It was a couple more hours before Alicia woke up again to the sound of movement outside the door- must have been shift change. Alicia looked at her phone, it was 07:05- time to check in with Diane and Kalinda knowing that they would both be awake when her phone starting ringing with an unknown number

'Hello' Alicia whispered

'Hey, it's me, why are you whispering?' Cary's voice filled her ear

'Why are you calling me from an unknown number and have you not seen the news? There was a shooting at the courthouse yesterday and Will was shot- I'm still at the hospital'

'Well 1, our phones have been bugged, and 2, I'm in California looking at the new Lockhart Gardner building, which is why I was calling, did you know about this?' Carey quizzed

'Urm, no, but I'm not exactly privy to what goes on over there anymore, and what are you doing in California? Shouldn't you be in the office?' Alicia

'Is Will ok? Do you want me to get the office to re-arrange your appointments?'

'He's still in a coma, no changes overnight. I will call the office and get everything moved back a couple of hours, nothing I can do here and his sisters will be here soon and that's not a conversation I need today.' Alicia had completely forgotten Cary would be out of the office for the rest of the week and quickly dialed Kalinda to see what time she would get to the hospital, she needed to leave but didn't want to leave him on his own.

Back at the office everything seemed to be a blurr, Alicia felt like a robot- on the outside she was the same but on the inside all she could think about is Will's lifeless body lying in that hospital room. His sisters arrived an hour after she left, no doubt they had already started mothering him, it wouldn't surprise her if they moved in to his apartment.

'So the plan is to extubate your brother and see how his breathing is on his own after a little help overnight' a small Indian doctor explained to Will's sisters 'You might want to step out for this as it can be a little traumatic if you're not used to it'

'I want to stay' Aubrey said without a second thought, how hard could it be? She thought, he's been through the worst bit

The doctor and a nurse proceeded to take out the tube that had been helping Will breathe for the last 24 hours and tried to stimulate Will's normal breathing. It took a minute but Will finally spluttered and started to breathe- he was awake.

'Will, my name is Dr Corday, we have just pulled out a tube from your throat that has been helping you to breathe so it might be a little bit uncomfortable to speak. Do you know where you are?' Will nodded and whispered 'hospital'

'Good, now do you remember what happened?' the doctor continued

'I was at the court house and there was shooting, I fell, I don't remember much after that' Will began to cough as the nurse passed him some ice chips to soothe his throat

'That's right, you were shot, a couple of times in your neck, side and chest. When you came into hospital you had lost a lot of blood and we sent you to surgery to try and fix the damage, you are very lucky to be alive. Now try and rest, I have put you down to start physical therapy tomorrow so you can rest today. Do you want me to let the rest of your visitors back in?'

'Alicia?' the doctor looked at Sara

'No Will, she isn't here, just family, Alicia hasn't been here'

'I thought, nevermind, you know what, I'm pretty tired, you should all go home' the thought of all his sisters fussing around him was a nightmare, he was still trying to piece the last 24 hours back together, he was certain that he heard Alicia in his room, maybe it was the drugs and he was just dreaming, he really missed her.

Diane finished up with her morning clients and headed over to the hospital, Aubrey had called to tell her he was awake much to Diane's relief. She couldn't do this without him.

When she arrived at the hospital Will's room was pretty quiet, his sisters must have left. Diane knocked on the open door as will turned his head and gave her a beaming smile

'Man am I glad to see you' Will was relieved it wasn't his sisters again. Diane went over and gave her partner a very relieved hug

'Don't you ever do that again, you hear, I was worried sick, David has been circling your office ready to move in all morning'

'Can't promise anything. Hey, do you know if I had any visitors this morning, I could have sworn I heard a voice, but I don't know if it was the drugs'

'Alicia stayed with you last night, we didn't want you to be on your own. She left this morning when Kalinda arrived around 8. Did you think you were dreaming of her?'

'I dunno, everything is kind of foggy in my mind, must be the morphine.' at that moment Diane's phone started ringing, it was the office, a client wanted an emergency meeting, Diane tried to fob them off till the morning

'Go, I don't mind, with me gone from the office they need you' Will wished he could jump up and get right back to work, but he could barely move

'Ok, if you need anything you just call, no matter the time.' Dianne kissed Will's forehead before she left

Will reached for his phone and dialled her number

'Alicia, it's Will, can you call me as soon as you get this, I need to talk to you' Voicemail, it seemed it was all he was getting from her these days.

'So, who is Alicia? Is it your new girlfriend?' Aubrey stood at the door of Will's room and realised she would now be like a dog with a bone

'No, she is a friend, I think, I don't know, I've had a lot of morphine. Where is Sara, dont you two hunt in pairs these days?' Will had no idea what Alicia was, but he knew that his sisters wouldn't let it go if they found out that he was in love with her, or at least he was, he didnt know anymore, she had sucessfully ripped his heart out and gave it a pounding without an inclination of any remorse, he was done, or at least he told himself he was.

