Okay.

For anyone who is still paying attention to this story, I am finally back. And now I am done updating my stuff, so we can all stop the hatemail, mmk? (Just kidding). I know it's been awhile, but this took awhile to work on so I hope that you all enjoy it.

I will not say anything else, because I'll just let you read. A big thanks to CGP for helping be my beta :D.

Enjoy!

It had been a beautiful day. The sun shone over Angeles Bay the entire day, seemingly mocking the grave situation which had unfolded at one of the world's most prestigious medical facilities.

Still light outside, the sun was drifting towards the horizon, gradually bringing the black night sky, which would mirror the darkest day of a staff which had already been a part of much grief. Yet as the day was progressing on – as lives of those unaffected were continually being lived, five people's had come to a screeching halt, waiting to see if they would ever be able to see Derek Stiles open his eyes for another day.

Two mentors stood together with their heads bowed in prayer for what seemed like the millionth time that day, hoping there was some way that the brilliant surgeon responsible for saving nearly the whole world had found a way to save himself.

Two friends stood by a police van together, trying to stay positive, eyes stinging with accumulating tears. One had known Derek since college, many of his med school memories including the surgeon and his quirky personality. The other had known him for just a short time, failing to admit on several occasions that he actually liked him. Though the more and more he smiled, had a nice thing to say, or just took the time out to talk, the researcher found himself feeling that maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

And the last of the five people was still inside the building, and had watched the man she loved meet his current fate. She had assisted him for a long time, fallen for him, and though she had to watch him almost die once, it didn't come close to comparing to the feeling she felt at that moment. Still screaming for help she kissed his unresponsive face over and over, pleading with him to wake up – to be able to stay with her. She had weathered this entire storm with him, and had it not been for his incredible selflessness, she wasn't sure if she would have made it.

Five unique people with incredibly different ties to Derek Stiles all shared a common bond on that warm, spring day – they were forced to wait on life or death.

The police and EMT's stopped in Caduceus's lobby on command from one of the techs, another one running back out to the scene and ushering Robert Hoffman through the hoards of yellow tape and officers.

"Excuse me, how can I help?" he asked, heart still racing a mile a minute.

"We need a familiar face to help with these two – and if there are any serious complications we'll need you to deal with them… it's Dr. Stiles' best chance for survival." one of the EMT's blurted out, all of the techs and officers waiting for Robert's response.

Robert felt his heart drop into his stomach – could he really handle this? The last time he had been in charge of saving someone he loved it had gone so horribly wrong…

With a glance over his shoulder at Sidney, Dr. Hoffman felt comforted inside as he gave him the thumbs up with a small smile and nod of his head.

The surgeon turned back to the waiting team and gripped onto the side of the stretcher they were carrying, nodding his head as they all began running forward.

Hopefully, it wasn't too late.

----------

Angie's professional experience didn't even come close to clicking in her head as she laid on the cold tile next to Derek, own injury sucking the strength from her every second. The only thing she could tell was that she didn't have much more consciousness left, making a silent vow to herself to stay awake until she knew Derek would be alright.

It had not occurred to her to check for a pulse or other basic vital signs like she did with any other patient, for the mere fact that he wasn't just any other patient. At that time, she was not a nurse, just a woman trying to bring back the love of her life from the brink of death before he slipped over the edge and left her forever.

"SOMEBODY HELP! -- PLEASE!! … PLE-EASE!!"

The scream caught Robert's ear from the floor below and clear across the hospital, making his heart skip a beat. Never had he heard panic in Angie's voice like that before – part of him froze, realizing that he was most likely about to tackle one of the most difficult things he had ever experienced before. But hearing her scream again, he bolted even faster around the hallway, stopping at the elevator with the team.

Pressing the button he noticed quickly that it didn't light up, that no motors were running, nothing.

"Man, that son of a bitch really knew what he was doing…" the tech muttered as Robert pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, shoving a tiny gold one into the emergency ring just below the elevator buttons. It opened immediately and they wheeled the stretcher inside, ascending immediately after the doors closed.

