63.

Here we are, once again.

It's either going to be truly sad or a bust.

Just in case... TW: no-joke hospital stuff.

Definitely one of the more harder chapters to write thus far.

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I've heard it said

That people come into our lives

For a reason

Bringing something we must learn

Leah pulled into the roundabout at the entrance of the hospital doors. The words 'Emergency Room' were nailed on the outside wall of the hospital, big and bold. It was hard to miss the sign posted in bright, neon red coloring.

Austin didn't wait for the car to come to a full complete stop before he had the passenger car door flung open, his long legs marching him straight to the automatic doors. He'd give his thanks to Leah another time. Traffic had been an absolute nightmare and he couldn't spend another second not seeing what was happening with his own eyes.

He was craving for any sense of control he could find. Because this whole thing was much like an out-of-body experience.

Almost like a dream.

But it didn't fool him. Austin knew it was real life.

Repeating.

Itself.

Again.

The doors slid open, his feet guiding him through the entrance without a second thought as the man was functioning in survival mode. He couldn't remember walking through the metal detectors or catching the looks of pity on the two security guards' faces as they recognized the walk.

The walk.

Parents bracing themselves for the worst possible outcome, already pleading with God to let them take their child's place. Fighting against every nerve in their body that's warning them they may not walk out with their child, because they were not going to just accept that outcome.

Somehow Austin ended up standing in the line at the reception desk.

A young woman in her early college-years was working at the computer signing in patients, guardians, and visitors; another security guard was posted beside the desk as a safety measure. The guard's eyes swiveled around the waiting room, ready at a moment's notice at the first sign of trouble.

Because nowhere was safe.

School... playgrounds... and now children's hospitals?

Austin crossed his arms then uncrossed them then crossed them once more, anxious as he waited his turn in line. He glanced at his phone in his hand, clicking the side button to light up the home screen.

No new messages.

His fingers curled tight around the cell phone as he pinched his eyes shut, barely holding onto any remaining bits of his composure right now.

He was desperate, willing for any sort of message from Baker or Lindsey. An update. A downdate. Anything. Just give him something for Christ's sake.

The last update the eldest brother had received from Baker was fifteen minutes ago, when the ambulance that his brother jumped in had arrived to the hospital doors.

Fifteen minutes ago.

Practically a lifetime ago.

Goosebumps littered his arms underneath his sweater as his mind swapped practically for possibly.

He pressed the back of his knuckles to his mouth, whispering "please be okay, please be okay."

Baker hadn't texted him a room number yet.

What did that mean?

Austin was literally this close to losing his mind. But he wouldn't, because he forced himself to take a deep breath, exhaling heavily through his mouth.

"Sir?"

Austin opened his eyes and saw he was now at the front of the line. No one but the receptionist to see, who was patiently waiting for him to step up to the desk.

His legs wouldn't move.

He couldn't move his legs.

He couldn't feel them.

Sweat was building under his armpits, his forehead. Why was it so warm in the waiting room. Weren't hospitals suppose to be freezing cold to kill the germs?

Walk, damn it.

And suddenly he was standing at the sign-in desk. He could feel more than see the security guard sizing him up again.

"Hello, Sir. Who are you visiting today?" She sounded too cheerful. It sent a bolt of prickly annoyance down his spine.

Breathe.

Austin cleared his throat, his empty hand sliding up to grasp the back of his neck before he crossed his arms again, instead. It didn't work; The panic wasn't settling, he couldn't stay still. He barely managed to force out an audible response "My sister, she was just brought here in an ambulance."

It took a lot of effort to swallow back down the sudden sob that threatened following the statement. He hadn't said it aloud before then. It made it a whole lot more real.

His baby.

She was only a baby.

When Baker had told him to go to the Children's trauma center, Austin knew then.

He just knew.

Then Lindsey, Baker's SWAT partner, had called him as soon as Austin and Leah had hit the road, filling him in with more information than his brother was able to.

It was still bare bones. But it confirmed Austin's worst nightmare.

He couldn't do this.

He had to do this.

It  forced him into a corner. He had to make a choice right then, in Leah's car. Because two siblings were in that car wreck, and they were not going to the same emergency room.

Dakota.

The most hard-headed, stubborn ass, shit-maker, mouth-of-a-sailor younger brother a guy could have. Who is so funny and loving and fiercely protective of his family but would never outright admit it.

His younger brother who was also en route to the trauma center, but at the adult hospital. By the grace of God, it was located directly across the street from the Children's hospital.

Lindsey had been in the SUV, following right behind Kota's ambulance as they spoke. They had just left the scene, and were 10 minutes out at that point.

But Lindsey hadn't been in contact with him since then. It scared Austin shitless, making him question if he made the wrong choice.

His mind skipped to the worst imaginative outcome before Austin was able to regain his focus.

The woman looked up at Austin. No missing the sympathy written all over her. "Her name?"

The lump in his throat was getting harder to ignore.

He didn't want her sympathy.

Because he shouldn't even be here. He should be at home where he belonged, with his family. Safe and sound. It shouldn't be his siblings, fighting every second with their lives at stake.

"What's her name, Sir?"

Austin sniffed, his gaze darting away then back again, his arms pressing tighter against his chest. He could feel his heart beating in his ears, working overtime to ensure his brain worked. "Hayes. Her name is Hayes Powers. I'm Austin Powers. She's my sister. I'm her guardian."

"Do you have ID with you?"

"Yeah. Yes. I do." It was a smart move on Leah's part to make sure he had grabbed his cell phone and wallet before they ran out of the office. She had managed to get him to the hospital safely, pushing the speed limit to get him there as soon as possible.

Austin patted both his back pockets before taking his wallet out of the correct one. He found his driver's license and handed it over with a shaky hand. Waiting for further instruction, his gaze dropped back down to the leather in his hands, his thumb accidently brushing over the edge of the wallet-sized paper photographs he had stuffed inside. One for each of his siblings.

