Mercy Hospital - 5:30 A.M.

There was blood on the floor, yet nobody paid much attention to it. The only sound anyone heard was the steady rhythm of the monitor. People in scrubs, surgical gowns, masks, and gloves surrounded the table where Dave lay heavily sedated and intubated with a drape covering his battered body.

"…Pressure's steady," Mark heard one of the O.R. nurses say as he watched Neela put one of Dave's kidneys into an open cooler full of ice that had been placed on a surgical tray. "What a kidney."

Neela turned away as Dr. Anspaugh suddenly came in, "I've come for the kidney," he said as he hurried over to the cooler and closed it. "There's quite a crowd waiting to see how Carter will do in surgery."

"Hopefully Dave will be happy when Carter's back on his feet," Mark commented pleasantly.

Dr. Anspaugh picked up the cooler, "Doctor Malucci's giving Doctor Carter quite a gift," he said.

"Doctor Anspaugh, as a surgeon, would you say internal scarring is normal?" Neela, who was suddenly unnerved by some old internal scarring inside Dave, asked softly. "There's evidence here of…"

The monitor suddenly began to whine, "Pressure's s dropping," a nurse reported in an urgent voice.

"Do you want me to scrub in and assist, Doctor Rasgotra?" Dr. Anspaugh, who was concerned that the kidney extraction had triggered internal trauma. "This kidney's got some time before it needs…"

Neela scoffed, "Suction!" she snapped to a nearby nurse. "Take the kidney and get it to the recipient!"

Dr. Anspaugh nodded and hurried out of the room with the cooler, "He's bleeding!" Neela yelled angrily as the monitor continued to whine. "Some scar tissue is bleeding! I NEED MORE SUCTION!"

"How can there be old scar tissue?" Mark asked in a concerned voice. "Dave's never suffered…"

Neela swore as the last of the blood was suctioned out, "His entire body seemed to spasm once the kidney was out," she replied in a distressed voice. "I'm going to mention this to Doctor Romano later…"

"His pressure's still low," Mark snapped, taking a quick glance at the monitor. "Is that normal?"

Neela didn't reply, however, and Mark decided that it was better to be quiet so that Doctor Rasgotra-Gallant could finish operating as quickly as possible and get Dave into Recovery. He and Dave would have plenty of time to talk about things while Dave was recovering, Mark reasoned silently.


Ignoring the sudden breeze that had cropped up, Michael Gallant closed his cell-phone and slipped it back into the pocket of the large trenchcoat he was wearing over his Army uniform; he figured Neela was in surgery if she wasn't answering her phone. It wasn't like she was expecting him, either. He had gotten some emergency leave to deal with business in Chicago that would no doubt cause a bit of pain.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Kerry, who had just gotten off the EL with Henry in her arms, asked as she came up the ambulance bay entrance where Michael stood. "I'm Doctor Weaver and I work here."

Michael sighed, "I'm visiting from Iraq after making a stop in Kisangani," he replied somberly as he clutched the manila envelope in his gloved hands. "I'm looking for a Doctor Dave Malucci, actually."

"Doctor Malucci has some time off," Kerry replied in a concerned voice. "Why are you looking for him?"

Michael frowned, "I was told only to deliver that information to Doctor Malucci," he replied abruptly.

"Look, Doctor Malucci will be back in a couple of weeks," Kerry replied in an exasperated voice.

Michael sighed, "Doctor Rogers from the Kisangani clinic wrote a letter and sent some things along for Doctor Malucci and she was insistent that he get them," he explained in a somber voice. "I was granted special leave from my military service in Iraq to deliver this on behalf of Doctors Without Borders."

"Why would Doctors Without Borders want to talk to Doctor Malucci?" Kerry asked as she and Michael began to walk up the ambulance bay towards the emergency room door. "Has something happened?"

As they reached the doors to the emergency room, Michael suddenly looked uneasy, "If Doctor Malucci isn't available, is there perhaps a relative of his I could talk to?" he asked in a calm, but anxious voice.

