Sorry for the wait - I was having trouble with this chapter and I'm still not really happy with it but oh well.

Also - This chapter gets a bit into the medical side of things and I am aware it is all absolute rubbish so please just turn a blind eye to anything you don't think is medially correct because believe me - I know it isn't.

To avoid another run in with the reporter, Jeff and Scott had moved to the safety of the hospital room John and Virgil were currently in. They sat mostly in silence, just watching the younger boys - assuring themselves their chests were rising and falling.

They'd been here for a few hours now, neither feeling like doing much else. Grandma Tracy had taken Gordon and Alan home for the night, stating that the hospital was no place for two young boys and that they needed proper beds to rest. Technically Scott had been cleared to leave the hospital and she'd tried to convince him to go with them but there was no way he was leaving his little brothers.

Grandma Tracy had accepted that no matter how hard she fought this was a battle she wasn't going to win and had departed with her young charges.

Before she left, she had managed to track down the bag that contained the clothes Scott had been wearing during the accident. He was thankful to get out of that hospital gown but the clothes were pretty wrecked. His t-shirt had been ripped by glass in multiple places but thankfully there was no blood - Scott's pretty sure he would have thrown up if there had been. His Grandma had promised to return in the morning with a change of clothes for each of them.

It had just passed 1am and Scott could feel himself drifting off in the seat he had placed in between his brothers beds. He hadn't been able to sleep yet, too many thoughts running through his head. Too much guilt. His dad was against the wall on the other side of John's bed, he'd fallen asleep too not long before, head resting against the wall. He hardly looked comfy and Scott was sure he was going to be sore when he woke up but at least he was sleeping.

Scott really didn't want to sleep but his body was fighting against him and he could barely keep his eyes open. Just as he decided to stop fighting, leaning back and closing his eyes, he head a quiet noise. It startled him in the completely silent room and sat up straight to try and identify it.

His eyes immediately fell on John who's terrified eyes were boring into him as he let out a small whimper. Scott immediately got to his feet pressing the call button at the side of the bed before focusing all his attention on his brother.

Johns eyes were watering as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. Scott quickly wiped it away placing his hand in John's.

He whispered quietly "Hey John, its alright - you're alright."

John just shook his head and scrunched his eyes shut and more tears fell freely down his face. His brother squeezed his hand tight and started wiggling restlessly under the hospital sheets. Scott started to get alarmed as John's heart monitor, that's steady beeping had previously supplied so much comfort, began to speed up.

Scott brought his voice out of a whisper but still tried to keep a calming tone. "John, you're alright - please look at me - John?"

Johns eyes snapped open again, still red and puffy. The hand that wasn't currently clawed to Scott's reached up to his face, eyes conveying absolute horror at what he found. Scott understood now. It was the ventilator.

John was awake and trying to breathe on his own but there was a friggin' tube down his throat trying to do it for him. Oh god. Where were the doctors!?

Scott frantically pressed the call button again, afraid it hadn't worked the first time all while trying to comfort his distressed brother.

"John - just calm down, it's just something to help you breathe, the doctors will be here any second now" Scott hoped at least. He could see his dad stirring from his sleep with the commotion and surprised eyes met his panicked ones. His dad was soon on his feet too, leaning down over John from the other side of the bed.

"What's going on?!" he demanded, immediately regretting his tone when Scott flinched.

Scott didn't have time to answer as a doctor finally burst into the room, two nurses flanking her.

The small hospital team gently pushed past them to gather round John's bed. Scott noted that it wasn't Dr. Alpine helping his brother but a brunette woman he hadn't seen before. He could do nothing but watch as he backed away from the bed to let the doctor do her job. It scared him. It scared him that he couldn't do anything. He was helpless as he watched his brother continue to flail.

It flashed him back to the accident.

...

He watched as John finally focused on him, eyes widening in realisation. He was still gasping for breath "Scott...can't-can't breath"

The terror in his brother voice caused Scott's heart to tighten, his own fear rising.

"Plea-Please...help" John gasped.

And Scott did nothing. John's eyes bore into him, pleading for his big brother to do something. To do anything. And Scott couldn't. He couldn't help, he didn't know what to do.

...

He was pulled out of the memory by a reassuring presence beside him. His dad had enveloped him into a hug and he hadn't even realised his eyes had been watering until the first tear slid down his cheek. Scott rested his head on his fathers chest as they both looked on to observe the doctor.

The nurse had just shot a syringe of something into John's IV and Scott really hoped it was a sedative so John wouldn't be in pain anymore.

The doctor had a gentle tone as she stared down at his brother "John, I'm Dr. Stephen, We're going to take the breathing tube out now okay?"

Hearing this John frantically shook his head, whimpering in fear.

"It's okay John, we're just going to quickly slide it out and it'll be over and done with in seconds."

John still protested weakly by shaking his head and Scott couldn't help but step in at his brothers distress. He walked up to the opposite side of the bed from the doctor and gently manoeuvred round a nurse, taking John's hand in his.

"Don't worry John, they have to do this, but it'll be much better when it out okay?"

John held his gaze for a moment before slowly nodding and turning to look at the doctor.

She smiled "Okay great"

One of the nurses stretched over to unscrew the part that connected the tube to the oxygen machine and as soon as she did, John started gagging. Dr. Stephen didn't hesitate for a second as she carefully but swiftly slide the tube out of John's throat. John's eyes were screwed shut as he tightened his grip on Scott's hand, all the while making choking noises.

