A few days later
Walter couldn't feel his legs. Well no that was a lie. He could feel them but it was...different. As he came to he noticed it wasn't just his legs. Everything from his hips downwards was fuzzy- like pins and needles to the extreme. Dysesthesia maybe? but what would bring it on?
Placing a hand forward he suddenly realised he'd wet himself in the night and not even noticed. His face burned with shame and he swung his legs round to get up and wash himself and the bedding- hopefully before anyone noticed.
He realised his mistake rather quickly his feet felt like they were on tons of padding and he didn't quite have control of his legs. He tried to hold onto the bedside table for support but missed falling to the floor. He curled himself into a ball and wept- what was wrong with him?
The Doctor had been here before with the O'Briens. Had been practicing long enough to remember little Megan before the family sent her away with her younger brother to America to get her the care she needed.
He'd heard about Megan's younger brother on the News- Callan's first billionaire and apparently quite the hero. He wouldn't struggle to fund his treatment but it didn't make the news he had to share any easier.
"I'm not ruling out MS" he sighed, a pain in his heart as he watched the boy's poor Mother break "We'll have to run tests and you'll be here a while I'm afraid but maybe you'll be lucky eh?" Wrong choice of words the Doctor realised as Walter's face took on a kind of Dark sadness "I'd rather Megan be lucky" Walter mumbled as his distraught parents pulled him into a tight hug.
Slyvester was inconsolable. Moreso when Paige had found out what he'd told Walter's parents. Her relief knowing where Walter now was was overshadowed by her anger at the younger man "A white lie got us into this mess!! Those were far from white lies!! How'd you think I'd feel if that was Ralph?!"
He found no sympathy from Happy, who was angry about her family being torn apart in the first place. "Please help me" Slyvester had begged "I've already lost my brother I can't loose my mum and dad too" he cried. Happy had snapped at him with a fury he'd never seen the volatile engineer direct at him before "And whose fault is that?!?!". Slyvester turned away glancing at Toby who slowly shook his head-no. He rubbed at his eyes and walked away briskly to his office managing to shut the door just in time to avoid the wrench Happy had thrown at him. Happy never threw things at him. "Everyone loves good ol' Sly" he muttered to himself with a hollow laugh as he sat down at his desk.
He'd feel worse when he found what had happened to his brother.
Cabe's eyes watered as Sean spoke to him on the phone while Walter was having a MRI. He broke down fully after he'd promised to be on the next flight he could and they'd said their goodbyes.
They faced death many times in the past but this... this was too much like Amanda. It was his biggest fear- loosing Walter on a job would destroy him. But loosing his boy like he'd lost his daughter? That would kill him.
Of course Walter would likely encourage him to be logical, to think of the facts. MS didn't necessarily mean a death sentence. Megan had passed before her time yes- but it didn't mean that Walter would. They didn't know it was definitely MS either 'though' Cabe thought bitterly 'They were treating it that way'. "It could be Transverse Myalitis" Sean had said. Cabe's heart had broke at the hopeful sound in the other man's voice- Praying that his Son would not meet the same fate as his daughter.
He was hysterical when Allie found him an hour later and had thrown up twice in his grief, already exspecting the worst. After she'd managed to calm him down enough to tell her what was wrong she understood why he was so distressed. She'd wrapped her arms around him and told him to pack for the pair of them while she made arrangements. As much as Cabe hated her right now Allie knew Paige needed to know- if only for the little boy they'd come to love as a Grandson.
Paige hadn't spoken in the last few hours. She'd felt numb inside from the moment she'd packed her and Ralph's bags. She barely managed to tell the school administrator that she was there to pick up her son early and refused to tell the woman why and ignored her son's repeated demands to know where they were going.
Ralph was angry at Mother for dragging him away from school- the one place he could escape her and the others and her refusal to tell him why. The anger changed to confusion when they reached LAX and she pulled two suitcases out from the car.
When they finally reached the queue for Dublin he felt a cold dread instead, his thoughts turning to the flight Walter had mentioned in his email.
When his Mother flung herself into Cabes arms, both bawling loudly- animosity seemingly forgotten, Ralph felt fearful... Walter hadn't replied to his last few emails.
A/N oh no poor Walter! please let me know what you think.