Kix found himself stopping in the corridor for a breather, a hand appeared on his shoulder looking up, he saw a look of love looking down. He sighed accepting the warm arms of love, he slouched into those arms.The past hour he had gone through hell and back. Crosshair had collapsed a total of two times and his heart stopped once. The kid then woke up like nothing had happened while Tech fainted blaming stress but Kix knew better, Tech and Crosshair were born with heart conditions. The twins were not ones to share their problems with the world but since he had served beside them, he knew so when Tech said stress to Echo, he just went with it until Echo asked him privately and he told him to ask Tech.
The medic was now preparing Crosshair for a scan but first he just wanted to be with Jesse for a minute. The swat officer hugged him tightly to his chest physically showing the doctor that he was there for him. Jesse had only originally been in the hospital to drop off Kix some food before he headed home to get some rest when all hell broke loose.
"Doctor Kix would you please report to room 5" Kix perked up, that was Amber's room. He kissed Jesse's cheek before he raced to find out what was wrong. Entering the room he watched as Ahsoka was pulled from the room in tears, he dreaded to know the reason. He gasped when he found the young child he had grown to love so much had crashed on the bed. Doctors and nurses were frantic around the small child. Kix snapped into action, he would try and at least save this child. Even if he died trying.
Elsewhere…
Echo sighed from where he sat in the seat beside his husband's bed, Tech lay on the bed sleeping. All the rushing around had caused stress on his heart and according to the now awake Crosshair. It led to his collapse when Echo asked what was wrong. Crosshair only replied with "ask Tech, not my place to say". The engineer groaned, waking up on the uncomfortable bed, “What happened?” Tech asked while rubbing his eye and sitting up to find Echo smiling down at him. “You fainted” “I did not!” “Tech, shush. You did and scared the living daylights out of me” Echo exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his smaller husband, the engineer only grumbled to himself as he hugged back. Tech’s calm mood lasted for only a few seconds before he thought of his twin. Grabbing Echo’s shoulders he shook them slightly, “Crosshair! Where is he!? Please tell me if he is alright?!” Tech almost shouted gaining a particular half-asleep grumpy marksman's attention. Crosshair rolled over hearing his panicking twin, being careful of the machines attached to him, he rolled on his side so he faced Tech and the worried Echo.
Before the said man could get a word in, “Caleb, I’m here. I’m okay”. Echo had never seen Tech move so fast, his husband was up disconnecting the monitor on his wrist and across the room in the matter of time Echo blinked. Arms of warmth pulled the younger twin into a strong chest, the one that had the same heart condition. “Tristan! Don’t you ever do that again!” Tech scolded, pulling Crosshair tight against his chest. The younger twin didn’t have much energy as he just nodded and slumped into his brother's warmth. The door to the room opened revealing a worried looking Hunter who took in the room and saw his ex-lover on the bed connected to a heart monitor. “What’s going on?” Hunter asked using his old commanding tone.
Echo almost laughed as Crosshair ignored it and slumped further into the bed with Tech holding him close to his chest. Hunter turned to look at Echo who took a seat on Tech’s empty bed beside Hunter and explained everything that had happened. Soon enough the realisation of what had just happened sunk into Hunter's thoughts, “I could have lost him for good and all I did was hurt him” Hunter admitted unaware he had said it out-loud and a pair of eyes widened. Echo smirked slightly when he saw the same pair, Tech saw widened in shock. Those chocolate brown eyes only had focus for one person and that was Hunter.
“Hunter?” The ex-sergeant looked up to see Crosshair was looking in his direction and gesturing for him to come over, with a sigh Hunter made his way to Crosshairs side. The marksman gestured to the space where Tech had just vacated, the engineer moving over to his own husband. “I’m sorry” Crosshairs voice was barely a whisper but it made Hunter look at him with confusion, with a sigh he continued, “I’m sorry for not telling you about the cancer, I should have told you when I was diagnosed”. Crosshair looked down in shame but Hunter had other ideas, he lifted the marksman's chin. “You have nothing to be sorry about Cross, it's me who should apologise. I was being selfish and it took some wise words of Echo for me to snap out of my selfishness and…” “Don’t forget jealousy” Echo perked up only to be whacked by Tech for him to shut up. Hunter would have to thank the engineer for that later as he continued, “I love you Crosshair and loving you means not only seeing the good things, it's about the flaws and accepting them. I’m sorry for not accepting who you are, I expected everything to go back to normal after you returned but I didn’t realise how much you have been hurting especially since you suffered years alone and then suddenly had everyone. I know 99 was a huge figure in your life almost like how Kix is to you now but I want to make it up to you, if you will let me Cross”.
Crosshair smiled looking at the one he loved, his eyes flickered over to Tech and Echo who nodded in encouragement.
“On one condition”
Hunter looked at him confused as he said, “Name it”.
“You call me Tristan” Crosshair said with a smirk, he looked to see the surprise in his husbands eyes. Hunter only nodded with happiness as he found himself pulled down so Crosshair could kiss him. Touch starved lips latched onto one another, Crosshair found his body lifted up gently so he didn’t strain himself, the soft touches on the side of his body sent shivers through his body.
