Charlotte's head jolted forward and hit the steering wheel and propelled back and hit the head rest as she lost consciousness. Her last recollection was a scream from a voice she thought she knew and then darkness.

When she comes around and tries to move Charlotte realises that she can't turn her head without pain. She looks slowly to her right and sees Addison Montgomery asleep in the chair beside the bed, a blanket around her waist and her head resting on a pillow on her right shoulder. Charlotte moans as the pain in her lower abdomen makes its presence known. A tear escapes as the pain, and fear overcome her. Addison suddenly jerks awake as she hears a sob coming from the bed beside her.

'Whoa Whoa, come here' – she stands up and reaches over the side of the bed to take Charlottes hand and stroke her hair. Without thinking she places a soft kiss on the top of Charlottes head to reassure her.

'Hey, sorry I fell asleep. Long day'

'What the, where, its dark, what day?' – the incoherence in Charlotte's speech is studded with sobs and wincing as the true extent of her injuries began to emerge.

'Slow Down Charlotte. You're going to be here for a little while. I'll answer any questions you want. Just take a deep breath and relax.

'What happened? Where the hell am I? And what the hell are you doing here?'

Addison smiles as the formidable Dr. King returns to form. She sits down but doesn't take her hand away from Charlotte's. She may be ready for answers, but Addison isn't sure whether or not she is ready for that physical contact to be broken. She has a feeling that Charlotte needs to know this is real, that she's still alive and that this isn't some kind of dream. Her thoughts are confirmed when she feels Charlotte grasp her hand tight.

'You were in a car accident Charlotte. Some idiot, who was too drunk to know what day it was, broke a red light and smashed straight into the back of your car. He got away with barely a scratch. No-one else was injured apart from you. You're in St. Ambrose. And I'm here because I was there when it happened and you gave me the fright of my life. I've rung your mum. She wanted to come but I told her you'd be out of here in a week and you'd need her more then. Everyone has been in. Coop stayed last night actually, wanted to make sure I'd rung everyone important.

Addison's face suddenly clouds over and she looks down as she can't think of anything else to ramble about.

'What Addison? What's wrong?' The worry in Charlotte's voice is unmistakable.

'Charlotte you were badly injured. You broke your left wrist'; Charlotte tries to raise her left hand and for the first time and realises that the heavy weight that was holding it down is a plaster cast. 'You cracked your head off the steering wheel before the air bag deployed so you suffered a very bad concussion and some bruising to your head. And...' her voice trails off.

'Be honest Montgomery. I don't need no sugar coating'

'The seatbelt did its job Charlotte. Did its job well. But you know what happens, you've seen seatbelt injuries.

'I swear Montgomery if you don't spit it out soon, broken wrist or no broken wrist, I will strangle you'

'Charlotte you had severe internal injuries, they had to operate; I had to operate'

'You, what did you do. Jesus Addison what did you do?' Realisation suddenly dawns and tears begin to fall again as Charlotte's medical head returns. 'Well I sure as hell wasn't pregnant, but let me guess now I can't ever be'

'I'm sorry Charlotte, God I am so sorry. But you had massive internal bleeding. You were bleeding so badly we had to pump 6 pints of blood into you. Your abdomen was severely bruised and the internal and external lacerations due to the seatbelt were multiple. I had to remove your uterus. I am so sorry'

'Don't' Charlotte can't say anymore as she sheds silent tears. She'd never thought about having children. It wasn't on the agenda. But now that she is being told she can't, it is like a punch in the stomach.

Addison stands and releases the railing at the side of the bed never removing her hand from Charlotte's. As she sits down on the bed she feels Charlotte shift slowly to the left away from her.

'If I could have done anything else I would have, believe me. I tried. I tied off every bleeder I could find but you were pumping out blood faster than we could put it in'

'I don't want to know Addison, I really don't'

'Sorry, Jesus what am I saying, you don't need the details'

'No I don't'

'I can't imagine how you are feeling right now, really I can't. But I have to admit I think I have a slight insight into the fear aspect. When I saw that car smash into yours I was on the side walk. I watched you being thrown forward in the seat...' Addison reprimands herself again, why would anyone need to know these kinds of details'. 'Sorry I know too much information. Every medical instinct that should kick in escaped me for a moment. All I could think was 'fuck'! I was stuck to the spot until I heard a woman scream across the road for someone to call 911. When I got to the car I called your name but you were unconscious'

'No actually I heard you. Well I didn't know it was you at the time, but I heard someone call my name. That's all I can remember though. Probably better I suppose'.

'Definitely better'

Tears begin to fall again and Charlotte can't hide her pain any longer. Addison moves her body closer and feels Charlotte turn into her

'Ssshhhh, I'm here, I've got you'.

'Jesus Addison, why? Why Me?

Addison feels Charlotte press closer to her and she puts one hand on her lower back and strokes her hair with the other.

'I can't answer that Charlotte, you know I can't. We always ask that question. Why her? Why Him? Why Them? Why is the hardest question to answer. I wish I could but I can't'

Charlotte shivers and Addison realises she is freezing. She grabs the blanket from her chair and wraps it around her body. She places her hand back on her head and pulls it down to her shoulder; careful not to aggravate the whiplash she suffered to her neck and back. She once again places a gentle kiss on her head and cheek and feels Charlotte quiet, her breathing slowing as she falls back to sleep and the tears stop falling. She stays there for the night listening to Charlotte breathing in and out as her mind races – why, why did this have to happen to her?