January 25, 2012

It was early in the morning. Stu hadn't been sleeping well in the chair next to Penny's bed. He woke up again. It was the fifth or sixth time, he checked the time on his phone. 6:25. He groaned and repositioned himself in the chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. He glanced at Penny. Her head was tilted more to the side than it had been the last time he woke up. He leaned forward and looked at her, hair had fallen in front of her face so he reached out and brushed it away. A soft sigh escaped her. "Penny?" he whispered.

He thought he seen movement behind her eyelids. Stu scooted his chair closer. "Penny?" he said a little bit louder. She made another sound. He reached out and grabbed her hand, "Penny, if you can hear me, please wake up."

Her face scrunched up for a few minutes. She was fighting him. She wanted to sleep.

"Please Penny," he pleaded.

She yawned before slowly opening her eyes. She blinked a few times, looking at him in the shadowy darkness. Moon and street lights shined into the room, giving her just enough light to make out his face. "Stu?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse.

"Penny!" he breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

"What happened?" she asked, her memory of the car accident foggy. She could still hear the screech of the tires and the shatter of glass, but she couldn't remember exactly what had happened.

"You don't remember?"

She turned her head slightly before saying, "No, not really."

Stu recapped what he'd seen on the news and what Brie had told him.

"Where is Phil?"

"I sent him back to the hotel. He was a mess. He hadn't slept right and had given you a lot of blood."

"Then you..." she paused, glancing at the IV and the different bags hanging on the stand. Then she glanced at the spot on Stu's arm that was covered with a piece of gauze and a band-aid. "Then you gave me..."

Stu nodded.

"Why?"

"Because you needed it. The hospital didn't have your blood type."

"You'd still do that for me?" a small smile spread across her lips.

"Of course. I still care about you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes then he said, "I'll go get a nurse, let them know you woke up. Then I'll call Phil."

She nodded, "Okay."

Stu got the nurse, who quickly rushed into the room to check on Penny. Stu stayed in the hall for a moment to call Phil. No answer, of course, Phil was asleep, so Stu left a message.

When Stu was walked back into the room, the nurse was helping Penny back to the bed, "Where's Tate Rossi?" she asked.

The nurse took a moment to think, "The gentleman you were brought in with? Um, he's in the CCU. I'll make a note for the day nurse, and when his doctor comes in, we'll have him come talk to you."

Penny nodded in understanding and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'll go have them bring you something to eat from the cafeteria," the nurse turned to Stu, "Do you want anything?"

He shook his head.

At eight o'clock, a doctor walked into the room, "Ms. Brooks?" Penny looked up. "I'm Dr. Reed. I'm going to run a few tests, you should be released no later than tomorrow morning."

She smiled and waited. He checked her blood pressure, and everything else that was a part of protocol. Stu sat silently and watched. When the doctor left, Penny had him help her out of the bed, "What are you doing?" he asked, watching her put on the long, beige coat.

"I want to see Tate. If my doctor is here now, his should be too." Stu followed her out of the room. The nurses were busy, and didn't even notice the two walk down the hall, using the signs to find their way to the CCU.

"Penny, I'm not sure this is a good idea," Stu said, trying to talk her into going back to her room.

"I don't care. I need to see him."

Stu sighed, and followed after her. She was as stubborn as her brother, and the last thing he wanted was to make a scene by picking her up and carrying her back to her room.

They got to the large double doors with Critical Care Unit printed across the top. Penny opened them and walked right up to the nurse's station. "I want to see Tate Rossi."

"And your relation is?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"I'm sorry miss," said the nurse shaking her head. "Family only."

"Family only!" Penny's voice was louder than it needed to be. "Do you realize that the man's entire family is on another continent? I doubt they even know what's happened! I am the only person here that he knows, now either you allow me to see him and tell me which room he's in, or I will find him myself."

The nurse was at a loss for words, unsure of how to reply. "Penny, I think we should go back," Stu told her.

She ignored him.

"Fine! If you won't tell me, I'll find him myself." She turned, and started walking towards the closest door.

"Wait!" The nurse called to her. "Please, wait! Let me go talk to his doctor, I'll be right back.

The nurse hurried away and returned ten minutes later with a woman in a white lab coat. She looked like she was in her late forties. Her light brown hair had bits of gray through it, and was pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore glasses, and smiled sweetly upon seeing Penny.

She shook Penny's hand, saying, "I'm Dr. Carington, your boyfriend is in room 3, before you go in there, I just wanted to warn you about his condition. His legs were crushed, so they're in casts, his left arm is in a sling, his elbow was dislocated. He broke three ribs, and punctured one of his lungs, so he looks pretty bad. It's up to you if you still want to see him, I'm just warning you."

Penny nodded and thanked the woman for allowing her to see Tate. She opened the door marked '3', and could hear the beeping and whirring of machinery before she even seen anything.

Her breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth upon seeing him. She blinked numerous times, trying to keep from crying. He was hooked up to machines she didn't even recognize. The only thing she could do at the moment was turn away. She wrapped her arms around Stu, burying her face into his chest, she cried. He held her. He rubbed her back with one hand, and smoothed the back of her hair with the other. He kissed the top of Penny's hair, "It's okay," he whispered. "It'll be okay."

Penny pulled away from Stu and turned to Tate once more. She walked along the edge of the bed, she knelt at Tate's side, and took his right hand in hers. "Oh, Tate," she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

His perfect, tanned face was marred with scars and bandages from where he'd been cut by glass. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again.

Stu walked over to her, standing behind her, he comfortingly gripped her shoulder. "It'll be okay," he told her again, his voice low.

She stood up and looked at him, "No, it won't be. Look at him!"

Stu pushed the hair out of her face, and held it, wiping the tears with his thumbs, "Look at me," he said, bending so they were eye level, "Everything will be alright. He will be okay. You will get through this."

She pulled away and turned back to Tate. She carefully tucked his hair behind his ears. The heart rate monitor started to beep louder, faster. Penny's eyes widen. "Why is it doing that? Make it stop!" she started to fret. Two nurses, the one from the nurse's station, and one Penny didn't recognize, rushed into the room.

They hovered over Tate, tending to him, "Get Dr. Carington!" the one from the nurse's station shouted, "And get them out of here!" She glared at Penny and Stu, and they were quickly ushered out of the room.

Penny and Stu waited outside of Tate's door, Penny paced back and forth, muttering, "It's my fault. It's all my fault," over and over.

Finally, Stu grabbed her by the shoulders, "It is not your fault. Everything will be okay. It'll be fine."

"It's my fault," she muttered again.

He held her face, tilting it up to look at him, "It is not your fault! You had no idea this was going to happen. It's some douchebag's fault. You didn't drive a car into him, a drunk did! It is not your fault."

More tears started to fall from Penny's eyes, and heavy sobs escaped. He held her close to him and they waited.