At some point during the night, I must have fallen asleep because now, as I open my eyes, I am blinded by a ray of morning sunshine beaming through my bedroom window.

Fili didn't awaken me through the night, so I can only assume Kili is ok. Or as ok as he could be after last night's ordeal.

I look at the glowing green lights of the clock beside my bed: 10:13. I don't remember setting an alarm, so I've woken up on my own account.

I remember Kili's appointment is scheduled for 2:15 this afternoon. I plan on getting there early though, so I can talk to Bilbo. If he's busy, I'm sure he can schedule some time in for me after the scan. If not, he will have to because I'm not leaving until we've discussed the medication.

With more effort than I thought I would need, I push myself out of bed. I notice I'm still wearing my clothes from the night before. No use in changing, it can wait til I shower.

I walk down to the opposite end of the hall and stop in front of the third door on the right. I press my ear against the door: silence. I turn the knob and slowly ease the door open.

Fili is slouched over in Kili's desk chair which he has moved over to the side of the bed. His legs are stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. His left arms is wrapped across his stomach. His right arm is stretched out onto the bed, his hand laying protectively on Kili's right arm. His head is laying on his outstretched arm, his blond locks creating a waterfall over his shoulder. He's still wearing his clothes from the previous night- proof that he hasn't left Kili's side since we arrived home.

"Fili?" My deep voice whispers. It's enough to wake him.

Fili sits up abruptly, eyes flying open. "Kili?"

"He's sleeping."

Fili turns his head, eyes meeting mine. "'Morning," he mumbles midst a yawn.

"Good morning. No problems last night?"

"No, he just slept. It really wore him out yesterday. His fever left around 4. I think it was caused by the medication, like Oin suggested."

I consider this. I'm beginning to believe it, too. "I think he'll be fine. Go take a shower. I'll make some breakfast." I watch as Fili makes no move to leave, his hand staying on Kili's arm. "Fili, he'll just sleep some more. If he wakes up, he'll come find us. He'll feel much better this morning, I know it. Now go. Your stench alone might be what's keeping him knocked out."

"Likewise, uncle." Fili says with a slight laugh. He gives Kili's arm one last small squeeze, and then stands to leave.

I give him a soft pat on the back. This gesture alone offers what my words couldn't.

I'm proud of you, Fee.

"What time did we get home last night?" Kili asks, slipping down into his usual chair at the table. He quickly stabs a fork into his pancakes and takes a bite.

"Around 9:30," I answer him before taking a sip of my coffee. Ahh, caffeine.

"I don't remember getting home. I don't even remember going to my room." Kili's sounds sincere.

"You don't remember it? Any of it?" I set my fork down, waiting to approach the oncoming storm.

"The last thing I remember is being at Bombur's restaurant. It was Bifur's birthday dinner, right?"

"Yeah, it was," I take another sip of my coffee, then cross my arms on the table. "You got sick. We had no choice but to bring you home."

"Why don't I remember this? Are you lying to me?" Kili's voice is growing in volume.

"Kili, no. You vomited everything that was inside of your body and more. You practically passed out in Fili's arms in the floor of the restroom at the restaurant. Oin came in and checked you out. We had no choice but to take you home. You were so sick, Kili. And there was nothing that we could do to help you there."

"I ruined everybody's night! And Bifur- he's going to hate me! Why did you let me do this? Why did I let myself do this! No, it's not my fault… You knew I was sick! Why did you force me to go?" Kili is screaming now, his face increasing in redness.

"Kili! I did no such thing! You told Fili that you would be ok! You wanted to go. This isn't my fault. It isn't even your fault. No one is blaming you." I can feel the heat rising to my face. Calm yourself, Thorin. He'll snap out of it soon enough.

"I'm done here. Done!" Kili throws his chair back and storms out of the kitchen.

"Get back in here!" I yell, as I hear the back door slam.

Do I get up and follow him, or no? I decide no. I know Kili. He'll snap out of it soon and come back apologizing. He has never been and never will be someone who enjoys inflicting harm on others, whether it be physically or verbally. He has too good of a heart for that. He hates conflict and always tries to make others happy before himself. These insane mood swings are going to be some of the worst parts of this entire situation.

"Refill?"

I look up. Fili is pouring himself a cup of coffee, hair still dripping wet from the shower he has taken.

"Please." After all, there isn't much that coffee can't help, including a raging attitude.

"Want me to check it out?" Fili asks pouring more coffee into my mug.

"No. Give him a few. He'll come back." I take a sip of my now fresh coffee. "Thanks."

"I'm going to go work on a paper. My psych professor has already given me an extension. Can't ask for another one."

This news startles me. Fili has always been a star-pupil; always early, always perfect, going above and beyond all expectations.

