So this is a late update. I'm sorry, I've been in kind of a slump lately. But I really like this chapter and I hope you guys will too. There'll be just one more chapter after this one. Thank you all for your reviews, they mean so much :)

"Diamond. I need to see James Diamond," Kendall demanded of the receptionist in the hospital, who muttered something that sounded like 'just a moment' and began typing away at her keyboard. Kendall rolled his eyes and pounded his fist on the counter in frustration.

"Kendall?" came a strong voice from behind him, and he turned to find its source; a tan blond guy who looked to be about twenty, with an undeniably handsome face.

"Um, yeah?" Kendall questioned.

"I'm a friend of James'. That lady's obviously... distracted," he jerked his thumb in the direction of the receptionist, "but I can take you to him."

"Thanks," Kendall sighed. "How is he? I mean, what's going on?"

"Well, he's conscious." The stranger led Kendall into an elevator and clicked the button for the 4th floor. The doors shut and Kendall slumped against the wall, his eyes fluttering shut. "Because his stomach is so used to bringing up everything he eats, it's started to do that automatically. I don't know too much about it, to be honest. But they have him hooked up to IVs to keep him hydrated."

"I can't believe I let this happen. I'm stupid. I'm so stupid. I just left him. He needed me more than ever and I just... I held onto my pride and left."

"Kendall, this must be hard for both of you," the stranger said sympathetically. His chocolate brown eyes held an understanding of the situation that somehow comforted Kendall. "Don't blame yourself. You tried your absolute best."

"It obviously wasn't good enough though, he ended up in the ER. Oh God, what am I gonna do..."

The elevator reached the 4th floor and the doors opened. Kendall's heart was beating a mile a minute and he was sick with worry. James, his James, was possibly in critical condition. And it was all Kendall's fault. He did his best to shove his thoughts aside while following the stranger down the hallway, the two of them practically running.

They stopped in a small waiting room where a few people were sitting anxiously. Some were reading magazines or watching the news, trying to distract themselves from the real reason they were there.

The room smelled so strongly of cleaning products, Kendall almost had to plug his nose. The odor was making him sick to his stomach and all he wanted was to just see James, kiss him and tell him that everything would be okay, that he wasn't mad anymore. He wanted to ease James' pain and somehow fix everything.

Suddenly Logan burst out of a door down the short hallway and ran toward Kendall. Logan wasn't really one for physical contact, but he pulled Kendall into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" he asked after drawing away.

"I will be," Kendall answered. "Take me to James, please. I need to see James."

"Of course."

Kendall started to follow Logan, but stopped and turned toward the stranger. "You coming too?"

"Nah, I'll give you guys some alone time," he answered with a smile.

"Thanks," Kendall said, and then added, "You've been awesome, I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, sorry, I never did introduce myself!" The stranger looked Kendall in the eyes and said, "I'm Matthew."

In that moment Kendall's heart stopped. This was him. The guy with his phone number on the receipt, with the fucking heart scribbled next to it. Kendall was shaking and a prominent vein pulsed in his forehead. He took a step forward and growled, "What the fuck are you doing here."

Matthew looked taken aback and managed a small, "W-What?"

Kendall bounded toward the flawless golden-haired guy with full intention to rip his fucking head off. "You heard me. Now you have ten seconds to explain before I decide what to do with you."

"James came to CVS, w-where I work, he felt sick. I took him to get a smoothie and he started throwing up, I called an ambulance..." Matthew was obviously confused and more than a little scared, his voice shaking slightly.

"After a month of trying to get James to see a doctor, a whole Goddamn month, he lets some Ken doll with good hair and a spray tan take him to the hospital, no problem."

"Kendall, we were talking about you. He was-"

"Oh, awesome! Now James is stabbing me in the back?" Kendall's and Matthew's faces were inches apart and Kendall vaguely heard Logan begging him to stop, to just listen to Matthew.

"No, it's not like that! He loves you!"

"Bull-fucking-shit he loves me! You know what? I'm done listening to you talk. You make me sick." Kendall's vision was clouded with rage and he felt himself balling his hand into a fist, pulling his arm back and swinging at Matthew's chiseled jaw. He was shocked when he felt Logan's soft palm block Kendall's punch and before he knew what was happening, Logan was dragging him down the hall and away from Matthew.

"Let me go!" Kendall yelled, and Logan immediately shushed him. In the back of Kendall's mind he realized that they were directly outside James' room, hearing Carlos and his mother talking quietly.

"Would you calm down?"

"Why!" Kendall shot back, tears in his eyes. "James doesn't love me! I put everything into our relationship. I love him so much that it hurts. I have nothing to live for without him..." He paused for a minute to steady his breathing. "I want to leave. I can't handle this."

"Kendall." Logan put his hands on his friend's shoulders and waited for him to calm down a bit before continuing: "James has been asking for you this entire time. He won't let any of us touch him. Especially Matthew." Logan watched Kendall carefully, the blond looking guarded but hopeful. "You're all he's asked for. Please believe me, Kendall."

