Thanks for the fab feedback, loved reading the reviews and I'm excited for the story.

I guess I was just getting a little worried that people weren't as interesting in CHAX as before. But if you promise to read and review, I promise to keep writing.

This is a longer than normal chapter but I had lots to fit in and I want to get to the good stuff in the next few chapters :)

Hope you enjoy Chapter 2.

.

.

.

"Then why are we the ones being punished?" Casey asked, tearing up slightly.

Casey wiped his eyes quickly, embarrassed and Brax was reminded of what a sweet innocent kid his youngest brother was.

"I don't know mate, I don't know," Brax answered with a sigh, he leaned further into the chair and rested his head against the wall.

.

.

.

"What's this about Ruby breaking up with Casey and then not letting you see Buckton?"

Brax had given Casey his marching orders earlier and, although he appreciated the sentiment of his younger brother's support, Brax knew Casey needed to get away from the hospital and the youngest Buckton who had painfully broken his heart.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Brax shushed Heath as he stood up to meet his brother.

"Why?"

"Because we're in a hospital, idiot. What are you doing here?"

"Well that's a stupid question."

"Heath, do you expect me to really believe that you're here because you care about Charlie."

"Nup, I don't, I'm not here for her but I'm still your brother and Casey seemed to think that you'd need a bit of support with all the shit Ruby's handing out to you."

"Yeah, well, I can handle that. Look mate, thanks for coming, but I think it'll be better if you weren't here."

"Right, so that's how it is. This was for you by the way."

Heath forced a hot coffee takeaway cup into Brax's hand and turned abruptly to Heath.

"Heath?" Brax called, annoyed at himself, in an attempt to make amends.

He didn't mean to upset Heath or belittle his gesture but Brax didn't think that a show of Braxton solidarity would be the best thing at that moment.

.

.

.

Two days later Brax found himself practically being kicked out of the hospital but for a completely different reason.

"Look, Brax, it's been almost two days, her vitals are looking good. Go home, have a shower and rest for a bit, you aren't doing yourself any good by staying, especially out in the hallway."

"Then tell her to let me in," Brax snapped at Sid.

Ruby hadn't allowed Brax into Charlie's room; she hadn't even spoken to him.

Brax had dared to stare through the small window in the door to get a glance of Charlie and seeing her in the same passive sleeping state did little to relieve his tension.

Truthfully he was tired and never wanted to sit in a hospital chair, if the hospital wasn't so busy, he was tempted to hijack a cot and sleep in that, at least that way he would be close to Charlie when she woke up.

"Look, trust me, if she wakes up while you are gone, I will get you back here as fast as I can. In the meantime, go home. Go have a shower, have something substantial to eat, rest if you can. You don't want to be like this when she does wake up."

Sid could see that Brax was considering the suggestion.

"Off you go mate, the sooner you go the sooner you can come back."

"Yeah, right, ok. Uh, if anyt-"

"If anything happens I will call you, she's in good hands Brax," Sid reassured kindly.

"Yeah, I'll be back soon."

As Brax walked out of the hospital he realised that Charlie had hold of his heart more than ever.

.

.

.

As luck would have it, Charlie began to stir a mere hour after Brax had left.

"Sid! She's waking up." Ruby yelled out to him before she disappeared back into the room.

Sid practically ran into the hospital room and sure enough, Charlie was shaking her head very slowly from side to side.

"Charlie, Charlie. It's Sid Walker, you're at the hospital," Sid tried to calm her.

Charlie groaned in response.

"Charlie, can you hear me?"

Charlie groaned again slightly and moved her head slowly up and down as if trying to nod.

"Take it easy Charlie, don't move too much, just take it slow and easy."

It took a few minutes but Charlie was able to open her eyes and she stared around the room.

"Charlie, can you tell me your surname?"

Charlie heard Sid's question but ignored it as her eyes continued to look around the room.

She could see Ruby standing against the wall however a certain figure was missing and Charlie almost felt her heart break.

"Where's Brax?" Charlie asked groggily as she tried to look around the room, her eyes searching for her lover."

"He's not here, Charlie," Sid said gently as he checked her vitals but Charlie became upset at this.

"Where is he?" Charlie asked, she closed her eyes and struggled to remain composed.

Her chest felt on fire and her ribs ached tremendously but the only thing she wanted was Brax at her side.

The heart monitor that Charlie was hooked up had begun to beep faster after Charlie had been told Brax was not at the hospital and Sid could see that this was causing her great distress, something he wanted to minimise completely.

"I sent him home for a shower; he didn't want to go trust me. I'll get him back as soon as I can," Sid smiled comfortingly, trying to calm Charlie down. He glared at Ruby when he saw her make a move to interrupt, the look forcing her to be silent.

"Ok," Charlie nodded softly, trying to steady her breathing.

.

.

.

Brax arrived at the hospital and rushed into Charlie's room, he completely ignored Ruby.

As far as Brax was concerned, nothing was going to keep him from Charlie's side especially when she was awake and especially when she was asking for him. Ruby would need to just suck it up.

Charlie sensed Brax was in the room before he had a chance to speak. Her eyes opened slowly and she teared up slightly when he came into view.

"Where were you?" Charlie asked softly as she felt Brax's lips gently on her forehead.

"Sid told me to go home and have a shower, I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"You're here now," Charlie replied and Brax felt her small hand search for and find his.

He held her hand gently and that action alone was enough to turn the whole terrible nightmare around.

"Are you ok?" Charlie breathed.

"Am I ok?" Brax repeated. "I'm okay now that I know you're okay."

"Mmmm, I'm okay now too." Charlie breathed.

