After breaking from their embrace, Michelle wiped away a few more tears and just stared at her best friend. 

"It's going to get better. I promise." Jenna said, giving Michelle a sympathetic look. 

"If you only knew how many times I've heard that lately." Michelle replied, the hopelessness she felt clearly evident in her voice.

"Yeah, well, you've never heard it from me, and I would think that you, of all people, should know by now that when I say something, I mean it." 

Knowing Jenna did make a valid point, Michelle let out a heavy sigh and began to survey her surroundings. The frightening memories of her encounters there with Wade, washing over her body in waves.

"I'm...I'm sorry Jen." 

"For what?" 

"The mess you're cleaning up, the condition of the apartment...all of it." she replied, her voice just barely above a whisper as she glanced towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms. "And whatever it costs to fix the upstairs, the door, or whatever....I'll pay for it." she continued, a single tear making it's way down her cheek once again. 

"Hey.  Don't worry about that. All this can be fixed. The carpets can be cleaned, and the door can be replaced. You can't." Jenna said, picking up the black trash bag once again as she continued to maintain eye contact. "It's over now Michelle.  Wade isn't going to hurt you anymore." 

"Shit!  Wade." 

"What?" 

"Wade." Michelle blurted out, her face distorting slightly. "Jenna, I have to go." 

"WHAT?!  Where?!" 

Knowing that Jenna wouldn't just let her walk out of there without more of an explanation, Michelle tried her best to give Jenna just enough information to understand why she needed to go, yet not enough information to send her in to panic mode. 

"To the hospital.......to see Wade."

"Whoa.  Wait a second!" Jenna exclaimed, dropping the bag of trash again. "You cant just breeze over 'Im going to the hospital to see Wade', and expect me to just be ok with that."

Michelle slowly released a long breath of air and habitually tucked her hair behind her ears.  She knew Jenna was only looking out for her best interests as she proceeded on with her interrogation, but she just really didn't feel like rehashing the last horrifying week of her life simply to put her mind at ease.

"Look Jen, I really don't want to get in to it right now........and honestly, I care about you way too much to drag you into this. So please. Just drop it, ok?"

"No, I'm not just going to drop it Michelle. I come home worried sick about you, find my apartment has been destroyed, my best friend is a complete wreck, and now you're telling me your boyfriend is in the hospital for some reason that you can't or won't say, and I'm supposed to believe that's because you're looking out for my safety?!" Jenna's eyes were now wide with worry and fury

"I just.........look, It's complicated."

"Then clear it up for me." Jenna begged.  "Because I can't even fathom what possible reason you could have for needing to go anywhere near that monster!"

Not wanting to worry Jenna any more than she already was, Michelle swallowed the lump in her throat and began nervously twisting the hem of her t-shirt around her index finger.

"Wade...." Michelle began. "There was a fight, and Wade.....he....he got hurt really bad because of me Jen." her voice cracked as she spoke. "And I just...I just need to see him, to make sure he's ok.  It's nothing more than that."

"Why would you even care after what he put you through?"

"I'm not talking some cuts and bruises...or even a broken arm Jen."  Michelle said, her body trembling slightly as her mind flashed back to Chris' torturous assault on Wade's lifeless body.  "I just...I can't do anything else until I know he is going to be alright."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jenna quickly nodded her head that she understood her reasons for going, and that she didn't need to go any further with her explanation.  Clearly by the look on her face alone, what few words she did say, was enough to push her even further back behind the wall she was so desperately trying to keep in place. 

at her friend that she didn't need to go any further. Whatever it was that she was hiding from her, was obviously more than Michelle could handle at the moment, but she decided not to push her friend. Having known her for so many years, if there was one thing she knew about Michelle, it was that pressuring her was the quickest way to get her to clam up. 

"Well, at least let me come with you." she offered

"Jen -" Michelle started

"Look Michelle, Im not gonna pressure you for answers. But I'll be damned if I let you keep going on your own, just let me be here for you....please." 

Jenna's words we're genuine. They were the words of someone who had never hurt her, never used her, had been nothing but kind and generous to her. Standing in silence for a moment, the friends just stared at each other, before Michelle once again threw her arms around her best friend. They had only been back together for a few minutes and already Michelle felt safe. There were no words. They werent necessary. The security that Jenna offered at the moment was enough.

After what seemed like hours of just standing there, Michelle finally broke their embrace. Quickly brushing the tears away from her cheeks, Michelle gave her friend a loving smile before finally speaking again.

"Well, just let me get myself together, and we can get out of here." Michelle said with a nervous laugh, heading toward the stairs.

"Alright, but Im driving." Jenna called out to her as she ascended the stairs. "You are in no condition to be behind the wheel of a car."

Michelle froze in her tracks. 'Shit, the car' she screamed in her head. This was just one more thing for Jenna to worry about.

"Jenna........." she was facing Jenna, but looking down at her hands. "about the car."

"What about it?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to know where this story was going.

"I dont exactly have the car.......with me." 

"Ok, so we will call a cab and go pick it up.  Where's it at?"

Knowing Jenna's plan of attack was easier said than done, Michelle exhaled deeply.  Yet again the topic of Chris was about to rear it's ugly head, and her stomach instantly twisted in knots.

"Michelle...where's my car?"

"Jen...."

Before Michelle was forced to continue on with the unnerving task of explaining where her car was, and why, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and became her saving grace.  Letting out a temporary sigh of relief, Michelle took a seat on the stairs and watched as Jenna proceeded over to the front door.  Thankful that she would have at least a few minutes to try and explain the unsettling situation.

After reaching the door, Jenna quickly glanced through the peephole, and then slowly pulled the door open.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah....is Michelle here?"

Hearing the familiarity of the voice as he spoke her name, Michelle stood up and quickly decended the stairs.  Unsure of why he was there, she quickly sprinted over to the door, and moved in front of Jenna, practically tucking her safely behind her.

"Tanner?"

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?"  she asked, quickly searching the hall for any sign of Chris.

"Don't worry, he's not here."

After swallowing the large lump in her throat, Michelle's frame softened a little and she looked over her shoulder at Jenna.

"Hey, can you give me a few minutes?"

"Who's this?"  Jenna asked, protective mode kicking in once again as she stepped out from behind Michelle.

"Just a friend."  Tanner spoke up, hoping to let Michelle know that he wasn't there to cause her any trouble.

"Jen, it's ok.  I just need a few minutes.  Please?"

After giving Tanner a good once over, Jenna hesitantly turned around and slowly began heading back over to the livingroom.

"Tanner, what are you doing here?"  Michelle asked once again, this time stepping out in the hall to join him as she pulled the door closed behind her.

"Jackson had to take Chris to the emergency room, so he wanted me to come and drop off your stuff."

"Is Chris alright?"  she asked, her own question surprising herself almost as much as it did Tanner.

