There I was innocently watching an EJAMI montage by amanda rhiannon on youtube entitled "Love a Woman" and the line 'helpless in her arms" jumped out and tickled my muse.

I couldn't stop myself; I had to write this.

Disclaimer: days of our lives is not mine, the actors are not mine, although I can think of one tall dark handsome one with an accent that I would love to have be mine but that's beside the point.

The invisible thread

He slowly opened his eyes. His throat felt dry, he coughed only to have a sharp pain tear through his chest. He looked down and saw a white bandage covering part of his chest.

Then he remembered. Remembered with horror. His brother had ordered Bart to shoot him and his father had likely condoned it. He had turned away in disgust at Tony's ranting only to hear a gun fire and a bullet hit him in the back. It must have gone straight through.

His family had tried to kill him. And for what? Because he had attempted to help Samantha and her family? Samantha - who so very obviously favoured that loud, mannerless, bloke she had married. As his breathing quickened he realized that he had oxygen coming to him from a tube to his nose. He tried to move only to discover that his legs didn't obey him. Panic enveloped him. His throat closed. Was he paralyzed? He started hyperventilating. An alarm went off.

A nurse appeared by his side. "Easy, Mr. Wells. Just breathe slowly."

He gasped, "my legs, can't feel them." The effort caused him to cough - the pain made him inhale sharply.

"The swelling that the bullet caused has put pressure on your spine. Dr. Hooper believes it to be temporary, try and relax."

As the nurse left he closed his eyes tightly. He had lost everything. He was hated, he couldn't move, he was alone, he felt completely helpless. Immense despair washed over him. For the first time in a very long time he found tears filling his eyes.

She didn't know what made her come to the hospital. It was as if some invisible thread reeled her in. EJ had been shot, so far the police had no idea who had pulled the trigger. Once upon a time he had been her friend. Once upon a time she had imagined herself to be falling in love with him. Once upon a time she had hated him and wanted him dead. Yet here she was, drawn to him like a bee to nectar.

She entered his room. He lay on the bed slightly elevated. She had never seen him look so pale. Her heart gave a sharp jump. She quelled it quickly.

His eyes were tightly closed. His face showing pain. He brought one arm up over his eyes and inhaled sharply with a sound that sounded like a sob. Sami saw a tear trailing down his cheek, she realized in shock that he was crying. She had never seen him shed a tear before. All misgiving she had felt over coming to the hospital fled. Ej's arm lay limply on the bed by his side. She quietly walked in, sat down in the chair by the bed, and gently took his hand.

When EJ felt someone grasp his hand, he lowered the arm covering his eyes and found himself looking into Samantha's concerned blue eyes.

She was the very last person on earth he would have wanted to have see him this way. The woman, who despite carrying his children, insisted on staying with Lucas.

"Get out of here," he snarled hoarsely.

She looked startled at his animosity. "I just wanted to see how you were?"

"I don't need nor want your pity. Get out of here, Samantha!"

She frowned. "EJ, I just wanted…"

"GET OUT!" he shouted, then winced as pain shot through him.

"Calm down! I'll leave but not before you know that despite what you did to me I never wanted anything like this to happen to you," she squeezed his hand.

For a moment EJ relished the closeness but then he pulled his hand out of hers and turned his head away from her. He heard the chair slide back as she got up and headed out of the room.

The wall of despair came on even stronger this time. His hand came over his face as the helplessness of his situation overwhelmed him.

Sami got as far as the door and turned back. Her heart painfully squeezing her.

"EJ, you have to stay strong, you will recover."

He choked out as sarcastically as he could, "What, Samantha? Did you see it in Celeste's crystal ball?"

She studied him, the youngest Dimera. It was obvious that he had hit rock bottom. Devastated for having lost his family, lying here injured and in pain and …alone. His brown hair was disheveled, his dark eyes were rimmed in red, his face shadowed by stubble; his jaw clenched tightly fighting to stay in control.

"No, EJ. I don't need Celeste's crystal ball. I know you will recover." She stepped closer to him again.

He took a ragged breath. She remembered suddenly all the times he had comforted her, reached out to her, held her. She leant forward putting her arms around him carefully.

EJ tensed and froze.

"It's all right. I promise you, it will all be right," she said softly.

With another ragged breath he leant against her. She felt his body shudder, felt his hot tears against her neck. Soothingly, she gently held him, stroking his back and his hair. He took the comfort she offered for a moment, then pulled back, hastily wiping his eyes. He missed a tear and her hand came up to gently wipe it away. He looked at her fiercely, then suddenly his lips came down on hers.

Her first instinct based on her marriage vows screamed at her to pull away but a feeling deep in her gut persuaded her to kiss him back. She knew he needed this now.

He pulled back, his head resting wearily against the headboard. She had never seen him look so vulnerable.

He didn't say anything, just stared stonily at the foot of the bed.

She took a shaky breath. "I better go," she said softly.

His eyes then lifted to hers and wordlessly he nodded. Pain registered in his eyes, his pain reflected in hers. She fled towards the door feeling torn.

EJ closed his eyes. Samantha was doing exactly what he didn't want her do to. Offering him pity.

But then a voice came out of the darkness. "You haven't lost everything, you still have me," she suddenly whispered loud enough for him to hear as she paused at the door for a second and then left.

Her words burned in his heart; perhaps a tiny grain of hope was left to cling to.