[KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA]

SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS

school runs were never something kyle had been a huge fan of. when his kids had been younger, trying to get them out of bed had been a nightmare, though for some reason that was only on school days. on weekends they'd been up before the crack of dawn wanting to make the most of their school free days. now his oldest were all teenagers and more than capable of getting themselves up on time for their classes, mornings were a lot more relaxed. though when kiara started school he could just see her being worse than her older siblings, purely because she was so good now. he was feeding her the crusts off his toast as he waved his hand at his teenagers as they walked out the back door and he smiled at his toddler. "two down." he said with a quick smile as he reached to pick up his coffee cup but finding nothing but disappointment in the bottom when it was empty.

as he stood up from the table to go grab another cup he caught sight of the family calendar that his wife so wonderfully kept, so she could make sure they were all running their lives right, god bless her. he took a closer look and he frowned a little when he saw that sam had a shift starting in about half an hour. that was odd, he hadn't seen him come down yet. there was a chance he'd gone before kyle had gotten up but he didn't think that really likely. his son had a brilliant work ethic, but he wasn't that keen. he set the cup on the counter and called marnie into the kitchen so she could finish feeding kiara breakfast and he kissed her cheek as she took over from him and he headed up the stairs so he could see if sam was still home.

kyle found himself thinking that sam had just slept in longer than he'd meant to and he'd find him rushing about his room getting ready for the day. but he couldn't help but frown slightly when there was no noise at all coming from the bathroom or sam's room. he didn't usually think the worst but there was something to be said for parental instinct and he felt the familiar worry starting to brew as he crossed to the closed foor of sam's room and he reached his hand up to knock on the door gently before he turned the door handle and opened the door a crack, popping his head through the gap to look into the dark room. "sam?"

[SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS]

Sam didn't tend to get ill, or at least not anymore. He knew that was one of the many thousands of things he had to thank Marnie and Kyle for which seemed ridiculous, how could they make an impact on his health? By taking him into their home and feeding him up, making sure he took care of himself when before them he wouldn't have bothered. Back with his dad, the beatings aside, they have rarely had enough money to get by, living off the government benefits and Sam's wages when he'd left school and picked up a job to have enough money to eat. The money has frequently gone more to fund his dad's drinking habit but at least they hadn't lost the roof over their heads. He'd never been very healthy, skin and bone, his breaks had taken longer than usual to heal due to malnourishment and he'd always felt a little unwell - stomach usually empty, skin a little pale in pallor. Sometimes sleeping in dirty places and resorting to less than appealing meal options to get by. Prison has been the only time he'd gotten proper square meals every day.

Then along came Kyle and Marnie, with their determination to feed him up and it had done the job. He'd taken a while but eventually packed on the pounds and filled out as he should have years ago. He felt more energetic and better in his mind just from getting proper home cooked meals every day and a good night's sleep. So it felt odd to him that he'd woken up so unwell. It made it worse in a way, having felt how good his body could feel when it was healthy. He'd been tired last night and gone to bed early but bad attributed it to the extra hours he'd been pulling at the library for upcoming exams and his desire to pass it. Now he knew why - his head was absolutely pounding, as if someone was in there hammering at his skull. At one point, before the others were awake, and somewhere between Kiara waking to demand attention, he had been sick in the bathroom, but now as his alarm rang and broke through his foggy mind, he groaned.

He didn't realise he'd hit snooze until he woke to a knock on his door, and then he heard Kyle's voice. "sam?" he cracked his eyes open again and blinked in confusion, and glanced at the time. "I'm late!" he said in panic and threw back his covers, assuming Kyle had come to wake him for that. He'd take a few extra shifts on recently, despite the gentle warning from Marnie of not pushing himself too hard, and he was never ever late. He didn't want to let work down. Ignoring how he felt he went to stand up in a rush, and then staggered. His head swam and blood pounded in his ears. His stomach curled and he clapped a hand to his mouth as if that would stop it whilst reaching out with the other to try and grab something so he didn't faint.

[KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA]

SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS

that feeling that something wasn't quite right was getting harder to ignore the closer he got to waking sam up. he liked to think that his fatherly instincts were well honed after eighteen years of keeping kids alive and it was something he relied on with an almost certainty. he wouldn't say he was always spot on but there was something to the whole 'parents know when something is wrong' spiel that was said often. he heard sam's exclamation and he reached into the room to turn on the light and he stepped through the door. "happens to the best of us bud, don't panic." he knew that it was probably going to fall on deaf ears, because his son was nothing if not responsible, but he had to at least try to get him to slow down so he didn't rush himself into a stupor because he was late for the first time in his life.

it was then he picked up that something was wrong, the second sam's feet hit the floor he staggered. "shit, sam? what's wrong." kyle started to cross the room and his eyes searched sam for whatever problems he could see with his son. he noted the hand that clapped over his mouth and he quickly grabbed the bin from beside the desk and he crossed to sam, reaching out to grab his arm and pull it across his shoulders so he could steady him so he didn't drop. he wrapped one arm around sam's back, holding him as he pushed the bin against his chest gently. "breath sam." he reminded him as he did his best to try and guide him back to the bed that was just a few steps behind them. "sit down before you faint on me mate."

[SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS]

He squinted in the brightness of the light, his pupils taking a moment to adjust as the spearing of light sent a sharp stab of pain through his head. He winced and clapped a hand to his head as if that would help stem the pain. "happens to the best of us bud, don't panic." He almost shook his head and then stopped himself, already aware that doing so was going to make him either fall over or vomit, and the pounding in his head increased despite not moving it for a moment. "I can't be late." He managed to mutter, but his ears began to ring and his voice sounded weak even to himself. He had never been late, and he didn't need this to be one of those 'firsts' people always talked about having.

"shit, sam? what's wrong." He hadn't thought Kyle was see it, it didn't feel like much of a stagger but clearly it had been obvious enough. There was a bin in his face before he could even blink, and though he didn't mean to, he flinched at the sudden touch of an arm around his shoulder. It had been some years since anyone had hit him, and Kyle had never even made a notion to, but when he was unaware or vulnerable old habits died hard and he automatically went to defend himself. "breath sam... sit down before you faint on me mate." He didn't pull away but he was busy throwing up before he knew it, too distracted by the disgusting acid burning it's way out of his throat to sit back down in that moment. It didn't take long, he hadn't eaten much last night and he clutched the bin desperately to his chest. God he hated being sick. Somehow he stumbled back until his knees hit the bed and he half collapsed onto it.

[KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA]

SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS

the second his arm went around his shoulders, he felt sam flinch. he tried not to let it get to him but there was a moment when he felt bad about it. because it meant that somewhere, deep down sam was still fearful. still thinking that he needed to defend himself. really kyle couldn't fault him for it, when you were sick or hurt that instinct was stronger than ever because when you were weaker you were vulnerable. it just made the anger at the people who had hurt sam flash with a fresh wave of anger, that people had made him feel he needed to defend himself so much. he wasn't going to say anything about it though, there was no reason to unless sam mentioned something about it later. he just kept his arm around his back to keep him steady while he got reacquainted with his dinner and he couldn't help but cringe a little. four kids, more than a decade as a doctor and he was still slightly grossed out by people getting sick, it was just one of those things.

as sam half stumbled, half fell back onto the bed he kept his hand on his back, moving out of his way but still staying close enough in case he either missed the bed or something like that. "i'll get you some water." he said as he quickly crossed the hall into the bathroom and filled a glass of water, grabbing a towel from the shelf as he walked out just in case and he walked back into sam's room, setting the glass of water down on the table next to him. "take a few sips, rinse your mouth." he said as he set the towel down on the bed. was he hovering? a little. was sam an adult? yes. but it didn't matter, until sam told him to get lost, and maybe not even then, kyle was going to make sure he was alright and settled before he left him alone.

[SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS]

He hadn't meant to flinch but it was just one of those ingrained things that happened when you grew up the way he did - it sounded silly but it was the same with animals; they'd still anticipate pain even from people who'd never given anything of the sort. But he was at least better about it than he used to be. He didn't mention anything though, and he was relieved when Kyle didn't either. Now wasn't the time anyway, he was unfortunately, too busy chucking up his dinner from the night before. He really hated this part - why bodies had to find it necessary, he didn't know. He guessed Kyle did, but he didn't fancy asking in that moment.

He barely felt Kyle help him back into bed, too distracted by the pounding of his head and the churning of his stomach to think much more about it. "i'll get you some water." Sam gave a small nod and settled himself back on the bed properly, pulling the covers over himself as he felt a suddenly shiver come over him. It felt like ages until Kyle returned, but Sam couldn't be sure about the flow on time, it didn't seem to be moving uite right. "take a few sips, rinse your mouth." He nodded, taking the glass gratefully, "thank you." and he took a few small sips of water, feeling better once the taste was out of his mouth. He took a couple more sips to feel better and then lowered the glass back to the table, putting a hand to his pounding head with a wince.

[KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA]

SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS

it never got easier, seeing one of his kids sick. he didn't think that would change while he was alive. of course what they needed from him changed as they got older but he would be there, whatever it was they required. he helped sam get settled into the bed and smoothed the covers over him lightly before he went to get the drink for him. his mind was going over things that it could be, what they needed to do and whether it was going to run through the rest of the family like wildfire. of course it was normal, germs were a part of life but if there was something they could do to stop anything spreading, he'd do it. he filled the glass in the bathroom before he took it back to sam, watching him carefully as he took a few sips to rinse his mouth out. "slowly mate." he said as he slowly and carefully sat on the edge of sam's bed. he wanted sam to rest, but he wanted to check a few things first.

he reached out, pausing slightly to make sure that sam saw his hand coming before he laid his hand against his son's forehead lightly. he didn't like how hot it felt beneath his touch. "that's a fever.." he said quietly. he couldn't help the fact his hand brushed some of sam's fringe away from his face. he understood the boundaries that sam had, the reason for them but when he was powerless to fix something, he turned to comfort instead with his kids and sam was no different. "headache?" he asked as he reached to clasp sam's other wrist gently in his fingers, turning it over so he could find his pulse to check on it. "i'll leave you alone in a minute to sleep. i promise." he assured him as he felt the pumping of sam's pulse beneath his finger tips. "who do i ask for at starbucks? i'll ring and let them know you're not coming."

[SAMUEL DANIEL JOHNSONS]

He wondered if this was how it should have been growing up, having your dad tuck you into bed when you weren't feeling right, checking on you, bringing you water. He had missed out on it all, and it made a dull ache settle in his stomach at the thought of all those other childhood things he'd never had. He would be bitter about it for his whole life, he knew that. Every time he had an experience with Kyle and Marnie's family that reminded him of how it should have been, what he had missed out on, it brought things right back into focus. He would forever be grateful to the O'Hara's for what they'd done, for letting him in like he'd always been one of them, for showing him what a family should be like so he had a proper chance in life. He could never thank them enough.

"slowly mate." He was careful not to chug the water, but given the vomit that had just happened, and the fact that food made him feel sick again, he was in no mood to shoot the whole thing back. He gave a couple of sips and then passed it back. "that's a fever.." Which explained the shivering. Sam had had bugs before, especially growing up in such squalid circumstances, but he'd made it through. It sucked, he hated being ill, but he'd push through. "headache?" Sam gave a careful nod, not wanting to make his head throb any worse than it already did. This time he didn't flinch at the contact, expecting it with Kyle so close and clearly doing his inspections. "i'll leave you alone in a minute to sleep. i promise.... who do i ask for at starbucks? i'll ring and let them know you're not coming." Sleep sounded good, real good. Sam wracked his brain, "Uhm Ben.. Ben should be there." He managed to pull a name out of the recesses of his painful mind. Hopefully they would understand. "Tell him I'm sorry? Please?"