"For now."  Tanner mumbled under his breath, quickly pulling her set of car keys out from his front pocket so that he could hand them to her.  "Jackson said the rest of your stuff is in the trunk."

"Thanks." 

After a few more minutes of awkward silence, Tanner cleared his throat and stuffed his hands back in his pockets.

"I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything that happened.  For getting you to leave the club with me that first night, for giving you the coke..........for leaving you there with him."  Tanner said, his disgust with Chris clearly evident by his tone of voice.   "Had I known what was going to happen, I never would have-"

"It's ok Tanner, it's not your fault."

"Yeah, actually...it is."  he replied, a wave of guilt washing over him.  "Ok, so maybe I didn't know what was going to happen when he first asked me to take you back to the house, but I saw the look of panic in your eyes when you saw him sitting there, and yet I still left you alone with him.  I know what Chris is capable of, so I'm sure the fear you felt was warranted as well.  I just wish that..."

"Tanner...please stop."  Michelle sobbed, a new set of tears streaking down the side of her face.  "I'm barely keeping it together as it is."

"I'm sorry.  I'm....I'm just gonna go."  he said, motioning towards the other end of the hall.  "I just hope that someday you'll be able to forgive me."  he continued, turning to head back down the hall.

Unable to respond to him at the moment, Michelle just stood there and tried to pull herself together enough so that she could walk back inside the apartment without upsetting Jenna.

"And just so you know, when all is said and done, the salvation may be mine, but the justice will be yours.  I promise you."  Tanner called back, and seconds later, he disappeared out the door.

After taking a few minutes to try and make sense of Tanner's comment, Michelle finally just gave up and headed back inside. 

Once she stepped inside and had shut the door behind her, Jenna rushed back across the livingroom and over to where she was standing.  The concern over Michelle's current condition forcing her to go in to panic mode.

"Are you alright?!  Did he hurt you?!" 

"I'm fine Jen."  Michelle replied, handing Jenna the set of car keys as she made her way over to he stairs.  "I'm just going to throw something else on, wash my face and then I'll be down."

Knowing that forcing her to answer questions about her visitor were more than likely only going to upset, Jenna remained silent and allowed Michelle to ascend the stairs without saying another word.

Chapter 197

After her failed attempt at trying to reach Michelle, Chantal shoved her phone back inside her purse and stood back up so that she could head back down the hall to look for Shane.  Luckily for her, she didn't need to go too far.  The second she walked out the door, Shane rounded the corner and almost ran straight in to her.

"Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me."  Chantal gasped, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Sorry."  Shane replied, quickly glancing back over his shoulder.

"What?  What's going on?  Is it Wade?!"

"Yeah.  I mean...no."

Giving him a puzzled look, Chantal just stared at him wide-eyed.

"Which?!"

"Yeah, it's Wade, but nothing is wrong with him.  He's going to be alright."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Chantal glanced over Shane's shoulder and down the hall towards Wade's room.  After watching a few member's of the nursing staff file out of the room, she had only one question on her mind.

"So...when can we see him?"

"They said in a few minutes.  The doctor is in there with him now.  He is going over Wade's vitals with another doctor while they wait on some test results to come back."

"What kind of tests?"

"I don't know Chantal.  That's all they told me."

After spotting the two doctors walk out of Wade's room, Chantal quickly stepped around him and headed over to the nurse's station, hoping to get some more information on Wade.

"He's going to be alright, right?" 

"Your brother is still in stable condition.  The episode he experienced wasn't anything of any major concern, and if fact, it's to be expected."  the doctor said, signing off on a few forms that one of the nurses had placed in front of him.  "Wade's vitals are all still within the normal range, and I'd like to think that it's only a matter of time until your brother regains consciousness."

"Thank God."  Chantal sighed, leaning back against Shane, who had since walked up from behind her to join in on the conversation.  "So, can we see him yet?"

"Actually, I'd like to wait on these recent set of test results to come back before I allow anyone back in the room.  It's merely a precaution, but I'm sure you understand."

"Of course."  Shane said, rubbing his hands up and down the length of Chantal's arms.  "Come on, let's just go sit back down, and when it's time to go back there, I'm sure someone will let us know."

"Absolutely." 

After waiting a few more moments, Chantal reluctantly turned around and began the long trek back to the waiting room. She was relieved that Wade was going to be alright, but the fact that she still couldn't see him was weighing heavily on her heart.  She wanted to be in there with him.

"You want me to go get you some coffee or something?"  Shane asked, pushing the door to the waiting room open so that she could walk inside.

"I'm not sure my nerves could handle the caffeine right now."  she replied, tossing her purse on to one of the chairs before she plopping herself down in to another one.

"So then...a cup of decaf?"

After laughing slightly at the question, Chantal just shook her head 'no', and patted the empty chair on the opposite side of her.  Taking his cue, Shane sat down beside her and wrapped him arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a side hug.

After allowing several minutes to pass by without either one of them saying a word, Chantal finally spoke up.

"Just incase you were wondering, I couldn't get a hold of Michelle."

Instantly picking up on the tone of her voice as she made the statement, Shane knew it was best to simply nod his head and forego another lecture on why he still thought her making an appearance here was a bad idea.  Deep down she knew where he stood.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?  Anything at all?"

"Actually I have a killer headache right now.  Would you mind getting me a bottle of water so I can take something for it?"

"Sure."

After getting up from the chair, Shane gave her a quick, reassuring smile, and disappeared down the hall.  Thankful that she was going to get yet another opportunity to try and get a hold of Michelle, Chantal immeadiately began digging through her purse for her phone.  When she couldn't easily find it, Chantal began taking items out of her purse and placing them next to her.  Finally finding it at the very bottom, she quickly pulled it out, sat it on her lap, and tossed the rest of her items haphazardly back inside the large bag.

Once everything was back inside, Chantal flipped the phone opened and hit redial.  Hearing the phone ring several times, she sat upright in her chair, hoping that this time she would actually get through.  Unfortunately, two rings later, the phone repeated the same message as it had previously.  Mailbox is full.  Please try your call again later.  Disheartened, Chantal flipped the phone shut and sighed heavily.

Hearing footsteps approaching just outside the door, Chantal quickly tossed her phone back inside her purse so that she could avoid any more conflict with Shane concerning Michelle.  Nothing was gained by the phone call, so there really wasn't any good reason for mentioning it.

As the door opened, Chantal glanced up, waiting to see Shane walk though the door with his trademark smile and her bottle of water.  Unfortunately, the only person that walked through the door was a small girl with blond hair, her nerves clearly shot as much as Chantal's by the look on her face alone. 

Once the girl made eye contact with her, Chantal offered her a smile and went on with the task of reorganizing her bag while she waited for Shane to return.

