OK, I know I've said that I'll update my stories in a set order, but I really wanna get this new chapter in! Besides, I don't think anyone is gonna complain!

CPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPH

Leo held Pipers hand tightly in his own, as they made their way down the blisteringly white hospital corridor. All that they could think about was seeing their son, letting him know that they were here for him, try to give him strength. But it seemed like they where stuck in some odd time loop; one step forward, two steps back. The turn in the hall seemed so far away, and was only getting farther.

Neither of them had spoken a word since they left the waiting room, each caught in their own thoughts.

Leo had been so angered and shocked and Dr. Ollrich's diagnosis, he's seriously considered hitting him. Malaria. How in the name of God could Chris get Malaria? This was Northern California, not Africa! How..why?

And that had been only half of it. He said...he said it didn't look good. He was so sick...didn't even know where he was...oh God, why!

Piper wasn't fairing better with her own musings. Her baby needed her, and she couldn't get to him fast enough! She just wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to take his pain away...but she couldn't do it all. Not even the doctors could do it all...

Time had seemed to stand still so long, that both parents where rather shocked to suddenly be met by a pair of double doors, the words 'Intensive Care Unit" written across them in small blue lettering. Piper had never thought she'd be having to visit her child in the ICU.

Leo squeezed her hand tight, and looked down at her. He was pale, and her face was red and tearstained. And her chocolate eyes, usually so calm, where a mess of worry, anziety and pain. SO much pain.

They held one another gaze a minute longer, stalling. They wanted to see Chris SO bad, so bad...but neither knew what they could expect when they entered his room. Was he awake? Would he recognize them?

Running a hand through his graying hair, Leo took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

San Francisco Memorials ICU was made up of an entire wing, divided into sections, each section having a large nurses station in the center, with glass-doored room all around. Piper kept her head down, not wanting to see into any room but her sons.

Leo stopped and made an inquiry at the nurses station. The elderly woman he spoke to pinted to the opposite side of the ward, and Leo, thanking her, carefuly led Piper and himself away.

Al around, Piper heard sounds from the rooms. Beep, hisses, murmers and small cries. It all just reminded her of the situation at hand. Slowly she raised her other hand, clinging desoeratly to her husbands arm. She felt like she was drowning. The rushing in her ears, the tighness in her chest...every wall seemed to be drawing in around her...

Closing her eyes tightly, she gripped Leo's arm so tightly she was white-knuckled. He paused a moment, drew her close and planted a warm kiss on the top of her head.

"Piper?" he whispered so softly. She made no response that she heard him.

He tried again. "Piper, we're here." His voice was barely audible, though to someone as close to him as Piper, the break in his words was evident.

There was a moment of silence from the couple, until Piper nodded her head a fraction.

"I know."

But she made no move to enter the room. She felt as though someone had set her feet in cement. She wanted, NEEDED to mve, but...her fear was holding her back. Her fear of hr sons illness, his condition, how he'd appear when they entered his room...

She was suddenly aware of how string the smell in the air was. Not just sterile, like the rest of the hospital. There was...something else, under the odor of amonia and Lysol. Something heavy and...it made her sick to her stomach...

Leo gently loosened his embrace on Piper, who brought her hand up to wipe at her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Loe inquired, and Piper almost laughed. Ok? Was she OK!

But she just took a shaky bretah and said, let's go.

Taking her small hand in his once more, Leo and Piper turned and walked quietly into the closest door, room. 129.

Being quiet as they could, afraid of possibly disturbing their son, the made their way past the surtain shielding the room...

It took Piper a moment to locate Chris among the tangle of wires and tubes leading to and from his still form.

Leo felt as though the air in the room had froze. He couldn't seem to draw in a beath at all. Chris...his son...Oh God, he was so pale...

Piper, her legs finally working again, made a b-line to his side, to see her baby better.

He lay perfectly still, a blue blanket drawn up to his chest, his arms resting at either side. His face was milk white, with purple-red circles around them. There was a tube running beneath his nose, hissing oxygen. Two IV's ran to his left arm, which was slightly bruised, and a heart monitor beeped quietly to the side, a thin green line tracing each slow beat. A cuff around his right arm kept tabs on his blood pressure, and there was a small patch on his forehead, above his right eyes, which, Piper guessed, was a form of a thermometer. She quickly scanned the variouse moniters and screens, skimming over numbers that made no sense, and found four that did. 106.0. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed she'd seen wrong. She hadn't.

