It's tough when you leave one place and you're in limbo and not sure what the future holds. But I wouldn't paint the rock-bottom picture.

-Peter Lavoilette

Dave couldn't bring himself to look at the clock; there was nothing he could but wait. He couldn't postpone the press conference, J.J. had already tried. He knew it was terrible, but he couldn't help thinking this would be so much easier if they were in Virginia.

He ran a hand across his forehead. "This would all be so much easier if it hadn't happened at all," he muttered to no one but himself. He gave Erin's hand a squeeze and stood up. He wanted to scream. The sounds were driving him crazy, even his own voice couldn't drown them out. "I'm talking to a wall, aren't I? God, I really wish You could answer me." It was more of a demand than a plea, but it was still a prayer from the heart seeking comfort and answers. He wasn't sure which one he would take now, but something was better than nothing.

Be careful what you wish for, Davy, his mother's warning sounded in his head. He sighed. There was only one thing he would wish for, damn the consequences if it meant Erin would wake up. He needed to see her eyes and see her comforting smile. Hell, he'd take a good bitching out right now – Lord knew he deserved it!

Brushing Erin's hair away from her face, he waited like a man on the brink of starvation waits for the manna. "I know you're in there, I know you can hear me. But, it's probably best that you're sleeping since your mother is on her way here."

Erin tried to recoil against the touch on her face, David's voice broke through the fog her mind had become, why couldn't she move? What happened to her?

'David, you called my mother?! What the hell kind of torture is this? What's the point, you can't hear me anyway! Don't you realize this is all your fault? This wouldn't have happened if I'd stayed at the police station you insisted that we meet back at the hotel! That is the last time I listen to you.'

"I love you. I hope you- you should know that by now, I can't figure out why you didn't about the baby."

'Why are you crying? David? Talk! Tell me what happened!' She demanded, nothing was making any sense everything he said left more questions than answers.

"You could have told me, you know."

Didn't he see that there wasn't time to tell with The Replicator running around? He would've hovered over her taking his focus off solving the case and no one needed that. Maybe if she'd told him none of this would've happened.

'Now is not the time to be playing what-if's and counting regrets,' she chastised herself.

"After the year we've had, I'm not surprised, but, I wish I would've found out under different circumstances. I'm not trying to twist the knife, swear please if you can hear me give me a sign."

'I hear you!' Dammit if her thoughts would just make it out of her head, if she could move just enough for him to see, he would know. He would know and he wouldn't leave, this was worse than death.' No-scratch that – this silent, immobile purgatory is a precursor to death. Please, God don't let this kill me!'

Under normal circumstances Erin Strauss begged for nothing she wore her pride like a badge of honor but not here. Not now, when so much was at stake. Her baby deserved a chance at life with or without her and David deserved to be a father. Her thoughts turned towards her other three children, Cassie her eldest held little to no respect for her father. Erin couldn't imagine banishing her children to her ex's home for another year until Cassie became of age. But what would happen to them then? Cassie couldn't raise Paul and Alison, and Peter would keep custody. The simple answer was they needed their mother.

Dave sat back down and pulled out his cell phone. "I'll be back soon. Vera is here."