Hey! Whoa, am I surprised at the amount of reviews I'm getting for this! I've had 30 reviews for the last two chapters each! That's so great! Please keep them coming!

Sorry I haven't updated anything in a while but I've not long got back from a 2 week holiday in Turkey! Oh, and I was meant to have Chandler's parents mention something about him only having one kidney in the last chapter but for some reason completely left it out…so sorta added into this part! Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Only Way To Escape

No one really spoke after the shocked announcement…Things started to make a bit more sense to Rachel, Joey and Phoebe but Ross surprised all of them… He knew the people who could say their friend but he wouldn't tell them who they were.

Monica glanced at Nora and Charles sitting away from the group. Both of them looked distort… she knew that they both used to know Chandler's real parents and neither of them were keen on filling them in on what was happening. She knew how confused Chandler had felt about his blood family and understood why he had kept them all at a distant but things were different now; it was matter of life and death.

Ross stared down at the floor, he knew everyone kept looking at him…angry that he wouldn't tell them the names of Chandler's real parents but it wasn't just him. Charles and Nora knew who they were and they weren't exactly rushing for the phone. The doctor had said that Chandler was stable for the moment but was still recovering from the surgery and when had had some rest they would be able to go and see him. He could talk to him then; let him decide what to do. Telling himself that once his friend knew how serious all this was and what he needed to do to stay alive then he would ask for the help he needed from Leonard and Sandra, giving them both the perfect chance to start paying him back from all the pain they had put him through. Although deep down, there was a niggling part of them that kept thinking about how stubborn Chandler had become over this matter…How he would probably rather die then turn to the people who abounded him. He hoped with all his heart that he was wrong…. That Chandler would be smart enough to make the right decision.

He finally looked up when he saw Joey stood in front of him, holding something out. Ross reached out a hand a took it, it was a picture of the six of them sat in Central Park on Joey's last birthday, even though it had only been 6 months ago, it was already a bit torn and screwed up from where Joey had been carrying it around in his wallet. Ross looked up from the picture to his friend, who was holding a coin.

"Please, call them…." He pleaded quietly.

Ross adverted his eyes again, unable to look at Joey any longer. "Not yet…"

"Ross, please!" He said a bit louder. "We can't let him die!"

"He's not going to die!" Ross insisted, standing up.

"He will if he doesn't get this operation!" Rachel joined in.

"Lets just wait and see, yeah?"

"Ross, just call them!" Joey demanded. "Tell him you had no choice!"

Ross looked over at Nora and Charles, who were watching silently. He wished they would say something, they could back him up but he could tell that they didn't know what was the right thing to do, either.

"Look, Joe…." He started.

"Excuse me…" They all turned to see a nurse stood there. "Are you here for Chandler Bing?"

"Yeah, we are…" Monica answered quickly.

"He's starting to wake up…" She smiled softly. "You're allowed to see him…"

"I guess we'll just have to get their number out of Chandler…" Joey stated, looking at Ross before following the nurse and the others.

"Good luck…" he whispered to himself, heading after them all.

"He'll be a little drowsy…" The doctor, explained, as they all stood around Chandler's bed. "And remember, he's very weak…."

Chandler let his eyes slowly open, he could hear people talking but could work out what they were actually saying. He glancing around, confused… his friends were there and so was his parents, they all looked like they had been crying…. He couldn't work out why until it all came back to him…. Imagines of a hooded man shot in front in front of his eyes…then a bloodied knife….

"Chandler?" Monica spoke softly as she leaned over him.

"Mon…" He mumbled so quietly it went unheard. He tried to reach up and remove the oxygen mast that was covering his mouth but was stopped by the doctor.

"Mr Bing, you need to keep this on…" He instructed. "You've been very seriously hurt…Okay, I'll be back soon when you're a bit stronger…."

Chandler watched the doctor leave the room, before glancing across at everyone else. He looked down at his right hand, which was being clutched tightly by Monica, as stray tears escaped her eyes.

He reached up again to remove the mask and this time no one stopped him.

"Don't…. Cry…" He managed to utter. "I'm okay…"

"I know…" She tried to smile and rubbed her eyes.

"How you feeling?" Nora moved to the other side of his bed and took his hand.

