Well it's been a while huh?...lol. Thanks for all your support and the lovely messages I received in my absence. It's nice to know I wasn't forgotten. Here's the next chapter of this one and hopefully it means I'll now get my finger out and update some other stories. Enjoy :)

Chapter 37

Stephanie chewed anxiously on her fingernail as she glanced towards the double doors at the end of the corridor. Her stomach was twisting in knots making her feel nauseous. It had been at least a couple of hours since Paul had been taken for his scan and he was yet to return to his room. All she could think was that something had to be wrong. The doctor himself had said it would only take an hour so what was taking them so long? And why wouldn't they tell her something? Anything. Just some small reassurance that Paul was going to be fine. Surely they realised she was sitting here picturing all kinds of horrible scenarios and worrying herself sick into the bargain.

Shifting uneasily in her seat, Stephanie let out an impatient sigh as her hand fell to her lap. She felt a gentle squeeze on her leg and turned her head to see her mother smiling at her.

"It will be alright honey. Try not to worry."

Stephanie could only nod in response as she turned back round and waited for news of Paul. Thankfully she didn't have to wait much longer as the doors soon opened and her stomach lurched anxiously as she stood up along with everyone else, her legs feeling like jelly as the doctor approached them. Her blue eyes searched his face for any indication of what he was about to say but his expression was blank only fuelling her fears that the news was bad. Her breath caught in her throat as he nodded to greet them all before focusing his attention on her and Paul's parents who were standing right next her in the waiting area.

"Well I'm happy to tell you that it's good news."

Stephanie let out a cry of relief and she felt Patricia grab her hand squeezing it tightly. A stray tear escaped from her lashes and slipped down her cheek.

"The scan revealed that the swelling in Paul's brain has reduced significantly and if everything goes to plan, I see no reason why I can't take him off the ventilator tomorrow."

She smiled with joy blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes. The swelling had gone down. Finally she had the news she wanted. Paul was going to be fine and he was coming back to her. Pushing back the hot lump in her throat, she listened intently as the doctor explained his condition further.

"As from now, we have stopped the medication which means that Paul will no longer be deliberately kept in a coma-like state. It will, however, take a bit of time for the medication to leave his system which is why I won't be taking him off the ventilator just yet. We will be monitoring his blood levels and once we are satisfied that the medication has worn off, we will remove the endotracheal tube and let Paul breathe on his own."

"Does that mean he'll wake up soon?"

The doctor smiled at Stephanie. "I hope so."

"How soon?"

His smile faded and he sighed. "I'm afraid that unfortunately, we just don't know. Paul never regained consciousness after the blows he received to his head. Therefore we can't be sure that once the medication wears off, he will instantly wake up."

Stephanie felt the fear creep into her heart once more. "But he will wake up, right?" she asked, her blue eyes scanning his face frantically as she searched for some sort of reassurance.

"I'm afraid I can't give you any guarantees but I can tell you that the signs are good. The swelling has gone down, there doesn't appear to be any further trauma to the brain and Paul is in great, physical condition. So let's just take it one step at a time, okay. We'll get him off the ventilator and take things from there." His hand reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "In the meantime, Paul is back in his room. I'm sure you'll want to see him."

Stephanie nodded and swallowed hard as she bowed her head, staring down at the floor and repeating the doctor's words over and over in her head. Paul might not wake up. There were no guarantees. God, it just wasn't fair. She had felt so relieved and happy when he had told them Paul would be taken off the ventilator but of course it wasn't as simple as that. It never was and now there was the chance that he still wouldn't wake up and maybe he never would.

Stephanie felt her eyes gloss over with tears but she wasn't even sure she had the energy to cry. She felt so emotionally exhausted and wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. She was a total wreck; a wreck that was so sick and tired of getting her hopes up only for reality to come along and take that hope away; hope that she had desperately tried to cling on to the last few days.

Blinking back her tears, she jumped slightly startled as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She glanced up to see Patricia standing and smiling at her. Her eyes were soft and kind and reminded her so much of Paul and right now that did anything but comfort her.