"Is this about Doctor Rogers?" Kerry asked in a worried voice. "I know she and Dave kept in touch."

Suddenly, Henry began to cry, "Oh, I think he either needs a change or he's hungry again," Kerry said in an exasperated voice, forgetting all about Dr. Rogers. "If you need to talk to someone about something concerning Doctor Malucci, I suggest you talk to Doctor Romano; he's the closest thing to a relative…"

"Thank you, Doctor Weaver, I will," Michael replied nervously. "Which way to Doctor Romano's…?"

Michael suddenly found himself alone as Kerry rushed Henry off into the lounge. He looked around the busy ER and finally decided to go over to the desk where two large men were talking quietly.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Doctor Romano," Michael said in an anxious voice. "I'm Michael Gallant…"

Frank pointed down the hallway towards the elevators, "Take the elevator to the Administration floor and Doctor Romano might still be in his office," he replied. "If you get lost, ask a desk person for help."

"Thank you," Michael replied, moving off down the hallway in the direction that Frank had pointed.


Upstairs on the Nephrology floor, Abby walked into John's hospital room to find him in bed, but awake.

"John, how are you feeling?" Abby asked, as she moved over to the bed and took his hand.

Carter smiled, although the previous day's dialysis had been hard on him and he was currently feeling nauseous, "I'm all right, love," he replied. "How are you? Where's Maggie at?"

"My mom came this morning and is looking after Maggie so I can spend some quality time with my husband," Abby stated, as she sat on the edge of the bed. "She knew that I needed to be here today."

Carter sighed, "I still can't believe this is happening," he replied weakly. "I'm actually getting a kidney."

"It's a miracle," Abby replied softly as she lay on the bed beside him. "Now you won't leave me…"

Carter gently kissed his wife's cheek, "Never," he replied, carefully putting an arm around her and being happy that he could do that because the dialysis shunt had been removed the night before. "Doctor Benton was in here earlier this morning and said he's gonna be the one to put the kidney inside of me."

"At least you know you'll be in good hands," Abby replied, snuggling close to him. "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself while you're in surgery since my mom told me not to worry about Maggie at all."

Carter's brow creased, "Aren't my folks coming?" he asked worriedly. "Maybe you could visit with them."

"Your dad said he would be coming a little bit later, but I haven't heard from your mom at all," Abby replied softly as she gently stroked some bangs off of his forehead. "I've heard rumors for the past few days that you might be getting a lot of visitors from the ER after the surgery's over and you're in a room."

Carter chuckled just as Peter walked into the room with a few O.R. nurses, all of whom looked amused at seeing Carter and Abby lying together on the bed, "Just got a call from Doctor Anspaugh and he's on his way to County with the kidney in a chopper," Peter said in a calm voice. "We should get you prepped."

"I love you," Abby whispered, kissing Carter on the cheek as she quickly scrambled off the bed.

Carter sighed as the nurses came over to the bed and raised the bed rails, "Just relax and before you know it, you'll be in Recovery with a functioning kidney," Peter said reassuringly. "Say bye to Abby."

"I love you," Carter whispered as his bed was pushed away from the wall and out of the hospital room.

Abby sighed, was silent for a moment, and then gazed up at the ceiling, "Okay God, I know I haven't really given you a lot of acknowledgment in the past, but I am now," she said in a worried voice. "I want you to look after John and help him get better; help him to be strong enough to come back to us."

Silence was the only reply Abby got and, letting out a patient sigh, she silently left the room to think.


"I'm not going and that's final," Eleanor said in a defiant voice as she sat on her hotel bed in silk pajamas with her hair in a tight bun staring at her ex-husband, who lingered by the hotel door in a suit and coat.

Jack sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes, "John is getting a kidney today and you don't even want to be there to support him?" he asked in an annoyed tone. "What if it was Dave who donated it?"

"I can't stand the thought of being around either of them today," Eleanor replied in an anxious voice as she lay back on her pillow and looked at him even though she was on the verge of crying. "It was hard enough going to that cesspool hospital to see what Dave had become without letting John know!"

