Disclaimer: Characters are still not mine.

Note: This is still in Brian's flashback POV of the day Dan's illness was brought to light… To review, Dan had opened his letter, realized he didn't get into the academy, and Mart had passed out…

"Way to go, you goof," Dan chided a dizzy Mart, "I'm the one with the defective blood, and you go trying to outdo me by cracking your noggin on the ground. The things people do for attention." He was working very hard to keep the mood light, but it only seemed to increase the uneasiness among the group gathered around.

Brian was helping his brother to sit down carefully on the couch in Regan's office, and Di was returning with a cup of cold water. "Here, drink this." Brian commanded, taking the water from Di and passing it to Mart. He could tell that the shock of what had just happened had not yet worn off of the pretty, raven haired girl; her hands were trembling as she passed the cup. He patted her arm gently. "Thanks, Di."

"I'm sorry," Mart mumbled into his sipping. "I didn't mean to pass out…I guess I …" He couldn't look up at anyone. The embarrassment and fear were too much. Brian understood. Dan was like family, and Mart was scared for him.

Dan sat on the couch beside Mart and poked him jokingly in the side. "Everything's all good, man." He bit his lip as he looked over at his best friend. "You probably just fainted because you couldn't believe I'd passed all the other tests. How crazy is that? To pass everything but the blood test... I know I'm no Rhodes Scholar, but I would have expected to get that one right."

"Danny…" Honey said softly. "Please don't joke. This is serious."

Brian immediately caught the quiver in her voice and his heart began to feel tight. The pounding in his chest had just begun to subside from its frenzy at having witnessed his brother unconscious on the ground, but hearing the emotion in his girlfriend's voice was now fueling the adrenaline once again.

Trixie, of course, true to her nature, had to step in and solve the problem. The ever optimist. She couldn't stand this anxiety.

"Hey, it's just like Regan said. There could be a lot of different reasons why Dan's blood cell counts are off. Sure, they've recommended him for more testing, but just because he has to go see an oncologist does not automatically mean he has cancer. I mean, that's just a type of blood doctor, right?"

She turned to Brian for confirmation, and he nodded.

"See there, it could be as simple as some sort of infection or…or like…mono or something like that. I mean, cancer is not hereditary. Just because someone else in your family had it…"

She knew what everyone was thinking. What everyone feared. Dan had once told them that this was how it had all started when his mom was diagnosed with the cancer that later took her life; a simple blood test…something not right in the numbers…more tests needed…

Regan, who had been pacing around the room, suddenly leaned both hands on his desk and bowed his head in a sort of wilted fashion. It was as if Trixie's speech in favor of his thoughts had brought the futile nature of them to his own understanding. He was about to speak when the voice of the Wheeler's housekeeper, Mrs. Trask, called out from the entrance to the barn.

"Bill?

Bill?

Are you still here?"

In a moment, the kindly woman was peering in the door of Regan's office and giving a warm smile to them all.

"Oh, here you are! I need to get a package out to Mr. Maypenny. Do you think you could drop it off when you take the Bobwhites riding?"

Her smile faded as she noted the pallid looks on the faces in front of her. "Oh my," she gasped, "What's happened?"

No one spoke at first. What do we say? Brian thought to himself frantically. Mart flashed a look around the room indicating that he did not want anyone to tell her about his blackout. All eyes turned to Regan.

"Mrs. Trask, Dan got a response from the police academy today." Regan paused long enough for the older woman to understand that it had not been an acceptance letter, as everyone had hoped.

She seemed to catch on.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Dan. Will they let you apply again?" The woman crossed the room, took Dan's hands in hers, and smiled sympathetically at the teen. Brian suddenly felt his heart lurch at the way Dan was giving her a "hey, don't worry about it" sort of look. Shouldn't he be scared?

"I'm sure they will," Dan replied good-naturedly. Mrs. Trask pulled him into a quick hug and softly patted his cheek before she let him go.

"Don't give up." She encouraged him.

Regan felt the need to explain why Dan's application was denied. (Forever after, Brian would remember the thick sound of concern coating Bill Regan's words. He labored to get them out, as if he was fighting to keep them locked away from the world's ears.)

"He…he made great marks on all of his evaluations and completed his physical trials in good time…but the results of the blood test, you know, …they do blood tests checking for drugs and…um…the results showed…er… abnormally high white blood cell counts…and…well, until a doctor clears him and says it's okay…they can't let him in…"

Brian could tell that Mrs. Trask's mind had jumped ahead to the same conclusion as everyone else, but she quickly forced up her chin and turned to comfort Regan. Patting his back, she did her best to keep everyone thinking positively.

