Claudia comes to understand that Amanda is gone. This atrocious news appeared to them improbable. Amanda was still on her hospital bed. But this was unfortunately not the case. Since Claudia had just woken up, the doctor had to listen to her. But he let the couple for a moment confront this announcement that had been made to them. Michael and Claudia stayed a long time crying, without moving. Michael got up and saw Claudia, eyes closed. She felt that horrible pain in her chest, the pain of knowing she would never see her again. It seemed impossible, so she opened her eyes and met Michael's. She sat down softly on her bed, Michael stroked her hair, and they took each other in her arms. They stayed so long, so they could feel all the love they had for each other, the only thing that brought them together and that would allow them to overcome that, at least to survive that. The doctor entered then.

Dr: Please excuse me but I have to do some exams to Mrs. Holden.
M: Enter Doctor. Go ahead, please.

The doctor examined Claudia, checking her breathing, pulse, and nervous state.

Dr: Everything seems to be in order. Tomorrow you will do further examinations. This is a routine performed when any patient wakes up from a coma of several days.
M: Good Doctor. Thank you.
Dr.: Mr. Holden, I'm waiting for you in my office.
M: All right, I'm coming right away.

The doctor came out of the room and sighed at the nurse.

Dr: How can they manage to live after that?
N: They look really close, and it's important on the base, I think they hide a lot of things.
Dr: Which is not good at all.

In the room, Michael promised Claudia to come back quickly. He went to see the doctor.

Dr: Please enter.
M: Thank you.
Dr.: Rest assured your wife is fine. Complementary examinations tomorrow will allow us to be sure that no sequelae will be deplored at the level of vital organs. But she can go out in 48 hours.
M: Okay, very good.
Dr.: Now, and excuse me if I approach it in a way that might be felt violent, but that's not my intention; I would like to discuss about your daughter. A psychologist will come to see you in your wife's room. You can discuss everything with her. However, I wanted to see with you what will follow. We will have to contact a funeral home and organize the funeral.

Michael nodded.

Dr: I know it's a lot of a blow. But I had to inform you.
M: And I thank you for that.
Dr: I let you go find your wife.

Michael went back to Claudia. She was looking out the window. Michael thought of Emmalin. She had to wait for news at home. How to announce him? The psychologist arrived shortly after. She stayed for a long time talking with Michael and Claudia. They had collapsed, and could see no way back. As night fell, Michael returned to try to sleep a little. The doctors gave Claudia some sedatives so that she would sleep at night. When he came home, Michael huffed and the reality was hard to accept. He lives in the entrance the photos of his daughters and their mother. The pain was even more intense. Emmalin had heard his father arrive and quickly descended the stairs.

E: Dad! So how are mom and Amanda? They woke up, I hope.
M: Hey my treasure. How was your day ?
E: Normal ...
M: Come and sit down, I have to tell you something.
E: What? What is happening ?
M: I went to the hospital this afternoon. Mom woke up.
E: Oh that's great daddy! How is she ?
M: Tired but ... she's fine.
E: And Amanda?
M: Honey, the doctors did everything they could ... but your sister ...
E: Not that! Not Amanda!
M: I'm sorry my treasure.
Emmalin started to cry and Michael too. They squeezed hard for long minutes. Emmalin was still crying but she wanted to know.

E: How is it possible?
M: Her burn was very extensive and your sister was very weak. It became too serious and they could not save her.
E: It's unfair, why?
M: I know my heart, I know.

After a long hug, they tried to eat something and then went to bed. Nobody slept the night and the next morning, they went immediately to the hospital. Claudia was not in her room, she had gone for further tests. Emmalin suddenly felt a certain anxiety. Denise saw them soon after. While Michael was talking to the doctor, Denise went to see Emmalin.

D: Hey my beautiful.
E: Denise!

Denise hugged Emmalin.

D: How are you doing?
E: I do not really know ... Where's mom?
D: He was taken to do further tests. She will be able to go out this afternoon normally.
E: I do not know if I should go see her.
D: Why honey?
E: I must look like Amanda, and it will make her even sadder.
D: Do not say that. You know that your mother loves you Emmalin, you just have to accept what's going on and let time.
E: It's difficult.
D: I know. But we are here and there are others, Claudia is well surrounded and your father too, have no fear about it.

Michael came looking for Emmalin. Claudia had returned to her room. When Claudia saw Emmalin, she thought she saw Amanda coming in behind. But reality caught up with her. Some things were hard to say, but you had to talk about it.

C: Michael, I'd like you to call my parents and yours. I will not have the courage to take care of it.
M: Okay, I'll do it this afternoon.
C: I ... I can not wait to get home. This hospital reminds me all this evening, this horrible evening.
M: The doctor told me you could come back this afternoon. It will also be necessary to organize ...
C: Michael, please, do not make things any more difficult by saying them. I know all that, but I can not accept it. How am I going to live now without her?