The relief Brax felt at knowing Charlie didn't blame him for anything was overpowering and he lowered himself gently so he was sitting on the edge of her bed, Charlie's hand still rested in his.

.

.

.

"Visiting hours are over guys, our patient needs her rest?"

"Sure thing, Doc." Brax answered without taking his eyes off Charlie.

"Can you stay?" She asked in a small voice.

"I would love to, I really would, but maybe you'd sleep better without me here."

"No, I sleep better with you," Charlie said honestly, too sick and sore to care that she had an audience.

"Well, that maybe but the Doc is kicking us out."

"Us?" Ruby asked surprised.

"Yes, Ruby you too. Charlie will be fine, I'm on the night shifts this week and I will take good care of her. You need to go home and rest."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Brax said softly and he kissed Charlie softly in a normally unseen public display of affection from the tough River Boy.

Brax left, leaving Ruby to say her goodbye but she soon caught up with him.

"You won't." Ruby stated forcefully causing Brax to stop.

"Pardon?" Brax asked.

"You won't see her tomorrow. I told you Brax, stay away from her. She's better off without you."

"Ruby, I let you play your little game when she couldn't speak for herself, but she's awake now. So get off your damn high horse."

"Fine, it's obviously clear that you don't care about my mother at all. Maybe the next time one of your friends puts a bullet in her chest, then maybe you'd realise that you are no good for her. Let's just hope next time she comes out of it alive." Ruby seethed before she left a shocked Brax standing in the Emergency foyer.

Unbeknownst to both Ruby and Brax, Sid witnessed their entire conversation.

.

.

.

"Where's Brax?" Sid asked Charlie as he checked her vitals the next morning.

His shift was almost over and he would have the rest of the day to sleep before returning that night.

Ruby had returned the hospital early in the morning but Sid had yet to see the eldest Braxton.

"He's working or something," Charlie answered slowly through staggered breaths.

"At work?" Sid asked Ruby who sat watching the routine check up.

"Yep. Angelo's has been pretty busy or something," Ruby replied with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders.

"Right. Well, Charlie you seem to be doing well, just make sure you are resting through the day. Don't fight it and try to stay awake, that will do more harm than good."

Charlie nodded.

"I'm off now, but I will be back later on tonight. Dr Morrison is on duty if you need anything and she will be in to check up on you throughout the day."

.

.

.

Sid returned to the hospital that night just as Ruby was leaving.

They made small conversation and Sid watched her leave before he left to find the head nurse on duty.

"Kelly, can you tell me did Darryl Braxton come in today?"

"No, Dr. Walker. The only visitor Ms Buckton had was Miss Buckton."

"Thanks for that," Sid finished with a smile.

Sid had called Angelo's at lunchtime and the young waitress on the phone had told him that Brax wasn't rostered for any shifts for the next week and that he had taken emergency leave. Heath and Liam were covering for him.

After Sid made a quick call to security to confirm that Ruby had left, Sid pulled out his mobile and made a personal call.

"What?" Brax barked down the phone to the unknown caller.

"Brax, it's Sid Walker here."

Brax began to speak hurriedly down the phone but Sid cut him off.

"No mate, I'm just calling to let you know that Charlie is currently wide awake and doing well. Ruby has just left for the evening. What you do with that information, is completely up to you."

"So you're telling me that the coast is clear for me to come to the hospital?" Brax said down the phone, shocked that Sid was doing this for him.

"Well you could infer that from the information I just gave you I suppose," Sid said casually.

"Right, and if anyone asks me if you called..." Brax let the sentence linger.

"I would appreciate it, if you didn't mention it."

"Got it. Uh, thanks, Sid."

"No, worries mate, just don't keep her waiting."

.

.

.

A few days late, Charlie was feeling better.

She had not seen Brax as much as she would have liked but she did appreciate seeing him each night before she fell asleep. When she woke each morning, he was gone.

"Sid, can you call Brax for me?" Charlie asked during his afternoon rounds.

"What do you mean?" Sid asked feigning confusion.

Sid knew that neither Ruby nor Brax had told Charlie what had been going on between them since Charlie's shooting and although he appreciated that Charlie's health and recovery was their main concern, it was obvious that not having Brax at her side was difficult for Charlie.

"I know he's working but I just, I just want him here, do you mind? I know it's not really part of your job description."

"Charlie, Brax is in the hallway, and has been the past few days."

Brax had been waiting in a different section of the hospital during the day until Ruby left each afternoon.

Staying away from Charlie the first day after she woke up was too difficult for Brax and he found that being in the hospital made the time go quicker and once Ruby left, Brax spent the night with Charlie.

"Why?" She asked bewildered. "Why isn't he in here?"

"I think you better ask him that, Charlie. I'll go get him."

.

.

.

"Brax, Charlie's has asked for you?

"Yeah, ok?" Brax answered before he began to walk to the door, he was interrupted before he got there.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ruby screeched as she hurried down the hall, hot coffee in hand.

"Ruby, Charlie has asked for Brax," Sid explained.

"I don't care, she must be delirious or something. He isn't going in there."

"I can tell you right now, I am." Brax said and he turned to walk into the room.

Ruby and Brax began to argue when Ruby moved to stand childishly in Brax's way.

"What is going on?" A distressed voice asked from the doorway.

Miraculously Charlie had made it out of bed and leant precariously against the doorframe, using it for support, shocking Ruby and Brax into silence.

They snapped out of it when Charlie began to lose her balance slightly and slowly began to slide down to the floor.

.

.

.

Long chapter huh?

How was that?

Please, please read and review, it motivates the typing fingers.

xoxox