in the balance

What in the world was happening? Xander was at the hospital long before Simon's mother.

It was devastating. He wasn't sure if he had the energy to go through one more horrific thing. His ordeal with losing the mother who raised him in Seoul had taken a toll on him. He hadn't been that healthy himself, as of late with a bad sinus infection. At least, there was Ducky who could check up on Simon since he was a doctor at the hospital.

"The flu is going around," Ducky said first thing while Xander was in the hospital corridor, waiting to see if there was anything new about his brother. He wished Simon's mother and their dad would get here. "And..and..he does have a busy schedule. He's probably not remembering to eat."

Xander looked into his husband's face. Was he telling him this from a doctor's perspective or from being part of his family?

Xander swelled a frown.

"You know, you don't always remember to eat, either." He made it sound as if Xander and his brother had something in common. Simon was dehydrated and yes....he had a chest cold, possibly pneumonia.

Xander paced, not sure what to make of it. Shouldn't Simon's mother know these things? It was so frightening.

"I think its best if..if you stay away." Ducky told him he'd been so vulnerable with sickness, these last few months. His immune system wasn't as great as it used to be.

"What?" Xander couldn't believe Ducky would say such a thing. "That's my brother. And..and I'm the only one here for him." Xander's mood tensed. No way was he going home.