Line of Time

A Request Made

The next morning Chase woke up and the first thing he did when he woke up was get ready to go to the hospital. But just as he walked down the stairs be was stopped at the last step by Gunnar. 

"Here take this, you're going to the hospital today, right?" He said as he held a leather bound book with a metal case on top of it. 

"Yeah, what is this stuff?..." Chase asked as he didn't recognize what Gunnar held at first. 

"It's Tino's book, he draws in it all the time, ever since you send him the pencils. I thought he might want to have it there. To make his days less long..." Gunnar said as he handed the things over to Chase who smiled at them. 

"Well I'm glad he's gotten good use out of the pencils, thank you Gunnar, I'll be sure to tell him that you thought about this." Chase said with a smile, Gunnar returned it before Mathias came up behind him. 

"Here, you forgot your bag again..." Mathias said as he threw his brother the bag before they all walked by them. They smiled and said hello to Chase and then went to leave Gunnar behind. 

"Bye Chase, tell Tino I said hi." Gunnar said as he ran off after the rest of them as so he wouldn't be late for the school day. 

"Alright." Chase said as he waved goodbye to them. Chase then turned to walk to his truck and opened his son's book to a random page. He looked at the drawing that was there and smiled, he had drawn his truck. Chase turned a few pages and found a few pictures of Tino's friends. A portrait of Gunnar, Lukas and Mathias along with Miss Cooper. Chase smiled as he walked to his truck, his son had a talent when it came to drawing people when they didn't know it. Mathias was working on what looked like homework as he sat cross legged on his bed. Lukas was sitting on a window ledge with his nose in a book. Then Gunnar slumped over at the dinning table, fast asleep. 

Chase then drove to the hospital but when he got there he learned that Tino had gotten worse. He was being treated at the time that Chase arrived so he waited and waited for some news and finally after an hour a nurse walked up to him. 

"You're Tino's father, correct?" She asked as he stood up. 

"Yes, is he alright, can I see him?" He asked worried about him. 

"Yes you can see him but don't get him to excited or do anything to get his heart rate to high. The reason we didn't let you in earlier was because he was having trouble breathing. The doctor found something wrong with his heart..." She told him as Chase's face dropped. 

"What?... What did he find, what's wrong with my son?" Chase questioned as he looked at her with pleading hurt eyes. 

"Sir, the doctor will have more information about this, he's in your's son's room right now. I was just sent to tell you. " She said as she then lead him to the room and then left them all alone. 

Chase looked around the room and saw Tino laying in his bed. He had a breathing mask to his mouth and his struggled breathing could be heard as he lay there motionless and still as he slept. His small body looked tired as if it was fighting itself from the inside. Chase felt his heart drop when he saw that. He looked over at the doctor with the same heartbroken and pleading eyes he had given the nurse. He needed answers to why this was happening to his son. Tino was just a kid, he had been sick before but never like this, Chase wanted to know if there was anything he could do for him. Chase would do anything for Tino, he was his son after all, he would walk to the ends of the earth and back for him. 

"What happened doc, give it to me straight, don't sugar coat it." Chase said as he tried to put on a brave face as he braced himself for the worst.