"You had to ask for an extension?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't want to bother you with this. But, I just got too caught up with everything going on here and things got a little out of hand. I messaged my professors to explain why my work was late. Actually, a few of them messaged me first because of my unusual behavior. But, anyway, I explained everything. They've all been lenient with me and given their best wishes. However, this paper can't wait anymore." Fili almost sounds embarrassed. But, I can hear from his expression that it's obvious that he will always choose family over his career. It's a hard decision, and I respect him for it.

"Does Kili know?"

"No, and I don't plan on telling him either. You know what he'll do if he finds out."

Fili's right. That would be a terrible decision.

"All right. We're leaving at 1:15. I'm going to clean up here and then get ready. If Kili comes back before I see him, will you tell him to be ready by one?"

"Yep. Got it. I'll be in my room if you need me."

This paper is never going to end. It's been two hours since mine and Thorin's short conversation and I am only on page six out of ten. In these two hours, I have consumed eight cups of coffee. I don't know how I haven't died from an overdose of caffeine intake, but I'm still here. The words on my laptop screen are all beginning to blur. Sleep is sounding more beautiful and likely than anything at the moment.

"All right. That's it. I quit." I say out loud, saving my progress on my paper- twice, just to be sure. I slam my laptop shut and throw it under my bed.

I quickly fluff my pillow and lay down, relishing in the sinking feeling of my head molding into the pillow. Pure bliss. Next, I grab my comforter and quilt because, regardless of the heat coming through the vents in my floor and ceiling, I'm still cold. Finally, I can sleep.

Then I hear faint knocking at my door.

You have got to be kidding me. "Go away." I moan into my pillow. This is ridiculous.

"Fee, can I come in?"

"No, I'm sleeping."

I hear the door creak open and then close. The soft sound of feet walking toward my bed.

I don't bother to open my eyes, or turn my head to face the person standing beside my bed. I know who it is.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"I don't think I'm the one you need to apologize to."

Kili lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I was using this as practice."

"Well, you passed. Now, let me sleep. Shouldn't you be leaving soon anyway?" I'm not being hateful; just a typical sleep deprived, stressed out older brother.

"Yeah, we're leaving in ten minutes."

I open my eyes and really look at Kili. His tone when he said that last sentence got my attention. He looks just as nervous and jittery as his tone of voice let on, maybe even more so.

"Hey," I reach out and touch his arm from where he is standing beside my bed. "Today is going to be fine. Nothing's different. I mean, the scan is, but it's basically the same thing. And hopefully you'll get your medication worked out. I'm tired of you puking on me every chance you get." I end with a small laugh, letting Kili know I'm only joking. It may be disgusting, but nothing can ever stop me from being there for my little brother when he needs me.

Kili laughs, too. "Yeah, about that… Thank you, for last night. And every time before that and all the times to come."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." I end with a huge yawn and close my eyes.

"I'll let you sleep now. Do you think Thorin will kill me on the way over?"

"Nah, he'd hate spending his life in jail."

"Right. Well, I'll see you when we get back."

"Bye, Kee. Text me when it's over."

The car ride to the hospital was completely quiet. Neither of us said a word. Kili sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window. I kept my eyes straight forward on the road.

I pull the car into the outpatient parking lot. After scanning three rows, I finally find an empty space and pull in, putting the gear in park. I turn the key off and unbuckle my seatbelt; Kili does the same. My hand is on the door handle, when I hear it. The faintest, but sincerest apology.

I turn around. Kili is glancing at me sideways, not quite making eye contact.

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you. For everything." Kili says, and makes eye contact with me now.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." I say, patting his knee.

Kili gives a small laugh. "Funny. That's what Fili said this morning."

"Well, great minds think alike." I say with a wink and open my door. "C'mon."

Kili and I walk into the building together. All feelings of hostility gone.

"Hello, again." Galadriel smiles from behind the window. "You must be Thorin."

"Yes, hello. Is Kili's doctor available? I would like to speak to him before Kili's test."

"I'm right here." I turn to see Bilbo walking toward us, hand outstretched and the signature friendly smile on his face. "Good to see you again. Is Fili not with you today?" He asks as he shakes mine and Kili's hands.

"Fee has the day off," Kili says with no emotion.

"Ah, well then. I heard you say you wanted to speak to me if possible?" Bilbo asks, turning back to me.

"Yes, it's about Kili's medication."

"Go on." Bilbo cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes, listening intently.

"We don't think it's having a positive effect. Kili either gains little to no relief from it, or becomes violently ill after taking it. Could it be that he is allergic or that there needs to be a new prescription?"

"Yes, this does sound serious. It is probably an allergic reaction. I am so sorry to have put you through this for so long. Please, forgive me. I had no idea. But, I will write a new prescription immediately. You can pick it up at your pharmacy after you leave today. If after a week you are having these problems still, please contact me as soon as possible and we will find another solution. Again, I am sorry."

