James hadn't known what he was expecting as he bolted to Kendall's hospital room, but he had tried to prepare himself. He was ready to see Kendall lying motionless in the bed under stark white sheets that would make him look even paler than he already was. He was ready for needles that were inserted into his friend's veins, and the air canal around his face, placed in his nose carefully. He was ready for the chilling stillness; to comfort Carlos and Logan and talk to Kendall as he slept. Yes.

He had prepared himself for all of this. He was ready.

However, when James threw open the door, time seemed to slow for a split second; long enough for him to realize all of his preparation had been utterly useless.

Kendall was thrashing wildly, as several members of the hospital staff were gathered around him, shouting things and trying to hold him down long enough to jab a needle into his arm, which James was sure wasn't making anything better. Tears streamed out of his wide, terrified green eyes and down his pale face as he tried as hard as he could to free himself from the bed. His breath was coming in strangled, pained, frightened gasps as he whipped his head around the room; his expression growing even more terrified, if that was even possible.

"Leave me alone, please!" he cried out, begging, twisting violently against the sheets.

Finally snapped out of his stupor, James ran at the doctors, not quite thinking his decision through, but he didn't care.

"Hey! Hey, let me talk to him, please! Stop forcing him, can't you see you're making it worse! Just, please, let me talk to him!" he yelled at the doctors, all of whom had a disbelieving expression on their faces. They hadn't known someone else was in the room, much less ready to yank them off of the patient at hand.

"Sir, you need to calm down. We're trying to help Mr. Knight."

James stubbornly shoved through them, so he could get a better look at Kendall.

"Can't you see you're scaring him? Let me have a minute."

The assorted medical professionals exchanged doubtful and slightly angry glances, and one woman spoke.

"This is all for the better, trust-"

"Just a minute, please." James was the one begging now.

She looked at the rest of them, before sighing and rubbing a hand over her face.

"Fine. Five minutes. If you aren't out, I will come and get you."

James sighed, his heartbeat slowing back to a normal pace, adrenaline fading from his veins, as he nodded, and they filed out of the room, some rolling their eyes and others having indistinct conversations among themselves.

James sat on the side of the bed, finally making eye contact with Kendall.

His eyes were glassy and bloodshot, frantically panning the room, before coming to rest on James. He looked confused, scared, and not all there. Shaking pale hands grasped at James' as he reached toward his friend.

"J-James..." he whispered, eyes overflowing as his voice gave out, breaking into soft, whimpering cries, burying himself into James' shirt.

James scooted farther onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Kendall and letting the boy's body rest against him. Listening to Kendall's broken sobbing, James felt his own eyes burn with tears. He still could not believe what kind of monster you'd have to be harm someone so sweet, so friendly, and so loving.

Kendall's breath hitched. He began crying at full force, his body convulsing, and his hands grabbing desperately at James.

"Shh, buddy, I'm here. I'll protect you, I promise. I promise. I promise..." he whispered, his voice fading out as he rocked Kendall ever so softly back and forth, careful not to jar his injuries.

"'M tired, Jay...and it hurts." Kendall whimpered into his shirt.

"Just go to sleep, Kennie. Nothing's gonna happen to you as long as I'm here."

Kendall whimpered again, pulling himself even closer. Now he was almost sitting in James' lap, with James' arms cradling him against his body.

"Don't let them hurt me, James...," he whispered, the desperation in his soft voice breaking James' heart.

"I won't," he replied reassuringly, resting his cheek on top of Kendall's soft blonde hair. Let who get you? He wondered.

Kendall closed his eyes and nodded, looking suddenly exhausted, and laid against James, sleeping lightly.

James sighed, his energy finally draining, and sat there a few more minutes before gently laying Kendall back down in the hospital bed, and creeping out the door quietly.

As he had guessed, the female doctor from earlier was standing there, an annoyed look on her face as she skeptically eyed James exiting the room.

"Excuse me," she commanded, causing him to look up, slightly startled. "I know this may be hard for a teenager to understand, but we have rules in this hospital, Mr. Diamond. And while I may have let you slide once, don't expect any more favors from me. We know what we're doing, trust me." she finished coolly, and not a trace of kindness was in her eyes.

James knew in the back of his mind that she was telling the truth, that deep down she didn't really mean to be rude. However, as she stared at him with cold, calculating eyes, giving him a lecture about hospital procedures, it was as if a switch flipped inside him, and a whole lot of anger was coming her way.

"Excuse me!" he replied haughtily, "That's my best friend and little brother in there. He was attacked, by some dirtbag in an alleyway, and you're sitting here mouthing off about hospital etiquette! So, no matter what happens, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure he's okay, and I don't give a crap what you have to tell me!" little by little, his voice had risen in volume, and by now he was full-blown shouting at her. But what annoyed him the most was that she just stood there.

Just. Freaking. Stood there.

With that same stupid passive look on her face, like she saw this stuff everyday and she was honestly quite tired of it. She blinked, still staring straight at him.

"Mr. Diamond. I'd like you to leave. At least until you can hold it together and refrain from yelling at staff." she began walking away, and called over her shoulder, "Oh, we'll call if there's any update on his condition. Have a nice day."

And with that, she was gone.

Carlos and Logan stood frozen at the front desk, mouths hanging open, and Carlos looking considerably frightened.

