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Setting Him Free.

"He wouldn't like this..." Ross said, breaking the silence. It had been an hour ago since the doctor had left them all stood around Chandler's bedside, battling with a decision that no one wanted to make. "He wouldn't like to trapped in his own body like this..."

"You...you think we should let him go?" Phoebe questioned.

"No... I just...I don't know what to think..." He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Chandler always seemed to have loads of energy...It's weird seeing him like this."

"I know...He'd be making some kind of joke now, trying to lighten the mood..." Phoebe said but the comment caused her to break down again.

Joey put a comforting arm around her and she leaned up against him.

"What do you want to do?" Ross said to Nora and Charles after a few minutes of silence.

They shared a look, neither of them wanted to decided.

"I uh...I don't know." Nora whispered, her eyes falling on her son again.

"I guess the final decision if up to you guys..." He added.

"What?" Charles frowned slightly.

"You're his parents... if you two disagreed with us then the doctors would do what you wanted."

"I...I didn't even think about that." Nora said, quietly.

"So, our opinions doesn't matter!" Joey replied.

"I didn't say that Joe..." Ross sighed.

"Yes you did!" He argued.

"Well, it didn't mean it like that then..." He replied, wishing he hadn't said it...he was thinking out loud.

"Anyway, you'd probably know more about Chandler's wishes then me..." Nora added.

"He wouldn't want to die!" Joey claimed.

"Did he actually tell you that?" Rachel asked, speaking for the first time.

Joey turned to look at her. "No but no one wants to die! Especially not Chandler!"

"So, he never talked to you about this?" Rachel turned to him. "He never told you what he would want?"

"No! He's young! Its obvious!" He insisted.

"Is it?" Rachel replied. "I know I wouldn't want to live like this."

"Well, this isn't you, is it!" Joey raised his voice slightly, angry that his friends were even considering it. "This is Chandler! He has so many things that he wants to do!"

"And what if he can't those things?" Rachel replied, in the same tone. "What if he's to ill? Do you really think he wants us to see him like that! Do you really think he would want to be totally dependent on us?"

"What the hell is it with you!" Joey snapped.

"Okay, guys this is getting out of hand." Phoebe stood up. "Joe, lets go cool off."

"No! I want to know she's so keen for him to die!"

"Okay Joey enough!" Ross stepped in between him and Rachel.

"I don't want him to die!"

"Then why are you pushing this?" Joey ranted. "Why don't you believe that he'll wake up and everything will be okay!"

"Because this is life, Joe!" She snapped. "This is an episode of your stupid soap opera! This is serious and no matter how hard or horrible it is we got to figure out what Chandler would want!"

"Are you sure, you just don't want to share Daddy's inheritance."

The room feel silent and everyone stared at Joey, shocked by what he just said.

"How can you say that to me?" Rachel whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm not letting this happen." He swallowed the lump that had rose in his throat. "I'm not letting you guys kill my best friend!"

No one said anything or stopped him when he turned and left the room.

"Rach, he didn't mean that..." Ross whispered, knelling next to her wheelchair.

"Yeah, he's just upset." Phoebe said, softly.

"I...I want to go back to my room." She whispered.

Ross glanced up at Phoebe helplessly before looking back at his girlfriend.

"Can I come with you?" He asked.

She just nodded, not trusting herself to speak in fear of breaking down.

"I'll see you guys later..." Ross said, leaning over and kissing Monica's cheek before doing the same with Phoebe. He looked down at Chandler, reaching out and squeezing his hand gently. "Stay strong, Man."

"Come find us if there's any news..." Rachel said as Ross pushed her out the room.

"Yeah, of course..." Phoebe replied. "See you soon."

"I think...I think I'll go for a walk..." Nora stood up. "Get some fresh air."

"Would you like some company?" Charles offered, standing up.

Nora thought about it for a moment before smiling slightly. "Yeah, thank you."

He returned her smile before they silently left.

"God, I best Chandler will wish he was here to witness his parents actually getting along." Phoebe quipped but Monica didn't reply. "Are you okay? I mean, of course you're not 'okay' but...i mean... you've haven't really said much..."

"That's not a lot to say." She whispered.

