Peter gratefully accepted the hanky and put it to his face, wiping his eyes and his nose. When they finally got into the room where the doctor would wait for him, Peter burst into tears. The nurse looked at him sympathetically, then at Miley and his aunt for help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin yelled, "Well, then it was your fault my cousin's hair is falling out!" He felt Maralyn's gentle, calming touch.

Suddenly Brian's Mother burst into tears on the other end of the phone. "Welll I'm sorry....I didn't mean for his hair to fall out!" she cried.

*********

Miley hugged him again and whispered in his ear "It's okay Peter....don't worry your hair will stop falling out."

"Good afternoon!" came a calm voice as the doctor came in. When he saw Peter his eyes became sympathetic and he stepped forward. "Hello Son....you must be Peter." he said and patted his shoulder.

Peter wiped his eyes. "Yes, sir." Was it showing? Did he actually have a bald spot by now? "How do we stop the rest of my hair from falling out?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marlyn put a hand on her husband's back, giving him a sad smile. "Honey, Let me talk to her okay. Can't have you worked up and losing your hair either."
Justin was relieved and gave the phone to Maralyn. He took a deep breath and collasped onto the couch. He asked God forgiveness for losing his temper and asked that Peter's hair would grow back.

Maralyn said, "Hello ma'am. Sorry about that. My husband is really upset because his cousin means a lot to us."

The doctor raised an eye brow. "Come with me Son. We'll talk in my office." they were right now in the waiting room.

"Can I come!?" Miley asked.

"Yes." The doctor said over his shoulder, and led Peter into his office, Miley also.

*********

"I know...and that's fine." Brian's Mother said, there were tears streaming down her cheeks but of course Maralyn couldn't tell. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone...but that boy is responsible for my son being shot"

Maralyn asked, "Why do you think that? He actually got hit in the head with a brick once trying to PROTECT a friend."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trembling, Peter waled into the office with the doctor and miley, praying that his hair would stop falling out and that it would grow back. When he got there, he asked, "Will I ever get my hair back?"

"Alright.....but he didn't protect my Son. I'm sorry his hair is falling out, I didn't mean to do that!!" she cried and hung the phone up on Maralyn. She didn't want to talk to them anymore. She just wanted to keep her only child safe. Was that too much to ask? Grabbing a tissue from a box she went up to her room, avoiding the room Brian was in. There she shut the door and cried for awhile on her and her Husband's bed.

***************

"Now now Son....I'm sure it will grow back. But what's wrong? Do you know what is causing it to fall out?" The doctor grabbed some papers and wrote down a few things.

Brain's dad was about to go in their room, to change out of his work clothes, when he could hear his wife crying. Sitting next to her, he asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter bawled, "I was having a bad day yesterday, then my hair started falling out and made everything worse!" He took the lock of hair from his pocket. "This fell out on the way here."
~~~~~~~~
Realizing that she had been hung up on Maralyn put the phone down and turned to her husband. "Guess it didn't go well for me either."

Justin looked up at her and sighed. "Maybe calling her was a mistake in the first place. I lost my temper and I shouldn't have. That's not the way God would of had me repsond"

*****

The doctor made a face "Quiet down Son it will grow back." he said trying to sooth Peter. "Stress can do those things to people." The doctor placed a hand firmly to his fore-head. "You have a Fever" He grabbed a thermometer, and stuck it in his ear. There was a beep and he pulled it back out. "You have a fever of 102."

****

She looked up from the bed, and sniffed. More salty drops running down her red cheeks. "I got a call a litte bit okay......" she cried to him. "It was from Justin Thomas!" she had looked up the number and found his name. "He blamed me fore something....."

Brain's dad nodded. "Brian told me a little what happened yesterday when you yelled at his friend. Does that have to do with what Justin called you for?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter tried to calm down, telling himself the doctor was right and his hair would grow back. He needed to trust God on this. Pain shot itsself through his head and his stomach. He grimaced in pain. He had a 102 fever? "I'm so cold."

Miley looked at the doctor in panic. She was right, Peter was sick. Just another two degrees and he would have to go to the hospital. "Will he be okay?"
~~~~~~~~~
Maralyn nodded. "Probably wasn't the best idea to call her, but you were looking out for Peter." She shook her head. "Poor kid."

