The security guard who had hit him only a night before waved and smiled as Xander entered the hospital and a couple of nurses smiled at him, one thanking him as he headed up to Lucas' ward.
Xander found Karen by the coffee machine and handed her a real coffee he'd bought from a cart in the lobby.
" Thought you might need this?" He told her and Karen smiled gratefully,
" Thanks Xander, I don't know what they put in the machine here but it's not coffee."
" How's Lucas doing?"
" The same, still the same." She rubbed at her eyes wearily and tried to stretch out a kink in her back from two nights spent in an uncomfortable chair.
" Gotta say Karen, you really did a number on my Brother." Xander stated leaning casually against a wall and taking a sip of some coffee.
" Keith tell you he was drinking before he drove my Son? His own nephew and he was drinking." Karen retorted angrily and Xander shrugged,
" So he had a couple of beers if he was over the limit the cops would have arrested him, but they didn't cause he wasn't."
" I trusted him."
" You still can."
" No I can't, not with Lucas." Karen took a sip of her hot coffee and Xander shook his head,
" Keith would die for Lucas, you know Keith would swap places with Lucas if he could."
" Well I wish he would." Karen spat and as if startled by the vehemence in her voice she lifted a hand to her mouth,
" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She stammered and looked at Xander who was simply looking at her.
" Be careful what you wish for." Xander finally stated flatly and he walked away,
" Xander!" Karen called out after him surprised at the cold tone the man had used but Xander didn't look back.
The word Wish had caused so much trouble in the past that as soon as Karen had said it Xander felt fear forming in the pit of his stomach, he needed to see Keith to make sure that he was all right but as he walked through the ER he got his answer.
Doctors worked frantically around a gurney and standing to one side stood an old man with a shaved head wearing a jacket which proclaimed him to be COACH. Whitey.
Whitey turned and looked at Xander and moved over to him,
" He was telling me how you'd come home, he was so happy and then he just fell over." Whitey stammered and Xander took off toward the gurney.
Pushing a nurse to one side, Xander stared down at his brother lying still on the bed. A tube had been inserted into his mouth and machines beeped and bleeped as Doctors worked. A nurse grabbed his shoulder,
" Sir you have to let the doctors work." She stated and Xander took a couple of steps back, staring at the scene in front of him terrified.
" What's happening?" He demanded and the nurse patted him gently on the arm,
" We're trying to work that out but you need to give us space to tend to him properly. " She said comfortingly and Xander craned his head to see what was going on.
His mind screamed at him that this was part of the wish that Karen had just made but there hadn't been anyone else around at the coffee machine to hear the wish and for the consequences to be real, a vengeance demon would have to have heard the wish.
Spinning on his heel Xander took off at a run through the hospital, ignoring the calls of Whitey as he raced past. Xander couldn't wait for the lift and he took the stairs to Lucas' ward two at a time, flying up them.
Finally he made it into the corridor leading to Lucas' room and he forced himself to slow down as he neared the door. A boy wearing a red tracksuit was walking toward him and for a moment Xander thought he recognized the face but he ignored the moment to check on Lucas.
Karen was sitting on her son's bed talking to Lucas, and Lucas was talking back. Lucas was awake, Keith was not. The two had traded places.
Karen looked up and smiled as she saw that Xander had returned,
" Hi, look who's awake."
Xander nodded closing his eyes briefly and sighing when he opened them Lucas was looking at him a confused look on his face,
" Mom?" He croaked and Karen turned back and stroked his face gently,
" It's Xander, honey. You remember your Uncle Xander?" She asked but Lucas shook his head, unable to recall the man in his doorway.
Karen had turned back to look at Xander who now looked clearly upset.
" Xander?" Karen asked standing and Xander took a deep shaky breath.
" What it is it?" Karen asked standing grasping her son's hand for support,
" It's Keith, he's in the ER. He collapsed at Whitey's." Xander stated not verbalizing the words in his head that he really wanted to say, scream.
Xander looked at Lucas again who had struggled up in the bed concerned and then Xander turned away from the door and started down the hallway, Karen ran after him.
" Is Keith all right?" Karen asked grabbing Xander's arm and Xander turned to face her,
" You got your wish." He stated coldly and shrugged out of her grip angrily spinning away and storming down the hallway, back toward the ER.
