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A Sam/Andy fic.

Chapter Fourteen.

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Disclaimer: See Ch. 1.

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A/N: Thanks for all the awesome reviews so far! I'm glad you guys are still interested in this story!

I promise, I'll be working in some Sam/Andy moments soon.

I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it.

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!

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Andy had expected to feel as though she were on display. She'd expected to be surrounded by doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, orderlies, etc. She hadn't expected the room to be devoid of people. That being said, there was one person in the room she definitely hadn't been expecting to see.

"Hey, sis," Bobby spoke in a cheerful voice, despite the pale, sickly look of him.

Andy sat up on the gurney, staring at him with confused eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The nurse wheeled Andy right next to the spot where Bobby sat in his wheelchair.

"Well, you're giving me your marrow," Bobby explained. "The least I could do is be here for you." He glanced up towards the observation deck, a half-smile on his face. "Dana's up there with Mom and Dad. Whenever I have to get a shot, or they take my blood, Dana always holds my hand. She lets me squeeze as hard as it hurts." Bobby raised his shaky arm towards Andy, showing the obvious toll that such a movement took on his weak body.

Andy grasped his hand quickly, not wanting him to over exert himself. The moment her hand touched his small, overly-white hand, a shiver ran through her body, from their joined hands, all the way down to the tips of her toes. She had to close her eyes briefly to not let out a stray tear.

"You can squeeze my hand, if you want," Bobby whispered. "If it hurts too much."

Andy locked her eyes onto Bobby's, even as the strangers with medical degrees moved all around her, preparing her for the operation. The staff in the room worked around them, making sure that Andy didn't have to let go of the boy's hand. Andy marveled at the thought that someone so terrible and cruel could give birth to someone so selfless and caring. He really was a miracle.

When it was time for them to administer the anesthetic, they asked her if she was ready.

Andy glanced at Dr. Stevenson once, nodding her head.

Bobby pulled her attention back to him when they brought out the needle, and began clearing a patch of skin on her hip to freeze the area. "Even if this doesn't work, and I still get sicker ... thanks for trying," Bobby told her.

Andy couldn't hide the tear that fell from her eye at that. She could no longer imagine a world without Bobby Jacobs in it. "It'll work. You're gonna be just fine."

Bobby smiled gratefully. "I love you."

Before Andy could muster up some semblance of a reply, Dr. Stevenson spoke, "You're going to feel a slight pinch."

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The first thing Andy noticed when she woke up, was the acute and throbbing pain in her hip. The next was the dryness of her mouth, and her hand fumbled around blindly for a cup of water.

"Hang on there, Sport," a familiar voice said.

Andy opened her eyes as quickly as her drowsy state would allow, surprised to see her father standing beside her bed, a pitcher of water in one hand, and a blue, plastic cup in the other.

"Welcome back," he greeted, pouring the glass and inserting a straw into it.

Had Andy been more aware and less in pain, she would have protested the "baby" treatment. But, as her throat was longing for a drink of water, and she didn't have the strength to push herself into a sitting position, she simply opened her mouth and accepted the straw, sucking the cold water into her waiting mouth. She downed about half the cup before pulling her head away.

"How are you feeling?" Tommy McNally asked his daughter, standing over her and brushing loose hair back behind her ear.

Andy cleared her throat, staring up at him. She'd been propped on her right side, as they'd taken the marrow out of the left. She couldn't see, but from the throbbing in her hip, she thought there must be a whopper of a bruise there. "I've been better. ... What are you doing here?"

Tommy looked down at the floor. "Sam Swarek called me, told me what was going on. Figured I should be here when you woke up."

Andy nodded silently, surprised at such a thoughtful action.

"Look, Andy ... I know I haven't always been there for you, especially lately," Tommy began.

"Dad, don't -"

"No, I need to say this," he pressed on, bringing a hand up to nervously scratch the back of his head. "For a long time, I've been ... drinking myself into an early grave. I know that. I see how much it hurts you, Andy. You've just always been so strong ... and I guess I took that for granted. Put too much weight on your shoulders."

