Short, little chapter for those who do NOT like cliffhangers – sorry for the unexpected suspense in the previous chapter.

Please kindly review if you are so inclined. If not, please continue enjoying the story in silence.


For the next hour, Sig had papers pushed in his face, asking him to fill out, complete and sign...and sign…and sign. He didn't know it was possible to sign his name so many times in one sitting. Sig did what he was told but half the things he was signing he hardly understood. Clearly, though, he was taking full responsibility for his brother's life and accepting the emotional and financial burden that came with such an obligation.

After taking a complete family and medical history, the nurse returned Norman's ID and Sig slipped it back into Norman's wallet. The brothers were moved to a small, post-op waiting room and left on their own.

Sig tried to encourage Edgar to take a nap on the sofa but the youngest Hansen refused, willfully disobeying. Sig just sighed, giving into the willful child like a tired mom at the grocery store agreeing to buy the coveted balloon or lollipop. Edgar wasn't going to sleep till he knew Norman was alright. Sig was in the same frame of mind so he felt he could not demand less of his youngest brother.

Instead of resting, Edgar played blocks on the floor with a little girl, about 6 years old, who was waiting to become a big sister for the first time.

"My mommy's having a baby," she whispered like it was a secret.

Edgar's eye grew wide with exaggerated surprise, "You'll be the big sister. You're lucky. I'm the baby."

"I hope I get a sister," she said, then put her finger on her cheek and looked deep in thought. "A little brother might be nice, too," she added after careful consideration.

"Little brothers are the ABSOLUTE best," Edgar reassured her, "Just be nice to them. No shoving them into boxes and taping the lid shut when no one is looking. They won't like it and you can get into a lot of trouble."

The little girl nodded her agreement enthusiastically. Sig suppressed a laugh, not wanting Edgar to know he was eavesdropping on the private conversation taking place on the carpet. My brother will make a wonderful father someday. I hope he makes me an uncle three times over. Later…when he's older…that is.

The little girl's father seemed worried and exhausted, pacing the floor of the waiting room. He looked gratefully over towards Edgar and then smiled at Sig. He mouthed a "Thank you" to the oldest brother and Sig nodded his head slightly at the man, feeling a strong sense of pride that THIS tired, scared, thirteen-year-old shaggy-headed kid, currently sitting on the floor with a little girl half his age, was HIS brother. Leave it to Edgar to think of someone else's wellbeing when so much is going wrong in his own life. The kid puts me to shame. I am so proud of him. He truly is the best. I love him. I couldn't love him more.

Edgar distracted the child by making elaborate structures of buildings, planes and a very impressive crab boat. It was hard to believe such things could be made out of blocks but Edgar's abilities were a natural talent. His creativity knew no bounds.

Edgar now preoccupied, Sig sat and stared out into the darkness of the narrow hospital window. He must have silently said every prayer his mother taught him as a boy, repeating each in both English and Norwegian just for good luck. A tiny knot of guilt kept plaguing him and he tried to push it away. Like many times before, the knot invaded his thoughts. How could I even think of doing that to myself when Sara left me? I was so depressed. I thought I couldn't live without her. I never once thought about how something like that would affect my family. Now, I've lost my mother and I may lose my brother and the pain is almost too much to bare. I was so selfish and stupid. And the person that saved my life back then is fighting for his own right now. How could I have even thought to cause my family that much pain?

Sig pushed the guilt away and focused on other things, like getting Edgar home and calling Amanda and Norman's boss at the hardware store. He started making a to-do list in his head to keep his mind occupied.

After an eternity, the brothers were told by haggard Dr. Hubert that the surgery was a complete success and Norman was in recovery. Sig asked immediately if they could see him. The doctor must have pulled some strings, feeling compassion for the young brothers, and arranged for them to be moved into Norman's hospital room. It was well beyond visiting hours but the nurses on the floor quietly accepted the presence of two lost-looking teenagers.

After carefully instructing Sig on what to expect, the nurses lead the brothers into Norman's room.

Sig entered the room quietly, Edgar almost hiding behind him, holding onto his brother's hand. Norman was asleep, hooked up to machines and long, clear tubes coming from hanging bottles down to his muscle-man arms.

Afraid to move, Sig and Edgar stood silently in the doorway and stared at the sight before them. Neither one of them had seen anything like this in real life, only in mom's afternoon TV stories they were forced to watch during summer vacations from school.

Now, not only was this real life, this was THEIR brother.

Taking a deep breath, Sig lead Edgar into the room and over to the overly large lounge chair. Instructing Edgar to sit down with a silent wave of his hand, Sig went and sat on the windowsill. They both just sat and stared, waiting for their brother to wake up.

"Is he…ok?" Edgar whispered.

"Yes, Edgar," Sig whispered from behind him, "He's much better now. See?"

