The next thing that Don was aware of was being shaken awake. Without opening his eyes he tried to swat away whoever it was. The hand was relentless and really annoying.

This time Don swung hard enough to hear a loud smacking noise and a pained, "Ow!"

Don opened his finally opened his eyes to see Charlie once again holding his nose. 'Great, instead of apologizing to him I hit him again.'

Don jumped to his feet. "God. Charlie I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Don could not believe he did that.

Don was surprised when Charlie looked back at him laughing.

"Why are you laughing? Are you okay?"

Charlie tried to control his laughter, "I'm fine. Jeez I think you slap better then you punch."

Now it was Don's turn to laugh. This brief playfulness lasted only a few seconds. Then they were both thrown into awkward silence.

Don broke it, "so how long was I out?"

Charlie shrugged, "it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. I know you're tired and I wouldn't have woken you up but dad wants to talk to you."

"Oh, okay. Good. I'll just go uh…" He motioned to his dad's room.

"Wait Charlie what are you going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Probably what you were just doing."

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Alan brightened when he saw his oldest come into the room.

"Hey Donnie."

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Don stood over the older man.

"I want to talk about how you are. Charlie told me that you left earlier."

'Thanks a lot Charlie.' Don stared at his feet. He wasn't good with apologies. Apologies meant he had to swallow his pride.

"Look I did leave but it was only because--."

Alan interrupted, "Donnie don't lie to me. I'm not angry. I just want to know why you really left. I want you to be able to talk to me."

Don felt his wall crumbling. It would be so easy to just give in and receive comfort from his father.

"What do you want me to say. I'm here aren't I? So why do you want to talk about it?"

"Because it upset you."

"Of course it upset me. You almost died! We found you bleeding to death on the floor! Do you know how that felt?"

Wall down. Don just let the emotions pour from him and it felt good.

Alan stared at Don for a long time. He felt for Don. What had happened to him was exactly what Alan was always afraid would happen to Don.

In his "fit" Don had moved to the farthest corner of the room, away from Alan.

Alan motioned for him, "Donnie come sit down."

Don did as he was told. He sat down next to his father and Alan took his hand.

"I want you to listen to me. I may not have gone through exactly what you went through tonight but I have lost. And I've been afraid to lose. I've been afraid of losing you and your brother. I don't know what I would do if I had been in your position tonight."

Don scoffed, "well, trust me whatever you would've done it would've been better than me."

"Why do you say that? Just because you left? You needed time. Everyone needs time once in a while."

Don squeezed his eyes shut. He hung his head and started shaking.

"I'm sorry dad. I am so sorry. I should've been stronger. You guys need me to be stronger."

"I also need you to be happy. Being strong doesn't mean you have to feel nothing."

Don let his eyes fill up and didn't try to stop it. "I know that I just…can you forgive me?"

Alan smiled, thinking of Don as the small boy who broke the window with a baseball. "Of course I can."

Don felt relief. He took comfort in the fact that his dad hadn't turned on him.

He still had no idea what he was going to say to Charlie. It wasn't just that they had fought Don hit him. How could he apologize for that?

He decided not to mention the punch to his dad. He just needed to focus on recovering.

"So," Alan started, "is that why you fought with you brother?"

"Yeah."

"Well are going to apologize?"

Don rolled his eyes, "yes sir."

They both chuckled.

"You two can't get along for one week straight can you?"

What bothered Don about this statement was that it was true.

"I guess not. You know Charlie and I are like chutes and ladders."

Alan stared at his son in confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

"Chutes and Ladders, you know the board game."

"Donnie are you sure you're feeling all right because we seem to be mixing signals here."

"What I mean is," he tried to figure out the best way to explain, "okay Charlie and I are those little cardboard cut out figures on Chutes and Ladders and everytime we go up a little ladder something happens to screw it up and we end up going down a huge ladder."

Alan nodded in understanding, "well the important thing is you're both trying. You are making progress trust me."

"It doesn't really feel like it."

"I know but you are. These past couple of years have been good for you guys."

"Yeah well, tonight certainly wasn't."

They sat there enjoying eachother's company for a few minutes before Alan grinned.

"What? Why are you smiling?"

"It's just kind of funny. Here I am lying in a hospital bed, coming out of a gunshot wound to the chest and I've spent the last hour making you guys feel better."

Don groaned, "I know. I'm sorry."

"No it's all right. I guess it's all part of the fatherly duties."

Don relaxed in his chair, still thinking about what to say to Charlie. He knew he had to talk to him and the longer he waited the worse it was going to get. Don caused a wound and now he was leaving it to fester. He needed to heal it. Don made a move to get up.

"You should get some rest." But looking down he saw that his father was already asleep.

"I guess you're way ahead of me pop."

He rested a gentle hand on Alan's briefly then left him to sleep.

TBC

Author's Note: Whoo! That was long for me anyway. Don't worry I'm not quite done yet. There will probably only be one more chapter in this story. I've got a couple of possible ideas for another story, that is if you guys think I should write more. (Makes puppy dog eyes) Anyway R&R please. Thanx buds!