"I don't think I need to tell you gentlemen that this is a big idea. Nothing on television will look like this." Don said smiling confidently.
The two executives from Coca-Cola conferred quietly for a few minutes while Don, Peggy and Jim Hobart exchanged nervous glances. Was it possible that they wouldn't go for it? It was risky, bringing together people from all walks of life, of different races and creeds and having them singing about a soft drink on the top of a hill, but he really felt that the finished product would be beautiful.
At last, the older of the two executives stood up and everyone else at the table followed suit. Don left his place at the easel to come and stand next to Peggy at the conference table, nervously gripping the back of the chair in front of him. The older gentleman broke into a huge grin and exchanged an enthusiastic handshake to Jim Hobart
"Well Jim, you told me that this guy was the best there is and you weren't exaggerating. You oughta let him disappear for three months every year if this kind of work is the result!" The man then turned to Don and extended his hand. "I love it, Don. Where were you thinking about shooting the commercial?"
"I..." Don began and then he glanced at Peggy who blushed profusely and quickly corrected himself, "Well, I should say we, were thinking of someplace in Europe. Maybe Italy...Tuscany?"
The man nodded enthusiastically. "Ahh, yes. I think that would work beautifully. We can iron out the details at a later date. Gentleman, good work. We have a winner!"
Peggy beamed with pride, too thrilled to take offense at the man's oversight. Don grinned and shook hands with the Coca-Cola executives once more. Jim Hobart reached over and gave Don a firm pat on the back before leaving the table. "That's wonderful news. Let me show you the way out."
Once the other men had left the room, Don turned to Peggy and she shrieked with delight. "We did it!" She leapt into Don's arms and he spun her around effortlessly.
"I can't believe it!" Peggy exclaimed once he had placed her back on her feet. "I mean, it's Coca-Cola, Don! This is by far the biggest thing that will ever happen to me professionally!"
Don beamed. "I know, Peggy. It's a pretty big deal for me too. Congratulations."
Peggy smacked her palm against her forehead. "Of course, how stupid of me. Congratulations to you too Don!"
Don laughed, "You're welcome. I want to assure you that I will see to it that both of us receive credit for this. We worked together as a team so it's only fair."
Peggy grinned, "Thank you, Don. That's very generous of you. You know, we should go celebrate! Come on. Drinks are on me."
Don smiled sadly. "I'd love to, but it have to drive up to Connecticut to pick up my daughter at Miss Porters' for the weekend."
Peggy pouted. "Oh, well, it's still early. Can we at least grab an early dinner? My treat."
Don smiled. "Sure. I know just the place."
They went to a familiar diner and enjoyed greasy comfort food. Their spirits were high as they chatted amiably.
"I've gotta admit that I thought that SC&P closing and going to work for McCann was the end of the world. I never thought that it would feel like this." Don said. He felt wonderful...better than he had in years. How he could have ever thought that he was anything other than an ad man was beyond him.
"This is pretty amazing." Peggy agreed happily, her eyes sparkling.
Don reached across the table and squeezed her hand affectionately. "I got in trouble for not doing this properly last time, so I wanted to be sure to say thank you for all of your help, sweetheart. None of this would've been possible without you."
Peggy felt her cheeks flush, pleased to finally receive Don's hard-earned gratitude. "You're welcome, Don."
Their eyes met and Peggy felt a spark between them that she had never felt before, and it unnerved her. Don released her hand and cleared his throat.
"Uh, we should get going if I'm going to get to Farmington before dark." Don said awkwardly, averting eye contact. He had felt the spark too and it had shocked him considerably.
They left the diner together, planning to return to the office to pick up a few things for the weekend. They decided to take a shortcut through an alley, a decision which proved disastrous because as they were strolling leisurely down the alley, a figure appeared out of the shadows carrying a pistol.
"Put your heads down and gimme all of your money!" the vagrant shouted angrily.
Don immediately did as he was told. He glanced in Peggy's direction and he saw that she was gaping at the mugger. He reached over and pushed Peggy's head down.
"Don't you be eyeballing me miss!" The mugger said threateningly.
"I wasn't, I swear...but even if I was, I didn't see enough to be able to identify you." Peggy stammered nervously.
"Peggy!" Don hissed. "Stop talking!"
The mugger became agitated very quickly. "Do you think that because you and boyfriend here are rich and are dressed in nice clothes that I won't shoot you? Well, I will shoot you if I catch you eyeballing me again. Just empty your pockets and everything will be fine."
"Peggy, give him your purse." Don whispered urgently.