"Thank you for your help. We will pick it up later."

"Did you have any other questions? There was a cancellation today, so if you want, you can get your scan done even sooner than originally scheduled, Kili." Bilbo speaks directly to Kili, emphasizing that it is his choice only.

Kili thinks it over and agrees to go early.

"All right. I'll take you down to the room."

Bilbo walks out of the room and down the hall. The doctor continues to talk as Kili and I follow. "This procedure is much like your previous scans, only the images are read with a magnet. If you want, we can offer you headphones with music to calm your nerves and help distract you. I've had a few MRIs myself. I know how boring they can be." Bilbo ends with a chuckle. I think he's telling the truth, but he could be making this up to try to ease Kili's tension. Either way, I am thankful for the effort.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be ok," Kili says, not looking at the doctor.

"All right. Ah, here we are." Bilbo holds the door open, allowing my nephew and me to walk through. "Thorin, I'm afraid you will have to wait here until everything is finished. We should be finished in about forty-five minutes. I am going to go in and tell the radiologist that you are here. Won't be a moment."

Bilbo disappears through another door, leaving Kili and I in the small waiting area.

"Nervous?" Kili asks.

"Me? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I'm so confused.

"No. I want you to answer it."

I look at Kili. "Yes. I am nervous."

"Why?"

I have two choices: sugarcoat it or just be blunt. I choose the latter because I know Kili will see right through me if I lie to his face. "Because I don't know how to help. I don't know what to do. I'm a lawyer, not a miracle worker. I can't fix this, Kili, and that frustrates me beyond belief. I don't want to let you down, or Fili, or anybody else. I just want this to be over. I want it gone. I want to be yelling at you to stop doing some stupid thing, not freaking out if you sleep half the day away and then skip three meals in a row. That's why I'm nervous."

"Well, I definitely wasn't expecting such an honest answer." Kili laughs.

"I know better than to lie to you," I add with a small laugh of my own.

"Ha! Since when? Never stopped you before," Kili ducks as I swing my fist at his head.

"All right. Everything is ready." Bilbo announces walking back into the small room we are occupying.

"Well, I'll see you in a while," Kili says with a sigh, not taking his eyes off the door.

"I'll be right here." I grab my nephew in a quick embrace. "Don't cause any trouble. And for goodness sake, stop shaking. You're going to be fine." I give him one more gentle squeeze, then watch as he and the doctor disappear into the testing room.

I pull my phone from my jeans pocket and send Fili a text. "There was a cancellation. Kili got in earlier than scheduled. Should be about 45 minutes. Let you know when it's over."

A few minutes later, my phone vibrates. "Ok. What about his meds?"

"Picking up the new prescription on the way home." I reply.

"I can go get it."

"Go back to sleep, Fili." I know that's what he had been doing. Though, it hadn't been a deep sleep because his phone had awoken him.

Fili doesn't reply. I can only assume he has taken my suggestions to heart.

I check my watch. There is still a good thirty minutes left. The exhaustion from the night before is slowly creeping up on me. My thoughts are getting sluggish, eyelids are drooping, and I can't stop yawning. I make myself as comfortable as possible in the plastic chair, by placing my elbow on the arm rest and resting my head on my fist. A nap will do me good.

A while later, I am startled awake by the door opening.

I stretch and adjust my tired eyes to the room. Kili walks over and sits down beside me. We make brief eye contact, but in that short moment, I can see the tears gathering in his eyes.

I turn to face Bilbo, who has pulled up a chair to sit in front of us. There are no tears in his eyes, but he looks just as distraught at Kili. "I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but there wasn't a glitch in the system when Kili had his CT scan Wednesday. This MRI has confirmed the tumor has grown tremendously fast in the past week. We do not have any other options now other than radiation and surgery. Chemo will not be necessary because, thankfully, it is not cancerous. Of your two options, I recommend a series of radiation treatments.

"Kili, I know you're scared. We all would be in your situation. But, you are young and you are strong. You also have the best support team- your family. And you have me. Kili, I will stand by you, every step of the way. Whatever decisions you make, I will support you one hundred percent. I will do everything in my power to make this as simple and as painless as possible. I'm sure that in no time you will return to your normal life." Bilbo speaks with such conviction and honesty that there isn't a doubt in my mind that Kili has been given the best physician in the hospital.

Kili sniffles then raises his head. "What's the radiation like?"

"We will schedule you for one treatment a day, five days a week for four weeks. If we need to continue, we will schedule those treatments as needed. The entire process takes anywhere between ten to twenty minutes. It is painless and feels no different from getting an x-ray. You simply come in and leave in less than half an hour."

