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***Sebastian's POV***

"Mark." I yell out his name with fear lacing my vibrato. Looking down at the unsteady stream of piss, I whine each time the flow stops abruptly.

I don't hear footfalls or his reassuring voice. I need his reassurance. I need Mark.

"Baby, please." I cry out as my legs shake from the weight of me standing. The pain is unbearable. Nausea boils up my throat threatening to waterfall onto the floor.

His pounding footsteps give me little solace before the sound of the door flying open is accentuated with heavy breathing.

"Mark, help." I whimper as my eyes glare down at the deep red splashing into the toilet bowl. My back protests angrily from the spams.

"He ran out. What's wrong?" I look up to meet Grey's weary eyes as we follow the bloody urine still leaking slowly from my jerking member. I drop my head knowing this is not good. At all.

"Is that blood?" Grey cringes while I nod my head. I lean against the wall having no energy to move myself or cover up.

I go to speak when I am interrupted by Grey frantically talking into his cell. I listen as he explains the current ailment that honestly has dread filling me. I did not want to have to deal with this. I don't want this to be happening.

Grey hangs up the phone before placing it on the bathroom counter. I obey as he bends down to shimmy my pants back up over my ass. I don't have modesty at this point. There is no room for embarrassment.

"I'm going to get you dressed. We're going straight to the doctor's office. Mark will meet us there. Everything is going to be fine Sebastian. Don't stress." Grey speaks to me but, every word seems like he is speaking into a tunnel under water. The words swim to me without quite reaching their destination.

I only notice Mak as we are slipping into the truck. I don't bother greeting him or even acknowledging him. Every scenario runs through my mind, plaguing me with the what if's.

Grey nervously taps the steering wheel as he strains against his better instincts. He flies down the streets, his flashers tick in rhythm, annoying the shit out of me. I want to slam my palm against that hazard button so that the constant panic does not continue to beat steadily against my over sensitive ear drums. I turn towards the window to focus on anything else.

My hand flies towards my mouth as I arch my back with the overwhelming sensation of acid being pushed through my veins. The agony is so intense that I start dry heaving into my palm.

"Fuck. Mak." Grey yells as the truck comes to an obvious stop. The cold air hits me, washing away a moment of my extreme urge to vomit.

I am settled into a wheelchair before I notice the sliding doors of the emergency room. I realize that we are not, in fact, at the doctor's, instead the hospital is staring at me.

I don't have anything to say as we fly down the white halls. People move quickly while my orderly makes headway through the double doors. The quickened pace of emergency responders warns me that this is not a regular side effect of whatever treatments I have been on. I'm in trouble. The nervous faces around me echo my fear.

"It's okay, baby. Sorry." Mark bends down to stare into my eyes. I close my eyes slowly not wanting him to witness the fear or the pain.

Time goes meticulously slow. I don't fight the natural course of my arrival. I comply with each request while silently pleading with God for one of his miracles. He has been so gracious to me. I'm just selfish enough to expect more from him.

"This is not good news Sebastian." The doctor confirms my fears. I know. I'm aware. I wish it wasn't happening.

"Let's start with tests. Get comfortable, I will get something that will take away the pain." A nurse tries her best to smile for me. I am in no shape to return her false pleasantries. It is unnecessary.

Mark stands to the side with dancing eyes. They bounce from caregiver to caregiver. He paces in small circles, on occasion, as I watch quietly. My mind is so busy spinning that I cannot focus on much of anything at all.

The medicine makes it's presence known, seeping slowly into my system as it eases the burden of pain. I'm grateful. The least I can do is be pain free while my life takes this unexpected turn.

Blood is drawn. An uncomfortable burn alerts me that a catheter is placed. I'm so accustomed to the thing anymore that I only take steps to breathe easier as they thread the line through my intimate area. The relief of my bladder fully emptying is consolation though.

Mark whispers softly to me while standing beside me. His hands hold my own, the one that is not taped down with needles protruding obtrusively. My head falls towards his form lazily. The pain meds have me seeing less than clear. Mark's eyes echo everything I feel inside.

"I love you." Mark bends down. He places a kiss onto my head. I let my eyes flutter shut knowing that I won't be able to say much for a few minutes, if at all. Him being here is what I need.

It's seems like hours pass by me that are filled with worry. I am wheeled in and out of the radiology department, making stops at different machines where I am examined from head to toe. My IV is moved around relentlessly while they fill my body with radioactive concoctions and nausea meds.

One test in particular keeps me on the edge. They scan my kidneys which I am fully aware are the issue. Dr. Parson's has made it completely clear that those two organs were the most effected by my chemotherapy. We were all hoping that they would heal during my down time. Apparently, the blood is indication that they were not planning on cooperating.