James was still standing exactly where he'd been for the past 5 minutes. He couldn't believe it. This stupid woman had just kicked him out of the hospital, and no more hospital meant no more Kendall, for the time being, anyway. Shoulders finally slumping, James let a tear or two slip down his face. Way to go Diamond. What did that little outburst accomplish, other that getting you exactly what you didn't want? Still unable to move, he just stood there, crying, as the patients, families, and faculty who had been staring finally returned to their business.

Logan sighed and walked over to James, patting his shoulder lightly.

"S'okay, buddy, we'll try to get your visiting rights back, but meanwhile, I'll drive you home, if Carlos is okay staying here." he looked to Carlos questioningly, the Latino still looking shocked.

Carlos nodded. "Sure, Logie, I'll be fine here for a while."

And with a smile and a "Thank you" from Logan, the two were out the door.

Carlos really didn't know what to do in the hospital alone. The place was big, white, cold, and full of people he didn't know, many of which looked incredibly ill, and this scared Carlos for a number of reasons. For one, it reminded his of his mother.

When he was around 8, Carlos began to realize that people actually died in hospitals. Not everyone got better. His mother was a perfect example.

Even as a child, Carlos had known something was wrong. His Mamí had been looking really tired lately, with dark rings under her pretty brown eyes, and her normally warm skin looked pale. She had to sit down a lot, and often sat for long periods of time with her head resting in her hands, breathing deeply. After a while, Carlos would see her sitting there, and get worried.

"What's wrong, Mamí?" he'd ask innocently, wide eight-year-old eyes full of love and concern.

She would always smile at this; his little voice soothing her ringing ears and aching head.

"Nothing that a great big hug from my little niño can't fix." she'd always reply. A grin would creep on to Carlos' little face, and he would throw himself into her embrace, snuggling into her comforting arms.

However, one day, when Carlos came home from school, his Mamí wasn't there. His Papí was, though, sitting at the kitchen table, wringing his hands and looking at the floor.

When Carlos asked what was wrong, he only got a short response.

"Your Mamí is sick, Carlitos." he explained quietly. "She has an illness where she has to stay at the hospital, and get medicine that might make her better. Understand, niño?"

Carlos, suddenly concerned and eyes wide and glassy with tears, nodded. "She'll be back, right, Papí?"

"Of course, 'Litos." he replied, but he wasn't fooling anyone, even Carlos could tell he wasn't sure.

The days passed by so quickly after that, becoming a blur of hospital visits, talking to his father, and sitting with his Mamí. She always apologized that she looked so sick, but little Carlos would just shake his head and reply with a completely honest, "You're beautiful, Mamí." It would bring proud, happy tears to her eyes.

This went on for a while.

When things got really bad, Carlos refused to leave his Mamí's side. He sang to her a lot; she said it made her feel better.

After almost a year of this routine, Carlos was suddenly told he wasn't allowed to see his mother anymore. The doctors said she was too sick, and couldn't handle any visitors. Carlos didn't understand, but he agreed, because they're doctors, they'd protect her, right?

For some reason, a few days later, Carlos was called into his mother's hospital room. She looked so frail, so skinny and pale and sick that he wanted to cuddle up to her and stay there forever.

"I love you, my little niño," she whispered as he came nearer, her hand grasping his.

"I love you too, Mamí," he whimpered, his eyes filling with tears, "Will a hug make you feel better?"

A tiny smile appeared on her face.

"Of course it will, sweetheart."

Tears dripped down his face as he cuddled into her arms for what he didn't know was the last time.

"Don't be sad, niño, as long as you and your Papí are happy, I'll never leave you, okay?"

Carlos nodded, not really knowing the gravity of his mother's words at the time.

A nurse came into the room, shooing Carlos out, and saying "It was time for him to go."

"I love you, Mamí," he whispered as he was led out of the room.

He didn't see her again after that. At first, Carlos had no idea what was going on. He knew his mother was gone, but he didn't really know why. He thought doctors were supposed to save people.

It was a couple years before he really understood what had happened, that there were things doctors couldn't do, things hugs couldn't fix. Yet he always tried to remain joyful, and be kind to everyone, for the sake of his Mamí, to make her happy.

Now, as he stood here, eight years later, staring at Kendall through the hospital room window, he wished that doctors were magic, and that he could walk in, hug Kendall, and everything would be okay. But it wouldn't. This was reality, not a fairy tale, and no matter how young Carlos acted sometimes, he knew that it was time to face the facts.

He sank into one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, and pulled his short legs up, resting his chin on them, closed his eyes and went back to wishing this whole thing was a nightmare.

A/N: Please don't kill me… D: I'm so sorry about the wait, but I hope this really long Chapter kinda makes up for it. Also, the whole bit with Carlos' mom… Yeah, sorry about that gigantic well of sorrow, but it'll be somewhat relevant later, so don't pull out the torches and pitch-forks just yet. *heart*

I love you all, and if you could drop a review, it'd make my day.

Next Chapter: James and Logan talk, and Carlos and Kendall interaction. (Yay!)

Anyway, this incredibly angsty Chapter is dedicated to my outstanding best friend, whom I shall refer to as Gavroche. XD She's absolutely fantastic and hits me on the head with the metaphorical frying pan of inspiration when I really need it. Love you, dear!

See you all soon,

Much Love,

Candie