The paramedics arrived and peeled Kate off of him.

"What's his name?" The paramedic asked.

"Jack." Kate told them.

"Jack, wake up and tell me what's happening to you." The paramedic yelled loudly.

Jack's eyes opened and he grabbed the paramedic's shirt, speaking softly, but desperately. The paramedic leaned in and then pulled back.

"Is he a doctor?" The paramedic asked.

"Yes, why?" Kate asked.

The paramedic took Jack's blood pressure and then moved his stethoscope over the left side of his chest.

" Brandon , call for the chopper, tell them we've got a possible Cardiac tamponade and that we'll meet them at the bottom of the mountain." The paramedic said.

"What is that?" Kate asked.

"Jack, I think you're right. You've got a lot of fluid in your lungs and your heart sounds are muffled." The paramedic told him and attempted to place oxygen tubes under his nose.

Jack pushed the oxygen away and grabbed the paramedics arm, his eyes desperate.

"I won't make it. You've got to do the pericardiocentesis now." Jack pleaded, the words choppy as he worked hard to breathe.

"I'm not trained to do that procedure Jack, I'd probably end up killing you. I'm going to give you some oxygen and start an IV. That'll take some of the load off your heart and get your blood pressure up some. Then we're going to fly you to LA Medical Center." The paramedic told him and placed the oxygen tubes under his nose.

Jack nodded and closed his eyes again.

"What's happening to him?" Kate asked.

"If he's right and I think he is, the sac around his heart is inflamed and full of fluid. It's keeping his heart from beating properly. He needs an emergency surgical procedure to drain the fluid before it stops his heart completely." The paramedic explained.

"What if you don't get him there in time?" Kate asked

"We will." The paramedic assured her as he and his partner picked Jack up and put him onto the gurney.

"I'm coming with you." Kate insisted.

"You can't. You need to get someone to drive you to LA Medical Center." The paramedic said.

She watched them wheel Jack out of the resort and into the waiting ambulance. She turned around and ran into her friend Leo.

"I can't talk to you right now." She said and reentered the resort.

She ran back to their room, with Leo on her heels. She grabbed her purse and rummaged through it until she found the card she was looking for. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed the number. She heard the voice on the other end of the phone, froze for a moment and finally spoke.

"Mr. Shephard this is Kate." She said.

"Kate?" The voice questioned.

"Your son's girlfriend." Kate reminded him.

"Oh yes, the woman that's been trying to destroy him, what can I do for you Kate?" Christian asked.

"We, Jack and I, we're staying at a resort in the mountains. He's really sick. They just took him away in an ambulance." She said and began crying again.

"Kate, calm down and talk to me. What happened?" Christian asked.

"He's been sick for days, weak and tired and grabbing at his chest. He finally collapsed tonight. The paramedics said they think the sac around his heart is inflamed and full of fluid. They said his lungs have fluid in them. They're flying him in a helicopter to LA Medical Center. Can you please get there and make sure he's okay and call me. I'm leaving right now, but it's a long drive." Kate said.

"You don't sound like you're in any condition to drive. Just stay put and I'll call you as soon as I know something." Christian said.

"No, I have to be there for him. Just promise me you won't let him die. He can't die, he just can't." Kate pleaded with him, so frightened and desperate that it was getting to him.

"I won't let him die Kate." Christian said and the phone went dead

Christian Shephard had been retired from medicine for a little over a year, but his name and reputation continued to open doors for him so when he entered the emergency room at the LA Medical Center, tossing his name around and demanding to know how much longer before the chopper arrived he was taken immediately to the resident in charge of the ER at that late hour.

"The ETA on the chopper is 2 minutes. The patient is a doctor who is extremely critical and believes he is suffering a Cardiac tamponade. What is your concern with this Dr. Shephard, didn't you retire?" The cocky resident asked as they made their way up to the roof.

"The man in that chopper is my son." Christian told him.

The cocky ER resident gave the older doctor a knowing look and they worked together when the chopper landed to get him on a gurney and down to the ER to work on him. Christian tried unsuccessfully to rouse Jack, who at this point was unconscious and barely breathing. They wheeled him into the ER and Christian began cutting his shirt away from the area where the procedure needed to performed.

"What are you doing doctor Shephard? We can't just take his word for it. We need to get a chest x-ray and an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis." The ER doctor objected.

"He's the best surgeon in this city. I'll take his word for it." Christian said.

"No, I'm not sticking a needle in a patient's chest without confirming that's what I need to do." The ER doctor continued to argue.