Peggy reluctantly complied, silently lamenting that she had several items of sentimental value inside. Don rustled through his pockets and produced his wallet and removed his gold watch. He handed the mugger the valuables and hazarded a quick glance at Peggy, whom he noticed was staring at the mugger again. The mugger appeared not to notice and he quickly pocketed the valuables. Don hoped that they were in the clear, but then he saw the man raise the pistol and aim right for Peggy.
"No!" Don shouted and he stepped in front of Peggy right as the mugger pulled the trigger. The bullet hit him right in the chest.
"NO!" Peggy screamed and the mugger quickly took off running down the alley.
Don fell backwards and collapsed in Peggy's arms. She saw large bloodstain quickly form in the center of his chest. It appeared to Peggy that the bullet had missed hitting his heart by a couple of inches, but he was losing a lot of blood and his breathing was labored.
"HELP! Somebody please help us!" Peggy screamed.
Don groaned as Peggy laid him flat on his back. She tore her jacket off and placed it under his head. She then took his handkerchief out of his breast pocket and pressed it over the wound in his chest and applied pressure to try to stop the bleeding.
"Don, can you hear me?" Peggy asked frantically. Don groaned in the affirmative. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!"
Don winced. "Don't blame yourself, sweetheart."
Peggy craned her neck, willing someone to come to their rescue. "Someone should be here soon. You're going to be okay." she said with more assurance than she felt.
Don wearily opened his eyes and looked at her face hovering above him.
"Peggy," Don said hoarsely, "I need you to do something for me."
Peggy nodded emphatically. "Of course, Don. Whatever you want."
Don winced before continuing. "If I don't make it, I want you to look after my daughter Sally. You are everything that I want her to be."
Peggy felt tears forming in her eyes. "Shhh, Don. Please don't talk like that. You are going to be just fine."
"Please sweetheart," Don begged with urgency. "just promise me that you will look after her."
Peggy nodded. "Okay, Don. You have my word."
Don sighed with relief. "Thank you, Peggy. I love you." He managed a weak smile before everything went black.
Don opened his eyes slowly, and he took in his surroundings. He was standing in a white room that was completely devoid of furnishings. He was wearing the same suit he had been wearing at his presentation earlier in the day, only It was in perfect condition. He looked around in confusion, and he felt immense relief when he saw someone approaching him. It was a woman. She was tall and blonde and she was wearing a yellow dress. There was something very familiar about her. It took him a few seconds to figure out why, but once he did he was elated.
"Anna?"
Anna Draper stepped forward and embraced him. "Hello, Dick. It's good to see you."
Don furrowed his brow in confusion. "It's good to see you too. Am I allowed to ask what is this place? Am I dead?"
Anna shook her head. "No. You're in a sort of limbo. You haven't decided whether you're going to live or die."
"Oh!" Don said in shock. "Can I do that?"
Anna nodded. "Yes, you can. That's the beautiful thing about human life. We are all given free will. That's you over there." Anna motioned to her right and suddenly they were in a hospital room. There was a man lying in a hospital bed, and when Don squinted he saw that it was indeed himself.
"Jesus." Don exclaimed. He looked terrible. His face wore what looked to be a week's growth of beard, and his body was hooked up to numerous monitors and machines. "What is all this stuff?" Don asked.
"That tube in your mouth is connected to that machine over there, and it is helping you to breathe. You're in a coma, Dick. You almost died. Do you remember what happened?"
Don shook his head. "No, not really."
"You were mugged in a dark alley and you were shot in the chest. The bullet missed your heart but it did pierce your right lung which caused it to collapse. They performed emergency surgery on you when you first came in but you still haven't regained consciousness."
"Shit." Don said softly. For the first time he noticed that there was another person in the hospital room. A woman was sitting beside his bed, curled up uncomfortably in a vinyl chair sleeping.
"Who's that sitting there?" Don asked, craning his neck. "Is that Peggy?"
Anna nodded. "Yes. She has barely left your side. The nurses have tried to convince her to go home and rest but she won't hear of it. She was with you in the alley when you were shot."
"Oh god..." Don exclaimed. "but she's okay though, right?" Don asked.
"She's fine, but she was very shaken up. She saved you life."
"Really?" Don asked in astonishment.
Anna nodded. "Yes, she managed to stop the bleeding from your wound. You would have died if it hadn't been for her."
Don shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. How long have I been like this?"
"A little over a week. The doctors fear that you may never come out of the coma. They believe that for some reason you have given up. Do you think that's true, Dick?" Anna asked, her brow furrowed in concern.
