Thank you all for your continued interest in this. You guys rock; I couldn't have asked for a better audience. Sorry for the huge delay!

Chapter Sixteen

* * * * *

Tala's footsteps echoed lightly as he made his way to the place where Wyatt was being held. The halls were empty. Sam had gone off somewhere, probably to sort out his feelings, and Tala felt as if he should be doing the same. He shook his head and continued down the hall. He refused to think and concentrated on the task at hand.

He lifted his eyes and saw Dan lounging in front of the door. Tala set a defiant look on his face and approached the other man.

"Dan." Tala nodded. Dan eyed him warily.

"What do you want?"

"I'm taking Wyatt to go see Kai."

Dan snorted. "You can't jus' take the kid and waltz him all over the place."

"I'm not going to waltz him anywhere. Kai's been admitted to the infirmary and I think Wyatt should be informed."

"So inform him. You jus' can't take him with you." 

Tala glared at him pointedly. "I'm going to bring him back."

"You got permission from Boris?"

Tala hesitated slightly, and then decided what the hell? Dan would never know the difference.

"Yes."

Dan gave him a suspicious look before moving away from the door. He nodded his consent and tossed him a lone key before ambling off down the hall. Tala threw an incredulous glance over his shoulder.

"This is the kind of security we have?" he muttered as he unlocked the door. He swung it open and looked inside. The room was only slightly smaller than the rest, but it was furnished decently with a bed, table, chair—the normal things. Tala's eyes swept over it and saw Wyatt lying on the bed listlessly. He cleared his throat and Wyatt didn't so much as spare him a glance.

"Wyatt?" he asked. The brown-haired boy suddenly looked up at the sound of his voice. He sat up and gave him a questioning stare.

"Tala? What are you doing here? I thought you were Dan."

"Dan's off somewhere. Listen, I came to tell you about Kai. He—"

"What happened to him? Is it bad?" Wyatt cried, swinging his legs off the bed and standing. Tala felt horrible inside at that desperate look Wyatt was giving him.

"Actually, yeah, it's pretty bad. He's at the infirmary."

"The infirmary! Is he going to be okay? He's not going to die, is he?"

Tala averted his gaze. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure? You mean he really could die?" Wyatt asked, distressed.

"It's a possibility."

"You've got to do something! You can't just let him die!"

"What do you want me to do?" Tala snapped. "I can't just say the word and make everything all right again. Life's a bitch, kid. You have to learn how to deal."

Wyatt fell silent and Tala sighed. His people skills needed some serious fine-tuning.

"Look, I'm sorry, but it's the truth," he said in a softer tone. Wyatt nodded and Tala went on. "I came to get you so you could see him. You do want to see him, right?"

Wyatt nodded. "Yeah, if I can."

Tala turned. "Follow me."

The pair walked in silence as Tala led him up to the infirmary. He kept his eyes and ears open and wondered what Boris would do when he found out about Kai. Surely he remembered the same thing happening with Ian and Spencer. Tala's only question was would Boris handle this situation differently?

Members of the small medical staff were sparsely scattered about the hallway. Tala stopped one of the nurses and asked her a question while Wyatt waited nervously at his heels. After a moment, Tala motioned Wyatt toward a door. He knocked and was surprised to see Sam open it.

"Uh… hey," Tala said, caught off guard. Sam stepped aside to let him through. Wyatt scampered in behind him and went straight to the bed.

"Kai!"

"Quiet down," a nurse snapped, giving the young boy a withering look. Wyatt apologized quickly. Tala went to the bed and the door closed behind the nurse. Sam was lounging by the entrance.

Wyatt slowly went to the bed and took a good look at Kai for the first time in a long time. He bit his lip nervously and glanced at Tala. The redhead's mouth was set in a grim line and his ice blue eyes were resting on Kai. He didn't look exceptionally bad; he was paler, and his eyes were shadowed as if he hadn't slept well in a while, but other than that he looked okay.

Kai sighed and groaned softly. Wyatt leaned down.

"Kai?" he called quietly, his voice holding a slight tremor. Kai's eyes fluttered open.