"Doctor his BP is dropping and he has no radial pulse." The nurse warned him.

"Do the procedure now!" Christian demanded.

"Get me an x-ray of this man's chest." The ER doctor ordered just as the machines began beeping.

"He's in full arrest doctor." The nurse yelled.

The ER doctor grabbed for the defibrillator, shocking his heart back into a very slow and unsteady rhythm after three attempts. Christian helped himself to the supplies, found a very large syringe and before anyone had a chance to object, stuck the needle into Jack's chest and began draining the fluid, his heart rate and blood pressure steadily rising and stabilizing as the syringe filled with a bloody, puss filled liquid.

"You shouldn't have done that Dr. Shephard." The ER doctor said.

"You know what? I've had enough you and this hospital. He's stable enough to travel and I want him taken by ambulance to St. Sebastian's where they can finish treating him, hospitalize him and thankfully not be so afraid to make a rash judgment they're willing to watch a patient die." Christian ordered, both frightened and enraged by what had just taken place.

"That's not necessary, we have everything we need to treat him here." The ER doctor argued.

"You don't have the skills to treat him here. You stood there and nearly let him die because you didn't have the balls to do what you knew was the right thing to do. That is my son and I will make sure he gets the best treatment available and that clearly isn't you so get me that ambulance right now and I might let you keep your job." Christian told him, his eyes so icy and serious that the young resident stopped arguing and did what he wanted.

Christian climbed into the back of the ambulance, keeping an eye on Jack's vitals and allowing his hands to shake now that the emergency was over. He'd nearly lost the only thing in the world that mattered to him without ever having had the chance to convey those feelings to him. Jack began to stir and forced his eyes open, confused and wondering if he was dead when he found himself staring up at his father.

"What's?" Jack whispered.

"You're okay……for now. I'm making them transport you to your hospital where I know you'll get the appropriate treatment and care." Christian said.

"How did you…?" Jack asked, confused and still very weak.

"Kate called me." Christian said.

"You have to call her, she's terrified." Jack pleaded, the events that had unfolded starting to come back to him.

"I will, just as soon as we get you settled in." Christian said.

"No, now. Call her now." Jack demanded and tried to sit up.

Christian pushed him back down and pulled his cell phone out. He found the call from Kate and hit the redial, her frantic voice answering before it had a chance to ring a second time.

"Kate, someone wants to talk to you." Christian said and put the phone to Jack's ear.

"I'm so sorry Kate." Jack spoke softly into the phone.

"Jack, are you okay?" Kate asked.

"I will be. Baby, please don't try to drive yourself here. You're too upset." Jack said his voice so soft and fading she could barely hear him.

Christian pulled the phone away and spoke to her.

"He's going to be okay Kate. Take your time and come to St. Sebastian's." Christian said.

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that so I won't kill myself trying to get there?" Kate asked.

He could tell she'd gone beyond hysterics and was close to breaking down or shock or both.

"I promise Kate. He is going to be just fine and Kate….I….." Christian searched for the right words.

"What, what is it?" Kate asked afraid he was keeping something from her.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to say thank you for calling me." Christian said, completely humbled by the situation and genuinely grateful.

He began to stir, his mind fuzzy, the definite after affects of some very powerful narcotics. He could feel the warm body lying next to his and struggled to wake up and remember where he was and who he was with. He finally forced his eyes open and was met quickly once again with his father's face. He looked around and then down at himself. He was in a hospital, his hospital and Kate was sleeping in the bed beside him. He closed his eyes again, his brain not ready to wake up.

Christain sat and watched Jack fade in and out for the next two hours before finally waking up aware and ready to become a difficult patient, his first and immediate thought to sit up and start inspecting what was being done to him. Christian forced him back down, using Kate as the bait to keep him quiet.

"Why is she here? Is she okay?" Jack asked.

"Your pericardia sac filled again and reached a critical stage about 30 minutes after she got here. She was in the room when you started crashing again. She was already close to losing it and that put her over the edge. They took care of you and inserted a tube this time to allow it to drain until the virus and/or infection that's caused this is out of your system. They finally sedated her and let her stay with you because it seemed to be in the best interest of both of you. How are you feeling son?" Christian asked.

"Like I've been asleep for a week." Jack mumbled and glanced down at Kate.

"You've been in and out for about a day. She's been out for about the last five hours." Christian told him.

"Sam." Jack asked.

"He's fine. Nice kid. Looks a bit like his grandfather. He's with your neighbors. They said to tell you not to worry, that they'd keep a close watch on him." Christian said.

