Disclaimer: I own my troublesome mind but nothing other than that.
A/N: This chapter was inspired, once again, by song lyrics. The song is called "Stare into the Sun" and it is by Thrice.
Don's thoughts wouldn't stop circling through his mind.
He helped so many people.
He helped capture so many criminals.
All he ever did for his entire life was help people.
Wasn't he due for a miracle?
Why couldn't something happen to help him and his family for once?
Why was this happening to his angel of a brother?
He was staring at the occupant of the hospital bed. The whooshing of the respirator and the beeping of the heart monitor were the only constant noises in the room.
Don found that he couldn't move without panicking about missing his brother's final heartbeat…his brother's final breath.
It had been three weeks since his brother had been brought in and he had the surgery on his leg a few days after that. Most of the minor cuts and bruises on his face had slowly disappeared but his paleness was still present.
One of the older nurses, Dana Mitchell, explained to Alan and Don why Charlie hadn't woken up in that period of time. She said that they had to keep him unconscious so he wouldn't reject the respirator like most people and to give him a chance to heal.
Don liked to count the breaths of his brother. He'd always stop when he reached one hundred though and then start over. But he didn't really know why.
Maybe it was because he always thought that when you reached three digits was when you reached Charlie's territory.
Don and his father were both sitting in chairs in the darkened room when they realized that something was wrong.
Something was very wrong…
The machines started to beep wildly and the youngest Eppes started to thrash about. His heartbeat spiked on the monitor and his entire body tensed.
Hospital personnel rushed immediately into the room and ushered the two family members out.
A male and a female nurse held him down as he tried to pull the ventilator out of his throat with his one good arm. Dana, the nurse who explained the professor's condition, carefully filled a hypodermic needle with fluid and stuck it into his IV.
His eyes darted wildly around the room until they reached Alan and Don, who were standing outside the window in the far wall.
He was terrified and his confusion was plainly written in his eyes.
It broke their hearts.
Slowly he started to calm until his eyes drooped once more.
The two nurses that held him down slowly left the room but Dana stayed and wrote something down on her chart. She looked older but wise, as if she had been doing this for decades.
Her kind blue eyes turned toward the two frightened family members as she put the chart back on the end of his bed. Don remembered her introducing herself to him earlier. She made him feel calm then and even calmer now. She had the presence about her.
"Would you like me to explain what just happened?" she asked kindly reading their minds.
They nodded slowly afraid to speak. Don didn't take his eyes off the form in the room
"Sometimes when people on ventilators wake up they rebel against the respirator and try to remove it," she paused for a moment. "Someone on the last shift noted that they gave him the sedative then but apparently didn't, but no harm came to it. He seems to be recovering nicely Mr. Eppes and could possibly be off it soon."
She gave them a genuine smile.
"We may be able to remove it by the end of the month."
"Why did he react like that?" Alan asked quietly apparently shaken. He couldn't get his son's eyes out of his mind. Don still didn't take his eyes of his brother.
"How would you like to be breathing through a tube this big?" she asked holding her fingers up in a small circle to make a point. "It's the body's natural reaction."
Don didn't hear the conversation because his mind was elsewhere.
He walked back into the room alone. He stood by the bed and brushed back his brother's dark hair.
"Hey buddy," he whispered gently. "I know you're trying to get back to us…I know you want to come home but you can't right now. Now you have to stay asleep to get better…"
He sighed and placed his hand on his brother's.
"A few of your students have come by," he said mostly to comfort himself. "They wanted to tell you that they miss your classes. Larry said that 'Get Well Soon' cards are flooding the mailbox. He and Amita miss you so much Charlie. Dad and I are so scared of losing you but they say that your getting better…"
He stopped and looked down at their hands.
"They didn't find the guy who hit you, but they're still looking. I know you though…and you wouldn't care if he were caught. You never blame anyone but yourself for problems…you and your problems Charlie…"
"We love you buddy and we know your fighting this. We're so proud of you. Keep on coming…then we'll be able to go home and watch old black and white movies like we used to…you look so much like mom now…please don't go…
He became unconsciously aware of his father standing in the doorway. He knew he heard most of what he said. He turned around to face him and saw tears on his face.
"He can't go…" Don whispered to his father tears in his eyes also. "This time he can't follow mom…"
Alan didn't speak but just walked forward and embraced his son.
"He won't Donnie…if I know your brother as well as I think I do…I know he'll do as you say…he'll stay right where he is…with his big brother…"
After another week both Don and his father were too afraid to leave. So when the visiting hours were over they slept in the waiting room until they could see Charlie again. They barely left for food, finding it more convenient to buy all the nutritious goodies out of the vending machines.