Scoffing, Jack removed his coat and straightened his tie, "Eventually, John will want to know who donated the kidney to him and why they did it, Eleanor," he stated crossly. "You need to be honest."

"John will never forgive me if I tell him the truth!" Eleanor yelled angrily. "I wish you had never met Dave Malucci that day at the hospital and then told me! I thought I would never see my baby again!"

There was a moment of silence and Eleanor burst into tears, "When you told me about your affair and that you got pregnant from it, Eleanor, I was fully prepared to treat the baby as if I had been the father," Jack said in a firm voice as he watched her cry from where he was. "When Dave was born, I was very pleased that John would have a brother to grow up with and I was prepared to do whatever I could."

"Millicent was disgusted with the affair," Eleanor sniffled. "I thought giving Dave up was the only way."

Anger pulsed through Jack's veins and he fought hard to control it, "Millicent was also prepared to accept Dave into the family, but you didn't want to risk losing another son like you lost Bobby," he replied in a cold tone as he put his coat back on. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to drop by County to see if Abby needs anything and then I might just wait around there and find out who donated the kidney."

"Judging by the expression on Dave's face when I ranted about John's health, I'm guessing he went and got himself tested immediately," Eleanor sniffed, quickly composing herself. "I don't want to tell him…"

Jack sighed heavily, "Why not write Dave a letter?" he suggested softly. "I know you wanted to contact Dave's father several times while Dave was growing up, but I don't know why you never did."

"Tony moved around a lot," Eleanor replied tiredly. "He said if I was giving Dave up, it would be forever."

Jack nodded, "Write Dave a letter even if you don't send it," he replied. "Find a way to reveal the truth."

"I'll think about it," Eleanor replied softly, tears streaming down her face. "John needs you right now."

Letting out a patient sigh, Jack nodded and silently left the hotel room. Eleanor sat on the bed for a moment and then stood up. She walked over to the room desk and picked up a pen and some paper.


"Here you are, Doctor Carter," Dr. Anspaugh, who had changed into scrubs after the chopper had landed on the hospital roof, said joviantly as he carried the cooler holding the kidney into the operating room.

Even though he was cold and beginning to feel groggy from medication, John smiled and Peter moved a few steps so the cooler could be seen clearly, "I can't believe this is actually happening," John whispered groggily as tears began to stream down his pale face. "I've been so sick for so long and now I'm…"

"Carter, just relax," Peter cut in gently, dabbing at Carter's tears with a tissue. "I gotta go scrub, okay?"

Dr. Anspaugh smiled at John and then followed Peter out of the room; he hoped all was well with Dave and intended to talk to Dr. Romano about if there had been any news about Dave's condition. Peter, however, quickly scrubbed and returned to the O.R. As he was gowned and gloved, he saw that Carter had been anesthetized and intubated. Peter sighed and walked over to the table; it was time.


Dr. Romano, meanwhile, was in his office and gathering all of his essential paperwork so that he could leave for Mercy shortly. He couldn't be in the operating room or in the post-op recovery room because his prosthetic arm might cause infection, but he fully intended on being in Dave's hospital room.

It was why he had sent Mark Greene to Dave's apartment that morning, Robert silently mused as he gathered his papers and stuffed them into a worn satchel; Mark was mature enough not to do anything but serve as comfort and reassurance for Dave, as Dave was helping Carter but deeply afraid of surgery.

A sudden knock at the door caused Robert to look up irritably, only to see a man in a sharp looking military uniform standing in the doorway holding a large envelope in one hand, "Excuse me, are you Doctor Romano?" Michael asked nervously. "Doctor Weaver said to bring this to your attention."

"Bring what to my attention?" Robert asked, suddenly feeling concerned. "What's wrong now?"

Michael sighed, "I was told to give this to Doctor Malucci by the clinic in Kisangani," he replied softly.

"What is it?" Robert asked, suddenly wondering if this was about the friend Dave had made in Africa.

