Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.

Chapter Eight: The Hospital

I was out of my chair in a nanosecond, "Bren, Baby, come on wake up?" When I felt something sticky in the hair I was holding I pulled my hand back, it was blood. "Nat call 911. Now." Brandon was by my side trying to wake up his sister. In the background I could hear Art and Erica crying. Andrea had come over to help and when I subtly showed her my fingers she leaned over to the baby bag and grabbed one of the cloths and passed it to me to hold against her head. Bren wasn't waking. Her pulse was going crazy. I looked at Brandon, he looked scared. "Bren, please you need to wake up."

Steve was doing his best trying to get Art to calm down and had now taken to holding Erica as well. Not wanting to leave Brenda's side I looked at him, he was worried but trying to tell Erica that it would be okay. "Steve?"

"I've got your family McKay you just take care of our girl."

By the time the ambulance arrived she still hadn't come to. They moved us out of the way and began working on her. When they had her secure they asked who was coming with her in the ambulance, I went to move but Brandon put his hand on my shoulder. "Dylan she's my family." Seriously he was pulling this on me now? Picking up on my silent outrage he continued, "legally Dylan, she's my family. You can't authorise any treatment. Let me take care of my twin you take care of the kids." Fuck he was right. The mother of my child and I had no authority to authorise anything. As Brandon was rushing out the door to catch up to Brenda I went over to my family. Erica latched on to me.

"Hey sweetheart it's going to be okay." After I had ran my hand over her platt I reached over and picked up Art. "Come on buddy you got to calm down. Mummy is going to be just fine. I've got you." As I was trying to reassure the kids Steve had grabbed the baby bag and everyone picked up their stuff. I look to Nat. "Can you call Jim please let him know which hospital, he's at work."

"What about Cindy?"

"She is pretty shaken about Bren's condition, he'll know if he should call or go home and get her."

"We can go get her Dylan?"

I look at Donna. "Thank you, that would be great. Nat can you let Jim know that?" Nat who was already dialling the number nodded.

"Steve?"

"Ready when you are McKay."

Erica was clinging to me making in hard to walk and Art who had stopped crying had my shirt in his version of a death grip. Once we got to the car I passed Steve the keys, and after getting Art into his seat I moved into the middle to sit in the back between the kids. The ride was quiet except for Erica's tears and my reminders that she was going to be fine. She had to be I could accept no other option.

When we got into the emergency department of the hospital we were quickly ushered up to the maternity ward due to the underlying factor of her blood pressure being pregnancy related she required their speciality knowledge. As we got out of the elevator Brandon stood to meets us. "She's getting tests done but when she is finished they will bring her to this floor. She came to briefly in the ambulance..." From his worried tone this didn't sound good, I nod my head in the direction of Erica wanting him to say no more.

"Sweetheart did you hear she woke up and they are just doing tests now to help her? Can you sit here on the seat and push Art in his pram while I chat with Brandon?" She nods and we move a few feet away so that we are still close but so his whisper won't be able to be heard.

"Her blood pressure was through the roof. They gave her something to bring it down but… we just have to wait."

"Brandon is she doing okay? She told me you guys felt the other when injured sometimes." I was desperate even willing to a hundred percent believe in the accuracy of their twin bond.

"Honestly, Dylan I'm so freaked out I'm not sure which are my feelings and which are hers." His uncertainty and anxiety was evident, we move back to the seats to wait. Jim arrived then a few minutes later Cindy and the rest of the gang. As we all sit and wait in a strangled silence I see the time and realise that Erica hasn't eaten and Art is due his feed soon. I can't leave and our brothers are like me glued to these chairs.

I look to Andrea. "Can I ask a favour?"

"Of course."

"Would you mind taking Erica to the cafeteria she hasn't had lunch and well it might be good for her to move around a bit." She smiles and starts to lift her bag, Donna volunteers to go to. I look over at my sister. "Hey sweetheart, Andrea and Donna are going to take you to the cafeteria for some food. Is that okay?"

"I don't want to leave, can't I just wait till Brenda's ready to go home?"

"She might be a little while longer and you know if you haven't had something to eat she'll be mad at me. She'll be really cranky if I just feed you chips and chocolate from the vending machine and don't get you a proper meal."

"Okay." I pass Andrea cash, she goes to refuse but I insist.

I then look at Art who is happily playing with his favourite toy. I check his diaper it's wet and look in his baby bag. His organised mother has everything for an emergency formula bottle along with the usual diaper needs. I pick up the bag and him. Cindy stops me, "do you need a hand?"

