"Wanna be startin' something."

[agentsullivan]

Who: Ali Connor and Leo Bronson
What: In Case of Emergency
Where: ED, Mount Sinai
When: After THIS and THIS

Those sorts of phone calls you don't want to get when you're at work... or any time for that matter. As a mum, you always worried it was going to be bad news about your kids and because her baby boy had been ill, she had her phone on her at work anyway. Andy had said that Jack was a lot more perky in the recent hours, so it must have just been a big of a bug he picked up and shook it quickly. There was also the fact Max was sick. They had chatted on Facebook a little that morning, and he was going to try to rest it out, and she made sure he had Andy on quick dial. Andy was home with Jack for the day, and Mark had a day off so Sunshine was with him and Justin.

Ali didn't know Leo, but of course she knew of him. She and Max were incredibly close and she was the one Max spilled his guts to all the time. She was his big sister, that was her job. She knew of his insecurities and his worries, especially lately when it came to relationships. It was always going to be a tipping the tightrope situation until he figured out how he felt.

But, the poor bugger, he had gotten sick on the date and it was easy to just assume it was the same bug Jack caught, and only a few weeks earlier, Mark and Justin had too. Then she got that chilling call, and she fucking dropped everything to get to the hospital as quick as she could. Andy met her there with Jack, and even though she knew Leo was probably here somewhere worried as fuck, she had to find out what was going on with Max first. If he was sick enough to need to come to the hospital, it was very serious because Max had a real aversion to blood. One peek and he could be out cold. Therefore, he wasn't a fan of hospitals.

It wasn't for awhile that she managed to get some time with Riley to get a complete picture of what was going on, and she discovered talking to him why it was taking the time it was. Max was being admitted and Andy was going to sit with him because he was sleeping and Ali didn't want him to be completely freaked out when he woke up. If he woke up. He was hovering in a danger zone where he had been very close to slipping into a coma. It still might happen, it just depended on how he responded things.

She had Jack on her hip and he was tired, resting his little head on her shoulder while he sucked on his pacifier and had his hand gripped around the pocket of her shirt. She didn't really know who she was looking for, but she was pretty sure she knew when she spotted him. She went up to the guy about Max's age in the ER waiting room. "Are you Leo?" she asked softly.

Comments

[morethantheeyecansee]

The truth was, after he'd gotten off the call with Ali, Leo had probably spent the rest of the time from then until now crying his heart out over Max. By the time Ali arrived and found him, he felt sure his face looked horrible... that swollen puffiness that only came from crying, with the salty streaks left behind by tears. He just looked up at her, wide-eyed that she rightly assumed he was who he was when she came over. It took him a moment to answer because he was trying to find his voice, but he finally just nodded, following it up with, "Yes... I am. You must be Ali?" He stood, reaching out to shake her free hand while using his free hand to try and wipe away some of the tear streaks on his face. "I'm sorry... This isn't really how I was hoping to meet you. He passed out, and I had to get him here. He couldn't let me into his apartment. I had to call the police, and the building supervisor let them in."

He shook his head, still scared about Max's health. "Is... Is he going to be okay? I don't want to be nosy and stick my nose into his business, but I do want to know if he's going to be okay." He met Ali's gaze, and what he saw there was kindness and concern, for which he was incredibly grateful. He could see, even just in the first moments of meeting her, why Max loved his big sister so much. "I thought he just had the stomach bug like Jack had, and when I texted to check in on him, he was totally out of it. It was... it was really scary. I promise, I don't want to overstep my bounds or anything... I'm not his boyfriend, although I can't deny I'd like to be one day. I just really like him and care for him, and I want to know if he's okay or not."

[agentsullivan]

Ali sat down in the seat beside him and shifted Jack to be nursing him in front of her. He was over a year old now, and the time had flown. But he was such a quiet and content baby that when he was upset, fussy, and clingy it was always an indicator he wasn't well. "You did the right thing, Leo. As awful as it is to hear, if you had waited much longer, he could have been seriously sick with his life on the line," she explained. Her head was spinning with everything right now. There was the understandable shock of hearing Max was sick and needed to go to hospital, but not only had she thought Max caught the bug going around, but so had she.

