Matt was well aware of the dangers of the business he'd been a part of it for years and a fan for even longer. The risk was always present; every time they stepped out towards the ring they put their bodies in danger. He was used to getting hurt, expected it half of the time but when it was Jeff it was another thing entirely. His younger brother was rash and volatile but he was loved. The entire roster was drawn in by his youthfulness and naivety. Every match he participated in was met with anxiety, nobody really wanted to hurt him and despite of how things looked on camera, on the part do his opponents at least the matches were fought halfheartedly. when Jeff got injured, really injured it was always hard for matt to stomach, partly because it was usually due to some fault of Jeff's and far too often it had nothing to do with the business they were in. As he sat by his brother's bedside, fingers gripping his, he had no idea how he was supposed to deal with this new development. Part of him was dreading when his brother would regain consciousness.

When his phone rang in the middle of the night he knew in his gut that something was wrong but he hadn't expected what he heard. Jeff's house had caught fire and Jeff had gotten stock in the bathroom. He had avoided the flames but the smoke had overpowered him and he passed out from the lack of oxygen as was laying there for far too long before the firefighters got to him. If the doctor's suspicions were right when Jeff awoke he would be facing partial brain damage. He would have all his memory, he could still wrestle and do the things he enjoyed but for want of a better word he would be for all intents and purposes partially retarded. His motor skills would be damaged so things like tying shoe laces and buttoning a shirt while not impossible would prove difficult, his speech and reasoning would also be slightly impaired. These were things that matt could handle, he could see them working through. However there was one complication that would take a real emotional toll, as well as prove to be significantly debilitating. Matt was going to have to potty train his brother. There was no way to predict how severely incontinent he would be but the doctors were sure that it was going to pose a problem as he recovered. Just the thought of it was daunting and if it was for matt he could only imagine how hard it was going to be for Jeff with his independent streak and volatile emotions.

The hand he held in his started to twitch and when he looked up his saw similar movements in his eye lids; Jeff was waking up. Trying to remain as calm as possible he pressed the button to alert the staff while he observed his brother closely.

"Mattie..." Jeff's eyes were closed but his lips were moving, he sounded hoarse and his voice slurred but the endearment was as clear as ever. It struck a chord in his heart however because Jeff hadn't called him that since he was in junior high, and his voice just sounded so vulnerable and small when he did.

"I'm here Jeff...everything's gonna be okay."

"My throat hurts."

"I know...don't worry the doctors gonna be here soon and he'll give you something for the pain."

Just has matt spoke the doctor was entering the room his face had none of the earlier apprehension on it and matt rationalized that it was probably for the patients benefit.

"Jeff my name is doctor Clearview; you're going to be feeling a bit groggy and nauseous but try not to get to agitated, the feeling will pass. I need you to sit still for me while i remove the tube from your windpipe, and you should be feeling better in a few moments. Do you remember what happened? "

Jeff tried to speak but his voice was dry and barely a whispered. The doctor gestured for Matt to give him a drink of the water. With slightly unsteady hands he placed the straw against Jeff's lips. He took a tentative sip before greedily slurping at the water, which matt pulled away when he started to choke.

"Take it easy Jeff...small sips."

"i remember i was in the shower when the smoke alarm went off and i tried to get out but the fire was already right in front of the door and i couldn't and then..."

"You blacked out then from smoke inhalation, you were trapped there with minimal oxygen for quite a while. You are fairly lucky Jeff, it could be much worse..."

As the doctor spoke matt tuned out his words having heard them all before. He hated how as the conversation went on Jeff grew more confused and the doctor started to speak to him as if he were a young child, he hated that Jeff didn't seem upset by this and on the contrary didn't even realize he was being spoken down to. He saw the emotions flicker across his face as the doctor told him what he was going to have to contend with. There was anger and frustration as was to be expected but there was also embarrassment and to Matt's mortification tears. It had been years since Jeff had cried, or at least since he had seen his do so. The last time had been at their father's funeral and even that had been a few stray tears that ran down his cheeks as the placed their father's tombstone up next to their mother's. Instinctively matt comforted his younger brother, being careful not to cause him any undue pain. It was awkward for him, not really having to fill this part of the big brother role in ages. He vaguely recalled the doctor taking his leave and that he had acknowledged him but for now he was absorbed in the feel of his brother against him, tears on his shirt and the realization that everything was going to change.

