Lifeline in a Burning Sea...

Jeff slowly and carefully lifted Chris into his arms. "Please don't leave me," Jeff was near sobbing.

Chris was so pale he looked like a giant rag doll in Jeff's shaking arms. It was left to Adam to make the next move

"Jeff..Jeff..." the blonde shook Jeff insistently "Jeff we need to take him to the hospital."

"I've got him," Jeff murmured protectively, carrying Chris to the car.

Occasionally Chris would moan weakly, he was very much at death's door.

"It's alright Chrissy," Jeff said, lying Chris down on the back seat. "It's alright baby."

Chris groaned softly, curling a little on the seat, otherwise lying limp and lifeless...

"Come on Chrissy, hang in there," Jeff pleaded as he and Adam climbed into the car. Adam allowed Jeff to climb into the back with Chris, the blonde's head resting in Jeff's lap as Adam began to drive.

On the way to the hospital, Chris began to cough, each spasm forcing tears from his eyes

"It's alright Chrissy, it's alright," Jeff murmured.

"J-Jeff...." Chris was trying hard to speak "J-Jeffie....."

"I'm right here Chrissy," Jeff said. "It's okay."

"T-tell the girls...." Chris' voice was extremely weak "T-tell them t-that I l-love them....."

"You can tell them yourself soon," Jeff sniffled, choking back tears.

"L-love y-y-you...." Chris slowly reached up to caress Jeff's cheek, his arm falling limp a moment later.

"I love you too," Jeff said, one of his tears hitting Chris' cheek.

Chris now lay completely still, unbeknownst to everybody, a deadly infection was slowly beginning to kill him from the inside out.

Jeff sighed softly. "Please don't leave me," Jeff pleaded.

When Adam pulled up to the hospital, Chris was practically burning alive, he didn't even moan when Jeff picked him up again.

"Please Chris," Jeff pleaded again. "Please don't leave me." He carried Chris into the hospital only to be met by a frantic Jenna.

"Chris!" Jenna nearly screamed.

Chris was deaf to the chaos that swirled around him as he was rushed further into the hospital, though Jeff, Jenna and Adam all pleaded, he didn't stir, not once...

Jeff, Jenna and Adam watched helplessly as a group of doctors rushed Chris away.

When the doctor's began to examine Chris, it was quickly determined that the blonde was suffering from a completely ruptured appendix, and there was a full-blown case of peritonitis ravaging through his body. He was quickly rushed to ER so the infection could be cleaned away, but was it already too late?

Jeff was openly sobbing now, he was scared to death to lose Chris.

Chris was fighting to stay alive, but the infection wasn't making it easy. Though he survived the operation to remove the appendix and the resulting infection, he was still suffering from a deadly 105.4 fever. His body was so compromised that they'd had no choice but to put him on a ventilator to help him breathe. He lay still as death, hooked up to nearly half a dozen machines, and that's how he was when Jeff, Adam and Jenna were allowed to see him.

Adam practically had to drag Jeff into the room to see Chris. The younger man whimpered when he saw his lover on the bed. "Poor Chrissy," Jeff muttered.