"What?" Don exclaimed. "No...at least I don't think so. I mean if you would've asked me this nine months ago I may have said yes, but everything had gone to shit. I was going through a divorce and then I lost my company. On top of that, Betty was diagnosed with cancer. But things are finally back on track. Betty is doing better than the doctors ever thought she would, and Peggy and I just presented a huge campaign to Coke and they bought it. We're going to go to Europe to film the commercial."
"Well then, why do you suppose that you're not coming out of this?" Anna asked.
Don shrugged. "I don't know. When I went away all those months ago, everybody managed just fine. Maybe deep down a part of me still thinks that everyone would be better off without me around."
Anna placed her hand on his cheek affectionately. "Dick, don't be ridiculous. Your family and friends love you, and they need you. I can prove it to you. Here. Take my hand."
Don looked at her askance. "What are you doing?"
Anna held out her hand in front of her. "Come on, Dick. Don't argue with me. Just take my hand."
Don did as he was asked and suddenly they were standing in the hospital waiting room. Peggy was sitting on one of the couches, anxiously waiting for any news on Don's condition. Don saw that she was still wearing the dress that she had been wearing when he was shot. The dress was one of his favorites-she'd worn it when she'd made the Burger Chef pitch. Now it was spattered with his blood.
"Can she see us?" Don asked curiously.
"No. She has no idea we are here." Anna said reassuringly.
Suddenly the elevator dinged and young woman wearing clunky heels and a poncho came running from the elevator into the waiting room with an overnight bag on her shoulder. It took Don a second to recognize that the young woman was his daughter Sally. Peggy stood when she saw the young woman approaching.
"Peggy?" Sally asked hesitantly as she drew closer to the familiar woman. "Thank you so much for calling me. I came as soon as I could." She then noticed the condition of Peggy's dress and she covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my god. Is that from my dad?"
Peggy nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, I haven't been home to change."
"How is he?" Sally asked. Her voice heavy with concern.
"I don't know. The doctors won't tell me anything...or let me see him since I'm not family. Like I told you on the phone, it's very serious. They took him to surgery immediately when we arrived in the ambulance. I haven't heard anything since then."
Sally nodded in understanding. She then removed her bag from her shoulder and began rummaging around in it, producing a pair of pants and a top. "Here, change into this. I'm going to go see what I can find out. Hopefully I can get us both in to see him."
Peggy nodded and took the proffered clothes. "Okay. Thanks Sally."
Sally managed a small smile. "No, thank you. From the sounds of it, you saved my dad's life. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you family."
Don watched with pride as his daughter displayed a level of composure and maturity that was well beyond her years when she spoke with the nurses at the desk in the emergency room. Peggy soon returned from changing clothes in the restroom and she sat back down in the waiting room. A few minutes later, Sally returned and retrieved her. She had learned all about her father's condition and she had persuaded the nurses to allow Peggy to accompany her into Don's room to see him.
"I told them you were my dad's girlfriend." Sally said conspiratorially. "Once they heard that, they were much more accommodating."
"What? But that's not true Sally. Your father and I just work together." Peggy whispered.
Sally smirked. "Come on. You're much more than just coworkers. He mentions you all the time, and he never mentions anybody from work. Anyway it doesn't matter. I want you to go in there with me. I..." Sally faltered, "I...don't think I can handle seeing him like that all by myself."
Peggy grimaced but she didn't argue. They waited for a few minutes and then one of the nurses came out and led them to Don's room.
"Oh my god." Sally whispered.
"That tube there in his throat is a ventilator, which is allowing him to breathe." The nurse explained. "His vital signs are good, but he is in a coma."
Sally began to cry and Peggy drew the younger girl into her arms into a comforting embrace.
"Sally, listen to me. Your father is strong and he will get through this. He will be fine. He loves you very much and I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you crying like this over him."
Sally sniffled. "I know. It's just...things haven't been that great between us the last few years. I've said some horrible things to him...things I didn't even mean, just to hurt him. I know he isn't perfect, but he has been trying so hard to be a better father. I just hope I get the chance to tell him that I love him."
Peggy rubbed circles on the young girl's back. "I'm sure you will, Sally."
Don became choked up and eventually his tears spilled over. The vision of Sally and Peggy became blurry and eventually they disappeared altogether, leaving Don and Anna alone in the white room once again.
"Do you want to see more, Dick?" Anna asked gently.
"There's more?" Don asked incredulously.