"I don't know." A single tear rolled down Kendall's cheek and he glanced into the room, the layout only allowing him to see Carlos, his mom, and James' feet at the foot of the bed. "I just-"

Kendall was cut off by the sound of James whimpering, "When's Kendall going to get here?" Logan gave an exaggerated gesture toward the door as if to say, see?

"I don't know, honey," Mrs. Knight answered. "We're trying to get ahold of him, okay?" Kendall continued listening, dumbstruck.

"I need Kendall."

"James, please don't get yourself worked up," Carlos pleaded.

"No!" James choked out, crying softly. "I haven't seen him in," sniffle, "a week and a half and I love him, I love him so much and I need him."

That was all Kendall needed to hear. He took three large steps into the room and looked James in the eye for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "I love you too."

James looked more pale than Kendall had ever seen him, save for when he "lost his swagger" to Logan. His hair was limp and clung to his forehead, the once-shining hazel eyes looking dead. There was an IV attached to the boy's thin arm, which was hanging limply off the bed. But James was still beautiful, no less beautiful than he had always been. Kendall bounded toward James and took his face in his hands, about to pull him into a kiss, before he remembered something.

"Uh, Mom? Carlos?" Kendall asked awkwardly. Mrs. Knight and Carlos quickly got up and respectfully left the two alone together.

"Kendall," James whispered, in absolute awe. "You're... you're here?"

"I've always been here, baby. I can't live without you. I learned that this week."

Kendall was leaning over James, just holding his boyfriend's face, his breathing shallow against the other's lips. James' eyes locked with Kendall's and he couldn't seem to look away.

"I learned something else," Kendall said quietly, pausing for a moment and then continuing, "I will always keep coming back. N-No matter what, James, you hear? You can push me away and... and no matter how hard it gets, I'll never leave. I won't."

James was bawling quietly, the two boys' foreheads touching, and clutching Kendall's shirt. "I love you so much. I'm so fucked up... thank you, Kendall. Thank you for loving me when..." he took a few deep breaths, "when I hated myself the most."

"We will get through this. We will."

"I'm going to get help." James nodded repeatedly, his wide eyes holding an honesty like never before. "I'll do whatever it takes. I want to love you right. I want to be able to do this right, Kendall." Kendall finally pulled James in for a kiss.

It was the most passionate, adrenaline-provoking kiss the two had ever shared. James literally saw stars and gripped onto Kendall for dear life, Kendall holding James just as tightly.

Kendall sat on the edge of bed for a while whispering soothing words to James and stroking his hair to relax him a bit. The two were completely blissed out, feeling at peace for the first time in weeks.

"He's developed an irregular heartbeat," a man, Dr. Benson, told the group of them. Mrs. Knight, Kendall, Logan, Carlos, and Matthew were all camped out in James' little room.

"That's why he fainted, right?" Carlos asked.

"That, and his severe dehydration. Both are side effects of Bulimia nervosa. James' esophagus has been severely damaged and because of how frequently he was inducing vomiting, it became his body's immediate response after eating."

"How long will he take to recover?" Kendall asked. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, squeezing James' hand.

"Well, we estimate one to two weeks here at St. Vincent's, and then at least one month in a treatment center. Simply bringing him back up to a healthy weight won't cure the disorder. He needs psychotherapy, a carefully monitored diet, cognitive exercises..." Dr. Benson explained.

"A month?" Kendall's face fell and although he knew James needed the treatment, it still upset him to think about spending so much time apart from him.

"Maybe longer. And he'll continue to see a psychologist and dietitian weekly for at least three months after coming back home."

"I feel terrible," Logan groaned. "Why didn't I tell somebody about this?"

"It's all our faults," Carlos said softly.

"Mostly mine." Kendall's jaw went slack.

Dr. Benson looked at the boys sympathetically. "We all like to think that we can handle problems on our own. Sometimes we just need to accept that we do need help." He smiled. "Any more questions?"

"How much weight do I have to gain?" James asked.

"That's something you'll have to discuss with a dietitian. Most likely at the treatment center."

"We've already made arrangements for you at a clinic, James," Mrs. Knight said, and James sighed heavily.

"Thank you."

Dr. Benson gathered his laptop and clipboard and left the room, and there was a long silence. It was as if they were all afraid to be the first one to speak. Everything seemed so incredibly fragile.

Finally Carlos broke the silence. "We'll visit you everyday, James. And text you and stuff."

"Gustavo's gonna be so pissed," James whined.

"Don't worry about him," Kendall said forcefully. "It's not like we have a tour coming up. Plus, I've already called Kelly and explained to her. She'll keep Gustavo in line."

Logan shook his head. "Gustavo and Kelly are so doing it." This seemed to lighten the mood and soon they started chatting lightly, telling James that he would be okay, that everything would be okay.

"Kendall?" Matthew said from behind he and James, and Kendall turned to look at him. "I just wanted to say sorry. For everything. But just know that James didn't cheat. I was pursuing him, not the other way around."

"I know," Kendall said thoughtfully. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

Kendall believed in James now more than ever. James was his soldier, and as much as he had leaned on Kendall over the past few months, James was his hero. Kendall had faith in James.