Standard disclaimer: All characters and material related to the ER belong to well, I'm guessing here, NBC, various production companies, the writers and all others associated with it. I'm sure they don't belong to me and I won't be making any $.

Ray set a new personal best through the hallways and was incredibly impatient as he waited for the elevator. When he got to the room, he was relieved to see that Tony Gates was not there. He also saw that even though Neela was in restraints, she was still so agitated Dr. Dubenko was ordering up a sedative to put her back under. Ray didn't think like a doctor; he really didn't think at all. Instead, he wheeled himself next to the bed and grasped her questing hand. He was horrified to hear Neela talking about a truck and repeating his name.

"Dr. Barnett, please…" Ray ignored Lucien and instead put all his focus on Neela.

"It's Ray. Hush. I'm right here and I'm fine. Please, baby, you've got to calm down."

In her nightmare, Neela had been looking all over the road for Ray, but had only found a truck with its grill dripping blood. Tony Gates and Lucien Dubenko and some woman she didn't recognize kept trying to pull her from the roadway, but she kept trying to tell them she wasn't going anywhere without Ray. Then, suddenly, she thought she heard Ray. Yet, it didn't sound much like Ray. Neela had seen Ray with women and he never sounded as tender as the voice she heard now. Neela stopped searching and tried to figure out where this voice, the one that could be Ray, was coming from.

Ray wasn't making a lot of sense. He felt just as completely helpless as he had these weeks she'd been in a coma. Now, in the face of this irrational, confused Neela he could only keep trying to calm her as if she were a child, like when he tried to calm his little stepsister when she lived with them and would wake up from a nightmare. He was reduced to mostly shushing and Baby and repeated pleas for calm. Then the most amazing thing happened. Neela looked right at him. She seemed to be having trouble focusing, but she looked at him and then she grew still.

Dr. Dubenko paused for a moment. The nurse had a hypo ready, but he waved it off and said "Let's give Dr. Barnett another minute and see how she does."

Ray reached up and wiped the tears away from Neela's face with this thumb. "Neela, you gave us quite a scare. Can you tell me where you are?"

It was a little chilling to hear her say "The road. Ray. The truck."

"No, Neela. Where are we right now?"

"The hospital." He was about to congratulate her when she said "Your legs" in such a stricken tone that he thought it likely she still wasn't quite with them. She appeared to be remembering the day she had seen him at Mercy and found out what had happened to him. He suddenly remembered all the medical people still in the room and tried to think how he could get from where he was in this conversation to a more standard assessment.

"That's good, Neela. That was the day you had your accident. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Your legs. It's my fault."

"No, Neela, it's not. Think, Neela. You came to the hospital and then I left. Where did you go?"

"A cab. Got cab."

"Good, and then what happened?"

"Thinking about you, and Michael. There was a noise; it was the rally I forgot. Told the cab to stop."

"Good, Neela." And he meant it. It was remarkable. Her account was linear and her language was good. "What do you remember next?"

Now Neela stopped and started to look distressed. "Nothing. You. A stream."

That didn't make any sense to him. He knew it was common to have memory loss surrounding a trauma. Some victims never remember it all. Personally, he was hoping he would never recall the exact moment when the truck hit him.

Neela was looking at him intently and said "Your face. It's healed. Pretty."

Ray wanted to say that she was the beautiful one, but instead he cupped her face with his hand and just looked back into the eyes that were by some miracle looking at him.

"What day is it, Neela?" Dr. Dubenko was speaking now, straight out of the standard head injury assessment playbook. Neela's eyes left Ray for the first time as she shifted her attention to Lucien.

"Thursday."

It wasn't, but Thursday was the day of Neela's accident so Ray took that as a good sign. He was also encouraged that both of her eyes had shifted focus to the questioner.

"Where are you?"

"County?" she said, with some uncertainty.

"Very good, Dr. Rasgotra. Welcome back. Do you have any questions?"

"How long?"

"How long have you been here?"

Neela nodded.

"Twenty-five days so far. As Dr. Barnett said, you gave us quite a scare. I think we're going to let you rest, now. I'll be by at morning rounds and we'll discuss the care plan."

Ray tried to disentangle his hand from Neela's, but she gripped it with surprising strength.

"Neela, I'd better go. You heard the doctor."

But Lucien put a hand on his shoulder. "No, if Neela would like you to stay, and if you promise you'll let her rest, you can stay."

"The Rasgotras?" Ray asked.

The nurse replied, "They're at the airport. They said it might be awhile. The sister was going home, but now she's going to try for a new flight."

"Jess has been here?"

"I told you you'd given us all a scare. But stop worrying. Rest or Dr. Dubenko will toss me out of here for sure."

"Could I get out of these?" Neela asked, indicating the restraints.

"Yes" responded Lucien as he left. The nurse removed the restraints from one hand while Ray removed them from the other. The nurse finished with the other restraints and left the room.

"Ray? I thought you said you were going home."

"I think I realized I am home."

Neela started to cry again. Ray handed her a Kleenex from the table and said, "Shhh, you've got to calm down. I want to stay, but you've got to calm down."

Neela giggled and said "Baby?"

Ray looked at her and raised his eyebrow. He felt like he was blushing.

Neela continued, "Before. You called me Baby. Many times."

"I'm sorry; I wasn't…"

"No. Don't be sorry. I liked it. Ray, I'm the one who's sorry. So sorry. About so many things."

"Neela, we've got a lot of time to talk about all this, but later. Right now you need rest and this conversation doesn't seem restful to me."

"I think I've rested long enough."

"Look, frankly, I'm too tired to have this conversation now."

"But you will stay."

"Sure, Baby."

Neela smiled, but he didn't say it like before. She realized she'd probably hurt his feelings and she was going to need to be more careful with him. A lot had happened since they were roommates, after all. It was too soon to be teasing him. She sighed and then winced.

"Are you in pain?"

"Yes. My chest hurts when I breathe"

"Sorry. That's four broken ribs. If it's any consolation they should be mending. You were asleep for the worst part." He had started to rub her hand gently between two of his. She concentrated on the feeling and could sense that she was relaxing. She closed her eyes.

"Talk to me." Neela realized how much she'd missed his voice. She'd forgotten how much she had loved hearing him. She used to sit in her room sometimes and listen to him talking with his band mates. He had such a perfect voice and she loved it.

"What do you want me to talk about?"

"Anything. I just want to hear your voice. Tell me how you've been."

"Well, I've been worried. But I'm fine now." And he realized that, despite everything, he spoke the truth. He felt fine.