"Absolutely. Come on. Take my hand." Anna said. Don did as instructed and they returned to his hospital room. It appeared to be a day or two later, based upon the amount of stubble on his face. Peggy was sitting at Don's bedside reading a book aloud...some drivel that Sally had given her. Don was surprised when his ex wife Betty arrived with his two boys and Sally in tow. Peggy excused herself in order to give the family some privacy. Bobby and Gene approached his hospital bed hesitantly.
"Why does Daddy have all of those wires attached to him?" Gene asked. "He looks like a spider."
"Those machines tell the doctors and nurses how he's doing." Bobby said authoritatively. "If you hear things start beeping loudly, that tells them that something is wrong."
Betty looked at Bobby with surprise. "How did you know that?"
"From watching TV." Bobby replied. "Is he going to be okay?"
"The doctors aren't sure." Betty answered. "We have to see if he's going to wake up."
"Is Daddy sleeping?" Gene asked.
"Kind of." Betty answered uneasily. "He's...resting while his body heals."
"How much longer will he be asleep?" Gene asked.
Betty sighed. "I don't know, Genie." Betty looked pleadingly at Sally. Sally took the hint and gently ushered her brothers out of the room.
"Come on squirt, let's go see if there's something to eat in the cafeteria. I'm starving."
Once Betty was alone with Don, she sat down in the chair next to his bed and sighed deeply.
"Oh Don. What are you doing here? You're supposed to be the strong one, not me." Betty paused and collected her thoughts. "I know I don't say this to you often, but you are a good father. You have really made a dramatic turnaround in the last few months, and the boys always look forward to their weekends with you. They adore you and I know that they would be devastated if you were to leave us. Sally was saying that the doctors are confused as to why you hadn't woken up yet, since there was no injury to your brain or anything. I hope it's not because you've given up. You have always been a fighter. I know you would've fought harder for me if I would've given you the chance."
Betty could feel tears beginning to form, and they quickly spilled over. She reached into her handbag and grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, and then she took Don's hand in hers. "Please Don, if you're listening to this, please fight. Bobby and Gene need you. Sally needs you too. They need their father in their lives. If you make it through this, I promise you that I will be more understanding. Please Don, fight for your children."
The vision of Betty at his bedside soon disappeared and once again he and Anna were alone. Don glanced at Anna who was once again smiling warmly at him. "See, Dick. I told you so."
Don shook his head in disbelief. "That really surprises me."
"Do you want to see more?"
Don chuckled uncomfortably. "I don't know if I can take much more. What else do you have to show me?"
Anna laughed. "Nothing unpleasant I promise. Come on. Take my hand."
Suddenly they were back in the hospital waiting room. Don watched as Roger Sterling approached Peggy who was sitting near the window, having been asked to leave Don's room while the nurses tended to him. She had left the hospital during that time to shower and change clothes and check on her apartment. She'd brought an overnight bag with her, as she had no intention of leaving the hospital again anytime soon. Roger embraced Peggy warmly and kissed her on the cheek.
"How's he doing?" Roger asked, his face wearing an uncharacteristically stoic expression.
Peggy sighed. "I don't know. From what I understand he's stable, but he still won't wake up. To be perfectly honest, I'm beginning to lose hope."
Roger rubbed Peggy's shoulders reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll come out of this soon, sweetheart. He's a strong man."
Peggy shook her head sadly. "I wish I could be as certain as you. It's been difficult seeing him like this."
Roger smiled sadly. "I have to think positively...it's the only thing getting me through this. He's my best friend, Peggy. If he doesn't make it, I don't know what I'll do." Roger said, his voice full of emotion. Peggy nodded in understanding.
"How are you holding up kiddo?" Roger asked. "Have you been here this whole time?"
"I went home to shower and change. It's just...I don't want to leave him."
Roger nodded. "I understand. He's a good man...much better than most people give him credit for."
Peggy nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is."
Roger and Peggy faded away, leaving Don alone with Anna once again. Don scrubbed his hand over his face, overcome with emotion. He then turned to Anna. "I can't imagine that you have much else to show me."
Anna smiled. "There's a little more, Dick. Take my hand."
Don placed his hand in hers and this time they appeared in the hospital cafeteria. Peggy was sitting with Stan Rizzo picking at a tray of food which had gone mostly uneaten. Peggy looked pale and exhausted and she had dark circles beneath her eyes.
"So," Stan began, "it's been a week. Are you ever coming back to work?"
Peggy stared at her plate of food. "I can't concentrate on work when Don is lying in the hospital on life support. When he wakes up, then I'll see about going back to work."
