"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Sully grumbles, arms folded across his chest. He wears a hospital gown lays beside me in a hospital bed.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," I reassure him, trying to keep myself from smiling.

"Didn't you hear what she just said? They're gonna shove a camera up my ass!"

"Sully, relax. It's totally normal to get a colonoscopy. Nothing's gonna happen."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He tries to wave his hand dismissively, but his wrist gets caught on the IV line sticking out of his arm. "Goddamn it..." He drops his hands at his sides in resignation.

Sully meets my gaze, grey eyes looking rather thoughtful. "What'cha thinking about, old timer?"

"Just that it's usually you laying here and me sitting there. What changed?"

"Well, let's see... The economy seems like it's recovering somewhat. The polar ice caps are melting. Global warming's a bitch, isn't it?"

"I was asking for that one, wasn't I?"

"Eh, sorta."

Our heads snap around as we hear footsteps approaching. A trio of lab coats briskly enter the room. One boots up the computer, one approaches Sully's IV, and one comes to stand at the side of the bed. "Alright, Mr. Sullivan, your turn," she says with a huge, bleached smile. "Abby, your anesthesiologist, is going to insert a sedative into your blood stream via the IV."

Sully gives Abby a suspicious look as she injects a syringe through a portal in his IV line. I laugh and ask, "Need me to hold your hand?"

"Shut up," he says, shooting me a look.

The doctor's smile grows even wider and motions toward me. "Is this your son?"

Sully and I exchange a look. "Something like that," he slurs, eyelids drooping, already falling prey to their sedative.

The nurse occupied by the computer finally turns around as the other two begin the process of wheeling Sully out of the room. "You can wait for him in the family waiting area," the remaining nurse tells me. "He'll be out before you know it."

"Thanks."

Before extrapolating myself from the chair, I allow myself a minute to breathe. Sully had had many various blood tests, x-rays, and scans over the past few months. Every doctor we've seen has told us how lucky he is for all his tests to turn up negative. It seems Sully really is invincible. Sully claims he knew it all along, but I've known for a while now that he's full of bullshit. But then again, Sully isn't Sully without his bullshit.

A/N: I know this is a short chapter, but I promise the next one will be longer. It's just taking longer than expected...