In case... in case...

He would not go down that road.

Austin picked out the picture of his little girl and held it carefully in his fingers. A recent photograph that Dakota had taken for her school badge since they had started the school year late. His talented brother had captured her sunshine essence, her smile was a beautiful mix of angelic and mischief.

Just the way Austin loved her.

"She was in a car crash with her brother." His breath hitched as the words tumbled out, though the word again was left unsaid. "My brother came in with her. Different brother. Our brother. Both of them. She's my little girl, but she's our sister."

The receptionist had the sad smile down pat, her face softening even more at his rambling. She took a glance at the photo as she returned to the ID to Austin. "She's a cutie."

The eldest brother quietly agreed as he put everything back in their proper places in his wallet, shoving the wallet into his back right pocket. He rubbed his palms together and feeling how sweaty they were, rubbed them on the sides of his pants.

The receptionist did some typing on her keyboard then reached over to the printer and grabbed the visitor sticker that printed out. As she handed the sticker to Austin to put on his shirt, the security guard walked over to him.

Like he was expecting him.

Which they were.

"Mr. Powers, I'll escort you to where your brother is waiting." The two men shook hands before the guard gently touched Austin's upper arm, guiding him in the direction where they needed to go. Another set of automatic doors. This one required a badge to be swiped on the sensor to enter. "Right this way, Sir."

"My sister, how is she?" Austin asked, letting himself be led through the doors. On the other side was the triage area and registration booth, both of which the two men bypassed to go down another hallway.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't have any information." The guard regretfully replied as they walked past a nursing station and the exam rooms situated around it in a horseshoe design. A sign posted on the wall had arrows going in the direction of the resuscitation and trauma bay.

That was the direction they were heading.

His heart beat even faster.

Austin's phone began vibrating in his pocket, causing a minor heart attack. He needed to stop walking and focus on taking out his phone so he wouldn't drop it. Poor combination of shaky hands and sweaty palms.

The caller ID showed Lindsey.

His finger was sweaty so it took three hurried swipes until the call finally connected. Austin rushed out, "Hello? Lindsey?"

For Austin's sake, the man skipped over any pretense of greeting. "How's Hayes? Are you with Baker yet? "

Austin shook his head, running his fingers through his hair as he glanced around the emergency department as if his brother was going to materialize out of thin air. "No, no. They're bringing me back right now. How- how's Dakota? The doctor. What did they say?"

The security guard took a hold of Austin's arm again, silently gesturing for him to walk. It was a hospital-wide effort when trauma calls were announced overhead. The guard was familiar with the urgency to keep him moving, to get the family to their destination quickly.

Because they were often playing against time.

And this may be no exception.

Lindsey exhaled heavily into the receiver, pained. "No change yet. Their bringing him to CT now."

Austin stopped walking once more as his vision went fuzzy. His eyes filled with tears. No change meant his brother was no worse but also no better.

Reality was glaring down at him.

He didn't have time to waste on tears. He roughly rubbed the heel of his hand against his eye as he kept the phone pressed against his ear.

His voice was hoarse. "I'll be right there. Let me just see Hayes and then I'll be right there."

Lindsey stopped him. "No, Austin. Hey, you should stay where you are for now. There's nothing you can do here. I'll call you with any updates as soon as I get them. I swear on my life."

Austin tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling choked. He couldn't be in two places at once.

His sister needed him.

His brother needed him.

This put him in an impossible position with no correct answer.

And we are led to those

Who help us most to grow if we let them

And we help them in return

"Austin!" A deep voice called out his name. Here, in this hospital. Not over the phone.

Austin spotted his brother at the end of the corridor as he jogged over, his heavy boots creating a resounding stomp on the floor. Austin's hand lowered to his side, forgetting he was talking on the phone.

Baker mirrored the movement, shoving his own phone into a random pocket on his tactical pants having been talking to Peyton.

Baker didn't stop when he reached his older brother, crushing Austin into a much needed hug for the both of them.

And for a long moment, the two brothers clung to each other, letting them feel the overwhelming anguish each held.

Not just the anguish, but the agony.

Distress.

Suffering.

All of the above.

The fear.

The heartache and grief for experiencing this all over again. The unknown on what they were about to face.

The struggle in acknowledging that all of this was out of their control.

The anger hadn't revealed itself yet, but it would surely come later.

Their eyes remained tightly closed as Baker shifted, pressing their foreheads together for another moment.

They drew their strength from each other.

Equals.

"Fuck."

One word to describe everything they were feeling.

"I know," Baker mumbled as the two reluctantly untangled from the embrace.

Austin kept his hand on Baker's shoulder, still needing to keep him close as they stared at each other. Noticing how they were both holding on by a couple threads. Their blue eyes both marred by redness, evidence of their pain and suffering.

"Come on," Baker finally said, glancing briefly at the security guard. "They said she'd be coming to this room."

The exam room was just a couple feet further down from where they had been standing.

Baker had let Austin walk in first, as he already had time to waste in the room. Examined every corner. He paced the length of the walls several times over before beginning to pace the hallway. That was when he saw his brother coming.

Austin stopped in the middle of the room, whole body tensed for a battle. He surveyed the empty room, starting with the abstract designs that decorated the purple walls. Hayes loved the color purple.

And green and blue and yellow and burnt orange and...

He swung around to see there was a television hung in the corner, the screen black. A sink and cabinets lined one wall, opposite of two chairs sat. A shelf was nailed into the wall by the door, holding multiple boxes of various sized gloves alongside a hand sanitizer dispenser.

It reeked of disinfectant smell.

Neither noticed when the security guard walked away, giving them privacy.