Stan sighed. "Baby, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but he may never wake up. You know that right?"
Peggy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know."
"You can't keep putting your life on hold for him. At some point you're going to have to let him go."
Peggy's eyes shot open angrily. "How can you say that? Do you have any idea how much he means to me? How much I owe him? Forget about the fact that he took a chance on me and made me a copywriter. He saved my life, Stan! I literally wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for him. I owe him my everything! I can't just throw him away!" Peggy exclaimed passionately.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how strongly you felt." Stan said apologetically. "I'm just worried about you. You know you look like shit, right? Spending all of this time in the hospital isn't healthy."
Peggy rolled her eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Stan, but I'm fine. I just need to go back upstairs. "
Stan sighed. "Okay."
Stan and Peggy both faded away and Don looked at Anna with his brows furrowed in concern. "What the hell is Peggy doing? She needs to take care of herself. She shouldn't be sacrificing her health for me. I'm not worth it."
Anna frowned. "Dick, you need to stop talking that way. Peggy is beside herself with worry and she isn't thinking clearly." Anna placed her hand on Don's shoulder. "I still have one more thing to show you. Are you ready?"
Don sighed sadly. "I suppose so." He placed his hand in Anna's, and suddenly they were back in his hospital room. Peggy was sitting bedside with her hands folded. She was speaking very softly...almost inaudibly, and it took Don a few seconds to realize that she was praying. This surprised him because while he knew she was Catholic, he didn't think she was very religious at all anymore. He almost felt as though he was invading her privacy, but that didn't stop him from listening closely to what she was saying.
"God, I know it has been a long time since I have been to church and I am very sorry about that. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. It's probably unreasonable for me to be asking you for things, but this is very important and I would regret it forever if I didn't at least try. You see my friend Don here isn't doing well, and he may not survive the injuries that he sustained trying to save my life. He means the world to me, and I don't think that I would be able to handle it if he were to be taken away from me right now, especially if he were to pass away before I had the chance to tell him how much I love him."
Peggy drew in a ragged breath before continuing. "I love him...there I finally said it out loud. I don't know why it's taken me so long to admit that. It hasn't always been a romantic love...that only developed recently when we shared a brief moment just before he was hurt. Those feelings caught me completely off guard, but the more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized that given the opportunity, we would be very happy together. I know he is by no means perfect, but neither am I, and he has never judged me for my transgressions. He is a good man. He has a kind heart, and he is generous to a fault. He is so brave..." Peggy trailed off for a few seconds and broke down in tears.
"God," Peggy continued a few moments later, "please consider sparing Don's life. I will do anything. I will go Mass every Sunday, and I will have dinner with Ma and Anita afterwards. I'll do pro bono work for the church...I'll do anything. Just please, spare Don's life. He means so much to me and to so many other people. He has three beautiful children and they need their father to be around for a long time. I realize that I am asking a lot of you, especially since I haven't been one of your most loyal disciples lately, but please consider my request. Don still has so much more to give to the world, and I know it's selfish of me, but I'm not ready to lose him."
Peggy put her head down on his bedrail and sobbed. Don looked at Anna helplessly as tears streamed down his face.
"Did you know that she felt this way?" Anna asked.
"I had no idea." Don said, completely taken aback..
"Do you love her?"
"I love her to pieces, but she deserves better than me. I have made so many mistakes, and I have never been faithful to any woman. She deserves so much better than that."
"Dick, you are not the mistakes you have made. You are much more than that. You are a good man, and you are very brave...you dove in front of a bullet for her! I know that you are capable of being faithful to Peggy if you really try. I'm sure you can do it."
Don looked at Anna skeptically. "I don't know. I wish there was a way that I could be sure. I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt her." Don was silent for a few moments until an idea occurred popped into his head.
"Would it be possible for you to show me the future? You've been showing me snippets of the past all day, could you show me what it would be like if Peggy and I were to be together?"
Anna shook her head. "I'm not supposed to do that, Dick. It's against the rules."
Don smirked. "I promise not to tell your boss he asks."
Anna chuckled. "Well, okay, but I can only show you a brief glimpse."
Don smiled. "That's fine."
Anna smiled and held out her hand to Don which he eagerly took. Suddenly they were in a bedroom of an unfamiliar apartment. Don saw himself wearing pajamas and sitting up in king-sized bed reading a book. He was amused to see that he had aged a bit. His face had firmly ingrained laugh lines and his hair was greying at the temples. He also was wearing what appeared to be reading glasses. Peggy was seated next to him in bed looking over some files. She looked radiant, and he soon understood why when he caught a glimpse of her round belly once she shifted positions. He was unable to hear any words they were saying, but he felt immeasurable happiness when he watched his future self caressing Peggy's pregnant belly.