“I love you Tris” Hunter whispered as he lowered Crosshair back down so he was against his chest. “Love you too, Hunter” Crosshair mumbled, his eyes closing slightly due to exhaustion. “Get some rest, I’ve got you Cross” Hunter said a little louder, he knew what Crosshair meant by his name. In other words, Hunter could use it mainly in private and around the other batchers but not in public. Hunter smirked to himself, at least he could use it and now he had his love back. That was all that mattered.
Turning around slightly Hunter noticed Echo was sitting in a similar position with Tech curled into his chest. Tech had recently told Echo about his heart condition and the police officer was having a deep think about it while Tech got some rest. Echo now knew the twins had the same condition and it was genetic which meant it could be passed down generation. Thankfully Tech had explained Omega didn’t have it. The four were just beginning to settle when a scream of pure anguish filled the corridor and echoed through the hospital. Echo and Tech were on their feet quicker than Hunter who had to adjust Crosshair slightly, the marksman told to stay where he was as the two checked it out. Hunter remained behind with Crosshair.
Tech held Echo’s hand tightly as the two continued up the corridor where they found something they wished to never experience again. There slumped against the wall of the hospital corridor was a sobbing Ahsoka wrapped up in Jesse’s arms while Kix stood in front of her with an impassive expression. Footsteps to the left alerted them all to a running Rex and Fives. The batchers shifted out of the way as they witnessed Kix inform Rex and Fives of the dreaded news. “What’s happened?” Rex demanded an answer looking at Kix who managed to keep his emotions in check, “I’m sorry to give you this news Rex, but Amber has passed away. The cancer spread overnight and…” “NO!!” Rex cried out, “But you said, she was improving yesterday. How can she be? You lied to me! You bastard! You did something!”. Rex lost all control as he punched Kix, sending the doctor to the floor. Jesse was quick to get up and restrain his brother against the wall. “Get off me now!” “Rex you need to calm down please, the last thing I want to do is arrest you for assaulting a doctor” Rex continued to struggle against Jesse until thin arms wrapped around his waist and Jesse was shoved off him.
Rex looked down to see the teary eyes of the mother of his daughter. Ahsoka. Rex wasted no time in wrapping her up in his arms as the two mourned their loss together. Fives was quick to help Kix off the floor, the doctor ignored the looks as he passed some information, paperwork onto Fives and he walked away for the time being. Jesse looked worried but he had to remain with his brother knowing they needed the support. It was only then Fives noticed Echo and Tech standing frozen in the doorway to the corridor, he quickly headed over to them. On instinct Echo wrapped his arms around Fives, he knew his twin seeked comfort when he couldn’t give it. Fives pulled Echo in tighter for a few minutes until he let go when he heard Rex’s call for him. To not keep his boyfriend waiting, Fives patted his twin and Tech shoulders before he walked in the direction of Rex.
Tech grabbed Echo’s hand and turned to walk away when their names were called out, “Tech! Echo! Please come here” Ahsoka cried out, she knew the batch were her family but she was worried for one of their members of how he would react. In between sobs she managed to say, “Please don’t tell Crosshair, let me. Please” Echo and Tech just nodded as they hugged the young woman to their chests, then clung to them. Although Tech didn’t really know her, he stayed for Echo’s support.
They all stayed with Rex and Ahsoka for twenty minutes when Kix made another appearance. Rex grimaced when he saw the purple bruise on the doctors right eyebrow, he actually looked worse than them but Kix didn’t say anything or blame Rex for it. Instead, he turned to them all and said, “None of you are capable of leaving tonight so my hospital ‘bedroom’ had four beds in and you are welcome to crash there. I know it is soon but you are welcome to go in Amber's room until we turn the life support off in the morning” Kix explained to the emotional family in front of him, he prayed he wouldn't get hit again. “The room I have set up is just beside Crosshairs room, its number 502”. He wasn’t expecting it but he received a range of smiles, he turned to go for a break when his medic radio went off, “Doctor Kix report to critical now!”. Kix sighed, he said his bye’s before he ran down the corridor. He was getting too old for this. They watched him leave in sadness. Kix had been in all of their lives for a long time but he never really considered himself family, well that was until he married Jesse but to himself he was still an outsider. Jesse blamed Kix’s parents, the medic never spoke about it but from what Jesse could guess, they were bad. Kix came from a terrible background so to avoid that he made sure to take care of others and be as nice as possible. There was only one other person who knew of Kix’s past and that was Kix’s older brother, Howzer.
“Tech, come on” Echo shook his partner awake. Tech froze when he thought back to being in the same room as his twin and trying to lie to him. “It will be okay, Hunter sent a text twenty minutes ago saying Cross was asleep” Tech only nodded as the two said their byes and reminded everyone they were in room 501. The two were quite surprised when they arrived back to see Hunter curled around Crosshair, the two were sound asleep and someone had put a blanket over the two. One person came to mind, Kix. Together the two slipped into Tech’s bed and after some quiet rearranging Echo drifted off with Tech asleep on him. A silence like no other slipped through the hospital as a girl called Amber far too young joined the angels above, her guide none other than a little boy named Lucas and a man wise beyond his years nicknamed 99.