A/N: Sorry for the late update! I didn't intend to leave you guys hanging for so long! Thanks once again to all of my fabulous reviewers. You make writing so rewarding :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Riley or Ben. That's too good even for a dream ;)

CHAPTER FIVE

Ben

For an instant, I couldn't move, frozen by the scene before me.

Riley was on his hands and knees on the floor, his arms trembling hard as he tried to hold himself up. He had a look of absolute panic on his face, and was gasping ineffectively. His lips were turning blue.

Horror welled up in me. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening . . .

And then I shoved the stunned fear aside. Help him. I've got to help him.

I quickly moved to his side, wrapping an arm around him and holding him up. "Riley," I said, my voice urgent but calm, "Cough, kid. Come on." I slapped him on the back, trying to get him to respond.

For a moment, nothing happened, and my already breaking control and calm began to slip. And then I could feel the cough starting in his chest. "That's it, Riley. Get it out. It's okay, kid."

His hand clutched desperately at the front of my T-shirt as his body strained, and finally, he coughed up a wad of phlegm and spat it on the floor. He immediately sucked in a huge breath and started coughing again, still gasping for air. "Try to slow your breathing down," I instructed. I began rubbing his back. "Hold it for a few seconds. In . . . and out."

Riley tried to comply, and after a few minutes, his breaths came more naturally, more calmly. All the tension drained out of his body, and he slumped down into my arms. My cool calmness broke, and all the terror and the shock crashed back over me. What if I had been too late? The thought was more than a little frightening.

I helped Riley sit all the way up. Tears of pain shone in his eyes, and his face was white. I could feel him shaking, and belatedly realized I was shaking, too.

"Riley," I said, "Riley . . ." That was all I could get out.

Riley's blue eyes met mine. He couldn't get anything out.

We sat that way for a long moment, me listening to him breathe, Riley still clutching at my shirt and gulping in cool air. Finally, his fingers loosened, and he whispered, "Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

I nodded. "I would say 'anytime,' but I really don't want this to happen again."

Riley smiled a tired, half-smile. "No worries. Neither do I." He started coughing, and the pain brought tears to his eyes again.

I felt sick, watching him suffer. "Riley, we can't wait until tomorrow. You need the hospital now."

I expected him to argue or to be upset, maybe, but he didn't protest. He just glanced up for a second and then sighed. "It is tomorrow, Ben."

I blinked. Was that a consent? I wanted to feel relieved, but instead I was worried. He had to feel absolutely, unthinkably awful to give in like that. And I could see the vague fear in his eyes again.

"Okay. I'm going to get Abigail. Will you be okay for a second?"

"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes. I helped him lean up against the bed before I left the room, nearly running.

Pushing open the door of our room, I saw that Abigail was still asleep, undisturbed by Riley's calling or my mad dash out of bed. She looked so calm, and I wished I could leave her that way. But there was no time for sleeping, or even a gentle awakening.

"Abigail!" I said urgently, turning on the lights.

She rolled over, groaning and squeezing her eyes shut. "Ben, what time is it?" she asked sleepily. "What's going on?"

"Riley," I answered shortly.

She understood at once, sitting up with a look of horror on her face. "Oh, my—"

"No," I said, answering the question that was all over her face. "No, he's okay for now, but we've got to get going as fast as possible." As I spoke, I dug through the dresser and tossed her a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

We both got dressed as quickly as we could, not speaking until Abigail gave a strained little laugh. "Uh, Ben? Could I have one of my shirts, please?"

I'd tossed her one of mine in my hurry, and she was probably thinking of what it would look like, her showing up in public in my shirt in the middle of the night. I hurriedly handed her something pink that definitely wasn't mine. "I'll get some cash and the cell phones," Abigail said, hurrying down the stairs. "And the keys, and—"

I was so happy Abigail wasn't the type of person to fall apart in a crisis. It reminded me how much I loved her. "I'll get Riley," I told her.

I hurried back down the stairs and through the hall, coming back into Riley's room to find him right where I'd left him. His eyes were closed as he coughed; he was not asleep but concentrating on breathing.

"Riley?" I asked hesitantly.

"Ben?" he replied.

"Here," I said, crossing the room and lifting his glasses off the bedside table. "You might need these." I grabbed one of the blankets off his bed and handed both things to him.

He pushed the glasses on, and I helped him drape the blanket over his shoulders. He looked absolutely miserable, and I had a feeling that it wasn't all from being sick. Riley was probably embarrassed and frustrated beyond reason, having to accept all this help. But there was nothing for it. The kid couldn't even walk without his knees buckling.

"Sorry," he whispered. It was something he'd been saying a lot recently.

"It's okay," I assured him, as I pulled his arm over my shoulder and supported his shaky steps. I couldn't believe he felt guilty about this. It wasn't okay. None of this was even remotely okay.

Abigail already had the car warmed up and the back doors open by the time Riley and I made it to the garage. I helped him get in the back, and Abigail slipped in next to him.

Without hesitation, I got in the front seat and backed us out of the driveway. It was nowhere close to dawn, and the roads were practically deserted. I had never gone for a 3:00 am drive before, and it was almost eerie, how empty and dark everything was. Not to mention the silence.

The only audible thing besides the car engine was Riley's breathing and Abigail's voice as she spoke soothingly to him. I dangerously spent most of the drive watching them in the rearview mirror.

Riley's head rested on Abigail's shoulder, and she held one of his trembling hands in hers. However much they disagreed, argued, teased, and annoyed one another, it was obvious how much they cared about one another. How much we all cared. About Riley. About our little practically-family.

I pulled into the emergency room driveway and stopped the car. "We're here," I announced, and quickly came around to help Riley out. Abigail squeezed Riley's hand and then moved to the driver's seat to park the car.

"I'll be right up," she promised.

I nodded. It struck me once again how much I loved her. "Come on, Riley," I said, helping him up.

"Ben?" he asked around gasping breaths.

"Yes?"

"You won't leave, will you?" The look in his eyes was something between desperate and totally panicked. It pierced me right through.

"Of course not," I said firmly.

"Okay."

"Okay," I repeated. "You ready?"

"No," he said, "but let's go before I change my mind."

A/N: I wasn't really happy with the way this chapter turned out. It's like the way it was in my head didn't translate to paper or something. Still, it's an update, right? :) Review if you want another chapter!