"I didn't yell at him. I just wanted to keep my Brian safe....what's wrong with trying to keep my child safe!? What's wrong with it!?" she cied about more into their bed. "Yes....that's why Justin called me.....but it wasn't my fault his cousin's hair fell out. I didn't mean for that to happen!"

**********

The doctor got up and went to a cabinet. He took out a bottle then a needle and suringe and sucked some of the liquid from the bottle. Then he came to Peter, wiped the area clean on his arm, and stuck him with the point. He then, after all the medicine was gone, pulled it out. "Alright Peter....you should be feeling better in a little while. Miss?" he asked and gazed at Miley. "Can I talk to you in private please?"

*************

Justin nodded. "He doesn't need more stress..."

Miley sadly looked at her cousin, who was on the verge of tears. She stepped outside with the doctor. "Yes?"
~~~~~~~~~
Peter weakly put his head in his hands. What was going on? He was losing his friends, his hair and his health all in two days! Would he be able to play basektball this year? Would Jen still date him if his hair...no he couldnt think about that. He ruffled his dark curls, then put his and down to find more hair. God help me please. He whimpered into his hands. "God, my hair is falling out I'm only fourteen. Please let it grow back," he whispered through tears, as he fell into a deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian's dad opened his eyes wide. "What do you mean Peter's hair fell out?" All of a sudden he heard a door open and saw Brian with a shocked expression.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen was watching iCarly, when she thought of Peter. She texted Justin. "Hey, is Peter alright?"

"Your cousin is making himself sick. Its the stress....that is why his hair is falling out. I gave him a shot of medicine. A anti-depression drug. That should calm him down. He needs to take two tylenol for the fever, which I think you have at home right?" The doctor asked, trying to be gentle

Brian's dad put his hands on his knees adn said to Brian, "Well, I guess you heard everything?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley nodded "I think so. Will he be okay?"
~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin felt a text come in, so he looked it up. "Oh no. Jen wants to know how Peter is. What do we tell her?"

Maralyn sighed. "Tell her the truth Justin"

*****

Brian was sheepish as he slunk into his mom and Dad's room. He had been listening outside the door. "Yeah..I did....I'm sorry Mom. I know you were just trying to protect me. But it wasn't Peter's fault"

His Mother made a face and wiped her eyes again. "I know Brian...it was wrong of me to blame him. I know that now"

************

"Yes.....If the stress stops and he calms down. His hair will grow and he will be fine"

Justin texted Jen. "No. His hair is falling out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley swallowed. "I think my brother could do some counseling for him." She texted Justin. Hey. Took Peter to doctor with mom. He has a 102 degree fever and doctor says the stress is making him sick and hair fall out. Maybe you could do some conseling for him to calm him down? After pressing SEND, she turned to the doctor. "Maybe you could put him on Cymbalta?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen's eyes opened wide as ahe read Justin's text. It shocked her so much that she accidentally yelled, "WHAT? YOU GOT TO BE JOKING!" She called Justin, and as soon as he answered, she yelled, "SERIOUSLY?!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin put the phone two inches from his ear, then closer. "Yes. Seriously."
He could hear the upset in her voice. "But why? How much?"
Justin assured her, "Not a lot. He lost a few strands yesterday, I don't know if he lost any today."
Jen sighed, "Good greif! Well, I'm going to visit him."
Justin siad, "You can. Just don't make a big deal out of it." After the two of them said bye, Justin read a text from Miley. "WHAT? A 102 DEGREE FEVER!" He texted her back. Sure, I'll come over as soon as you tell me you're home.
~~~~
Brian's dad said, "Well, I guess you can call him, Brian. Or go visit."
~~~~~~~~~
Groggly, Peter wokeup in the doctor's office to his cellphone making a noise. Jen had texted him. Hey. Just checking up on you after yesterday. Want me to visit? Peter bit his lip. He really wanted to see her but he had a fever. Was he contagious? He looked around the hard bench, and didn't see any hair. He ran a hand through his dark curls and nothing fell into his hand. He thanked God and then asked Him to make the hair loss stop. He texted Jen. I have a fever. Biting his lip, he knew he had to tell her what was going on. So, he told her in the text and asked her to pray that his hair would grow back and stop falling out. HUnger pains burst through his body, as he realized he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. Weakly, he made the way to the door and was suprised by the croakiness in his own voice. "I'm hungry, Miley."