Kendall, Nikki, and Logan burst through the doors of the emergency room. Nikki's eyes fell on her parents, her father holding tightly to her sobbing mother. Vince sat next to Sophia holding his aunt's hand. All three looked up at Nikki, briskly walking towards them.

"Mom?" Nikki hugged Sophia. "How is she?"

"No word yet," Sophia managed between sobs.

Dom stood and rubbed his daughters back, "They're still running tests."

Nikki turned to her dad and buried her face into his chest. She felt safe like when she was a little girl, and her father had just chased away a nightmare. Unfortunately, this nightmare couldn't be banished that easily.

Nikki turned to her cousin, standing beside her. The anguish on his face broke Nikki's heart. She reached up and cupped his face with her hands.

"Vinny, I'm so sorry you had to find her like that, but I'm glad you were there."

Vince wrapped his arms around Nikki, and for the first time since finding Francie in the twisted metal of the SUV, he allowed himself to cry.

"Skeet, I've never felt so helpless. I couldn't do anything."

Nikki held her cousin, the image, ironic. The big, burly, six-foot three-inch man being held and comforted by the petite, five-foot four-inch woman.

"Vinny, you were with her, she wasn't alone, that was enough."

Logan and Kendall hugged Sophia and Dom with words of encouragement.

Dom sat back down, mentally drained. "Where are the girls?"

"With Mrs. Duncan," Logan replied.

Dom nodded and absently replied, "She's a nice woman."

Ry bust through the ER doors with Carlos hot on her heels. She saw the familiar faces and headed straight to them.

"Is she okay?! Where is she?!" There was fear and concern on Ry's face.

"Still running tests," Kendall said.

Ry needed answers. "What in name of God was Francie doing on the road?!" Carlos held tightly to Ry, his face, ashen.

Here we go, Kendall thought. He took a deep breath and began his 'story'.

"I missed a call fro-" Kendall was thankful for the interruption.

"Where's Francie? Is she okay?"

Everyone looked from Kendall to Tiff, standing there, white as a ghost.

"Still running tests," Nikki said looking confused. "How did...?"

"Josh called me."

"Oh," Nikki nodded, looking between Kendall and Tiff.

Kendall looked at Tiff wanting to catch her eye, but she wouldn't look at him.

Great, she's still pissed. Awkward.

"Did you call James?" Carlos whispered Kendall.

"I wanted to wait until we knew more."

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"It was my decision, I made it." Kendall spoke with finality, glaring at the Latino.

"Okay, man." Carlos pat Kendall's shoulder," Okay." He's stressing out, let him go.

Everyone forgot about Ry's earlier question, and Kendall was thankful for that. They sat to wait for news about Francie while Kendall, Carlos, and Logan went to get coffee for the tense group.

"So, you were at Francie's last night?" Logan looked up from the coffee machine.

"Yeah, James called to check on how she was holding up with the storm. When she told him the power was out, he suggested she call me over since she...they...have a generator. He thought it best for us to be together. Not 'together' together...but together, ya know?"

God, that was painful...I hate lying to my friends, but I have to, for Francie.

Carlos nodded, "That makes sense. But why did she leave? What happened?"

"Yeah." Logan was curious, too. "And why are you wearing James' shirt?"

Dammit, Logan why do you have to be so observant?!

"Oh, I, uh, I spilt coffee on mine had to change." Kendall shrugged off his 'clumsiness'. Kendall continued with his story. "She, uh, she got upset. Amber-"

Logan cut Kendall short, "Amber? Is she here?!"

"No, she's not, she-"

This time Carlos interrupted. "Thank God! Francie would flip if she thought Amber was around James again."

"Well, that's kind of what happened."

Carlos and Logan listened to Kendall recount the phone call with Amber. He, of course, left out the detail of the lovemaking session. He let his friends assume that because of Amber, Francie left the safety and comfort of her house to venture into the hazardous ice storm.

"No way! James wouldn't have slept with Amber." Carlos defended his friend, he believed in James. Right now, Kendall was wishing he had, too.

