Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. just having some fun with them. Thanks for all the great reviews! I've been listening to your suggestions and hope to incorporate some of them!

"Get into bed," commanded Keith.
Lucas didn't argue. He kicked off his sneakers and climbed into bed, not even bothering to take off his jeans or t-shirt. He let Keith tuck the covers around him, as his uncle had often done when he was a little boy.
"Your temperature is coming down," Keith offered after feeling Lucas's forehead for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. He sighed. "Your mother is going to call tomorrow and I'm going to have to tell her about this."
"No you don't," said Lucas.
Keith glared at Luke. "Of course I do! You have blood poisoning. I can't hide that. Besides," said Keith as if he had actually considered hiding the truth from Karen, "the insurance is sure to send a copy of the hospital bill."
"They don't write what's wrong with you. So we'll tell her I have the flu. Come on Keith, don't tell her about this."
Karen would kill him, thought Lucas. She would take the first flight home, dump the cooking school, and nurse him back to health, so that she could throttle him when he was better. He had promised her that he would behave - and he was behaving for the most part. It was his body after all, but she would be more upset that he had gotten a tattoo in an unsanitary environment than she would be about the tattoo.
Not that he remembered the tattoo parlor very well. He had been drunk. He assumed that even in a stupor, he had the brains to make sure the needles were clean, but obviously he was wrong. The doctor had tested for HIV and thank God the test had come back negative, but the doctor said he would have to be retested in six months.
Keith eyed his nephews and played with the covers some more. He had a half a mind to take the cover and choke the boy, but thought the police might have issues with that. Not that now was the time to remind Lucas how stupid he had been. The boy was too feverish to even remember any conversation they might have tonight.
"We'll see. In the meanwhile, you've got to get better. I'm going to go out and fill the prescription the doctor gave you. Do you need anything while I'm out?"
Lucas shook his head. He started to feel sleepy. It hurt behind his eyes and his muscles felt sore all over. He knew it was all symptoms of the fever. That was why shivers went up and down his spine every few minutes and then he felt hot all over.
As soon as Lucas heard Keith's truck start up and back up the drive way, he leaned over for the phone and dialed Haley's number.
"Hales," he said, "is Nathan still there?"
"I told you he wasn't here to begin with," she insisted. They didn't even bother to exchange greetings.
"Look Haley, I may have a fever of a hundred four, but my brain isn't that addled. I know when you're lying and I know Nathan was there when I called before. Is he still there?"
"You what?"
"It's a long story. I probably won't make it into school on Monday, but I'll get into that another time. Put my brother on the phone."
Lucas couldn't see Haley giving Nathan an imploring look. But she couldn't deny Lucas. When he had called Nathan his brother, there was no contempt in his voice. There was just genuine concern. She stretched out her hand, offering Nathan the phone. Reluctantly, he took it.
"Hello."
"Nathan. It's Luke. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"Deb looked pretty worried when I saw her."
Nathan sighed. His mother would worry. But he couldn't face her. He knew that he would have to admit taking the drugs, and his father would kill him - with words - but his mother would be so disappointed and hurt, that it would be worse than Dan berating him.
"I'm not ready to see her yet."
"Maybe if you called her. Let her know that you're okay."
"Why are you so concerned about my mother?"
Lucas shrugged and then realized Nathan couldn't see him through the phone. "I don't know. Maybe because she's been so good to my mom. I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I - it's not my place. I just felt bad when I saw her in the hospital."
"You came to see me in the hospital?"
Lucas laughed. "We're not there yet Nathan. Maybe one day. No, Keith dragged me to the emergency room. I have blood poisoning."
"Blood poisoning?"
Hailey grabbed the phone, but Nathan didn't let go. They shared by each putting their ear to the receiver. "Blood poisoning? How'd you do that Lucas?" asked Hailey.
So he told them.
"I guess stupidness is genetic," said Nathan. "It must come from our - from Dan."
Lucas was silent for a moment. "So it was drugs that made you collapse?"
Nathan sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I only took for the last week or so. Look, Lucas."
"You don't have to say it," he cut Nathan off. "It's not my business to say anything. Just don't keep using."
"Don't get any more tattoos."
"Deal."