Never Too Late

Jeff woke up that morning his head pounding like Hunter was bashing him in the head with his sledgehammer. Against his better judgement he decided to get out of bed, stumbling toward the stairs he lost his balance just as he reached them, tumbling down them reaching the botom as everything went black.

Chris would never forget the moment he walked through the door and saw Jeff collapsed at the foot of the stairs, blood covering part of his face,

"JEFF!!!!" Chris fell to his knees and crawled over to where his boyfriend lay, gently pulling him into his lap to see if he was still breathing, shaking his head when he felt the heat radiating from Jeff's skin "Oh god baby..." he wiped some of the blood from Jeff's face "Jeff, sweetheart...can you hear me? Talk to me baby, let me know you're still in there."

Jeff gave no response, no a moan, not a movement.....nothing.

"Jeff...Jeff come on...." Chris kept Jeff's head cradled in his lap and stroked it gently "Jeff please!"

Still The Rainbow Haired Warrior didn't respond, his skin turning ghostly pale.

"God hang on Jeff!" Chris swept his lover up into his arms and ran for the car "Don't you dare die on me Jeffery Nero Hardy, don't you dare die and leave me alone!" Chris gently placed the unconscious man in the backseat and sped off for the hospital, keeping one eye on his lover at all times.

Jeff gave a soft moan, shifting slightly, but his eyes remained shut.

"Stay with me baby" Chris drove as fast as he could, wincing every time Jeff softly moaned "Hold on, we're almost there, just hold on!"

"Ch-Ch-Chr-Chrissy?" Jeff moaned softly, perfect green eyes hazy an unfoucused.

"I'm here, I'm here" Chris reached back and took Jeff's hand "Stay with me baby, I'm gonna get you some help."

Jeff gave a weak nod, a few pained tears slipping down his pale cheeks.

"Baby it's okay" Chris held back his own tears as he got out and slowly lifted Jeff out of the car "I've got you now."

Jeff nodded, his eyes slowly falling closed again.

"No no no, Jeff stay awake!" Chris gently stroked his boyfriend's pale cheek, willing the bright green eyes to open again "You gotta stay awake baby, I need you here, don't fall asleep whatever you do."

"Can't," Jeff mumbled. "Too....tired."

"No no, Jeffro c'mon!" Chris lifted Jeff up and kissed him tenderly on the forehead "Baby I love you, you need to stay awake, for Hailey, for Alexis, and most of all for me!"

"Chris.....I'm sorry," Jeff muttered. "Tell...the girls...I love them." As Jeff muttered those few words, his eyelids fell over painfilled green eyes.

"No, Jeff no!!!" Chris began to cry as doctors took his lover away from him "Jeffro you can't leave me!!!"

Jenna came down the hall after handling a pediatric case when she saw aa group of her coworkers carrying a very ill Jeff in their arms. Instantly she rushed to her older brother's side without a second thought. "Chris what happened?!" Jenna asked worriedly.

"I...I don't know..." Chris was sobbing violently "I came home after dropping the girls off at preschool and Jeff was laying at the bottom of the stairs with blood on his face, and..and I think he fell down the stairs and I really don't want him to die!!!" He lost it completely and fell sobbing into his sister's arms.

"Shhh," Jenna whispered, rubbing circles on her brother's back. "Jeff's gonna be alright, he's a fighter, he can beat this."

"But Jenna he was so still...." Chris continued to cry "What if he dies? I couldn't live without him!"

"Chris," Jenna said firmly. "You listen to me, Jeff is not going to die, he loves you too damn much to leave you here."

"I know..." Chris whimpered, his tone betraying just how upset he truly was "I just want him to be okay!"

"He'll be fine Chris," Jenna said. "Now why don't you come sit down, you'll be no help to Jeff i I have to admit you too."