In face of Jeff's condition matt was able to convince the doctor to keep Jeff in the hospital until his physical injuries had all but disappeared. It didn't take all that long because there were really only a few bruises and a few stitches were he had cut his side on the bathroom counter when he fell. Jeff's ordeal had impacted him more mentally than physically and for that matt was marginally thankful because he didn't think he could deal with broken bones or the like on top of everything else. Of course that meant the he was pretty much a constant fixture in the hospital was well but it was something he had already decided on. He was willing to spend a few uncomfortable nights because in the bigger picture he was still trying to learn how to adjust to his brother and he figure that a hospital was the safest place to do that. At first he just let the nurses take care of everything and on occasion he would discretely watch from afar and gradually he worked up towards it.

Diapering his brother was one of the most emotionally draining things that either male had ever gone through. And both secretly thanked every deity they could think of that at least the hospital staff was granting them a rare moment of uninterrupted privacy. Matt had seen his brother changed on countless occasions but doing it was another thing all together. Initially matt had a vision of bed wetting and similar accidents he hadn't realized initially that Jeff's incontinence was not only with his bladder but also with his bowels. That had opened up an entirely new can of worms and thrown him father them he would have ever imagined. He had noticed that immediately prior to, during and after his changes Jeff seemed to regress even further, probably as a method of coping. Matt wasn't sure how much he liked that but he knew that if it wasn't for Jeff's behavioral regression he wouldn't have been able to do it.

They had gotten the day to themselves for the most part, aside from meals, when the nurse would simply bring the food in, leave and pick up the tray when buzzed. Eating was something Jeff could do on his owns for the most part, it was just a lot slower and messier than usual. Today in face of the unspoken obstacle they were preparing to face, matt had fed him rather than let him struggle through it on his own. They more or less knew to avoid topics that would make the situation awkward and so as little commentary was possible was made towards Jeff's helplessness. When matt noticed Jeff's eyes start to glaze over he steeled himself, while trying to remain as calm as possible. There was an embarrassed blush in Jeff's cheeks and he didn't want to make it any harder on the younger man than it already was. He ran a hand through Jeff's hair while he whispered in his ear.

"Tell me when it's over okay."

The younger man didn't respond verbally but he did give a small nod. A few minutes later matt were sure that everything had passed but Jeff had yet to say anything. It dawned on him them that as hard as it was for him it was even more difficult for Jeff.

"Jeff...lay down for me."

He made sure to keep his voice as light and soothing as possible and when he saw the relieved look in Jeff's eyes it was reassuring to him. Jeff eased down unto the bed and raised his hips so the matt could remove the sweat pants that he was wearing. Matt tried to move as quickly and surely as possible, hiding his discomfort to spare his brother. If the smell bothered him he didn't show it and he was rewarded when the tension began to ease out of his brother's face. As he stuck down the last tab on the clean diaper Jeff looked down and gave him a shy smile. Their entire relationship had just shifted in those few somewhat tense moments. Matt stretched up from his position at the end of the bed to plant a quick kiss on jiffs lips, just because. A week ago if he sees himself kissing his brother it would have been incestuous and perverted but now it just felt like the right thing to do. There was nothing romantic or sexual about it, it was reassuring, a comfort and an agreement. He smiled down at Jeff who kicked his sweatpants off the bed completely before sitting back up and hugging him tightly.

"I love you Matt."

His voice was shaky and it was clear that he was breaking down and matt was as well.

"I love you too Jeff."