Adi had been out of town for a conference yet again. She hated those damn things; being away from her Otis for any extended period of time was not on her agenda. But hey, when you were an award-winning physician, you had to do what you had to do, and Otis was always beaming with pride for her.

God, she couldn't wait to be in those arms again, though. She ran in to the Firefly home, stopping dead. The house that was usually teeming with life was dead still.

"W...where is everyone?" A chill ran up her spine. This wasn't good.

She heard Tiny's lumbering steps from the basement and hurried to him, meeting him at the top of the stairs.

"Tiny!" She hugged him quickly, pulling away in an instant. "Where is everyone?"

"Hospital..."

"What? Why?"

He hesitated, and the silence was more than enough of an answer for her.

"What floor? What room?"

"Ten...1042."

She ran to the car, speeding down the highway and to the hospital. The tenth floor of the hospital was reserved for critical patients. Someone was sick or injured, and it wasn't minor.

When she got to the room, Rufus was standing outside, arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows knit in worry.

"Adi!"

"Hey! What's going on?"

"Listen, before you go in there-"

"Oh, god, it's Otis..."

Rufus sighed. "Before you go in there, you need to know what happened."

"Is he okay? Rufus..."

"Listen to me. He was fine. Started to get a cough, no big deal. He started to get worse, like he had the flu or something. We all tried to convince him to go to the doctor, but you know how he is. So I guess he got fed up with being fussed over, and he was gone for a few days, but he does that, y'know...and we all started to get worried, because he was sick. Well, we find him on the bank of the lake you guys go to all the time. Guess he had been camping, but he was passed out, wouldn't come to...So we brought him here...I...I don't understand what's wrong...Y...You'll have to ask mama...or Baby."

Her face was sheet white and she began to shake. "B...But...I..."

"He came around a little once we got him here, but...he's pretty sedated right now...He kind of freaked out at all the people touching him...You know how he is..."

"Let me see him..."

Rufus led her in to the room, staying close behind her in case she collapsed at the sight of the love of her life.

Otis looked so helpless and vulnerable lying in that hospital bed. The white bed sheets only made him look that much paler, and Adi noted that the dull gray-blue of the hospital gowns was not a flattering color on him. He was on a ventilator, the machine pushing air into his lungs; it wasn't his breath. She knew the pattern of his breathing well enough by now...It wasn't his. She saw the pleuro-vac hooked to the side of his bed and pulled his blanket back- a chest tube protruded from his side, filling the canister with yellow-red fluid. Hooked to his IV were 2 different kinds of strong antibiotics.

"He's got a bad lung infection..." She muttered.

"Should've known we wouldn't have had to tell you nothin'. Can figure it out yourself." Mother Firefly smiled softly. She sat at Otis's side, holding his hand. "Doctor said he had a collapsed lung, too..."

Adi nodded. "Yeah...All that fluid draining out of him, no wonder..."

"He's sedated...He'll come around in a bit. Bet he'll be real glad to see you."

Tears rolled down her face. She quickly wiped them away. It always upset Otis when she cried. He always thought it was his fault. "How long has he been like this?"

"Rufus carried him in 2 days ago. We been here in shifts ever since."

Adi took his hand in hers, kissing it lightly. How she had missed those hands in hers, missed one comfortingly in the small of her back or on her shoulder. She felt the cool metal of his wedding band, and placed it against her face. "Baby...I'm home..."

They sat for what seemed like hours before he began to stir. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, turning his head slightly.

"Otis, your Adi is here." Mother Firefly whispered. She looked pointedly at Adoria, willing her to say something.

"Baby...Hey, open your eyes for me. Come on..."

God, she didn't think she had ever been so glad to see red in her entire life. Through half-closed lids, he peered at her; she felt his hand squeeze around hers.

"Hi, sweetheart." She kissed his forehead and cheek, stroking his hair out of his face.

Baby chimed in for the first time. "There. Now your Adi's here, think you can rest a little?"

Closing his eyes, he nodded.

"Ohhh...Baby..." She kissed his hand.

"I don't think he could get settled without you here." Baby whispered. "I think he was scared...All these strange people touchin' him, y'know. And feelin' as bad as he did...Can't do nothin' about it."

Adi continued to stroke his hair with one hand, holding his hand in the other. "Ohh...You don't feel good at all, do you sweetie...?"

Letting his eyes slip open in that sleepy way, he shook his head.

"Aww...Otis..."

"I think now that you're here he'll settle down a lot." Mother Firefly admitted.

Otis began to weakly shake Adi's hand in his to get her attention.

"Hm? What's wrong, baby?" She asked foolishly. She knew he couldn't speak with the tube down his throat.

"Are you cold again, sweet heart?" Mother Firefly asked. Otis nodded.

"Oh, okay." Adi lay another blanket on top of him and sat back down, taking his hand in hers once more. He still stared at her. "What, love?" She kissed his forehead.

He squeezed her hand three times. I. Love. You. Something they always did when they couldn't speak to the other, or when words just didn't seem right.

She held back tears. "I love you too, Otis."

He closed his eyes and settled down, slipping into much-needed sleep.