"So, are people just supposed to sign in here and then go back?"  the blond girl asked, studying the clipboard that was laying on small desk, before turning her attention to the door she had walked through only seconds ago. 

"Yeah.  The nurse already came back and took the list of people that were here when visiting hours started, but I'm sure you could sign the form and then walk back to the nurse's station to let them know you're here."

"Ok.  Thank you."  she replied, once again glancing towards the door.

Hearing another set of footsteps approaching, Chantal glanced towards the door once again, confident that she would see Shane walk through the door.  Instead of seeing her brother however, Chantal's mouth all but dropped open when Michelle appeared in the doorway, her strained walk, only being surpassed by her pale while face.

"Michelle?!"

"Chantal?"

Unsure of what was going on, Jenna stood there and watched as the female sitting in the chair quickly got to her feet and headed over to her best friend.  Clearly the two knew each other, and after taking a few moments to study the girl further, her familiar appearance confirmed her initial guess.  This was Wade's sister.

"I've been trying to call you for the last two days, but it kept saying thay your mailbox is full."

"Yeah...ummm.  I don't have my cell phone right now.  Wade....."  Realizing that now was not the time to bring up the past, Michelle stopped mid sentence and started over.  "It's...broken.  I have to get a new one."

Picking up on the immediate uncomfortableness of their conversation, Chantal exhaled deeply and tried to discreetly look over the damage that was unavoidably there for the world to see.  It literally made her sick to her stomach to know that more than likely Wade was responsible for some, if not all of the damage she was seeing.

"Are you alright?  I mean........never mind."

Knowing that she didn't want to discuss her injuries, any more than Chantal wanted to ask about them, both of them just awkwardly stood there in silence while Jenna looked on.

"I'm sorry."  Chantal said softly.  "For what he did to you.  For what you're still going through.  I just...I wish I would have...done something." 

"It's not your fault Chantal."  Michelle replied, untucking her hair from behind her ears to try and hide some of the more visable marks on her face.

"I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for it.  I knew he was going through something.  That he needed help.  I guess I just hoped that he would take care of it before things got carried away again."

Confused by her comment, Michelle furrowed her brow.

"There's a lot that you probably need to know about Wade, about his past.  Things he should have come clean to you about from the very beginning.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he kept those things a secret...and in the long run, that only made things worse.  I mean, I'll tell you whatever it is that you want to know, or what I think you should know, but I'd feel a lot better if we have this conversation some other time, some other place." 

Feeling a sense of betrayal wash over her, knowing that Wade intentionally kept things from her, Michelle quickly wiped her eyes and turned to walk out the door. 

"Michelle please don't leave.  He needs you, now more than ever."

Letting out a hearty laugh, Michelle quickly turned back around and took a few steps closer to Chantal.

"What about what I need Chantal?  When does it get to be about me?  About what I need?"

Slightly taken back by her outburst, Chantal just stood there, speechless. 

"Michelle come on.  You don't need this right now.  Let's just go home."  Jenna said, protectively wrapping her arms around Michelle. "If you want to find out how he is doing, we can call."

"Please don't leave."  Chantal begged, reaching out to her.  "I know this has got to be hard on you, and I wouldn't even be asking you to stay if I didn't think it was important."

With her emotions still getting the best of her, Michelle simply shook her head.  This was way more than she expected to be dealing with right now, and it just wasn't worth it.

Knowing there was a very good chance that Michelle was going to leave without even seeing her brother, Chantal resorted to the one thing she felt still remained between Michelle and Wade.   Sure, they were no longer together, and when they were, their relationship was anything but ideal.  Yet Chantal knew that she wouldn't have stuck around for as long as she did, if she didn't care about him.  The fact that she never pressed charges against him, only further proved to her that one some level, the feelings that they shared for each other, still remained...and she was counting on them now.

"You were there with him Michelle, so I know you know what kind of condition he was in when they brought him here."  Chantal started, her voice a mix of both sadness and frustration.  "But do you know that he also stopped breathing in the ambulance, or that during one of the many operations he had to undergo, his heart simply couldn't take anymore, and it stopped beating?"  she continued, her own emotions now getting the best of her.  "Or do you know that at one point, his condition deteriorated so quickly, that they thought there wasn't anything more that they could do to help him?" 

Unable to hold off any longer, Michelle let the tears she had been holding back flow freely down both cheeks.  Just hearing Chantal speak so gravely about Wade's condition tore her heart apart.  She never wanted to see him hurt like this.

"Look, I'm not trying to make this hard on you, I'm really not.  It's just that...despite the fact that he was desperately fighting for his life, he somehow managed to call out your name.  Doesn't that mean anything to you?  That you were the only thing on his mind?"

"What do you want from me Chantal?"  Michelle asked, her limp frame all but collapsing in to Jenna's.  "Seriously?  Do you want me to just walk back in there and tell him that I love him?!  That I want us to be together again?!  Because if so, I cant do that. I can't walk in there and give him false hope concerning the two us.  Whatever we had...it's over." 

"I know.  I'm not asking you to get back together with him.  I just...I just want my brother back."  Chantal said softly, her own tears once again welling up in her eyes.  "I just thought that maybe if he heard your voice, that it would make a difference." 

"And what makes you think it would?  Or at least, what makes you think that it would have a positive effect on him?"

"My thoughts exactly."  Shane interjected as he walked through the waiting room doors and over to where his sister was standing.

Quickly wiping the tears from her eyes, Chantal exhaled deeply.

"Please don't do this Shane."

"What?"

"You know where I stand on this."

"Yeah, but did you ever stop to think that maybe I was right?  I mean, even she isn't sure what kind of effect her presence could have on him.  That alone should speak for itself."

"Obviously I just can't win then."  Chantal said, moving a few steps away from her brother.  "Michelle, I think it would make a world of difference in Wade's recovery if you would just go in there for a few minutes with me.  If not, I won't like it...but I'll understand."

After studying the look of desperation on Chantal's face, Michelle took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she straightened her frame.

"Fine if you think it could help him.......then I'll go."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Chantal took a few steps forward and gently wrapped her arms around Michelle.

"Thank you."

After heaving another sigh of disappointment, Shane headed back over to the windows that overlooked one of the parking structures and began preparing himself for the worst.

Chapter 198

Heaving her own sigh of disappointment over Michelle's decision to put herself in such a clearly uncomfortable situation, Jenna dragged herself back over to the small desk at the other side of the room.

"I'm just gonna take this down to the nurses station." Jenna announced, waving the clipboard in the air.

Hearing her comment, both Michelle and Chantal nodded, before watching her head down the long corridor to the nurses station. Shane however kept his eyes fixed on the parking structure, not bothering to aknowledge the comment for fear of what may very well come out of his mouth.

After a few more seconds of standing in what was now an uncomfortable embrace with Chantal, Michelle tried to discreetly maneuver herself away from her former love's sister. It wasnt that she disliked Chantal, but she really wasnt in the mood to be touched by anyone at the moment.