Austin turned in another small circle. His eyes followed the tile flooring until his brother's boots were in his periphery. He slowly lifted his chin up to meet his brother's gaze which was already set on him.

Austin swallowed. "How bad is it?"

"Hayes-..."

Austin shook his head. "Kota."

Baker didn't have a chance to answer as there were several knocks on the doorframe, the brothers turning around just as an older man in a white coat came strolling in.

"You must be Austin," the doctor stuck out his hand to greet the eldest brother, to which Austin responded "I am."

He introduced himself, slipping his hands into his coat pockets. "I'm Dr. Harden. I'll be taking care of your sister today. The nurse should be coming in with Hayes any second. I was just in radiology, reviewing the images as they took them."

Austin's hands started sweating again, so he crossed his arms, hiding them in his armpits. Baker stepped next to him, the two brothers waiting anxiously for the doctor's next words.

A small smile formed on the physician's face. "From what I can see, she's going to be okay."

Austin exhaled, not even realizing he had been holding his breath. Baker reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

"But I will warn you, it will look scary when you see her in a minute. She has a neck brace on per protocol and I cannot remove it until the radiologist writes the report. Okay?"

Already having seen their sister in the poor shape and able to comprehend it, Baker watched Austin closely as he received this difficult news.

"Okay," the eldest brother nodded. "Sure, yes. But she's okay?" His brain latched onto those words, needing the reassurance.

"She will be," the doctor replied gently. He continued, "It's likely she has a concussion from the crash. She also has several cuts on her face. We put gauze on them for now, but once we get her settled in here, the nurse will clean the wounds out and then we'll decide if she needs stitches or not."

Concussion, fine.

Stitches, no problem.

Austin kept a mental checklist to keep him sane.

"Her lungs sound and look good. No broken ribs. We're going to keep a close eye on her abdominal area. She has some bruising from the seatbelt but I didn't see any internal bleeding, okay?"

Lungs, check.

Abdomen, so-so?

Austin scratched his head as Baker frowned. The older brother asked the question on both their minds, "What- what does that mean exactly? You don't see bleeding but it can still happen?"

The physician nodded. "It can, yes. We didn't see any free fluid on ultrasound or on CT but we will keep an eye on it, just in case it develops later."

Austin and Baker looked at each other, still very much concerned.

Before the pediatrician could continue explaining the results, they could hear voices getting louder as they approached the exam room.

The three men stepped back against the walls to make space as the nurses rolled in a stretcher occupied by a blonde-haired little girl laying flat, unusually still for such a lively personality.

His little girl.

The doctor wasn't even close.

Scary?

It looked absolutely horrifying.

At first glance, Austin could have naively mistaken their little sister to be sleeping. But that didn't make much sense for the current situation. As he got closer to the bed, he then saw her flushed cheeks, sticky from the tears sneaking out of the corners of her closed eyes.

His instincts were yelling at him that something was wrong.

As Austin took all this in, his eyes caught on the neck brace the doctor had mentioned. It was hard to miss, as it looked like it took up more space than she did. The c-collar was intimidating but Austin forced himself to take a deep breath, reminding himself it was protocol.

As soon as the path was clear for him, Austin automatically moved up to the raised bed rail. He gently reached down and curled his fingers around her tiny left hand, his eyes trailing from her tiny fingers, up her arm that was stained red, to where an IV was placed in her elbow.

"Hi baby," he murmured, his heart tearing into tiny pieces as he heard her whimper at his voice. He felt Baker's presence as the brother joined him by the bedside. "I'm right here, Sunshine. Me and Baker."

"She is still a bit drowsy from the Benadryl, but it will wear off soon." The doctor informed the brothers as he stood across from them.

Around them, the nurses busied themselves with setting back up the monitors and the lines that were attached somewhere to the little girl.

Austin's heart rate quickened with panic as he snapped his head up. His tone was laced with confusion. "Benadryl? Why did she take Benadryl?"

Red flag.

A reassuring hand was placed back on the older brother's shoulder before he could freak. Baker had been just as panicked when he watched everything go down live time in the trauma bay. He quietly explained in a way that Austin would accept. "She was okay in the ambulance but she freaked out when we got here. There were people coming in all directions at her to help. They had to use it to keep her calm."

Austin dropped his gaze back down to his Sunshine. She hadn't opened her eyes yet. He missed her bright blue Elvis eyes.

He softly laid a hand on the top of her head, avoiding the gauze pads as he lightly brushed her forehead with his thumb. The soothing motion was keeping him calm. "What aren't you telling me?"

The question was aimed back to Baker. His response had been too simplified to satisfy Austin's skepticism. The older brother had used the Benadryl trick one time with the little girl and regretted it ever since.

Seeing no alternative, Baker admitted how traumatic it was and he wasn't even the patient. "I've never heard her scream like that before. It was terrifying, Austin. And they couldn't get an IV started because she was moving all over the place." Baker choked up, remembering. "I helped hold her down so they could get it in. She was fighting it so bad. She didn't want it. She was screaming 'no', that she was a good girl."

Austin hadn't felt this sort of gut-wrenching pain in so long.

"Aussy?" Their little sister whimpered as she tried blinking her eyes. Her awareness was returning as her brothers' voices broke through the haze she was in.

But she didn't have enough strength, it felt like her eyelids barely fluttered.

Immediately Austin crouched over, his head close to hers. "I'm right here, baby. You're doing so good, you know that?" His fingers brushed along her cheek as his other hand squeezed her fingers.

"It hurts," Hayes cried, more and tears escaping now. She couldn't see anything but blackness no matter how hard she tried. She didn't know where the pain was coming from.

Everywhere.

The little girl began to buck, already frightened out of her mind when all of a sudden, multiple hands were holding her down in the bed.

