Disclaimer: Yeppers, don't own "Lie to Me."

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, guys. And I apologize if it isn't the best chapter I've ever written, but this is the last chapter. I just have to end it because I've lost the inspiration for this baby...Hope it's decent and thanks for those that stuck out until the end. :)

14. Laughter is the Best Medicine

"Family of Eli Loker?"

The team couldn't get up fast enough. But the Lokers were slower, cautious to the possible pain that stood before them. The doctor was a pretty, middle-aged woman with sandy-colored hair and blue scrubs. Still, even in her innocent looks, she represented awful horrors. The surgeon looked to Joseph, as she could recognize the obvious similarities between him and the patient.

"Of course, your son is still in surgery, but we'd like to give you an update on his condition." she explained in a gentle tone. "Mr. Loker is suffering from a deep knife injury and serious blood loss. He also has extensive bruising and cracked ribs. Fortunately, the bruising he received helped slow the blood loss, but the knife injury has done a number to his system. We will stitch up the wound immediately and start him on a blood transfusion, but…" The doctor paused looking down at her clipboard, trying to keep a hold of herself. She didn't realize she was in the presence of deception experts.

"But what?" Cal persisted, shifting his stance while he diligently kept his gaze on her.

"But we can't promise that Mr. Loker will recover from the blood loss. His body went a long time with too little blood in his system and expecting a full recovery is a very optimistic diagnosis." she explained quietly, glancing between the Lokers and the team with a look of sympathy. "It is possible that his organs may have sustained some damage as a result of his blood loss." Cal wasn't sure he understood what she was saying, but a piece of him heard the hidden message of her report. He glanced at the Lokers and his coworkers, reading similar feelings in their faces. He wasn't the only one to notice.

"What does that mean?" Joseph inquired, despite the masculine fear in his features. The surgeon was hesitant to answer, looking like an inexperienced giver of bad news.

"He may…He may not make it." she mumbled, an apologetic look in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Nobody said anything. They couldn't say anything. Their minds were blank, then suddenly shocked with emotion. Could he…die? No, that can't be—

No, Eli could really die.

Liam could hardly handle the realization. His lungs began to work against a strange feeling of suffocation. It was as if he couldn't get enough oxygen, but that couldn't be it. His chest began pulsing with pain, but he couldn't stop hyperventilating.

"Liam?" Andy crooned, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Liam, are you alright?" Liam wanted to do what he had always done: he wanted to tough it out and pretend everything was fine. But there was something wrong.

He shook his head as he wrapped an arm around his ribs.

"We need some help over here!" the surgeon called, immediately acting as she glanced around for an empty gurney. Nurses rushed over with professional expressions, a couple dragging an open gurney towards the group.

"Please, step aside and allow us some room." the surgeon requested, gently pushing Andy away from her son as the others took a few steps back. She guided the Liam towards the gurney, being careful but quick. The surgeon lifted up his shirt and softly probed his chest with swift hands.

"Looks like a punctured lung. We need to get this man into surgery now!" she yelled urgently, giving the first shove of the gurney while the nurses followed. Andy wanted to call out, but she couldn't find her voice. Her brain was filling with new worries, cramming with shouts of concern; it was going into overload.

"Andy!" Joseph shouted, catching Andy as she collapsed, fainting from the anxiety. Gillian rushed forward to help Joseph move his wife towards one of the hospital couches. Just when they thought things couldn't get worse, they did.

"Go away, Liam. I'm sleepy. Can't a bro get some shut eye?" Eli growled.

"No. A bro can't get some shut eye. Not right now! I know we don't get along anymore, but I think we should start over. I remember mom mumbling something about how important it is when you first meet someone or something…so let's just start over." Liam suggested. Eli squinted towards the distant orb of light, trying to express his views on the idea. It was weird. But, then again, that was Liam.

"Alright, fine. How do you suggest we start over?" Eli grumbled, blinking away the tired burn in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm Liam Loker." Liam greeted cheerfully. Eli stared blankly at the mystery light, slightly annoyed at this antic. "Come on, Eli, introduce yourself to everyone."

"You're the only one here." Eli chuckled, unable to help himself.

"Psh! Introduce yourself!" Liam pressed.

"Uh…I'm Eli."

"Eli what?"

"Loker. Eli Loker."

"Bond. James Bond." Liam teased, his voice echoing around the empty blackness.