"He didn't." Kendall told his friends about James' message explaining that he didn't sleep with Amber, and she had let herself in his house. Kendall also shared the news that Amber was cast as James' love interest, explaining the recording Amber played for Kendall and Francie.

"Hell no." Logan couldn't believe what a conniving bitch Amber could be. Well, maybe he could.

"But Francie never heard that message?" Carlos felt badly for Francie.

Kendall shook his head, and lied, once again, to his friends, "No."

They finished making the coffees, then delivered them, virtually in silence. The weight of the situation heavy on their minds, and hearts.


James didn't get any sleep last night, but that didn't stop him from arriving on set early, ready to get to work, and get home to Francie. She is all James had been able to think about. He needed to get back to her, to talk to her and make her listen. James could only pray he wouldn't be too late.

"Hey, handsome." Long, elegant fingers rested on his bicep.

James spun around and came face to face with Amber. James recoiled, repulsed by her touch.

"Get away from me, Amber. I don't want you anywhere near me."

She giggled, "But, Jamie, we have scenes to shoot."

"And that's the only time I'm dealing with you. I thought I made that perfectly clear last night when I threw you out of my house."

"I didn't think you meant it."

James stared at Amber unable to grasp just how delusional she really was.

"Didn't think I meant it?! Are you really that dense? That's the third time you've tried to ruin my relationship with Francie. When will you learn, Amber, that it won't work? She loves me, and I love her."

"And so does Kendall." Amber's wicked grin made her words even more vicious. "I wonder if he loved her last night?"

James wondered that, too. He tried to push it out of his mind, hoping his and Francie's love would get their relationship through. James hoped that Francie knew him well enough to know that infidelity was not in his vocabulary, but with the mixed signals he'd been sending Francie, and Kendall, making them suspicious that he was hiding something, he couldn't rely on that. That's why his bags were packed and he was heading back to Francie.

"No way." James' words lack conviction.

"You don't sound so sure."

"Francie wouldn't do that. Kendall wouldn't do that."

"Again I say, you don't sound so sure. Come on, Jamie, you're not blind, you know how he feels about her."

"Look, I know Kendall loves her, she's special to him. Hell, she special, period! So, I can tell you, with the utmost faith and confidence in my best friend, and my girlfriend, that nothing happened last night. Your little scheme fell flat. Now, I said that I don't want you anywhere near me."

James turned and headed to make-up. The quicker I get this done, the quicker I get away from Amber, and the quicker I get back to Francie. I hope I'm not too late.


Kendall looked across the waiting room at Tiff. He could see the anguish and guilt on her face. He stood and walked over, crouching down in front of her. Kendall pushed his own guilt aside to meet Tiff's hazel eyes. It was tough, considering he had slept with Francie just hours before.

But Tiff and I aren't together anymore, I had no ties to Tiff when I made love to Francie. Why the guilt?

Kendall answered his own question. Because I'm falling in love with Tiff.

"Hey."

"Hey," Tiff replied then quickly looked away.

"I tried calling you last night."

"I know," Tiff aloofly replied.

"Left you messages."

"I heard."

"Want to go somewhere and talk." Kendall forged ahead, trying to break the ice.

"Not really."

"Please?"

Tiff looked into those green eyes and butterflies invaded her stomach. She couldn't tell him no.

"Fine."

Kendall stood up and held his hand out to Tiff. She looked from his hand to his face then stood without his assistance. Kendall shoved his hand into his pocket, hurt but understanding Tiff's rejection. They walked away from the crowded waiting room and around the corner, together.

"Listen, about last night," Kendall started to explain.

"You don't owe me anything, Kendall." Tiff was quick with him.

"You're right, I don't. It's not like we're dating, or anything."

"Right, because we're not." Tiff folded her arms, trying to build a wall, a show of strength.

"Look, it was a misunderstanding." There's been a lot of those recently, Kendall thought.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"How, exactly, did I misunderstand, let me see...what was it you said? Oh, I remember, 'The last time I answered James' call we were in bed together'?" Her sarcasm overflowed. "That was you I heard on the phone, right? I mean you were at Francie's late, last night, right?"

