WARNING: May be slightly more graphic in description of the surgery and the after effects of the anesthesia. Flashback involves the first experience of Jasper being sick and throwing up blood.  

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Edward's POV:

Edward quickly scrubbed his hands clean, watching as the anesthesiologist placed the mask over Jasper's face to make sure the model wouldn't wake up in the middle of his surgery. He lifted his hands up, making sure not to touch anything with his hands, as he didn't want to accidentally cause a massive infection inside Jasper's body. 

He ran into the operating room, standing still as a couple of nurses helped him get his operating gown and gloves on. He moved quickly to Dr. Fredricks' side, feeling nervous even though he had helped in many surgeries before. He realized that the only reason he was actually nervous, was because he liked the boy on the operating table. 

"10 blade please," Dr Fredricks requested, looking at his right hand nurse to hand him the first scalpel so he could start the official surgery. The scalpel was handed to him immediately, and he quickly cut a line from the ribs to the belly button. "Are you ready on suction and the bovie?" he asked Edward. 

"Yes sir." Edward said automatically, jumping right into action. He made sure to keep the light bleeding vessels under control, as the doctor worked quickly to get the model's abdomen open. He gasped softly when he saw the amount of damage and scar tissue inside Jasper's stomach and intestinal lining. "Is that a normal side effect of Crohn's?" he asked in a slightly scared sounding voice. 

"Sometimes yes, this poor boy has really been through the ringer. See these small marks..." pointed to multiple scarred areas along the intestinal lining. "They are scars from all the times he has been operated on for the exact same reason as he is now." Dr Fredricks explained, with a heavy sigh. He could tell by the scars, that Jasper's recovery process was going to be long and hard. 

"His intestines look shorter than normal... Is that because it was shortened in the surgeries?" Edward asked in concern, feeling worried for the boy before him. 

Dr Fredricks nodded sadly, as he clamped off the bleed and sowed it shut. He unclamped the intestine that he had clamped shut, cursing softly when is started bleeding into the boy's stomach again. Edward used the suction device to work fast, stopping all the new bleeders each time they appeared. It went on like this for hours, neither one of them watching the clock as they worked to save their patient. 

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Alice's POV:

Alice walked up to the gallery, planning to watch the surgery, but in the end couldn't stand to watch her big brother on the operating table once again. She left the room quickly, running to the nearest on-call room to hide in. Once inside, she shut and locked the door, before collapsing onto a neatly made bed and sobbing. 

This was the fifth surgery she had watched her brother go through in roughly three years, and each new surgery scared her more and more. She knew her brother was strong, but she also knew that he always waited until the last possible second to get help. which meant his body was tired and weak. 

"Alice sweetheart, i know you're tired but we need to get ready to go right now." her mother insisted, shaking her shoulder lightly to rouse her. Alice's eyes blinked open slowly, looking around in confusion. Her eyes landed on her alarm clock, it was Saturday and barely two a.m. 

"Why mama, what's wrong?" She asked in a scared voice. She got up quickly and got dressed, feeling terrified that something major was wrong.

"Jazzy is just a little sick, so we need to take him to the E.R." her mother explained in a softer tone, trying not to frighten her eight year old daughter. 

"But..." she started to say, but was cut off by her dad's voice. 

"Carolyn! Its all blood." her father yelled across the house, a hint of panic in his voice. 

"Shoot! Come on, Alice. I need you to help me keep your brother calm. Can you do that, without getting scared?" her mother asked quickly, grabbing the backpack she had just finished packing up for the trip to the hospital. 

Alice nodded, running downstairs to the living room. She hadn't been prepared for what she saw though. Jasper was seated on the couch, a blanket tight around his shivering frame, as he was hunched over a bowl throwing up a lot of red. At first, she thought it was kool-aid or juice, but then she remembered what her dad had said. Blood... Jazzy was throwing up blood! No! Not Jazzy, he couldn't die, he had to be okay! 

She sighed as she shook her head, trying to shake away the memory of the first time she had dealt with her brother sick like this. It had happened so many times, she was a pro at hiding how much it scared her. She wiped her tears away, fixed her hair, and took a few deep breaths. 

She left the on-call room, feeling a bit better, and walked to the E.R. to help with any available incoming traumas. She knew she had to keep busy, so she buried herself in her work and studying, not even noticing that it was nearly midnight before anyone came looking for her with news of Jasper's condition. 

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Edward's POV:

"Alright, all done. Good job, Edward." Dr Fredricks said, washing his hands after completing the surgery finally. "Are you going to tell Alice, or shall I?" the doctor asked, sounding exhausted. 

"I got it, go rest. That surgery took way longer than i expected, so I owe her an explanation." Edward said with a yawn, pulling out his pager to send a message to Alice to meet him in Jasper's room. 

He walked slowly down the hallways to Jasper's room, inwardly relieved that the model had finally stopped trying to bleed out on them. Each step felt like it took longer and was harder than the last one, not realizing how exhausted he was. All he wanted to do was go to sleep, but deep down he knew that if he didn't check on Jasper first he would never forgive himself.

"Eddie? What took so long?! Is Jazzy okay?!" Alice asked frantically, meeting him at Jasper's room door. He sighed softly and put on his best reassuring smile. 

"He's fine now. It was really touch and go for hours, and we had to give him a transfusion once. He kept trying to bleed out on us, but in the end he came out swinging and breathing on his own." Edward explained, admiration showing in his eyes. "Get some rest, I'll keep an eye on his vitals tonight." he promised. 

Alice nodded tiredly, grabbing some extra blankets off a chair inside Jasper's room and put two of them on her brother, knowing he was always really cold after surgery. She kept one for herself and offered the last extra one to Edward. "You look like you could fall asleep standing up. Sleep in here with me, that way if something goes wrong, we both are already here." She requested softly, her fear showing in her eyes. 

Edward nodded gently. "Of course, i will happily stay here with you. Now go to sleep." he instructed firmly. 

Alice curled up in her chair beside Jasper's bed, almost asleep when she jerked awake. "Oh... Eddie, anesthesia always makes him sick when it wears off." she warned, closing her eyes and falling instantly to sleep. 

Edward sighed inwardly. Of course it did. Anesthesia had a tendency to upset everyone's stomachs nowadays. He checked Jasper's heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen rate, and stitches. He sighed in relief seeing everything was all set, as he went and grabbed a couple basins in case Alice was right. 

He walked back into the room, put the basins down beside Jasper. He curled up in his chair on the other side of the model's bed, that way he was guarded on both sides, and fell asleep almost instantly. 

Two hours later (2:30 a.m.)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jasper's POV:

Jasper groaned softly, opening his eyes and looking around. Where was he? White walls and chemicals? Oh that's right, he was in a hospital. Judging by his churning stomach, he was waking up from anesthesia... Again. He looked around again, reaching out numbly for the closest basin. He barely got it in his lap fast enough, as he started retching. 

Edward jumped awake, quickly holding the basin for Jasper as he helped the model sit forward a bit. "Easy... easy... You're okay. Take deep breaths." he repeated over and over again to Jasper. 

Jasper nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and throwing up violently. 

Alice jumped awake, immediately talking to her brother in soothing tones and helping him calm down. 

"I'm good." Jasper said hoarsely, once he could breathe again. "Thanks Edward." he added softly. 

Edward nodded in response, taking care of the basin before collapsing tiredly in his chair again. 

Alice climbed into bed gingerly with Jasper, soothing him back to sleep (and Edward as well) humming a soft tune. Once both boys were asleep again, she allowed herself to fall asleep again.