Hiya everyone, thanks for all your reviews. Sorry for the wait but I like to have at least one chapter ahead of each chapter I post. Working on 8 right now. Its looking good I think so...hope you like this one and R&R and you'll get chapter 8 even quicker than usual :D

Bye x-x

Luka's POV

Tata is getting worse.

There has never been a time when I've wished I wasn't a doctor, other than today. Seeing him drawing in the rattling breaths I know he's so close to dying in my doctor's mind. In my son mind I kid myself that he could get better and come home.

Dmi had left Cat, me and the kids at the hospital while he goes off on a work related trip. I'm worried that…something will happen when he's not here and he won't be able to get back in time. After all the years he's been at Tata's side and I've been away it'll be the end that matters and as much as I despise my brother sometimes, we both should be here when the time comes.

I excuse myself to go and ring Sam. Lei follows me out and stands, hugging my leg, while I slide the coins into the pay phone and tap out the number.

"Who are you ringing Uncle Luka?"

"Sam and Alex, I'm making sure they are okay."

"Can I speak to them?" Leioa grins up at me but I think she knows something's up with her grampa.

"Maybe, we'll see." I lay a hand on her downy hair as I listen to the rings.

"Hello?" Sam's voice echoes down the lines and I smile.

"Hiya, it's me."

"I know, no one else would ring me at 6am."

"Oh no!" I gasp. "I forgot about the time difference. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I wasn't asleep- Alex has the stomach flu and has puked on four sets of bed linen. He's in the bath now and I was making tea." She laughs softly. "So, how are things your end?"

"Not so good. Dmi is off at work or something and tata is going down hill fast."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you at the hospital?"

"Yeah, the kids as well but the nurse said they're thinking of putting him on a vent if he doesn't start breathing better and seeing if he improves. But I know he won't improve."

"Have you said you don't want that?"

"I did but Dmi is holding fast and saying there's a chance. I think I'm too tired to fight, I don't want tata to…go on us fighting."

"Yeah, I suppose." Sam sighs. "Right, well Alex has just puked again so I need to go. Ring me later; I'm not going to work."

"Okay. Bye, tell Alex to get better before Christmas or I won't come home." I laugh. "I'll ring later. Bye…"

"Bye."

"…I love you." I whisper, suddenly feeling the need to tell her that.

"Love you too." She whispers back. "Now get back to your dad."

Just as I'm about to hang up Leioa tugs on my hand and smiles.

"Me!" She says. I laugh and call to Sam.

"Hey, my niece wants to speak to you. Sorry, it'll be quick." I hand the phone over but stay close so I can hear them both.

"Hello." Lei says, twisting her tongue around the English word. She can speak fairly good English but it's not perfect.

"Hello, are you Leioa?" I hear Sam say solemnly. She's always like that with kids; she takes them seriously and never laughs at them.

"Yes but it's not speak like that."

"How do you say your name?"

"Lay-oh-ah." Lei sounds it out slowly and then giggles.

"Pretty."

"Do you want Uncle Luka again?"

"Yes please. Bye-bye."

"Bubye Sam."

"She loves new people." I say, laughing. Sam laughs too and then we finally hang up.

"Come on then nugget." I guide Lei back into the room and pull her onto my lap.

Suddenly the machines around tata begin to beep. Two nurses and a doctor rush in and ask us to step back.

"Luka, what's wrong?" Cat grabs my arm.

"His oxygen levels in his blood are too low."

"What are they going to do? He can't die yet- Dmitri would want to be here."

"I know."

The doctor turns to us as she hears us and she's holding an intubation kit.

"Dr Kovac, Mrs Kovac- we need to put your father on a ventilator to keep him breathing. It's the only way we can keep his airways open. There is a chance it could give him the time to recover but there is a risk that he may become dependant on the ventilator and never come off it. In the end, it's your choice for what's best for your father."

"Vent him." I say, knowing Dmi would never forgive me if tata died without him there. The doctor nods and begins to intubate. Lilia starts to cry and Leioa joins her.

"I'll take them outside, stay here." I say, taking both the girls hands and leading them out. Jak follows us with his head down.

"Look guys, granddad is really sick. They had to put a tube in his throat so he could breathe but you need to know that he might die. But if he does, do you remember where he goes?"

"He goes up to heaven with his star." Leioa says sadly. "But does he have to go? I want him here."

"Sorry sweetie, God needs him to take care of the angels. But he'll be much happier up there than down here because when you go to heaven you don't get sick."

"So he won't miss us?" Lilia asks.

"Oh, he will miss us. He'll wish everyday that he's here with you but he knows that someday, in lots of years you'll be there with him."

"When we are old."

"Yeah, exactly." I hug them both. "Are you okay Jak?"

"Yeah, I just don't like seeing him like that."

"No one does. Why don't we go and see if your mom will take you all home. It's dinner time."

We trundle back in and I tell Cat to go home and have a nap. After some 'discussion' she agrees and I stay at the hospital. Tata stays asleep the whole time but I sit next to him and talk. I even recite a poem I remember from when I was ten.

When we were young we chased the sun

We watched as rivers flowed

We lost ourselves in fields of rye

We laughed as cattle lowed

Time has flown around our heads

We let it whisper past

But now we wish it back again

We let it go too fast

He moves his hand once and though I try to trick myself into thinking he's there I know in my heart its just muscle spasms.

After a good three hours I let myself have a break to go and get some food and stretch my legs. Nothing will happen in ten minutes.

Hope you like the poem, I wrote it myself. I know, its really bad but I've got much better. they just didnt fit :(