"Not to good…" He admittedly quietly.

They all watched as he closed his eyes. After a few seconds they all began to wonder if he had fallen back asleep when he slowly opened them again and looked at them.

"This is pretty serious, isn't it?" He whispered.

They all looked at each other, unsure who should answer his question and how much they should tell him.

"Yeah, honey…" Monica spoke softly, brushing his hair back off his forehead. "It is pretty serious."

He swallowed the lump that had rose in his throat and threatened to choke him.

"How..umm…how…" He shrugged to get the words out. "How serious?"

"Maybe I should get a doctor…" Ross suggested. "He'll be able to explain it better…"

Chandler watched him silently as he left the room and more fear crept over him when he realised none of his friends or his parents were keen on telling him what was going on.

"Mon?" He looked at her questionably, his eyes pleading with her to talk to him.

She looked across at Nora, who stepped away from the bed letting them have their moment. His took his right hand in both of hers and sat on the edge of the bed so she was facing him.

"Okay, when you were brought in you were taken straight into surgery…." She explained, softly. "Your…your kidney had to much damage…they had to remove it…"

"But….but I only had one…" He stuttered, traces of fear and panic in his voice. Thinking back to when he was a child, he had to go to regular check ups to make sure the one kidney he was born with was healthy and working properly.

Tears filled Monica's when she saw the terrified look on his face. She had never seen him look like that before and it scared her… he was the one she normally went to when she was scared…but she had to be there for him…she had to let him knew that she would be there no matter what happens.

"It's going to be okay…" She whispered, squeezing his hand, reassuringly.

"Am…am…I going to die?" He croaked out as he looked up at her, tears filling his eyes.

"No!" She insisted but she could tell from the look on his face that he didn't believe her.

"Here, put this back on…" Nora stepped forwards, placing the oxygen mask over his face when she saw him struggling to breath on his own. She placed her hand on his cheek, making him look at her. "We're going to get you through this, okay?"

He hesitated slightly before giving a small nodded, not sure if he believed her or not.

Once had managed to get his breathing in control again, he allowed his eyes to drift shut but quickly open them again when he heard the door opening and closing, see Ross coming in with the doctor.

"I understand, you'd like to ask some questions?" The doctor looked at him.

He reached up and removed the mask again. He shrugged to speak. "What…. what's going to happen to me?"

"Well, I'm afraid we had to remove your kidney, now you only had one so we now need to find a matching donor…" He explained. "But unfortunately you have a rare tissue type so it's going to be hard to find a suitable donor…"

"So, whats does that mean?" He questioned, frowning slightly.

"It means, our best bet is for a blood relative to be a living donor…"

"A…a blood relative…" He stuttered, looking at his parents.

"Either that or we can just hope we find a match else where but the longer the transplant is left then the higher the risk are of complications…"

"And if I don't have the transplant…" He started; avoiding the concerned looks he was getting from his friends. "How…how long will…."

The doctor sighed softly, guessing what he was trying to ask. "Its hard to say… days, weeks…"

"So, you need to have the operation…" Joey spoke for the first time. "You need to tell us who your parents are…"

"My parents are over there…" He answered.

"Chandler, please… just…just tell us…" Joey pleaded. "They need to know…they would wanna help…"

Chandler looked up at him, tears falling from his eyes. "No, they won't…"

"Well, I'll make them!" He claimed. "Just tell me who they are and I'll go talk to them.."

"No…" He shook his head.

"Chandler!"

"No!" He said a bit louder. "I don't want them to know…"

"But you could die!"

Chandler turned his attention away from his best friend to his parents and Ross, knowing they were the only ones who knew who his birth parents were.

"Promise me, you won't call them…" He whispered.

"Chandler, look this doesn't mean anything…this isn't change the fact you're are our son…" Nora started, her eyes filling up.

"I don't want their help…" He repeated. "Please, promise me…"

Nora stared at him for a moment; her heart breaking at the thought of losing him for good…more tears fell from her eyes as she nodded slowly. "I promise…"

"Dad?"

"If…. If that's what you really want…" He managed to say through his own tears.

