When Martin got the call that Lena had been in a car accident and was in the emergency room, his heart dropped to his stomach and he immediately panicked. After not being able to locate his keys for (a heart-stopping) five minutes, he called Maya, thankful the kids would be in school for a few more hours. But what if something was seriously wrong? What would he do then? "Martin, are you even listening to me?" Maya asked.

He blinked, suddenly realizing he hadn't hung up yet. "Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked if you were doing okay but your lack of response answers my question. Just take a deep breath and don't drive like a bat out of hell to the hospital. I'll meet you there. Got it?"

"Got it," he confirmed, thankful for his (former?) sister-in-law.

"Now go!" Maya urged, already heading towards her own car. Fortunately, her boss had been understanding after she explained there was an emergency.

"See you in a few." Martin hung up the phone and got into his car. He wanted to floor it to the hospital but didn't want to risk another accident so he reluctantly went the speed limit. His hands were shaking by the time he made it to the front desk. "I'm here about my wife," he told a nurse, giving her Lena's full name.

"She's in surgery right - a doctor will come by to update you on her progress soon, so why don't you head to the waiting room?" the nurse asked with a smile on her face.

Martin didn't understand why she was smiling. "Lena's in surgery? What's wrong with her?" Fuck, what if he lost her? He had so much to apologize for and not there might not be time to.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you'll find out soon enough." The nurse headed back to her station, ignoring Martin's glare.

His knee bounced up and down and he kept checking his phone to see the time. Martin literally jumped out of his seat when Maya bolted in. "Have you found out anything yet?" she pressed.

He shook his head. "Only that she's in surgery - that's all I know."

"Shit." Maya sat down next to him and the two of them ended up waiting for thirty five minutes before a doctor came out to talk to them.

"Tell me what's wrong with Lena," demanded Martin.

"She broke some ribs in the accident, has a minor concussion, broke her left wrist, and suffered some internal bleeding - the latter is the reason why we needed to operate. We had to remove her spleen but she's in recovery. We'll be monitoring her condition for the next several hours," the doctor explained.

"Can we see her?" Maya asked, beating Martin to the punch.

"Five minutes, and that's it for now. A nurse will take you to the recovery room." The doctor then walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

Surprising even himself, Martin doubled over and started sobbing. Maya, who had been expecting herself to fall apart ever since she got the phone call, was shocked and immediately started rubbing his back. "Hey, you're going to make me cry, damn it. Fall apart later," she pleaded, blinking back tears of her own.

"Sorry," he choked out, trying to pull himself together.

"It's okay." She wiped away her own tears and then continued to try to calm down. Fortunately, they were both a little better by the time a nurse came back to walk the two of them to the recovery room to visit Lena.

Maya gasped immediately upon laying eyes on her sister. "Look at her." Visible bruises littered her face, and more were likely forming.

Martin choked back another sob. "Hey, babe. I'm here so you don't have to worry. You're going to make it, and we'll forgot about whose week it is to live in the house. I'm not going anywhere from now on. I love you." Mindful of her various injuries, he leaned down and lightly kissed her forehead.

Maya whispered to her for a few seconds before the nurse came back and got them. Now all they could do was wait again. Maya called her father to to tell him about Lena's accident and condition (which had slipped her mind earlier in the midst of all the panic and worry) while Martin called Camille and asked her to pick up the kids from school. She agreed so that was one less thing to worry about (although he had a feeling he wouldn't stop freaking out for a while after this incident).

Now all they could do was wait.

When Lena finally woke up (and stayed awake for more than a few minutes) about seven hours later, Martin sent Maya in first so he could prepare himself (it didn't help). His face crumpled immediately and he started crying again the minute he walked in the room. Lena stared at him in shock, unable to process the scene in front of her. "Uh, have I stumbled into an alternate universe?" she joked.

"Don't," he told her, rushing to her side. "You scared the fuck out of me, Lena."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize - it's not your fault. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "I'm in a little bit of pain but I'd bet it'd be much worse if I wasn't on pain meds," Lena admitted.

He laughed. "Of course. No sense in talking to you while you're like this, is it?"

"Probably not." She blinked, the medicine and injuries beginning to drag her under again.

"I love you," he whispered just before she fell back asleep, which Lena heard but thought she imagined it. He hadn't told her he loved her in years.

The following day, Lena was able to stay awake for longer than a few hours at a time, and Maya dropped in for a visit with the kids. Mae, Mason, and Milo rushed to their mother's side and hugged her. "You need some rest. Go home and shower," Maya encouraged her brother-in-law.

"I will once I know it's safe to."

Her gaze softened. "Lena's not going to die, Martin. She's already getting better, and the doctor's talking about releasing her," she reminded him.

"Have you been behaving?" Lena questioned their children. They all nodded and she had her doubts was too exhausted (and still in a little bit of pain) to call them out on it.

"Why don't we go grab something to eat from the cafeteria and leave your parents alone?" Maya suggested.

None of them were exactly thrilled about getting hospital food but after Maya promised to take them out to dinner, they readily agreed and followed her out the door.

"Something's on your mind. What is it?" Lena asked, trying to find a comfortable position and failing.

"I love you," Martin told her again.

"You love me. And?"

"I don't want to - and can't - live without you, Lena. I fucked up in too many ways to count but I don't want a divorce. I want to make this work."

She teared up. "Why didn't you say any of this before? Maybe our marriage could have been saved."

"It still can be saved - I'm sure of it. I will fight for you and our marriage, Lena. I nearly lost you, and as you can, I'm a mess."

"You do need a shower," Lena told him, wrinkling up her nose.

He rolled his eyes. "Lena."

"I still love you too. But if we're going to do this, we cannot fuck it up again. We can't get the kids' hopes up. We have to be all in," Lena warned, hope beginning to bloom.

"And I'm all in. Are you all in?"

She nodded and then smiled. "I'm all in."

Martin laughed and then kissed her, hoping to avoid jarring her injuries.

It wouldn't be easy but the two of them had learned a lot during their separation and were determined to make their marriage work this time around.