Instantly picking up on that uncomfortableness when Michelle pulled away, Chantal opened her mouth to try and console her the best she could, but unfortunately was cut off by Jenna's hasty return.

"Well...." she sighed, giving Michelle a questioning look. "they said that he could have visitors, but for now they'd like to keep it to just one person at a time, so as not to over stimulate him I guess." Jenna couldnt help the involuntary roll of her eyes when she informed them of the reason for the one person stipulation. If she had things her way, Wade would be getting a hell of a lot more than 'over stimulation' for what he had put Michelle through.

"Ok, well uh...." Chantal seemed to be weighing the options in her head. "I really think it would be best if you go first then." she finally finished, glancing at Michelle, and then over to Shane who had reluctantly joined the group when Jenna came back.

Michelle's eyes darted between Chantal and Shane, waiting to see if there would be a disagreement over who should go in first, and secretly hoping that Shane would put up a fight. Unfortunately her hopes quickly faded when Shane replied with little more than a sigh of defeat and a roll of his eyes, before resuming his position by the window.

"You know you dont have to do this Michelle?" Jenna asked her friend, resting a reassuing hand on her shoulder. "You just say the word and we're out of here."

"Its ok Jen." she replied softly, shrugging her best friend's hand off of her shoulder. "I'm just gonna check on him..." her eyes darted back to Chantal "I wont be in there for long."

Taking one last deep breath, Michelle turned away from the two women, and began her decent down the long corridor to Wade's room. Once she was out of earshot, Jenna turned to Chantal, giving her quick and nasty glare before focusing her eyes back on Michelle's retreating form.

"You know, you're a real bitch for that." Jenna announced with her hands crossed over her chest as she watched Michelle disappear around a corner.

"Excuse me?!" Chantal asked half shocked, half angry.

"You heard me. I said you're a real bitch!" Jenna repeated herself. "You completely manipulated her and you know it. That man has put her through so much, caused her unspeakable pain.  And I dont even want to get started on how he totally trashed my apartment. Not to mention the fact that I cant even imagine the things I know she hasn't told me........but Im sure you know all about that, right?"  Jenna growled, fighting to keep her own temper in check as she glared at Chantal. "And yet you have the gaul to guilt her into seeing him, making her feel responsible for his 'recovery'. It's disgusting, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Chantal was completely taken aback by the tongue lashing she had just recieved from Michelle's best friend. Clearly this girl cared deeply for her, and if truth be told, Chantal knew that there was truth in her words, so she didn't bother trying to formulate a respond to what had been said.  How could she?  Instead, she just opted to take a seat in the waiting room and silently say a prayer for her brother.

The walk to Wade's room seemed like the longest walk Michelle had ever taken in her life.  With every step she took, the hallway seemed to grow longer...darker.  Her heart pounded in her chest, a chaotic, nervous beat.  Once she got to within a few feet of his door, she could feel her palms begin to clam, her chest tighten, her breathing suddenly becoming slightly erratic.

Hoping to get herself under control, she began to repeat a mantra over and over again in her head.

'he can't hurt you. no one can hurt you anymore.'

She continued to repeat the words in her head as she walked down the hall, but the closer she got to the room, the more frantic they began to sound. 

When she finally reached the door of the man that stirred her emotions in a way she hadn't believed possible, her feet refused to go any further.

"You can do this Michelle." she said to herself. "He cant hurt you anymore."

Closing her eyes, she grabbed the handle and slowly pushed the heavy hospital door open. After a few seconds of standing there, eyes still closed, she slid each foot into the room one at a time.  After what seemed like an eternity, Michelle was finally in the room completely. Letting go of the handle, she pushed the door back and let it slide closed on its own.

Hearing the door shut behind her, the realization that she was alone with Wade for the first time in what seemed like ages hit her . She knew it was foolish to still have her eyes closed when the man wasn't even concious, but she would have been lying if she said that the thought of being alone with him still didn't terrify her. 

After letting out a slow and steady breathe, Michelle's other senses started to make out the potent smell of alcohol and the steady beeps of one of the many monitors she was sure Wade was hooked up to.  After several more seconds of standing in the room with her eyes still closed, Michelle finally willed herself to open her eyes, and accept what was in front of her.  Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

There were tubes and wires coming and going from all directions. Machines sustaining life and taking information. There were cuts, bruises, bandges, stitches, and the ever present, yet haunting, beep of the heart monitor keeping track of his weakened heart rate.

Seeing the sight before her, Michelle brought her trembling hands to her face, clasping them over her mouth. Her eyes raced back and forth from Wade to the machines, back to Wade, then to the tubes, bandages, and brusies.  Unable to hold back any longer, she released a shakey breath, and tears began to stream effortlessy down her cheeks.

Slowly walking around to the other side of the bed, Michelle stood a couple feet away from him. Watching. Letting the tears fall freely. She reached a shakey hand out to touch him, several times, but pulled back when her finger tips were just a breath away. She wanted to comfort him, to soothe him in some way. But each time she tried, her hand seemed to retreat on its own.

She continued to stand there, studying his features. The bruises on his face. The tube that seperated his lips and traveled down his throat. His lips were cracked and swollen from the fight. His skin was pale and somewhat pasty, unlike the healthy California glow she was so used to seeing. There was a large bump beneath his left eye, and the bruise that was a mixture of deep purple, black and green, circled his entire eye and trailed down the bridge of his nose. There were large knots on his cheek and near his hair line, that were also accompanied by what appeared to be pretty deep gashes...and that was just the beginning.

"Oh Wade." her voice shook, as her trembling hand finally made contact with his.  "This is all my fault..."  she sobbed.  Squeezing her eyes shut once again, she dropped her head into her free hand, soft sobs escaping her lips. "Im so sorry." she cried, unjustifiable guilt quickly getting the best of her over his current situation.  "I had no idea that Chris was capable of something like this." 

Hearing mention of Chris' name, Wade's eyes twitched slightly, and his heart rate began to slowly elevate.

Picking up on the change, Michelle's eyes immediately shot up to the EKG machine that was hooked up to him. Her watery eyes studying the numbers and lines signaling the elevated heart rate, before they went back to the pace that they had been when she walked into the room. A breath that she was unaware she had been holding, finally forcing it's way past her lips. After her own heart rate settle down to a more comfortable rhythm, she continued once again. 

"How could I have let this happen to you?" she sobbed, her tears falling from her cheeks to his hand, creating a small puddle. "God," she sighed "you didnt deserve this." she sniffled trying to pull back the tears she'd let spill so freely and regain her composure. "You didnt deserve this.  I should have done more to try and stop him." 

