Disclaimer: I write for fun, all characters belong to the respective creators, writers etc.

Bonds of Blood

He lay awake a long time before rising and wandering out to the kitchen. Standing at the sink, looking out over the yard; there were days when life did not seem fair. Jack Bartlett knew what it was to lose those he loved, he'd already buried his first wife and only child; now he feared he might outlive his great granddaughter. The thought made him sick.

Katie had picked up a bug while visiting her dad in Vancouver, no one had thought much of it. She'd had a hard time with colds and flus during the school year but had always managed to get over it. An active six-year-old should have shaken it in a few days and bounced back; but she didn't. Katie struggled, a worried Peter brought her home and the little girl wound up in the hospital where Ty had spent some time about a year ago.

Doctors gave her fluid and antibiotics, but Katie didn't improve as they hoped. Lou and Peter met with doctor after doctor and held Katie's hand through a battery of tests. Just last week Lou and Peter had come home with long faces and asked the family to consider getting tested; Katie needed a bone marrow transplant.

Katie had been diagnosed with a rare auto immune disorder and as Ty's struggle against an infection came to mind Lou explained that the little girl's immune system was fighting its own healthy cells. The infection had triggered an immune response and a pre-existing genetic condition; one she had always had and would live with the rest of her life. The condition was rare, treatment options were mostly experimental, but Katie's body needed help.

Jack had bristled when they told him he could not be tested, but he was not alone, Tim and Ty were also ruled out due to past health issues. And others stepped up, Casey, Caleb, Cass and Mitch joining the family in getting tested. But results began to filter back and as far as he had heard all had been negative.

Lou and Peter spent most of their time in Calgary, staying near the hospital and clinging to hope for their daughter. Lou researched everything she could on Katie's condition and had been disheartened to learn that Katie would have to wait years to be eligible for the most promising treatment option. The doctors told Lou that at Katie's age the medications that might strengthen her body could permanently alter her development; told her to wait for a donor.

But with each day that passed it got harder to wait, it got harder to think that the little girl in the bed was fighting to hold on. Tonight was harder, Georgie had tucked herself away in her room; he knew the teenager found the empty house as unnerving as he did. Tough as nails that girl was scared for her little sister and doing just as much research as Lou was.

He was fairly sure she'd scared herself in that process but hadn't backed down and won the argument with her parents on getting tested. Jack knew Lou would have been proud if she wasn't so scared, the kid could have taken that fight to court; but had received her results today. No match. Disappointment and exhaustion dragged the kid to bed early, Georgie had really been hoping to help her sister.

He paced the kitchen for a moment, the idea of going back to his empty bed did not appeal. Lisa had a meeting in Calgary today and had planned to spend the night, spending her evening with Katie, Lou and Peter leaving him to miss her. Jack had hoped for a call but knew it wouldn't come now.

He had become spoiled lately, they'd had a bit of adjustment to living together but he'd become used to her next to him. And having decided to sell her home in France, unable to find a reliable tenant, she had been staying closer to home. Her trips over there seemed to be getting shorter by her own choice, he knew how much she loved it and had been careful to let those choices be hers; she'd had enough stress already this year.

She'd been having some success with her horses in the States and Amy had convinced Lisa to try a few of her training methods; broadening the directions her thoroughbreds went even before the track. Giving the horses some choice in their future Amy had said, and while somewhat unconventional for a breeder it was working.

It meant they spent less time apart and he had been enjoying it, before Katie had gotten sick he'd even been convinced to take another road trip; hauling a horse down to Florida to a buyer. They'd managed to make it this time, and her GPS had not accompanied them. He smiled at that thought, she'd had a bit of a fight with the paper map; but she'd been a decent navigator.

Jack was about to turn back to their room when headlights on the drive caught his attention and he moved back to the window. Frowning until the yard light illuminated the silhouette of his wife's vehicle. Lisa had come home.

"Hello Lis." He opened the door for her and helped her with her jacket; she looked beat. "Thought you were spending the night up there?"

