotty. Kevin took a step forward.

"Yes?"

"Your husband is okay, the breathing difficulties are most likely to be stress related."

"Most likely?" Kevin has worked with twisting words too long to let that formulation pass.

"We can't find anything wrong with his blood, his heart is beating steadily in spite of the loss of oxygen and his lungs are flawless. He's overall in good shape."

"So what now?"

"I will offer him to be listed sick for a couple of weeks." The doctor gestures towards Kevin to follow him. They walk into a small examination room.

"I will be honest, Mr. Walker." Kevin knows it will come now, there's got to be some catch. "These things aren't that uncommon anymore, we see them all the time. Very seldom when someone has these symptoms, they go away after one hospital visit."

The doctor looked understanding and caring, but Kevin had problems understanding what he was getting at. Yes, Scotty worked a lot, apparently too much. He would just have to cut back a bit, and rest more. Problem solved, no?

"Your husband will hopefully accept the sick-listing and stay at home for a couple of weeks, but chances are that it he likes being occupied, he will continue to be so. Stress-related issues are not only provocated from work and other tasks, but also from the patient themselves."

What was the doctor trying to say? If someone knew how to take care of themselves, it was Scotty. He worked out, he ate healthy and he slept a lot.

"This may be difficult for you too to comprehend, but you are also probably the best person to help him." The doctor looked a bit sad. Kevin glanced at his watch, it's not even six.

"That's all I can do right now, Mr. Walker." The doctor moved in direction of the door. Kevin lingered in the room, not sure what it was that the doctor had actually told him.

"You can see him now, he's down the corridor."

Kevin exited the room and Nora was there right next to him in seconds.

"How is he?" Sarah caresses her brother's back. The rest of them gather around. Kevin realizes neither of them actually know what is going on, why they are there at all.

"He's okay. He's got trouble breathing due to stress." Kevin's sarcasm is back, now as a defense more than ever. "We can see him." Kevin wipes his eyes, even though he's successfully managed to hold back his tears all night.

Kevin enters the room where Scotty is laying. Nora has held back the rest of the family to give the two of them some time alone.

Scotty is smiling, if so a bit strained. Kevin walks over and takes his hand, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.

"Thank you."

Scotty laughs a bit.

"For what?" He looks hesitant to why he should earn a thanks at this moment.

"For being okay. For being you." Kevin buries his head in Scotty's side, and Scotty entwine his fingers in Kevin's hair.

"You have to take time off. Do nothing." Kevin lifts his head a bit. "Forever."

"I will, sweetie." Scotty knew he had to, but he also knew it would be hard. The doctor had talked to him about it, and proclaimed to him that he could easily get worse if he didn't.

Kevin sat up again.

"We have to call your parents."

Scotty exhaled and a frown appeared on his face.

"Why?"

Kevin understood him, he really did. They hadn't even been able to swallow their own beliefs for their son's wedding and happiness, so why should Scotty still feel obliged to notify them about his life.

"Because." Kevin tried a smile and a squeeze of Scotty's hand.

Just then there was a knock by the door. Nora peeked in through the open door.

"Can we come in?" She didn't await an answer but entered, followed by her four other children.

"Why are you all here?" Scotty didn't know if he should be flattered or just uncomfortable for being the reason all these people were awake much too early.

"Of course we are here." Kitty explains. She had been up only minutes after her mother had called, and since she had been wondering if everyone would've done the same for Robert. They probably would've, but if they had done it with the same care, Kitty doesn't want to think about.

"Yeah, have you met us?" Justin leans against the window frame.

"Exactly. We're here for you, whatever you need." Sarah says, and the rest agrees with nods.

"Now Scotty, you will have to work less and let Kevin serve you."

"Mom!"

"What, Kevin? We're doing this as a family. Together." The smile she shoots Scotty relaxes him a lot. He knows they aren't there because they have to, but because he's family. He smiles back and again squeezes Kevin's hand.