Hearing this sentence, Emmalin felt his heart tighten. And she ? Where was she in all this? Amanda was gone, but she was there, and alive. She left her mother's room and burst into tears. She realized then that the next few days will be very complicated for everyone. In the afternoon, Claudia returned home. Emmalin was waiting for her, she had not come with her father. When she arrived, she took her mother in her arms. Claudia saw all the pictures that were in the house. How to survive this? Michael accompanied him to the bedroom. Claudia falls asleep quickly as she was tired. Michael took the opportunity to warn the family. In the afternoon he was visited by Roxy, Pamela, and Roland. They all came to offer their help. Michael thanked them and just asked them to ensure that they were not bombarded with messages, cakes or anything else that might remind them of this horrible event and the pain they were feeling right now. Michael telephoned Joan and dictated his orders for the days to come. Indeed, he would not go to work for several days. The next day, as Claudia got up, she passed Amanda's room and experienced it as a second shock. This room will no longer be inhabited, she will not hear the laughter of her daughter when she is on the phone with her friends, she will not hear the music she could listen to and she will not see her smile when the latter rose in the morning. Tears rolled alone on her cheeks. Michael had just lunch and was coming back. He took Claudia in his arms. Claudia felt the deep love that Michael felt for her, the love that united them. She said to herself that perhaps it was the key to moving forward and succeeding in overcoming this ordeal. Claudia felt the need to feel loved every moment of the day. She needed attention from Michael, Emmalin, his friends. She knew that all that would allow her to move forward. What she did not know was that she wanted inside, to forget the love she had for Amanda and the love her daughter had given her during her wonderful 18 years at her side. Unconsciously, without realizing it, that's what she wanted to get away from. Although Michael would occasionally go outside to see Denise to give news to others, most of the time he stayed at home with Claudia and Emmalin. Emmalin stayed in his room. Going out reminded him of his sister and was unbearable for such a girl. She knew what her parents were going through. She had always seen her parents idolize her sister, congratulating her for everything, all the time. Even though the last few weeks had been a little more complicated with Amanda because of her adventure with Jeremy and her slippage, Emmalin always had in her parents' eyes a lot of love and admiration for her big sister. Amanda was their first daughter, the one who had tumbled into their lives without really wanting it. But by this surprise arrival, she had taken a lot of space in their lives and had always made their pride. Emmalin had always felt behind, well below Amanda and was less loved and less important to Michael and Claudia. That's why that evening, when Amanda is going to college with her mother, Emmalin went to camp with friends, not to see goodbye with her parents, who would have proved her Once again how much Amanda was loved, and was their favorite. It hurt her heart to witness that, but now she regretted it because it would have been the last moment she could have said goodbye to her sister. Emmalin was crying, Amanda was missing, but also for all that had happened in his last weeks, days. One day she could clear up all this with her parents, would they finally tell her with the same pride in the eyes and the same love that they love him from the bottom of their hearts? Only the future will tell him. Communication within the Holden family did not really exist anymore. Claudia and Michael spoke only with their own emotional gestures, their looks that said long. They needed to be in each other's arms, to breathe the smell of the other. That to prove to themselves that they were there together and together. In the morning they stayed in bed for a long time before getting up. They had breakfast together, watched television together, fell asleep together in the afternoon. They were all together. Whenever they met Emmalin, at mealtime or in the evening before going to bed, they kissed her and took her in their arms to show him that they were there, they did not forget him, but that for a little while, would have complicated. Emmalin hugged her parents too, they were so important to her. She would do anything to find their complicity and love that united them despite everything. At that moment, a lot of love filled the Holden house.
When everything was organized, three days later, Amanda's funeral was celebrated. The whole family was there, as well as the friends of the Holden couple's base. This day was a difficult day for everyone and in the evening when everyone was gone, Claudia blamed his neck. She had just said goodbye to her daughter and had come to accept never seeing her again. Reality came back to her face and all the love she felt for her daughter sprang into her and the pain was all the more painful and hard to bear. She did not dine, took a sleeping pill and went to bed and fell asleep quickly. Michael found this behavior odd but was understanding. He wished to wake up from this nightmare but it was not possible. The next day while Claudia was still sleeping Michael visited Joan at the headquarters to find out what was happening on the base. He left on foot and made a detour to Denise where Roland, Pamela and Roxy were there. They were surprised to see Michael.

