A/N: Written for this week's challenge on RW.

Raindrops keep falling on my head

by Katrin

When I opened my eyes and looked out the window I could barely believe my eyes. The leaves on the oak right before my window were turning fall colours. Fall seemed to be right around the corner.

This got me thinking. Since when do I have an oak in front of my window? I'm used to the parking lot if I'm staying at my apartment, but not an beautiful old oak where I can see the breeze blowing through the tree, ruffling the leaves.

And why was it fall already? I tried to move, get up, out of this incredible comfortable bed when I noticed that my hand was hooked up to some line. Closer inspection revealed that I was indeed hooked up to an IV. What the hell had happened?

I tried to think back but I came up blank. I last remembered getting up for a day on the beach, getting up really early by my standards to get a chance to enjoy the crisper mornings before the temperature spikes, but that didn't tell me what the hell had happened.

Just as I was beginning to panic the door to my room opened and in stepped a nurse. She did a double take before she spoke, clearly baffled.

"So nice of you to join us, Ms Plum. I'm nurse Marisa by the way."

"Hi," I gave her a little finger wave, not sure how to respond to that.

"I'm sure you want to know what's going on, but I'm not the one to tell you. Your doctor will be by in a few minutes, along with the young men that has barely left your side since you got here. But let me get breakfast for you." Which young man is she talking about? Ranger? But he's got a business to run. And Joe? He's never taken the time to sit with me when I was in hospital before.

She left only to return minutes later with a tray for me. She placed it on my bedside table and revealed a smoothie. Yum. Not.

My thoughts were visible on my face apparently, because she immediately admonished me. "I know that you want to get out of here as soon as possible. For that to happen you need to build your strength up again. So that means for now it's smoothies to get your stomach used to food again."

I nodded. I knew she was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it. She kinda remembered me of Ranger though. She had the same coloring and was just as gorgeous. And her attitude was just the same.

She left again, to tend to other patients probably, and I decided to give the smoothie a try.

Taking a sip my lip curled up. What the hell were they serving here. My so called smoothie had a disgusting, slimy feel to it and it tasted like raw eggs and oat meal.

Before I could place it back on my bedside table the door to my room opened again. This time in stepped a doctor, well aged, with gray hair and laughing wrinkles around his eyes. Right behind him was Ranger. What was he doing here? He was supposed to run Rangeman, not look after me when I was in a hospital, a very secure, private hospital from the feel of it.

Both looked relieved to see me awake.

"Babe."

"Ranger? What happened?"

"Good morning Ms Plum," the doctor spoke up, "It's good to see you awake. You gave us quite a scare."

"Why am I here?" I looked at Ranger, because I was sure the doctor wanted to check me. I let him do it while I waited for Ranger to start talking.

"What do you remember last?"

"I got up to go to the beach, but after that I'm blank. What date is it anyway?"

"It's September 30th. You went to the beach and I followed you because it was supposed to get really hot and I wanted to get you out of the sun. I was getting there a bit later because I needed to get a skip first and when I finally found you you were already burned pretty bad but still going strong. I convinced you to come with me and when I'd finally gotten you into my car I realized that you probably were about to suffer a heat stroke too. I took you to my apartment so that Bobby and Ella could help me tend to you."

The doctor continued his poking and probing, now feeling around my skull.

"What happened then?"

"When we got to my apartment you insisted you needed to go to the toilet and wanted to do it on your own. You seemed steady on your feet so I let you. And that was the biggest mistake of the day. As far as we can tell you did your business but got faint while washing your hands. We heard a thump and ran into the bathroom only to find you lying there with blood spreading underneath your head. Bobby thinks you fainted and cracked your head first on the sink and then on the tiles again, resulting in two fractures in your skull."

"Yikes."

"We got you to the hospital and they operated, setting plates to help your bones heal into the right position, but you wouldn't wake up afterwards. After a week in a coma we had you transfered here."

"Where's here?"

"You are in a private clinic just outside of Trenton." I scooted over a bit so Ranger could sit down next to me. He had sat in one of these rolling chairs, holding my hand, but I wanted him closer.

"The nurse, is she your sister?"

"Yeah. How do you know?"

"She's got the same no nonsense attitude. How long have I been here now?"

The doctor spoke up. "You were here 5 weeks and two days. We have no idea why it took you so long to wake up but it seems like you got away without any permanent damage. I'll be by later to check on you again and we'll do some tests then."

I nodded and he left, leaving me alone with Ranger. I had no idea what to say, so I studied the room instead. It was nicely done, light green walls bit pretty flower pictures to give it a homey flair.

When I looked down on myself I realized that I was wearing one of Ranger's sweaters. Huh?

"I wanted you to not feel alone should you wake up and I'm not here with you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

Never the end...

1109 words