Chapter 21

As she cried she let go of everything she was holding inside, all the anger towards his family and pain she felt for him in the hospital bed. After an hour of crying she finally lifted her head up and looked at him.

"I know you like jokes and making me squirm after all I put you through, but this is taking it a little too far." She tried to crack a smile but his lifeless body tore it away and the tears returned. She kissed him and when he didn't respond she knew that it wasn't going well, that he wasn't coming back to her and would forever be lost to her.

John almost burst into the room a hundred times, just wanting to grab her and tell her it was going to be ok but he knew it wouldn't do anything. This was one thing that she needed to get through on her own, she needed to find a way to deal with this that would not break her. He knew in his heart that if Ej loved her like she said he did, that he would fight to come back to her, that nothing would keep them apart.

Samantha letting go and showing that she needed him was the best thing for him because regardless of his coma, he would feel her with him and wake up. As her tears hit his face she could feel his hand twitch and a machine go off and just hoped it was a sign he was coming back to her.

"Doctor." She yelled when she heard the beeping and was quickly pushed out of the way so they could settle the machine and see if it were true, if he was returning to the waking world.

"It's ok Samantha." John said as he hugged her.

"I know, he was trying to grab my hand, he is coming back to me, I know it."

"I'm sorry to say this, but the movement in his hand was involuntary." Samantha almost hit the floor when she heard it, hearing that her husband wasn't fighting like she thought he was.

"He said he would come back to me and he doesn't lie to me!" John caught he as she continued to slide and knew he needed to get her out of there.

"Come on Sami, why don't we go sit down."

"I'm not leaving him." She said and pulled away to be back with Ej, sitting on the side of the bed and holding his hand. "I will not leave him until he tells me to go!"

"Alright, I'm going to tell Bo and Hope what's going on. I will be back." He said and kissed her forehead and she just smiled, knowing he was trying. Before heading back to the waiting room, John grabbed the doctor and wanted to hear it straight.

"Alright, what are his chances?"

"He lost a lot of blood before he got here and the deprivation of oxygen to his brain, his body was shutting down. His body went into survival mode and shut itself off to try and heal."

"So he's going to wake up soon?"

"That's hard to say, coma's are hard to judge. Every case is different. This is something that we just need to wait out." He said and walked away, leaving John unsure of what he was going to do.

John headed back to the waiting room and everyone seen his face and knew the news wasn't good.

"How bad?" Tony asked first.

"He's still in the coma, and the doctor isn't sure when he'll wake up."

"How's Sami?" Hope asked, that being her biggest concern.

"Refuses to leave his side, says she is staying until he tells her to leave."

"I'm going to call Marlena and Roman, I'm sure they're worried about Samantha." Bo said and Hope stood with John.

"Well there has to be a restaurant around here somewhere, she hasn't eaten and I know she's hungry." John said looking at Hope and Tony.

"I know a place, I'll grab something and be back." Tony said and John decided to join her, leaving Hope to go back to see Samantha. Just as John did, she paused outside the door, wanting nothing more then to help her.

"Aunt Hope, I can't loose him." She said as she seen her aunt walk in the room.

"I know honey, but this is beyond your control, you just need to pray that he is strong enough to fight this."

"If he loves me, he'll come back." She said and stopped herself before she finished. "I know he loves me and I know its enough. But how long do I have to wait?" She asked and started to cry as Hope held her.

"It shouldn't take long, I know he loves you more then anything, he fought his father for you. Nearly scared Stephano to death over getting you back."

"It should be me in that bed, I should be the one fighting for my life."

"But that would leave him here crying and how would that help anything?"

"Ej is a lot stronger then me and he'd know what to do, I'm just guessing. I can't do this."

"Yes you can! He gets his strength from you and you know that. Draw your strength from him, he needs you to stay strong."

"Thank you Aunt Hope. I think you're the only one that understands. I just wish my mom and dad could understand like you. I need Ej, he gives me something that no one else can and something I can't describe."

"I know, because I see it in the way he looks at you, or lights up when he says your name. It's like you bring a piece of him alive." She said and smiled, "Bo looks at me that same way, a man who is completely and hopelessly in love." Samantha smiled and looked at her Aunt, they may not have been close over the years, but that was changing. For once, she had someone who cared about her happiness and wanted her to get her happy ending. Just as she was starting to calm, he phone went off and it was Lucas' number.

"Lucas, what's wrong?"

"Mommy!" She heard her daughter say and a part of her melted, she had been so consumed with the kidnapping and Ej, that she forgot to check in with her children.

"Where is your daddy?"

"With Colleen, she isn't feeling well."

"Let me talk to your father."

"Ok Mommy, are you coming home soon?"

"Yes honey, mommy just needs to take care of a friend." She said and Lucas got on the phone moments later. Samantha found out how her daughter was and hung up quickly when she seen the doctor.

"What's wrong at home?"

"Colleen got sick, but she's alright. The girls just want me to come home." She told Hope then stood up to speak to the doctor.

"Mrs. Wells, we want to perform some test to check to see how your husband is doing and see if there is any change from the medication. We need your consent." He said, handing her a clipboard and a pen.

"Do it," she said and signed the paper. "I want him back." She said and Hope escorted her out for the test to be performed. John handed her food when she sat down in a chair and smiled at her.

"You need to eat, keep your strength up."

"I know, thank you." She said and poked at her food, barely eating anything, she was too worried about the tests being performed on her husband. Every time the doors opened she looked to see the doctor, whose name she didn't even know. But none of that mattered, not as long as he husband was unconscious.

"Mrs. Wells, I have some good news. Your husband is showing signs of improvement and we expect him to wake up before morning." Samantha hugged the doctor and never said a word before running back to his room. She wanted to make sure she was the first thing he seen when he finally woke up.

"I knew you'd come back to me. You wouldn't leave your family behind, not after all we went through to get it." She said and kissed him, hoping that with that kiss he would come back to her, wrap his arms around her and tell her he loved her. Just as she was about to pull away, she seen his eyes flutter and knew she did it. She brought him back to her.

"That's it, look at me. Come on honey, come back to me. Come back to our family!" She said and stroked his face, she just didn't get the reaction she intended to get, he looked confused and as if he were in a daze.

"Tony was right, amor vincit omnia." She said and went to kiss him but he stopped her.

"Not that I am one to turn down the kiss of a beautiful woman, but would you mind telling me who you are first?" He said and she felt her heart break, he came back but not to her.

"What? You don't know who I am?"

"I'm sorry, but no. Have we met?" Samantha's face fell and tears were pooling in her eyes, falling down her face and her pain could not be hidden as she fell to the floor.