What happens when you die? Do you go through some pearly gates? See your Savior? Maybe, see your deceased relatives?
These are the things Link was asking himself as he seemed to be laying in limbo, somewhere between life and heaven. (At least, he hoped he was going there.) He seemed to be stuck in some dreamlike state, in an empty room of white. Someone was crying, but he couldn't see anything but white, and he couldn't move. He opened his eyes then, and blinked.
"Am I in heaven?" he managed.
"Oh my God, he's awake!" he heard a nurse shout.
A form shot up out of a chair in his room.
Tracy.
Link began to cry, and Tracy kept crying, falling over herself and various cords and plugs as she tried to get to him.
The announcement of his consciousness was chorused throughout the hospital and soon, Link's room was filled with people.
"What the hell were you thinkin', jumpin' in fronta me like that?" Seaweed yelled.
"We're so glad you're okay!" some of the council members said together.
"Does it hurt?" Penny asked.
"Can you still sing?" (Corny.)
"I LOVE YOU!" Tracy bawled.
Link tried to sit up to give her a hug, but pain shot through his stomach, and he grimaced and fell back. He gave her a sheepish smile and settled for telling her, "I love you too, Trace."
"Leave them alone, everyone," Maybelle said protectively, pushing everyone gently out of the room.
Link shot her a grateful smile, and turned to Tracy.
"I know you do," she told him, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry that I told you that I didn't. I wasn't… I didn't know what I was talking about. I think I would die without you."
"What happened?" Link asked, taking her hand in his gently. He shuddered to look at it – it was covered with tubes and tape.
"Oh, Link," Tracy said, sniffling, "we were on stage in Alabama for the tour when somebody tried to shoot Seaweed. It was awful." She sniffled again, and Link tenderly wiped away one of her tears with his other hand. She gave him a small smile before continuing. "You leapt in front of him, and you… you took the bullet," she sobbed, putting her head on his chest as she cried.
"I'm okay, doll," he assured her, even though his gut ached terribly as she lay on him. "Don't worry 'bout me."
"I'm so sorry," Tracy blubbered.
"I deserved it, I think," Link said reflectively. "I shouldn't have embarrassed you in front of all those people. Does… does your mom hate me now?" He cringed, remembering how Tracy had announced losing her virginity.
"No. No," Tracy promised. "She loves you all the more."
Link nodded, feeling sleepy all of a sudden.
"The drugs are kicking in, now," the nurse commented, entering the room and seeing Link's lids closing. "I think you should leave."
"No," Link insisted, trying to sit up again, but again not succeeding. "Let her stay. I still haven't heard everything."
The nurse sighed impatiently and left the room again.
"Okay," Tracy said, sitting next to him on the bed. "Well, you collapsed on the stage, and then the ambulance took you to a hospital. You… you were in a coma for a week," she stuttered, closing her eyes as she remembered. "Your parents wanted to see you, so we brought you back here. They cancelled the rest of the tour."
"What?!" Link gasped, sitting up now. "Why?"
Tracy laughed softly.
"What were we supposed to do – go on without our leader?"
Link smiled too. Joey, Mikey, and Fender must have said something.
"Oh my gosh," he said, smacking himself in the forehead (and instantly regretting it). "What's going on with everyone?"
"A lot has happened in a week," Tracy said softly. "Well, Tammy and Joey are going again," she told him, smiling. "But Amber isn't… with anyone." She smiled again, bigger this time. Link squeezed her hand. "Um, Brenda says she's exactly six months along now… two – thirds of the way there. And Maybelle is three months along." She looked up. "Oh, that reminds me… Lil' Inez and Jamal are going now, too!"
"Really?" Link asked, slightly surprised. "What does Seaweed think?"
"Oh, I think he's okay with it," Tracy replied, laughing. "He doesn't have a choice."
Link looked at her curiously.
"His mom smacked him when he started to argue about it."
"Ah," Link grinned. He could totally see Maybelle doing that.
"I still can't believe you're alive," Tracy sighed, feeling like she was about to start crying again. She kissed him in the forehead. "I guess I should give you your rest."
"I am pretty tired," Link admitted, suppressing a yawn. "I love you."
Tracy paused in the doorway of his hospital room and looked back.
"I love you, too, Link Larkin. Don't you ever think of scaring me like that again."
Link smiled. "You know how you said I wasn't brave?"
Tracy grimaced. Yes, she remembered.
"Well, I think you're right."
She came back to his bed, and held his hand again. "Why?"
"Oh, Trace," he said, tears running down his cheeks, "because I was scared of not waking up. Not waking up and seeing your beautiful face."
"You don't have to worry," Tracy promised, tears running down her own cheeks. "I got your clothes when they put you in your stupid gown, and well… see for yourself."
She held up her hand for him to see.
She was wearing his promise ring.
He smiled, and kissed her again.