"You met him?" Jack asked.

"Don't worry Jack, I didn't tell him I was his grandpa. He needed to see you, see that you weren't dead." Christian told him.

"I can't stay here." Jack protested.

"How long Jack?" Christian asked.

"How long what?" Jack asked.

"How long did you ignore the symptoms before you finally accepted what was happening to you?" Christian asked.

"I wasn't sure until I lost the ability to breathe properly for good. I tried to go get help." Jack attempted to defend what was probably indefensible.

"You're lying. You're stubborn to the point of stupidity and it almost cost you your life." Christian said his tone angry and lecturing.

"You're going to lecture me on stubbornness and stupidity?" Jack scoffed.

"No, but I can't understand why you'd be so careless. You didn't see how traumatized she was or how frightened your son was. If you love these two people as much as you claim you do and are hell bent on not being me, why would you be so selfish Jack?" Christian asked.

"Why are you here dad and where do you get off having an opinion about anything that I do? Don't you have some place you need to be, some place other than here?" Jack shot back hatefully.

Christian didn't respond. He deserved all of the rage and hatred his son felt toward him and was just grateful he was still around to let him know how much he hates him. He patted him on the arm and walked out of the room, leaving Jack stewing and feeling guilty for having upset Kate so badly she had to be sedated. He was ready to allow himself to dose off again when Dana entered the room. He smiled a sheepish smile when she took hold of hand.

"I think this is where you're supposed to say I told you so." Jack said softly.

Dana squeezed his hand gently and sat in the chair beside the bed.

"We're all just glad you're going to be okay Dr. Shephard." Dana said.

"It was really stupid. I owe everyone a big apology for allowing my condition to become life-threatening." Jack admitted.

"Yes you do. Thank goodness your father was there or we'd be planning a funeral today." Dana said.

"My father?" Jack asked.

"Nobody told you? He saved your life Dr. Shephard." Dana said.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked suddenly feeling very guilty for angrily dismissing his father earlier.

"You crashed. They had to defibrillate. The ER doctor wasn't willing to do the pericardiocentesis without running tests to confirm the diagnosis so your father grabbed a syringe and did it himself. He's probably going to be in trouble if the ER doctor or the hospital decide to make a stink." Dana explained.

"What kind of trauma physician does that? Do you know how many times I've performed that procedure based on nothing more than my gut instincts?" Jack replied a little shaken that he'd really come that close to dying.

"I see they finally gave her something." Dana said and nodded toward Kate.

"Yeah, I guess I scared her pretty bad." Jack said.

"That would be an understatement. She was devastated. I sat with her while they were running tests on you to see what caused your condition and when you crashed again, well, I'm just glad somebody finally gave her something to help her relax. Poor thing was a sad as anything I've ever seen. She really loves you Dr. Shephard." Dana said and smiled at him.

"Do me a favor Dana?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Dana said.

"Drop the Dr. Shephard thing when we aren't working. We're friends right?" Jack asked.

"Of course, it just feels odd calling you Jack." Dana said.

"Trust me, it's even weirder laying in a hospital bed being called Dr. Shephard." Jack grumbled suddenly feeling grouchy and anxious.

"Try to relax Doc…….Jack." Dana offered picking up on the instant mood change.

"I appreciate you coming to see me Dana, but I'd really like to be alone for a little while." Jack said.

"No problem. If there is anything you need call me." Dana offered.

"Thanks and there is one thing." Jack said.

"What's that?" Dana asked.

"If you happen to see my father could you tell him I'd like to see him?" Jack asked.

"Of course. Get some rest Jack." Dana said and left the room.

Jack lay in the bed feeling ashamed and guilty and everything he should be feeling. What he'd just put Kate and Sam through was inexcusable and judging by how heavily she was sleeping it took a lot to calm her down. He knew she had to be thinking that the bad things were happening again, that he was going to die just like she feared he would and he couldn't understand why he was too stubborn to consider how allowing himself to become critically ill would affect her. He looked down at her, snuggled up next to him, his right arm around her and her hand resting firmly on his stomach, her head resting just below his shoulder, but off to the side, further away from his chest then she preferred to be when she slept, the EKG patches and wires coming off his chest completely undisturbed. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her lightly with the arm that was wrapped around her.

"I'm so sorry baby." He said softly.

Jack heard the door open and looked up. His father entered the room and sat in the chair.

"I hear I owe you my life…..literally." Jack said.

"You would've done the same for me." Christian shrugged.