"Derek…! Derek, you don't understand… you have to wake up! Ple…Please… d-don't leave me! Please!" Angie cried, still cradling his face in her hands.

At the end of the hallway from where the famous surgical duo laid bloody, a small ding was heard as the silver doors to the elevator pulled apart, the paramedics and officers following the elder surgeon's lead as he sprinted down the hallway, navigating the many twists and turns of Caduceus.

"HELP! ANYBODY, PLEASE?!"

Dr. Hoffman heard Angie's panicked scream once more, clenching his jaw as he willed his body to move faster.

"HANG ON ANGIE, WE'RE COMING!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he raced around the last corner, seeing the place they had all been held at the end of the hall. There was no turning back now and he knew that, but as he grew closer and the horrific scene became visible, Robert felt his legs turn to lead – the paramedics and officers passing him by as he gradually slowed to a stop.

"Oh no…" he whispered, raking a hand through his greyed hair.

Immediately one of the paramedics began looking Angie over, motioning to the officer who ran just a small distance away and grabbed a wheelchair as Robert paced ever closer to the two.

"Dr. Hoffman!" Angie shrieked, still refusing to give up her hold on Derek.

"Ms. Thompson, you have to let go!" one of the medics pushed, trying to pull her away. Though weakened from her blood loss, Angie's grip remained firm on Derek as she looked up at her boss.

"Doctor – please… please, you have to… you have to, save him!" she sobbed, sincere cries breaking Robert's heart as he listened to them.

"Get off me!" she shrieked as they continued to try to pull her back and away from her doctor, her pleads for him to open his eyes never ceasing.

Robert walked towards Angie and knelt down next to her with a very calm demeanor, lifting her chin to look at him. She fought him at first but obliged the second time he tried, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Angie, in order to save Derek I need you to let go so I can look at him. Please." he said quietly, locked in a staring match until the nurse relinquished her hold on her surgeon and launched into another fit of sobs, letting the medic take her a small ways back to assess her injury.

Still on his knees Robert crawled over to Derek, looking at the giant stain of blood centered directly around his spine. The officers and other medics were waiting on his lead, watching as his shaking hand reached for the bottom of Derek's shirt beginning to pull it up slowly, knowing what waited for him was probably not good.

"Oh thank GOD…" Robert sighed exasperatedly, seeing that the entrance wound had missed the spine. It was instead in the lower right of his back, his shirt just twisted enough to center the blood pool around his spine.

"That's one relief…" he said, reaching forward to check the pulse on Derek's neck.

"Very weak and thready… he's in major shock – not surprising. Attach him to the monitor, quickly!" he said, watching as the techs strapped a small sensor over Derek's index finger, showing that his vitals were way down.

Hoffman leaned down as the medics set up the little monitor, checking his breathing.

"Okay, its very slow and weak but at least he's still breat—"

The medics and the officers exchanged a glance, looking at Robert immediately after. The surgeon's violet eyes scanned over to Angie, who was watching him like a hawk, her expression growing ever more panicked when she saw him look at her.

Trying to be as quiet as possible to not let her hear, Robert leaned forward towards the paramedics.

"He just stopped breathing. We have to move. NOW."

From her position on the floor Angie couldn't make out what he was saying, but she had the feeling whatever it was, it wasn't good.

The medics readied the stretcher and Robert motioned to the medic by Angie to get her out of there, knowing that the cardiac monitor they had attached to him was going to go off at any minute, spilling their secret to the distraught nurse.

"Okay Ms. Thompson, you're losing a lot of blood... we're going to move you into a chair and get you out of here."

The medic watching over Angie made the comment to an officer, the two men approaching Angie to lift her into the wheelchair.

"I'm not leaving without Derek!" she exclaimed, beginning to panic once again.

"You're not – we're going to load him onto the stretcher and he'll be right behind you."

With a cautious eye and one last look back at her fallen surgeon, Angie dropped her shoulders, signifying to the men that she had given in. They approached once again, slowly, positioning her to lift her up just as the cardiac monitor blared a flatline.

"Dammit!" Robert swore under his breath, very carefully helping one of the medics to roll Derek onto his back.

