Chapter Ten
The door to Don's room opened to admit a white haired doctor in hospital scrubs.
Both Alan and Don watched the doctor as he approached them.
"We did all we could for your son, Mr. Eppes. Now, it's up to him." Dr. Jackson said to Alan.
"Doctor, let's put this polite talk aside. I want you to tell me the truth about my son." Alan replied evenly.
Dr. Sean Jackson sighed as he looked down at the tile floor for a second before looking back up into the worried eyes of the eldest Eppes.
"Along with the damage already apparent, the bullet knicked some blood vessels, which almost caused him to bleed out. As it stands now, the shock of the bullet, plus the surgury caused his left lung to collaspe. We currently have him on life support, but we don't have high hopes for him." Dr. Jackson said.
This news caused Alan to drop into his chair as his legs buckled.
Don and watched and heard the whole thing, and from the look on the doctor's face, Don knew he was hiding something else.
"What's the rest of it doc?" Don asked.
The doctor looked at Don for a second, judging the man in the bed, before he replied, "Charlie's heart is close to failing. If he goes into cardiac arrest again, I don't think we'll be able to bring him back."
Alan shut his eyes as the tears ran down his cheeks.
Don, however was stronger and somehow managed to keep the tears at bay.
"Again?" He asked.
"He arrested once on the operating table. That was when my nurses found it." Dr. Jackson said.
"Found what?" Don asked, giving the doctor an angry look that said he'd better speak up or suffer the wrath of Don Eppes!
"Your brother has a heart murmur. Even if he hadn't been shot, in a few more years the condition would have made itself known anyway." Dr. Jackson replied.
At this news Don paled.
A heart murmur? Charlie? It didn't seem possible!
"Can't you do anything about it?" Don asked.
"At this late stage, no. Charlie's to weak to survive the surgury nessessary to repair the heart murmur. We will have to wait and see what happens." Dr. Jackson said.
"You can't just sit here and do nothing! My brother's life is at stake!" Don said, getting quite angry.
"Mr. Eppes, please calm down." Dr. Jackson soothed.
"Calm down! My brother's out there dieing, and you want me to calm down!" Don snarled.
"The price of doing something now could cost your brother his life!" Dr. Jackson said bluntly.
That news shut Don up and made him focus on the doctor.
Finally, he asked, "Can we see him?"
"Arrangements are being made to have you moved into his room." Dr. Jackson acknowledged.
Don nodded his head in thanks as the doctor turned and left the room.
Don glanced at his father who had his head in his hands, the tears still streaming down his face.
"Dad?" Don asked.
"I never thought that something like this was possible." Alan murmured, more to himself than to Don.
Don didn't want to see his father beat himself up over something that wasn't his fault, so Don reached out an IV tubed hand to touch his father's shoulder.
"Dad, don't do this. It wasn't your fault." Don said.
Alan however wouldn't listen. He just wallowed in his grief.
Finally Don gestured to the door and said, "Go see him dad. Go see him for the both of us."
Alan rose shakily and walked to the door.
Turning he asked, "Are you sure, Donny?"
Don plastered a smile on to his face as he replied,"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can."
Nodding, Alan then left the room.
Once his father was gone, Don allowed the tears to stream down his face.
Whenever he was alone, he never had a problem letting his grief show, but when he was in public, at home or in the office, he had to be the strong one, the supporter of the weaker citizens.
"Oh...Charlie. I'm so sorry, buddy." Don murmured as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
While he waited for transportation to his brother's room, Don laid his head back and listened to the bustle of activity outside.
Suddenly, almost imperceptivaly, Don could sense that bustle become wilder as the PA system called all doctors to a code blue in ICU.
With a sinking feeling, Don was almost certain that they were talking about Charlie.
The tears streamed down his face with renewed vigor.
"Come back buddy...you hear me? Come back." Don whispered, as if Charlie could hear him.
As the sounds continued outside his door, Don closed his eyes tightly and tried to picture himself somewhere else.
Somewhere safe with his brother.