When I am finally placed back in my room, I am so exhausted that I drift off into sleep without a word to any of my family members that greet me as I come back in. While I am in and out of slumber I don't pick up on the conversation although I am acutely aware that they are talking.

A warm hand against my cool skin causes me to open my eyes. I blink slowly as Mark comes into full view. He wearily squats beside me, laying his head beside my hip on the bed. I reach for his hair, finding a sense of peace as my fingers drag through the cinnamon strands.

"How are you feeling?" Mark looks up from beneath my hand. Our eyes meet. His are haunted with stress. I imagine that mine look much the same.

"I have been better. Thank you baby, for being here." I try to convey as much love as possible as we stare at one another.

"I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you." Mark's demand is simple. He doesn't have to worry. I said I would fight to be with him. Apparently that is my hand that I have been dealt.

"Not planning on it." I smile lightly at my boyfriend. He nods his head before bringing my hand down so that his lips touch my palm. It's those little things that bring me comfort. Mark is my happy place.

"Sebastian." Dr. Parson's calls for my attention. I immediately break away from Mark to give my undivided attention to the man who holds my life in his hands.

"It's good news and bad news." Dr. Parson's smiles at me, giving me an indication that I can take a releasing breath.

"Good news first." Gavin moves quickly across the room as he interjects himself in my medical care. I am thankful to have a personal coordinator to my care. Gavin is a godsend.

"Your kidneys are not failing. They are actually healing quite well. The bad news is, is you have a serious case of kidney stones with a blockage. The blood has come from that. We are prepping the operating room to place a temporary stent." Dr. Parson's leaves out the part where it is really fucking good news.

I will take kidney stones over kidney failure any day of my life. A real smile takes over my face as true peace seeps into me. Thank you God for your intervention.

"Thank you." I could just kiss the good doctor. He really is a great man.

"They will come for you in twenty minutes. Just sign the forms that Nurse Amanda has for you. You will stay overnight for antibiotics, pain medicine and post-op care. After that, rest at home." Dr. Parson walks out, taking all the stress with him.

My only job is to take medicine and heal. That is not much different from the last year of my life. I will take it.

"I'm so glad that it's kidney stones." Mak comes to me quickly. He throws himself over me carefully to engulf me in a hug.

"Me too." I whisper into his hair while placing a kiss at his temple. Mak takes on all the stress unknowingly. It's not healthy. That is is just who he is.

"I hope you guys know how much I love you all. Thank you for being here, always. I couldn't do this without you." I tell my support system how much they mean to me because I could never say it enough.

"Thank you for fighting to be here." Ma walks up slowly. A sweet smile is given to me. I nod in agreement. I will always fight to be here.

"I love you baby boy. You scared the shit out of me, again. I thought they said the teenage years were the hard ones. You just had to go and prove them wrong." Ma swats playfully at my shoulder before she slides her hands around my neck to cradle my head to her heart. I accept the loving nurture as Ma softly mumbles her love for me on repeat.

"I'm sorry. I can't be perfect all the time." I lightly chuckle along while Ma laughs through her relieved tears. I wish she didn't have to worry so much for me. I don't do it on purpose.

"Nobody can be, baby. You're still perfection in my eyes." Ma pulls my face up so that we can search one another's faces for confirmation of promises that we have made throughout my life.

"You never cease to be exactly where I need you when it is needed, Ma. I don't know what I did to deserve you." The tender moment continues between the two of us. She fills my heart with love. She is the best mother that anyone could have been blessed with. I'm just lucky I get to call her Ma.

"That's the beauty of it, we didn't have to do anything. God just looked at us and said that is the one. Here we are. Just do me a favor, don't go answering his call anytime soon. I'm not above fighting him for you." Ma laughs in her angelic melody. I know she is not. That just makes her priceless.

"I'm going to head out. You need me, call me. I will check on you later. I will come by the house in the morning to bring you boys some good comfort food. Don't bother telling me no. I always get my way." Ma kisses and hugs each of us before excusing herself to head home. There is no doubt that she will be up all night praying and cooking. It is what she does.

"We have to go to the waiting room. Mark will meet us out there while you are having the procedure. We aren't far." Alex hugs me before pulling Gavin away to leave the room. Grey and Mak follow along with Mario and Kip on their heels.

Mark stands up to kiss me goodbye just as the nurse comes in with my papers. I sign them quickly, ready to begin this foot of our journey. As the nurse leaves, Mark dips down to kiss me sweetly before pushing his forehead against my own. We breathe one another in. I soak up my reason for breathing with a smile on my lips.

"I love you." I finally whisper my affirmation to the love of my existence. Mark whispers it back without pause. I release him to join our friends after promising that I will seen him soon. I have no intentions of breaking that promise. I will see him as soon as possible. Time to knock these kidney stones out. It's eviction time.