"Spencer, Aria, there's been an accident," Spencer's mom said calmly as the two girls gathered in Spencer's kitchen. "I'm very sorry to tell you that Hanna and Emily have been in an accident. They are at the hospital right now, in the Intensive Care Unit. I have to go down to the police department to take care of some things- their mothers have asked me to represent the girls in court," she explained before taking a long sip of coffee.

"What happened mom?" Spencer whispered, gripping Aria's arm and pulling her close. She knew automobile crashes were nothing to joke about, but her friends being in the ICU is what really scared her. Rosewood Regional Hospital only put the most serious cases in the intensive care unit.

"Well, Hanna was driving her and Emily to the store after school," Mrs. Hastings paused, "and the driver coming the other way swerved into their lane. The other driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The police say that Hanna began to apply the break, but it did little to lessen the impact. Both girls were wearing their seatbelts. The other driver is completely at fault." Mrs. Hastings said as she walked around the kitchen, picking up her briefcase and coat. This December had been especially cold. She sighed as she got closer to the door, stopped, turned around and looked at the girls. "Unfortunately," she said slowly, "you can't see them. They are both in critical condition. I just wanted you girls to know." With that she gave a small wave and said goodbye.

Spencer and Aria sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"I don't know what to say," Aria said, breaking the silence that had settled over them like an airtight seal, keeping out any oxygen.

"Do you think it could be –A?" Spencer posed, gauging Aria's reaction.

"It could always be –A," Aria said as she climbed the stairs back to Spencer's room. "-A could have drugged the other driver. –A could have created a diversion, allowing for Em and Hanna to be on that road at the exact time." Aria wondered aloud.

"They could be permanently injured Aria. This could change everything. The Intensive Care Unit is nothing to joke around about. The Intensive Care Unit isn't where you go to rest- it's where you go to stay alive." Spencer said in a rush of words as tears began to silently fall down her face. "We can't do this without them. –A has never tried this before. Something of this magnitude." She whispered as Aria crossed the room to comfort her. "What if they-"

"Don't say that." Aria cut her off, slowly sinking down next to Spencer and throwing a blanket over them. "They are going to be okay Spence, they are strong," Aria said as she looked out the window and watched snow start to fall from the grey sky, "They will pull through Spence. They are fighters. They will be okay. They will be okay. They have to be."


The next thing Hanna saw was the bright sterile light of the emergency room. Her head was spinning and her chest felt as if something was crushing it.

She opened her mouth to call out to anyone that could help her- she needed to find Emily. She didn't know what she would do with herself if Emily were injured. Hanna knew it was all her fault. If she hadn't been greedy with Emily's love. If she hadn't reached over to grab Emily's hand in triumph because she though she could be with her. At that moment in the car, with the trees rushing past and Emily smiling at her and confessing her want for effortless spontaneous love, Hanna knew that she loved her. She knew that she could give Emily that. But now, lying in the hospital, Hanna realized what her delusional moment had cost them- their health, and possibly their lives. Not to mention Hanna's car. If Hanna hadn't tried to grab Emily's hand, there wouldn't have been an accident. There wouldn't have been that cryptic –A message. Hanna knew that the crash was only a sign from the universe- her and Em would never be together, and now it was going to stay that way.

Hanna opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Just gasps of air. There were no nurses around her- she was lying strapped to a table by herself. She couldn't move her neck-she had a neck brace strapped securely to her head. But she could hear. Once she heard what was going on around her, she instantly wished she could stop the noise and block out what the doctors were shouting. A nurse rushed by with an oxygen tank, another with a crash cart. Then she heard the countdown- 3,2,1…CLEAR. She heard it again. It pounded in her ears.

3

"If that's Emily over there please let her be o.k. Please let her be alive." Hanna thought.

2

"Emily, breathe!" Emily pleaded internally, "Please breathe. Breathe for me. Please Emily. Please."