Andy closed her eyes, dropping her head into her pillow and sniffling. She didn't know how much more confession she could take.

"I want you to know, I'm gonna do better. I'm gonna get better, for you. You're all I've got left, Andy," Tommy admitted. "I can't lose you, too."

Andy pressed her lips together tightly, shifting and trying not to wince at the pain. When she looked back up at her father, she saw the matching tears in his own eyes. She shook her head a couple of times. "You haven't lost me, Dad. You've been with me, all these years. They haven't been perfect, but ... you stayed. You're my Dad ... I'll love you forever, no matter what."

Tommy nodded, a grateful expression filling his eyes. He brought his hand back to her face, cupping her cheek.

"But, that doesn't mean you're getting off Scott-free," she informed him. "Starting today, you're going to attend A.A. meetings, you're gonna throw out all the booze bottles you've got stashed away, and you're gonna start the day off with a real coffee ... not Irish."

Tommy chuckled, a pained look flashing through his eyes briefly before he nodded. "Okay."

Andy smiled, no longer feeling the need to cry. "Bring that cup back over here," she requested, her thirst not quite clenched.

Tommy complied, holding the cup so his daughter could drink from the straw. As she took a fair-sized swallow, he commented, "So, how long you and Swarek been together?"

Andy did not hold herself at all accountable for the water that spewed from her mouth, onto her father's arm and shirt.

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The worst part about being stuck in the hospital was the waiting. The only visitors she could have were family members, and her dad was currently keeping his end of their deal; completely cleansing his apartment of all things alcohol, and then finding the nearest A.A. meeting.

Dana was still with the rest of her family, which was completely understandable.

Andy hoped and prayed that the transplant would work. She prayed that his body wouldn't reject her marrow, that he would start to get better, and that she would be able to watch him grow into a handsome man some day. She didn't know how she would manage it and keep her distance from Audrey, but made a promise to herself to try.

She had discovered shortly after her dad had left that she most definitely did have a bruise on her hip. It was quickly becoming a large, ugly, black eye-sore, one that she couldn't wait to be rid of.

Walking was difficult; she'd already had to call the nurse in both times she'd needed to use the bathroom. After the second time, she vowed to drink only enough water that she absolutely needed, not wanting to repeat the process more times than necessary.

She'd convinced the last nurse to help her onto the bed so that she was laying flat on her back, starting to get sore on her other hip from laying side-ways. She was flicking through the channels, trying to find something good to watch, when her attention was pulled by a knock at the door.

"Got room for one more in there?" Sam asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Andy smiled, nodding in answer. She watched him walk into the room, taking note of his empty hands. "Where's my take-out?"

Sam motioned towards the nurse's station. "They confiscated it. Said you had to eat hospital food for now."

Andy turned her nose up in disappointment, pouting slightly. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes at him in confusion. "How'd you even get in here? Visiting hours ended at least an hour ago."

Sam smirked. "Power of the badge," he informed her, brandishing the shiny shield he'd pulled off his uniform.

Andy nodded in understanding. "Of course."

Sam glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if the nurse could see him. When he was convinced she couldn't, he reached a hand up of the sleeve of his shirt. "Well, fortunately for you, I anticipated Nurse Ratchet, and came prepared," he informed her, before pulling a short, thin bag of Twizzlers out from his sleeve.

Andy choked out a subdued chuckle, glancing around in faux discretion. "Wow, you really went all out."

"Hey, nothing but the best for my favorite rookie," Sam replied.

Andy rolled her eyes, but held her hand out for the treat. The movement caused her to shift, putting a painful amount of pressure on her hip. "Ow!" she hissed out, trying to shift back immediately.

Concern filled Sam's face, causing him to start to rise from his seat. "You okay? You need a nurse, a doctor?"

Andy shook her head, her eyes squinting shut at the pain.

Not knowing what else to do, Sam reached out with his free hand, placing it over her clenched fist, trying in vain to take some of the pain away.

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End of Chapter Fourteen.

Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it?

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Until next time ...!