Chapter Eighteen

Charlie watched as Don's eyes began to focus. His brother had started to stir a few minutes prior. He watched as his eyes squinted against the request to open. His breathing once deep became a little quicker, a little more awake. Charlie kept his hand on Don's forearm which was resting comfortably across his chest. Rubbing his thumb back and forth, slowing coaxing his brother towards wakefulness.

"Don, hey bro, it's ok. You're in the hospital"

Don's eyes flickered opened for a few seconds then closed again, he licked his dry lips and silently mouthed the word 'water'.

Charlie filled a glass and carefully lifted Don's head. He drank slowly, each sip exhausting his ever decreasing supply of energy.

"Ok?"

A slow nod, eyes opened once more, focused. Focused on Charlie. As Don's mouth turned up at the corners into a smile Charlie's eyes filled with tears of relief.

"You're ok, just a little tired"

"Only a little?"

Charlie leaned forward , Don's voice was only a whisper and he didn't want his brother to have to strain to be heard.

"Ok, maybe more than a little"

Charlie smiled down at his brother and placed his hand on his forehead.

"Sorry about earlier"

"Sorry for what Don?"

"For scaring you like that. I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry about. But you do have some rules you will have to follow when we get you home"

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah"

"Home when?"

"Another night or so in here bro, Dr McLeary wasn't too happy with your test results. Seems you where a little more tired than we thought. You're suffering from exhaustion. You'll be sleeping most of the time you're here so before you know it you'll be back home with us."

"Ss Gd Charl"

The movement of Charlie's thumb back and forth across Don's brow soothed his brother back to sleep. Charlie pulled the covers up to his neck and sat back. They had been waiting for him to wake up for seventeen hours. Charlie hoped he'd sleep another seventeen. Alan was dozing in the chair on the other side of Don's bed. He'd spent the night helping the nurses keep Don's temperature down, running a cold towel across his son's forehead. All the while Don had slept. Dr McLeary had checked in on them that morning, she smiled as she saw Sandy asleep on the chair in the corner, next to Charlie asleep on the cot by the far wall.

"Glad you're all finally getting some sleep"

"It's been a long week"

"I'll bet, lets see how my favourite patient is doing"

Alan moved aside as Dr McLeary checked Don's vitals, noted the findings on the chart and checked the previous figures from the night before. She smiled to Alan who kept his hand on Don's arm the whole time.

"He's doing ok Mr Eppes, his temperature is down a few degree's and he's getting the best medicine we can offer, nothing better than sleep."

"I feel like I could have prevented this"

"I don't know about that. But I do know your son is going to be ok."

"When will he be able to come home?"

"I think we'll keep him here for another night at least. I want to make sure he's fully hydrated and rested before he even attempts to go home. It's not going to be easy though, he'll need complete bed rest for at least the next week. This collapse was very serious. The smallest movement is going to drain his energy. Thankfully he hasn't caused any further damage to his shoulder. Your son said he fell hard, he was lucky the fracture didn't break. He'll be sore for a while but that shouldn't put him too far back with his recovery. Sleep Mr Eppes, that's the best thing for Don right now. You also by the looks of it"

Alan smiled at the Doctors concern, she gave another look to Sandy sleeping in the corner and bid him goodbye.

Don woke briefly later that evening. Alan soothed him back to sleep easy enough. Charlie had gone to the cafeteria to get some dinner, Sandy sat opposite Alan, reading a book and running her fingers back and forth through the unread pages.

"Thank you for staying"

"That's ok Alan, I'm only hanging around seeing as you promised me a duck dinner. Thought I'd ought to earn the meal"

"You've more than earned the meal, coffee afterwards too"

"Really? Well in that case I may just have to stop by and help you when Don's home"

"He is going to be ok isn't he?"

Sandy closed her book and faced Alan, the concern he had for his sons overwhelmed her. She recognised the same concern she felt for her boys. She'd found a kindred spirit in Alan Eppes. At first she had felt guilty , felt like she was cheating on Peter. For twelve years she had knocked back advances, usually by saying she was married. Had a husband at home to go to. But he wasn't there anymore. Even the presence, so comforting to her on the cold nights she spent alone in the house had slowly dissipated to nothing but a memory, a shadow of a presence. A ghost in their house, her house. For the past week she had been rethinking her status as a married woman. This man had touched her deeply. Peter had wanted her to be happy, gave his blessing in his final days. Asked her to move on, grieve for him but then to move on with her life, find happiness again. She had nodded her agreement and hid the strong feelings of resentment inside. He wanted her to forget him? Find someone else to love? Didn't he know he was her world. Her reason for living, the air that she breathed. As the years had passed she began to understand his request. Her house was so big once the boys left, so many empty rooms, so many memories. Then this man came into her life, through tragic circumstances, maybe fate had leant a hand. She wasn't supposed to have been working the night Don Eppes had been brought in. She was supposed to be out on a date, arranged by a friend of hers, but the thought had scared her and she'd taken the extra shift, any excuse to not have to face the thought of starting over with someone new. Yet here she was, sitting beside the son of a man she was slowly falling in love with.

"Alan he's going to be ok, granted this is a set back, but he's strong and he has you and Charlie, and you both have me to help you"

Alan felt tears well in his tired eyes. He looked across and gazed into Sandy's face. Her kind face, made all the more beautiful by the soulful eyes she looked upon him with.

"You've been so kind to us, to me. I don't know how I can ever repay you"

"You make me dinner."

"Duck or rib eye?"

"How about both?"

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Don nodded slowly as Dr McLeary wagged her finger in his face. Charlie smirked beside him which in turn caused Don to smirk at the Dr before him.

"This is no laughing matter Don. You will stay in bed at home, you will not move from that bed until Sandy tells you otherwise. Do you understand? You seem like a nice guy but frankly I'm sick of the sight of you"

Don flashed her his most charming smile, it took all her will power to not break and smile back.

"No walking"

Don nodded.

"No laying on a couch, sitting In a chair or venturing further than the bathroom"

Nod, Nod , Nod.

"I've instructed your family on your care, Sandy knows the drill so no matter what I'm pretty convinced you'll be under house arrest for a while so I'm not going to lecture you any further."

"Thanks for all your help Doc"

"You're welcome"

Dr McLeary finally gave freedom to her smile and patted Don on his right shoulder. She winked at Sandy as she left the room. Canteen girls talk was always the best way to find out the gossip. Sandy refused to blush this time.

Charlie helped Don into the wheel chair and took hold of the handles. The three walked him out to the car. The effort of getting dressed, even with his father's help, had exhausted Don to the point where he wondered if he would ever feel wide awake again. He felt more tired than he had the first time he left the hospital, more tired and in need of more help. Charlie hooked his arm under Don's armpit and helped him into the back seat of their father's car. He walked around to the other side and joined Don. Sandy had the passengers seat. It only seemed fair.

"Ok kids, ready to go home?" Alan was humming along with the radio. It felt so wonderful to have his sons and Sandy with him, all together, going home.

"Please don't start singing Dad"

"Singing?"

"Sandy I feel the need to warn you that our father used to sing on family road trips, its bad, it's embarrassing and if you don't want to be put off him for life I suggest you cover your ears now"

"There's nothing wrong with my singing Charlie"

"No Dad there's not, but Don needs to sleep, not be given new nightmares to have to endure"