"Oh my God, Sweetie," she breathed, reaching down over the railing and gently brushing away a dark strand of hair. Her fingers laced over his skin, and she winced at hw hot he felt. She bent over carefully, and planted a kiss at the same point she just touched, lingering as long as she could.

As she stood up, she saw that Leo had taken a seat next to her, another chair settled in a corner. Quickly, she brought the chair over to Chris's bedside. Leo held his sons hand gently in his own, so she reached up and ran her fingers through his thick hair, hoping he could somehow take comfort in her presence.

"Hey Sweet heart," she tried to make her voice sound light hearted, cheery...for his sake. "Listen, I know you don't feel so good right now, but-but Mom and Dad are right here, hon. OK?" Chris made no evidence that he heard her. He just lay prone and sedated, the only movement coming from the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"We're right here son," leo spoke next to Chris. "You're gonna be just fine, you hear me? You just gotta be strong..." his own voice faltered, and trailed off, though he never lowered his gaze from his childs face.

CPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPH

"Mrs Halliwell? Ma'am?"

Pipers head shot up at the unexpected sound. Another nurse stood in the doorway, trying to get their attention.

"What?" Piper snapped, more than a bit annoyed.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

"What!" Shrieked Piper, who immediately winced at the loudness of her voice. Her eyes darted down to Chris, to make sure she hadn't disturbed him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But you've been here ten minutes already. I've been told there is a few other family members waiting to visit, so we'll accept them this one time, since it is so late, but I'm afraid that your time is up fro tonight."

Piper just stood there, her mouth hanging open in outrage. She had a few choice words in mind to throw at her, but Leo carefully stood and took her arm.

"It's OK, Piper. We'll come back as soon as we can." he said, knowing that arguing with the nurse wasn't going to help Chris. Besides, they where only an prb away if things didn't feel right.

The nurse left the room, after throwing a pointed look, to give them a moment.

Piper leaned down, to give her son a light kiss on the cheek. He was burning up...

"It's ok, baby. We'll be back as soon as we can, ok?"

Chris didn't stir.

"We love you sooo much Peanut." she whispered, hoping, hoping he could hear her.

Leo did much the same, promising him that they would see him again in the morning. Piper wasn't paying attention to Leo, though. She was completely focused on her son pale face. He had barely stirred their entire visit.

Leo took his wifes hand, and, meeting her eyes, they quietly left the room.

CPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPH

A few minutes later, Piper entered the ladies wash room, to try and get some air. She leaned against the cool tile, taking several deep breaths that did nothing for her. This was all too overwhelming. Chris was so sick, he looked aweful...Piper knew that her son was nothing if not a ighter, but...this was nature. It wasn't some demon Chris could just blow up with a flick of the wrist. It was a disease. A fatal illness...

She made the mistake of opening her eyes then, and caught a glimpse of herself in the water-flecked mirror.

Oh God.

Everyone had always told her how much Chris took after her, looked just like her...

But when she caught site of her face in the mirror, it rang with a resounding truth.

She's never realized how much Chris's features resembled her own...but now...her face was tear stained, blotchy and red, whilst his was pure white. She had dark circles benath her eyes, and her hair was frazzled. And as bad as she looked, she remebered how much worse Chris had.

Her baby.

It all came down on Piper Halliwell at that moment. The reality and severity of the situation pounded her like a tidal wave, drowning her, washing her away, whipping her mind around, this way and that.

She sunk to her knees then, and cried.

Cried for her baby boy, so frail...

Cried for her family, who had already been through so much...

For the son she had already lost...

For every reason Piper could think of, she cried.

CPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPHCPH

short, but I hope you enjoy! Now, the more reviews I get, the happier I am. And when I'm happy, I write...HINT HINT!

A NOTICE TO MY FELLOW CHRIS FANS!

Go to the charmed ones. Com, and vote for Chris Crossed and Drew Fuller in the Charmies awards! You don't hafta register or nothing, just vote!