He reached the police barricade after what seemed like an eternity. The smell of smoke and fuel burned his eyes and throat but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing except...He drew in a deep breath as his eyes fell on the car-the mangled front end was hardly recognizable but the license plate, the one he'd watch drive away so many times, was burned into his brain. It was her.

"Sir...Sir you can't..."

"I just need to know where she is...Where is she?"

"They're working on her now. You can't..."

Billy pushed past him. "Phyllis!"

He watched in horror as EMTs lifted her body off the ground. The woman he knew as so full of life, so fiery, so animated was now so still.

"I need to go with her," Billy pleaded, as the EMT grabbed his arm and attempted to push him back. "Please." His eyes locked with the man in front of him. He'd watched her walk away from him so many times, but he couldn't walk away from her tonight.

"Jack." Stitch took quick steps to meet him, placing his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"How is she?" Jack felt his heart pound in his chest just as it had been since the moment his cell phone lit up. He'd answered it with relief in his heart at the sight of her name on the screen, but it hadn't been her. It had been the unimaginable call. The call no one wants to get. The call that leaves you numb and powerless.

"They aren't here yet," Stitch said softly. "They were working on her at the scene when they called it in. They're about three minutes out."

"But she's ok, right? I mean, she's ok?" Jack couldn't allow himself to imagine any other outcome.

Stitch sighed a little. "We'll know more once she gets here."

This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Billy sat, crouched by her side as the ambulance lurched. His hand shook as he reached out to touch her, hyper aware of each cut and bruise, "Phyllis, Phyllis, Can you hear me?"

He swallowed hard, willing himself to continue, "You're going to be okay. You hear me? You're just a little banged up, but you're gonna go to the hospital and they're gonna get you all fixed up. You're gonna be fine...just fine."

Billy felt the ambulance stop and heard the doors open. He leaned back, closing his eyes in prayer. Phyllis always said they told each other the truth and he prayed more than ever that the words he spoke to her then were true.

A flurry of action flew into Memorial as the gurney entered the room. Jack ran across the room.

"Sweetheart, Phyllis, I'm here."

"Jack...Jack," Stitch stepped in, interrupting. "Let us get her in here and check her out. We've got to do our work."

Jack nodded, bringing her hand to his lips for a brief kiss.

He stepped back, his eyes following the gurney as it went behind the doors. As he felt a hand a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Billy's face.

"Billy, what are you doing here?"