"Yeah, I would've." Jack said.

"Listen Jack, you don't need to do this. Whatever hate you feel toward me, I deserve it." Christian said.

"I don't hate you dad." Jack said.

"You should" Christian offered with a slight smirk.

"I need to get out of here, today." Jack said.

"That's not going to happen." Christian said.

"Look, the crisis is over, lying in a hospital bed isn't going to do anyone any good." Jack argued.

"Jack, you're receiving antibiotics through your IV, you've got fluid in your lungs and a drainage tube in your chest. You're not going anywhere. Sleep well Jack." Christian said and clicked twice on the PCA that was attached to Jack's IV.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

"It's morphine. Eases the breathing, improves the blood flow and most importantly in your case, reduces the patient's anxiety." Christian told him.

"Dad please, I can't be stuck in here. Sam, he's…." Jack struggled, fighting the effects of the drug.

"Sam's fine and he's safe." Christian said, unsure if Jack heard him before he lost the battle to stay awake.

She could feel a light patting on her arm and the small voice calling her name over and over, her mind so groggy she wasn't sure if it was real or a dream, the desperation in the small voice finally bringing her around enough to want to make the distinction. She opened her eyes and could see that it was nighttime. His scent was the next the thing she noticed and she realized she was laying next him, breathing him in and that he was warm and alive. She sat up and looked down at him and then looked around the room. There was no one in the room except for them. She'd been dreaming, but why. Was the small voice calling out to her in her dreams Sam?

She moved off the bed, confused and stiff and searching the room for her purse. She found it in the drawer of the table beside Jack's bed and pulled her cell phone out, calling Rick and Christy immediately.

"Christy is Sam okay?" Kate asked.

"He's gone Kate." Christy said.

"What, what do you mean gone?" Kate asked.

"He just disappeared Kate." Christy said.

"What?! Are you crazy?" Kate screamed.

"Kate?" Jack called out to her.

He was sitting up and shaking her gently. Her eyes popped open, shaken and confused. She looked up at him looking down at her and then at her hand. She was clutching the phone that was attached to the hospital bed tightly and she was trembling. The sun was streaming through the window and she could see his face and his eyes looking back at her and for the moment she forgot about what must've been a crazy dream, sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're okay. Oh god, you're okay." She sobbed.

He put his arms around her and held her as close as he could without disturbing the various wires and tubes attached to his chest and arms.

"I'm so sorry for what I put you through Kate. Everything is going to be okay." He spoke softly to her.

She pulled back, held his face in her hands and kissed him.

"Why is all of this happening Jack? I'm some kind of jinx or something." Kate said.

"It happened because I'm an ass who was too stubborn to admit how sick I was. This is all my fault Kate, it had nothing to do with you. If you hadn't found me when you did, I'd be dead. If you hadn't called my father, I'd be dead. The way I see it, I'm in this hospital bed because of my own stubbornness, but I'm alive right now because of you." He told her.

"Are you really going to be okay?" Kate asked.

"If I behave, I'll be fine and seeing you like this is all the incentive I need to behave. Are you okay, you were having a pretty awful nightmare from what I could tell." Jack asked, his eyes soft and concerned.

"Yeah, it was nothing, I guess I have Sam on my mind even though I really have no memory of who is taking care of him or how I ended up in this bed." Kate told him.

He eased back, relaxing back into the bed and pulling her along with him, letting her get comfortable and then wrapping his arm around her.

"You ended up in this bed because I traumatized you to the point of hysterics. The old man really came through this time Kate. He saved my life, made them bring me here and then had them sedate you and put you to bed with me. You have been asleep for nearly an entire day." Jack told her.

"No wonder I have to pee so bad." She mumbled making him laugh lightly.

"Maybe you should go take care of that." Jack offered.

She moved out off the bed and took a moment to gather her bearings. The drugs they had given her had left her feeling wobbly and a bit nauseated. He watched her carefully, wondering if he was going to have call for some help, but then breathed a sigh of relief when she seemed to regain her strength and the ability to walk without falling down. She splashed cold water over her face in an attempt to shake the cob webs out of her head. It seemed to help some and she walked out of the bathroom and back over to Jack's bed.

"I should probably go home and check on Sam." Kate said.

"He's fine Kate. I talked to him about 45 minutes ago. Come sit with me at least until you're more awake." Jack said.

She walked back over to the bed and crawled in beside him again, too tired to argue with him and she really had no desire to leave his side. They lay together talking quietly, both deciding that they could eat and just when she was about to find the strength to go down to the cafeteria the door to Jack's room opened and a heavenly aroma permeated the room.