1

"I can't do this without her," Hanna realized. She began sweating, her heart rate accelerated. She remembered Emily in that last moment. Her eyes frantically looking into Hanna's, searching for an answer. Hanna could feel Emily's hand gripping hers for dear life, clinging to her no matter how far they were about to be thrown or what was about to happen. Hanna could hear her screams as the cars made impact. Then silence.

Clear!

The last thing Hanna could conjure was the fact that she would always love Emily. No matter the circumstances. Then everything went black.

Confusion hit Hanna like a train. She had woken up in a panic- sweat was running down her forehead and she couldn't move- she was secured down for transfer. The sound of a helicopter droned on above her. Her head was pounding. She looked up and saw the pale grey sky look down upon her. It began to snow. She tried to turn her head- she couldn't. She had a neck brace wrapped securely around her. She could hear shouts from all around her. Suddenly she was lifted into the helicopter. The door shut with a bang and the on-board nurses sat next to her, holding her in place. One of the nurses noticed she was awake. Hanna looked at her with pleading eyes, needing answers.

"You suffered a bad skull injury," the nurse yelled over the sound of the aircraft taking off. "You are being transferred. Your family has been contacted. Rosewood Regional can't complete your surgery. You're going to New York. We will be there soon. Get some rest." Those were the last words Hanna heard before she dozed off.


"Ms. Fields? Ms. Fields. Please pay attention." The doctor said as he tried to give Emily and her mom discharge instructions. Emily had stayed four days in the hospital. She had fractured her leg, fractured 4 ribs, and severely bruised her shoulder. She called for a nurse, sitting up and pulling the wheelchair closer. That's when she realized her mom was there, asleep in the side chair. At the sound of Emily's movement, Mrs. Fields awoke. She informed Emily that Hanna had been transferred, and that Emily was being discharged from the hospital.

She waited for the doctor to discharge her and looked out the window. It was snowing in Rosewood today. The majority of the roads were closed, and the local train station had stopped running in preparation of the blizzard that was forecasted to hit later that evening.

She wasn't really listening to what the doctor was saying, but one thing he said did stick in her mind. He said to Mrs. Fields in a low whisper, "Be thankful, if the other girl wouldn't have shielded Emily from the impact, Emily could be in much worse condition."

Emily had been informed that the helicopter Hanna had been transferred on was the last aircraft allowed out of Rosewood due to the incoming storm. So Emily sat and watched the snow begin to fall, trapping her in Rosewood.


"Hanna?" Mrs. Marin said as she held Hanna's hand, "Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"Mom? What are we doing here?"

"You were in an accident and suffered some cranial damage. But we are here in New York now and a specialist worked on your head. You're going to make a full recovery."

"Where is Dad? Did he stay home? Did he have to work?"

"Hanna, sorry to interrupt, but I'm Dr. Spade and I need to do a post-op check up. Do you mind answering a few questions for me?"

"Ok."

"Who do you live with?"

"My mom."

"Very good. Who are you currently dating?"

Ashley Marin waited patiently for Hanna's answer. She watched as Hanna took a few seconds to answer.

"I don't know, I can't remember."

"Okay, don't worry," Dr. Spade assured with a smile.

"Who would you consider your best friends at school?"

"Um…I can't remember," Hanna said, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to concentrate.

"Do you know what date it is?"

"No."

"Do you know what month it is?"

"No, I can't remember."

"Do you remember the accident?"

"No." Hanna whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't remember."

The doctor pulled Ashley out into the hallway.

"Sometimes," Dr. Spade explained, "the memory comes back over time. Sometimes surgery can cause the brain to loose certain bits of memory temporarily."

"But what about my daughter? The daughter that left my house the other morning with one shoe on and her bag haphazardly thrown over her shoulder?" Ashley asked, frantically raising her voice in panic.

Dr. Spade sighed. "It's possible she is still in there. But it is also possible she is gone. I am sorry Mrs. Marin. It's only a matter of time. You need to take Hanna home and make her comfortable. Give her time to rest. She is confused and with rest, she should slowly begin to recover."