I'm going to be honest with you folks. If I updated this story at the same rate I did over the summer this thing would be done. Damn college.

I promised drama in this chapter, and it's in here. It's a little fast paced though.

Read On!

~*~TJ's POV~*~

I paced around in tight circles patting Zack's back as I held him. I'm standing in the bathroom with the shower running and the water as hot as I could get it. Zack's sick again with a nasty cold. I'm using the steam to try and clear his nose, while mom is out getting what she needs to make him soup and dads out getting medicine for him. I stopped pacing and sat him down on the counter to grab a tissue and let Zack blow his nose. This cold is really bad, and we're all on the lookout for any sign of a fever, 'cause I thought he had the flu when I first saw him getting sick again.

I would normally be over Ashley's house at this time, but she understood why I wanted to be there for my brother. I picked Zack up and carried him out of the bathroom. I grabbed the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet before I left.

"Open wide Zack," I softly said. Zack weakly opened his mouth and I place the device under his tongue. He closed his mouth and snuggled against my chest, making himself as comfortable as he could. I can see the tear beginning to form in his eyes. "It's going to be okay, Zack, I promise." He answered me with a deep cough. C'mon dad, hurry up with that medicine…..

The thermometer beeped, letting me know it was done measuring his temperature. I took it out of his mouth and looked at the number displayed.

104.7

Little guy's burning up. If it wasn't the flu before it sure as hell is now.

Dammit, how the hell do you get a temperature to go down? I'm not a doctor; I don't know. Mom and Dad are probably driving home now, and they can't answer the phone when they're driving. They took separate cars because they would get back fast if they didn't have to make two stops. Who can I call?

….

I know!

Carrying Zack, I walked into my room and spotted my phone on my bed. I grabbed it, laid Zack down, and went back out into the hallway. Opening it, I speed dialed the first number that popped up.

It seemed to take forever until the phone stopped ringing and someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Sir? I need some advice," I said as I paced the floor.

"What is it?" Prickly asked me

"I'm watching my little brother while our parents are out getting medicine for him, and I just took his temperature. He didn't have a fever the last time I checked him but now he has a fever of 104. I want to take him to hospital but our parents can be home any minute," I explained. "I want to take him to hospital right now instead of waiting, but I don't know if I should wait for our parents our parents or not. Should I take him?"

"Of course you should take him to the hospital! What are you doing on the phone talking to me?" He said. "Wrap him up in a blanket, because I'm sure he has the chills, and get him to the hospital, now. Worry about where your parents are later. Okay? A fever that high isn't normal."

"Alright, thank you sir."

I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pocket. Taking the blanket on my bed I wrapped Zack in it (Prickly was right, he's shivering) and carried him downstairs, grabbing my car keys on the way. I reached for the doorknob, but stopped when a sound reached my ears.

….

….oh God.

I listen close to Zack's breathing. That's what it is. He's having trouble breathing.

"Zack? Zack, are you awake?" I asked him, trying to get his attention. He opened his eyes. Good, good. "I need you to stay awake, Zack. Everything's going to be okay, just stay awake with me, okay?" He nodded and placed his head on my shoulder. I gotta hurry.

~*~V~*~

It took all my willpower to not break the speed limit on my way to the hospital. I couldn't make this worse by getting in an accident. My phone rang as I drove. I know it's our parents asking where I am. But Zack comes first. After I parked, I ran to the back door and took Zack out. I ran into the hospital with him. I walked over to the lady behind the counter.

"My brother has a fever of 104 and he's having trouble breathing," I told her, not waiting for her to greet me. She waved for doctors and nurses to come over. I didn't want to give him over to them, but I can't help him anymore than what I've already done. I watched the nurse carry him and lay him on a stretcher before he was taken in the back.

I need to call mom and dad to let them know where we are…..

Calming myself, I walked towards the exit, noting the 'No Cellphones' sign near the door.

"TJ?"

Hearing my name I turned to see who called me. It's…Mrs. Armbruster? Before she came over I checked my phone. Of course mom and dad have been calling, but Ashley's parents have called too.

