AN: I just sound like a broken record but I really can't say thank you enough to every single one of y'all who have taken time out to read this fic and review/follow/fav. It means so so much to me. Thank You! So here is yet again another long chapter oops =)

Saturday 6: 17 PM

"Broken."

Brendan now is hunched over on the chair staring at the floor. It's deathly quiet in the room. Even the noise outside the room seems to be silenced.

"So whatever happened in your life has left you broken right? Doesn't mean it hasn't made you strong though. What do you call someone that goes day by day as a broken man and still is able to help people? Who even though he himself may feel unhappy can make just about anyone laugh or smile?"

"I don't know. Guess I'm good at faking huh."

"So this right here-" Ste motions the space between them "-is all an act? All fake?"

"No it's me. Well the portion of me that I don't mind revealing."

Ste thinks to himself and gets an idea. "Tell me something about your life that you don't like talking about."

"Why would I do that?"

"I owe you."

Brendan finally looks him in the eyes and looks confused. "What?"

"You're helping me get back on me feet. You're mending me. So I'm gonna help mend you. Mentally. So tell me anything. No judgments."

"No pity?"

"None. Lips are sealed." Ste pretends to seal his lips and throws the fake key over his shoulder.

"You're such an idiot Steven you know that right." Ste keeps on grinning. Brendan seems to be digging through piles and piles of memories to try to find one that isn't so bad to say out loud. "I don't...you want a memory or...a feeling or what?"

"Up to you. I'm just here to listen."

"Brendan hurry up! You're so slow!" Cheryl runs back to you and grabs your hand. She pulls you towards the swings as you try not to show how much pain you're in. "You want me to push you?"

"No."

"Whatever." Cheryl gets on the swings as you just lean on the rail. She's laughing so loud and you wouldn't know she's 15 the way she's acting. "Are you ok?"

She catches you off guard and you just notice she's stopped swinging and is looking straight at you.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Cheryl goes back to swinging but keeps her eyes on you. Seamus walks out the back door and stands there observing you two. Cheryl waves at him and gets one in return. You don't move and she sees you.

"Say hi to dad Bren."

"No."

She comes to a sudden stop and gets off the swing. "I don't know what's been wrong with you lately but stop taking it out on him. I agree with him you don't let him in Bren. You're his son act like it." She starts walking away from you.

"You're choosing him than?"

Cheryl turns back and shows no emotion. "Right now, yes." She sprints back to the house and gives Seamus a huge hug. Over her shoulder he gives you a smug smile. When she goes back in the house you decide to head in. Seamus is still standing by the doorframe when you reach the house.

"See Brenda she doesn't care about you. She will never choose you over me." He gives you a sick smile and he whispers "Brenda. Brenda. Brenda" as you pass by.

Ste keeps looking at Brendan but doesn't say anything. He's waiting for him. He's not pushing for more. There's no judgment in his eyes or pity. All Ste is doing is listening. He wants to take all the weight off Brendan's shoulders and put it on his.

"He always made me feel weak. I still think I am."

"Brendan come here."

Brendan gets off the chair he's been nervously sitting on and stands next to Stes bed.

"Help me up."

Brendan detaches the wires and gently moves Ste into a seated position before he lifts him off the bed. He makes sure to keep a hold on him to keep him balanced.

"See what you just did there."

"Well yeah I'm not blind."

"Shut up. I mean without any struggle you lifted me right up. You're not weak Brendan you just have it engraved into your mind that you are. I think your mind is so jumbled up in there-" Ste taps Brendan's head "-that you can't see the reality. The reality is you are letting someone who shouldn't matter to you still dictate your life. Brendan you're not 11 anymore. You're not that kid that he tried to belittle. And...don't ever think you're weak. You're stronger than anyone I know. Start believing that."

Brendan nods and smiles at him. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now do me a favor and put me back on the bed my leg is killing me."

"You idiot." Brendan lifts him straight up and settles him in. Cheryl walks in a couple seconds later.

"Hi Ste. Bren you about ready to go?"

"Yeah was just about to head out."

"Me too. You wanna just stay over tonight."

"That's fine."

"Good. I'm gonna go so I'll see you at home." She gives him a hug and then waves at Ste as she leaves.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 2 though. I'm gonna start early on you with this physical therapy. I think you're ready for it."

"So I actually have to do something tomorrow?"

"Yep can't have you be lazy all the time." Brendan lightly touches his arm as he makes his way towards the door. "Oh so what do I owe you for our mini therapy session?"

Brendan looks at the smile Ste has on his face and bluntly says "No."

"You're no fun. Not even a small one."

"You got a small one last time and I wasn't even ready for it."

"Sneak attack."

