She hated having to do it. It was after three in the morning and she knew Gil worked late because of his current case. There isn't any other choice though, she told herself as she pushed the call button. Not when Malcolm is being his usual obstinate self and refusing to let me take him to the hospital.

Sorcha chewed her lower lip as she listened to it ring. After the second ring she heard a gruff, "Arroyo."

"Gil..."

The use of his name worked faster than a jolt of caffeine. Sorcha heard Jackie asking what was going on in the background but he hushed her with a few whispered words. "What happened? Are you and Bright okay?"

"Yes, we're fine," she quickly assured him. "We made it home before the storm got real bad."

"But?"

"Gil, I don't know what's wrong." The words came tumbling out, almost tripping over themselves in their hurry to leave her mouth. "Everything was fine after we got here. He took a shower. We watched movies. Fell asleep—"

"Sorcha." Gil spoke her name in that same tone her father used when he wanted her to calm down and tell him what was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Malcolm's burning up with fever."

And that's putting it mildly, she thought as she glanced towards the figure curled up in a ball beside her. Sweat glued his hair to his face and neck, soaked through the top he wouldn't let her remove when she tried.

"How high?" This came from Jackie as she took the phone from Gil. "What other symptoms is he having?"

"Well, he's complained about his stomach hurting him but we figured it was stress and his meds bothering him like usual."

"Did he eat something that disagreed with him?"

"No." Sorcha wondered that herself after he crawled in bed with her. "We had won ton soup for dinner. I made it myself. All fresh ingredients. Him more broth than anything else because of his stomach complaints."

"Has he been vomiting?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Chills?"

"Yes." Despite having his own private summer, Mal had also complained about feeling like a block of ice. "And he's complained his belly is tender around his belly button."

"We'll be right there." Jackie's tone was matter-of-fact, alarming Sorcha all the more. "I'll call Jessica at the hotel she and Ainsley are staying at and let her know we're taking him to the hospital."

"Jackie, what is it? What's wrong with Malcolm?"

"He could have appendicitis, sweetie."

"Appendicitis?" She stroked a hand over Malcolm's sweaty forehead. "Are you sure?"

Why hadn't she thought of that? Stupid of her not to, really.

"We won't be sure until we get him to the hospital," Jackie said, "but it definitely sounds like it."

Guilt settled like a lead ball in her belly. She was supposed to watch out for Malcolm. Take care of him. Make sure he ate, slept, took his meds.

When he needed her to see he was in distress, she failed.

She let him, Jessica, Gil and Jackie down.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the man shivering beside her and the woman on the phone. "I should have been paying better attention and I wasn't."

"You couldn't have predicted Malcolm developing appendicitis. It just happens."

"I should have recognized the symptoms."

Her mother was a nurse for chrissakes! "I should have..."

"Calm down, sweetie," Jackie soothed. "It's going to be okay. Malcolm will be fine. Gil and I are on our way. Okay?"

"Okay."

Sorcha curled around Malcolm after Jackie hung up, singing softly to him, and stroking his damp hair from his face in an attempt to keep him, and herself, calm.

A/N: Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

I just want to send a special thank you to Rookblonkorules for their lovely reviews