"I'm just going to find a parents room to change his diaper and organise his bottle." She looks a little lost and I'm sure that is how I look as well. "Do you want to come along I'm sure Art would love some Grandma snuggles as I make up his bottle?" She quickly stands and Jim sends me a thankful nod.

When we get back nothing has changed there is still no update, and I settle in to attempt to feed my son his most hated meal. He tries to decline the bottle at first realising it's not his usual food, "come on Art you are going to have to take this buddy, I know it's not as good as Mummy's milk but just for today can you try." He eventually gives in and drinks the bottle though for the first time for me he spits up a little during burping. "Your mum is going to be sorry she missed this." I get him down for his nap in my arms and then move him to lay down in the pram just as the Doctor makes his way out. We go to stand but he indicates for us to stay in our chairs and then sits down with us on the seats.

"She has a slight concussion from when she hit her head from her fall, it has been stitched up and with rest that should be fine. Her blood pressure though is a concern. The ambulance reading was extremely high, luckily they were able to bring it down but during it's elevation she was at significant risk of a stroke. In order to help me treat her and make sure we prevent this from occurring again I'm trying to understand if this was a random spike or was this triggered by something. Can anyone tell me how she was this morning?"

"She was fine. Her reading this morning was the same as the rest of the week and she said she slept well, though she was up throughout the night with Art. She ate her usual yoghurt and fruit for breakfast and was chatting as normal to her father and I before heading to Dylan's."

Brandon then follows on, "Yeah and she was fine at the restaurant laughing and joking. Dylan was she like that at your place?"

"Yeah she was fine all morning, maybe a little nervous to attend lunch but she felt good. Though before she collapsed she was holding her head and complaining of a headache."

"That was the increase in blood pressure it can feel like a headache. Was there any heightened stress before the headache?"

I close my eyes and then look at Kelly who was sitting on the peripheral of our group with Silver, she felt my stare and met my eyes. "Please say your conversation in the bathroom was friendly?"

She begins to squirm under all the eyes. "We weren't yelling or anything."

"Were you discussing anything that could have made Brenda upset, anything that maybe would have caused her to think about the last eighteen months?" From her face I can tell I don't need her to say it as I'm familiar with that look. I look back at the Doctor, "yes before she collapsed there was about ten minutes of significant stress." My voice remains quiet, my son is sleeping next to me but by my tone it's clear that I was serious.

He pauses and takes this new information in. "Okay so I was right her nightly aspirin has probably been masking any significant spikes, and today's stress indicates that without them she still is not able to self regulate as much as we would like."

Not having attended an appointment with her I asked what was probably known to the others. "Can she be on them long term?"

"She has been on a large nightly dose which at the level she is taking will not be good for her liver function and can cause bleeding in her stomach long term. There are other medications and while they are fine for her son they do require careful monitoring so that the levels stay relatively low in her milk."

Brandon interrupts him then. "She won't take them then, not long term. She didn't like the risk even when her pressure was elevated significantly after his birth, it took a lot of effort to convince her to go on them for six weeks and that was even after her going through a birth that could of killed her. She'd prefer the aspirin as there is less risk to Art."

"Okay so if she stay's on the aspirin, and we look to gradually reduce the dosage there are some diet and lifestyle changes that could also be incorporated to help. She needs to avoid foods with preservatives, salts and eat more salmon and white meats. Essentially, she should be eating only organic and taking out all processed foods from her diet. It would also be advisable that Brenda exercises daily maybe yoga, nothing like running or intensive cardio for the time being, and sleep she needs more of it. But above all else she needs to avoid stress, I want her life as calm as possible until she is back in the normal range. If that means lowering her expectations on herself by reducing her class load or by asking for more help with her son or limiting who she can spend time with then that is what needs to be done."

"We understand." The Doctor stands and Jim rises to shake his hand. "Thank you."

"I'll let you know when she is awake." He then moves away.

Everyone is quiet for a moment absorbing how dangerous this afternoon could have been. Kelly finally breaks the silence. "I'm sorry, she seemed fine, we weren't yelling and her voice stayed calm the whole time."

I respond not wanting to hear any made up bullshit excuse from her. "You weren't to know."

"Dylan are you serious?" Steve's outrage is clear by his tone, but I refuse to raise my voice and match his anger, my son is sleeping and it's just not worth it.

"Yes Steve how would Kelly know? I mean it's not like she is a psychology major studying peoples psyches daily. It's not like she would have studied how stress manifests differently for everyone and the impact it has on the body. I mean how could anyone expect her to know how Brenda hides her stress, her pain by a cool indifference? It's not as if two years of claiming to be her best friend would give her that insight or another year of seeing Brenda being destroyed by our actions would have shown her that when Brenda is truly upset she internalises it. I mean for Kelly to know all of that she would have to see beyond herself or actually care for Brenda, two things she has proven she is not capable of."