Brendan gives him another one of his signature unreadable expressions and walks out. Ste shuffles down onto his bed and closes his eyes. A second later he hears the doors open again. When he opens his eyes he sees Brendan walk back in looking down at the floor. When he reaches Stes bed he leans over and quickly joins his lips with Stes. It's just a peck and Brendan only lets it last for a few seconds before he pulls back. They both lock eyes and suddenly Brendan moves towards his neck. He seems to hesitate before he places his lips onto Stes neck right below his ear. He slowly starts sucking and then increases the suction. Ste moves his hand and accidentally touches Brendan's arm right on the scar. The loud pop Ste hears alerts him that Brendan immediately stopped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to touch you there."

"It's fine Steven. I have to go anyway." He makes his way back towards the door but stops and faces Ste again. "Next session I promise it'll be better." He winks and walks out. Brendan leaves not knowing Cheryl came back and watched their whole interaction.

Saturday 7:45 PM

Cheryl pulls up to her driveway in her Lexus LX and sees Brendan sitting by the front door waiting for her.

"I thought I gave you a key." She shouts from the car as she climbs out.

"You did but there at my house." He gets himself off the concrete step and dusts his jeans off. "Besides how did you manage to get here after me? You left a good 10 minutes before I did."

"Well you drive like a maniac Bren you probably passed me on the highway."

"Fair point. Anyway come open the door. Freezing out here."

"Yeah yeah hold on." She goes to the other side and gets her purse while Brendan jumps up and down trying to warm himself up. "Why didn't you wait in your car? Put the heat on."

"Did not even think of that."

Cheryl throws the keys at him and grabs her remaining items as Brendan opens the door. They both enter and put all their stuff on the kitchen counter. Cheryl prepares dinner as Brendan puts on a movie. She brings over 2 plates of spaghetti and takes a seat next to her brother. Brendan makes a mess like usual while Cheryl almost chokes on her food laughing at him.

"Bren have you ever heard of the word chew."

"Yep. And it's a useless word." He continues to drip sauce all over his mustache and mouth. Cheryl hands him a napkin and ignores his mess as she focuses back on the movie. Once they finish with their dinner Cheryl takes the dishes and goes to wash them as Brendan picks out a show.

"So umm Eoghan talked to me after you left." She says as she takes a seat back on the sofa.

"Great. What did he say? Let me guess I still have problems."

"Basically." She turns herself sideways so she can look straight at him. "Umm he said you seem worse than the last time you two had a meeting."

"How's that? If I remember correctly last time I called him a fucking arrogant prick and then almost broke the door on the way out. I think this meeting was an improvement."

"True. But he seems to think that you're suppressing your feeling and memories and it's gonna lead to another breakdown."

Brendan feels his anger coming to the surface so he tries breathing slowly to calm himself. His hands start to clench into fists and then his body starts to tremble. Cheryl sees it happening. She's losing him again.

"Oh shit you didn't take your medicine. Brendan seriously why didn't you tell me? Where are they?" She jumps off the sofa and runs to his jacket. "Damn it!" She fumbles with useless papers he has in the pockets and then drops three bottles on the floor. She grabs one in a rush. "Fuck Ambien. I don't-" she places that one back on the counter and grabs the other one and rushes back over to Brendan. "No no no! You gotta come back to me ok. Snap out of it. It's not real. It's just another episode. Bren!"

"I'm sorry Da. I didn't mean to tell her. Please. I'm sorry."

Cheryl looks into his eyes and their blank. He's speaking exactly like himself only there is fear behind it now. He's gone back 10 years and is seeing it all over again.

"Bren! Look at me please. He's not here. He's gone. He will never hurt you again ok." Cheryl grabs both sides of his face and tries to make him hear her. "Come back."

"It won't happen again please Da. She won't say anything I promise." He stops for a moment and shuffles out of her grasp and pulls his knees up like he did when he was a kid. "Cheryl! Don't touch her!" He starts kicking so Cheryl moves out of the way. "Get off me! No! No! Please no it hurts. I can't. I can't breathe."

Cheryl now panics as she sees Brendan gasping for air. "BRENDANN! LOOK AT ME!" She leans over him and shakes him repeatedly. "HE'S DEAD!"

Brendan's eyes close and Cheryl sees his breathing start to come back to normal. A couple tears roll down his cheeks. He keeps his eyes closed and curls himself into a ball on the sofa as Cheryl leans down and covers him. "It's ok. It's ok. Shhh. I got you. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. I promise."