They wouldn't even rest when he was taken off the respirator and the sedatives. Don and Alan both found it hard to trust the hospitals anymore.
Don wouldn't listen to the doctors anymore. The only person he would listen to was Dana. She seemed to understand what he was going through and she told him everything in plain view. She didn't sugarcoat things like he wouldn't understand them.
He wasn't a child…
He understood things better than most did and the doctors made it seem like his brother was suffering from a minor chest cold, but he wasn't.
Dana told him the truth and he thanked her for that.
Charlie's diaphragm was almost as good as it had been and his lungs were progressing nicely. His shoulder was completely healed but his leg and his arm would take more time.
Even though he was off the breathing machine they were going to keep him up in the ICU until he was awake just to make sure a relapse didn't occur.
Don was once again alone with his brother when Alan left to use the bathroom. Don felt a little weird being alone with him again. With the ventilator gone it seemed quieter…more peaceful…he found that he liked the silence of the room.
Why ruin it with his rambling?
He kept remembering what got his brother into this mess. Their stupid fight on some stupid topic that he didn't remember. What would he tell his father? How could he explain why his brother almost died because he was stubborn? How could he explain that because of an unsaid apology his brother almost died?
How would he…
He was about to turn towards the window to see a gray cloudy sky when he saw Charlie's fingers move.
The movement was so subtle that he wasn't even sure he'd seen it at first. But then he saw his fist clench gently.
Don put all his attention in that one little movement. Slowly he put his hand in his brothers and squeezed slightly.
Charlie squeezed back.
"Charlie?" Don said quietly. Another slight squeeze. "If you can hear me, come back to us…"
He saw Charlie tense under the blankets.
"It was my fault…" Don mutter quietly.
His eyes still remained closed and no more movement occurred but Don knew he was listening.
"It wasn't supposed to last this long…none of our fights are supposed to last…I'm so sorry I got you into this…the doctors say you'll be alright. They say you'll be fine…you'll be fine Charlie…just come back…"
Don bent his head slightly and when he looked up he saw a pair of brown eyes looking back. They weren't open very far but they were open and staring at him.
"Don…" His voice was so small. It sounded like only a breath.
"Charlie," he replied ecstatic.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"You were hit by a JEEP in downtown LA almost a month ago," Don said leaning forward. "The doctors say you'll be fine. You're going to be fine now… you're fine…"
"Hmm…" Charlie's eyes started to close again but this time it didn't worry Don. His brother needed his rest after all. "That's good…"
Don squeezed his brother's hand.
"I love you buddy…"
"Hmmm?" Charlie said with a slight smile on his sickly face.
"I said 'I love you'," Don said louder.
"Hmmm?" A bigger smile.
"If you keep this up I'll beat your butt at basketball when you're up to it…"
Charlie seemed to sink back into the bed as sleep took him again.
And he squeezed his big brother's loving hand.
Miracles can happen…
Don received his miracle…
A/N: Ok I know that took some time but its bee a really weird week and I couldn't work on it and I have become an insomniac. Okay my reasons for not posting this earlier.
1. I have this MAJOR term paper due next week and I've been working on that and have been reading this book on radiation's affects throughout the world and what an attack would be like. It's really long and boring but I find it so interesting…
2. One of the coaches at our school died and almost 4,000 people (I'm not joking) showed up at his wake and then the head coach had a seizure during the middle of class because he was upset and forgot to take his meds. (he has epilepsy or something) Weird week…and the seniors had their last day of school today…
3. My old schools carnival was last week and I worked (in the pouring rain) in the balloon and glow-stick tent raising money for my church. I sold the measly helium balloons for $2 bucks each! (rip off! I did not make up the prices) but I did get to play with the ginormous helium tank! (that was awesome! The entire time I was working my voice was always higher than normal)
4. One of my reveiwers on my PR fic has been very nice and asked for a custom fic. So I've been working on that because i stalled for a really long time!
Ok those are my excuses. I AM SORRY! I know I've posted other things but my mind started those randomly! As Charlie would say: I can't choose what I work on because I want to or because it's needed. I have to work on what's in my head and those works were in my head. :-)
So next chapt will be up hopefully soon. I didn't like this chapter so much. I don't know why though…something just annoyed me with it…hmm…tell me what you think…
Thankies!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen
P.S. The way Dana explained why people rebelled against the ventilators is exactly how my mother explained it. Just thought you might like to know. :-)