Dana entered the room with two sacks of food and a couple of sodas. She set the food on the tray beside his bed and smiled at them.

"Well, you two are certainly more alert than you were about 4 hours ago." Dana said.

"Yeah, I think my father tried to put me into a coma with that dose of morphine." Jack grumbled.

"You might as well not fight it Jack because it's one big hospital conspiracy to make sure you rest and if you won't do it on your own, orders are to drug you." Dana told him.

"I think I love your co-workers Jack." Kate giggled, making him smile, not because he was all that amused by the conspiracy, but because she had actually smiled and laughed a little.

"I'd rest better at home in my own bed." Jack sighed.

"Well, if that drainage bag continues to stay empty, that could be as soon as tomorrow." Dana told him.

"Are you my private nurse Dana?" Jack asked his mood suddenly changing.

"Somebody is awfully cranky." Dana replied.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child." Jack growled.

"Stop acting like one and I won't. You just can't stand not being in control of every single detail of your life, I get it. You're obsessive nature is one of the things that makes you such a brilliant doctor and one of the reasons I enjoy working for you, but trust me Dr. Shephard, I'd rather spend my days doing pelvic exams in a dollar an hour whore house than be your nurse." Dana told him, making him lighten up and offer up a half smile.

"I'm sorry. What did you bring us?" Jack asked.

"Your doctor said you could eat anything you wanted so I stopped across the street at that Italian place you like. I thought some soft, warm pasta might be easier to digest than a greasy burger. Oh and Kate I brought you some clean clothes in case you wanted to clean up. I figured you'd want to stay here with him and we're about the same size." Dana said.

"Dana, why are you doing this? You aren't getting ready to quit on me are you?" Jack asked.

"I'm doing this because we are friends and because I care about you. You'd do the same for me." Dana said.

"I hope I would, but really, this isn't necessary." Jack argued.

"Jack would you just accept the kindness and be grateful for it." Kate huffed.

"I do and I am, I just, it's strange that's all. I've never been Mr. Popularity so I'm not sure how to handle all this kindness being thrown my way. First my father actually acts like a father for the first time in my life and now the co-workers that rightfully labeled me the world's biggest ass are being all sweet and gooey. It's a bit overwhelming." Jack admitted.

"Your co-workers have always liked and cared about you Jack, you just never let in anyone in long enough to show you that." Jack's colleague Alice Magnus chimed in from the doorway.

"Hey." Jack said and struggled to cover himself with the sheet, beginning to feel completely vulnerable and exposed.

"I know this has to be difficult for you Jack." Alice said and handed Kate a blanket to cover him with.

"Difficult? It's just shy of humiliating." Jack sighed and let his head drop back onto the pillow.

"I can understand that, which is why most of us have stayed away and just let your family be with you. You scared everyone pretty bad Jack and we had a meeting about that today." Alice told him.

"A meeting? What? Are you voting me off the island?" Jack asked with an edge of sarcasm.

"In a way, yes we are, but not for good, just until you manage to stabilize yourself. You've earned the right to have as much time as you need to do that." Alice explained.

"You guys are seriously firing me?" Jack asked.

"Oh come on Jack, we're colleagues, we don't have the authority to do something like that to each other. We're lending a helping hand Jack, that's all." Alice assured him.

"What makes you think I need a helping hand?" Jack asked hatefully, not liking that people were sitting around deciding his future.

"Just get well Jack, both physically and in your personal life. We've missed you at work, the hospital has missed you, your patients have missed you. Take some time to get organized and refocused and when you're ready, come back to work. Dana reassigned all of your cases today so you have nothing to worry about but you, your health and your family for now." Alice told him.

"Just get out of here, both of you." Jack ordered.

"Jack." Kate protested.

"Go! Both of you! Now!" Jack yelled, his excitement and anxiety setting all the monitors off.

Kate moved off of the bed and allowed the nurses to give him oxygen and another dose of morphine, which he protested with as much foul language as she'd ever heard him use. She stood at the back of the room and cried as she watched them force this fiercely independent man to relinquish all control as he protested and fought against the morphine with everything he had. Once he was asleep she followed Dana and Alice out into the hallway and let both of them have it.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Kate snapped.

"We're just trying to help Kate." Alice said.

"Help? You really think taking away his passion in life is helping him?" Kate asked.

