Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs. I do not own Charlie, Alan, Larry, or Don.
A/N: Companion piece to "Death Defied By Will"
Different ending than "The Forgotten Will To Live", but I'd read both this one and the other.

Larry was in the ER, waiting for them. He had called them as soon as Charlie was with the EMT's, getting help.

He had trouble talking with them over the phone. They had wanted to know what happened, the problem was that Larry didn't know what had happened. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what had happened.

He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up he saw Alan and Don. Larry couldn't do this. He couldn't tell them. The two faces looking at him showed worry, but not too much. They had no idea what was going on except it was about Charlie.

"Larry." Alan said, connecting with Larry with eyes, "Larry, what happened to Charlie?"

Larry took a few deep breaths, "I don't know. Some cosmic eruption, possibly..."

Don sighed, "Larry, just tell us what you know."

Larry nodded, "I was asleep at my office when I heard my name and a sort of knock at my door, so I opened it and saw Charles there on the ground." He paled, remembering how his friend looked, "He-He told me to tell both of you that he loves you."

Alan raised his eyebrows in fear.

Don took a deep breath, sitting down, "What have the doctors said about him?"

Larry shook his head, his hand reaching up to his ear in a nervous habit, "They haven't told me anything yet."

"Larry, from what you saw of him, how bad was he?" Don asked.

Larry paled again, getting as white as the food he ate, he swallowed hard, "Honestly, Don?" Don nodded, "It looked to me that he should have been dead by the time he reached me."

Alan couldn't hold anything back, some tears came down his face. What happened to his little boy? Was he destined to lose his wife and youngest son within five years? His son had to live, he had to still be alive.

Don sat down. How could Charlie get hurt? What had happened? That was the million dollar question.

A doctor walked out a room, "Family of Charles Eppes." He called out.

Don stood up quickly and found himself standing beside the doctor in a matter of seconds. "I'm his brother."

Alan was standing beside him, "I'm his father."

"And I'm the guy who called the ambulance, a friend."

The doctor nodded, "Let's step into my office and talk." He turned and the three of them had trouble keeping up with him. They stepped into his office and he had them all sit down, "My name is Dr. Gerold. Mr. Eppes is in surgery right now." He saw all three of them, starting to open their mouths to speak, he held up a silencing hand, "He is in very bad condition. There is a chance of brain damage due to a large gash on his head. He has many broken bones, including ribs and some internal bleeding. We are doing our best to keep him stable and stop the bleeding. There is a large chance that he will not make it. It actually surprises me that he had lived for so long after the accident."

"What exactly was the accident?" Alan asked, his throat dry.

Dr. Gerold raised an eyebrow, "You don't know?" He saw three heads shake quietly. He sighed, "It appears as if while on a bike he was hit by a vehicle. He should have died on impact." He paused, "But he didn't, he got up, walked his bike off the road, then walked to CalSci where he woke you," He pointed to Larry, "And thanks to you, he will have a better chance at living longer."

Larry's eyes were large, "He walked to my office? I saw him. He was in no condition to walk. He had b-bone sticking out of his leg an-and his knee ..."

The doctor nodded, "Like I said, he should have died on impact. But he didn't. That is why I am certain that he will live. He doesn't want to die, so he won't." He paused, "But I can be wrong about that. Mr. Eppes is not in the clear."

He was numb. He wanted to go back to sleep. He was so tired.

He was so tired? And numb? Something was wrong. He worked on staying awake, soon he heard an unsteady beeping noise. He tried to open his eyes, but they were so heavy.

Don had been counting the heart beats on the monitor. He was worried at how unsteady they were. It was not promising. He would only count them to ten, then start over. He kept track of how many tens he went through. When he got to ten ten's, or one hundred beats, he made a tally-mark on a pad of paper. He just put a thin pencil line down when he looked up and started to see Charlie's eyes flutter. "Buddy?" Was Charlie waking up? He hoped so, that would be good, right? He leaned in close to his brother.

Alan looked up from his sudoku book. "Charlie?" He saw Don sitting right next to Charlie. Alan knew that his youngest shouldn't be waking up yet. Was it good that he waking up earlier than expected? Or was it a bad sign?