In a flash Derek's shirt was ripped open, the medic positioned to start chest compressions when his arms were pulled away by Hoffman.

"Derek?! DEREK!" Angie screamed, wriggling out of the hold the men had on her. She tried to move forward, the pain from her injured leg sending an excruciating shock through her whole body as she put weight on it again. With a yelp and a whimper she changed positions on the floor, now trying her best to move forward towards him.

"What are you doing?!" the medic yelled at Robert, trying again to start working on Derek.

"You're going to cause more damage if you crank into him like that! We'll have to shock him – there's a crash cart just around this corner… GO!"

An officer went sprinting down the hall as Hoffman began rescue breathing on Derek.

"A shock, are you kidding?" the medic fought, but little did he know that Robert was in no mood for attitudes.

"Right now it's the lesser of two evils with a faster result! You can continue to argue with me whenever I see an M.D. at the end of your name." he bit, rubbing the paddles together as they charged. He placed them on Derek's bare chest, holding the shock for a quick second.

"Now get out of my way…" he sneered to the subordinate, the man backing away quickly as a shock was delivered.

"Nothing – vitals are plummeting!" the female medic yelled, earning an angry stare from Robert as he looked over at Angie.

The other medic and officer approached Angie again, trying to get the hysterical nurse away from the scene

"NO!" she refused, swinging at both men with a closed fist. "No, I won't let you!" she sobbed, kicking with her good leg. Hearing an "Ow!" and feeling a dull pain in her hand Angie realized she had made contact with one of the men trying to pull her away, stalling him only for a brief moment before they began trying to load her in the chair again.

"It's not doing anything doctor! I don't think this is going to work – I think it's…"

"I'll tell you when it's over! It's NOT over yet!" Robert screamed at the medic, making the girl jump back a small distance.

"Come on Derek… Don't do this – I won't let you!"

With those words Hoffman charged up the paddles to a higher voltage as he placed them on his chest and cleared everyone of Derek's body.

"No… NO, NO!" Angie screamed, slapping the men away again as they tried once more to get her away from the scene. "Derek! Derek, ple…"

"You're going to have to call it – I think there's too much damage…"

"Oh my God… NO! No, please.. d-don't give up! PLEASE Dr. Hoffman – DON'T!"

The medic's frequent outbursts were doing nothing to help, now riling up Angie even further in the corner as she continued fighting with the men who were trying to take her away. She was now beyond panicking, hyperventilating in between sobs and screaming at them to save him.

"Will you SHUT UP?! I will NOT call it!"

Robert Hoffman glared fiercely at the medic, realizing that very few times in his life had he lost his temper this badly. It was their fault for being so damn negative all the time – it was obvious none of them had ever experienced a life and death fight like this before, however it was something he had known so well.

"Derek… I l-love… I love you!" Angie stammered out, watching as Robert threw caution to the wind and began manual chest compressions, sending a vindictive stare to the incompetent medics that surrounded him.

"Miss Thompson, your condition is serious. You need to go, NOW!"

Angie glanced at Derek's lifeless body again, watching as compression after compression did nothing to stop the screaming monitor, loudly alerting her to the fact that she was losing him.

"No – I'm… I'm not, leaving! Not until he…"

And before she could finish the rest of that sentence, the last of Angie's strength gave out on her, her unconscious form caught just before impact with the tile by the officer on her right.

While she had tried her best, the fight to stay with him had failed. And though unconscious she was no different than the rest of those outside – all there was left to do was wait.

----------

"Angie…?"

Morose green eyes pulled themselves from their gaze out the window to her right, where a man with a tiny smile was waiting for her with his hand outstretched.

Placing her hand into his and putting the weight on her good leg, Angie helped herself out of the car and into a waiting wheelchair, being held still by good friend Tyler Chase.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked. "I brought some pain medication just in case."

Angie felt her hand be taken by best friend Leslie, whose other arm was resting in a sling as a result of her own injury as she began to be wheeled along. She continued to gaze forward, eyes resting on one thing as the three walked together.

"No, I'm fine." she said, words devoid of any emotion and barely sounding like the Angie that both Tyler and Leslie knew. All they could do was exchange a sad glance with each other as they wheeled Angie forward, taking a seat next to her as she continually stared forward.