"I do care for her."

I calmly snap back. "Coveting her life is not the same as caring."

The elevator doors open and Erica runs out coming straight over to me and gives me a hug. "Has the Doctor said anything?"

"Yes sweetheart she is going to be fine she just needs to take it easy." She smiles. "Did you have lunch?" She nods. "Something green so I won't get in trouble?"

"Yes I had a salad with my pizza and then there was green leaves on my pizza."

Yeah a herb won't fly for my girl, I could just imagine Bren's face if she had heard that line. "Basil doesn't count."

A nurse walks over as Erica was about to ask her favourite question, why. "Excuse me, Miss Walsh is awake and she is asking to speak to a Dylan McKay." I jump up.

"Can I go to?"

"Sweetheart let me go speak to Bren first okay? She might be pretty sleepy, but could you watch Art for me?" She nods and I look at my brother's. One is put out by not being the one to go in there first and the other one winks and moves closer to the kids. Obviously, me clarifying why fighting with Kelly was pointless had restored the peace with him.

When it came to Brenda it was useless, Kelly had shown she had no empathy for her once best friend at all. I didn't know if that had always been the case or if was her way of self protecting so she could live without the guilt of our actions. Either way nothing would get through to the blonde until she decided to see Brenda as a person again, until she stopped seeing her as competition. Fighting with her about her actions would have just given her an opportunity to play the victim and it would be like I was talking to a brick wall. She wouldn't accept it.

As I move away I can hear him begin to discuss the quality of hospital pizza with Erica- Steve's a good man. The nurse leads me to her room. As I walk in she still looks like she is sleeping. I go over to her bed and pick up her hand and kiss it rubbing it against my face like I used to do when we would walk through the West Beverly Campus; when a particularly bad day was occurring and I needed her hands on me to calm me. Closing my eyes I relish that it gives me the same affect now.

"Dylan relax I'm fine." My eyes spring open but I don't relinquish her hand.

"It could have been bad. I could have lost you, Art could have lost you."

"But you and he didn't." She rubs her fingers across my cheek. "How is he and Erica?"

"Art is napping. He reluctantly took a formula bottle from me though you missed a good tablespoon of it being spat up on my shoulder." She gives me a tired but genuine smile.

"Did you get me a picture?"

I kiss her hand again and chuckle. "No but I did advise him you would be mad missing out on the event."

"And Erica?"

"She is calmer now, Donna and Andrea took her for some lunch in the cafeteria. She's desperate along with your twin to get in here." She sighs.

"In a minute, he can stay longer but the kids shouldn't be here at the hospital. You'll take Art for the night home with you let him try out his new crib at your place. They'll be waking me regularly throughout the night to check on my concussion and with the increase in medication I can't feed him yet. You should have enough in your freezer until his midmorning feed but then you'll need to go to my house for more."

She has spoken in definite's knowing that it wasn't a question, she wasn't asking if I was able she knew I was. I had known my son for a week and she already trusted me completely with his care. "It's all good Baby I got him. He'll miss you, I'll miss you but we'll be fine for the night."

"Has Suzanne given you a definitive date of her return?"

"She said it's looking like Wednesday now. Why are you worried about me having both of them longer if you need to stay here?"

"No you are like a duck to water with them. You're a natural." I smile I love that she thinks that. "Tomorrow afternoon, evening I should be released. I will be on medication for a bit to regulate my blood pressure, with the minor bump on my head blood thinners can't be given for a few day's but I'll still need to take it easy. I was hoping I could stay with you guy's? Art, well he prefers his parents, he can handle a few hours of other people taking care of him but he-"

"Will be settled with both of us around, making you calmer and able to rest more." She smiles and goes to nod her head in confirmation but quickly stops when she feels the pain of her actions. "Baby you never have to ask I'd love you both there always." As I was speaking I could see her eyes get heavier, she was getting sleepy again. "I'll arrange it with the family, but you should rest now."

"Not yet can you send in my parents. I'll need to see my brother's after that, but before you leave can I see Art and Erica?"

"You see your parents and brother's, and when Art wakes up I'll bring him in but he should be down for at least another forty minutes so in the meantime you rest okay." She squeezes my hand. I lean down and kiss her forehead then lay a chased kiss on her lips. "I love you, no more scare's like this please."

With her eyes closed she whispers, "I'll try."

Going back into the waiting room I looked to Jim and Cindy. "She's fine, tired though but she would like to see you both." They hurry in there, I turn to her brother's. "She wants to see you two as well but I wouldn't expect you'll get her awake much." I duck down in front of my sister. "She wants to see you and Art before I take you both home for the night, though we just need to let her rest some okay?" She smiles and nods.

