Right then, this is my first piece of fiction so I want honest opinions! I don't own any of these lovely characters except for the ones that I will create. NBC's got all the good ones. Anywho, this will end up being a super long story that will chronicle Bosco's recovery, Faith's healing (from the divorce), and their eventual romance. If I can, I will try and parallel NBC's plot lines as long as they don't interfere with mine. For instance, I may reference something that happened on the shift or with family members. My main objective is to stay as true to the characters as possible, but with a little imagination for their potential. If there's one thing that I hate the most, it's reading a story that doesn't show the characters in their true light. I've read so many stories that have great plots, but the characters would NEVER do or say what they've been written into. Get my drift? Now God forbid I fall into those sinning ways, please slap me…or better yet, just tell me! Please enjoy and review!

Cheers!

V

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The Odds

He had woken up hours ago when she was at work. Rose was there with him at the time, the only one to witness the miracle firsthand. She was here now, lingering next to his bed with baited breath, anxiously awaiting any movement from the invalid. She looked so frail as she stared at her last son, the last link in her lineage. She had set aside all of her grief and focused her energy on getting him better. Faith looked at her and quietly sighed. She felt tears prick at her eyes and a guilt that was so overwhelming slowly washed over her. Faith, never one to cry in public, willed him to move; to show her any sign that he was still in there, alive. She watched how the light filtered in through the blinds, casting white rays into the otherwise dismal room. Faith rested her cheek on her palm, tilted her head towards the window, and looked out into the late morning. The day was deceiving, outside it was bright, sunny, and cool. People walked through the streets with a strut in their step without a real worry or care. If anyone had bothered to look up they might have seen the loneliest woman in the world staring down at them. I used to be one of them, Faith thought. I used to be happy. How did it come to this? Why am I here and not out there with the rest of the world? How the hell did we get here Bos? Faith swallowed hard and tried her best not to dwell on her unhappy thoughts. Faith's eyes flicked up as a nurse came into the room. The nurse smiled at them and checked his charts. She walked over to his monitors, wrote down what she had deciphered, and returned the chart to the bottom of his bed. She stopped and glanced over at Faith and then back to Rose.

"Um, it's time to change his collection bag, so if you don't mind waiting out-" The nurse began.

"Oh no, its fine, she's fine!" Rose exclaimed. "She's family and-"

"Oh it's okay Rose, I uh- I need to use the bathroom anyway," Faith said getting up quickly. The nurse nodded and waited until Faith left the room before she began changing the bag.

Faith walked through the lobby and into the bathroom. She braced herself against the cold marble counter and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered back to a time, surprisingly not so long ago, when Bosco was strong, healthy, and best of all cocky as hell. She missed him so much. She would give anything to hear his snide comments and endure his self-assured arrogance. After all, that's what made him Bosco. Now as she pictured him lying in that bed, tubes going in to feed him, and tubes going in to remove his waste, Faith choked back a sob. Keep it together Faith. You've got to keep it together. What the hell good is it gonna do anybody for you to fall apart now? Rose needs you to be the strong one, she needs help. But no one's there to help me… I need help too. Again Faith forcefully pulled herself back from her depressing thoughts and looked defiantly in the mirror. She took a deep breath and blew it out. She adopted a serious face and said, "You're going to keep it together; it's what we do. You've got no one else but you and if you break, then that's it. You'll do this and we'll pull through. Just like always." Faith lingered on her face for a few seconds longer and nodded. Head held high, she turned and walked back out into the lobby.

The light was almost blinding. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. But he was well aware of the people around him, talking to him, and sometimes crying. He wondered what had happened to make them so sad. He guessed that he was lying somewhere, but it really felt more like he was floating. Nothing seemed solid, nothing seemed real. Was he dreaming? No, this would be one hell of a long dream. He wasn't sure how long he was like this, but he knew that she was with him from time to time. He felt her near him now. She was talking to him…she seemed so close and yet so far away. If only he could reach her, say something, but he couldn't move. Well, he would just have to try harder. He willed himself to open his eyes, but they felt as if they were weighted down with lead. He was about to give up when he felt her brush his arm, she felt so warm, she was so close. With renewed strength he focused all of his energy on opening his eyes. When the moment finally came Bosco saw her startled face, and it all came crashing back to him.

At first she wasn't aware of the change. Faith sat placidly by his bedside, deep down expecting nothing to happen. Rose has left the room for a much needed rest about an hour before at the behest of Faith; the poor woman looked like she might have collapsed in a heap otherwise. It was well into the afternoon, and here Faith sat on her day off watching her still partner. She took in the gauze that covered his face, the clean turquoise gown that enshrouded him, and the smooth lines of the bed linen. His chest rose and fell in a quiet, succinct motion, never once faltering. His eyes moved under his closed lids as if in a dream. Faith wondered what he was seeing in there. She wondered if all he saw was darkness. Her eyes followed the sharp angles of his face, and lingered on his smooth lips. She had often seen those very lips is a deep frown, but now they seemed complacent. In fact, if it weren't for the gauze Faith would swear that he was only in a deep sleep. She wondered if he could feel her touching him. Faith ran her hand down his forearm and rested it on top of his. A few seconds later she noticed that his chest was no longer rising and falling in the same fluid motion. She glanced over at his monitor and saw that his heart rate was slowly rising. Faith sat up straight as an arrow as her eyes flew back to him. Bosco was staring right back at her.

"Oh my G- OH MY GOD! HE'S AWAKE! BOS-BOSCO'S AWAKE! Oh my God! Bos you're awake!" Faith cried. "Nurse! He's awake!" Faith shouted towards the door and grabbed Bosco's hand. His breathing sounded labored and his eyes were wide open as if in shock.

"Just calm down Bos, it's okay. Everything's alright. You're gonna be alright, you're alright," Faith whispered as tears streamed down her face.

All Bosco could do was stare at her, as if trying to convey every thought, every question, and every feeling from every moment since he had been gone. Out of nowhere the doctor was by his bedside checking his vitals. When he was satisfied with his examination the doctor stood up and draped his stethoscope around the back of his neck. He looked down at his patient and smiled. Against all the odds, he thought.

"Well Mr. Boscorelli, welcome back to the land of the living."

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More Chapters Coming Your Way! Comments? Please Review, Thanks!