"You have to stay still, Hayes," Dr. Harden instructed in a firm but gentle voice. His eyes flickered to the monitor above her bed as it began to beep, her heart rate jumping up. "I know this is scary but we can't have you moving so much."

"I want Aussy," she continued to cry over the noise.

Here was her fighting spirit making an appearance, something that Austin was so worried she may have lost.

Austin kissed her forehead, murmuring over and over again, "I'm right here, baby. I'm right here."

"Can someone get me another dose of ibuprofen IV?" The doctor asked over his shoulder to the nursing staff. "And 10 mg of Benadryl, please."

Austin frowned.

"Yes, doc." His staff responded, moving fast.

Austin was asked to step out of the way so they could access her IV site, needing to push the medications.

That was just about the worst thing they could have done in the moment.

At the loss of her brother's presence, Hayes went berserk. Any sense that may have returned of where she was or who was there or what was happening was long gone. All she had to go off of was what her mind was pulling together from the many torturous memories of her childhood, manipulating the situation even further.

The needle in her arm was the obvious trigger, the underlying trauma coming out to play.

She was full-out sobbing now, upping the manpower needed to hold her still as her legs kicked. It was necessary to keep her from potentially hurting herself more. She hadn't been cleared yet from the spinal precautions, the c-collar still in place.

"No! I don't want it! Glen! Help me!"

The little girl was fighting her old demons all over again. All that progress wiped away. She was years in the past.

It wasn't fucking fair.

The sedation medicine kicked in quickly, combined with the dosage that was still working in her tiny body. Her arms and legs went limp.

It scared Austin half to death just how quickly it worked. He watched the rise and fall of her chest to make sure she was still breathing, all the while holding his own breath.

Baker released a couple swear words from beside him, doing the trick in getting Austin to react enough to suck in a gasp of air. Both brothers were breathing loudly, still recovering from what just happened.

It was not an easy sight to see.

"This second dose of pain medication should help," Dr. Harden said, glancing at the brothers. "We will keep alternating with another pain medication to keep her comfortable. Then we'll reassess when it's time to reduce the fracture to see if we need to give her more."

"Fracture?" Austin echoed, his eyes falling to the splint contraption on his sister's right arm. In all the chaos, the blanket that was covering his sister had slipped off, revealing her injury.

"I saw at least two places on the x-ray. One is what looks like a buckle fracture on the arm here," the doctor pointed in the general area. "She also had a hairline fracture in her wrist with minimal displacement." His eyes flicked between the two brothers, checking to see if they were following. "Once I receive the reports, we'll go from there. But I'll most likely be able to do it in here and put a more supportive splint on afterwards."

Austin silently nodded, as he retook his spot by his sister's bed. He needed more time to digest all of this, time that didn't exist.

The doctor sighed, full of sympathy. "I know this is a lot to understand. I'll be right out these doors at the computer putting in orders if you need me at any point. For now, what questions do you have for me?"

Instead of answering, Baker wisely sat down in one of the chairs, his elbows perched on his knees as his dropped his face into his hands. He scrubbed his face hard.

"But she's going to be okay?" Austin asked, his sight not leaving Hayes.

The doctor nodded. "Physically, yes she will recover fine. Mentally, might happen a little slower. This sort of thing, a car crash of this magnitude, takes a big toll. But kids are resilient."

"This little girl has had more trauma than anyone has ever needed. For fucks sake. When will it ever stop?" Baker scoffed into his hands, more so to himself though he spoke his thoughts aloud. His hands fell to his knees. "She's been in a car crash before. Then her mother fucking kidnapped her, drugged her, and left her to die. And you think that she just needs more time to mentally recover?"

"Baker," Austin said in a low, firm voice. That eldest brother 6th sense instinctually kicking in. His brother's anger was aimed at the wrong target.

Baker stood up and walked around Austin to the head of the bed. He bent down, whispering how much he loved the little girl as he kissed her forehead.

His temper was seething, something that hadn't happened in a long time. Something he had long ago learned to control and was teaching Glen.

Baker straightened back up and stalked to the door. "Now, I'm going to go see Dakota, who also had more than enough fucking trauma to last a life time."

"Baker," Austin repeated, this time more wary. It was like his brother was a ticking timebomb, set to go off at a moment's notice.

Austin had not a clue what was happening with Dakota nor how Baker would react when he got there. Hopefully Lindsey would be able to keep things from getting out of hand.

"Keep your phone on," was Baker's parting words before he stormed out of his little sister's exam room, his hands clenching and releasing repeatedly.

Gone before Austin had a chance to stop him.

To his credit, Dr. Harden didn't flinch at the sudden outburst. He was unfortunately used to it. The doctor cleared his throat as he double checked the monitor and glanced over his young patient before heading to the open doorway.

As she was a trauma patient, protocol meant the curtain was kept tucked out of the way with the sliding door left open in case it turned into a rapid response.

"I'll be right out here if you have any questions."

"Thank you, doc," Austin muttered. Alone now with his little girl, he reached behind him and pulled over a chair so he could sit next to her bed. It gave him a smidge of relief from the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He gently took hold of her left hand in both of his, lightly kissing her bruised knuckles. "You're safe now, Sunshine. You can rest. It's just me and you, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you

The cold air did its job the best it could, cooling off Baker's fiery temper for now at least. He was mildly angry, manageable.

As he sped walked across the single lane road to the adult hospital side, forcing the approaching car to break fast rather than hit the man, Baker whipped his phone out to check what room Lindsey messaged that they were in.

A17.

Baker was aware that pod was meant for the most critical of cases, usually before the patients were rushed up to the ICU.

He had no other notifications to check. No missed calls from Peyton, so he assumed she hadn't arrived yet. Earlier, he had been able to call her and Colton while he had been waiting for Austin to get there. Peyton immediately left work to come, same with Cole but Baker wasn't sure where his brother had been.