Suddenly Don and Anna were back in the hospital room. Peggy was still crying against his hospital bed rail. Don's heart clenched as he watched her.
"So, Dick," Anna began, "have I managed to convince you that you have a lot to live for?" Anna asked hopefully.
Don chuckled. "You have. What do I have to do?"
Anna smiled warmly. "Nothing. Leave everything to me."
Suddenly everything went dark and Don felt the uncomfortable hospital bed beneath him. He felt a dull ache on the right side of his chest where the bullet had hit him and had been subsequently removed. He then felt a foreign object in his throat and he felt like he was choking. He soon remembered that there was a tube in his throat which had been allowing him to breathe. He could hear Peggy's quiet weeping and he tried to open his eyes to see her, but his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. He finally managed to pry his eyes open and though his vision was blurred he was able to make out Peggy's crumpled form next to him. He blinked several times until his vision became clearer. It took almost all of his strength, but he was able to lift his hand and touch her hair. Peggy startled at the unexpected contact and she raised her head, her eyes widening in astonishment.
"Don?" Peggy gasped. "Are you really awake?"
Don nodded and attempted a smile, which proved difficult with the ventilator in his mouth.
Peggy looked up at the ceiling and made the sign of the cross. "Thank god. You had me really worried! I thought I was gonna lose you." She scrambled to her feet, gesturing wildly. "Whatever you do, don't go back to sleep. I'm going to to go find a nurse!"
Peggy scurried out of Don's room and found his nurse and told her the good news. The team immediately began tending to him, and once they deemed it safe, they removed the ventilator from his throat. He continued to receive oxygen as a precaution and he still had an IV, but other than that most of the other monitors had been removed. He had been given a sponge bath and at his request they had given him a shave. After everything had settled down, Peggy returned to the room and sat back down next to Don and took his hand in hers.
"You look much better already. Your color is improved, and you're starting to look like yourself again." Peggy observed happily.
Don raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Oh yeah? Not a fan of the beard huh?"
Peggy wrinkled her nose. "No, not so much. It's nice being able to see your face again." A few happy tears began welling up in her eyes.
Don chuckled. He was still very weak and every movement felt like a chore, but he managed to release Peggy's hand and brush his thumb lightly over her cheek. "I know I worried you sweetheart, and I'm sorry." Don said hoarsely, his voice raspy from having the ventilator placed for so long. "I promise you that I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon."
Peggy smiled gratefully and her tears spilled over. "I'm glad to hear it."
They both gazed at each other for a few moments and then Peggy suddenly shot to her feet. "Shit!" Peggy exclaimed. "I forgot to call Sally! She's going to kill me for not having called her the second you woke up."
Don chuckled. "By all means, please go call her...but before you do that, there is something I need to tell you."
Peggy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh? What is it Don?"
Don extended his hand to her and she was surprised when he squeezed it firmly. He cleared his throat and looked directly into her eyes. "I love you too, Peggy."
Peggy's eyes widened with astonishment. "You heard me before?"
Don nodded slowly. "I did."
Peggy's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "What does this mean, Don?"
"Well, it means that once I'm able to get out of here, that I think we should be together."
Peggy grinned happily. "I would love that."
Don smiled warmly. "Me too. Now, please go call my daughter. The last thing I want is for their to be animosity between the two most important women in my life."
Peggy smiled. "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Peggy returned just a few minutes later after having spoken to Sally at the Francis' home in Rye. "Sally, Betty and the boys are on their way, Don. They can't wait to see you."
Don smiled gratefully. "Good. Now, can you come here please?" Don said, motioning toward the left side of his bed.
Peggy furrowed her brow in concern. "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." Don scooted to the right to allow Peggy room to join him on the bed."
"Don," Peggy said warily, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm going to get in so much trouble with your nurses."
Don laughed. "I don't care. I just want to hold you for a few minutes."
Peggy chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay. Have it your way." Peggy climbed into the tiny bed and lay next to Don. "Are you sure this isn't hurting you?"
Don grunted as he put his left arm around her shoulders. "It's fine, honey. It's wonderful, in fact." He then leaned over and kissed her tenderly on her temple.
"I love you, Peggy. I can't wait to get out of here and begin our lives together."
Peggy closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. "Me too."
~THE END~