Chapter 29

Til The Heartache's Gone

Teresa stood there, not quite sure what to say. "Well, Fox..." Before she could say anything else, Fox's nurse walked in.

"Fox, I'm here to give you you're pain medicine. I also need to check his bandages, so I'll need you to step out ma'am." She walked past Teresa and pulled the curtain around his bed.

Teresa sighed. Saved by the bell, she thought to herself. As she walked through the hall she bumped into Ivy.

"Teresa, is everything okay? You didn't stay in there too long." She asked.

"Well, Ivy, he's asking a lot of questions that I don't particularly feel comfortable telling him right now. He asked me how Ethan was doing." She cringed.

"Oh, I suppose that would be uncomfortable. Maybe we should all sit down and decide together who and how we should tell him. It want be easy, I know, but he does deserve to know."

"Of course. I totally agree. I guess I was just thrown off guard a little by his question. I honestly didn't think he would remember so much."

In Fox's room, his nurse was checking his bandages and giving him usual nursing care. She reviewed all his monitors and recorded his vital signs. She checked his IV and made sure it was working well.

Fox looked up at her as she worked, "Ma'am, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, what would you like to know." She asked.

"Do you know my brother, Ethan Winthrop?" She nodded as she was preparing his pain medicine.

"So you must know how he's doing?" She nodded yet again administering his pain medicine through his IV.

She patted him on the arm, "You'll know soon enough, Mr. Crane. Now close your eyes and sleep." With that she walked out of the room and Fox drifted off to sleep. As Fox faded into sleep he noticed a dim light forming in the distance. Fox focused closely on that light and in it he saw he figure of a man. The man walked toward Fox as he laid in his bed. As he came closer Fox slowly inched out of his bed and stood to his feet. He swinched his eyes together trying to see the man coming towards him. He looked so familiar. As he got closer his face finally came into view.

"Ethan! Ethan is that you?" Fox said still trying to make out his face.

"Yes, Fox, it's me. How are you doing?" He said. Ethan was dressed all in white from head to toe. Fox looked at him funny. He could swear Ethan was glowing.

"Well, I must say, I've seen better days." He chuckled.

"Yes, yes, amen to that." Ethan laughed back.

"Ethan, why are you here in my dream?" Fox asked confused.

"I'm here to say good-bye Fox." Ethan looked down sad. "Fox, do you remember when we were kids and we used to get along so well. We'd play for hours and hours without a care in the world?" Ethan asked reminiscing.

Fox nodded his head yes. He looked at Ethan and smiled, "Hey, do you remember that pretty little girl in the park. You know the one that we use to fight over who was going to push her while she sat in her swing?" Fox smiled.

"Yeah, do you remember who that pretty little girl was?" Fox shook his head no. "That pretty little girl was Teresa." He smiled.

"You're kidding! Looks like that's one thing we always agreed on. Teresa." He smiled. Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, too bad things couldn't always be like that. Unfortunately life always seems to get in the way."

Ethan nodded in return. "Look, Fox, I'm sorry I never noticed how mother and father treated you and our sisters. I would give anything to have changed it. I would give anything to have a relationship like you have with them. Unfortunately now it's too late."

"What are talking about, Ethan. It's never too late. Do you know how long I thought I would never be loved and look at me now. I have the love of my life. I have a strong relationship with Eve. And unbelievably enough I think mother and father are finally coming around. You know, for once in my life I feel like somebody. It's not too late for us Ethan and it's not too late for you to have a relationship with our sisters."

"Fox, I don't think you understand. I came here to say good-bye."

"Good-bye? Where are you going?" He asked confusion written all over his face.

"I think you know. Look I wanted to tell you I'm happy for you and Teresa. Take good care of her Fox. She's one in a million. Treat her that way. I know I always didn't and for that I'm sorry, but you can make it all up to her for me. You can give her the life I never could."

"Ethan, you can't go. What am I going to do without my big brother?" Fox joked.

Ethan smiled, "As much as I would like to believe that, I know you've made it just fine without me all these years and you'll make it fine without me now."

"What about Little Ethan? What are we going to tell him?"

"You'll know the right words, Fox. Take good care of him. You'll be his father now." Tears formed in Ethan's eyes at the mention of his son.

"I'll never let him forget you, Ethan."

"It's time to go now, Fox. Take good care of them. They were my world. They're yours now." Ethan turned to walk away, but turned one last time to look at Fox. "Always remember, Fox, there will always be someone looking over you." He winked at Fox and walked slowly toward the white light and disappeared within it.

Fox watched as his brother walked out of his life. How could so many things go so wrong in such a matter of time? Fox lay back down in his bed and closed his eyes. So many thoughts filling his mind...

Let the tears fall like rain

If that's what it takes

To wash away your memory.

Let the hurt takes it time.

I don't mind waiting.

That's the way it's got to be.

I'll keep holding on,

Til the heartaches gone.

All the might have beens

And the never will be's

They can never take your place.

But they're all that's left

of what's ever mattered to me.

And they fill this empty space.

I'll keep holding on,

Til the heartaches gone.

I'll make believe you once loved me.

Til the heartache is gone.

I'll pretend you still care.

Til the heartache is gone.

You'll always be here.

Til the heartache is gone.

Oh, I can make it through

The pain of loosing you.

That's the way it's got to be.

I'll keep holding on

No matter how long.

Til the heartaches gone.

****I hope you guys like this. I know it may be confusing. Fox is actually asleep from his pain medicine when Ethan comes to him in his dream. I thought this would be a nice, easier way for him to find out. The song is from Diamond Rio; Til the Heartache's Gone. I hope you like. Please review.