"Jealous?" Kendall smirked at the petite blonde.

Tiff rolled her eyes. "Just tell me how I misunderstood that?

Kendall explained the how Francie was sick and he was trying to take care of her when James called and jumped to conclusions, much like Tiff had.

"Oh, I see."

"Do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, I didn't owe you an explanation, you said so yourself, but I wanted to give you one. I...aw, dammit, Tiff, I have feelings for you."

"You have feelings for Francie, too," Tiff cooly replied.

Kendall threw his hands in the air. "Are we going to rehash this again?"

"I don't think we need to."

They stood in silence until Kendall spoke. "Francie thinks you're angry with her."

"I am. I was. But now..." Tiff began to tear up, "Now she's in there, facing God knows what, and it all feels so, so petty." Tiff broke down and Kendall pulled her close.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Sunny," Kendall cooed. "She'll be fine."

"Oh, God, I hope you're right, Ken."

So do I, Tiff. So do I.

Carlos rounded the corner and saw the embracing couple. He hated to interrupt but he had to. Carlos cleared his throat and both Kendall and Tiff turned to face him.

"Josh is in there, thought you'd want to hear what he has to say."

All three walked, quickly, around the corner and back to the family, praying that the news was promising.

Seeing Kendall and his sister return with Carlos, Josh began to inform them all of Francie's condition.

Josh looked to Kendall, "Is James here?"

"No," Kendall shook his head. "He's in LA."

Josh nodded and continued, "As you know, Francie's left arm was broken and she sustained wounds to her face, most are superficial. However, she did receive a laceration, approximately four inches in length, from her left temple, almost all the way, to her jaw. We sutured that wound, but it will scar. If she wishes to correct it with surgery, after it heals, she may do so, I'm guessing, with optimal results. She may have to undergo physical therapy for her arm, we'll know more as it heals."

Josh scanned the faces before him. "Any questions on those injuries?" The group shook their heads and Josh continued.

"Francie's test results show that no damage has been done to her spine, so her neck and back are free from injury."

"Thank, God," Sophia whispered. Dom rubbed his hand up and down his wife's arm.

"The results also show some swelling to her brain, resulting from the head trauma she suffered. I believe we can control the swelling with medication and fluids, letting it heal on its own."

The next part was always hard to tell the patient's family, but Josh continued.

"However, if the swelling increases, we may need to go in and either insert a drainage tube or remove part of her skull to relieve pressure, reducing the possibility of damage to the brain tissue."

"Damage?" Nikki was pale and her chin quivered as she spoke. "Francie could have brain damage?"

"Yes, I'm afraid, it's a possibility, but we won't know for sure until the swelling goes down and she's conscious."

"So, she hasn't regained consciousness, at all?" Vince asked Josh, he had been praying that Francie had woke up since he last saw her.

"No, not yet. With head trauma this severe, it's not unusual."

"You said there was a chance of..." Kendall took a deep breath and willed himself to finish his thought, as unpleasant as it was. "...a chance of brain damage, but is there a chance of physical damage to her mobility?"

"With head trauma, there's always a chance of damage to motor skills and functionality, depending on which area of the brain was damaged. She is breathing on her own, we haven't needed to insert a breathing tube, and that's promising."

Dom looked up at the handsome doctor. "When can we see her?"

"We're moving her to ICU now, as soon as we get her settled, we'll let you know."

"Thank you, Josh, for everything," Nikki smiled up at the doctor who was caring for her sister.

"You know, we're doing everything we can for her." Josh offered a warm smile, and his hand, to Nikki.

"I know you'll take good care of her." Nikki grasped his hand.

"I will. I'll have a nurse come get you when Francie's ready for visitors."

Josh turned to his sister and opened his arms. Tiff stepped into his hug.

"You watch her, Josh."

"You know I will." Josh kissed her head. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

Josh turned to leave and glanced down at Francie's file in his hands.

Now, I just have to wait for James to get here, so I can give him this last bit of information. I know I should have told the family everything, but I think it's important that I keep this one detail for James to hear it first.