D: Michael. What are you doing here ?
M: I went to Headquarters, and walking calmed me down.
P: How is it going at home?
M: At the moment we live from day to day. I tried to get in touch with Emmalin but I think it's going to be complicated.
A: Emmalin is a strong girl but very sensitive, I think it will take time, like you with Claudia.
D: How's Claudia today?
M: She was still sleeping when I left. But I worry.
R: Why?
M: Last night she took a sleeping pill that the doctor had prescribed. She had never taken it because we managed to stay afloat together, together. And she said that was so strong that she did not want to become dependent on that thing. But last night ...
D: I think she wanted the day to end quickly and sleeping was the only way for her not to think and not to suffer.
M: You must be right.
A: Michael, do not hesitate to call us, we will come to talk, even if it is only to have company, visit.
D: Roland is right. We are here.
M: That's nice of you, thank you. I'm going home, Claudia has to be up and I do not know how she's going to apprehend this new day.

Michael left thinking that all of this would get better with time, as the days go by. He was wrong. Arriving in front of his house, he saw that Claudia's car was no longer there. He thought that she had to go shopping or go to the cemetery, but when he got home he saw his bag, with everything inside, his papers, his identity card, his driving license, and his mobile phone. He had no way to reach her. Where could she be? He phoned the entrance to the base. We had just seen her go by half an hour ago.

As Claudia got up, she had not seen Michael and did not know where she was. She could not think, only Amanda stayed in her mind. She had mechanically taken her shower, dressed the same way and found herself downstairs on the ground floor. She felt this immense pain, the same as the day before, an immense sadness, and a lot of loneliness. She turned on herself as if she was looking for something, someone. She did not know what to do to make all these feelings go away, she felt her breathing speed up and she panicked. She took the first thing that came to hand, her car keys and gone. On leaving the base, she was greeted but Claudia was already far in her thoughts. She had stopped in front of the bar when at the same time Michael was at Denise's. The whole evening had come back to him in flash. Seconds later, she was gone.

Michael was worried. He had arrived in front of the bar. But nobody was there. He turned back and came home but Claudia had not come back. He warned Denise and everyone soon arrived home. Michael explained the situation. They reassured him that she had wanted to be alone and she would come back soon. Lunch time had already passed and it was already 14h. Michael still had no news of Claudia. Denise was still there, Roland, Pamela and Roxy had to leave. For her part, Claudia had rolled without looking where she was, she had cried, but never stopped. Only, at one point she returned to her looked at the names of some shops on the side of the road, she did not know. She rolled again until she found a sign. She stopped on the side of the road discovering that in about 45 minutes she would be in Asheville. It had been almost five hours since she had left Charleston, without her bag, without her phone. She thought of Michael, Emmalin. They must have died of worry. She was exhausted, but took the road the other way. Michael, for her part, had pointed out that Claudia had left without a paper, and the information was passed on to the Virginia Police Station, the neighboring states, so that if she was arrested, there would be no trouble for her. In addition, it would help to know where she was. But Michael did not receive any calls. It was about 2 hours that Claudia had turned around. She fell asleep at the wheel. She decided to stop to rest. She thought to sleep a few moments, but woke up 2 hours later. She went on the road, with a certain anxiety. She was completely lost and wanted only one thing to go home and find Michael. It was around 8 pm that Michael heard the sound of a car. He hoped to see a policeman tell him where his wife was. He had the joy of seeing Claudia return. The latter crossed the door in tears, Michael immediately took her in his arms.

M: Oh Lord! You scared me so much.
C: I'm sorry Michael, so sorry.
M: It does not matter, the main thing is that you're fine and that you're back.

Michael blew a big blow. Claudia realized that he was really scared. She will be with all her strength and would not let go of her husband.

M: I'm here Claudia, you're safe now.
C: I was afraid of being lost.

They broke off and went to sit on the couch.

M: But where have you been?
C: I rolled without seeing where I was going, I was in my thoughts and I did not see what was passing before my eyes on the road. I stopped frantically. I was only about an hour from Asheville.
M: What? Asheville?
C: This morning I got up with the same pain that invades me every day, I did not know what to do, I left ...

Michael felt all the distress of his wife. He took her in his arms. He decided that Claudia's well-being was the most important, to the detriment of his own. He could stay strong for her, and settle his own troubles later, when his wife and daughter will be fine. He did not imagine how complicated it would be. Indeed, the next day, Claudia had changed her behavior. She had suffered from all the love she had wanted to have to fill Amanda's. The return to reality made him understand that this was not the solution. In order not to remind everyone of this lack, she decided to act differently. She walked away slowly from Michael, from Emmalin, from his friends. According to her, the less she will be in the company of the people she loves and those who love her, the more she will be able to overcome this pain little by little, and succeed in living with little by little over time. Days passed and Michael understood his wife's behavior. But he was suffering from this absence, he missed Claudia and he wondered how it would be possible to restore balance in this family that was bruised. It was necessary that the dialogue come back, that they are found all the 3. Michael would not suspect that the appearance of a person like no other, would help Claudia to find the taste of the life and to advance little by little.