Tad took a seat on the sofa beside his brother. . "I'm not hiding this to hurt her," Jake said. "I'm trying to protect her."

"Protect Greenlee?" Tad asked. "From what?"

"Heartbreak." Jake laughed softly, realizing his poor choice of words. "I was trying to protect you all. Mom, Pop, you."

"You know that you don't need to hide anything from us. We'd do anything to help you."

"This would kill mom," Jake said, taking note again at his word choice.

"This is really serious." Tad leaned forward in his seat.

"My..." Jake began. He couldn't seem to find the right words. "I'm..." There was no easy way to say it. "I'm sick, Tad."

"What do you mean?" Tad asked, concerned. "How sick are we talking here?"

"It's my heart," Jake said, trying to think of a simple, non-medical way to explain it to him. "It's stretched out and it's not pumping enough blood."

"How did this happen, Pop doesn't have a..."

"It's not hereditary. They don't know what causes it."

Tad was shocked. He was left almost speechless. "Do you...you have a good doctor?" Tad managed to ask. Jake leaned forward, taking the piece of paper and handing it to Tad. "David Hayward. You're seeing him?"

"No," Jake said, rubbing his eyes. "And I don't think I'm going to either."

"But, you were referred to him?"

Jake nodded. "A world renowned surgeon with a criminal record, who forced Pop into resigning as chief of staff and almost got me fired and thrown in jail for attempted murder." Jake raised his eyebrows at Tad. "This is who I should have operate on me? I don't trust him as far as I could throw him."

"We can explore our options..."

"Don't you see, Tad? David Hayward is my only option."

"Well, if that's the case, maybe you should consider it?"

"And have him shoot me with the same stuff he used on...on Dixie?"

Tad sat back, thinking quickly of Dixie. "As much as I can't stand David Hayward. And you know what I would have done to him for what he did to Dixie... He kept her from dying, Jake."

"OK." Jake stood. "OK, let's say I do go to Hayward for help, and he administers this... miracle drug. It might have helped Dixie, Tad, but I'm not her. It could work completely opposite with me. If he even gives me that drug. Don't forget, it's partly because of me that he's not practicing medicine at the Hospital."

"So you think he might give you another drug to kill you?"

"You think he won't? He's done it before. Look at Adam Chandler."

Tad took a deep breath. "Fine, OK," he said. "Then where does that leave us?"

"Square one." Jake sat back down again. "Waiting for a transplant that might never come."

"You don't know that. I bet Pop knows somebody who could help you. He's close with a lot of doctors."

"No," Jake shook his head. "No, Tad. Nobody else can know about this. Not Mom, not Pop and not Greenlee."

"You're just going to go around lying to them? You need help, Jake."

"You think I don't know that? Don't you think I know, Tad? I'm scared out of my mind. I think about what's going to happen to me and I think of everything I have here... Everything I could have. Greenlee... for God's sake, Tad, I bought her a ring. I was going to ask her to marry me. I'll never have that. Never. " Tad couldn't bring himself to say a word as Jake spoke. The truth was, Tad was just as afraid as Jake. "I'm not ready to die."

"Then don't just sit back and wait for it," Tad said.

Jake stood once again. "I thought you of all people would understand this whole thing."

"I understand it all too well. I understand that you don't trust David Hayward. I understand how you feel. What I don't understand is why you won't ask for help. You're not protecting anyone by hiding this from them, Jake. Not Mom, not Pop, and especially not Greenlee. It's just going to hurt them more, the longer you keep it a secret."

"You know what?" Jake said, walking to the door. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"You share an apartment with her." Tad approached him. "She already has a feeling that something's not right. How long do you think that it's going to take Greenlee to find out? Because she will figure out what's going on."

"Get out, Tad." Jake swung the door inward.

"You can do whatever you want about this, Jake. Don't tell anyone if you don't want to. But I don't care what I have to do, I'm not going to just sit by... and watch this happen."

"Do me a favor, Tad. Stay out of this. It's not your concern."

"You are my concern, Jake. You're my little brother."

"Don't pull that baby brother stuff on me." Tad walked out of the apartment and faced Jake in the doorway. "Goodbye, Tad," Jake said coldly, closing the door.

Jake rested his back against the door, leaning his head back. He brought his hands up, rubbed his eyes, and then ran his fingers back through his hair, taking a deep breath as he spoke. "What have I done?"