"Where am I?" Carly repeated. The room fell silent and Jason could hear the beating of his heart in his throat. A river of tears streamed down his face as he watched her with utter fascination. "She was awake. She came back to him."

Her faint hoarse voice echoed in his head. Then became louder as she grew agitated. "Where am I?" She asked again. Jason raked her hair with his fingers in an attempt to sooth her. "Your at the hospital, but you're going to be fine." He quickly added. He pressed the call button next to the bed. A woman's voice spoke. "How can I help you?" she asked. "Page Patrick Drake." Jason told her. "Tell him Carly's awake." He turned back to Carly who was surveying her surroundings. Taking in the machines. Looking at the many wires and tubes that were attached to her. She pulled at the oxygen line that was in her nose and Jason's hand gently stopped her. "Leave that for now." He said. "Wait for Patrick."

Carly tried to move her other hand. "I can't move my fingers." She said in a distraught voice. "I can't…feel…my hand.." She panted out just as Patrick entered the room. "The feeling will come back." Patrick told her as he walked to the other side of the bed. "There was a lot of damage, but we were able to fix it. The feeling will come back." He gently touched her damaged hand and gave it a little squeeze. Carly didn't flinch.

"Damage?" Carly's eyes darted between Patrick and Jason. They locked on Jason's. "What happened to me?" She asked. Her voice filled with panic. "My side hurts and my head is killing me."

She reached up with her good hand and touched the bandages on her head. Her hand perused the side of her face. Her face was disfigured. At least that was what it felt like. She ran her fingers along what should have been the side of her face. It was tender to her touch and she winced in pain when her fingers passed over certain areas.

"What…happened …to me…? She said breathlessly. The heart rate monitor started beeping erratically. Jason reached for her hand, but Carly snatched it away and continued her examination of her face. She felt her extended cheek. Her swollen eye. The jaw line that used to be perfectly angled was now rounded and distended. The beeps came quickly. One right after another and Carly panted out questions.

"What…happened…to…my…face?" Her gaze flew back between the two men waiting for an answer. "Who…did…this…to…me?" She asked. "Why?...Why?..."

Jason reached for her and the nurse came rushing in the room in response to the monitor. Patrick gave her instructions and then went back to Carly's side. Jason was cradling her in his arms desperately trying to sooth her, but Carly keep on breathing faster and faster. Her eyes full of confusion, panic and pain. "I got you, baby. I got you." Jason whispered in her ear.

Carly could no longer speak. Instead she just panted and shook in Jason's arms. Patrick took the needle from the nurse and plunged into the IV line. Jason could feel her body start to relax in his arms. She murmured in his ear, "What…happened…to…m..?" The last word cut off as her eyes closed.

Jason held her sleeping body against his chest and looked up at Patrick. "What the hell did you give her?"

"I sedated her." Patrick ran his hands through his head. "I had to."

Jason clinched her to his body. "She just woke up. She just woke up."

Patrick knew Jason wasn't talking to him, but he answered anyway. "And she'll wake up again." He placed a reassuring hand on Jason's shoulder. "The sedative will only last an hour or so. When she wakes up next time, I'll give something a little milder so she can remain awake, but calm."

Jason laid her down on to the pillow. "She didn't remember."

"It's probably from the swelling. I can't tell until she wakes up and can remain calm enough for me to examine her." Patrick told him and then added, "She remembered you. That's a good sign." He walked to the door. "Call me as soon as she wakes."

Jason leaned across the bed and placed his head on her lap. He looked back up at the clock.

..1…2…3… he counted as the tears ran across the bridge of his nose.

Lucky stood outside the ICU. Looking in the window at Jason lying across his cousin. He had arrived just as Patrick entered the room. Just as Carly started to panic. He could see the anguish in Jason's face. "How the hell was he supposed to take him in now?" There was no way Jason would leave her, not after that. He watched. Jason was just lying there, starring at the clock, lips moving, tears falling. "Damn't" Lucky cursed out loud and opened his cell. Maybe he can get Mac to give him more time. At least a few more hours. Time enough for Carly to wake back up a little calmer and prove to Jason that she was fine, but Mac didn't want to hear it. Mac ordered him to bring Morgan in now or else he would send a swat team over to do it. Lucky shook his head. Jason was not going to leave her and if swat came down here things would get real ugly. He needed help.

Fifteen minutes later. Sonny, Diane and Max were standing with Lucky outside Carly's room. He could see Lulu, Bobbie and Spinelli coming down the hall and Sam had just stepped off the elevator. Sam was there for him. He would need all the support he could get.

"Any luck?" Lucky asked Diane.

"No." She told him. "There's no getting around this. He has to go in now."

Patrick came around the corner and saw the gathering outside Carly's room. "What's going on?" He asked and Lucky quickly caught him up to speed. Patrick shook his head. "He won't leave her." He told them. "He has too." Lucky said, "Just for an hour."