"It is…" He nodded, trying not to look at the others. "Ross…. Ross…promise me…"

"Chandler, please just reconsider this…" He pleaded with his best friend. "Maybe it doesn't have to be them…what about one of the girls…"

"No!"

"They're your sisters, I know they would want to know that you're their brother!" He insisted. "I know they would want to help you."

"I don't want them to know!" He exclaimed. "For weeks you've been going on at me about telling them…but I don't want to… I don't want them to hate me…I don't want them to know the real me!"

"But…"

"No, it's my decision!" He stated, looking at the doctor. "Right? I can refuse to go ahead with the operation, right?"

They all looked at the doctor, hoping he wouldn't agree. He sighed. "Yes, you can refuse…"

"If you tell them…then…then I still won't have the transplant and it would be a waste of time…" Chandler looked back at the Ross. "People would get hurt for no reason."

"You're not 'no reason'…" Ross insisted. "Its time that they started trying to make up for what they put you through…. Its time for you to let them…"

"Why should I?"

"Because you'll die otherwise!" He replied. "There's to many people here that loves you…and cares for you…and needs you!"

"Okay, I think it might be best if you all left for a while…" The doctor cut in, saying how worked up everyone was getting.

"But…" Ross started.

"Mr Bing, needs some rest…" The doctor ordered. "This arguing is not helping his condition."

"Right, okay…yeah…" Ross sighed, in defeat.

"Can I stay?" Monica asked the doctor, not ready to leave yet.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea…."

"Please, I won't get him worked up again…I just want to sit with him…please…"

The doctor's face softened slightly. "Okay, but the rest of you will have to leave…"

"Yeah, come on…let everyone calm down before anyone decides anything…" Rachel commented.

"I'm not going to change my mind…" Chandler muttered.

"Come on, Ross…" Rachel took her boyfriend's hand, tempting to pull him out of the room, pretending she didn't hear Chandler.

"This is crazy!" Ross commented once they were outside the room. "He'll actually prefer to die then ask them for help!"

"You don't know that!" Rachel sighed. "It could be just the shock of everything happening…I'm sure he'll come around…"

"Yeah, so maybe we should call these people now…" Joey answered. "Maybe if he talks to them…if they show him that they want to help then he'll change his mind."

"And what makes you think they'll wanna help?" Nora asked.

"Oh don't you start…" Ross rolled his eyes.

"You out of everyone should understand why Chandler's acting like this…why he's so scared…" Nora looked at him. "How many times have they let him down in the past…Other then the day he was born, they didn't see him at all up till he was 18 and that was to only tell him they didn't anything to do with him…"

"I do understand…"

"Do you? Do you know hard this is…to watch all of this?" She began to cry softly. "To know that my only son could die because he's scared he'll get rejected again, just like all those times before…. To know there's nothing I could do about it!"

"You could call them…" Joey said quietly after a few seconds of silence.

Nora shook her head slightly but couldn't speak as more tears fell and she collapsed into one of the chairs. Charles sat down next to her, putting an arm around her…he glanced up at his son's friends…Rachel, Phoebe and Joey, all looked lost… none of them knowing what to do…Whilst Ross stood staring ahead, deep in thoughts.

"You must think I'm stupid…" Chandler whispered, causing Monica to look at him, surprised to see he was actually awake.

"No…" She shook her head. "But…but I don't want you to die…"

"I can't ask them to do this, Mon…" He claimed. "I just…its like…I don't…I don't know how to explain it…but I can't…I can't do it…"

"Shh, its okay…." She soothed. "I understand…"

"You do?"

"Yeah, I might not be happy about your decision but I understand it…." A few years escaped her eyes. "Then though it breaks my heart seeing you like this…"

"I'm sorry…" He adverted his eyes.

"What for?" She questioned.

"For breaking your heart…" He whispered.

She shook her head slightly, trying to tell him it wasn't his fault but she couldn't get any words out. After a few seconds, she leaned down and kissed him softly… pulling back to look into his eyes, wiping away a tear.

