My apologies for the delays. This chapter had me in a bit of a pickle, but everything runs downhill from here so hopefully updates will resume their frequency. Thanks a lot for your reviews, they keep me going!

Boann

Fermat could only scream, "Help! Mr Tracy!"

Without a pause, the curtain was flung open and Jeff, Scott, Brains and Sarah rushed in.

"Alan?" Jeff called, moving straight to his son.

Scott stuck his head outside the cubicle, yelling for help. Sarah pressed the emergency call button and began to reading Alan's vitals.

"His BP's falling," she announced, lowering his bed flat and acting to administer oxygen to Alan, who was now unconscious.

"Alan?" Fermat called, trying to wake his friend, who'd been talking to him mere seconds ago.

Someone grabbed his wheelchair and pulled him backwards as more people rushed in. A male doctor strode in and began barking orders and the madness increased. Fermat could only stare as he was pulled out of the cubicle. Alan...He'd been fine. What had gone wrong? He said he was fine.

I didn't even get to tell him I'm sorry, Fermat realised. Alan might die and he'll never know how proud I am of him, how much I look up to him and love him as my brother. It's not fair!

It took him a while to realise his father, behind him, was pushing the wheelchair away from the commotion. "N...no!" cried Fermat, twisting his head around to catch a glimpse of the action behind them. Brains was walking them swiftly back to his room. "Dad, stop!" he cried, tears forming in his eyes. I have to see him, I have to tell him...

"It's alright, son. He'll be okay. I'm positive," his father gently reassured.

Once again, his father's voice betrayed him.

No, you're not

TBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff was standing with Scott just inside the curtain, refusing to be removed from the area. What had gone wrong? Why hadn't they seen something? One minute his son was sitting up and talking, the next he was lying unconscious. Alan you're going to kill me one day.

A male nurse held his arm. "Please, sir. You're best to wait in the quiet room. I promise we will let you know-"

"I'm not leaving. I know the drill. I've been here plenty of times before and I am telling you that I am not leaving," Jeff spoke to the nurse as if he was back in military.

He was trying to catch the words that were being thrown around.

"BP's still dropping..."

"Stat's are failing..."

"There's not enough distension in the abdomen to confirm a bleed big enough to-"

"His condition is enough to confirm..."

"I want him in theatre. Move!" Dr Quaid called. He approached Jeff and Scott. "I'm sorry Mr Tracy, we have to take Alan up to theatre. It looks like a bleed."

"But you said you'd watch him! You said you wouldn't let this happen!" Scott exclaimed.

"I know, Mr Tracy, but as thorough as we were, we cannot always be one-hundred percent positive. I warned that the next twenty four hours would reveal the good or bad news. Right now my focus is to get Alan through this," Quaid said, firmly.

Jeff nodded. "What do I need to sign?" he asked, ready to speed up the process.

Quaid indicated to the left. "Talk to Jackie in admin, she'll help you. I'm taking Alan up immediately."

Jeff nodded. Parting with his son for a second time was just as difficult as the first. He didn't even stop to look at Alan. He'd seen the image before him too many times to be able to bear seeing his youngest in such a state.

TBTBTBTBTBTB

"Dad! Please!"

"Fermat, stay st...st..."

Fermat was in pain. But his injuries had been forgotten long ago. His insides were screaming. He wanted to go back, but after being threatened with restraints, he had no choice to resign to his bed, where his father struggled to calm him down.

Fermat finally slumped back against his pillows. He was crying and he hated that fact. Alan wouldn't cry. Alan never cries.

"Son," his father looked at him pleadingly. "It will be o...o...just fine. We can't give up h...h...faith. Just breathe."

His father was right. His breathing held the familiar wheeze of his asthma and an attack was the last thing he needed. "Dad, I didn't t...t...get to say," he stuttered. "It's all my fault."

Brains frowned. "What do you m...m...how is it your fault?" he asked, perplexed.

"I must have d...d...caused it all. The nurse said Alan needed r...r...sleep and I ignored her. I was selfish!" Fermat cried. "Now he's going to d...d..."

He couldn't finish as his father pulled him into an embrace. Fermat let out a sob. "We had a f...f...argument on the bus. I said t...t...some stuff. I didn't get to say s...s..."

"Alan won't remember a s...s...trivial argument," Brains told him. "He'll remember his best friend."

"Some friend," sniffed Fermat.

Brains tutted and rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Alan's always been th...th...he's always helped me out," said Fermat, pulling away. "And now I know why. It's because I s...s...He feels sorry for me."

"Enough, Fermat!"

Both father and son jumped at Scott's stern voice.

Scott marched up to Fermat's bed. "You listen here," he said with a tone Fermat had never heard him use before; at least not to him. "Alan needs you right now. You can't give up on him! What do you think he'd say if he saw you like this?"

Fermat was lost for words. But after a thought he smiled. "He would d...d... probably hit me," he replied.

Scott nodded. "He stays with you not because he feels sorry for you, but because he cares so much about you. You're his best friend, Fermat and needs you now more than ever," he said.

Fermat nodded slowly, unnerved by Scott's forcefulness, but finding strength in his words.

Scott pulled back and let out a ragged sigh, rubbing his face with one hand. "I'm sorry Fermat," he murmured, sounding exhausted.

Fermat knew how he felt. "It's okay," he replied, trying to wipe away any evidence of his tears with his sleeve.

Scott took one step towards him, as if about to say something, then took two steps back as if to change his mind. "I'll make sure they send someone to tell you the results," he said, walking out of the room before Fermat could thank him.

Scott was right, he had to be strong, for others as well as Alan.