Lucky made a move towards the door and Patrick stopped him. "If you go in there and try and take him out of here. He's going to explode. Carly's sedated, but she could wake. If she wakes up she's going to panic again and Jason will kill us all." Lucky dipped his head in frustration. "Let me go in and coax him out the room." Patrick said. "I can tell him I need him for something to do with Carly. If I do that…" "If you do that he'll never trust you again. And he'll never let you near Carly again." Sonny cut him off. "I'll go in and get him to come out." Sonny pushed past both men and went into the room.

Sonny stood in the door way for a few seconds. He had never seen Jason so vulnerable. He was counting. Seventeen minutes…36...37…38…

Sonny walked over and pulled up a chair to the side of the bed. Jason saw him, but made no attempt to move. He did stop counting.

"Patrick told me she woke up." Sonny said. Jason just nodded. "He said he had to sedate her for awhile." Jason nodded again. Sonny touched his shoulder to get his attention. Jason looked up at him. "I need you to remain calm."

Jason squinted his eyes. "Jerry?" He questioned.

"No..well maybe indirectly." Sonny said. "Lucky's outside. He has a warrant for your arrest."

"I'm not leaving her." Jason snapped. "I won't leave her." He his hands clinched around the edge of the bed and he rested his head back down on Carly.

"Jason, no one wants to take you away from her, but you have to do this. You won't have to be gone for long. Lucky took care of everything." Sonny almost wanted to laugh at that irony of that statement. Lucky taking care of Jason, but he had to admit Lucky had run interference for as long as he could and he had done everything to make this as easy on Jason as possible. "Lucky called Diane the moment he found out about the warrant. Diane called in a favor and had bail set. The check is already at the PCPD. All you have to do is go down and get processed. Thirty. Forty-five minutes top. You'll be back here before she wakes up."

Jason gripped the bed tighter. "I'm not leaving her." He said grit returning to his voice. "No one is going to make me leave her." He looked up and his ice cold eyes met Sonny's. "No one." He repeated.

Lucky watched through the glass. It didn't look like Sonny was making things easier. He watched as Jason's eyes hardened and his face transform from a tortured soul to the face of a stone cold assassin.

His cell rang. "You better hurry up." The voice warned on the other end. "Mac is calling up the swat team. You have about thirty minutes." The line went dead. Lucky cursed. "I have to do this now." He told the audience outside the room. He stepped towards the door and the crowd stepped with him. Patrick threw a hand up and halted the procession "You all can't go in there." The crowd stopped. "Sonny's already in there. I'll go in with Lucky so I can monitor Carly. The rest of you wait here." The crowd took a step back in compliance and returned to looking through the glass.

Lucky and Patrick entered the room and Jason eyes met theirs. Lucky slowly approached. Jason gripped the edge of the bed tighter and his eyes shot daggers to Lucky. Patrick spoke first. "Jason, don't do this."

Lucky got closer and Jason launched himself into a fighting stance beside the bed. "Don't make me hurt you?" He told Lucky. "I'm not leaving her. I won't leave her."

Lucky put his hands up in a show of peace. "I don't want to do this Jason, but if I don't Mac's going to send the swat team down here." He stepped closer and Jason eyes widened. He clinched his fist and took step towards Lucky.

Sonny spoke his name sternly from the other side of the bed. "Jason. Stop." Jason paused. "Think of Carly. Do you want to do this right now? Right here?" He pointed at Carly lying helpless in the bed. "Do you want her to wake to you pummeling her cousin?"

Lucky stood completely still. Jason's face show signs of seeing reason then went hard again. "I'm not leaving her."

Lucky inhaled deeply resigning himself to the action he must now take. He reached back for his handcuffs and the reached for Jason. Jason caught his arm and flung him across the room. Lucky fell into Patrick and they both fell down on top of the small table in the room. Their weight sending the small legs of the table flying. The loud crash disrupted the calm of the hospital. Everyone in the hall came rushing in the room.

Sonny flew to the other side of the bed and tried to contain a furious Jason. Max immediately went to help. Bobbie and Sam were helping Patrick and Lucky off the ground. Spinelli, Lulu and Diane watched from the door.

The room was in total chaos and in the middle of it all Carly lie there completely still on the bed, oblivious to the commotion around her. Nurses gathered outside the door and Lulu heard someone yell "Get security up here."

Jason batted away Max and Sonny's attempt to reach him. He was a wounded animal. Trapped in the corner, fighting for his life. Lucky managed to his feet and went to assist the other two with Jason.

Bobbie handed Patrick a syringe and Patrick went to Carly and stuck the needle directly into her vein.

Jason battled his way out of the corner. Knocking down machines and anything in his path along the way. He backed the three men up till he was standing beside the bed. Fist flying. Making contact with the three men. He felt a tender hand touch his arm and everyone in the room stood still. Frozen in time. He looked down. "Stop." Carly ordered him in a soft sleepy voice. "Stop this now."