He heard his nickname and his name. Two different voices. And he knew those voices. He tried again to open his eyes. He moaned when they opened slightly. The light was so bright. It hurt to see it. He heard his name again. His father is the one who said it. What was going on? Why was he numb? Why was his dad calling out his name? And his brother just called him by his favorite nickname. Why? The light was so bright. He had to tell them. They could do something about the light. "The light is too bright." He thought he said, but instead he said, "Li' t' bri'."

Don turned to Alan, ""Li' t' bri'" What is he saying?"

Alan shrugged, "I don't know." He turned to the son on the bed, "Charlie. Try saying that again please. For daddy."

"Lit' ta' brit'!" he said louder than before. Why didn't they hear him before?

Don snapped his fingers, "Light!"

Alan nodded and quickly turned the lights down.

"Thanks." He managed to say, opening his eyes more. He saw a worried Don and Alan. He saw a hospital room. He saw what had been making the unsteadying beeping, it was a heart monitor. Hooked up to him. What the hell happened to him?

Don watched the emotions on his brother's face. Confusion followed by fear. His heart tore. "Buddy?"

"Happen?" He asked in a rough voice.

Alan's eyes glazed over, "Not now, alright. You need to sleep some more."

He looked from one family member to the other, "Okay?"

Don nodded, "Yeah, we're both okay. You just need to rest. Get some sleep."

He was really tired. He nodded and drifted off to darkness.

Don looked at his father. "He shouldn't have woken up yet, right?"

Alan nodded, "We should tell Dr. Gerold." He stood up, "I'll go and tell him." He smiled slightly, "But he woke up, Donnie. He woke up."

Don smiled back, "Yeah. I know."

Alan left the room and went to Dr. Gerold's office, he knocked politely before he entered. "Dr. Gerold?"

Dr. Gerold looked up from his paper work, "Mr. Eppes? Is something wrong?"

"My son, he. He woke up."

Dr. Gerold's eyes grew. "What? When?"

"Just a minute ago. He's asleep again." Alan answered.

Dr. Gerold blinked a few times. "He shouldn't have woken up already. He should be out for at least another two days." He stood up, "Did he say anything?"

"He said that the light was too bright, so we turned it down some. He thanked us, asked what had happened-"

"Did you tell him?"

Alan shook his head, "We said that we would tell him later. Doctor? Is it good that he woke up early?"

Dr. Gerold sighed, "I'd think so. I'm not for sure." He paused, "Your son does not want to miss out on his life, does he?" He chuckled to himself. "Alright. If he wakes up again, call a nurse and she'll come and get me, or you can come and get me. But try to keep him awake long enough for me to talk with him." He paused, "He really talked that much?" Alan nodded, "And his words? Were they coherent?"

"Not at first." Alan said, "But they were understandable."

The doctor nodded. "That is good. It means that if he has brain damage on his speaking skills, that it is not severe."

Alan nodded slowly, "But his chance for living is greater now?"

The doctor shook his head, "No. I am sorry, it is a good sign and everything. But his chance hasn't risen any."

Alan nodded, "I-I've got to get back to Charlie."

Dr. Gerold agreed with him.

Don looked up from his paper of tally-marks when his father came in, "The nurse upped his morphine. Keep him asleep."

Alan nodded, sitting down again. "I told Dr. Gerold. He said that if Charlie had some brain damage, it wasn't in his language area. Being as he spoke."

"That's good, right?"

"I think so."

He had been waking up off and on. Never really remembering it. Never really there in the real world. He was thirsty most the time, and now the numbness was only in his legs. But he felt something large and heavy on his arm. The beeping was still there, every time. But it was steady now. It was more soothing.
"They are lowering his morphine. They say it's alright if he wakes up now." Alan told Don.

Don nodded, making another tally-mark. He found counting his brother's heart beats reassuring. Plus it'd be a neat thing to show him after he was out of the hospital. Charlie should like all the marks. Right?

He had been awake. He had been coherent. He was still a little doped up though. "Donnie."

Don turned and looked at his brother, making another pencil mark. "Buddy?"

Charlie smiled slightly, "What are you doing?"

Don met his brother's smile. "I'm making tally-marks."

"Oh. Okay." Charlie closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. "What are you counting?"

"Heart beats."

Charlie looked at his monitor. "I wonder why they still have this on me. My heart is beating fine. And I'm awake." He paused, "I am awake, right?"

Don nodded, "Yes, you are."

Charlie smiled and closed his eyes again, leaning back. Don was sure that Charlie had gone back to sleep, but soon he was proved wrong. "Donnie."

