Disclaimer: see chapter three.

AN: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but injection arm had swollen up to the size of a watermelon, and it was impossible to move. Today, it is the size of a soccer ball and slightly stiff, so this is another shortish chapter.

Anyway, on a different note, I am eighty five percent sure that there will be a sequel to this story, but I will have to see how things go with schoolwork and other commitments, and I have to finish this story first.

Chapter Twenty One- Scott Reveals all to Virgil

Scott revolved his head slowly towards Virgil.

"What makes you think that something is wrong?" he asked slowly.

"I know you, Scott, and I know when you lie."

"I wasn't lying!" Scott countered indignantly

"No, you weren't," Virgil admitted. "You were telling a shaded truth, which is essentially the same thing!"

Scott continued to stare at Virgil, daring him to keep on talking.

"How bad is the pain, Scott?"

No answer.

"I'm going to keep on asking until you answer. How bad is the pain?"

There was an ominous silence.

"How bad is the pain, on a scale of one to ten?"

Scott sighed; he hated being interrogated by one of his brothers. Especially when it was Virgil; they were so close, it was impossible to lie to one another.

"Off the scale." Scott admitted rather reluctantly.

"Why did you tell the doctor that it was a seven?" Virgil questioned.

Once again, Scott didn't answer.

"I'll ask once more, why did you tell Dr. Handley that the pain was only a seven on a scale of one to ten?"

"Because, because," Scott stalled, playing for time.

"Because?" prompted Virgil.

"Because I hate the way they make me feel. I always feel drowsy and nauseous, and that makes me feel, well, out of control. And I hate that feeling."

Scott paused, waiting for Virgil to interrupt, but he didn't.

"The only way to stop that feeling is to stop taking the painkillers."

"So, basically, you were going to say that the pain isn't as bad as it really is, to get off the painkillers?" Virgil summarised succinctly.

"Well, yeah, that was the general idea." Scott replied.

Virgil suddenly remembered what the I.C.U. nurse had said- that she couldn't give him any pain relief. Taking this memory, and Scott's revelation, Virgil put two and two together to make four.

"So, in I.C.U., they wouldn't give you the painkillers, because you asked them not to?"

"Give the boy a gold star." Scott said sarcastically.

"Why Scott! I mean, when did you become so irrational?"

By now, Scott was tired from all the questions. His irritability had risen tremendously, and inevitably, he started to shout.

"When did I become so irrational! Oh, I don't know! I think dying had something to do with it!"

After saying that, Scott rolled onto his side, so that his back was facing Virgil.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just leave me alone, Virgil."

Scott hoped Virgil would get the hint and leave. He didn't.

"Scott," Virgil began, but he couldn't finish because Scott cut him off.

"Goodbye, Virgil."

"Listen, buddy,"

"Goodbye Virgil." There was more emphasis on that goodbye.

"We'll talk about this later."

"Goodbye Virgil." Still more emphasis on the goodbye.

Finally, Virgil got the hint, and headed towards the door. He walked out of the room quietly, and he shut the door softly, as Scott fell into an uneasy sleep.

AN: that's it for this chapter. Easter's here, though, so it will give me an opportunity to write more chapters and update the story.

Before you say that ICU nurses don't listen to patients who don't want painkillers, I knew someone who had cancer, and when she went into ICU, she didn't want the painkillers and the nurses and doctor didn't give it to her. I am using that situation in my story.

And before you say, Scott wouldn't be that stupid, he would take painkillers if he was in pain, my interpretation ofScott is someone who would rather bear the pain, no matter how bad it gets before he takes painkillers. It's not irrational, just a preference. Trust me, I know what it's like, I'm one of the people who bears the pain before taking painkillers.

If I don't have time, though, I will write this now; have a happy Easter, and relaxing four day break (Good Friday- Easter Monday is four days, right? I've never been good at maths.)