"Wyatt…?" Kai blinked. His eyes flicked to Tala for a moment. "I'm in…"

"You're in the infirmary, Kai," Tala said. Wyatt missed the panicky look that crossed Kai's features for a spilt second.

"My God, Kai, I thought you were gone!" Wyatt said in a near wail. Kai looked up at him.

"Are you all right, Wyatt? They've been treating you properly, haven't they?" he asked faintly. Wyatt flicked a hand over his eyes.

"Yeah, but forget all that. You came so close to—"

"Dying? I told you, he's not out in the clear just yet," Tala said with exasperation in his tone. Kai closed his eyes and Tala could feel Sam's glare at his back. He cleared his throat. "But anyway, how're you feeling?"

"Not good," Kai said bluntly. "I don't feel any better than before."

Wyatt pulled a chair up to the bed and sat, resting his head on his arms, his face close to Kai's. He began a quiet conversation with him, and Tala took a hint and strayed away. He found himself near Sam, and attempted a conversation.

"How long have you been up here?" Tala asked.

"A while."

"Oh." Tala drummed his fingertips on the table. Sam made no further move to converse. Tala decided to be quiet, and for a little over fifteen minutes he left Kai and Wyatt alone to talk. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but for the most part it looked as if they were reminiscing. He checked his watch, and walked back over. He needed to get Wyatt back to Dan, soon. He approached the bed just as Wyatt stood. Kai looked tired, and had his eyes closed again.

Noises sounded in the hallway. He could hear one angry voice and suddenly the door burst open. Sam jumped in surprise and moved quickly, narrowly missing an encounter between the heavy door and his face. Wyatt made a half startled, half frightened noise in his throat when Boris wheeled himself in, fire blazing in his eyes.

"Where is he?"

"The patient is resting now," the doctor said, his voice laced with annoyance. He had on the customary white coat and was holding a clipboard. Boris didn't even seem to take note of Wyatt's presence.

"I'm on a busy schedule," Boris ground out. "How long will it take for him to recover?"

"We're going to keep him here for one week, and then release him to his own room. He'll have to take bed rest there for another week or so, and then he can start returning to a normal routine—slowly, mind you. During these two weeks," the doctor went on, now addressing Kai. "You cannot take part in any strenuous activities. The slightest could cause internal bleeding. That includes any type of sexual intercourse. You'll basically know if you're doing anything wrong; your body will let you know. Your diet will be monitored—right now you're on I.V."

"Two weeks?" Boris snapped. The doctor turned to him.

"Yes, maybe more. But even if he does recover, if you keep up the same treatment it's going to keep happening over and over again. Eventually, he'll never get better and he will expire."

Wyatt looked down at the doctor's words and saw Kai staring sightlessly at the ceiling. He moved closer and touched Kai's hand.

Boris let out a growl and abruptly turned around, wheeling himself out. The doctor gave him a look and left soon after checking Kai's vital stats. A silence fell upon the room, a silence that grew painfully loud.

"Kai, I've been meaning to tell you something," Tala said suddenly. Kai barely turned his head. Tala swallowed and Wyatt glanced at him.

"I've been writing letters… to Tyson."

Kai looked at him in genuine surprise. "To Tyson?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I felt like I had to let him know what was going on. He can't write back, and the person I've got delivering them reads them over to make sure I'm not giving out any classified info."

Kai was quiet for a moment. "So, he knows what's going on?"

"Well, yeah." There was a pause. "Are you mad at me?"

Kai shifted uncomfortably with a grimace. His eyes had taken on a distant look, and Tala knew he was thinking about Tyson. After a moment, he spoke.

"I wish I could talk to him… just once," Kai said softly. Tala looked at the ground, and then slowly turned away and headed for Sam. Wyatt gently pushed Kai's bangs off his forehead with a sad look on his face.

Tala approached Sam, who had been quietly leaning against the wall. Sam looked up.

"Sam, can you do me a favor?" Tala asked in a tight voice. "Well, it would mean more for Kai than it would to me, but…"

"A favor?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Would it be possible if I could call Tyson and let Kai talk to him?"