"Dylan," I turn to Brandon, "both home?"

"Jones you set up the room. Bren and I, well we might live logistically separate but we are raising him together." I can see he doesn't know how he feels about this. It's different I imagine to hear us say co-parent than it is to see how we intend it to be in action, but my son will always be accessible to both of us he will have a home with both of us. My children will never have a fly in parent like I did with my Mother or a too busy parent like my Dad. My children will have access to me and Brenda everyday, I hope one day and at least for the next few it will be in the same location. Brenda's natural assumption that he would just go home with me proved that we were both on the same page on how we wanted our son raised.

Jim and Cindy come out a few minutes later and Brandon goes in, Steve holds back a few minutes to give the twins alone time before he makes his way into the room. The aren't in there long before they are back out, she had fallen asleep. Jim thanks everyone for coming and advises that she won't be up for visitors tonight. As they all begin to collect their things Kelly comes up to them.

"Mr and Mrs Walsh honestly I didn't know." Cindy turns away, her motherly compassion that she has usually shown with all of us reaching its limit.

"Kelly, it was my understanding that Dylan, Brandon and Steve informed you of Brenda's health condition, is that right?" She nods. "Well then I think the I didn't know excuse is flawed." Andrea and Donna who weren't here for the previous conversation eye's go large and begin to understand what had taken place in that bathroom. "You are an adult now, and as Dylan pointed out are studying psychology, maybe it's time you start to analyse why you continue to believe my daughter is above common decency and why you take personal affront to anything good in her life." He turns away at that and goes to comfort Cindy. The gang awkwardly say their goodbyes.

It's a few minutes later that we all come back sitting down together. Erica who is a little more relaxed now that I have promised she will see Bren is reading her book that she had placed in the baby bag before we left for The Pit. I move over to the adjacent seats to raise the next few days with them.

"Cindy. Jim. I am not sure if Bren had a chance to discuss this with you but she has asked when she leaves the hospital to come back to my place until she has recovered." Jim's face tells me that they were not aware of this. "She needs to take it easy, sleep more. With Art's schedule that is difficult. If she is staying with me I can take care of our son and give her time to rest."

"Dylan she can get that at her home, she doesn't need to be at yours." Cindy's tone indicates she is not happy either.

"Art, well our little loner man is stubborn. He prefers something's to be done only by his parents. Bren say's his loner characteristics he gets from me, I think the stubbornness is well… she'd tell me it's not from her." I'm trying to lighten the blow from this information it works a bit on her brother's and even the sides of Cindy's lips lift a fraction. "Bren wants to make sure he is as comfortable as possible so she can relax and focus on getting better. If he is with me well it will be easier on her."

Jim is still unmovable- yep stubbornness must be in the Walsh bloodline. "Then you can come stay in our home, we can set up the cot in Brandon's room for you."

"Erica's mum won't be back till Wednesday, and honestly Bren and I have set up my place for Art to be as comfortable there as he is at your place. With the four of us trying to make Bren's room fit or even kicking Brandon out of his, it would be too difficult. All four of you are more than welcome in our, my home whenever you like, and I am sure Bren when she asked to stay assumed that you would be frequent visitors."

"Dylan-" I cut him off before he tries again and aim for a calm but firmer tone one Jim became familiar with in our meeting last Sunday.

"Jim this is one of those times that Bren and I need to decide what is best for our son. Please respect that." He breathes deep but doesn't say anything else.

"She needs that organic diet, from what I understand that will be limited at your house." Before I can say that I will make arrangements for that Cindy tentatively throws her support behind the plan. "I will make a few meals up and bring them over so that she starts her preservative free low salt diet immediately." I give her a smile but before I can extend her my thanks Brandon raises what is on all of their minds.

"Is this permanent her staying with you?"

I would like to say yes. That after a few days she loves living as a family that she loves living with me, but I am realistic. "No I think it's just for a few days so her body can rest from today."

They can hear the dejected tone in my voice. Jim looks at me and perks up, pleased that I'm not getting my way altogether. We may be in a truce but it doesn't mean he likes it when he perceives me to have won a battle. Her living with me, wanting us to have a life together, committing to me through marriage would be me winning the war, and that was still very much opposed to by the Walsh men. Brandon though would not step in between us if his sister chose it, he would council against it but Jim, well I think he would purchase her and Art an apartment in Paris if it meant that she didn't end up with me. Though he knows now I'd just follow her like I should have done that summer. It didn't mean he wasn't opposed to trying other ways to keep us apart.