Disclaimer on first chapter.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. Really they mean a lot. Here is Chapter fifteen I hope you enjoy. And another strong language warning for this chapter. dark rolling sea

Chapter Fifteen

Jeb had told his brother and sister when they both got home. Kayden had taken the news quietly and then excused himself. He locked himself in his room for the rest of the night. Jasmine had cried and hugged her brother tight. She then sat by herself lost in thought.

Gibbs and Kate stayed at Ann's that night. Hunter fell asleep in Gibbs arms, tightly holding on. Gibbs didn't let him go. Kate watched from the side as the two grieved together. Finally Gibbs fell asleep too and Kat got up. She looked around and saw the Ann was out on the porch. She didn't know where Jeb and Kylie had gone. She went out the door quietly and sat down. Ann looked over at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red, bloodshot, and tired. Kate looked down.

"I'm losing one of my boys," Ann said softly to no one in particular. Kate could hear the frustration and anger in her words. She didn't know how to react. She didn't know what to say. She stayed silent. Ann stared off into the dark night.

They sat quietly for a while. The night was creeping into the morning. The house was silent, everyone dealing in their own way. Soon they would find out just how bad this was going to be. Soon they would hear the worst of the trauma.

Ann stayed out on the porch but Kate eventually went back in the house. Gibbs still had Hunter curled in his arms, both asleep in the chair. She stretched out on the couch and watched them for a while. Eventually sleep overtook her and she slipped into a fitful rest.

Kate woke to a gentle hand shaking her shoulder. She blinked slowly and lifted her head to see Gibbs sitting on the edge of the couch looking down at her. She sat up slowly and looked around, finally getting her bearings and remembering where she was.

He didn't say anything just stared at her and she could tell he was bothered by something. She looked around and didn't see anyone else. She came back to his face and studied his eyes. They were liquid. They were turmoil. They were fear.

"You ok?" Kate asked calmly. She felt stupid asking that question. It was such a ridiculous question. Of course he wasn't ok. His son had a brain tumor. She looked down a moment to hide the embarrassment of her question before looking up at him. She didn't really expect and answer. He was silent for a while. His eyes had lost focus as his brain rambled on. She waited patiently.

"No," he said softly, his eyes flashing on confusion before going blank again. His hand rested gently on her thigh and she draped her hand over his. He turned his so that it was palm up and entwined his fingers with hers. "What am I supposed to do, Kate?"

"I don't know, Jethro. You just have to be there for Jeb…and Hunter," Kate said after taking a moment to think about his question. He just nodded slowly and sunk deeper into the couch. They sat for a while in silence. Then they heard the door open and Gibbs looked up to see Jeb coming in looking dejected.

It was then that the phone started to ring. The entire household held a collective breath. Jeb walked slowly over to the receiver and pulled it up towards him. He finally put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Yes, could I speak to Mr. Jethro McPherson?"

"You got him."

"Ah, Mr. McPherson, my name is Dr. Youngblood. I've read over your scans from earlier today and would like to set an appointment with you to discuss my findings."

"Can't we do that over the phone right now?"

"I'd really rather talk face to face. Would tomorrow morning be a good time, ten o'clock?"

"Tomorrow, why can't we do this today?"

"I am sorry, but I have other appointments today, plus I'm due in surgery in two hours. Tomorrow morning really would be the best time for me to meet with you."

"Fine. Yeah, tomorrow at ten. Right."

"I'm sorry you have to wait."

"Right, tomorrow, bye, Dr."

"Goodbye, Mr. McPherson."

The line was dead when Jeb dropped the receiver back into the cradle. He looked up at everyone else staring at him and felt weighted down. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Another damned day of waiting.

"Fuck. Fucking shithole," Jeb muttered as he let out his deep breath. He then looked up at everyone else who were looking at him expectantly. He sighed and then started to fidget with the belt loop of his pants.

"So?" Gibbs asked his eyebrows raised in question.

"Tomorrow morning," Jeb replied and turned away from them. The pressure and strain was hitting him full force. He needed air and the room was getting congested. He went out on the porch and let everyone standing behind him.

"Guess tomorrow morning then," Ann said and sank heavily into the chair. Gibbs nodded and then sat down on the edge of the couch. Kate remained where she was. The room felt super charged, full of static and the air had a thickness to it that made it hard to breath. Kylie sat at the kitchen table fiddling with the table cloth. The whole house was somber as if someone had already died. The waiting period for this was an eternity and it seemed that when they thought they'd come to the end of the waiting, someone else stepped in and said, wait a minute you haven't suffered enough, how 'bout a little longer.

Jeb felt overwhelmed. He was tired of waiting. But what else could he do. Wait. It was his only option. He couldn't just storm down there and demand to be told. No doctors had their rules and people were meant to follow them, even if the doctor didn't have to feel the anxiety that the patient had to sit through. Anxiety that made seconds seem like hours, hours feel like days, and days feel like eternity. No he would wait, and suffer. Maybe it would make him stronger in the end, more apt to deal with the difficulty of treatment. If you survived that waiting period, then you sure as hell could survive the treatment period, or so he told himself. He didn't know what to do anymore. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. It was picked up almost immediately.

"You find out yet?" R. J. asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Damn doctor won't go into detail on the phone and he said he was busy."

"It's ok, Jeb, you've made it this far, you'll make it through."

"I hope so, because this waiting is enough to kill me, never mind whatever may be growing in my skull."

"Yeah, I know this sounds retarded, but try to relax buddy. You can't blow a gasket now; you only got a couple more hours to wait out."

"Funny, blow a gasket. I think I already did, R. J."

"Come on don't lost spirit on me now. Suck it up marine, you know the deal, first in last out, everyone comes home, right?"

"Right, even if it's in a pretty box, R. J."

"Don't you even start talking like that. I'll come out there personally and kick the shit out of you."

"Hey, I know. Sorry. Just sometimes everything piles up and the weight just hits you. Then the fan kicks on and scatters everything in every direction and you can't find your way out of the dark."

"Ok, you're babbling now. Listen. Hang in there and things will come around. Lean on your family bud, sounds like you got things straightened out."

"Yeah everyone is being supportive now."

"Good. Don't worry, things will work out."

"Maybe. Thanks for being there, R. J."

"Hey, wouldn't have it any other way. What are brothers for?"

"You've said that before and I've always replied…"

"I know, you miss him. I know. And if I could, Jeb, I'd bring him back for you. I know how hard losing him was on you, but remember you can't go out on Hunter."

"Yeah, I…I can't let him go through that."

"Ok. Worry about one thing first though, Jeb, your health. Go in strong and come out even stronger."

"Thanks again, R. J."

"Hey, I'm always here."

"I know," Jeb said and then ended the call. He would wait. He would wait for the news, whether it be good or bad, he would wait. He would endure the torture and the stress, and he would prevail. He would make it to ten tomorrow morning.

TBC…………..