Michael silently walked into the office and handed Robert the envelope, "Doctor Magdalynn Rogers of the clinic travelled to Matenda to tend to the wounded there and several weeks went by before soldiers returned with only her possessions," he explained somberly. "Doctor Rogers was listed as missing."

"Oh boy," Robert replied as he gazed at the scraggly writing on the envelope and let out a deep sigh.

Michael frowned, "I was actually hoping to speak with Doctor Malucci, but Doctor Weaver referred me to you since Doctor Malucci's not working today," he explained nervously. "When will he be back?"

"I'll take care of this," Robert replied softly, his heart going out to Dave. "Thank you for telling me."

Michael nodded and silently left the office. Robert stared at the envelop and then put it in his satchel.


Chicago Lakeshore Hospital

The clock hit 7:00 as Luka walked into the foyer of the rehabilitation unit and he immediately frowned at what he saw; Lucas was sitting on a bench in the atrium talking with Sarah and a nervous looking Ray.

Luka's frown deepened as he walked across the foyer; why weren't the staff down here supervising?

"Lucas, what are you doing?" Luka asked in a sharp voice as he walked over to the three.

Lucas frowned and looked at the floor, "Oh, hey Doctor Kovac," Ray said nervously as he stood up.

"I thought you were told to stay away from Lucas and Sarah," Luka said sharply, glaring at Ray.

Ray scoffed, "Doctor Romano can't be everywhere and what I do in my off-time is my business," Ray replied sharply, daring Luka to challenge him. "Besides, Sarah's 16 and can do what she wants…"

"What is going on here?!" a sharp voice suddenly said from behind Luka. "This is not a club!"

Ray swore, grabbed Sarah, and tried to move past Luka, but Luka gently pulled Sarah away from him and moved her back to where Lucas was. Unaware that a doctor and two Security guards were coming up behind him, Ray reared back and punched Luka in the face. Luka touched his face and Lucas gasped.

"I thought I told you to not come back here, Mister Barnett!" the doctor yelled as the Security guards grabbed Ray and dragged him towards the entrance. "Doctor Romano will hear of this kafuffle."

Luka sighed and looked at Lucas, "Aren't you supposed to stay away from Sarah?" he asked softly.

"Where's my mom?" Lucas asked in a defiant voice. "The doctor told me that Mom was coming."

Luka bit his lip, "Your mother's at home because it stresses her out too much to come and see you having no desire whatsoever to get better," he replied firmly. "Seeing you with Sarah is proof."

"Sarah's my only friend here," Lucas replied, gazing up at Luka. "Nathan doesn't come anymore."

Sarah swallowed hard and silently walked down the hallway towards the elevators to go back to her room so that Luka and Lucas could talk alone. She was tempted to call her father and confess it all.

"Nathan doesn't want to come because he saw you hanging out with Sarah the last time he was here," Luka explained, forcing himself to calm down. "He said you broke a promise to him and he's upset."

Lucas sighed, "You and Mom ran off to Africa and the pills were the only thing that made sense," he stated, giving Luka a death glare as he moved towards the elevators. "I wanna go back to my room."

Luka looked at the doctor helplessly as Lucas walked away, "I want to put Lucas into a more intensive program because he's not showing much progress," the doctor explained softly. "Let's go to my office."

Luka nodded and, gazing briefly at Lucas, he followed the doctor down another hallway to the office.


"…Oh Elizabeth, you didn't have to do this," Nathan heard his mother say in a surprised voice as he suddenly began to be aware of his surroundings. "…Why don't you and Ella come in for a bit?"

As the door closed, Nathan opened his eyes and was immediately confused when he felt a large pillow beneath him and a warm blanket covering him. He was obviously on the couch, but how did he get…?

"Hi Nathan!" Ella said excitedly as she hurried over to the couch. "Are you feeling better yet?"

Nathan frowned, deeply confused, "Ella, let's not bother Nathan right now, okay?" Amy said in an anxious voice as she came into the living room. "Why don't you go visit with Erinn and Katie in the kitchen? I think your mother just went in there with the food she brought us for breakfast."