The only thing to pick her gaze up off of the red, white, and blue was when the crowd came to a sudden hush. Turning herself around in her chair slowly, green eyes panned through her surroundings, seeing a staggering amount of people gathered together. On one hand it was comforting to see the outpouring of support they were all receiving during this difficult time, but on the other hand, it did little to calm the feelings of emptiness that panged at Angie everywhere she went.

If there hadn't been a meeting – if they hadn't been teasing them – if she didn't go back to get her stupid thermos… her and Derek would've never been there, and things would most likely be very different right now.

Though those thoughts plagued her mind everywhere she went, Angie couldn't help but feel that if it hadn't have happened when it did, that it would've happened at another time… something that tore at her soul.

Having cried herself stupid the past week, the blonde felt that no tears would come at the funeral. But as the preacher walked towards the podium, the gentle breeze rippling the flag lying over the casket of their hero, tears sprang into Angie's eyes – though she was determined not to let them fall…

"We gather here today to mourn the passing of a doctor, a hero, and a friend…"

…But with those words Angie lost the battle with her emotions, beginning to lightly cry as Leslie pulled her close, huddling together.

Words were said by few, but the speech that made Angie lose all control of herself was watching Greg Kasal speak. A reserved, strong, unshakable man was instantly transformed into a fit of sobs, trying desperately to gain control over himself as he poured out feelings of admiration and respect to the crowd, each and every one of them mirroring his emotions, but none besides those in the inner circle feeling a broken heart like the ones that the Caduceus and Hope staffs felt.

"…and even though there was no extensive combat or wartime involved, I think we can all agree that here before us… lies, an American hero."

Greg barely choked out the end of his speech as he stumbled back over to his seat next to Sidney, whose tears were falling freely as well. The brothers comforted each other as the flag was folded up, an officer walking it over to a sobbing woman in the front row. Angie watched with a heavy heart as an unidentified man next to her tried his best to console her, his motions doing nothing to ease her painful cries.

Other military officers stepped in line to ready for the gun salute as the bugle began to play taps.

With every passing note and every command, cock, and fire, Angie swore in that moment she would give anything to have Derek here by her side, the mere thought of it launching her into another round of sobs so painful she felt as though her heart was literally going to break in two.

Tyler planted a small kiss on Leslie's cheek, wiping away her tears before dotting his own eyes with a Kleenex. Victor's head was hung miserably, his eyes shining and refusing to look up at the sight. Greg, Sidney and Dr. Hoffman were all seated in a row, the men losing the battle with their emotions, tears falling freely one after the other.

In mere minutes the crowd began to file through, each dumping a red rose into the hole which now held the body of the one they all had held so dear…

And while everyone said their last goodbye, Victor, Robert, Leslie, Tyler, Greg, Sidney, and Angie stayed put, the seven seated together holding hands in the front row of chairs, watching as eventually, the crowd dwindled away to nothing.

The seven were the only people left in the cemetery, save for a man ready to fill in the hole, signifying the last time any of them would be this close to their fallen friend, ever again.

And still holding hands, Robert, Sidney, Greg, Leslie, Victor, and Tyler all rose to their feet, the blonde surgeon's free hand holding onto Angie's wheelchair to help push her forward.

"Ready?" Sidney asked, wiping a tear from his cheek.

The rest of the friends paused momentarily, clearing their own tears and sniffling before a collective nod was shared.

And in the setting sun, seven walked forward together to say a painful goodbye, leaning on each other for strength that had left them all the day they were forced to deal with the news.

One by one, seven red roses fell into the hole on top of the black casket, each a silent goodbye.

To a coworker…

A doctor…

A lover…

A friend…

And an American Hero…

Cybil Myers.

So this is where I explain why you all must hate me:

1) Whoever really likes Cybil.
2) Those of you that are still itching to know what happened to Derek.

Show of hands - who thought it was Derek that died? (raises hand)

Will our favorite staff be in attendance for another funeral?

You'll find out, I promise.

...next chapter. (I'm so sorry please don't hurt meeee!)