I feel so much better with this chapter, but it does feel like it had brought the story to an end. I'm out of ideas and while writing this I was thinking maybe I could do a sequel as a separate fic. Let me know what you think in your reviews. I'm open to ideas too so if anyone has any other suggestions let me know, you can PM me if you like. All ideas will be credited of course and dedicated. This chapter is dedicated to Curious Rebel and DarkestWolfx plus everyone who has reviewed and followed this story :) J x

The day passed slowly, Ethan was being constantly checked by doctors. Cal was becoming quite concerned by his brother's condition. Throughout the day he had watched his face become paler and the sweat was beginning to make his face shine. It could be a reaction to the antibiotics, Cal thought, but it seemed too severe to be that.

Ethan groaned slightly as he tried to push himself up choking slightly. Cal knew exactly what was going on and grabbed a bowl holding it under Ethan's chin as he threw up. Once he was done Cal helped him lay on his side so he was more comfortable.

"Ethan? You ok buddy?" Cal asked rubbing his hand up and down his arm keeping him conscious.

"Doesn't… feel right." Ethan spoke quietly shivering slightly. "So cold."

Cal frowned. "I'm going to check the incision on your chest ok?" Cal spoke and allowed him to slowly roll onto his back.

Cal lifted his shirt and removed the dressing, looking at the wound it was an angry red colour, swollen with a horrible yellow/green liquid seeping from it.

"Ok mate, think you might have sepsis. I'm going to get your doctor. You'll probably need surgery to give this a good clean out ok?" Cal explained to his brother.

Ethan shook his head. "No… no surgery. Please." He was clearly scared.

"I'll get Connie, you trust her yeah?" Cal smiled.

Ethan looked at him but didn't protest, Cal took that as a yes and went off to find his boss.

Cal soon returned with Connie in tow to find Ethan yet again vomiting into a cardboard bowl groaning as every movement caused him pain.

"Alright Dr Hardy we're going to have you sedate you and clean this wound out, we can do it here." She told him after quickly looking it over.

Cal moved the bowl away and handed Ethan a tissue which he used to promptly wipe his mouth.

"Dr Knight, would you like to do the procedure?" She asked. "I can't because of my hand, but I will be here every step."

Cal looked at Ethan who nodded obviously having great confidence in his older brother after the past few days. Nodding Cal looked at Connie. "Let's get it done."

With Lofty assisting, Connie advising and Cal scrubbed up and ready they began to reopen the wound and clean it out thoroughly removing any infected tissue.

Cal couldn't quite believe that he was in this position again, his stood doing procedure that normally wouldn't bother him, just knowing it was his little brother that was on the table changed everything. One wrong slip and he'd be putting Ethan's life on the line. He was glad it was him in a way, he doubted he could trust anyone else to do it. At least he was in control.

Once they were finished Cal stitched up the wound and redressed it. He smiled to himself as he looked at the monitor to see Ethan's stats were still good and he was stable. Lofty gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile which told him he'd done a good job.

"Good work Dr Knight." Connie smiled at her normally cocky ED doctor as he washed his hands in the sink and removed the apron.

"Thank you Mrs Beauchamp." He returned the smile.

"I've seen a different side to you lately, it's good. I'd like to see more of you performing like that." She smiled looking back through to Ethan who was beginning you come round. "But for now you need to be a big brother. Not a doctor."

Cal watched her leave, she had a habit of that. Saying something meaningful and then just walking away leaving you in awe. It was something Cal had never have come across in a boss. Most he'd had in the past were very chatty and liked to stand and have a conversation. Then again most of them would have to be to have even employed him.

Being brought back from his thoughts by his brother's hacking cough Cal went straight over and poured him some water before helping his sip some.

"My throat…" Ethan complained. "It's on fire."

"That's just of the intubation tube. It will ease off soon just drink plenty of water." He told him.

Ethan nodded. "How did it go?"

"It went well, it was well and truly infected though. But you know not to leave it that long in future yeah? It can be life threatening, you know that." He told him sitting down on his normal seat.

"Yeah…" He looked at him. "You look tired, you should go home and go to bed. Has to be better that sleeping on that chair."

Cal shook his head. "I'm fine. I'll grab a few hours in the on call room later."

"Can you remember…" Ethan started getting himself comfortable. "when we used to go in the back garden and tell Mum we were going to water the garden, then get the hose and end up having a water fight?"

"Yeah." Cal laughed slightly. "Then Mum would always come out and ask what was going on and we'd gang up and turn on her. She always ended up soaked through."

"Then going inside and drinking hot chocolate in our PJs on the sofa to warm us up." Ethan smiled looking at him. "Till Dad came home."

Cal nodded and smiled, it soon faded hearing his father being mentioned. "Yeah. I remember it all very well."

"He did love you Cal." Ethan told him.

"Had a funny way of showing it." Cal grumbled. "He made me feel so small while we were growing up. I was never good enough for him."

"He wanted what was best for you." Ethan sighed.

"I couldn't come home with A* grade and you could Ethan. That was his problem." He told him. "He wanted me to be as bright as you but I couldn't."

"You were better at different things, the people side of things. We're both doctors but with different strengths a weaknesses." Ethan frowned.

"Yes, I know that now. I'm not book smart like you but I can explain a complex procedure in simple terms to a child so they understand." He told him. "I hated you for so long. For setting him against me, for being perfect when I couldn't. Blamed you for it all if I'm honest."

"Yeah, I know you did." Ethan nodded. "We used to be as thick as thieves. Always together then school started, we chose our careers and life became a competition that no one could ever win. When Dad left and Mum got ill I had to deal with that on my own because you had ran away."

"I know you did, I'm sorry you had to. I should have been there. There is a lot I've done wrong Ethan. I won't deny it and hell I regret a lot but I can't change who I am. I can't change how I feel." Cal looked up slightly taking a deep breath.

"You're here now, and if you hadn't been I'd have been dead. For the first time since we were about 13 you've been a proper big brother to me. As for Mum. She'd be proud of you…" Ethan told him.

"I miss her." Cal admitted.

"I do too, every day I wish she was here I wish I could go to her every time I had a problem and I wished she was here right now, to tell you that you've done well. Finally grew up." He told him. "She put me in charge of your inheritance because she thought you were childish. You've proved to everyone that you can do the right thing and you can be a man and a brother."

"I always could Ethan. I might act it but I'm not the village idiot and I'm not going to say I'm perfect because I'm not but I do know right from wrong." He shook his head. "Things will be different now. I can't lose you."

"I'm your safety net right?" Ethan smiled a little and Cal nodded. "That's rubbish. You've been my safety net since the accident. You don't need me. We need each other."