Wade's eyes rolled back under his eyelids, and once again his heart rate elevated.  Except this time instead of rising and going back down, his heart rate continued to elevate, and her's quickly followed suit.  Feeling his hand twitch slightly under hers, Michelle quickly slid her hand away from his and began to slowly take a few steps back.  Sure, there was a part of her wanted to stay and hold his hand, to make sure that he would be ok, but a larger part of her - the part that was still hurt, and honestly at this point, afraid - wanted to get as far away from him, as fast as possible.  She had done what she came to do. He was alive. She couldnt say that he was alive in the best sense of being so, but he was alive no less.

As she continued retreating towards the door, her eyes darting back and forth between his bed and the door that, at the moment, seemed so far away, his body jerked violently against the restraints that were securing him to the bed, and a rapid series of alarms started going off in the room.

Before Michelle could analyze what was going on, she saw the door fly open, and a young doctor come barreling through, followed by several more members of the nursing staff.  Then without so much as aknowledging that there was another person in the room, they began the frenzied process of taking vitals, regulating his heartbeat, and readjusting a few tubes here and there. 

As Michelle watched the sea of bodies rushing frantically around the room, she backed her unsteady frame against the wall, and stood there in a complete state of shock.   She was frightened and afraid of what was happening in front of her very eyes.   She wanted to leave, to run out that door and never look back, but something held her in place.  It was a heart wrenching feeling that grabbed a hold of her very soul, and despite her many attempts to chalk it up to being nothing more than concern for the welfare of another human being, deep down she knew differently. 

Once the doctor had brought all the ear piercing alarms on the machines to a welcomed halt, he turned to Michelle with a curious look on his face.

"I didn't.....I didn't do anything." Michelle sobbed, tossing her hands up in defense.  "I was just standing there, talking to him and..."

"Oh, no.  You're fine, he's fine."  the doctor reassured her before making his way around to the other side of Wade's bed.  "Wade?  Wade?  Can you hear me?"  the doctor called out, his eyes quickly darting back and forth between Wade's slightly trembling body and the various machines he was hooked to.  "Wade.  My name is Dr. Caufield.  You at the UCLA Medical center.  If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." 

With eyes widened in fear, Michelle once again clasped her hands over her mouth.  The flurry of emotions than began to surge through her body, forcing her towards the still open door that led to his room.  She wanted to get out of there.  She NEEDED to get out of there.

"Wade?  Come on Wade.  Open your eyes."

Hearing the doctor once again call out to him, Michelle quickly turned to head out the door.  Unfortunately the exit she had hoped to make was cut short by two more members of the nursing staff as they began pushing a cart through the door.  Worried that any future attempts at leaving would only delay getting him the medical attention he needed, Michelle took up position against the wall once again and tried her best to stay out of the way. 

"Wade?  It's alright Wade.  Relax."

Hearing the optimistic tone of the doctor's voice as he said Wade's name, Michelle leaned to her right to try and get a better view of what was going on.  As she did however, she heard a muffled cry escape his lips and saw the fingers on his left hand flex tightly upward, before settling in to a steady rhythm of rapid tremors.  Feeling her body begin to sway ever so slightly, Michelle planted her hand firmly against the wall beside her for support and subconsciously took a few steps to her right to get a better look. 

"Wade, you're alright.  Just calm down." the doctor assured him, taking a few steps backwards so that he could free himself from the hold Wade had on his labcoat.  "Joyce, page respitatory and tell them that we need them to send up someone to do an intubation tube removal on Robson, please." he continued, signing off on one of the charts before handing it over to her.

After taking the clipboard from him, the older nurse moved from her position alongside Wade's bed and headed over to the small intercom system on the wall next to her.

"I'm sorry."  Michelle said softly, taking a few steps back to her left.

"Your fine dear." the nurse replied, as she dialed the number to downstairs.  "But once respiratory gets here, you should probably go back to the waiting room so that we can get him a little more comfortable and to make sure that he..."

Before the nurse could even finish her sentence, muffled cries of panic and fear began to fill the room once again, and almost instantaneously Michelle's focus shifted from the nurse and back over to Wade.

"You have to settle down Wade.  You're going to hurt yourself, or someone else."  the doctor said, moving to the foot of the bed so that he could take over the duties of holding Wade's legs still.  "Give him 5cc's of Lorazepam, and can someone please get me some ankle restraints?!"

As a few nurse's moved from their positions alongside Wade's bed to retrieve the requested items, Michelle watched him struggle helplessly on the bed for a few more seconds before finally succumbing to obvious defeat. As his body relaxed, his head fell limply to the side, and his eyes rolled around aimlessly for a moment, in search of nothing, and everything.

Michelle watched with baited breath at his visible attempt to focus his eyes. She just couldn't take her eyes off of him, and she didnt dare blink.  It was as though she felt that somehow her staring at him would help him get the focus he so desperately sought. He seemed completely dazed as he began to blink rapidly, his eyes a mixture of blood and desperate tears. 

Michelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to slow her own racing heart. Watching him struggle the way he was in front of her, was more than she could handle.  After a few deep breaths, Michelle slowly drew her eyes back open, and felt as though the wind had been knocked completely out of her. Wade's eyes were no longer racing around the room searching for answers. The blinking had stopped, and his body had relaxed as much as it could in the state it was in.  There was a somber look laid across his features, and a sort of stillness to his face, but his eyes, his eyes were now fixed on her.

That was what had gotten to her. His eyes. His dialated pupils that now barely held a trace of the bold brown they usually were, the blood that welled beneath their surface, and the tears that rimmed his lids. They all spoke to her. They pleaded with her for answers, for comfort. His eyes, eyes that normally held such focus and determination for the first time looked afraid and lost. It literally broke her heart.

Swallowing the large lump in her throat, Michelle opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. They seemed to be trapped behind every lump that she swallowed, each one larger than the last. When she made no effort to move toward him, Wade's eyes went from confusion to hurt. What was going on? Why wasn't she coming to him? What was that look on her face? His eyes pleaded with her, begged her to console the fear he felt, a fear he couldn't quite place, and yet she remained pressed against the wall.

Trying desperately to speak past the tube in his mouth, and the pain that ran through his entire being, the only sounds that he managed to get out was something that sounded like a cross between a moan, and a low squeal. Realizing that speaking wasn't an option at the moment, Wade made one last attempt to reach out to her. Using all the strength that he could muster, the fingers on his left hand began to twitch slightly, before his wrist turned slowly so that his palm was now facing upward. His eyes squinted slightly, as he slowly began to reach his hand out to her. 

Michelle looked down at his hand, trembling just a few feet away from her, traces of blood still embedded under his nails and across swollen gashes. Tears began to spill from his pleading eyes, as he continued to reach for her. 

"Im sorry." she whispered, through a few tears of her own. "I cant." Was all that she could manage to get out before turning and bolting through the door. 

