Author's Note: Sorry these chapters are coming up slow, I'm trying to get these up as fast as I can type. Thank you everyone for reading! Thank you so much if you reviewed! I really appreciated all of the feedback I get. It helps me so much when I write other chapters.

Bad to Worse

Chapter 2- An Eternity

David Sinclairsuddenly jumped in front of Charlie. He caught Charlie before he could get to his brother. David's large arms held him from getting loose.

"Let go of me!" Charlie demanded his voice on the verge of tears and panic. "That is my brother over there."

"It's okay Charlie. You need to let the medics take care of him. It's going to be okay."

"Don! Don! Where is he?" Charlie yelled as he was struggling harder. "I need to get to him!"

Charlie could see his brother's form when agents moved to let the medics in. He could see Terry hovering over his brother; her hands stained a bright red as she was desperately trying to stop the blood coming from Don's neck. Charlie's brain started rattling off survival stats gunshot wounds to the neck, and realized that they were not good. Charlie suddenly stopped struggling which surprised David and he loosened his grip. Charlie felt David loosen his grip and he took advantage of it and ran towards his brother.

Charlie pushed his way into the ring of agents around Don. What he saw made him lose his breath. Don was as white as his shirt, and he looked asleep peacefully. The medics were frantically trying to stem the blood flow from his chest and neck. Charlie could see the IV that was pumping regular saline into the back of his brother's hand. Charlie could not tell if Don was breathing with all of the noise and frenzy surrounding him.

Charlie stood there in a panic as the medics put Don onto the awaiting stretcher. The medics put a grey blanket over Don and secured the belts around him. They lifted the stretcher so that they could wheel it to the awaiting ambulance. The agents in the medics' paths parted like the Red Sea. Charlie was able to get his legs moving and followed the stretcher to the ambulance that had pulled up into the parking deck. One of medics turned to Charlie.

"Who are you?" the medic asks the medic.

"I'm his brother," is all that Charlie is able to muster up.

"Would you like to ride?" Charlie just nods 'yes' to the medic; never taking his eyes off of his brother. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Whoa, this man is still alive," an agent said while he was checking the gunman's pulse.

The medics came to a halt and looked at each other, questioning what to do.

"We'll have to call another bus. This man needs to get to the hospital now." The medic picked up his walkie-talkie. "This is unit 15 requesting another bus. There is another person that was injured. I'm at The Loehman's Plaza parking deck, first floor. We cannot stay; have a gunshot wound to the neck and chest."

That's not a good sign

Apparently the medic got what he wanted because they started moving again. They loaded Don into the ambulance with haste and left. Charlie was watching with sickened fascination as the medic ripped Don's shirt open, cut his t-shirt and attached him the heart monitor. Next the medic put an oxygen mask on Don's face; this was a reassurance to Charlie because he could now see his older brother breathe. The medic could sense Charlie's distress as he changed the bandage on Don's chest.

"Don't worry, he cannot feel this."

Charlie could not stop himself from watching the medic as he was changing the bandage on Don's chest. Charlie could not keep his eyes off of his brother's face; it was as white as the sheet and relaxed. Charlie wanted to touch him, but was afraid.

Don't give up Don, I'm here

Mercifully the ambulance ride was brief and they were at the hospital in no time. Charlie could see the awaiting medical staff through the windows on the ambulance. The medic began gathering everything that was attached to Don. The ambulance screeched to a halt at the emergency room doors. Immediately the medical team opened up the doors and pulled the stretcher out. The medic bypassed Charlie and followed the team. Charlie was able to get his legs moving and got out of the ambulance.

LA Memorial Hospital

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Don was rushed into the emergency room and through the double doors that led to the treatment rooms. Charlie tried to follow, but a nurse stopped him before he could get to the double doors.

"Where are you going?"

"M-my brother went back there," Charlie said pointing to the double doors.

"I'm sorry you cannot go back there. It is critical that you do not go back there. You can sit here," the nurse said pointing to a couple rows of chairs. Charlie went to the chairs, but he could not sit down so he was pacing around the chairs.

This was how Alan found his son when he arrived. Already several agents still clad in their tactical gear were waiting in the same area. Alan went immediately to his son.

"Are you okay Charlie?" Alan said as he sat is youngest son down.

"I-I'm fine."

"What happened? Where is Don?"

"Something went wrong…Don was shot," Charlie was choking back tears. "There was so much b-blood; he was so pale."

Alan pulled his son into an embrace.

20 min later 1:36pm

More agents had arrived and were talking quietly. Charlie was resting peacefully on his father's shoulder. A nurse approached the two men.

"Are you Don Eppes' family?" the nurse said having to look at a sticky note for the name. Charlie immediately woke up when he heard his brother's name, and Alan sat up straighter.

"Yes, I am his father."

"I've just come to tell you that they took him up to surgery and you all can go up there and wait for him."

"Do you know how he is?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Eppes; I was not one of the ones working on your son. The people upstairs may have some news. The OR waiting room is on the third floor, it is the first thing you will see when you get off the elevator. I'm sorry; I wish that I had more information for you." The nurse left quietly.

Alan hated hospitals after his wife died. He helped Charlie up and they made their way to the OR waiting room.

The waiting room was empty when they got there, but that changed quickly because all of the agents went upstairs with them. Terry and David were also there. The quickly found Alan and Charlie, and approached them.

"Do you know what happened?" Alan was asking.

"We were at a plaza taking fire and a gunman got away. Needless to say, he found out where the cars were and waited for everyone. The gunman shot Don in the chest while he was in his suburban. The gunman shot Don again in the neck." Terry said in a soft voice on the verge of tears. Alan stared at Terry in disbelief.

"Oh my God." Terry looked at Charlie and could see his eyes watering.

I killed Don

"I-It was my fault dad," Charlie said in a shaky voice. "I wrote the equation that sent him there. He would not have been there if it weren't for me." Alan pulled Charlie into an embrace and began his head.

"It's not your fault Charlie. You didn't shoot Don; the gunman did," Alan said soothingly. "He's going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

"Would your brother leave you?" Charlie just sat there quiet thinking about the question.

He wouldn't intentionally leave me. Would he?

Terry sat down next to Charlie, and he could see the faint redness on her hands from Don's blood. That was the last thing Charlie said before he drifted off to sleep.

Next chapter coming soon! Sorry to keep you waiting! Please review, they are much appreciated!