"Well, I just thought...that if Chandler had talked to anyone about this then it would be you." She said slowly, watching her.

"He did." Her voice creaked slightly with emotion.

"What?" Phoebe looked at her surprised. "Why didn't you say something​?"

"Because of what he said..." She turned to look at Phoebe. "He said he would want the machine turned off."

"Oh." Was all that Phoebe could say, looking down at Chandler.

"Joey was right, Pheebs...how can't do it to him? How can we let Chandler die?" She cried.

"Oh Mon..." She moved around to her wrapping her arms around her. "I know it will be hard...but...if its what Chandler would want...then...then we got to the tell others."

"I know..." She whispered. "But its not right. I don't want him to die."

"Me either..." She replied, tears falling from her eyes. "But...but don't think of it as him dying...think of it as setting him free."

XxXxX

Joey walked around the hospital, not really sure where he was going; he wasn't even really paying attention. His anger had started to fade away and he was feeling a bit calmer. He felt guilty about how he spoke to Rachel. He didn't really think that she actually felt like that he was just angry and upset that his best friend was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it. He just wanted things to go back to normal. He didn't want to lose Chandler. He was his room-mate, his best friend, his brother. He was the only person that Joey could talk to about anything...he the one who helped him with his career.

He stopped and looked around and saw he was outside Rachel's room, he looked in and saw she was sat in Ross' arms crying. He sighed, knowing it was probably because of what he said.

He knocked quietly on the door before opening it. Both Rachel and Ross looked up at him.

"Joe, if you came here for another fight you can leave now." Ross told him.

"I didn't...I came to apologise." He told them. "Rachel, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean what I said... I don't know what came over me."

"You really hurt me, Joe..." She whispered. "I'd never want Chandler to die. Why would I go through all this if I did?"

"I know, Rach...I'm sorry." He replied. "I just feel so helpless and was looking for someone to blame. I'll understand if you hate me."

Rachel sighed. "I don't hate you Joe... I hate what you said... but I understand."

"Really?" He asked, looking up. "So we're okay?"

"Yeah..." She nodded, before tears filling her eyes again. "It's good, because I think we're all going to need each other."

Before anyone could reply there was another knock on the door before Monica and Phoebe walked in, followed by Mr and Mrs Bing.

"Oh good, you're all here." Phoebe said, seeing Joey there.

"Why?" Joey said concerned. "Has something happened?"

"No...but...but there's something that I need to tell you." Monica said quietly.

"What?" Ross frowned, looking around at the others seeing that everyone except Monica and Phoebe looked confused.

"Something...something Chandler said to me..." She replied. "We...we talked about what we would want...if...if something like this happened."

"Well?" Nora prompted but now sure whether she really wanted to know. "What did he say."

Monica bite her lip, trying to stop herself from crying but it was no good. "He...he...said he wouldn't want to kept alive by a machine... He said he would want to go peacefully."

Rachel brought her hand to her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. Nora collapsed up against Charles and he just stood supporting her, staring ahead. Joey's mind started to race, wondering if there was anything to do or say to change anything and Ross' legs went from under him as he dropped into a chair. They had all thought about it... What they would do if it came to this...But deep down they all thought it would never get this far...that somehow things would work out okay. This changed everything though. They had to respect Chandler's wishes...they had to let him go.

"Are...are you sure he said that?" Rachel asked.

Monica nodded, before laughing slightly. "I thought he was joking around at first...we had been watching the a movie about some guy who had to do it for his wife. He joked that I'd be the only one he'd trust to actually do it... he said one of you would probably chicken out...So I said, I'd be happy to do it...at least I wouldn't have to listen to his jokes again...I thought he was messing around." Her voice trailed off. She looked up at them all waiting for her continue. "We...we then sat down and talked about it seriously...He said he wasn't really scared of dying... he didn't want to hurt anyone but said he would hate not being able to do anything for himself."

"Then...that's what we have to do." Joey whispered, causing everyone to look at him surprised.

"Yeah..." Ross nodded quietly.

"Does...does everyone agree?" Nora asked in a shaky voice.

They all nodded, no one spoke...no one need to speak... they all just thought about Chandler...about the past they shared with him and a future without him.

TBC

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