Derek stepped into a small foyer obviously designed to keep the noise of the hospital from the patient. He paused before the inner door and then opened it carefully.

Casey was lying on a hospital bed, asleep. A drip was feeding something into her arm, but to his relief there was nothing helping her breathe although she had a heart monitor.

Milo tried to follow him into the room, but a nurse just inside the door, stopped him.

"One person at a time." She said very quietly and shut the door in Milo's face.

"I'm Casey's brother." Derek introduced himself in a whisper to the nurse. "How is she?"

"She's resting at the moment. She's very weak. It would appear she has been over doing things for a long time and is suffering from nervous exhaustion. That coupled with her not eating led to her collapse."

"Not eating?" Derek said, slightly panicked. The nurse nodded, relieved to see someone who didn't immediately ask how soon she would be able to perform again.

"She told me that she has been too busy to eat."

Derek closed his eyes.

"How long till I can take her home?" he asked.

"Well we want her to be stronger so we will keep her in for a few days, get her eating and sleeping again. Then we will review things."

"Can I stay?" He glanced over at Casey. He hadn't seen her in person for three years. She looked thin, worn. But, she was still Casey, the 'accident by marriage' he spent his teenage years fighting with and the need to stay near her was overpowering.

"If you are quiet. Her manager has been in here, but I had to ask him to leave, he kept making cell phone calls."

"I don't suppose any of them were to her family?" Derek asked. The nurse shook her head.

"Bastard. Casey's mom is going crazy in Canada. Look, I don't want to leave the room because if I do that idiot is going to be back in like a shot, can I make a call from the bathroom? I want to let her mom know she's going to be okay."

The nurse nodded. "Just keep it down."

Derek stepped into the en suite bathroom and checked for a signal. He was relieved to see there was one and quickly dialled home.

"Hi Dad. It's me."

"Derek!" The relief in his Dad's voice was obvious.

"She's suffering from exhaustion and she hasn't been eating much. They're keeping her in to build up her strength. But she'll be okay."

"Thank god!" Derek waited while his father relayed the information to Nora.

"Can we talk to her?"

"She's asleep. I haven't spoken to her yet. She looks thin. When did you last speak to her?"

"About three weeks ago."

"Three weeks!" Derek was astonished. Casey not communicating with him was a given. Casey not communicating with her mom, unheard of.

"She said it was difficult to get away. Apparently, her manager had to take her cell away from her because it was distracting her."

Derek tensed. "Dad. I don't like that guy. Her manager. You wouldn't believe the trouble I had trying to get into see her. I daren't leave the room because I'd never get back in. He had a list of people who were allowed into see her and none of us were on it. I mean, how can it be right that her own family can't see her? And what sort of manager runs his charge into the ground so much she ends up in hospital?"

"How did you get in then?"

"I got antsy so the nurses decided to contact her next-of-kin to ask permission for me to go in. When they pulled her file, the person named as next-of-kin was me."

"You?" George sounded astounded.

Derek chuckled. "Yeah. It surprised the hell out of me too. I guess she must have found out I was in LA." He turned serious. "Dad. I think we need to look into Casey's management team. Something smells around here and it isn't my socks."

"Okay. I'll try and get hold of her lawyer."

"Be careful dad. The one thing I've learnt about life down here, everyone knows everyone else."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Stay with her. I'll see if I can get some sort of temporary legal authority for you to be involved in her care. As soon as she is well enough, we want Casey brought home."

"I know. I'll check in with you guys later. Oh Dad? Give Sam a call and let him know Casey's okay. He'll be beside himself with worry."

Derek went back into Casey's room to find there was a doctor with the nurse.

"Ah. Mr Venturi!" The cheery man with white hair said his voice low.

"I understand you are Miss McDonald's brother."

"Step-brother. Her mom married my dad. How's she doing?"

The doctor frowned. "She's completely exhausted. She has been working too hard and eating too little. If she carries on like this her heart won't be able to cope."

Derek hissed. "Just what does that ass-hole think he's playing at?" The doctor looked slightly taken aback. "You mean her manager?" he questioned. Derek nodded.

"Does it really benefit him if she's too weak to perform? I mean I know she's hot property but even so…"

"I understand you had trouble trying to get in to see your step-sister." The doctor said.

"Yeah. Apparently, none of her family was on the 'list'." Derek showed his contempt as he did finger quotes around the word 'list'. "Look is there anyway we can keep him out of her room for a few days, to help her recover? I think anyone connected with work is a bad thing for her at the moment."

The doctor sighed. "I have to say I am relieved to find someone close to Casey who feels the same way I do." He looked thoughtful. "I'll make a family-only order on medical grounds. Will any of the rest of her family be coming to see her?"

"I don't know yet. It depends how long she is in for. I want to take her home to Canada as soon as possible."

"That sounds like a good idea to me. We'll keep with the fluids and rest for tonight and then tomorrow when she's more awake we'll start getting her to eat. You can stay but she needs complete quiet."

"What about Milo the Moron?" Derek asked.

"Leave him to me."

The doctor left and Derek heard Milo start to argue with him as the door slammed shut. But the doctor obviously won, because Derek didn't see Casey's manager again through the night.

As soon as the doctor had left, he pulled a chair forwards. The nurse, seeing he was settling in for the night excused herself and returned to the nursing station outside. Derek pulled the chair to Casey's bedside and sat down.

He brushed the hair from her face and took her hand in his.

"Well Klutzilla! That was some spectacular you put on there. Scared the shit out of the parentals." He whispered. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Derek?" She whispered back.

"None other. Miss me?"

"Like a hole in my head." She said, her eyes still closed but a warm smile on her face. He squeezed her hand. "Go back to sleep, princess."

"Will you be there when I wake up?" she asked her eyes flicking open to meet his.

"Yeah. Think you can stand it?"

"I'll live." She said. "Stay. Please." Her eyes closed as Derek pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"For you, princess, the world." He murmured.