"Call him? Tala, that is so against the rules, I can't even begin to—"

"I know it is, but Kai might never get to talk to him again," Tala said in a quiet voice.

"I can't believe you put me in this position."

"I'm sorry, but things are rough all around, okay?"

"I could get fired! Or worse!" Sam looked into Tala's light sapphire eyes and paused for a moment. "But who am I to get in the way of love?"

Tala was taken back slightly. "The way of love…?"

"Here." Sam unclipped his small phone from his hip and held it out to Tala. Tala stood there, unmoving.

"Well, do you want it or not?"

Tala shook himself out of his reverie. "Yeah. Yeah, thanks. I owe you."

"Right."

Tala took a deep breath and walked back to Kai's bed. Wyatt was stroking Kai's hand absently with a worried look on his face. He glanced up.

"Kai, I'm going to let you talk to Tyson," Tala said, flipping the phone open. Kai actually let out a laugh.

"What are you talking about?" he asked bitterly. Tala stuck the phone in his face and Kai pulled back. His eyes met with Tala's, confusion evident.

"You know his number, right?"

"You'll get in trouble for it," Kai said weakly. Tala flashed a tiny grin, a shadow of his old self.

"Not if we don't get caught."

Kai closed his eyes. The thought of speaking to Tyson again made him so ecstatic, yet it also made him want to cry. Hearing his mirthful voice again would be such bliss he couldn't even begin to describe it. Going for so long without it—he didn't know how he had even made it through.

But hearing it again… and knowing he would never see him again…

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he heard Wyatt murmur something to Tala. The brown-haired boy reached down and squeezed his hand, a small sign of sympathy to bring reassurance. Kai struggled to sit up, and Wyatt released his hand, helping him.

"Do you want to talk to him?" Tala asked uncertainly. Kai bit his lip.

"Of course but… it'd be like reopening an old wound, Tala…" his voice trailed off.

What if I really am never going to see him again? This may be the last time I ever hear his voice, Kai thought miserably.

"Well, you don't have to. I'm not going to force you, you know," Tala stated.

"…Okay. I will." Kai took a deep breath as Tala handed him the phone, and Wyatt strayed away to give him some privacy. Sam had his arms crossed and was muttering something under his breath, but his eyes had a soft look in them.

Kai punched in the familiar numbers and abruptly handed it to Tala. The redhead took it with no small amount of surprise and held it to his ear, giving Kai an odd look. Kai leaned against the head of the uncomfortable hospital bed and gazed at the wall blankly.

Tala listened as the phone rang in his ear. Tyson's voice came on in mid-ring.

"Hello?"

Tala suddenly felt nervous. "Hi," he said. "This is Tala."

There was a pause. "T-Tala?" Tyson asked, stuttering slightly.

"Yeah."

"Tala! Is that really you?!"

"Yeah."

"Where are you? Where's Kai? Is he okay? Rei! Chief! Get over here!"

Kai looked up. He could hear Tyson's yelling, and he sniffed. Tala held the phone a few inches away from his head.

"I can't tell you where we are. Kai is… uh…"

"Oh my God!"

"No! No, he's not dead," Tala put in quickly. "But you know what's going on."

"Is he okay?"

"Well… no."

"Oh my God! Tala, where is he?"

"He's actually right next to me."

There was another pause, and Tala felt uncomfortable again. He glanced at Kai, who met his eyes and held.

"Can I… talk to him?" Tyson asked, his voice uncertain.

"Yes. But you don't have long. And be mindful that Kai's been sick."

"Of course."

"I'm putting him on now." Tala handed the phone to Kai. Kai took it and there was a long pause before he spoke.

"Tyson?" he asked softly, cradling the phone in his hand.

"Oh my God… Kai," Tyson managed between shaky breaths.

"You're crying," Kai said sadly. He felt tears prickling in his own eyes, and he heard his partner sniffle. "You're crying because of me."

"I'm crying because I love you… and I can't believe all this is happening," Tyson said, his voice breaking. "But… oh, God, it sounds so good to hear your voice."

"I miss you, Tyson."