It was all over in seconds but it felt like much longer to Scott who just held on tightly watching John go through all this and knowing it was his fault. The guilt was eating him alive. He'd done this. John was suffering because of him.

One of the nurses placed an oxygen mask over John's mouth - the same type Scott had been wearing when he woke up. John's breathing was still laboured as he tried to heave in lung full's of air.

The doctor smiled at him "That's it John - In and Out. You feeling alright?"

John looked up at her and nodded

Scott tore his eyes away from his brother and looked up at the doctor "Thank-you"

She smiled. "Just doing my job kiddo" Scott bristled a bit at the word 'kiddo' but was grateful none the less.

Jeff stepped in at this point "Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor turned to him "We'll need to watch him but its looking good. As scary as I'm sure that must have been for you - its a good thing he's breathing on his own."

Jeff exhaled deeply scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "Thank-god"

The Doctor smiled at him and held out her hand "I'm Dr. Stephen - I've got rounds to do but I'll be here all night if you need anything"

Jeff took her hand "Thank-you"

With that she - and the nurses who had now packed up their equipment - left the room.

Scott sat down next to his brother, still holding on to his hand "How're you feeling Johnny?"

John managed a faint smile and rasped out behind the oxygen mask "I've been better"

Scott winced at the scratchy sound of Johns voice but was too relieved to hear it at all to worry about it too much.

Scott's voice was thick with emotion as he replied with a small chuckle "I'll bet". He took a deep breath "God - you scared me so bad John."

John put on a slight grimace "Sorry"

Scott quickly said "No - its not your fault, it was mine - I should be the one saying sorry"

John scrunched his eyebrows together and shuffled a bit as if trying to get up.

Scott placed a hand on his chest "Wow - slow your role there Johnny."

"Please Scott - help me sit up" John pleaded.

Scott really didn't want to say no - especially when John had turned on his puppy dog eyes. He placed a hand under his brother back and together they got him propped up against the wall. John was basically heaving from the exertion but seemed happier with his new position. His eyes briefly flickered to their dad who had retreated back to stand in the corner while his boys talked.

John gently reached up and removed the oxygen mask from his face - Scott glared at him but he seemed to be breathing fine so he didn't say anything. "It wasn't your fault Scott - you know that right?"

Scott exhaled deeply "Of course it was my fault John, I was driving and I crashed - end of story. Let's not talk about this now though - you've only just woken up"

John just shook his head "No Scott listen to me" John voice took on a tone that Scott knew meant he wasn't going to accept no for an answer. "You didn't do anything wrong - it was that moron in the other car"

Scott froze and whispered "Other car?"

He hadn't once thought back to how the accident happened, I mean sure he'd known there had been another car but he hadn't actually registered the fact that someone had to have been driving it. God - were they okay? Were they here? Now he had another thing to add to his long list of guilt. What if it had been a family? What if they didn't make it? What had even happened? He flashed back to the accident, which was not a pleasant memory.

...

Then Gordon started crying as well and Scott's patience snapped, noting the straight empty road ahead, he turned fully around in his seat glaring daggers at his younger brothers.

"ENOUGH! Stop acting like-"

"SCOTT!"

At John's cry of panic Scott whipped around just in time to a car smash into the side of theirs.

There was a few seconds of complete disorientation and pain where Scott was sure the car was flipping over. The breathe was knocked out of him for a moment and all he could see was white. The car finally stopped, luckily the right way up and Scott realised his airbag was pressing into him. He could hear screaming and cries of distress coming from somewhere but his mind was foggy and his ears were ringing. Not long after the white air bag obstructing his view gradually turned to black as he lost his battle with consciousness.

...

"Yeah - you remember what happened right?" John continued.

Scott kind of numbly shook his head. He didn't really know what had happened at all.

"We were driving along a straight road and that idiot in the other car came speeding out of a give way from the right. We had the right of way Scott - it was his fault."

John could see Scott had been holding a lot of guilt as he watched his brother try to process this information. It hurt to see Scott like that - he looked so vulnerable right now and he couldn't even imagine what he had been going through. A thought suddenly occurred to John and he cursed himself for not asking sooner "Where's everyone else!? Are they all right?!" He'd been so consumed in his own ordeal, he hadn't even thought about what might have happened to his other brothers.

Scott cleared his throat, picking up on John's distress "Alan and Gordon are fine they've gone home with Grandma" John sighed in relief - he didn't know what he would do if they had lost one of them. He knew he wasn't hearing the full story though as Scott refused to meet his eye and he could see them watering slightly.

John managed to choke out in a whisper "Where's Virgil?"

Scott met him dead in the eyes and gave a slight motion of his head to the other side of the room. John spun his head round so fast he felt dizzy for a minute. He hadn't even seen there was someone on the bed next to him. It was so dark in the room and he could only just make out a small form lying in the bed. Now that he was looking though - there was no doubt it was Virgil. He had a bandage round his head and John gagged slightly as he could see blood stained on it.

His voice wobbled slightly "What's wrong with him?"

Scott chocked back a sob as he replied "He-he hit his head really bad and he's in a coma - th-they don't know if he's going to wake up"

"W-what? No. No he has to. He has to wake up." John sobbed.

He could feel tears running down his cheeks as he stared over at Virgil, willing him to wake up. He felt arms embrace him as he turned to find Scott, half sitting on the edge of the bed tears running down his own face. He turned fully and put his own arms around Scott, they sat like that for a long time - just needing a moment to themselves. Scott whispered in his ear, his voice thick with emotion "I'm so glad you're okay John, I don't know what I would have done without you."

And John tightened his grip.

To be continued...