Xander's phone rang as he walked away and he flipped it open and answered after a few irritating shrills.
" What?"
" Xander? Are you all right?" Giles asked and Xander couldn't help but smile, even across the other side of the world Giles' had picked up Xander's mood with one word.
" I'm dealing, what's up?"
" Just a general warning really, A coven in Charlotte warned the council of a large amount of power radiating from Tree Hill, they seem to think it has something to do in relation to you. Have you seen anything that might support their theory?" Xander could almost hear the Brit wiping his glasses on his shirt,
" I dusted a couple of vamps, but nothing else. " Xander wondered if he should mention Karen's wish," My Nephew's Mom she made a wish earlier today and it came true but there wasn't a vengeance demon around. That's weird right?" Xander asked and Giles murmured,
" Are you sure the wish came true?"
" Yup, she wished my Brother into a coma and guess where he is?" Xander shot back,
" Well that would certainly explain the power, " Giles pondered and Xander sighed,
" What would?"
" Maybe a Chaos demon about to perform a ritual or a demi-god mucking about with fate. I'll look into it on this end and call you back, in the mean time I suggest you patrol tonight. And Xander I'm sure your Brother will be fine, if he's anything like you it would be hard to keep him down." The older man said comfortingly,
" Thanks G-man, I'll take a look around the town tonight,"
" Do you want me to call Faith have her join you?"
" No, I'll be fine. Thanks for the call Giles." Xander flipped the phone shut as he entered the ER and found Whitey who was still standing in the same spot Xander had just left him.
" What's going on?" Xander demanded as he noticed that the space Keith had lain was empty.
" They took him away for tests, but they think he's stabilized. Where did you run off to?" Whitey asked,
" Lucas is awake." Xander stated and turned to walk away but stopped short when he caught sight of a familiar face rushing through the doors of the ER. Dan Scott.
" Whitey? What the hell is going on?" Dan demanded bearing down on the high school Coach,
" Calm down Dan, they think Keith's going to be fine, he collapsed at my house and the Doc thinks there might be some pressure in his skull from the accident." Whitey explained and Dan shook his head angrily,
" Then why the hell would they have let him go in the first place! He should have been in a bed being monitored! Where's his Doctor?" Dan demanded, losing his temper and Xander standing besides Whitey reached forward and placed a hand on Dan's chest.
" Calm down Dan, Keith will be fine." Dan turned to snap at the intrusion and stopped short his mouth twisting into a look of shock.
" Xander." Dan spat with contempt, " What the hell are you doing here?" Dan demanded
" It's good to see you too Dan." Xander retorted and Dan knocked away Xander's hand from his chest,
" You didn't answer my question."
" I came to see my family, I've missed you." Xander replied the last words said with a hint of sarcasm,
" You go for ten years with no word and you what expect me to be happy about your return?" Dan spat,
" Dan let's not do this now, Ok? I'm just as worried about Keith as you are and it's obvious you're a little upset."
Whitey interjected perhaps predicting where the heated argument between the two men might lead,
" Why don't we just settle down, Dan, Lucas is awake if you want to go and see him." Dan interrupted,
" And why would I want to do that?"
" Because he's your Son and because you obviously cared enough about him when you brought him in here." Whitey replied and Dan snorted,
" Don't confuse my civic duty with me caring for Lucas."
" Yeah Whitey, I mean it'd look bad for Dan to leave his Son in the street to die, and you're all about the image aren't you Dan?" Xander fired at his brother and Dan took a step toward Xander,
" Take me on Dan, Go on." Xander's voice was emotionless and cold and the tone startled Dan and while he didn't immediately back down he rethought the punch he was going to throw at his little brother.
" Well at least image isn't a problem for you." Dan replied instead and Xander shrugged,
" It don't have to look pretty, it's just got to work."
" Will you two knock it off!" Whitey nearly shouted exasperated that the two brother's could be fighting at a time like this.
" He started it, " Xander said childishly which got a half smile from the old man,
" Well I'm finishing it, now let's be men and go and wait for Keith's results together?" Whitey suggested.
Xander looked past Whitey into the night outside the hospital,
" Later, I got people I need to talk to." Xander stated and after pushing past his Brother he was gone.