Chapter 199

As Michelle ran out of the room and in to the hall, her eyes locked on the set of double doors that led back to the waiting room, and she sprinted towards them as fast as she could.   The sound of voices coming from Wade's nursing staff, doing little to slow her pace as they called out from behind her.

"Miss, wait!"

Once her hands hit the set of double doors, Michelle forcefully shoved them opem, banging them off the walls before continuing to head towards the elevators.  Her heart feeling like it was literally going to jump out of her chest.

Hearing the commotion come from the hall, Jenna quickly turned around.  Catching nothing but Michelle's fleeting frame as she ran by the doorway, Jenna quickly called out to her. 

"Michelle?!  Where are you going?!" 

Ignoring the panicked tone of her best friend's voice, Michelle continued to rapidly press the call button for the elevator.  She wanted to get out of there.  She NEEDED to get out of there!

Once Jenna reached the hallway, she quickly continued over to where her friend was standing.

"Michelle?"

Not wanting to talk to anyone at that moment in time, Michelle quickly moved to the other side of the hall and began pressing the call buttons for the other set of elevators.

"Michelle stop!  What happened in there?!"  Jenna asked again, this time grabbing a hold of Michelle's arm to spin her around.  "Talk to me!"

Unable to bring herself together enough to form any kind of intellegible response, Michelle simply covered her face with her hands and slid to the floor.  Her emotions finally getting the best of her.  Seeing her friend collapse in front of her, Jenna immeadiately crouched down in front of her.

"What the hell happened?!"  Shane growled, only momentarily glancing back over his shoulder at her before rushing down the hall towards the nurse's station.

"Are you alright?"  Chantal quickly chimed in,  placing a hand gently on Michelle's shoulder as she watched her brother make his way down the hall.

"You people just never cease to amaze me." Jenna replied, a tone of disgust clearly evident in her voice as she stared up at her.  "Just go."

After hesitating for a moment, Chantal let out a heavy sigh and ran down the hall to catch up with Shane.  She didn't want to come off as cold and callus, but at the same time, she knew that Michelle had Jenna there for comfort and support, and Wade...well...no one knew what was going on with Wade.

Once they had disappeared through the doors, Jenna grabbed a hold of Michelle's hands and gently tried to pull them away from her face.  Her own hands trembling slightly against Michelle's.  Just seeing her in this state broke her heart.

"Michelle....."

"Jen please don't."

After giving Michelle a few seconds to try and come to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to just sit by and do nothing, which was trademark for her, Jenna spoke up once again. 

"Are you alright?"

After wiping the tears from her eyes, Michelle simply shrugged her shoulders.  There wasn't any way she could answer that question.  It wasn't a yes, and it wasn't a no.  Luckily for both of them, Jenna knew her well enough to know where she was coming from.

"Ok....ummm...I can't believe I'm even asking this...but...is he alright?  I mean, nothing happened when you were in there...right?  I mean he's...."

Letting her head fall back against the wall, Michelle started crying once again.  The gasping sobs that were now escaping her body, instantly pulling Jenna in closer to her.

"Michelle....he's alright....right?"  Jenna asked again, fear quickly grabbing hold of her with the thought that she may very well have to comfort her best friend for more than just what Wade had put her through these last few weeks.

"No, he's not."

Exhaling deeply, Jenna tucked her feet underneath her and grabbed a hold of Michelle's hand, trying to prepare herself for the words she feared she was about to hear.

"Don't worry Jen...he's....it's not what you think." 

Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Jenna titled her head sideways and tried to get a better gauge on exactly what was going through Michelle's mind.  That helpless look plastered across her face Jenna had since become familiar with, but there was something else there as well that begged for answers.  Thankfully for her, Michelle began to offer up information before she had to go digging for it.

"He's so scared Jen." she began, before taking a deep breath in an attempt to check her emotions. "He looked......he looked terrified, and confused."

Her chin quivered slightly, as she shook her head back and forth, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried in vain effort to swallow the growing lump in her throat. After a few minutes, she had finally gained some composure. She looked at her friend, who was staring right back at her waiting patiently to hear what else she had to say.

"If you could've seen the look in his eyes. He looked so helpless." the words fell from her lips in a croaky tone. "God," she breathed "this is all my fault."

Jenna couldnt help but to roll her eyes at the last part of her friends tearful monologue.

"Michelle," she placed a hand on her friends knee "this is NOT your fault."

Ignoring her friend's statement, Michelle continued to talk, her eyes focusing on everything in the poorly lit room but Jenna.

"He wanted me. His eyes, they were begging me - begging me Jen - for answers, consolation....for something, anything!" She brushed the back of her hand across her face, hastily wiping her tears away.

"He probably didnt even know you were there." Jenna offered in a reassuring tone. "I mean, he's pretty out of it, right? So he was probably just confused."

Michelle brushed her friend's hand away and let out a slight scoff.

"He wasnt confused Jenna! He looked right fucking at me! He looked me dead in the eyes and reached out to me. And you know what I did?"

There was silence between them for a moment.

"I just walked away." Michelle continued in a soft whisper. "He was scared, and he wanted me, and I just walked away."

Jenna didnt know what to say.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This whole thing is an absolute fucking mess!” Shane vented as he and Chantal made their way toward Wade’s room “I mean this whole situation is just….unreal!”

Chantal walked quietly beside her brother, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She knew that Shane was upset, and rightfully so, she just didn’t know how to make him understand how complicated everything was. How much Wade needed them right now. She opened her mouth to speak, try to explain, but thought better of it.

Shane saw his sister’s awkward attempt at what he was sure was another explanation of the situation and let out a slight snicker. He stopped just a few feet shy of Wade’s room, giving Chantal an impatient stare.

“What?” she asked uncomfortably

“Please. Just get it out of your system before we go in there.”

Rather than play dumb with her brother, Chantal took a deep breath before words began flying out of her mouth.

“It’s just that I really don’t think that you should go in there with this negative attitude. I mean I know that Wade has done some things that you don’t agree with, but do you really think that going in there and being nasty with him, or toward him, is going to help things any?”

Shane just shook his head. This is how things had always been, especially when it came to the three of them. Somehow Wade and Chantal had always seemed to have this bond that he didn’t share with his younger two siblings. There was always an understanding between them, a sort of connection…..a kinship, which he had never been a part of. Something he never fully understood, not even now.

He rolled his eyes. Sometimes it was like the two of them thought with one brain, felt with one soul. It was intriguing at times, but most times it was infuriating.

“Chantal, please don’t give me the Wade’s a victim speech alright, because honestly it's getting a bit old. Wade is a grown man, who made grown man decisions that got him here.”

He took a deep breath before continuing.

