"It's been a week and Casey hasn't woken up yet. His fever is stable. It's not going down but fortunately it hasn't risen yet. If his vitals don't improve and his health keeps deteriorating I'm afraid you'll have to make the decision on whether to keep him on life support or not" Nate said sadly.
Brax stood up at this "you want us to make the call on Casey's death." "Brax-" Nate was cut off.
"I've already lost someone like this before and I'm not letting Casey go. Just give him more time please. He'll wake up I know he will" Brax pleaded. Nate nodded and left
"Come on Case. You can beat this I know you can" Brax whispered as he held onto Casey's arm.
Heath went home and ranted to Bianca all night on Nates' suggestions and Bianca made the mistake of telling him that keeping Casey on life support forever is unfair to him and Heath flipped and stormed out.
Although visiting hours were over Heath snuck into the hospital and sat beside Casey.
"I hope you can't hear me bro, because this is something you would hold against me. I've never said this to you before but Case I love you and I care about you and I'm not prepared to lose you. Please, please don't give up on me. And Denny. Denny she needs you. She's been a wreck since what happened and Kylie, he's become grumpy with little outbursts - worst than yours. Brax isn't coping well at all. It's all bringing back memories of Charlie and he lost her he's afraid of losing you. But you're a Braxton. We're as hard as nails I know you'll make it. You have to" Heath lay his head down on side of the bed and drifted off to sleep.
Brax walked into the hospital with Kyle behind him. They walked into the room to see Heath asleep on the bed. Brax walked up to him and hit him round the head "what the-" he shouted before realising it was Brax
"What you doing mate?" Brax asked "Got in a fight with Bianca so I thought I'd come down here" Brax nodded.
They sat in silence for most of the time with Heath and Kyle on their phones and Brax held onto Casey's arm and just sat there.
Casey had several visitors today. Ricky Phoebe and Bianca had come they brought surf magazines for Heath, Kyle and Brax because of how bored they looked. normally Heath had his own problems from his own stupid mistakes and Kyle would have been dealing with Phoebe's issues or sorting Angelos out, but all brothers had this incessant knot in their stomach telling them that this wasn't good and they'd have to be together to get through it.
Denny sat there through her work breaks. Marilyn had brought Jett to visit John Palmer in the hospital when he was admitted yesterday for back pains. Leah had brought VJ on her way home. Sasha and Maddy along with Oscar and Evie came to see how he was doing on the way home from school.
And last but not least "Oh god mum!" Heath said suddenly standing up Brax and Kyle looked up and saw Cheryl storming through the corridor she banged open the door.
"This can't be good" Brax whispered before Cheryl shouted "Why was I not told about my baby. I had to hear it from everyone else but my sons" she walked over and pushed Heath out the way.
She looked at Brax "Explain" was all she said. "It was dad. He had shot Casey a while back-"
"WHAT! My baby was shot" Brax pointed and Kyle and Heath "and then he held them three hostage and broke Casey's rib. It hurt his lung and he's on life support" Brax sat down realising how bad it was. "Ohh Casey" Cheryl held his hand.
Cheryl sat there for about half an hour until she got restless and walked out.
It was now night and the three brothers hadn't left. "I'm gonna get a coffee. You guys want one" Kyle offered. Both Heath and Brax nodded.
Kyle got back and they sat there for almost an hour peacefully. Heath hated to think that the onetime their family was almost peaceful and normal his baby brother was in hospital fighting for his life.
Just then Casey took a massive inhalation of breath and started struggling with the pipe down his throat. He kept trying to breathe; inhaling and choking. All brothers were in shock "call a nurse" Brax shouted
"Casey. Casey calm down. The tube is helping you breathe" Brax said as he put a hand around Casey. Casey started coughing and brought his hands up and tried to pull the tube out.
"Oi Oi Case just wait" Brax pulled his hands down to his sides.
