"She's awake!" Mitchie hear someone cry out. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on a long row of chairs with gray cotton covers in a large, white room, not unlike the waiting room at the ER. She looked up and saw Linda crouched beside her.

"What a relief!" Linda said, sighing. "We were beginning to think we would have both of you in comas. Are you ok?"

"I think so," Mitchie said, sitting up and rubbing the small bump on the back of her head. "What happened?"

"You fainted as soon as the doctor finished telling us about Shane," Linda said.

"How is he?" Mitchie asked, not even bothering to hide the anxiety in her voice.

"He's still in a coma," Linda said, staring away. Mitchie nodded sadly as Nate walked up. "Hi," she mumbled.

"Glad to see you're better, Mitchie," Nate said, smiling comfortingly. "But seriously. The doctor said that they still haven't done all the tests necessary yet and unless you want to stay for a couple hours more and watch a bunch of people in white coats hovering around Shane; which probably would stress you out even more, you should probably go home and sleep. You look exhausted."

"I am," Mitchie admitted. "Are you sure I should go?"

"Positive," Nate said, smiling at her again.

"Fine. Come on, Linda," she said, rising up and grabbing her purse. "Thanks for everything, Nate. You will let me know if there's any development or anything, right?"

"Of course. Bye."

"Bye."

As soon as Mitchie got back home, she ran upstairs and flung herself on the bed. She wished that she could let out all the tears that were welled up inside her, but none seemed to come so she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was pitch black outside. She looked over at her clock. 3:30 a.m. Why did she always seem to be waking up at that time lately? She couldn't get back to sleep, so she hurriedly changed and tiptoed downstairs and outside to her car.

She soon arrived at the hospital. The nurse at the counter, who was older and sweeter than the nurse from before, gave her Shane's room number with a large, encouraging smile.

"It'll be alright, dear," she said in a charming, motherly voice.

"I hope so," Mitchie mumbled as she walked towards the elevator. When she arrived at the level Shane was on, she didn't see anyone so she started walking towards Shane's room. As she got closer, she noticed that there was someone in there beside the hospital bed Shane was lying on.

"I wonder who that could be," she murmured out loud. As she walked in, the person looked up. It was Nate. "Oh, I'm sorry," Mitchie said, turning to leave.

"No, its ok, Mitchie. Stay," Nate called; his voice full of pain and concern. Mitchie turned back around. Nate pulled out a seat next to him. "Here. Have a seat."

Mitchie slowly walked over and sat down.

"How's he doing?" she asked, trying to keep from crying in front of Nate.

"The doctor said he's doing better," Nate replied. "But I don't know what that means."

Mitchie nodded.

"Nate," she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared." Nate looked her straight in the eyes for a moment and then rapped his arms around her. The tears started flowing out of Mitchie's eyes like a fountain.

"It's ok," Nate said soothingly, close to tears himself.

"No," she muttered through the tears. "It's my fault. I didn't drive him. He walked. And that's how he got hit. It's all my fault."

Nate put a finger under her chin and lifted her head up so they were looking in each others eyes.

"Mitchie," he said solemnly. "It is not your fault. And it's not Shane's fault. I just found out. That driver, who hit him, was drunk. Don't you dare blame yourself."

Mitchie nodded and hugged him.

"Thanks, Nate," she said, standing up. "You're really sweet."

"Thanks for staying here with me for a little bit," Nate said, smiling up at her.

Mitchie smiled back at him and walked out the door.

The entire rest was awful for Mitchie. She wanted to get the awful memory of what happened to Shane out of her mind for a while, but it seemed that everywhere she went, it followed her around. Mitchie's mom found out about Shane and insisted on taking her out to lunch (where she apologized to Mitchie the entire time), Linda called and talked to her for an hour later in the evening, and then her father gave her a talk about how she shouldn't let this affect her and to remain strong and hopeful. Mitchie was relieved when it was finally 10:00 p.m.

"It's late and I'm tired. I want to go to bed," she said to her dad.

"But I'm not finished talking with you," her dad replied.

"Oh let her go," Mitchie's mom cut in. "Poor girl's had a horrible day and she looks exhausted."

"Well, fine," he dad said. Mitchie smiled.

"Good night, dad," she said, kissing him on the cheek and running for the stairs.

"Good night, sweetheart," her dad called back.

"And what about me? I'm the one who saved you from any more of your father's 'talk,'" her mother said, coming up to the bottom step.

"Thanks mom," Mitchie said, blowing her a kiss. "Good night."

Mitchie got to sleep rather quickly and was surprised when, in the middle of the night, she heard music going off. She raised her head off the pillow and looked around the room to see where it was coming from. She finally looked over at her dresser and saw her cell-phone vibrating vigorously and the music ending. Mitchie quickly picked it up.

"Hello?" she said, sleepily. The voice on the other end was Nate's.

"Mitchie? You've got to come quick. Shane's awake!"

OMG! What's going to happen!? Just wondering, but does anyone have a problem with Nate not being with Caitlyn (or however you spell her name)? Cause in this story, he's going to be with someone else in the end. And no, I'm not telling you who. Yet. (And I'm not promising it's not Mitchie…). Hope you like it and I'll post more soon! (R-e-v-i-e-w-s!)