Tyson sighed frustratingly. "I just wish there was something I could do! The damned police force is so friggin' useless, and while they're tripping over themselves, you have to suffer! How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Only sometimes, and… I'm really scared."

Tyson felt his heart breaking. "I promise you, if there's a way, I'll find it. Please, just hang in there."

"I will… but it's hard. It's so hard…" Kai closed his eyes and felt tears spill down his cheeks. "I want everything to go back to the way it was." He sniffed and brushed a tear away with a slender finger.

"I know, Kai, I know."

"I hate it here," Kai whispered, drawing his legs close to him on the bed. "I wish you were here."

"I wish you were here, too. Kai, you're going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."

"But you're not here…"

* * * * *

Tyson clenched his phone tightly in his hand and felt anguish in his heart at Kai's soft words. He was standing in Rei's living room near the window, choking back tears and totally oblivious to the others around him. He brushed his bangs away from his face and sighed shakily. Kai had just said that he wasn't there, and Tyson wanted to die for not being there when Kai needed him the most.

"I'm sorry…"

"I'm not blaming you, Tyson." Kai's voice sounded strained.

"Are you okay?" Tyson asked, worried.

"Yeah…"

There was a pause. "Kai? Are you still there?" He heard him exhale loudly and when he spoke again, his voice was pained.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… my stomach hurts. I-I'll be fine."

"Are you alone? Is there anyone with you if something happens?" Tyson asked, his voice growing shrill.

"No—I mean yes, there is someone here. I'm not alone, Tyson. Tala's with me, and Wyatt's here, too, for a little while."

"Is Wyatt okay?"

"Yeah, he's okay. Do you want to talk to him?"

"No! I mean, as long as he's okay… I just want to talk to you." Tyson felt himself tearing up again. He heard Kai sigh.

"I know what you mean."

There was another pause and Tyson heard what he thought was Tala saying something. He bit his lip and gazed sightlessly out the window. After a moment, he heard Kai speak again.

"Tyson, I have to get off. Sam'll get in trouble if… you know…"

Tyson had no idea who Sam was, but didn't care. "Okay, Kai. Just hang in there, okay? I love you… and I miss you… and I could go on and on, but you get the point," Tyson said in a feeble attempt at humor. Kai's laugh had a bitter ring to it.

"Love you, too. Goodbye, Tyson."

"Bye…" Tyson wondered why Kai's goodbye had such a note of finality. Before he could say anymore, the line was disconnected. He let out a sigh and gently lowered his phone, closing it with a soft click. His stomach was in knots and with every move he made the knot grew painfully tighter. He licked his lips and brushed his hand over his eyes.

Kenny was standing uneasily near the table, and Rei was perched on the edge of the armrest of the couch. The silence was deafening.

"Tyson," Kenny said.

"Yeah." Tyson's head was lowered and his hair fell into his face, masking his eyes. "Kai's alive. He's not doing too well, but he's alive, and as long as he's alive, there's always hope, right? Tala sounds like he's taken a turn for the good, so at least Kai's got someone with him. Wyatt's okay, too. They're okay…"

Rei slid off the armrest. "Tyson…"

"I'm going to be fine," Tyson said, his voice dropping an octave lower. He reached up and ran his sleeve over his eyes. He sniffled. Rei crossed the room and stood next to his friend. Tyson looked up, his eyes sparkling with tears. 

"You tell me he's going to be okay," Tyson said, his voice shaking. "If I hear it from you, Rei, it's gotta be true, right?

Rei's opened his mouth and closed it again, unable to speak. He felt tears prickling in his own eyes and suddenly he couldn't meet Tyson's gaze.

"I… I-I don't know…" Rei stammered, eyes downcast. Tyson let out a sob and turned away.

"Who the hell am I kidding? Kai's not okay, and neither am I! If he dies, nothing will ever be the same again!"

* * *

TBC

* * *

Agh… all this angst is seriously getting me nowhere. We need a plan of action! …Which will (should) be in the next chapter. ^^;; Sorry for the wait. You guys are probably ready to kill me right now. Anyway, did you like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review! This is not proofread, by the way. xD