Chris threw money at the cab driver and rushed into the hospital. A few hours ago his sister called him with a dilemma and he hopped on the first plane he could to be with her. He impatiently tapped his foot as a little kid ran in and out of the elevator, causing the child's father to press the button to keep the door open. After a few times of this game Chris grabbed the boy's arm to keep him in the elevator. He apologized to the father before exiting the elevator when it opened on his floor.

Chris stepped out of the elevator and looked around. He was in such a hurry to leave he didn't even get to ask his sister what room they were in.

"Chris?"

Chris let out a sigh of relief when he turned and saw his sister behind him. Without a word he ran to her and engulfed her in a hug. He kept his arms tight around her.

"How you holding up, Katie?"

"Not good. Billy doesn't have any living relatives that we know about and I just don't know what to do." She tilted her head to the side and let her cheek rest on her older brother's shoulder. The siblings stood there in silence for a minute. "I just can't believe this had to happen on vacation. We're in Los Angeles, god damn it. The first vacation we take as a couple and this happens."

"Katie, you can't plan everything, especially not a tragedy like this. You never know how fragile life is until it's challenged."

"I know." She pulled out of their embrace and walked to the window of the room her boyfriend was in. "I just don't want to loose him but I think I will."

"Oh come on, Kate. He could be all right." He stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just keep him on life support and he could come back. You never know."

"Yeah, you never know but I know this time." She was silent for a minute. "He has a living will. Just having him on that respirator is against his wishes."

"Wow. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. He made me sign it when we started getting serious. You know how paranoid he is about everything. He told me it was just in case anything should happen to him. I never thought it would be necessary to impliment."

"Damn." Chris brought his sister close to him again. "Well, I'm just glad I could come out here to be with you."

"Yeah. No matter how much I rag on you for not being at some important family functions, you are the only one who can afford to take last minute flights and be there when someone is needed. I love you, Chris," Katie sighed out before beginning to sob. Chris rubbed his hands along her back.

"I love you too. You know I'll drop anything for you guys. Now what are you going to do? You know there is only one right solution."

Katie stiffled and sighed. "Yeah, I know, but it's hard to do. You hear about someone having to let someone go like this and you wonder why they can't just follow someone's wishes, but then you have the same situation and it's completely different."

"I know, hun. I know." Chris let his sister turn into his shoulder again.

"We were going to get married. He proposed to me this morning. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together. He can't die now. We haven't grown old together yet." She continued to talk but the tears and the hiccups made it hard for her to be understood.

"So he proposed? Had you told mom yet?"

"No. He did it while we were out and I hadn't had time to get to a phone. I was going to call all of you tonight with better news than what I did tell you." Katie leaned against Chris to gather her strength.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I guess I have no choice, do I? Let me just go get the doctor."

Chris sat and watched his sister make the biggest decision in her young life. He didn't know what he'd do if he were faced with this situation. In one case you want to keep the person you love around as long as possible, but you also want to follow their wishes. He stood up when he watched the doctor's enter Billy's room. He stopped outside the room and grabbed his sister's hand.

"You're making the right choice."

She sighed. "I know. It's just that his chances of survival are slim as it is. With no help they say he could die within minutes if he hasn't started to breathe on his own, which he hasn't."

"But he could also survive?"

"Well, anything's possible."

"It most certainly is."

The siblings watched the doctors and nurses remove all machines that would help keep Billy alive from the room. The doctor wasn't sure how much longer the man would be alive so he suggested that Katie talk to him. Chris knew to leave his sister alone with the man she loved. After a minute of being alone with Billy Katie's arm waved her brother in. When Chris walked in she was sitting in a chair by the bed.

"I don't know what to say. The only words that are coming out of my mouth are either that I love him or threats of what I would do to him if he were to leave me, idle as they may be."

"I think that's a normal reaction, Kate. I'm sure I'd be doing the same thing if I were in your shoes."

"Your feet cannot fit into my shoes."

Chris let out a laugh and squeezed his sister's shoulder. They stood like that for a few minutes before machines started to beep. Doctor's began running in and moving the siblings away from the bed. They began getting the shock machine ready and Katie's voice cut through the air.

"He has a living will. He doesn't want to be resuscitated if anything happens to him."

The doctor with the shock pads looked at her. "Are you sure about this?"

Katie nodded and walked out of the room. Chris watched the doctors and nurses look on helplessly.

"Time of death, 2:42 AM."

The doctor's left and Katie walked back into the room. She grabbed Chris' hand and held it tightly.

"I can't believe I just did that. I just let the love of my life die."

"It was what he wanted. As much as I would have liked him to be my brother-in-law, I think that wherever he is he's happy because you followed his wishes. Just think of it like that."

"I know. We have to call mom and Molly."

"In a minute. Just let me hug you for a moment." He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "You know I'm here for whatever you need. Just let me know and I'll help out as much as I can."

"I know. Thank you for all you've done tonight. Hell, all you've done my whole life. If I had to have an annoying older brother I'm glad it was you."

"I'll take that as a compliment. And if I had to have bratty younger sisters I'm glad you were one of them."