"So far, you're the exact same Liam I know. This isn't starting over, it's just retracing." Eli laughed. He was trying to be annoyed with Liam, but hearing his brother's ten-year-old voice just reminded him of all the things he liked about him. Liam was charismatic and warm in this strange blackness. It was everything Liam had always been. It was the part of his brother that had never changed, even if his intentions had morphed into something ugly.

"Alright, alright! But at least you're laughing." Liam giggled. He was always obsessed with laughing. If something didn't make him laugh, then there was no point in participating. He had never been to a funeral. "Oh! Oh! Eli! Let's go!" Liam exclaimed excitedly. An invisible force tugged on Eli's wrist towards the mysterious light. Eli was thoroughly confused. Where was he going? Why couldn't he just stay here?

"Come on!" Liam shouted, the pull on Eli's wrist stronger and more demanding. The last thing Eli remembered was that he was diving face first into blinding brightness.

"He's awake!"

"Are you sure?"

"I saw him flinch."

"I saw it too, Cal."

"Surprised you missed it, really."

The voices sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard them before.

"Oh, thank heavens!"

Mom?

"Well, he is my brother, isn't he?"

He knew that voice. It sounded weak, tired; it was sucked dry of everything that made that voice Liam's. Eli's eyes slid open to investigate. The first thing he saw was his parent's standing over the right of his bedside, their faces lined with worry beneath their smiles. Why were they here? He hadn't seen them for a couple years, but seeing them now, he realized how much he missed them.

"Mom? Dad?" he croaked.

"Oh, of course mom is always the first to come out of his mouth." Joseph chuckled, trying to blink back the tears threatening to flood his eyes. Eli smirked; his father even looked wise and intimidating when he tried not to cry. His mother wasn't even attempting to hold back the water works. At least she wasn't blubbering, that's all he could've hoped for.

His eyes wandered further, searching for more answers. He was in the hospital. That could explain the dull throbbing of his body. Yeah, that's right; Liam was in trouble and he had tried to help.

He was stabbed.

Eli had always thought he would be lit on fire, or broken his neck before he was stabbed. Now he had something he could brag about; a scar to show the ladies. The details were a little hazy, but he was pretty certain he didn't want clarification. It was perfectly fine with him if he lived in ignorance.

His gaze found his team at the foot of his bed, smiling. Eh…Ria and Gillian were smiling. Lightman was more along the lines of a creepy smirk. But that was his boss; he always aimed to scare.

"You look like hell." Cal stated. Eli couldn't help but grin. He knew it was Lightman's weird way of saying, "I'm glad you survived."

"Thanks, so do you." Eli laughed weakly. There was still one person that wasn't accounted for and Eli slowly roved his eyes over the rest of the room.

Liam was in the hospital bed next to him.

"How the hell did you get there?" Eli croaked urgently. Liam smirked sadly and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Punctured lung. I guess I hyperventilated when I thought you were going to die." Liam mumbled. Eli stared at his sibling for a moment, unsure if he was actually telling the truth or not. He almost wanted to believe that he wasn't…but the signs were all there. Liam Loker was telling the truth for once in his life.

"Sorry to hear that." Eli muttered. What else was he going to say? For his whole life, the Loker brothers would tease each other and brag about their battle wounds. It was never serious. Why did it still have to be?

Eli inspected Liam for a moment, staring at every bruise on his brother's face. Every cut, every purple mark, every single thing. And then, suddenly, he just started laughing. It wasn't strong or loud, but it was a laugh. Liam looked at Eli with an alarmed look on his face; Eli had finally gone mad, he just knew it.

"Why are you laughing?" Liam demanded, but his voice wasn't nearly as powerful as it should've been.

"Because I was remembering the time you broke your arm falling off the top bunk and then told everybody you got it in after landing badly flying off a five foot jump with your dirt bike." Eli chuckled. "You didn't even have a dirt bike."

"I hardly think this is a time for laughing." Liam pouted, his cheeks slightly reddening. Eli smiled as he watched his brother. Maybe it was time they started over; maybe it was about time they became brothers again. After all, Eli's childhood was the best thing that ever happened to him.

"Well, laughing was the first thing you taught me." Eli replied.

THE END.

Author's Note: I hope that worked out for everybody. But I was just struggling with this story for so long and it's about time that I ended it. Tell me what you think! Thanks, guys.