"Kate, he's so distracted and the type of work he does doesn't allow for that. Trust me, if he were to injure or kill a patient because he was distracted he'd be much more devastated than he is right now. Even his father agrees that it's time he takes a break." Alice told her.

"Why would you allow that man to have an opinion about anything where Jack is concerned?" Kate asked angrily.

"Because regardless of how volatile their relationship is, the man can read Jack better than any of us. His father has been in his corner through all of Jack's struggles lately, all but warning us not to do anything drastic, but this made him change his mind and it's not permanent Kate. We all admire Jack very much and we know that our practice wouldn't be as successful as it is without him and his reputation and that reputation is what we're trying to save here Kate. He's worked too hard for too many years to just allow him to lose it all because he's dealing with some difficult health and personal issues." Alice explained.

"You couldn't wait until he was feeling better to drop that bomb on him?" Kate asked.

"There was no good time to tell him something like that Kate and now that he knows he's got nothing to get back to, maybe he'll figure out a way to relax, to allow his body to heal and reenergize and hopefully things will settle down at home for him as well." Alice said.

"You really think he's going to relax just because you force him to?" Kate asked.

"Listen, I understand you're upset with us. You love him and it hurts you to see him that desperate. It hurt me to see him that desperate, but Kate it had to be done. He has something more in his life now than just medicine and he's still trying to figure out how to juggle a life where he's got two equally strong passions. That would be difficult enough without all the added drama of a presumed dead ex-girlfriend showing up and a life-threatening illness. We understand Kate and we are trying to help him, not hurt him." Alice pleaded her case.

"Fine, but no more drugs unless he asks for them. I'll keep him calm." Kate said and walked away before either woman could respond.

Kate used the shower in Jack's room and the clean clothes Dana brought for her. She called Christy to check on Sam and she and child talked for about 30 minutes before he was ready to say goodbye. She lay on the bed with Jack and fell asleep again, waking a couple of hours later hungry and thirsty. Jack was still in his drug induced sleep, but was beginning to stir. He never had a chance to enjoy the food that Dana had brought for him. She kissed him on the cheek and walked down to the lobby and across the street to the deli. When she returned with sandwiches, soup and ice cold drinks he was awake and staring at the ceiling. He glanced over at her and then back at the ceiling.

"I thought you'd gone home." He said.

"Did you really think I'd leave without saying goodbye?" She asked, noticing how quiet and almost depressed he seemed.

"I wasn't sure how long I'd been out." He said.

"Not too long, a little over 3 hours. I brought you a sandwich and some soup and an ice cold drink. Hungry?" She asked.

"No, the morphine is making me sick, but the cold drink sounds pretty good." He said.

She put a straw in the large cup and handed it to him. His hands were shaking slightly as he held on to it and took a few long drinks becoming sick to his stomach almost instantly. Kate took the wash basin from him, dumped the contents in the toilet and rinsed it out. She put back within his reach in case he got sick again. She handed him the drink again and he drank some more, handing it back to her and letting his head relax back onto the pillow. She left the bed again, found a washcloth and wet it. She returned to the bed and wiped his forehead, face, neck and chest with the wet cloth.

"I feel like shit." He grumbled.

She wet the cloth again and repeated the procedure.

"Do you think they might let me give you a sponge bath?" She asked.

"No, thanks, but I'm okay, I just need them to stop drugging me." He said and smiled a weak smile at her.

"They won't be drugging you anymore. I told the nurses no more visitors for you and I'm going to stay right here beside you and keep you calm and relaxed." She told him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"How'd I make such a mess of things Kate?" He asked.

"You didn't make a mess of anything Jack. It's just all been too much and I haven't exactly been supportive lately what with my neurotic behavior and the whole leaving you and Sam for 2 months. Things are going to be different Jack. We're going to tackle all this stuff together. We're a family." Kate said.

"Are we?" Jack asked.

"Yes we are. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and help you raise Sam." Kate said.

"But will you marry me Kate?" He asked softly.

"Yes, tomorrow if you want." She answered in a strong, confident tone.

"Are you just saying that because I almost died, and I'm unemployed and pathetic?" He asked his face perking up some and his tone more of a teasing one than a serious one.

"Of course, it's always been my goal in life to marry an unemployed, pathetic man that almost died, as long as the sex is good of course." She told him, making him chuckle lightly.

She managed to get him to take a few bites of soup before they turned the light out, snuggled up together and watched television, both resting and relaxing and neither aware that a woman was sitting outside of the miniature golf course where Sam was playing, watching and waiting, hoping that split second when none was watching would present itself.