"Buddy?"

Charlie opened his eyes, "Why can't I feel below my left knee?"

Don dropped his pencil and swallowed. "What?"

"I can't feel below my left knee. Why is that?"

Don's mouth was dry. "Prob-Probably just from the pain medicines."

Charlie nodded. "Yes. That's logical." He paused. "Donnie."

"Buddy?"

"When will people tell me what happened?"

"Later." Don said, making another tally-mark. "Go back to sleep."

Don waited until he was asleep before he got up to find his dad and Dr. Gerold. It didn't take him long.

"Agent Eppes, you left your brother?" Dr. Gerold smiled, "Never thought I'd see the day."

Don did not return the smile.

Alan tensed, "Is something the matter?"

"I talked to Charlie and he asked why he couldn't feel anything below his left knee."

Both men paled. "Why hadn't he brought this up before?" Alan asked.

No one could answer that question.

"He is going to get feeling back, right?" Alan asked, worried.

Dr. Gerold shook his head, "I don't know." He sighed, "We will have to run tests. It is possible that it is brain damage from his head wound or some of his nerves got messed up when his knee did. Did he say anything else."

Don paused, "He asked when someone would tell him what happened to him. I told him later."

"We will have to tell him later." Dr. Gerold said, rubbing his head with his hand. "But first I want to check out his knee." He stood up and the three of them walked back to Charlie's room.

He dreamed of pain. He dreamed of a speeding car and blood. Whoever said that you can't get hurt in a dream was stupid. He felt the pain again. He didn't know what had caused the pain and the blood other than it had to do with a car.

Charlie woke up, panting, heart monitor racing.

That's how they found him when they walked in.

Dr. Gerold rushed to his side, making sure that Charlie was alright.

Alan rushed to his side, trying to calm Charlie down.

Don rushed to his note book, counting the fast heart beats.

Alan had gotten Charlie to calm down enough that Charlie could talk without having trouble saying the words, "What the hell happened to me?! Tell me now!"

The three men looked at each other and agreed to tell him.

Dr. Gerold started, "What is the last thing you remember before waking up in the hospital."

Charlie sighed, thinking and having some trouble doing so. After a length he spoke up, "I was at CalSci working and dad called me. He offered me a ride and I declined."

Don made another tally-mark. He stared down at his paper. He didn't dare look up at his brother. He couldn't see his face when he found out.

Alan already had tears in his eyes, thinking about that night. He felt as if it was his fault that Charlie had gotten hit. If he hadn't had called, then he would have left later or if Alan had been firm with Charlie and had given his boy a ride.

Dr. Gerold knew he had to continue. "You were riding your bike and it seemed as if you had been hit by a speeding car."

Charlie blinked, "I am a victim of a hit and run." He processed this thought. It worked well with his nightmare. He nodded. Swallowing he spoke up, "How did Larry find me?"

Alan voiced the answer, "You had, apparently, walked to his office."

Charlie looked down at his legs. He walked to Larry's office? "How could I do that?"

"Sheer will." Don said, finally looking up. "You wanted to live."

Charlie nodded, closing his eyes. "Alright. I've been hit by a speeding car and survived. I should get a tee-shirt."

Don couldn't believe his brother just made a joke about almost dying. He stared at him in disbelief.

Dr. Gerold spoke up, "Don tells me that you can't feel below your left knee."

Charlie nodded. "That's bad, right?"

"Right. I'd like to run some tests on it. Hopeful you will get feeling in it soon." Dr. Gerold moved around to the area below Charlie's knee. "I'd like you to try and move your toes." He pulled the blanket back, so that he could see.

There was no movement. The doctor looked at Charlie in the face, "You're trying?" Charlie nodded. "Alright. You can stop trying now." Paused, "Tell me if you feel anything." Dr. Gerold then started poking and prodding Charlie's leg below the knee. After a few minutes the doctor gave up. "Alright. We will continue with the tests later." He paused, "And they will be better tests than those I just performed. I was just checking to see if you needed the more serious tests."

Charlie sighed and closed his eyes. "Alright." He felt an arm on his shoulder.

"Just go back to sleep."

Charlie nodded and drifted off again. He hoped that he wouldn't have any nightmares.