"Well, then, if a doctor's clearance is what Dan needs, then you just need to make an appointment and get this all straightened out. I'm sure it's nothing more than a simple infection. Why, if you let Mr. Wheeler help you make all the necessary contacts, I'm sure Dan could be medically cleared in time for the next application period."

"Money can't buy him a clean bill of health," Regan mumbled under his breath. Brian was a bit startled at the statement and wondered if it hurt Regan's pride to consider accepting Matthew Wheeler's help.

"Maybe not," Jim cut in, defending his father "but it could help buy access to the best doctors who could help us figure out what's wrong."

Sensing the growing tension, Dan quickly stepped in the middle of Regan, Jim, and Mrs. Trask. Brian could see that all Dan wanted was for everyone to stop worrying about this.

"Hey, there may not even be anything wrong with me." Dan said comfortingly. "I mean, physically, that is; there must be something wrong with my head if I keep hanging out with such worrywarts." He gave a small laugh. "Come on, let's not get freaked out until a doctor says I have something worth freaking out about. Where's the package you want us to deliver to Mr. Maypenny, Mrs. Trask? I thought we were all going for a ride."

Everyone began murmuring agreements and busying themselves with the preparations for the ride. Mrs. Trask left and quickly returned again with the package for Mr. Maypenny.

"Mart, are you sure you feel up to this?" Brian asked his brother. "You should probably go home and rest."

"I want to come along." Mart said.

The older Belden brother knew he wouldn't be able to talk Mart out of going, so he dropped the issue and vowed to keep an eye on him, just in case. As the ride started, everyone was beginning to relax and chat with one another. Brian started to think that, perhaps, Dan's situation might not be so serious. He thought about other possibilities beyond cancer, and allowed himself to grow more comfortable.

Nearing a wider section of the wooded path between Manor House and Maypenny's cabin, the young people easily began to ride in tandem. Dan maneuvered his horse beside Brian and caught his eye.

"Brian," He said seriously in a low voice, "Don't tell Bobby anything about this, okay?"

Brian felt the intensity of Dan's stare as he spoke. He knew that Dan and his youngest brother had a very special friendship, and obviously, he did not want the little boy to be afraid. Dan was Bobby's hero, having actually once saved his life. In that very heavy moment, Brian realized that Dan was already aware of the danger he was in, and was going to do everything in his power to protect those around him.

"Sure, Dan. I won't say anything." Brian managed. Such strength! He marveled at Dan's selflessness.

"Make sure Trix and Mart don't spill it to Bobby, either. I think maybe I should be the one to tell him. You know, after it's confirmed and all."

"Don't talk like that. You don't know what this is yet." Brian was beginning to feel more and more uneasy about Dan's suddenly calm and determined demeanor. Again, he asked himself, Shouldn't he be afraid? They rode in silence for a distance, all the while falling back a bit behind the others, before Dan finally spoke up again.

"I had been thinking that this…knot…I was noticing was just, I don't know…a bunched up groin muscle or something."

No! Brian's mind screamed, I don't want to hear this!

"I thought it was just a pulled muscle that wouldn't heal."

Shut up! Stop talking about this! Brian stared straight ahead and made no indications that he had heard Dan.

"If it's a lump, they'll want to remove the whole lymph node, huh?"

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

"I wonder how funny I would look with no hair…"

"Dan! Stop it!" Brian hissed through clenched teeth. "I…can't…hear this…"

Without realizing they were doing it, both boys immediately stopped their horses on the path and stared at one another. Brian panted wildly trying to calm himself, and Dan swallowed hard before speaking.

"Brian, calm down…I'm not afraid…"

What Dan said next would thereafter help Brian deal with every lost patient, every announcement of a difficult diagnosis, every gut wrenching pain he would ever experience…it was why he knew what to say to Regan that night in the hospital cafeteria…

Dan looked Brian calmly in the eyes and said,

"There's a reason for everything."

Note: We are going to get back into "present day" in the next chapter, and if you read it, you might just find out why this is a Trixie Belden story with very little Trixie in it –

Where is Trixie, you might ask? Stay tuned to find out. (And yes, there will be happy stuff!)

Thanks for all the amazing support on this story – I actually have much, much more of it to share, but I'm trimming it and trying to make the parts where Hallie and Regan finally get together worth the wait.