"I don't want to die, Mon…" His voice creaked with emotion. "But…I can't live in their debt…I've tried so hard to move on…to start a new life…but they kept coming back…they kept hurting me…. Maybe this is the best way… maybe this is my only chance to escape them…"

"No!" Monica cried softly. "Don't say that…please, don't say that…I need you…don't leave me…"

"I don't want to…" He answered. "I care about you so much… more then anyone…and I hate myself for hurting you…"

"You haven't hurt me…" She insisted.

He was quiet for a moment. "I love you…"

"What?" She looked up, shocked.

"I love you…" He repeated a bit louder. "Been idiot…I'm sorry for not telling you before…"

She continued to stare at him stunned for a moment before she finally managed to speak.

"I love you too…" She whispered back, leaning forwards again and kissing him softly. "I love you so much…"

"I'm sorry I can't give you what you've always dreamed of…" His eyes closed as he tried to regain some control of his emotions. "I'm sorry I won't be there…"

"No, don't say that…" She told him. "We'll figure something out…we'll get through this…"

"Mon…" He started but was cut off.

"No! I'm not letting you go that easily!" She claimed.

He managed a small smile but she could tell it was forced.

XxXxX

Joey's eyes snapped open when he heard the door to the waiting room the doctor had let them use close.

"Mon?" He was surprised to see her. "Everything okay? I thought you were with Chandler…"

Joey's voice had woken everyone else in the room and they were looking around confused.

"I was…" Her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "But…but they need to run some tests.."

"Wow, its morning already…" Rachel commented looking at her watch. "How is he?"

"I don't….I don't know…" She stuttered. "The doctor seems to think he's gotten worse over night… they're running tests…"

"But he'll be okay, right?" Joey asked.

"I don't know…." She began to cry, causing Ross to quickly pull her into his arms.

They stayed silent, drinking the bitter warm coffee that Phoebe and Joey had gone to get 10 minutes ago. No one knew what to say… they all knew that they had to wait until the doctor came with information before they started to feel a bit better. As soon as the door opened, they all jumped up.

"How is he?" Nora asked. "He's not….he hasn't…"

"No…" The doctor stopped her, knowing what she was asking. "No, he's not…but its getting close…"

"What?" Monica's face paled. "But…but you said it would be weeks!"

"In some cases, it is…but Chandler is failing faster then we originally thought…" He told them.

"Well, what does that mean?" Ross questioned.

"It means, he needs the operation as soon as possible…"

"Can we see him?" Rachel asked.

"You can…" He nodded slowly. "But he won't responded, his under heavy sedation…."

"Oh god, I can't believe this is happening…" Joey muttered as they followed the doctor down the corridor.

"It'll be okay…." Rachel told him. "He'll be okay…"

"How do you know?"

"Because….I can…I can just feel it…"

Joey looked at her; normally it was Phoebe who made comments like that. Her statement had given him a little bit more confidence, so he didn't say anything…he simply nodded.

Monica stared down at Chandler's still body…unable to believe it…it was just last night he was telling her that he loved her…now he was lying motionless.

"Hey…" Rachel looked up and saw Ross walk in, frowning slightly noticing he had been missing for 15minutes. "Where you been?"

"I just needed some fresh air…" He told them and silently took a seat next to the bed.

"Where are Mr and Mrs Bing?" Joey asked, seeing they were gone to and wondering if they had actually been there before.

"I don't know…" Monica frowned worried but it wasn't long till Charles returned and then 10 minutes later Nora turned up…both claiming they needed some time alone.

Monica sat back in her chair, a small sad smile on her face as she listened to Joey talking to his best friend… telling stories about what they've done together… begging for him not to go.

They all jumped when they heard a knock at the door and all surprised and confused to see Leonard and Sandra Green stood there.

"Mom, Dad?" Rachel looked at them. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh god…" Sandra gasped, looking over at Chandler.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked aloud.

"Rachel, honey… there's something we need to talk to you about…" Leonard told her.

"What?"

"I think we should go somewhere more private…" He suggested, holding out a hand to her. "Come on…"

She stood up and took his hand, silently looking at the others in concern, letting her father lead her out.

"What was all that about?" Joey asked once they had closed the door behind them.

"Uh, lets just wait and see…" Ross replied, sharing the same worried look with Nora and Charles…

TBC

Don't you just hate cliff-hanger like that! Please review and let me know what you think!