a/n: Episode Tag: The Space In Between. Spoilers. READ . . .

One Or The Other

Nathan stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at an unconsious Clay who was only alive at the moment because he was on a resperater that was breathing for him. Nathan's leg bounced as he chewed on his thumb nail. Clay's organs were failing, slowly but surely, and Nathan wasn't sure he would be able to handle it if Clay never woke up again. Nathan nearly jumped out of his skin as the Doctor that was seeing over Clay's care silently walked into the room.

"I was wondering, Doc . . . What are the odds of a kidney becoming avaliable?" Nathan asked worriedly.

"It's hard to say, finding the right match could take some time."

"Does he have much time?" Nathan forced the sudden lupm in his throat down.

"No."

Nathan swallowed. "Take mine. He can have one of my kidney's."

"Well Nathan, we're not even sure that you're a match."

"Let's find out." Nathan told him.

"It's a wonderful jesture, and a noble one. But, you need to know something; you give him a kidney, your basketball career is over."

Nathan really didn't need to think about it, what was his career worth to Clay's life? None, his career wouldn't mean anything if it weren't for Clay, he wouldn't even have a career with the Bob Cats if Clay hadn't taken him in - hadn't been his agent. If he could, Nathan would cut his kidney out himself, but first he had to see he was a match . . . and then he had to talk to Haley.

"We could lead a normal life, I just wouldn't . . . be able to play basketball." Nathan reasoned.

"Wouldn't you still be able to play?" Haley furrowed her brows in concern.

"There are cases, but it rare and I wouldn't be one of them." Nathan conceded.

"Maybe we can find a donner." Haley trid, but to no avail.

"He's getting worse, Hales. What if that were me in there?" Nathan knew it was a low shot, but he needed her to understand. "What would you say to Clay?"

"Well, that's not fair. Clay could still work his job . . . I don't know, baby, you've worked so hard."

"They ran some tests on my back," Nathan said softly. "It's getting worse."

". . . What?" Haley was shocked.

"I didn't tell you because of Clay, and Brooke, and everything - you just had so much to deal with. My back is degenerating, I could maybe play this season, even next and it could be fine, but nobody can really say for sure. The only thing that I know for sure is that if I do this for Clay - I save his life." Nathan confessed

Nathan let out the breath that he didn't know he had been holding; it actually felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He hadn't known until now that he didn't think he woulod be able to go throught with it if Haley had dissapgreed, but he was thatkful that she had. Now there was the chance that he would be able to save Clay life - all he had to do was wait for the results and see if he was a match.

"We ran the tests, and you're a perfect match, Nathan."

A relieved smile broke across Nathan's face and grinned down at the comotose Clay. He had no idea what would have happened if his kidney wasn't a match, but it was, and now he didn't have to worry about that. Nathan wasn't quite sure how a kidney transplant worked, but he was sure that it didn't work the way it did in movies where the donner and patient are in the same opperating room and they give each other a big speech before they were knocked out. He had been right of course. The surgury had taken place the next day, before he could go in they had to flush out his kidney - which felt very odd. The last thing that Nathan saw before he lost consiousness was the bright floesent light overhead and people with masked faces.

Nathan blinked his eyes open, his head groggy and his vision blurred - but not enough so that he couldn't recognize the beautiful caramel brown eyes that stared down at him. Haley gave a sigh of relief and a gently smile graced her lips as she looked down at the now consious Nathan, though her brow was still creased slightly with her worry. Nathan gave her a lop-sided grin.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey yourself," she whispered back, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.

"How'd it go, Hale's?" he asked, eager to hear the news.

Haley gave him a gentle smile. "The Doctor said that the surgery went better than they had expected; they're going to keep you here for a few more days to make that an infection." she didn't say anything more.

Nathan stared at her, his stomach tightening into a knot. His painkiller were already wearing off, but he ignored the pain and pushed himself up. A protest lay and wait on the edge of Haley's tongue, but she forced it back; knowing that Nathan wouldn't have laid back down even if she had.

"Haley . . .?" he voice came out strained, and Haley knew that it was from the surgery.

"You heard what the Doctor said before you went to surgery, Nathan." Haley told him quietly. "Even though you were a match, there was the chance that Clay's body might reject it."

Nathan's breath hitched, what was she trying to say? Did his kidney not take? Was Clay dying or dead? Did he give up his career, his kidney for nothing? There was a beep form a matchine behind him and a pup was activated as the heart monitor picked up on his panick attack. Morphene was introduced into his blood stream and he felt it take effect almost instanlty. The painkillers loosened his tight muscles and he fell back against the bed painlessly, his eye slightly glazed as he stared at the ceilling.

"He's fine," Haley breathed out in a panick. "He's just recovering more slowly then the Doctors would prefer." his eyes slowly closed with the relief of the news.

Nathan opened his eyes and found Clay looking at him. Nathan gave him a small as he shifted in his wheelchair that was set next to Clay's bed. A grimance crossed his face as he flet the still fresh stiches pull in his incision. He looked back at Clay.

"It's about time you woke up," Nathan gave him a grin, but Clay's lips didn't even twitch in return.

"You did something really stupid, Nathan." Clay said, his voice level.

Nathan furrowed his brows. "What are talking about?"

"You gave me your kidney," Clay clariffied. "And sacrificed your career in the process."

Nathan looked him straight in the eyes. "I didn't scarifice anything, Clay. I lended something for your life."

Clay shook his head. "We worked so hard, YOU worked so hard for this."

"Basketball is just a game, Clay, and frankly somethings are more important."

"I know, but-"

"But nothing," Nathan interrupted him. "I wouldn't even have had my career if it weren't for you sponcering me; so lets call this even, shall we?"

Clay couldn't help it when the corner of his mouth flicked upward, and Nathan grinned at him in return. He wouldn't have had a career with the Bobcats if it weren't for Clay, and what would be the point of having it if he couldn't share it with the one person that had made it possible?

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