A couple days after agreeing to say their goodbyes sooner, they had all come to realise how much they needed to do it. A few of Kyle's closest friends had been in after Casey had updated their group of friends on the decision and they had also told a few of the Bay residents who had become good friends with Kyle. Casey and Denny had gone in together to say their goodbyes, followed by Tyler, Ricky and Brax, and Emily.
Lucas hadn't been ready to do his yet, so Blake was outside the hospital trying to talk him through it, wanting him to see that he didn't want to regret his decision in the future. The others were waiting silently in a relatives room near Kyle's hospital room while Heath went to say his goodbyes, Bianca waiting outside as she had gone in first to say her goodbyes, although she hadn't known him as much as she liked.
Northern Districts Hospital - Day 17
"I can't believe it's come to this. Out of all of us, why you? I wouldn't have to feel like this over a decision if it was me. I know I'd have Bianca and our baby to think about, but I wouldn't mind because at least you would be there instead and you would be amazing to him. I wish we told you it was a boy before this happened. I know it wouldn't have made a difference… You'd be the best person for him to have around. I don't want Lucas or Tyler, I want you. It doesn't matter that they're our brothers as well, my little man needs his uncle Kyle in person, not through memories we tell him about." Heath says, not even fighting back the tears streaming down his face. "I've been thinking over a lot of things over the past few weeks. I asked Bianca to marry me and we were going to tell everyone, but then I got a call to say you'd been run over and… I'm not losing you, okay? So you need to prove all those doctors wrong and wake up. They don't know what they're talking about, your life support doesn't need to be turned off because you're just doing this to wind us up. You'll wake up, you have to. Just wake up already, you need to wake up!" He shouts before breaking down into tears, Bianca rushing in to comfort him as he sobbed into her shoulder.
"It's okay." Bianca whispers into his ear. "We'll get through this as a family, you're not alone."
"He can't die like this!" Heath sobs.
"I know you don't want this, but you have to think about what's best for Kyle. You don't want him living off a machine for the rest of his life, do you?"
"No of course I don't, but I don't want him to die. He's still got a heart beat as long as it's on. That's his heart beating." Heath says, pointing to the machines. "I know that's all we've got left of him, but it's his heart."
"I know." Bianca nods, never having seen this side to him and she wasn't sure how much more she could help before he started pushing her out.
"Do you think Tyler was right?" Heath asks as he stares at his brother, just wishing there was something that could be done for him.
"Right about what?" Bianca asks.
"Kyle being in pain."
"No, I don't think he's in pain. He looks so at peace, so that means he can't be in any pain." Bianca says, not wanting him to think otherwise, even though they didn't know. "I saw Lucas walking to the relatives room while I was waiting. We can go and join them if you're ready, or we can stay here longer."
"I'm never going to be ready, but they want this conversation to be over." Heath says, wiping his eyes dry before taking Bianca's hand, both of them walking out to the relatives room in silence, preparing for the conversation ahead of them.
"Hi." Casey mutters as they walk in.
"How long have you all been waiting here?" He asks them.
"Lost track of time." Brax mutters. "We've just been talking about a few things and now you're here, I think it's time we all spoke about it together."
"Is this going to be about the decision?" Heath asks, wanting to make sure in case he could go back to Kyle's room instead and leave it longer.
"Yeah." Tyler lightly nods. "I think we all agree that now is the time we need to talk about it together, instead of making excuses or walking off whenever it's mentioned."
"Okay." Heath sighs, him and Bianca taking a seat in the spare chairs.
"While you were in with Kyle, we came up with a few pros and cons each on why this should happen." Brax says.
"Pros and cons?" Heath frowns. "How can you even get any pros out of this?"
"We got one between us." Tyler says. "Kyle being at rest, his body being put at rest from the strain it's under."
"We couldn't think about any other's, not when that was a major one." Casey says. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say it will put us all at peace knowing Kyle won't be in pain anymore."
"Right." Heath says. "What about the cons."
"The major one for that was us losing our brother." Tyler says. "We don't want it to happen, but the doctors wouldn't tell us to come to a decision unless it had to happen. And we have to take into account what Kyle would want. Can you honestly say he'd want to be in a coma like this for weeks on end?"
"No." Heath faintly shakes his head, knowing he wouldn't if it was him. "So the decision is being made today?"
"I think it's best for Kyle if we didn't put this off just because we want to be selfish and keep him alive on a machine longer. It's not fair on him to do it and it's not healthy for us. We need to wake up and accept that Kyle isn't coming back no matter how much we pray he does." Brax says. "Tyler, why don't you go first. What's your say?" He asks, wanting them all to be on the same page.
"I think it's the right thing to do turning Kyle's life support off now. It's been over two weeks and there's no improvements in his condition, so it would be the best thing for him and us. We can't be putting this off anything longer." Tyler says, glancing at Casey.
"Yeah, I agree with that. It's not fair on him to be left in the coma just because we don't want him to die. It's going to be so hard, but it's the right thing that we should do." Casey mutters, Denny resting her head on his shoulder as he looks over at Ricky.
"I love Kyle so much, but I think this is a decision that should be made by you boys." Ricky says, Brax giving her pleading eyes to help them out. "It wouldn't be fair on Kyle if he was left in the coma any longer. I think it's time you started to grieve properly." She says.
"I agree. Grief can be powerful and delaying it won't help you." Bianca says, Lucas and Heath lightly nodding in agreement. "I know none of you want this to happen, but it needs to now."
"So we're all in agreement that now is probably the time to turn Kyle's life support off?" Brax asks, getting a nod from everyone but two of his brothers. "Please, Heath. I don't want this to happen any more than you do, but we have to think about what's best for Kyle. I don't want him living off a machine like this any longer."
"I know, I get that. I just can't agree to it no matter how hard I try." Heath says, trying to fight back more tears. "If the majority agree, then it has to happen, but I'm not having a say."
"Can you at least say that you won't hold it against the rest of us for agreeing to it?" Brax asks.
"Yeah, I wouldn't do that. I just can't have a say." Heath says.
"Fine." Brax sighs. "Lucas?"
"No." Lucas shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I can't let this happen." He says, running to Kyle's room, blocking the door with a heavy medicine cabinet, all of them heading after him.
"Lucas, open the door!" Brax orders, not getting a reply and he couldn't budge the door open.