“Look Chan, Wade is my little brother too. I love him just as much as you do. But I’m not going to pretend that I don’t see what’s going on here. Wade has gotten completely out of control. He’s losing it! And you know what? I don’t even want to know what landed him here tonight, because as a cop, I don’t think I’d be able to look the other way….and as a brother I know it would break my heart.” He let out a short breathy laugh. “You know, I was gonna say that I feel like I don’t even know the two of you anymore, but now I’m thinking that maybe I never really did.”

With his words, Chantal saw something in her brother’s eyes that she had never seen before. He looked hurt. He looked…sad.

“Shane, I-“

He cut her off.

“Relax Chantal. I promise, I won’t do anything to upset Wade in his ‘fragile’ state.” He said bluntly before heading toward the door to Wade’s room and disappearing inside.

Taking a few seconds to let her older brother’s words sink in, Chantal used every ounce of strength that she had in her not to cry. The whole situation was just too dramatic, but Wade needed her to be strong right now. She couldn’t afford to fall apart, not now.

When Chantal finally got herself together, and into Wade’s room, she noticed Shane leaned against the far left wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he waited for the nurse that was attending to Wade to finish whatever it was that she was doing.

“I’m just giving him a little something for the pain.” The nurse informed instinctively. “He’s suffered quite a few serious injuries; he’s going to be in a lot of pain. But, he seems like a fighter.”  She smiled, patting Wade’s hand gently, before disposing of the used syringe and exiting the room.

The stark room was eerily quiet as Chantal and Shane stood looking back and forth at one another, wondering who should speak first. Before either of them got the chance to say anything, Wade decided for them.

“Michelle?” his voice was weak and raspy, barely above a whisper. 

From the angle his bed was at, he couldn’t see who was in the room, but he knew he had heard the nurse talking to someone. Seeing how moving his neck was not an option at this point, and his eyes could only search the room so far, calling out to whoever it was that was in there seemed to be his best recourse.

Chantal looked at Shane, her eyes already rimmed with tears. Shane however simply rolled his eyes. After making her way across the room, Chantal pulled a chair up next to Wade’s bed. Sitting down beside him, she wrapped both her hands around his battered and bruised extremity.

“No. It's uh, it’s not Michelle Wade, it’s me. Its Chantal…..Shane’s here too.” She whispered, squeezing his hand slightly.

“Shane?” his eyes searched around the room for his big brother. “W-Why?” he asked, his eyes continuing to search around the room. 

“Why do you think I’m here? My baby brothers lying in hospital bed fighting like hell for his life…..where else would I be?” Shane chimed in, coming to stand next to Chantal.

Chapter 200

After momentarily glancing up at his brother standing at his bedside, Wade squeezed his eyes closed tightly, his heart racing in his chest as he fought with everything he had to bring himself back to a more comfortable state.  A feat he would have thought impossible had he not felt the warmth of his sister's touch upon his still trembling hand once again.  Feeling her comforting touch run gently up and down his forearm, his eyes slowly fluttered back open, and a few stray tears spilled softly down his cheeks.  He was undoubtedly grateful for her presence and support, but he would be lying if he said his heart didn't ache for the comfort of another.

"Wade?"

Watching him slowly tilt his head in her direction, Chantal studied the heartbreaking look on his face and felt her own eyes well with tears.  The unspoken silence between them, instantly drawing the attention of Shane as he stood off to the side, curiously watching their interaction.  It was clear to her that was in pain, scared, and vulnerable, but there was also a look of sadness that was now grabbing hold of her brother, and she hated the fact that she knew it had nothing to do with his condition.

After watching his eyes drift slowly around the perimeter of the room, Chantal looked up at Shane and gave him a knowing look.  It was coming.  She could feel it, and it broke her heart.

"Chan...."  Wade started, his voice barely above a whisper as it cracked from the dryness. "...where's Michelle?"

Grabbing a tissue off of the small bedside table, she gently dried his eyes and gave him a somber look.  She just couldn't bring herself to tell him that the love of his life wanted nothing to do with him. 

Seeing the opportunity now in front of him to try and run some interference between his brother and Michelle, Shane stepped around Chantal and gently sat down on the foot of Wade's bed.

"She left Wade."

Hearing his brother answer the question that he had asked his sister, Wade once again lifted his gaze to meet Chantal's, hoping, praying that she would offer any information to the contrary.  Unfortunately, after a few seconds had passed, all Chantal could do was gaze down at the floor and softly whisper the words 'I'm sorry."

Swallowing the lump that had instantly formed in his throat, Wade closed his eyes once again and allowed the tears to fall freely.  The ache in his heart now growing ten-fold with the revelation that the end had finally arrived.  There would be no more second chances, no more making promises to her that he would get things back to the way they used to be.  It was over, truly over, and there wasn't anything he could do, but cry.

Unable to take the heartbreaking scene that was playing out in front of her, Chantal quickly excused herself and headed out the door in tears. 

Although Shane's initial instinct was to get up and follow after her, he knew that she needed the time alone, as much as Wade needed his support there, and quickly turned his focus back to his baby brother.

"Are you alright?"  Shane asked, gently patting the side of Wade's left knee.

After pulling himself together as much as he possibly could, Wade opened his eyes back up and just stared at the ceiling.  His tortured expression surprisingly even getting the best of Shane as he sat there curiously watching him.  There were so many questions about his relationship with Michelle that he wanted to ask, that he NEEDED to ask, but none of them seemed to take precedence over the one question they all wanted an answer to, so he softly cleared his throat and started there.

"What the hell happened man?"  Shane asked, shifting slightly.

Choking back the tears that threatened to break him down once again, Wade slowly exhaled, and surprisingly, started to answer Shane's question.

"I...I messed up."  Wade said, his voice still raspy as he tried to moisten his lips with his tongue.  "I messed up...and...and she's...fuck!"

Seeing Wade close his eyes once again, Shane couldn't help but feel bad for his brother. It was almost painful to watch him mentally try to deal with the aftermath of his actions, and to deal with the outcome of what his life had been reduced to.  His heart ached from him and he wanted to help, he just didn't know how.  Placing his hand gently back on Wade's leg, Shane did he best to try and console him.

"We'll get you through this Wade. It's going to be ok."

Turning his head towards his brother, Wade let out a sound that could only be described as a slight chuckle.  If that's really what Shane thought, then clearly Chantal had  misinformed their brother about exactly what he had been up to these last few weeks.

"No....it's not."  Wade replied, turning back away from his brother to gaze across the other side of the room.  "Do me a favor, do us all a favor...and just...just end this."

After giving him a questioning look, Shane saw Wade's eyes drift over to the numerous machines that he was still hooked to and suddenly realized that he wasn't referring to their conversation, he was referring to himself!

"Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke?!"  Shane asked, quickly getting up from the foot of the bed.  "Huh?!  Because that's bullshit Wade!  Don't fucking say shit like that!"