Saturday 8:48 PM

***Your dad had told you when you first moved into this house that there was a massive field a couple yards from the house. He said there was a forest and large crops. Miles upon miles of greenery. Turns out he wasn't lying. You have been walking for what feels like ages and you still haven't reached the shack. The fact that you can barely breathe isn't helping either. You can still feel the hands crushing your throat and you're struggling to breathe properly. You can only imagine how red your neck must look. There's blood all over you. Your face, neck, arms, shirt, and jeans. You can't tell whose blood is whose. You can feel your own blood dripping out. You can see Cheryl's and Seamus blood splattered on you. You think to yourself that you'll never wear these clothes again, that is if you even get to see tomorrow. After what feels like forever you think you finally are within distance of the old abandoned shack. Why would someone build this thing in the middle of nowhere? You think to yourself. A couple of steps down the road you trip on some of the uneven gravel and land face first on the ground. When you open your eyes you see a pink hair bow in front of you. There's blood on the very tips of it. You lift yourself up and grab it. You stick it in your pocket and hope it gives you some sort of strength. And if it doesn't at least when you die you'll have something to remind you that your sister was there with you. Till the end.***

Brendan opens his eyes to hear Cheryl talking on the phone.

"So is their anyway I can force him to go? What if I believe he's a danger to himself?"

Brendan keeps quiet and doesn't move. He keeps listening to try and figure out who she's speaking too.

"Thank you I would appreciate that. Let me get a piece of paper." Cheryl grabs a notepad and a pen. "Ok go ahead."

Brendan doesn't hear her say anything but he does hear her writing quite a lot.

"Ok so the first step I have to do is go to the courthouse and fill out an application for it right?" There's a pause as the other person on the line must be responding. "I wouldn't say its urgent but yes as soon as possible-so they'll let me know the hearing date and everything-and if he denies anything is wrong will he be able to appeal it-he would have to get a second opinion from who-I am a doctor! And I know he's not ok but he can convince any stranger he's fine-yes it pains me but I still want to go through with committing him-" after another long pause Cheryl finishes up "-thank you so much for this. I'll go to the courthouse tomorrow if I can. Thank you. Bye bye." Cheryl puts the phone back down and Brendan hears her start to cry. He gets off the sofa and sees his older sister with her head on the counter muffling her tears.

"I can't believe you."

Cheryl jumps up in surprise and wipes always the moisture from her face. "What?"

"Don't fucking act like you don't know. You're really trying to commit me into a mental institution." Her eyes go wide. "Yeah I heard you."

"Look I wasn't going to I was just getting some information on it."

"You fucking said you were gonna go to the courthouse tomorrow! Do you know how much trouble that would put me in huh? I'll lose my job and then how am I even gonna pay my bills."

"I'll give you money."

"I don't want your money! I want you to leave you alone!"

"No! I'm tired of waiting for you to seek help. You're never gonna do it. I just want you to get better and you won't unless you speak to someone."

"I'm fine! Get it in your head I'm fine. I don't need a psychologist to look me over like I'm some crazy person who is seconds away from killing himself."

"I didn't say you were!"

Brendan starts grabbing his things and goes for his jacket.

"Bren come on. Why can't you talk to me? I was there remember! I should be the first person you should be able to talk to. Instead you talk to Ste about our dad-" she suddenly stops as she realizes she blurted that out.

"You were spying on me when I was talking to him? Really Chez. I can't even have a damn conversation with him without you looking over my shoulder."

"I'm sorry but I wanted to know what was going on."

"Did you watch the whole conversation?"

"No I left when you were about to walk out." She decides to keep quiet about the kiss.

"Stay out of my business Cheryl." He puts his jacket on and makes his way to the door. "Don't you dare go to that courthouse tomorrow. If you do I'll never forgive you."

Sunday 4:30 PM

Brendan and Ste had been in the north wing for about 2 hours already. Brendan was trying to get his arm strength back to normal.

"Come on Steven it's not that hard just pull."

"Speak for yourself! I only just fell off the roof a week ago remember."

"So you keep reminding me. Just give me 5 pulls ok."

Ste uses as much power as he has in his arms to try and pull a rubber band 12 inches apart. "Bloody hell who invented this stupid exercise. These bands are thick." He gets to 3 and the rubber band snaps and hits Brendan in the face.

"Didn't see that coming did you?" Ste starts laughing as Brendan massages his forehead.

"See now you're gonna have to give me 5 extra."

"You bastard."

"Shouldn't laugh at your therapist. 7 more. Here."

Ste spends quite a long time finally finishing up his exercises. Brendan gives him a pat on the back and puts the band back up. He comes back and sits next to him on the floor.

"You know the floor is bad for your back."

"Eh I'm sure it can't make it worst."

"Fair point."

They relax and watch whatever tv station the other patients in the North Wing have on.

"So Steven what are you planning to do after you get out of here?"

