"Hey Aunt Annie" The guy says as he approachs her as he takes off his sunglasses smiling at her
"Christopher Thadius you better get over here and give me a hug, haven't seen you in almost a year and a half" Annie says as Chris drops his duffle bag to the side of the car as he walks over wrapping her in a hug "Welcome home" she says continuing "How was your flight?"
"Oh long" Chris says as they pull out of the hug "didn't get much sleep but it's good to be back"
"Well if you want to come to my place you can get a shower and lay down for a while" Annie says continuing to smile
"That sounds great" Chris says as him and Annie climb into the car "I feel like I could sleep for four months straight" he says continuing "Thanks for coming to pick me up"
"What did you say to Alex last night?" Annie says as they pull out of the parking lot
"I told him that I was at the debriefing center" Chris says looking over at her as he leans the seat back "I just didn't mention the part that I was leaving the debriefing center for the airport" he says looking over at her with a faint smile "And I'm sure Liz and Dad think that's where I am too, because what is life without little surprises"
"Well this is definatly one big surprise" Annie says continuing to drive as she looks over to see that Chris has fallen asleep as she turns back to the road
That evening Annie is standing in her kitchen as Alex comes through the door "Aunt Annie are you here?" he says as Annie comes out of the kitchen
"Hi Sweethart" Annie says walking out into the hallway "What, what are you doing here?"
"Your supposed to watch me this evening" Alex says giving her a weird look "Liz is voluntering at the hospital and Dad has a shift, they just dropped me off" he says continuing "Are you okay?"
"Yea I'm fine" Annie says as she continues to look at him "Why do you ask that honey?"
"I don't know" Alex says putting down his bag continuing to look "Just seem kind of jumpy"
"It's nothing I just forgot that you were coming that's all" Annie says smiling at her "Why don't we go into the kitchen and get some food" she begins to say as Chris starts to come down the stairs
"Hey Aunt Annie" Chris says coming down wearing jeans and a tee shirt "Do you have anything to eat I'm starving" he says as Alex turns around from where he's began walking towards the kitchen
"Chris" Alex says as he begins to run over towards him "Chris!" he says as he runs tackling Chris in a hug
"Hey Buddy" Chris says as he hugs Alex back as he gives Annie a look
"I forgot I was watching him tonight" Annie says as she looks at Chris
"What are you doing here?" Alex says as they pull out of the hug "When did you get here?"
"I just got here earlier" Chris says looking at him "Aunt Annie picked me up at the airport, came over here to get cleaned up and take a nap" he says continuing "I was going to surprise you, Liz and Dad at the same time tonight"
"Dad and Liz are going to be at the hospital tonight" Alex says continuing to look at him "You said yesterday that you were at the debriefing center"
"Yea I was getting ready to leave the debriefing center" Chris says as he looks at him
"Well why don't we get something to eat and we can catch up" Annie says looking at the two of them
"Come on little bro" Chris says as they begin to follow Annie into the kitchen "I've barley had a decent meal in a year and a half"
Chris comes through the sliding doors of the hospital a couple hours later "Alexander Charles I swear I will kill you"
"Only a couple hours in and already like old times" Alex says as they walk towards the nurses station "Why does it always seem that I'm the only one that's get threatened"
"Because your the youngest" Chris says turning around smiling at him as he puts his hands on Alex's shoulders "And you usually are the one that gives Liz and I a pretty good reason to turn to threats" he finishs saying as they reach the nurses station as Mollie is entering something into the computer "Mollie how's it going?"
"Well look what the cat dragged in" Mollie says as she comes out from around the nurses station to give Chris a hug "Hi there honey long time no see"
"Yea too long" Chris says as they pull out of the hug as he continues to smile at her
"You look more like your dad everytime I see you" Mollie says as she rubs his cheek as she looks behind him to see Alex "Hi sweetie"
"It's so nice to be the second thought" Alex says looking at them
"I've been gone for almost 18 months" Chris says looking at them "You had to see this coming" he says as Kenny and Michael come around the corner
"Look who it is" Kenny says as they walk over as he slaps Chris on the back "My workout partner is back"
"How's it shakin Kenny?" Chris says as he grins at them "Hey Michael, how's it going?"
"Going good" Michael says as he smiles at him "Welcome back buddy" he says continuing "Does your Dad and Liz know that your here" Michael says as he looks at him
"No they don't" Alex says as he looks at them as Chris turns around to give him a look
"Where are Dad and Liz at?" Chris says as he looks around at them
"Your Dad is out on the field with Drew" Kenny says looking at him "There was a man badly injured at a ranch"
"And I just saw Liz a little while ago with Kim" Paul says smiling as he walks over to the nurses station as he gives Chris a fist bump "Welcome home"
"Thanks Paul" Chris says continuing to smile at them
Meanwhile, Liz and Kim are in Kate's room "Kate, this is my cousin Kim" Liz says as she looks at her "If your feeling up to it we wanted to see if you wanted to take a walk around the hospital"
"Sure we can do that" Kate says as she begins to sit up
"I hope you don't mind but Liz told me about your situation" Kim says as they help Kate out of the bed "I've had experience with losing a parent as well"
"And a sister" Liz says as she also looks at Kate and then back to Kim
"My Dad and her were killed by a drunk driver when my sister Karen and I were four years old" Kim says looking at Kate "It really sucks"
"It does" Kate says looking at her "But I'm realizing that it helps having people around that understand"
"Okay let's get going" Liz says as they get on either side of Kate as they begin walking towards the door as a big smile forms across her face as she turns to see the nurses station "Wait here" she says as Kim also smiles as she helps to steady Kim as Liz races down the hall before leaping into Chris's arms as she reachs him and Alex
"What was that?" Kate says as her and Kim continue to watch the scene unfold as Liz continues to hold onto Chris
"That's Liz's Brother Chris" Kim says smiling at Kate "This is the first time she's seen him in almost 18 months, he's a ranger in the army and has been deployed in Afghanistan" she says continuing "He wasn't supposed to be home for two more weeks"
"Liz you have to let go I can't breath" Chris says as he continues to hold Liz as Kim helps Kate to the nurses station
"I'm never letting go again" Liz says as she still has her head burried into his shoulder
"At least loosen the grip" Chris says as Liz jumps down as she is smiling
"I just can't believe your here" Liz says as she hugs him again "You weren't supposed to get here for two weeks"
"Are you complaining?" Chris says as he grins at her "because I can go back and come back again in a couple weeks"
"Don't you dare" Liz says as she punchs him in the shoulder as he gives her a look as TC and Drew come running in the sliding doors
"Kenny we need your help in Trama 3 right now" TC says as him and Drew rush past the kids with a man on a stretcher "Major head trama and blunt force chest injury, this guy had a tractor roll over on him" he says before flipping around to look back at the nurses station as Liz, Alex and Chris all give him a smile as they wave "Chris?" he says as they pull the curtin back behind him