"The thing is, it seems like he did come down with the stomach bug but it caused a chain reaction in his system. It's likely he was probably already ill without realising it, but when he started to be sick and couldn't control it, it depleted a lot of vital electrolytes and he became very dehydrated. It doctor speak, it caused his body to develop more ketones and it led to something called Ketoacidosis. They're just waiting on more test results to clarify, but it looks like Max has Type I diabetes. Without getting the immediate treatment he did to balance the chemicals in his body, he could have fallen into a coma. Where he is right now is hovering in and out of consciousness, but even then he's very out of it. He's still in danger, so they're going to be admitting him to the ICU for monitoring." It was hard to put all this in a nutshell version, because the chemistry of it was confusing. It had come as a real shock for her, not understanding how they didn't realise it sooner, but Riley explained it could develop at any time. It wasn't that he's had it for a long time and it's gone unnoticed, the body can shift and change all the time.

[morethantheeyecansee]

Ali was extremely comforting, even just here at the start, and Leo could more than see how she managed to be such a great mom and big sister. She had an understanding way about her, and it was helping him not feel quite so awful, even if he was still scared to death for Max. This wasn't exactly how new relationships were supposed to start, even if Jace said that it was pretty similar to how things had kicked off with him and Jesse in some ways. "I texted him that I was coming, and he was texting weird stuff a little bit, and by the time I got there, he answered the phone, but he was so out of it that he couldn't really talk right, and he couldn't get to the door to let me in." Maybe he'd already said that, but he was running over and over it in his head, trying to figure out for sure if he'd done everything the way he should've.

"He was drinking a lot of water last night, but he was so sick he couldn't keep it down. Everything seemed okay, but then it just hit him out of nowhere." He paused, looking at Ali as she explained a little more. "Type I diabetes? Is that the one where you need to take insulin shots or not?" It didn't make a difference in things with him and Max as far as he was concerned, but he did want to know as much of the information as he could. "So he isn't in a coma, but he's still not conscious at the level he usually is, because he's sick. How did it just... happen without Max knowing anything at all before? Or is that how it is? Just one of those things that comes on you all at once and screws your whole system up?" He was trying to not be the guy with a million questions, when she didn't even know anything for sure herself yet until the tests came back. "I was actually going to offer to stay the night with him last night, just because I was worried, but we'd only just met and I didn't want to freak him out or make him think I was moving too fast. I kind of wish I had stayed, now."

[agentsullivan]

By this point, Jack was resting in against Ali's chest, but a little hand was trying to reach for Leo. He was a sociable bub, he tended to interact well with people. Ali just took his little hand and gave it a kiss before tucking it back in against him to try to settle him. "Max is a funny soul. On the face of it, he's open and funny, but he tends to internalise a lot of things. Even if he wasn't feeling the best, he probably just palmed it off as something else thinking it was no big deal. He doesn't like to feel like a burden on people. He's more a helper than a helpee. He has been mentioning feeling tired lately, putting it down to his busy college schedule."

"It's an illness that can have a gradual build up. The body doesn't produce enough insulin to flush out the glucose in the blood like in a normal body. So the glucose builds up in the system without being flushed and the blood sugar levels go up and up and up. Unfortunately, the early signs aren't always something people would identify as anything to worry about. Tiredness, excessive thirst, possibly weight loss. But he's already too skinny as it is. If there's a lack of insulin, the body can't use the glucose in the blood as energy, so the body starts using the body fat as a fuel source instead. When fat breaks down, it causes the build-up of ketones and that's when a diabetic gets extremely sick and the condition is life-threatening. That's when the worse symptoms come like losing consciousness, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, confusion, stomach pain, rapid breathing. That's where Max was when the paramedics got to him. They initially tested his blood sugar and the ketones in his body, and they were through the roof. He's in an out of consciousness at the moment, he's not really with it. Once the test results are through, they have to admit him to the ICU for intensive insulin, potassium and fluid therapy to try to bring his blood sugar back down. He's severely dehydrated, so they need to monitor him closely to make sure there's no signs of kidney failure. I do know it all sounds very scary right now, but he's in fantastic hands. Those doctors in there have saved the lives of people I love and I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else right now. The doctor in charge of the ICU today is Evan's partner, Christian. The uncle of my daughter is also a Type I Diabetic, so we all understand the ins and outs of it. When all this initial stuff is resolved, then he'll have time with a diabetes specialist to go over the management of it all. It's going to be a bit of a rough road. We'll understand if you don't want this on your plate."