Baker showed his work badge to the security guard manning the front entrance, which allowed him to pass the metal detectors without needing to remove the service weapon in his holster.

Was he taking advantage of his SWAT profession for convenience? yes.

Did he give a fuck right now? No.

Continuing to ignore the rules, Baker used his badge to swipe past the reception desk.

Absolutely no fucks.

Not when his younger brother's life was potentially on the line.

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

While at the scene of the crash, Baker didn't have time to process what was happening. Though it did feel like watching a movie in slow motion. In all of the chaos that was occurring, Lindsey managed to hold Baker out of the way as the medics went to work.

Until he couldn't.

Hayes was the first to emerge, on her own she had somehow been able to crawl out of the jeep.  Baker broke free and ran so fast, beating the medical crew to his little sister. She was crying with blood dripping down her face, unable to give a coherent thought at all.

But she was alive.

The EVAC team had her on the stretcher and in the ambulance in a matter of few minutes as Baker could do nothing but pace beside them. He wasn't about to let them take his sister without him. She was a minor not to mention she was most certainly not going to leave his line of sight.

This didn't distract him from the fact that the firefighters were still working on evacuating an unconscious Dakota from the car.

He had to make a tough decision, one he never wanted to have to make ever again, when his sister's ambulance was ready to depart to the hospital. Baker had to leave his brother, trusting Lindsey to do anything it took to save Dakota's life.

And now, Baker wasn't going to leave his brother's side. He stomped down the hallway, the contrast to the children's hospital very apparent with the drab walls.

Baker stopped a med tech who happened to be hustling his way and asked for directions to room A17.

Finding it quickly, Baker appeared in the doorway and immediately slowed to snail speed. His eyes darted straight to the young man laying in the bed, a white blanket covering up to his bare collar bone.

His little brother.

All his clothes would have been cut off in the trauma bay as the doctors examined him head to toe for obvious signs of injury, such as his posterior knee dislocation that he apparently had. Though the medical team already popped it back into proper placement.

Same fucking knee as last time, too.

Dakota just couldn't catch a fucking break.

In addition but less of a stressor, Dakota had abrasions on his face, similar to his little sister. The both of them cut up from the broken windshield glass.

"Anything?"

Lindsey shook his head from where he sat in a hunched over position, grieving for the kid he knew and loved as a bonus brother. "No change."

Which meant Dakota was still unconscious.

Lindsey could barely look up to meet Baker's eyes as he added the dreadful information that Baker already had suspicion of. "His doctor says its still hard to tell how bad the head injury is. Otherwise everything checks out."

"God damn it!" Baker growled. In a burst of frustration, he banged his palm against the doorway, not enough to do damage to the structure or his hand, but he did catch unwanted attention from the watchful staff at the nurse station.

"Hey, hey," Lindsey was quick to get up from his chair, embracing Baker in a secure hug as he pulled him into the room, removing him from the prying eyes. The last thing everyone needed on top of this news was security being called.

Lindsey's optimism remained strong enough for the both of them until Baker could find his footing again. "The kid is stubborn as hell. Just give him time."

But time and patience was what Baker didn't have enough of.

So, let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

The waiting was awful.

Waiting while alone was absolute hell on earth.

Colton would be arriving any time now, but until then, Austin had Baker on speaker phone, the two not speaking but the silent company was enough.

Peyton had stopped by Dakota's room for a couple minutes, the shock of seeing her brother-in-law making her tear up.

Lindsey stepped out, giving the husband and wife a moment to themselves and Dakota. When he returned, he saw the uneasiness on their faces and was filled in on their hesitations about what to do with the younger brothers. Emerson, Francis, and Glen still had no clue.

Lindsey, the genuine good guy that he was, did not stutter when he immediately said he wasn't leaving Baker's side.

From there, it was mutually decided it was best if she went to Austin's home to be with the other three boys.

The two older brothers wanted someone to be there with them when they were told the news, preferably better news than what they were currently facing but it wasn't appearing that it'd work that way.

You can bet your bottom dollar though that Austin was obsessively checking his three little brothers' locations on his phone, making sure they remained safe at home.

Footsteps stopped in the doorway, the shoes coming to a squeaky halt.

Austin immediately heard the intrusion, having expected a visitor but waited to speak. It was only right to give the visitor a moment to himself. To take in everything they were seeing. It truly was a hard adjustment to make at first sight.

Austin kept on gazing at Hayes, watching as she slowly blinked her eyes, becoming acclimated to her surroundings again. That sedation really knocked her on her butt.

Now though, she was making progress and no longer had restrictions against moving around in bed.  She was somewhat curled up onto her left side, facing her eldest brother. Her right arm tucked against her belly. Austin had made sure they kept her left arm straight, otherwise the IV pump began beeping angrily at them. Not that he needed a reason to hold her hand.

Throughout it all, he also continued to softly talk to her, keeping her calmed and relaxed. She would even mumble some nonsense back every so often.

The sneakers scuffed on the floor as the visitor moved a couple steps forward. A sharp inhale followed by slow exhale as they got a closer look at their little sister.

Voice hoarse, like he'd been crying at some point between receiving the phone call and walking into the room, Colton gave a quiet, "Hey."

He had went to see Dakota before coming over.

That just about killed him.

Voice equally no louder than a whisper, Austin murmured to Hayes. "Guess who's here. Colton's here to see you, Sunshine."

Hayes blinked her blue eyes up at her eldest brother, still glistening but currently no tears overflowing. Though much improved, her words were still a bit jumbled together. Austin was a professional now though, so he was able to piece them together in a way that was coherent now. Her bottom lip quivered as she asked, "Home go now?"

"Not yet, sweet girl." Austin smoothed some of her blonde hair off her face before finally looking away and to the doorway.