She sighed, blue eyes met his; full of sadness. "I went to see Katie, she was awake when I got there; we spent the afternoon making pictures for you and Georgie; and I sat with her for the evening. I sent Lou and Peter back to their hotel room for a shower, some real food and a nap. Then I just wanted to come home."

"No complaints here." He folded her into his arms, holding her tight for a moment; her visit had likely done all of them some good, but it had worn her out. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Fine." She answered quickly, and he nodded, Lisa hadn't given him details but he knew she'd been worried about it; and it had been arranged in a hurry.

Jack returned to their bed and waited as she went through her evening routine, that it was shorter than usual told him just how tired she was. Lisa curled against his chest, but he wasn't sure how much she slept. He rose early, and usually alone but this morning she was awake and rose with him.

As the day wore on he realized how much the visit with Katie must have bothered her; was she worse than Lisa had let on? Lisa was predictable when she was upset, she found ways to distract herself and avoided talking about it.

He knew it wasn't work, her business might not be where she wanted it, but they'd had a straight talk about that only last week; one sale falling through was not likely to jeopardize that. Though by lunch he was considering the fact the meeting might have played a part, and it might have been about more than the sale of a horse.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched her with Lyndy, she was babysitting while Amy worked with a client's horse; but even Lyndy couldn't hold her smile. He was about to turn away when he heard her phone buzz, she'd left it on the table; safe from curious little hands. As Jack offered it to her he noticed the caller ID, Lyndy continued fussing and Lisa sighed.

"Can you get it?" She rocked Lyndy gently, rubbing her back.

"Hello."

There was a long pause before a woman on the other end spoke. "Hello, I am looking for Lisa Stillman, I may have…"

"This is her phone, she is just with our great granddaughter at the moment; I'll pass on a message."

"This is Dr. Siddal's office, we have some test results in, I need to set up an appointment. Would nine am on Monday work?"

"Hold on." His chest felt tight as he met his wife's eyes. "Lis it is Dr. Siddal, can you make nine am on Monday?"

She paled a little as she nodded, and he confirmed it before setting the phone down. Setting Lyndy down she crossed to him, his chest felt tight as he watched her. Dr. Siddal was not her doctor and he struggled to stay calm at the idea she might be ill.

Lisa took his hands. "Will you come with me on Monday?"

"What is going on Lis?" The doctor's name was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Nothing, at least not yet. I might be a match." She licked her lips, not meeting his eyes. Jack was silent, the tension in his body did not ease as he gathered her close; no wonder she had been distracted.

"That's why you went to Calgary?" His mind raced, her mood had nothing to do with work.

"They wanted to do a physical and bloodwork and access my medical record."

"I would have gone with you Lisa, and I will on Monday." She was still tense, and it struck him as off, he had to consider something else; everyone else had gotten tested and come back negative. "Are you going to do it?"

"It's Katie, of course I am." Lisa pulled back, but the irritation in her face was replaced with a wince. "But there may be more to it, and that scares me a bit."

He said nothing as she explained, she didn't have details but Dr. Siddal had asked if Lisa would consider an experimental method which might help Katie; teamed with a bone marrow transplant there had apparently been excellent results in other cases. Jack realized where he recognized the doctor's name, Lou had been talking about her research.

Katie's condition was hereditary, a problem she would never outgrow but with a healthy and functioning immune system, something she currently lacked; she had a shot at it. If Lisa was cleared for it she could help Katie with that, but the process was not guaranteed to help, and it would not be easy.

His wife was adamant she would do it if they would let her, but he knew the concept would make her nervous. They would learn more on Monday, and this time she would not be alone.

...

A/N: This is pure fiction, the treatment AU, I am not a doctor or even in the health care field. It was an idea I had.

There are many many auto immune diseases, millions of people live with these conditions, changing their lives and their families'. There is a huge amount of research being done and that needs to be done to save lives.

Let me know what you think.