[morethantheeyecansee]

Even in the midst of his worry about Max and the fact that he was trying to process all of this information, Leo couldn't help smiling when Jack reached for him. The baby was incredibly cute, and there was no doubt as to why Max was head over heels for his little nephew, and his niece if Jack's cuteness was any indication of his big sister's. "Hi, Jack!" Leo cooed at the baby, grateful, even if just for a moment, for the adorable distraction. "I'm sorry you've been feeling yuck, buddy. Your Uncle Max told me all about it." Jack was gorgeous, and Leo was glad the little guy was here, because it helped him tremendously just to have one tiny thing to make him smile. "Max is a sweetheart, and he seems like the kind of guy that all his friends could count on. That's a pretty awesome thing."

"That all makes a lot of sense given how he was acting when I got in touch with him. We were going to go out last night... To dinner and FAO Schwarz. But after I got there, he said he wasn't really feeling up to going out and asked if I minded staying in. Of course I didn't mind, and we had a nice time, just watching movies and eating takeout, and then he just got so sick out of nowhere. It's exactly what you said, too. Sick and throwing up... He was so tired, but he wanted to have our date anyway, and I was more than happy to just chill out. It was nice... relaxed. Honestly... I'm transgender. I haven't dated anyone since I came out, and Max was just... He didn't question it... It was never a thing where he thought that I was less of a guy because I wasn't born with a dick, and he didn't care that I was different, because he's different, too, in his own nerdy way. I really liked that. I always thought that dating would be an awkward thing and uncomfortable before I could find someone who'd like me the way I was, but Max doesn't make me feel like that. He's sweet, and understanding, and generally just fun to be around. It felt really nice to just sit there with someone when we both liked each other and enjoyed spending time together. It was easy and fun, and not uncomfortable at all. It is scary. But Christian is a great doctor, and the fact that you guys have some understanding of the condition and stuff will help, too. I know it's going to be full on, Ali. But I really like Max, and I don't want to just end things because of something he can't help. Diabetes isn't going to make him suddenly stop being the guy that I'm attracted to and want to date. It's not too much for me to want to continue things with him."

[agentsullivan]

Ali knew that Max had to have been feeling pretty rough to have admitted to feeling so tired. Normally, he could give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money. From what she had just seen of him, he looked awful. It really was the most sick she had ever seen him. His face looked grey and he had heavy circles under his eyes. When he had been managing to get them open for just a few moments, she had seen they were all bloodshot. It was terrifying for her to know that a matter of minutes, and he might have fallen into a diabetic coma. The hard part for her was remembering he was an adult now, he had to call his own shots. He wasn't the cute little dorky kid whose pants kept falling down when he would run around because he was so freaking skinny and didn't like belts. He was a funny kid. Even had a period where he hated the seams on the socks and their mother had to hunt all around the place to find seamless socks. At least he did eventually grow out of it. Ali had kids of her own now, and Max was all grown up. He just looked so young back in that hospital bed, barely conscious. "He is, but he's been a bit lost lately. Kind of at a crossroads in his life, I think. If I'm honest, I don't know how he'll cope with the news he's diabetic. He has a phobia of blood and doesn't like being held down with anything."

She softly patted Jack's back and wasn't able to stifle a sigh. It was so much to take in, and even though she was the sort to keep a cool mind in a situation like this, inside she was scared and worried about Max's health. Yes, they knew about diabetes, but there was also a long history of James getting seriously at times. Just because Max was getting treatment now, didn't mean he was going to be bouncing back ASAP and back to his normal self. It would take time recuperate and adjust. Would he even be able to accept it, or would it be a struggle for him? It was hard to tell. Max was a tough person, very accepting, very strong inside, but he had also never been through anything like this before. He had always been the rock for other people. "I promise you, your gender or sexuality, it won't ever be called into question by Max. He doesn't see people on the outside first, he looks beyond it. I don't know if this will be smooth sailing for him. It might knock him quite hard and the Max you've enjoyed these last few days might not be freely available. You might face issues of him trying to nudge you away so he's not dragging you down with this."