'She's on the phone to Roger, she's giving him detailed instructions of how to pick his own kid up from school as if he hasn't done it before'

'She's stressed, she likes to take control of things when she's stressed. Completely my fault so I'm sorry if she's being a pain in the ass while I'm here.' Will held his hand out to his younger sister, knowing that his older sister would be making her life hell because of him

'It's not your fault someone shot you, and anyway, you avoided my question'

'What question is that?'

'Alicia, who is she, is she your girlfriend, what happened to Kalinda, I liked Kalinda'

'You have it all wrong, I work with Kalinda, she has never been my girlfriend, just my friend'

'And Alicia?'

'You know what, I'm pretty tired, it's hard work lying in bed all day, and you look tired, you should go get some sleep at my apartment. And don't let Sara boss you around' Will forced his sister out before she could question him about Alicia, he didn't know why her name still had that effect on him

'this isn't over Willie, you need a wife to look after you now that you're injured' Aubrey left, Will hated it when his sister told him he needed a wife, he didn't see her rushing to settle down with someone.

'Peter, don't worry, I'll be there' Alicia had forgotten all about the speech she was supposed to give at the women's workforce seminar about how Peter was good for them, she would do anything to get out of it, but she had promised to do it. Though she promised 3 weeks ago, 2 weeks before the shooting and all her cases getting pushed back while the courthouse was being fixed. She hadn't seen Will either since that first night, she had no idea what to say to him, she had been too busy still trying to play the good wife that she refused to think about Will. She had heard through Kalinda that he had gone to stay at his parent's place in Baltimore while he was off work recovering, but other than that nothing, which kinda hurt.

Alicia couldn't afford to spend time daydreaming about him though, she was due in court later that day and she heard something about a partners meeting which meant she would again have another late night, thankfully Grace and Zach were staying at the old house with Peter tonight so she didn't feel guilty again of not spending enough time with them especially with Zach going off to college within a few weeks.

'Diane, what do I owe this surprise visit, did we have an appointment?' Alicia was taken aback by her old boss in her new office

'No, I'm not here on business, I've come about Will'

'I hear he's in Baltimore with his family, I take it he's recovering well?' Alicia was perplexed about why Diane would come to her about Will, she knew she hadn't had any contact with him since that first night

'You need to see him, he's talking crazy about not coming back'

'What? But his life is here, his firm, his clients'

'I think he's depressed, he wont tell me what's wrong, I was hoping you could talk to him as he wont listen to me. I can't do this without him, I'm like an alien in that office, everyone with that sad look in their eyes like he died. I am so alone, I need him back'

Alicia was taken aback at this confession, Diane always seemed so strong and together.

'I will certainly give him a call, but I dont think he will listen to me, I haven't seen or spoken to him for 3 weeks, I only knew he was out of hospital because Finn went to see him'

'Alicia' Diane paused 'Don't underestimate what effect you have on him, he was a mess after you left him, and again when you left the firm, he loves you, if anyone can get him back, you can'

Alicia had Diane's words playing on her mind all day, through the speech, court and the partners meeting. Afterwards she went to Cary still with everything playing on her mind.

'Hey Cary, I know we're swamped right now, but is there any way you could do without me for a few days, a week at the most?' Alicia knew what she was asking was pushing their partnership but she had to try, the law was Will's life, if he didn't have that she didn't know what sort of state he would be in 'I only ask because Diane came to my office today telling me that Will was thinking about giving up the law, you and I both know that it is his life and Diane needs him'

'Alicia, you need to let go of Lockhart Gardner, they are not our bosses anymore, I know you want to save them, but we have our own firm to save, you and me'

'I know Cary, but he was my friend, he saved me when I needed it, we wouldn't be stood here talking about it if he hadn't taken the chance on me, I owe him'

'Well if you put it like that how can I say no, just take your phone and be on call if I need you'

Alicia went about making plans for a trip to Baltimore, she hadn't been there since the first summer in college when she spent a weekend there with Will and 3 other classmates at a lake cabin just after exams finished. Of course they all stayed the whole week, but not Alicia, she landed a job in a law firm for the summer back home so only stayed the weekend, who knows what would have happened if she had stayed.

'Finn, how do you fancy a week in Baltimore?' Alicia called the only person she knew would understand what Will was going through, If she couldn't get him back maybe he could

'Is this your idea of romance Mrs Florrick?' Finn teased. Alicia explained the situation to Finn 'So, does he know that we're coming?'

'No, and all the hotels are booked, some sort of festival going on, I did however manage to get us a log cabin on a lake if you want romantic settings' Alicia teased