Chapter Three:

The minute the nurse opened the door Parker made a beeline for his little brother. He sat down on the bed beside him finally wrapped him a hug. JJ held on for dear life as he began to cry again. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I never should have left you. I'm so sorry!" Parker said as he tried to fight the tears that were again forming in his own eyes. "Stop, Parker, you didn't know." JJ replied through his own tears. Parker obeyed his brother, though he continued in his head. "Parker, it hurt!" JJ cried through sobs. "I know, I know." Parker replied as his own tears began to fall faster. And so for the next several minutes the brothers held each other as they both cried.

Finally JJ pulled away and they both began to try to stop their tears. "Where's mom and dad?" JJ asked with a desperate look in his eyes that broke Parker's heart all over again. "I'm sure mom's on her way and dad will be here as soon as he can. They'll be here soon." Parker replied. "Does everybody ... is anybody ...?" JJ trailed off as he wasn't sure exactly what to ask. "Aunt Emma and Uncle Brad are here. Meg and Holden are too. I think the doctor told them." Parker informed his brother. "Oh, ok." JJ replied. He began to get a far away look on his face and Parker realized he was probably going into shock.

"JJ, hey JJ, look at me." Parker said. JJ looked up and Parker could see there were still tears in his eyes. "It's all gonna be ok. Mom and dad will be here soon. The police will catch that guy and everything will be ok. I'll protect you. I won't leave you again." he told his little brother, his best friend. As they sat in mutual silence Parker thought over all the pain his brother had known. It was to much, it wasn't fair. Why did someone as nice and friendly and ... innocent as JJ have to be hurt so many times? He had to keep his promise. He could never let him be hurt again.

As he watched his brother, the look in his eyes tore Parker's heart to shreads. It didn't matter that JJ was adopted, JJ was just as much his little brother and Sage was his little sister. It was his job to protect JJ and he hadn't done it. JJ had been hurt again and again in so many horrible ways and he had never been able to protect him from it. How could he be such a horrible big brother? JJ had tried protect him from the bullies at school after he shot Sam even though it meant JJ had been picked on worse. It wasn't right. JJ didn't deserve a big brother as useless as him. He had to make it up to him.

Finally Parker remembered something. He franticly turned back to JJ. "Are you still hurting? Did they make it stop?" he asked. JJ looked up at him. "Oh, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that bad now. They gave me medicine." he said. Parker was worried. He didn't trust JJ's "not that bad", JJ had hidden strep throat for weeks not that long ago, never letting on until he was practically dying. "Are you sure?" he asked, with concern obvious in his voice. "They gave me medicine. I'm fine now." JJ replied.

Suddenly the door opened and Jack came running in. Parker stood up and let his father take his place on the bed beside JJ. A scene simlar to the one earlier played out as Jack held his youngest son in his arms and JJ silently cried again, releived to finally see one of his parents. Jack looked down at JJ "Are you alright? I mean I know you're not alright but...". JJ interupted "They gave me medicine, I'm ok now." he held out his arm which in a splint at the moment as a cast hadn't been apllied yet "This and a concusson is the really the worst of it. No permanent damage." he said with an empty laugh, desperatly trying to change the mood. Nobody could laugh with him as they saw see the pain in his tear-filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't hear before. I came as soon as I heard." Jack said. "It's ok." JJ replied, though anyone could see that nothing about that night was ok. "I sent everyone home, they want to come and see you tomorrow though." their father said. "Oh." JJ replied. "When can I go home?" he asked, his voice again giving him up and causing him to sound like a much younger child. "Probably tomorrow night, they just want to make sure you're gonna be alright." Jack said, giving his son another hug.

When the door opened again, Carly was there. She began to cry as soon as she laid eyes on her battered son who suddenly looked so small and fragile. Jack had just barely been able to hold himself together, but she couldn't. "JJ!" she cried as she ran to him. "Oh, baby!" she whispered as she smothered him in hugs and kisses. "It's gonna be ok, you're gonna be ok. I'm here now. It's ok." she told him. "Mom!" was all JJ got out before his sobs returned.

Authors Note: Please forgive any spelling and grammer issues, I tried my best. I know the strep throat thing was after where I said this split off, but this is my little world and I say that did happen here too.

Many thanks to TaylorxxSue and melmac06 for their reviews! Reviews are LOVE! Please keep it up and and if you haven't reviewed before it's never to late to start! Reviews are the only way I can know people actually read and care about this story.