"What's going on?" I asked her. "Is something wrong? Is Ashley okay? Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Ashley, she's fine, or at least, she will be," She said, tears forming in her eyes. "But the baby….we tried calling you…"

"I know. I didn't pick up the phone because I was rushing to get my brother here. Sorry. Where is she?"

"The doctors are looking at her, but we should be called back any minute," She told me. "What's wrong with your brother?"

"He has a really high fever and having trouble breathing. I need to all our parents to let them know he's here. I'll be back in a minute, Mrs. Armbruster."

~*~V~*~

"I was just going to the bathroom like any other time. I was a little woozy and nauseas but I feel like that almost every day, being pregnant; I didn't think anything was wrong. There was so much blood. I've never seen that much blood before in my life and I didn't know what to do…"

As Ashley told me how she ended up here in the hospital, I hugged her. Her eyes and cheeks were red and puffy from crying, and she's shaking.

"I must've been screaming because mom and dad found me and called 911. Then the doctor said," She paused to wipe the tears out of her eyes. "The doctor said that the baby's heart isn't beating. Our baby is dead. Our baby is dead before she got the chance to live. How does that even happen? I don't understand how that can happen….it doesn't make any sense…..." She stopped taking when it became too hard to talk past the tears.

…I don't know what to say….

..The baby's gone…?

I feel like someone punched me in the gut, but that's nothing to compared to how Ashley's feeling right now. I pulled her closer, letting her cry as much as she needs to on my shoulder.

…What happens now?

We had everything laid out for her when she was born…..but now...that day isn't going to come.

I wish I could answer her questions, just to give her some peace, but I can't…

"Ms. Armbruster?" We both looked up to see a doctor entering the room. "We have to take you back and run a few more tests, just to make sure that you're healthy." She nodded.

"I'll be here when you get back, Ashley." I stayed behind as she followed the doctor out of the room. Tonight's a very eventful night, isn't it? I spotted a map of the entire hospital on the wall. Forget this. I'll check at the front desk and see if Mom and Dad are here already.

~*~V~*~

"Hey, Zack. I'm right here, little guy…."

I found mom and Dad in the waiting room, and the doctor came out a few moments later. He too us to the room Zack was in, and I was ready to collapse when I saw him. He had a tube down his throat, and there were wires on his arms attached to machines around the bed he was laying in. Mom was at his side in a second. I saw his eyes dart around the room, only stopping when he spotted me.

My heart broke when he reached out for me.

I'm sitting in a seat next to his bed right now, brushing his hair out of his eyes. The doctor said it's pneumonia, so he's going to be here for a while. On the bright side, the doctor said he'll be okay, and that their doing test to find out exactly why he gets sick so often (other than being a normal messy three-year-old).

It'll be okay, Zack I promise. I'll be damned to an early grave if it won't. I watched him close his eyes and fall asleep. Good. Get your rest, Zack.

I need a walk….

~*~V~*~

I had to go outside to get some air, but ended up sitting in my car. Hospitals are supposed to make you healthy. This one is making me feel sick to my stomach. Alright, let me assess the situation.

Ashley's here because she had a miscarriage, and that means the baby is gone. Our baby girl isn't here anymore. I went back and talked to her before coming out here. There's nothing wrong with her; the doctor said that things like this sometimes 'just happens' with no real reason. That doesn't make Ashley feel any better.

Then there's Zack. He'll be fine, but there's that looming possibility of something else making it easy for him to keep getting sick.

Shit.

I need to get back in there. Smoking last bit of my cigarette, I opened the door to my car and got out. I stomped it out of the ground and close my car door, marching back into the hospital.

I feel so out of touch. What, it's been like a month since my last update? Damn. How is everyone? Life going okay? I hope so. God it's been so long….

This chapter is shorter than what I would like it to be, but it has to be to give me jump start on this story. I have this week off for Thanksgiving, then two more weeks of school, and then a month off for winter break, so yay! Hopefully I can get this story done during that time.

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