A few days later he woke up to someone poking him. He couldn't really feel the poking much, but it was still annoying. "Stop that." He said with his eyes closed. The poking continued. In fact, they started poking harder and more often. "I said stop that!" Charlie said. Once again, the poking continued. He opened his eyes and stared at Don, grinning from ear to ear, poking away. "Don." Charlie said rather cool.

Don met Charlie's eyes with a smirk. "You feel me poking you?"

Charlie rolled his eyes, "That is why I told you to stop." He glared at his brother, "But you're not and it's annoying."

Don still didn't stop. "I've been poking you for a while now, buddy. I've got quite a lot of power right now. How well do you feel it?"

Charlie blinked. He didn't understand what his brother was talking about, "You know, if you don't stop that I will have my morphine upped."

Don stopped and held his hands up in defense, "I guess you are pretty out of it. You don't understand why I'm so happy that you felt me poking you."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Charlie, what was I poking?"

Charlie thought about this, "My leg." He paused, his eyes grew. "I felt that!"

Don grinned and ruffled his brother's hair, "You sure did, Chuck. I'll go and tell dad on Dr. Gerold. Alright?"

Charlie nodded and watched as his brother left.

This was good. He could feel when his brother was poking him in the leg. Charlie looked down at it and saw that it was rather bruised up. Don must have had to poke him really hard and for a long time. He jumped as the door opened.

Dr. Gerold walked right up to his leg and pointed at it, "Did give him the bruises?" He asked Don.

Don nodded slowly, "Yeah. But by giving him the bruises he was able to feel the pain."

The doctor sighed and nodded, "Alright. My turn." He started to poke and prod Charlie's leg.

"That sorta tickles."

Alan grinned and went to hug Charlie, but stopped in case he caused his son pain. Instead he put a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You're getting your feeling back! This is great!"

Dr. Gerold turned to Charlie, "Now. Try to move your toes for me."

Charlie stared down at his foot. His tongue was sticking out of his mouth slightly, from trying to hard. He didn't see anything happen.

But Dr. Gerold smiled and told Charlie he could stop. "That was great!"

"What was? Nothing happened."

The doctor shook his head, grinning. "You moved your big toe."

"I did?"

"Yeah. Just barely. We shall put you in therapy right away."

Charlie was glad when he got out of the car. He put his cane on the ground and started limping toward the front door of his house. He stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Don?"

"I'm just glad that you let me drive you to CalSci and back home." Don said. I'm just glad that you're still alive.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "Well I have to get to work and home some how. I'm just sorry that I have to let you drive me places. I wish I could ride my bike."

Don stared at his brother, "You wanna get on a bike again?"

Charlie nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Wouldn't it be kinda. I dunno. Dramatic? Scary?"

Charlie laughed a little bit, "Of course. But Don. Even though you've been shot at with your job, you still go back. Even though I've been in a bad accident while I was on a bike, I still want to ride it."

Don thought about this. Charlie did make a point. No matter how much he got hurt doing his job, he always went back. And being an FBI Agent is a lot more dangerous than riding a bike. He looked up and saw that Charlie was already getting into his house. Don followed closely. "So, how was your first day back at CalSci?"

Charlie froze for a second, then he masked up his feelings with a shrug, "It was fine."

Don blinked and tried to get Charlie in a chair, so that he could rest. But Charlie didn't accept his brother's help. "Buddy. Talk to me. How was it, really?"

Charlie couldn't hide his emotions. His eyes showed fear. "My and Larry's doors still had blood on them. Blood soaked into the wood and they hadn't replaced the doors yet."

Don cursed inwardly. He should have made sure that the school was blood free before he allowed his brother to step foot and cane anywhere near there. "I'm sorry, Buddy."

Charlie shrugged, "It's alright." He grinned, "My students through a party."

"What?" Don asked, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you didn't teach any classes."

"I didn't. That didn't stop them from coming into my office and welcoming me back with cards, gifts, and a lot of gossip." Charlie answered nonchalantly.

Don smirked, "They missed you." He chuckled. "Even though Amita was standing in for you." He paused, "I bet it was mostly girls who came and saw you, right?"

Charlie nodded, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Don burst out laughing. His brother had no idea that most of his female students liked him as more than a teacher. It amused him how ignorant his brother could be sometimes. "So, what did they think about the cane?"

Charlie blinked, "I believe most of them said it is distinguished and sexy."

Fin

A/N: Well, what do you think? Did it seem rushed? Well written? Like the ending?
-is a very paranoid person-