"What about side effects?" I ask, cutting into the conversation.

"Fatigue and nausea are common. Skin changes, such as swelling and edema, are also likely to occur. I'm afraid you will most definitely lose your hair."

As if in response, Kili's hand makes its way to his head of thick curls. Out of everything, the hair loss will be the one to make him most upset.

"When will he start?" I ask because Kili is still fixated on his hair.

"We can start next week. Monday through Friday would be the easiest, if that is ok with you. We do treatments on Saturdays, but not on Sundays."

"What do you want to do Kili?" I ask my nephew.

"Uh, Monday through Friday is fine." Kili says dropping his hand.

"Are you sure?" Bilbo asks. Kili nods his head in confirmation. "Ok, well, I will see you again Monday morning, 10:30. The treatments will be done here, but in a different room, just down the hall actually." Bilbo pauses, then leans forward and puts his hand on Kili's knee, much like a concerned father speaking to his son. Or uncle speaking to his nephew. "Kili, look at me." Kili slowly raises his head to meet Bilbo's intense gaze. "You have nothing to be afraid of. I meant every word of what I said earlier. I will be beside you every step of the way. Just like your family. I won't lie to you, these next few weeks may be tough and you might want to stop at some point, but I refuse to let you do that. You are going to beat this. You are going to win. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Kili mumbles.

Bilbo pats Kili's knee once more and stands. "I ordered the prescription during the MRI. It should be ready."

"All right. Thank you, Doctor. For everything." I shake Bilbo's hand once more. I don't have the words to express how thankful I am. These next few weeks are not going to be easy, but I know that between Bilbo, Fili, and myself, Kili will be ok.

"Have a good day. Drive safely."

Kili and I enter the car.

"Can you text your brother and tell him we're leaving? He knows we have to stop at the pharmacy. Ask him if he wants me to pick up dinner. Thanks."

"Don't have to," Kili says pulling out his vibrating phone.

I pull the car out onto the road as Kili answers the phone. "Hey… yeah, I'm ok… I'll tell you about it later. We're leaving the hospital now… Yes… Ok... Yes, mom..." I laugh at this comment. "Well, if you'd stop nagging I wouldn't call you that anymore… Whatever… Ok, do you want us to pick up some dinner? …Oh my word, Fili. Answer the question! ...Ok. Bye." Kili taps his screen to end the phone call. "Fili says he'll eat whatever you bring home."

I want to ask if he has a preference, but I'd rather not turn his frustration into anger. "Ok."

Kili sets the bag of food down on the table and my eyes immediately light up as I see the "Chick-fil-A" logo on the side.

"Thank you!" I yell to Thorin who is just now entering the house.

I grab my chicken sandwich, fries, and sweet tea, and make my way over to the table. Kili joins me with his chicken nuggets and tea.

"I see you have found the food." Thorin says entering the kitchen.

"Of course. You got my favorite. How could I not?" I say in between bites.

Thorin sits down with his dinner and rolls his eyes. "It wouldn't matter where it came from. You'd eat it."

"Meh," I say taking another bite of my sandwich.

"Did you get much rest today?" Thorin asks me, changing the subject.

"Yeah, on and off. Every time I would fall asleep, I'd get another text message. One of my friends from college, Balin, Éowyn, you-"

"Éowyn?" Thorin cuts me off.

My eyes widen. It suddenly hits me that I haven't told him about meeting her in the park.

Kili seizes the opportunity to jump into the conversation after noticing my hesitation.

"Fili's girlfriend!" Kili blurts out with a rather large grin on his face.

"She is not my girlfriend! We met at the park one day a few weeks ago. She was visiting her uncle while she was on break."

"Where is she from?" Thorin asks.

"Rohan. She's very close to her uncle though and visits when possible. He basically raised her, like you did for us."

"Oh. That's nice. Will she be coming back anytime soon?"

"Uh, yeah. She's coming in for Thanksgiving."

"Whatever you do, don't take her to a movie on your first date. That's disastrous." Kili throws in.

"Who said anything about a date?" I glare at him.

"Oh, no one. But we all know it'll happen." Kili turns his attention to Thorin. "You should've seen him. He was an idiot. Poor thing couldn't get a clear word out. Then, he came to me for advice. I had to coach him through the whole texting process. Lucky for me though, he caught on after a while and let me sleep."

Thorin laughs at Kili's embarrassing words. "I've got to see this next time."

Kili joins in with Thorin's laughter and I continue to eat my dinner, mumbling under my breath about back-stabbing little brothers and uncles who find amusement out of my embarrassment.

I would have kept it up too if Kili's laugh wasn't so darn contagious. As hard as I try, I just cannot keep my annoyed act up, and soon I am laughing along with my family.

And it feels great.