Ste hadn't even thought that far ahead. He would never admit it but in a sick way he's glad he fell off the roof. If he hadn't he would have never met Brendan. He never believed in love at first sight until the day he met him and now all he can think about his Brendan. He just wishes he had a better indication on where they stood.

"Go back to what I was doing before really. I miss me kids so I'll start by taking them to the park. Then I should probably check and make sure the deli is still up and running." Ste doesn't know whether or not to include him says screw it and goes with it. "And maybe have a couple drinks with a nurse I met."

"Why would you want to have drinks with Noah?"

"You're hilarious Brendan! How no one has grabbed you is beyond me."

"People have tried I just refused."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. Relationships scare me." Brendan wants to take that back as he's revealing too much of himself.

"Nothing to be scared about."

"There is. You have to be willing to put your whole self into it. And...I don't think I can. I'm not...capable of that."

"Yes you are. You're just scared of opening up. You think if you start sharing things about yourself that people will leave. They won't Brendan. The people that care about you won't. I won't."

"Why won't you?"

"Cause...I care about you. I won't give up on you ok. I won't."

"How is it that the patient is giving his nurse advice? I think it should be the other way around."

"Let's just say you're gonna owe me big time."

"I'm sure I'll be able to repay the favors."

"Sounds promising."

"Doesn't it."

Ste starts to lean in but Brendan backs up a little. Ste pouts and throws his head back to lean on the wall. Brendan looks around them to make sure no one is paying attention. He moves in and starts licking his neck all the way up to his ear where he bites on his ear lobe.

"Tell me you want me Steven."

Ste tries too but his voice seems to have disappeared. He lets out a moan instead as Brendan moves his hand onto his thigh. He slowly moves it up and then stops abruptly.

"Guess you don't then."

"What?" Stes eyes are full of lust but he can't comprehend what's been said.

"I told you to tell me you wanted it."

"Fuck you I couldn't even think straight."

"Good choice of words there."

Ste slaps his hands on his face as he tries to get himself together. They both look down when they hear Brendan pager go off.

"Patient calling me in the west wing. Shouldn't be too long so you wanna stay here."

"Yeah that's fine. You're not gonna forget about me right?"

"If I find someone better along the way maybe."

Ste elbows him in the ribs. "Funny."

"Don't worry I won't forget about you."

"Forget me not."

"What?"

"It's a saying Bren. Read a book for god sake."

"On second thought maybe I will leave you here." Brendan avoids Stes elbow this time and quickly gets up and runs away.

Ste goes back to watching the tv show. It's a cartoon show so he gets into it. He doesn't even notice Cheryl walk into the North wing and take a seat next to him.

"Hi love."

"Oh hey Cheryl. Didn't even see ya. What's up? You're never over on this side of the hospital."

"I know. I'm on break and was coming to find Brendan. He here?"

"No he was just called over to the West Wing by his other patient."

"Oh darn must have passed right by each other. Shame." She gets herself into a more comfortable position and starts watching the show as well. "So Ste you and Brendan seem to be getting along. Good friends and all that."

"Yeah he's great." Ste lightly blushes but for the most part keeps it together.

"Most of the times."

"What's that?"

"Oh nothing I was just saying that you know sometimes he has a bit of a violent outburst. Almost like he blacks out and doesn't know what he's doing. But I'm sure he's mentioned that to you."

"Umm no. He didn't have a reason too." Ste suddenly feels uncomfortable.

"But I mean you are friends. You should know how he really is. I mean of course here at work he's gonna be more controlled but I'm his sister Ste and believe me he comes with baggage. A lot of baggage."

Ste hadn't thought of how Brendan is outside of work. He figured he was probably the same as he is here. Sure he's seen him getting mad here and there but it's only been towards Cheryl and then they were back to being brother and sister.

"Doesn't everyone."

"Of course. I have baggage too as I'm sure you do. But his is about 10 times as much as ours put together. Why do you think he doesn't have many friends Ste?"

"I don't...I don't know. I haven't really asked him about his personal life. He did say he liked being alone once."

"He does. But I love him. He's the best brother I could ever ask for. I would take a bullet for him in a heartbeat. Even though he's a little you know. Different I guess. Anyway I should be going."

"Yeah. Ok." Ste starts thinking back on all the times they had recently.

"Oh I wanted to let you know you're recovering faster than we ever could have imagined so expect to get out of here in maybe 2 weeks total."

"Yeah. Great."

"Yep. Oh last thing can you do me a favor. Bren gets a little upset when I talk to his patients about him so if you could please don't mention I talked to you. Thanks."

Cheryl pats his arm gently and walks out leaving Ste on the floor to replay the whole conversation.

Woooo that took me hours to write I hope you guys liked it =] Please let me know if y'all still like this fic so that I can keep continuing it. Thanks again for reading it =] Review pretty please?