Ella nodded and hurried into the kitchen, "How'd I get on the couch, Mom?" Nathan asked groggily.

"When you came in with Luka and I last night, you were so tired you could hardly walk," Amy explained softly as she pulled her shirt down over the loose scrub pants she was wearing. "Luka decided to settle you on the couch and stayed up half the night because he was scared of you having nightmares."

Nathan nodded and his eyes suddenly widened, "You and Luka have to go visit Lucas at the rehab center today!" he said anxiously, sitting up fast and immediately getting a headache from it. "Oh man…"

"Luka went by himself," Amy replied softly as she sat on the couch next to Nathan and pulled him close.

Nathan sighed and relaxed as he felt his mother stroke his hair, "Luka and I talked before he left and we think that you should only work at the ER if him, Dave, or I are on shift," Amy explained gently. "We trust that you're responsible, but with all that's happened recently, you need more protection."

"I've got a headache," Nathan murmured softly, silently agreeing with her. "I need my iron pills."

Amy nodded and carefully helped Nathan stand up, "Elizabeth, Daniel, and Ella came over early and Elizabeth brought breakfast for us," she explained as they entered the kitchen and saw Katie, Ella, and Erinn sitting at the table in their school clothes with filled plates in front of them while Elizabeth lingered at the counter watching them. "I fed Joe earlier, but he was tired, so he's upstairs in his crib asleep."

Swallowing hard, Nathan sat at the table next to Katie and remained silent as his mother placed a plate filled with a small omelet, two halves of a muffin, and a small bowl of yogurt in front of him with all of the utensils, "After breakfast, you should do a little bit of schoolwork on your computer if you're feeling up to it and then just take it easy today. Elizabeth, you did bring Daniel, right? Where did he go?"

Before Elizabeth could reply, the front door opened and Daniel came into the kitchen with his backpack on his back and large cards in his hands, "I'm finished," he said as he set the cards on the table. "I wanted to make get well cards for Uncle Dave and for Doctor Carter since they're in the hospital."

"Oh Daniel, that is so kind of you," Amy replied gently. "Doctor Carter and your father will like them."

Elizabeth smiled as Daniel took a seat at the table next to Ella, "Can I have something to eat, Aunt Amy?" he asked in a soft voice. "Ella's mom gave us food, but I'm still really, really hungry this morning."

Amy smiled, "Of course you can, Daniel," she replied gently. "Elizabeth, would you like some food too?"

"Sure," Elizabeth replied happily as she sat at the table with the children. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Amy chuckled as she got two more plates out of the cupboard, "I'm perfectly fine," she replied gently as she moved over to the basket of food that sat on the counter. "I'll make plates and then have some."


Post-Op Recovery – Mercy Hospital

The digital clock switched to 0730 as Mark leaned back in the small chair beside the area where the nurses had placed Dave's gurney. Dr. Rasgotra had been in and out since the surgery had finished, but Mark had stayed with Dave the entire time; the surgery had ended around five-thirty and…

A faint cough suddenly caught Mark's attention and he looked down just in time to see Dave, who still looked very pale despite the fluids, antibiotics, and blood being given to him, let out a weak groan.

"Dave?" Mark asked, concerned when Dave didn't wake up, but started moving his hands. "Dave?"

There was another soft groan and Dave opened his eyes, "Get me a bucket," he whispered softly.

Mark's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed the bucket left by a nurse off the portable table and stuck it under Dave's chin. Dave promptly sat up and vomited into the bucket just as Neela came into the room.

"Ow," Dave groaned softly as he lay back down and tried to control his shaking hands. "I hurt a lot."

Neela sighed as Mark moved away from the bed with the bucket in his hand, "How are you feeling, Doctor Malucci?" she asked as she walked over to the bed. "I'm just about to go off shift and…"

"I'm sore and feeling really tired," Dave replied groggily as he felt the blanket covering his body.