Edgar didn't like what he saw but admitted Norman looked a lot better now than lying unconscious on the bathroom floor. Trusting his oldest brother's statement, Edgar finally gave into the exhaustion he'd been fighting all night. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep thinking at least we are all together again.


Some time later, Norman stirred in his sleep, weakly trying to pull at the IV sticking out of his arm. A gentle hand stopped him.

"Hey, tough guy," Sig said quietly, "Welcome back to the world of the living."

Slowly opening his eyes, Norman saw his older brother sitting on the edge of the bed. Unsure of what the hell was going on, Norman tried to sit up but the dull pain coming from his stomach prevented the motion. A tear slipped down his temple and confusion set in. Why am I crying? Where the hell am I? Why does Sig look so damn worried?

Sig brushed off the tear from his brother's face, something he wanted to do in the past but never thought he'd get the chance. "It's ok, Norman," Sig said with a smile, "It's just the anesthesia. The nurse said everyone reacts differently to it and sometimes it can make you cry. Don't be scared, ok?"

"Anesthesia?" Norman asked, his voice crackling and his mouth dry as the desert.

Sig nodded, "Yes, you had an appendectomy."

"A what?"

"An appendectomy. That's the term the doctor used. It means they took out your appendix because it was infected."

"Well, I'd like it back. It's mine. Don't I need it?" Norman asked in a haze.

Sig laughed softly, "As it turns out, yours caused a lot more trouble than it was worth. Don't worry. You won't miss it."

"You don't know that. If I ever become famous, I could sell it for lots of money."

"Norman, no one will want your defective appendix, no matter how famous you become."

Norman groaned softly, memories of last night finally catching up with him. "I'm in the hospital."

"That would be correct."

Norman closed his eyes, rubbing at his chest and biting his lip, "I specifically said 'NO HOSPITAL.'"

"Yeah, well, you say a lot of things that I don't listen too," Sig explained causally.

"How'd I get here?"

"We brought you…" Sig leaned over and whispered, a smile playing on his lips, "…in the Trans, no less."

"I would have rather walked."

"Norman, you could hardly get down the steps. Thank God we had the kid to help get you out of the house," Sig said without a hint of sarcasm.

Norman's eyes flew open. "Edgar! Where's the kid?" Norman asked quickly, almost in a panic.

"SHHH," Sig tipped his head over to the large blue lounge chair by the window of the hospital room. Norman lifted his head enough to see his younger brother, curled up and sound asleep in his pajamas. The kid looked more like a five-year-old than thirteen and Norman almost asked Sig where he hid Edgar's favorite teddy bear this time.

Dropping his head back down on the pillow, Norman admonished his brother, "This is no place for a kid. You should have left him at home, Sig."

"Believe me, I tried," Sig tossed up his hands, "You know how he gets sometimes."

Norman gave his older brother a hard stare, "Yeah, just like you – pig-headed, stubborn Norwegian."

Sig cocked an eyebrow, "No, that's you. Not me."

Staring hard into Sig's face, Norman realized Sig looked like crap. Tiny, blond whiskers littered his cheeks and chin. Dark circles underscored blood-shot eyes and the normally combed-to-perfection blond locks were knotted and greasy.

"You look like shit," Norman said, feeling overly tired. Not wanting to see his brother that way, he closed his eyes.

"You don't look so great yourself, Norm. But, I will admit you look a lot better now than you did last night," Sig grumbled back. A minute of silence past before Sig added quietly, "You really scared the shit out of me. Don't do that again."

"Right back at ya," Norman mumbled his statement a clear reference to Sig's intentions when Sara left him.

Sig blatantly ignored the comment. "Can't lose my best friend, Norman. Then where would I be?" Sig's soft voice was laced with concern, fear and hesitation. Norman didn't like the sound of it. It was an indication of just how sick he had been.

A few tears slid down Norman's cheeks, "Go away. I'm tired." The effects of the surgery were still evident.

Ignoring the request, Sig brushed off the tears and gently stroke his brother's cheek. I can't believe he's letting me do this. "I know. Go back to sleep."

The soft stroke on his cheek made Norman feel like a little kid. A kid that was very loved and wanted.

His defenses lowered, Norman whispered, "Sig…don't leave."

The request almost broke Sig's heart. His brother would have never said something like that in the past. But, things are different now.

"I won't."

"I wanna go home," Norman whined softly as he drifted off.

"Tomorrow."

Norman protested weakly, "No…now."

"Tomorrow, tough guy."

Giving up, Norman gave into the gentle touch, "I want mom."

"She'd make you stay too."

"I miss her, Sig," Norman said before falling asleep. He pretended it was his mother stroking his cheek instead of his older brother. Maybe it's a little of both.

"I know…me too."

I'm here. I miss you, too…my brave sons.

~tbc