Braxton House

"Hey, I'm glad someone was home last night." Ricky jokes as she walks into the house, seeing Tyler and Casey sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Huh?" Tyler frowns.

"Why wouldn't anyone be home?" Casey asks.

"Well Emily filled me in on what happened at the hospital, how her and Heath were watching guard to make sure Kyle didn't do a runner. Brax never came home either, I can't get hold of him and I've checked Cheryl's, she hasn't seen him. I even did a sweep of her house in case she was lying to me like last time but he wasn't there. There wasn't even any signs of his even being there." Ricky explains.

"Wait, what happened at the hospital? Is Kyle okay?" Casey asks, having been at Denny's all day and didn't get home until late last night.

"Kyle's fine, apart from he threatened to discharge himself and apparently got into a heated argument with Nate and Brax, and then Emily, about being discharged." Ricky says. "Apparently Kyle told Brax he wasn't a great brother and was like your father in a lot of his ways, and also that he was glad your dad was dead. Brax apparently took off after that and his phone is turned off."

"Kyle said that?" Casey frowns.

"He's understandably getting frustrated being in hospital, but that doesn't sound like him." Tyler says.

"Lucas and Heath were also there at that point. Emily said Lucas went to stay at Heath's for the night to help out with Rocco as Heath refused to leave the hospital. Kyle was going to stay anywhere that would let him, even though he should have someone around at all times in case something was to happen." Ricky says.

"When did this all start happening with Kyle, about this need to come home?" Tyler asks.

"I started noticing him acting differently when he was moved to a normal ward. Visiting hours are only for a set amount of hours a day and he was used to having at least two of us around him pretty much all the time. I bet he got lonely once visiting hours were over." Casey says, knowing he'd find it hard as well. "But I don't get why he would take it out on Brax, that's not like him. They've been so close since Kyle woke up, he wouldn't ruin that for no reason."

"I don't know, maybe he just let all of his anger out and Brax took the brunt of it." Ricky says, not understanding that part as she thought about it. "I'm really starting to worry, the last time Brax did this he wasn't in a good way."

"Try not to worry, maybe he stayed at a mates house instead and his phone died. He could be on his way home for all we know." Casey says, not getting a good feeling either, he just couldn't make that known.

"What if he's not?" Ricky says. "He promised he wouldn't do this to me again, he promised he would talk to me no matter how hard he would find it."

"Come on Ricky, this is Brax we're talking about. He's not going to talk to anyone about what he's feeling. He never has and he never will. It's how he's always been." Casey says, not wanting to sound harsh but he couldn't let her think he would change certain things just because they were now married. "He prefers to deal with some things by himself, no matter how much it hurts the people around him. He's probably gone up the coast to clear his head and didn't think about letting anyone know. He's done that before, you didn't complain then."

"Back then he wasn't told he was just like his dead father, who had beaten him half to death multiple times." Ricky retorts.

"Okay, yes that has never been said to him before but it's bound to hit him hard." Casey says. "He never talks about what happened to him as a kid to anyone and I don't think that being said to him would have brought up good memories."

"I know if that was me, I would need to take a couple days out just to get my head straight. I probably wouldn't even think of letting anyone know about it either." Tyler says.

"I'm his wife, he can't keep me out of things like this. I know about what happened to him, surely that means he trusts me enough to tell me when he's not doing well?" Ricky sighs, starting to feel stressed out over it.

"Brax does trust you, more than anyone. Rick, you have to understand that Brax will never talk to someone about his feelings, he'll deal with it his own way." Casey says, having tried many times to talk to Brax about things that were always shut down.

"Why don't I go and check the hospital? I could find out some more about what happened and see if Heath knows anything." Tyler suggests.

"Yeah, I'll check a few places out that I know he used to go to when I was a kid. Some of them were just places we'd go, so he might have decided to go there." Casey says. "You stay here, he might be home soon and this would be for nothing. Try not to worry."

"I've been trying, I just don't have a good feeling." Ricky says, feeling sick at the thought of him being badly hurt somewhere.

"We'll keep you updated. Call us if he comes home." Casey says, Ricky faintly nodding as they both walk out to start looking for their eldest brother.

Northern Districts Hospital

"Casey's been letting me know once he's checked a place out, but so far nothing. I looked around a few places on my way here and I couldn't find him either. Ricky's going out of her mind back at the house." Tyler says as he talks to Heath and Emily by the chairs outside of Kyle's room.

"And he definitely wasn't at mums?" Heath asks.

"No." Tyler says, glancing at the door. "Is Kyle okay in there on his own?"

"Yeah, he's in with his counsellor and didn't want us in there." Emily says. "They might be a while, I'm going to check in on Ricky and give her some company. Tell Kyle I might come back later if he's in a better mood." She says before walking away.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tyler frowns.

"No, it's not you. Kyle took a lot out on us last night and didn't hold back. He's really not happy about staying here longer. In the end it gave him a bad migraine and he passed out, Nate took him for some scans and said there was nothing serious going on." Heath says, having been a bit freaked out when it happened but was glad it was a migraine and nothing more serious that might have needed more surgery.

"I don't understand why he's starting acting up like this. Surely it's not because of the visiting hours changing?" Tyler asks.

"I don't know, he won't tell us what's really going on in that head of his. He did say he got lonely here, but he said it in general, not just when visiting hours are over." Heath says as Tyler's phone goes off.

"That's Casey, he's still not having any luck. What do we do?" Tyler asks, not knowing what there was to do about it.

"You stay here and keep an eye on Kyle and I'll go out looking. I know a few places that Casey might not think off." Heath says. "But whatever you do, do not let Kyle leave this hospital or you'll be the patient."

"Got it." Tyler quickly says. "Maybe he'll get another migraine and pass out." He says.

"We shouldn't joke about that but let's hope." Heath says, not wanting Kyle to be in pain, but he couldn't let him leave the hospital without Nate saying it was okay. "I'm going to quickly go home first to check on Bianca and Rocco, do you want me to send Lucas for some company?"

"No that's okay. I don't think you'll be able to drag him away from Rocco, he's always loved kids."

"Should I be worried?" Heath jokes.

"Only when it comes to education. Lucas will want Rocco to take up all extra study lessons and would even be a private tutor for him." Tyler smiles. "He means well, he just wants the kids in our family to not grow up like us. Plus Rocco is the only kid in this family so far, so he'll be the main focus for a while."

"I get that. And he'd have to beat Bianca to it." Heath scoffs. "I'm going to have a walking encyclopaedia on my hands."

"You really are." Tyler laughs. "Anyway, I'll let you go. And don't worry, our baby bro won't be going anywhere on my watch."

"Glad to hear it." Heath says before walking towards the lift while pulling out his phone to check where Casey's had looked for their brother.