Once they reached the hospital Brian phoned Nick while Howie spoke with Karen's doctor. The doctor read his chart. "I'm sorry, Mr.Dorough, but you can't stay with her. Neither can your friend. Family only."

Howie took a deep breath. "Well, her family is in Indiana. We're the closet thing she has."

The doctor merely shrugged. "Sorry, sir. I can't bend the rules."

Brian joined him. "Excuse me, sir. I don't think you understand. She's a minor and she's terribly nervous, couldn't we just stay with her while she isn't in an examination?"

The doctor sighed. "All right. Just for a little while."

The boys followed the doctor to Karen. She was a ghostly shade of white and her eyes dazed.

Howie took her hand. "It'll be okay, sweetie."

Brian smoothed her forehead, but he quickly drew his hand back. "Have you taken her temperature?"

"Yes. It's 103.7."

"103.7!" Brian repeated.

"Yes, Mr.Littrell."

The doctor whispered to Karen. "I'll need you to sit up to check your breathing."

Howie pulled Karen up and held her steady, in shock that the doctor honestly thought Karen had enough strength to do so herself. It hurt to watch her whince with each breath she took.

"Okay, you can lie back now." He began applying pressure to her adomen. "Do you feel any pain?"

"No," she sighed.

He removed his hands. "I've already started a test on your kidneys. Now I need some x-rays, take some blood and get an IV started." The man found his way to the door. "I'll send in a nurse."

A yound fair-haired beauty entered. "Hi y'all, I'm Patty. I'll be taking Karen to get her x-rays. Think you can walk okay, hon?"

"Yeah," she whispered stepping down slowly.

Brian observed her state. "Are you sure you can walk?"

She limply nodded.

Karen was then put through 15 minutes of painfully positions and adjustments in the x-ray room. Patty rubbed her knee. "You're doing great, hon. Just keep it up."

Suddenly, Karen felt the room revolving around her and everything went black. She returned to her friends on a stretcher. "Karen fainted during her last x-ray," Patty explained.

Brian rushed to her. "Karen, are you okay?"

She looked at him with weary eyes. "I can't stand this. I hate being packed around and cared for. I'm not that sick."

"Yes, you are," Brian interjected. "You're VERY sick. You just rest."

Karen faced the nurse. "May I have a drink?"

Patty smiled. "Sure, sweetheart, I'll be right back."

As she exited a middle-aged man entered carrying a large supply of needles. "Hello, I need to draw a set of blood and start an IV."

Karen's stomach dropped. She whispered. "Help me, Rok. They never find a vein."

"Howie and I are both here," Brian reminded her.

The man tied off her arm and prepared to stick the needle in her hand. Howie placed a cool cloth to Karen's forehead. "Think of something else, Kare-Bear."

Howie's advice became useless as the man shoved the needle through her skin. "I can't seem to find a vein." He moved around underneath a thin layer of skin in her hand. Sweat began to pour off Karen's body with each move each made. Finally, he removed the object. He sighed. "Guess, we'll have to try again."

Brian rolled his eyes and took tighter grip of Karen's hand.

The gentleman now slid the needle beneath her wrist bone. Still no blood. He twisted the needle around in her wrist. Karen gasped, and barely managed to say, "Lord, please make him stop."

Brian answered her prayer. "Sir, that's enough. Perhaps someone else should try."

At that time Patty returned. She turned to the employee. "I'll take over from here, thank you." The man hestiantly departed.

Howie brushed a tear faway from Karen's white cheek. "Thank you."

Patty quickly found a vein. "No problem." She patted Karen's hand. "I know you've been through a lot of pain, so, I have an idea. She pointed to the boys. "Take one of their hands, and stare directly into their eyes. No where else."

Howie took the redhead's hand and whispered, "Look at Brian, he looks more like Nick."

Karen let out a slight chuckle and stared into Brian's baby blues wishing that they belonged to Nick.

>>>>>

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