[morethantheeyecansee]

"It's not going to be an easy thing," Leo replied, understanding what Ali meant here. "Learning that you have an illness you're always going to have for the rest of your life would be enough to be rough on anybody, even the most happy-go-lucky of guys. Maybe even especially the most happy-go-lucky of guys. He told me his last boyfriend sort of tried to put him into a mold he didn't fit, and that would be pretty shitty for anyone. Max is awesome, just the way he is. Before he got sick last night, he made me laugh a lot. It was just nice. I don't want him to be different for me. I want him to be himself." Leo could only imagine knowing that you were going to have to give yourself shots every day, when you were scared of blood in the first place. Max was such a sweet guy, and he'd been through so much in his last relationship... something he didn't harp on, but did mention. Max was someone who deserved good things... Things that brought that big goofy smile to his face and made him light up as Leo was sure he could, but had only seen a fraction of last night because Max wasn't feeling his best to start with.

"He's kind. Smart. Accepting and understanding. He's the kind of person that anyone should count themselves lucky to even get a first date with. Honestly, I really thought I'd have to go through a ton of bad first dates to get to a good one, but the first date with Max was easy and comfortable... I mean, aside from his being sick, and that wasn't his fault at all. I understand that it won't be smooth sailing all around. It will take time for him to start to feel better, and to accept his illness, too. I don't expect him to roll out his hospital bed laughing about farts and wanting to watch Star Wars. I know this will be hard on him... But I want to be here for him, because he's a wonderful guy, and he more than deserves a guy in his life who's going to be there for him when things feel horrible. I can't make it better for him, but I can stand by him and support him. That's what I'd like to do. If he tries nudging me, I'll nudge back. I'm not an easy mind to change."

[agentsullivan]

Ali had to give a small, tired laugh at this. "Rhett? That was a case of opposites attract, but that doesn't mean it works after the attraction. He's a fashionista sort, works as a stylist. Max likes Wookie hoodies, duck slippers and has a Harry Potter Snuggie. Rhett's a nice guy. Actually, his brother works here and I want to have a word to him about Max because he's a psychologist. Gabe's fiance works at the law firm with Mark, Justin's dad. So, even if there were connections there, you can't force a fit that just doesn't work. It frustrated Maxi and made him have some insecurities, but neither of them would have wanted to change each other. You shouldn't have to in a relationship. It someone has to change, then it's not real. It might feel real, but it's only opening yourself up for resentment later down the track. And he's my baby brother, I don't want him hurt. Rhett might be a good guy, but I still wanted to go over there and deck him. So, if there is any time to have second thoughts, it's now, because I won't let him get hurt again. Especially not when he's sick and vulnerable."

At one year old, Jack had a lot of Max's personality already. Max spent a lot of time with his niece and nephew, but Jack just absolutely adored him and could literally just lie there and giggle at him for hours. "Max doesn't have a good history with first dates, so I'm glad to hear it was good even through him not feeling well. This is going to be very hard on him, because he's right in the middle of his final work for his Masters, and there's a chance if he doesn't feel well enough to finish it, he won't finish the course. I don't want him going back home to his apartment alone either. He'll have to come stay with us."

[morethantheeyecansee]

"I'm not having any second thoughts," Leo said firmly. And he meant that wholeheartedly. He wasn't. He wanted to continue to pursue this with Max. His being ill sucked, but more in a way that Leo hated it for him that he was feeling shitty. "I like his dorkiness. We have things in common, and we have other things not in common. I'm not artistic at all, but I've seen his photos, and they're beautiful. He's incredibly talented. We have our own things, but we don't have to be just alike. I like the differences and the things in common, and I want to get know more of those things. It's just... It's crazy how connected everyone is. It sort of overwhelmed me when Jace first started explaining a lot of it to me. Jace is my best friend, and Justin's best friend, Kolbie, is my little brother. It's funny in a lot of ways, but kind of a nice feeling, too, knowing I've got friends of friends in all sorts of places. It's comforting. But I don't plan to hurt him, Ali. You have my word."

Jack was so incredibly cute, and Leo could more than see why Max loved him so much. "Well, I'm glad to be able to change the first date history," Leo said with a small grin. "I was hoping that there might be a good shot at being able to change things up in both of our relationship histories, too." He was quiet for a moment, listening to everything Ali was saying, and he gave himself time to think before he spoke again. Tugging his beanie down -- he'd put it on earlier because his hair was a mess -- he met Ali's gaze. "If he wants to go home, I don't mind staying with him to help him out until he feels better. Not like moving in together or anything... Just staying there so he won't be alone."