Nate walked in and removed Brax, Kyle and Heath from the room. Nate came out twenty minutes later and by then Denny had arrived. "What's happening is he ok" Denny asked
"Casey's extremely lucky. He's breathing on his own now. So the ventilators off and he's awake" "what about his arm doc" Brax asked before Nate left
"well his fever's still high but it's not risen yet and his antibiotics dose isn't over yet so there's still time for recovery" Nate smiled and walked away. Brax spent the night with a sleeping Casey, Heath went home to Bianca and Kyle filled in Ricky and Phoebe at home.
Casey couldn't feel, hear or see anything. It was a black peaceful area.
But then he started feeling pricks of pain in his arm and his stomach and his head and then his hearing caught up to him and he could hear beeping. His eyes felt heavy but he needed to see what was happening.
He opened his eyes to a blurry image of a clean white ceiling. He had been injured enough in his life to that he was in a hospital bed. His view slowly cleared up and then flashes of what happened invaded his head making his headache worst. Casey couldn't hold back and let out a whimper.
He tried to bring his arm up but it pained him to move it and his other hand had a heavy weight on it. He looked to his right to see Brax sleeping on the side of the bed his hand on top of Casey's. Casey smiled; Brax was always there for him. "Brax" it came out as a whisper that tickled Casey throat. He coughed and Brax jumped. Casey looked up to him. "Hey! Case your awake" Brax beamed "water" was all Casey could croak at the moment.
Brax gave Casey a glass in his good hand and he drank it. After just a few sips he put it down. "Are Heath and Kyle okay?" Brax just stared for a moment wondering how someone who just woke up from a coma could be thinking of others over him. "Did something happen to them?" Casey asked worriedly when Brax hadn't answered him. "Nah mate they're fine. Heath's home with Bianca and Kyle's taking care of Rick and Phoebe" Casey looked down at his hands. "He's dead isn't he" he whispered Brax sat down near Casey "listen mate you saved Heath's life. You only did what you had to" Casey put his head backwards and fell back asleep.
The next time Casey woke up was when Nate opened the door. This time Heath and Brax were there. "Hi ya squirt" Heath said "I knew he'd wake up. He's a Braxton" Heath nodded proudly at Casey. Casey gave him a weak smile before looking at Nate. Nate called on Brax and they left together.
"What's going on?" Casey asked looking at Heath "Dunno big fella there never tells no one" Heath looked at Casey.
"Denny's been worried sick of you. She said she'll come later today" Casey smiled at this.
Before answering Brax walked in and sat down near Casey. "Case there's something I need to tell you. Before Danny held ya hostage you had caught a pretty nasty infection in the bullet wound. Well they've given ya an antibiotic and if it doesn't help than they say they might have to amputate your arm. I'm sorry bud" Brax said looking down.
Casey looked shocked. He just stared at Brax "Mate you have until the end of the dose to get better. Have a bit a hope alright. You'll pull through" Brax added
"You don't know that Brax. Hope hasn't really been on my side lately" Casey whispered as a tear fell out his eye. "Can I- can I just go to sleep please" he said looking up
"Sure mate. We'll come back later" Heath said as he put a hand on Casey's good shoulder and left along with Brax. Both Brax and Heath knew that hovering over Casey would only make him push them away, and the best way for Casey to process bad news is to have space, then do something stupid and then finally accept it.
Casey sat in his bed and stared into nothingness. He hadn't even noticed when Kyle opened the door and walked in. "Casey" Kyle called. No response. Kyle got a bit worried and tapped him on the hand.
Casey flinched and turned to Kyle instantly making his head spin "Sorry I was just seeing if you were okay" Kyle said as he stepped back.
"Yeah I'm fine" Kyle looked at him "you don't have to say that Case. You're not meant to be fine. Just...just talk to us about it okay"
Denny walked in "Casey!" She shouted as she ran to him. "Hey" he put on a smile and she leaned down and kissed him "I'll leave ya to it" Kyle said as he walked out.