Neela nodded and checked the monitor next to Dave's bed, "You're still coming out of the anesthesia and you're also on antibiotics that will make you tired," she explained, gazing gently at him.

"How long am I gonna have to be here?" Dave asked, struggling to stay awake. "I hate hospitals."

Neela smiled, "A few days," she replied gently. "Your body spasmed out during the surgery…"

"I had a lot of surgeries as a kid and teen," Dave whispered. "I was beaten up a lot…"

Mark frowned, but didn't comment as Dave probably wasn't fully aware as to what he was saying because he was still under the anesthesia a bit; was Dave's past why Dr. Romano cared about him?

"…Anyway, you should be moved to a regular room before lunch if there are no complications," Neela explained gently as she made some notes on the chart beside the bed. "If you have any pain, there's a button near your right hand that will relieve it and allow you to sleep. Try to get some rest now…"

As Neela left, Mark saw Dave let out a deep sigh and immediately wince, "I could use something for the pain," Dave whispered in a groggy voice as he struggled to move. "It kinda hurts to donate a kidney."

"Press the button near your right hand," Mark replied in a firm voice. "It's supposed to relieve the pain."

Dave sighed and fumbled around for the pain button for several seconds before finally dropping his hand back on the blanket so hard that he nearly knocked the clip off his index finger, "I…can't…find it," he whispered in a barely audible voice as he closed his eyes. "I'll fight through it while I sleep."

Mark sat there for a moment, unsure of how to react to Dave's obvious need for help with the pain button; he knew that Dave needed the medication, but couldn't find it because he was so groggy.

"You need the pain medication and Doctor Rasgotra said it was okay to take it," Mark finally replied in a gentle, yet firm tone as he quickly located the small button and eased it into Dave's hand. "Press down."

A small moan escaped Dave's lips as he clumsily pressed the button, "My hand's shaking," he whispered.

Mark frowned when he saw that Dave's hand was trembling ever so slightly, "Let me tuck it under the blanket," he said, gently grabbing Dave's hand and easing the button away from it. "All right?"

"Sure," Dave replied sleepily as he began to relax from the medication. "Thanks for being here."

Nodding, Mark quickly tucked Dave's hand under the blanket and then quietly watched as Dave slept.


Surgical Waiting Room – County General Hospital

"…The surgery went very well," Peter explained to Abby just as the digital clock in the corner of the waiting room switched to 0900 and Abby sat down to keep from shedding tears of relief. "The new kidney's functioning perfectly and John's already been awake; he's really happy about the kidney."

Abby nodded and fought hard to keep herself composed, as she didn't want to cry in front of Jack or her mother, who had brought Maggie to the hospital during the surgery, "Thank you," Abby whispered softly.

"You're welcome," Peter replied softly. "I gotta go, but a nurse will come get you when John's moved."

As Peter left, Abby smiled, stood up, and walked over to where Jack, her mother, and Maggie were sitting and talking, "John's going to be fine," she replied, surprised when Jack and her mother stood and hugged her. Abby immediately took Maggie from her mother as the hug wad finished and Maggie cooed happily.

"Nobody knows who this mysterious donor is, do they?" Abby asked after a moment of silence. "I'd sure like to meet them someday and thank them for what they've given to John and to me; I'm so happy."

Jack remained silent, however, as he didn't want to reveal his suspicion that Dave had donated the kidney to John, as that would force him to reveal much more than he wanted to. He hadn't expected Eleanor to show up to support John, but he was disappointed in how she was handling the situation.


Mercy Hospital

Neela sighed and sat in a padded chair in the surgeon's lounge; she was exhausted from participating in the donor surgery, but was relieved that Dave seemed to come through it. The brief complication had concerned her and she planned to mention it to Dr. Romano, as he was Dave's emergency contact.

Before she could make up her mind on what to do now that she was officially off duty for the next 12 hours, the door opened and Neela was surprised to see Michael walk in, "Michael," she said in an anxious voice as she jumped to her feet, ran over to him, and caught him in a loving embrace.