[agentsullivan]

"Max is a pretty flexible person. I mean that literally and emotionally. He can put his foot up behind his head, though I like to think he grew out of that after about the age of fifteen. Although, I think there's a high chance he's been passing all his secrets onto this little rugrat," Ali said fondly with a smile as she kissed the top of Jack's soft hair. "He's a lot like Max. Laughs all the time, very easygoing. They're partners in crime. Max has my children a lot, he loves sittings for them. He generally has Jackie more because Jamie spends time with her dad, who is also Justin's dad. I hope you don't mind a couple of nutty children running rings around you now and again. It's probably better to learn early the things that come part of Max's package deal. My husband, Andrew, he's a paramedic. He's sitting with Max at the moment. Our family's a bit of a crazy bunch in general."

She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ear. It had been a really tough couple of nights. First Jack was ill with the gastro bug and he had been miserable, and still not 100%, and now this. This was stressing her out beyond belief, though. Even though Max was in good hands, he was still at risk. More tests might reveal more complications, and she was just in stress overdrive with her mummy and big sister instinct flaring up. "We'll just see how he goes and how long he needs to stay in here. If he's not well, he might need a lot of help. Especially if it's going to take time to level his BSL out. It might yo-yo a lot in the early days, and rapid rises or drops could make him ill. It's not a pleasant thing, but it can be very controlled. I'm not entirely turning down your offer, by any means. I just know that there might be a chance he doesn't want to be consistently weak around you if it's just the early dating days."

[morethantheeyecansee]

"He's just... Different. And I mean that in the best possible of ways. I have always found myself drawn to people who are different in their own ways and accept their differences. I mean, Jace Hartley is my best friend from the time we were practically in diapers, if that tells you anything about the people I like spending time with. I think maybe because I knew all along that I was different, even before I really knew or understood why. But Max... He accepts himself as he is, and the same for other people. I felt comfortable with him right away, which is pretty amazing in itself." He paused, having to smile at Ali. It was clear that the feelings the people in this family had for each other were all very mutual, and it was sweet to see. "Max talked about you and Andy and the kids a lot. You can tell how much of a family guy he is. It's awesome, though. I love kids."

"I know it's probably kind of a heavy thing for you, too. He's your baby brother. I have a baby brother, too. I know what it feels like to worry about him. He came here to New York to live with me when I left because he was getting mistreated at school... mostly because of me. I worry about him probably more than anyone else in the world. But less so now, because he's come here, reunited with his best friend... which also happens to be your daughter's brother, because we're in a huge city, but it's a small world. He has a boyfriend, and he's really happy and doing well. His school is amazing, and he doesn't get picked on. It's pretty great." Leo could definitely understand that, and he wouldn't push it if Max wasn't comfortable with it. "No, that makes sense. I guess we'll see how he's feeling after it's all said and done." He paused, looking at Ali with little Jack snuggled in close. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "Like I said, I know what it's like to have a little brother you worry about, and this is pretty damn heavy."

[agentsullivan]

Ali nodded, because she agreed with that comment unconditionally. "He is different, but like anyone who is different, he has doubts about himself sometimes. Which is why I nearly introduced his ex's cock to a slammed door for making him feel like that. Luckily my husband has more discretion than I do and talked me around." She smiled and rubbed Jack's back when he made a little miserable whimper sound. He still wasn't feeling the best. "I know Kolbie. My husband's cousin is Toby's brother-in-law. Andy is actually Will's cousin too. We're a big, crazy extended family, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Especially when things like this happen. There is nothing more comforting in tough times like this than compassion from those around you who understand how hard the struggle is. We have all been to hell and back in our own ways over the time, and that tends to humble you into appreciating the people in your life and not having room for those who cause pain."

She shifted Jack to lie him down in her arms and commenced a soft rhythm of patting his back to try to get him to sleep. He hadn't slept much, so that was probably why he wasn't settling. "It is heavy, yes. But at the same time, I would rather we know about it to start taking care of him how he needs to than to have let it get to a place where he was having a lot of complications and lifelong problems because of it. One thing that's a given in this world is that if someone you love is hurting, you hurt with them. You can't stop it, and you don't want to either. It's about fighting it together. You're sweet for asking, but I am okay. I'm the big sister, I have to be while he can't be. That's how it works."