Colton stood there, unable to move any further. A sight to be seen, his short hair was sticking up ruffled from how many times he ran his fingers through it. His usual so calm, cool, and collected brother was not looking as such.

It was so much like last time but different at the same time. His older brothers were here and that made a difference. He didn't have to face this on his own while they were hurrying home from college.

And after seeing Dakota in such a state, he tried to prepare himself for Hayes, but it still stunned him.

It wasn't fair.

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have rewritten mine

By being my friend

Austin shifted his chair, angling it more to the door so he could see Colton without having to turn his head much. It took more effort than it should have, but Austin hadn't really moved in at least an hour so his joints were stiff.

Through it all, he didn't dare stop holding Sunshine's hand, reassuring her he wasn't going anywhere.

So brave, the little girl had been.

Austin cleared his throat, the lump feeling more permanent each time he tried to talk. He forced some lightness into his voice, "We got good news. The doctor said that all the scans are coming back great so far."

"That's really good," Cole cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Really, really good."

Colton kept his eyes zeroed in on his sister's face and Austin watched him. He watched as his brother's face crumpled in sadness when Hayes moaned in pain as she shifted in the bed. The slightest motion of her head sent a pounding wave of pain up her skull.

"She's still trying to wake up more," Austin replied, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand.

"Trying to wake up more from?" Colton prompted, his eyes darting to Austin. He took a step forward, almost to the edge of the bed now.

"They had to give her Benadryl." That made three, following another dose of sedatives a little bit after Baker had left. "She loses her mind when a female nurse or tech or whoever comes in here."

Once Austin figured out that trigger, it didn't take him long to put a stop to that. One word to the doctor and now there was a new sign on the door with a stop sign on it, requesting staff ask the physician before entering. There was also a nursing swap and now a male nurse was assigned to the little girl's medical team.

And it had already made a difference.

"She's confused and scared and doesn't seem to know where she is at times. But she knows her brothers." Austin said, making sure to point that out. "She's slowly coming back to us, huh Sunshine."

Hayes blinked a couple times, forcing herself to commit to keeping her eyes open, though barely. She was really tired. "Aussy," she slurred his name, "me go home."

That was another thing. The little girl hadn't called him Austin yet.

Whether significant or not, Austin noticed. And so did Cole.

"I know, baby," Austin glanced at a Cole before directing all his attention to Hayes. "But we got to make sure you're all better first so we have to wait a while longer."

Colton took that final step forward so his legs tapped against the bed. His eyes roamed over Hayes' body, most hidden by the blanket that was somewhat covering her.

Her little foot poked out, in a blue sock courtesy of the hospital.

Cole reached down and gave her toes a little squeeze. "Hi kiddo."

At the touch, her eyes lazily found Cole, the blueness brightening a smidge. Enough that Austin could see the difference. "Cookies?" She asked.

Cole's forehead wrinkled. That was unexpected. "Cookies?"

The little girl's bottom lip puffed out in a pout, threatening a cry. "No cookies?"

Austin and Colton chuckled softly at their little sister's priorities. Cole reassured her, sliding over to the right side of the bed now. "There a whole bunch of cookies with your name on them waiting for you at home."

He bent over the bed railing and pressed a kiss to her hair, murmuring "I love you, Cookie Monster."

As he stood back up, his eyes latched onto her right arm he initially skipped over. It was still in a temporary splint. "What's wrong with her arm?"

"She broke it. The doctor is waiting for her to wake up more before he's going to fix it." Austin replied, looking at Colton across the bed.

His eyebrows had furrowed in unease.

"Oh hey," Colton was first to jump into action as he prevented Hayes from accidentally hurting herself. "Don't do that, kiddo."

Using her injured arm, she was trying to swipe the sleeve that had been put on her left arm, protecting the IV in her elbow from being displaced.

Little sneak.

Hayes was not happy, her displeasure obvious as she complained once more, "Nooo, time to go home."

Another chuckle escaped Austin's lips. It wasn't the first time she was trying to pull a Houdini which is how she ended up with the arm sleeve to begin with. "Ah, she's getting faster at it. That must mean the Benadryl is almost out of her system."

With impeccable timing, Dr. Harden strolled into the exam room, two of his staff coming in behind him. It must have been shift change as Austin didn't recognize them.

"Okay, Miss Hayes, I think it's time we do something about this arm of yours. What do you think?" As the doctor talked, Austin and Colton watched the prep work take place.

Hayes shook her head no, before grimacing. Her eyes pinched tight as she moaned from the headache. It was due to this head injury, that the little girl would be spending the night at the hospital for observation, with Austin of course. But he hadn't gotten around to telling his sister they wouldn't be leaving so soon.

He didn't want to crush her spirits just yet, if at all.

A medical tech brought in some more supplies that Colton pieced together to be for the splint; the tech laid his supplies spread out on the counter.

Another male worker in grey scrubs pushed in a monitor, different from the one that was showing the steady vitals above Hayes' head.

"Austin, I'm going to ask you to step out for a few minutes once we get everything set up. And- oh, hi you must be another brother."

Honestly, the siblings' similar looks were uncanny.

"Colton," the brother answered the unasked question, shaking the doctor's outstretched hand.

"Excellent. So like I was explaining to Austin before, we'll have you both step out. Just outside the door is perfect. And this will be a conscious sedation so it will sort of be like the state that Hayes is in right now, just with the other medication. Then I'll reduce the bone that is out of alignment in her wrist and then we'll splint it, take some x-rays of it, and go from there."

Colton would be impressed for how easy and simple the doctor made the whole procedure sound, if it wasn't for the fact that it was his little sister lying on the stretcher.

Once Austin confirmed his approval for the procedure, in what felt like seconds, the brothers were in the hallway, the curtain being pulled for privacy.

Though there was nothing that could block the sound of Hayes' cries.

And just to clear the air

I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done, you blame me for

It was raining outside.