Michael sighed and gently stroked Neela's hair as he held her, "Kem went back to Africa to cover the shifts that Doctor Rogers was supposed to do before she went missing," Neela explained, remembering how forlorn Greg had looked when Kem had left a few days earlier. "Greg's going to join her next month."

"I'm not sure how much longer the clinic Doctor Rogers made will stay open," Michael replied softly as they pulled apart. "They were already talking of closing when I passed through there, so I don't know…"

Neela sighed as they left the surgeon's lounge, "Let's just spend some time together while you're still here, Michael," she said in a happy voice as they walked down the hallway. "I've missed you so much."


"…Okay Grandpa, I won't visit him today," Luka heard a tired voice say as he opened the front door and came inside the foyer of the house. "I'm just doing schoolwork since Mom's playing with Joe and Katie…"

Luka quietly closed the door, put the large bag he was carrying on the table, and took his coat off, briefly catching sight of the clock on the mantle above the small fireplace they had in their living room. So much time had passed since he had met with the doctor at the rehab center about Lucas and he had stopped by a drive-thru on the way home so that Amy wouldn't have to make anyone else lunch that day.

"...Luka's home, so I'd better go," Luka heard Nathan say. "All right…love you too, Grandpa. Bye."

There was a click and Luka picked up the bag. He heard footsteps, someone sit down, and the quiet clacking of keys as he moved towards the kitchen. When he walked into the kitchen, he saw a basket of breakfast foods on the counter and he also saw Nathan, who was now wearing jeans, socks, and an oversized sweatshirt, sitting at the kitchen table with his glasses on as he was focused on his laptop.

"Mom's in the playroom with Joe and Katie," Nathan spoke softly, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

Luka nodded and set the bag on the counter, "How are you feeling, Nathan?" he asked softly, concerned that Nathan wouldn't look at him. "You were asleep when I left this morning and I was worried…"

"Wow, it's already lunch time," Nathan said, suddenly noticing the time on the small clock on his screen.

Again, Luka nodded, "I brought some lunch from a drive-thru place," he replied gently. "Want a break?"

"Luka, I think I need to talk to someone," Nathan replied, suddenly looking up at him. "Like a counselor."

Luka silently took a seat at the table, "Uncle Dave's been suggesting it for a while now and this whole thing with Lucas is making me think about the stabbing and about Elton," Nathan explained as he removed his glasses and placed them on the table. "I don't want to be thought of as crazy…"

"After your little venture outside last night, your mother and I were talking this morning and we were going to suggest the same thing," Luka replied gently. "A person isn't crazy because they go to counseling."

Nathan nodded and sighed, "I just can't deal with Lucas anymore," he said in a distressed voice. "I visited him and he promised that he'd stop hanging out with Sarah, but then I saw him hanging out with her…"

"I know," Luka replied gently, seeing that Nathan was on the verge of crying. "Just take a deep breath."

Nathan did so and then sighed, "I'm really hungry now that I think of it," he said, composing himself.

"Here," Luka said as he opened the bag and handed Nathan a wrapped burger. "Take a break."

As Nathan unwrapped the burger and began to eat, Amy came into the kitchen, "Oh hi, honey," she said in a gentle voice as she smiled at Nathan before embracing Luka. "I want to know what the doctor had to say about Lucas, but we can talk later, okay?"

"Luka brought us lunch, Mom," Nathan replied as he swallowed a mouthful of burger. "Grandpa also called and he says that he's going to stay with Dave at Mercy so that Doctor Greene can go to work. He also says I can visit Dave tomorrow."

Amy nodded and took a wrapped burger from the bag, "Katie and Joe are watching cartoons, so I'll let them finish their show before I let them know it's lunch time," she said in a gentle voice. "Maybe we'll both visit Dave at Mercy tomorrow."

Nathan sighed and watched as his mother huddled close to Luka as she continued to eat. It was both surprising and relieving to see how gentle Luka was with his mother and with all of them; perhaps it would be okay for him to finally give trust to Luka.