Ignoring the ranting of his brother, Wade continued to stare across the room, emotionally detaching himself from everyone, and everything, in the room.  As far as he was concerned, his life was over.  His mental state, clouded with horrific memories that wouldn't seem to go away.  His heart, his soul, shattered beyond repair.  All that was left now of the man that he used to be, was his battered body, and in his eyes, that was simply a temporary roadblock he had to deal with in order to accomplish what he had now come to accept as his fate.  A short lived exsistence, void of any real meaning or love.

Unable to hold back the tears any longer at his new found revelation, Wade finally gave in to the flood of emotions that had been consuming him.  His broken body, trembling slightly as he continued to lay there and cry with helpless abandon.

Feeling bad that he lashed out at his brother, especially given the state that he was in, Shane sighed heavily and walked back over to the side of the bed.  This isn't what either of them needed right now.  He had crossed the line by raising his voice, and he knew he had to fix things.

"Wade, I'm sorry I yelled.  It's just that..."

Unfortunately before he could even finish his sentence, the sound of voices approaching brought his apology to an end and he turned to face the door.  Seeing the doctor headed in his direction, Shane ran his hands roughly over his face in frustration, and proceeded to back away from Wade's bed. 

Instantly taking notice of the state Wade was currently in when he walked in to the room, the doctor headed over to the monitors and began adjusting the medications being delivered through Wade's various IV's.  Once he was done, and wrote a couple notes down on Wade's chart and headed over to the small intercom system on the wall behind the bed. After pressing the small red button to call down to the nurse's station, he flipped through a few more papers on Wade's chart and waited for a response from the nurse's station.

"Yes?"

"This is Dr. Caufield in room 325.  I need a 100mg Arsitran injection brought down, and can you put a call in to Dr. Pitalka in Neurology to let him know that I need to make arrangements to do Robson's post-op exam."

"Yes.  Right away doctor."

After placing Wade's chart down on the small bedside table, Dr Caufield pulled Wade's sheet back and proceeded to lift his hospital gown up so that he could take a look at the incision that was running along the left side of his abdomen, right below his rib cage.  Satisifed that there wasn't any sign of infection with the stitches thus far, he pulled the gown back down and proceeded to take a look at the set of stitches that resulted from the repair to his fractured jaw.

"Look's good."  the doctor said, pulling Wade's sheet back up over him.  "How are you feeling Wade?  Are you in pain?"  he continued, making a few more notes on Wade's chart.  "If so, I can get you something.  You just have to tell me."

Ignoring the doctor's questions, Wade continued to stare in to space.  The tears continuing to flow freely.

"Is he going to be alright?"  Shane asked, taking a few step closer to Wade's bedside.

"Physically, I would like to think that he can make a full recovery.  It won't happen over night, but as long as he is committed to doing the work, the outcome is very favorable.  We just need to run a few cognative tests that we were unable to perform perviously.  These will indicate whether or not your brother suffered any lasting effects from the trauma he endured, or from aggressive treatment that he received when he arrived here.  Once we know exactly what we are dealing with, we can begin to plan out a course of treatment."

After nodding his head that he understood, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching in the hall and they both turned in that direction.  As they did, they saw one of the nurse's walk in to the room holding another clipboard and what appeared to be the medication that was requested a few minutes earlier. 

"Dr. Pitalka said he will assemble a response team and send them up in a few minutes, but he wanted to know if you will be in attendance, or if he should come up to oversee the testing." 

"Tell him that I will be here."

"Ok, I will let him know, and I also have the Arsitran you asked for."  she continued, handing him the clipboard that she was holding so that he could sign off on the drug.  After he signed the form and handed it back, she proceeded to hand him the syringe. 

"Is there anything else?"

"No, that's all."

After the nurse walked out of the room, Dr Caufield walked back over to Wade's bed and flipped the sheet to the side.  Taking notice of the fact that he was still being restrained, Dr Caufield lowered the side rail of the bed so he could more accessibly gain access to Wade's wrist.

"This is just a little something to help him relax."  he said, proceeding to inject the substance in to the IV that was taped to Wade's hand.  "It should only take a few minutes to kick in."

"Is he going to fall back asleep?"  Shane asked, helpless watching as his brother's sob slowly began to decrease in frequency.

"No, this isn't a sedative. This is just to help with the anxiety.  Your brother is dealing with a lot right now, as I'm sure you can imagine.  And there is always the chance that mentally, he isn't fully aware of everything that's going on.  It can be very overwhelming and stressful.  This will just allow us to keep him comfortable enough so that we can perform the testing necessary to get the answers we need."

"Ok."

Hearing yet another set of footstep approaching, Shane turned to his left and saw Chantal walking back in to the room.  Offering her the comfort of his embrace, Shane extended his arm and she gladly and willingly moved in to the space beside him.

"I'm sorry I ran out.  I just can't stand seeing him like that."

"It's ok.  No one expectes you to be superwoman Chan.  It's hard on all of us."  Shane replied, softly rubbing his hand up and down her arm.  "They just gave him a little something to help him relax so they can run some tests."

"The tests you were talking to me about earlier?  The ones you couldn't do because he slipped in to a coma?"  Chantal asked, addressing the doctor as he headed in their direction.

"Yes.  This will give us a better assessment on the extent of damage your brother endured, if in fact there is even any at all."

"How long will it take?"

"The initial testing is pretty simple, and should only take about fifteen minutes.  If we come across any issues or concerns, a more comprehensive round of testing will need to be done to rule out the developement of any post-op intracranial haemotomas."

Picking up on the look of concern quickly spreading across Chantal's face with the possibility that he wasn't fully out of the woods yet, Dr Caulfield proceeded to reassure her that his initial assessment of her brother was positive. 

"Chantal, when Wade first woke up, obviously we expected him to be disoriented, and that his verbal and motor skills wouldn't be up to par with patients who hadn't suffered any trauma, so that wasn't a concern.  He's stable.  He doesn't appear to have any noticable deficiencies with any of his limbs. Those are all positive things. We just want to make sure that there isn't anything underlying.

"Ok."  Chantal said, sighing heavily. 

Hearing what sounded like a small cart being pushed in to the room, all three of them once again turned towards the hall.

"Dr Pitalka said you requested a Neuro consult."

"Yeah.  You can go get set up.  I'll be with you in one minute."  Dr Caufield replied, gently guiding Shane and Chantal towards the door.  "As soon as we get done with the testing, I will come out and talk to you."

"Ok.  Thank you doctor."  Shane said, removing his arm from around Chantal so that he could shake his hand.

"No problem."

After the formalities of ending their conversation with the doctor, Shane wrapped his arm back around his sister and headed out the door.

"Seeing as we have some time to kill, wanna go grab a cup of coffee?" 

"Yeah, I guess."

And with that final exchange of words, the two of them headed back down the hall towards the elevators, hoping that within the hour, they would all be a little more at ease with Wade's recovery.