Dark and gloomy.

Perhaps an omen for what she was about to face.

The wheelchair rolled along the carpet smoothly, the little girl tucked under two layers of warmed blankets to keep her comfortable as they walked.

But she was uncomfortable. The blankets made her itchy. Her blue cast was heavy, bulky, and itchy as well, resting on her lap.

She didn't like it.

She needed to tell Glen that she didn't like it and she didn't want to be twins with him anymore.

They were walking through the indoor overpass that connected the children's ward to the adult hospital. The windows were large, but the view was nothing but gray clouds.

The angels in heaven were crying.

She wondered why.

Where was the sunshine?

Wait, that was her.

A boy was standing at the far end of the hall, waiting for them. Head down, arms crossed, scuffing his shoe onto the carpet. Hiding his tears.

"Glen," Hayes called out his name. "Glen, Glen, Glennard," Each time more anxious than the prior.

Why wasn't he hearing her? Why was he ignoring her?

Then he turned, she watched his mouth move but she couldn't hear words. He wasn't talking to her. He glanced at her then looked away.

A hand rubbed her shoulder gently as they all waited at the elevator. It was familiar, belonging to one of her brothers. He was probably talking too, but she wasn't listening.

There was a hum, encapsulating her head, keeping her calm. It was nice, not hearing sounds. Peaceful like. She couldn't remember when she first noticed it. Maybe she just noticed it.

The silence.

It was different.

Perhaps it was this morning, but what if it was still morning?

Or maybe it was the next morning?

Her brain was in a fog, unable to recall what day it was.

A sharp, burning pain shot up her elbow. She felt rather than heard a low moan escaping her own chapped lips, rattling her chest.

Her head tilted to the side, resting on top of her brother's hand. "Oooooww."

Then the pain disappeared.

The elevator doors slid open and they all went inside. Glen pressed the button to the floor they were going to.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better

I do believe I have been changed for the better

"Are we going home?" she mumbled, unsure if they were going up or down.

She felt a kiss to her head and took that as a yes. Her eyes darted around, locked onto Glen who's back was to her.

Was he mad at her?

Some time passed, Hayes lost track of how long, and soon enough the elevator doors opened again.

The little girl blinked. This didn't look like home.

She whimpered, pressing her cheek harder against the hand on her shoulder. She didn't want to be here anymore.

Another kiss.

The wheelchair rolled forward, a tiny bump jostled her as they exited the elevator. Sharp pain flying up her arm."Owwww."

A lingering burn in her arm.

Whoever was pushing her in the chair must have known where they were going, because they did not hesitate picking which corridor to go down. Her vision may be a little blurry, but they all looked the same to her.

Another set of closed doors that opened inward for them.

They stopped outside a partially shut, clear sliding door, a curtain hiding whatever was on the other side.

She watched someone stepped out from behind the curtain to move it aside, granting them access. Her eyes squinted as she tried to make out who it was.

The hum was getting louder, making her dizzy. She swallowed.

She wanted to pull her knees up to her chest, yearning for that sense of protection. But something was blocking her.

There were several men standing in the room, some turning to look at her arrival. Her brothers. Their eyes were bloodshot.

One, two... She lost count and had to count again.

The man that had been pushing the wheelchair came beside her and squatted down, his hand on top of her knee. Her eldest brother. She could see his mouth was moving, but no sound.

The hum was even louder now.

Six brothers.

That wasn't right.

Austin brushed some hair out of her face. Her attention was pulled to the bed, where someone was laying. She saw a tube coming from his mouth, hooked up to a machine.

And because I knew you

Seven.

Hayes felt her own tears. She tried lifting her arm to wipe them away but her arm was too heavy. The tears drip, drip, dripped down her cheeks onto the scratchy blanket.

"What's wrong?" She wanted to ask, but her lips wouldn't move that well. "Why are we crying?"

Suddenly, she was in Austin's arms. The movement caused pain throughout her whole body, especially her head.

A low whine.

He placed her gently on the edge of the bed, towards the top where she could now see Dakota's face. Austin stayed next to her, a hand tight on her waist so she didn't fall off. His face buried in her hair, muffling his pain.

Dakota had a blanket laid over him, one she recognized from their home. He liked to sleep with it. It was of his favorite soccer team.

And there was something else on top of the blanket.

A sweatshirt laying over his stomach. His favorite sweatshirt. The neon green color that hurt her eyes, that she also absolutely loved. Because she had the same one.

Brother.

Hayes' eyes stared unblinking at Dakota, unable to look away from the breathing tube. His eyes were closed, hiding his blue eyes that were often watching her without her knowing. Keeping her safe from harm she couldn't see.

Because I knew you

"Dakota?" She whimpered, so badly wanting to reach out and touch him. She tried to lean forward, but it was like her body was frozen in place.

Something was different now.

Sound, rushing around her.

"Kota," Her bottom lip was trembling as she took in stuttering breaths. "Why isn't he waking up? Dakota, please," she was begging.

"I'm so sorry, baby," someone spoke from behind, a hand pressed to her back.

Baker.

"No," a sob was building. "No. Why isn't he waking up?"

"He's not going to," Baker softly told the little girl, rubbing her back. He didn't bother wiping his own tears away.

A severe head injury, they said.

Unpredictable.

Low chance for recovery at this time.

Brain dead.

Two people with badges and scrubs entered the room, walking to the machine that was keeping their brother alive. They began unhooking some unnecessary equipment, prepping the bed to be moved.

Across the room, Colton opened his arms for Francis and Glen to tumble into. The two teens needed to be hugged and held.

Comforted.

All wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

Bleeding hearts, raw, full of grief.

Emerson gripped Dakota's hand tight between his fingers. "I love you, brother." Sonny inhaled sharply. "And I hate to break it to you, but you're going to heaven, you asshole." He pressed a kiss to Kota's forehead, whispering "Raise hell up there."

