A/N: I'll Still Be Here in the Morning: Final chapter!

WAKE UP WIRT!

Worried sick with sleepless nights, Gregory wondered if what he was currently feeling the same think as Wirt's anxiety, or at least his panic. As the little boy paced the hospital room, biting his lip, he couldn't help but notice that he was having a harder time breathing calmly as he normally did. In through his nose, and out through his mouth, and then in and out again at a faster rate. This made him feel a little lightheaded, as he quickly sat down on the floor and began to pick at his double knotted shoe laces in a sudden fit of boredom.

"Aw geez, Wirt..." He muttered out loud, noting how dirty the laces of his school shoes had become since the long treck over to the hospital. "If you were awake, you'd surely give me a talking to or so about these."

Glancing up at his brother's still sleeping form, he sucked in a deep breath before finally pulling himself off of the floor and toddling over to the older male's bed and climbing up to the spot that over time he had claimed as his. Right next to his brother's left side, between his ribs and his fingertips. Plopping himself down, Gregory reached over for his washcloth on the bedside table to begin the tedious task that was keeping Wirt's face clean.

"When you're awake again, you can have this." Gregory said outloud, gently wiping his brother's eyes and then his pointed nose. "I know you'll want to keep your face clean, brother o'mine."

He didn't expect a response back, growing accustomed to Wirt's silence whenever he came to visit. However, this time was different. A soft grunt answered him, and for a moment, Greg could have sworn that he jut imagined it. However, as he moved the cloth across his brother's eyes once more, he watch in utter amazement as they cracked and began to flutter open, his jaw hanging clack as though he had just seen magic.

"W-Wirt!?" He gasped, tossing the cloth clear across the room to take his brother's hand. "Wirt! Wirt!"

"H-Hey..." Wirt groaned, his voice just barely above a whisper and aching from lack of use.

"Wirt! You're awake!" Greg giggled, about to give his brother the tightest hug ever before quickly jumping off of the bed. "H-hold on, just one second!"

With that, the boy toddled off at his fastest speed to the second bed that had once been his, eagerly climbing up onto it and grabbing a pitcher of water and a cup from the tray that the nurse had left earlier and filling it. Once it was filled to the rim of the cup, he carefully climbed back down before toddling back over and offering the cool and clear drink to Wirt. Watching his brother happily, he watched as Wirt's shaking hand reached over to take the glass, his poor throat probably screaming for something to drink. Noting the shake in his brother's hand, Gregory quickly used both hands to hold the base of the class firmly until Wirt could lift it safely onto the bed on his own.

"T-Thanks..." He muttered hoarsely, gently pushing his oxygen mask further up his face to expose his mouth and taking a few quick sips of the water.

"Wirt! You've been asleep for a while now." Greg said, soon joining his older brother back on the bed and carefully taking the cup back once Wirt was finished.

"I-I f-figured..." Wirt coughed, slowly laying back down into the warm sheets of the hospital bed.

"You can't go back to sleep now! You just woke up!" Greg whined, slowly curling up under his brother's arm.

"N-Not sle-sleeping... J-Just weak..." He corrected, smiling softly but tiredly at the other. "B-Beatrice s-says hi..."

"Beatrice! Oh, I missed her! How is she?" Gregory asked, quickly beginning a ramble. "I fell asleep before I could say good bye to her! Did you get to see her as a princess, Wirt? Was she beautiful?"

"S-She missed you too, G-Greg." He sighed, his voice finally beginning to regain some strength.

"So, she was really a human?" Greg giggled from his spot on his brother's hospital bed. far more interested in that than anything else.

"S-She sure was, Greg. T-two arms, two legs, and everything." His brother chuckled weakly, trying to remember things as clearly as possible.

"Was she pretty,Wirt?" The younger brother squeaked curiously, his eyes going as wide as plates as he spoke.

"Y-yes, Greg... S-she was beautiful actually." A light blush dusted his cheeks as he thought back to the red headed young woman, but that blush was quickly wiped away by Gregory's hand.

"Beautiful like- a princess? O-Or beautiful... Like mom?" Gregory's eyes squinted closer together as he tried to imagine the girl himself, slowly rubbing his chin.

"Like a princess, Greg." Wirt giggled softly, laying his head back against his brother's head and shutting his eyes slowly. "Like a princess of the Unknown forest."

"Hmm, okay. Then she was really beautiful." Greg muttered as his eyes closed suddenly, taking in all that he had heard from his older brother. "I think I see her now! You're right Wirt!"

"You'll get to see her for real one day, Greg. Then you can be sure that I'm right." Wirt snickered, pulling the blankets further over himself and his brother like a little fort. "Now get some sleep."

"But I'm not sleepy, and you've been sleeping for almost forever, and you need a shower!" Gregory giggled, suddenly slapping his forehead and quickly climbing out of the little fort. "But your face doesn't, cause I've been keeping it clean with this here wash cloth, see?"

"Is that so?" Wirt smiled warmly, slowly sitting up a little. "Okay, go call my nurse for me, and I'll take a shower, okay?"

"Yes sir, captain!" Greg giggled, joining his brother under the covers and curling up beside him as he handed over the cloth for his brother to use in the shower. "Then we can talk about Beatrice again, okay?"

"We can talk about her tomorrow. Hopefully they'll let me go home by then." Wirt said, gently holding the cloth in both of his hands, savoring the clean feeling it left behind on his stiff fingers.

"Okey dokey then. I think mom is here to pick me up anyhow," Gregory smiled, hopping off of the bed and going on his way to fetch the nurse.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow after my shower." The older boy said, smiling warmly as he watched his little brother disappear out into the hallway, only then to poke his head back into the room for a quick instance.

"Okay, Wirt... But try not to sleep for so long this time... I really missed you." He said, frowning softly but then smiling as he looked up at at his brother's soft brown eyes, wide awake and lively again.

"I really missed you too, Gregory." Wirt said softly, watching as his little brother shook his head, calling over his shoulder as he disappeared back out into the halls.

"Good night, Wirt."

"Good night, Greg." Wirt smiled softly, listening for the sounds of his brother's footsteps as they faded down the hall, and he soon laid back for hopefully a little more sleep. "And good night, Beatrice..."

The End.