Dakota Powers would be saving 4 lives that day.

Austin picked up his little sister back into his arms, as the siblings shuffled around the room into one family embrace.

"No!" She screamed. Hayes began to twist and turn, her weak body trying to fight her way out of Austin's grip. But he was stronger.

Baker nodded to the awaiting medical staff that they could go ahead.

Colton mumbled a prayer over their bent heads, the words flowing in and out of the siblings' ears.

"Our Father, who art in heaven...

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done...

Give us this day our daily bread...

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us...

but deliver us from evil...

Amen."

The medical team began pushing Dakota's bed out of the room, his beloved siblings filling in the space behind them.

Aligning the ICU walls were hospital workers coming from all different departments - physicians, nurses, techs, and so forth; His construction colleagues; his soccer buddies.

Peyton who was standing with her own parents for support. She separated from them and laced her fingers with Baker, joining the siblings at their side.

Lindsey, and other members of Baker's SWAT team.

Leah and some of Austin's coworkers.

The blonde babies' friends - Theo, Abe, and Johnna.

All coming together to pay their respects to the young man who would be selflessly donating his life.

Not a dry eye to be seen.

Guttural, heaving sobs overtook her tiny body. The sound of pure grief as a piece of herself was never to be recovered.

Because I knew you

I have been changed

For good

————

"Aw, what's with the tears? We're all done, Sweetheart. You did so good." It was a man's voice, one that Hayes didn't recognize as her brothers. "Open your eyes, Sweetheart."

She could feel herself sweating and freezing cold at the same time.

"Hey, can someone grab her dad? He's waiting outside."

There was shuffling as the staff moved around, making room for the portable x-ray machine to be brought in.

By the time Austin was at the bedside, Hayes was full-on sobbing her heart out, trying to climb her way out of the bed and into her eldest brother's safe arms.

It was painful, having to force his little sister to stay in bed until they could confirm the bone in her arm was back in proper placement. Otherwise they'd have to repeat the procedure, which was not in anybody's best interest.

"Deep breaths, Hayes," The respiratory technician was watching her closely. "She's getting too pale for my liking. Emesis bag now, please. Keep breathing, Hayes, sweetheart."

Nausea hit her strong and made her double over, vomit expelling from her tiny body. The splatter went everywhere, covering the blanket that was laying over her legs, some onto the floor, and a smidge onto her brother's sweater.

Maybe a little bit more than a smidge.

Thankfully, vomit didn't bother him.

"Opa," someone joked. Medical humor.

Hayes hiccupped, taking a big gasp of air in-between her sobs. She was so confused about what was happening, her senses going haywire. The little girl cried out, though unintelligible, to those standing around her, "I want Austin."

"He's right here, Sweetheart," her nurse took a guess to what she said, as he balled up the dirty blanket.

Austin was slipping off his sweater as fast as he could, while trying not to get it on his shirt underneath.

As soon as he was clear from any puke, Austin wasted no more time scooping his Sunshine up into his arms and held her tight. While he really wanted to take her away right now and leave the hospital far behind, he knew reasonably he couldn't do that.

Plus, she was still hooked up to the monitor so he couldn't exactly leave right that second.

And as much as it was hurting the eldest brother, he knew the medical team was helping her.

Hayes' sobs didn't die down, in fact they worsened.

"Shhhh," Austin said, thanking the nurse when he freed the little girl from the wires. The eldest brother began pacing in the small room as the extra workers who were no longer needed anymore had cleared out.

There was only a few people left; The nurse was taking advantage and changing the bedsheets to clean ones while the respiratory therapist was wrapping up the cords to his machine.

The doctor leaned his back against the counter, watching Hayes. He needed her to settle a bit before he felt comfortable stepping out of the room. Her reaction coming out of the sedation was on the more extreme end.

"Dakota," she continued to cry, "Where's Kota?"

Colton came over and rubbed her back, hoping the tag team would comfort her more quickly.

"He's with Baker, baby. He has his own doctors." Austin replied, making eye contact with Colton. This was the first time that she mentioned her brother since Austin had been there.

"You have to help him," she insisted, though her words were unknowingly becoming muddle again. All the crying was wearing her right out. "before they take him."

They were finally making progress as her sobs were softening. Austin gently pressed her head against his shoulder as he continued to slowly walk the length of the room, soothing her.

Dr. Harden sighed as he tucked his hands into his pockets. It wasn't easy working in an environment whose whole purpose was to treat injured children, seeing them at possibly the worst ever moment of their lives.

Dr. Harden explained to the exhausted, overwhelmed, and very concerned brothers, "It may be that Hayes experienced a hallucination-like reaction from sedative that we used. There is a low risk but it does happen."

Even so, the brothers still felt anxiety over Hayes begging for Dakota.

Ominous.

As the doctor excused himself from the room, Colton took out his phone and immediately clicked on Baker's contact.

The phone rang.

And rang.

Colton exchanged a worried look with Austin, who had stopped walking.

Just as Cole was about to book it out of there to run next door, the call connected.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," Baker said.

Colton paused. His brother sounded different than earlier that evening. Relieved almost.

Austin could see the visible shift in his brother. He grew nervous, the longer Colton didn't say anything. Cole was absorbing whatever Baker was saying.

"What?" Austin questioned, abnormally calm for such a stressful moment. "What's he saying?"

Colton's hand came up to cover his mouth. The phone pressed against his chest right where his heart was.

Was this shock?

"Colton," Austin's rough voice begged.

Colton lifted the phone back up and jabbed the speaker button on his phone. "Baker, say it again so Austin can hear."

"My fucking pleasure...

... Dakota's awake."

~~~

Gonna go ahead and give myself a pat on the back before all your comments crush my sensitive heart.

:)