"Don't you want to go and see Paul, honey? The doctor said you could."

Stephanie sniffed and swallowed hard pushing back the lump in her throat. "Why don't you go and see him first? I just need…" She let out a shaky breath as she took a second to compose herself with her hand lifting to wipe at her wet cheeks. "I just need to go and get some air." she told her.

Her bottom lip trembled as she pushed past Patricia and her mother and ran out the waiting area and along the hospital corridor.

Shane was about to go after her when he felt someone pull him back. He turned round to see Vince looking at him.

"Let me go after her."

Shane looked at him warily. "I don't know if that's a such a good idea Dad. Steph is upset."

"I know. Please Shane?"

His father's brown eyes pleaded with him eagerly. Shane eventually nodded reluctantly and watched as Vince went after Stephanie before turning to see his mother smile gratefully at him. He tried to muster a smile back. He just hoped that for Stephanie's sake, Vince didn't screw things up.

Paul's parents were sitting by his bedside. Patricia sighed as she held her son's hand in hers, soothed by his gentle warmth. She tried to take comfort in the steady beat of the heart monitor reminding her son was still very much alive. Yet she still worried. She was just such a bundle of emotions right now and although she was delighted that Paul would be coming off the ventilator soon, she knew it wasn't that simple. There would still be a long road ahead; a road that she prayed her son would survive. God knows she couldn't contemplate going before him. It wasn't meant to be that way and it wouldn't be. She had to stop thinking like that and she had to stay positive. She had to stay strong for her son. Paul needed her strength.

"He's going to be okay, you know. Paul is a fighter and he'll make it through this."

Patricia smiled at her husband gratefully. "I know but I still can't help worrying." As her eyes settled on the pale face of her son once more, she struggled to keep her composure as a solitary tear trickled down her cheek. She pressed her lips together trying her hardest to fight back her sobs. "That's still my little boy who's lying there." she cried.

Paul's father hugged his wife to him as she burst into tears. He felt his own emotion bubble to the surface as he held her close. The last three days had taken its toll on everyone. But hopefully this would all soon be over. They just had to hold on to the belief that things were going to be alright in the end.

Vince felt the balmy evening breeze on his face as he walked out the hospital entrance doors. As he breathed in the fresh air, he spotted his daughter not twenty feet away sitting on a bench with her face turned to the sky. He smiled fondly as he slowly approached her briefly reminded of all the times when she was a little girl and he would find her in that very same position, her face tilted to the sun enjoying the warm rays on her face. She always thought it would make her grow as tall and as beautiful as the sunflowers. Of course to him, Stephanie had grown into a young woman even more beautiful than any flower put on this earth.

Sitting in the space next to his daughter, Vince took her hand. She eventually looked in his direction, the devastation in her sad blue eyes making his heart break.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Stephanie's nose wrinkled with her anger. "Paul's lying in a hospital bed unconscious and he might not wake up. How the hell can I be okay, Dad?"

Vince sighed and gently squeezed her hand mentally kicking himself for his own stupidity. "I'm sorry. That was a dumb question. But you have to try and be positive about this Stephanie. There is every chance Paul could wake up tomorrow."

"Yeah but there is every chance he might not." she sighed sadly. She paused for a beat as her eyes narrowed, watching her father carefully. "Why are you pretending to be so concerned anyway?"

Vince's mouth parted in surprise. "You're my daughter, Stephanie. Of course I'm concerned."

"I don't mean me." she said, correcting him. "I mean Paul. Why are you here Dad? Why are you trying to pretend you care whether he wakes up or not? You hate his guts."

"Now Stephanie, that's not true."

Stephanie shook her head, her long brown strands shifting across her shoulders.

"Don't lie to me Dad. I'm not an idiot. I know you don't want me to be with Paul and I know you hate the fact I'm having his child. God knows, you probably want to hang round here just to make sure he's never going to have the chance to lay a finger on your baby girl ever again."

She stood up to leave but was stopped in her tracks as her father tugged on her hand pulling her back to sit on the bench. She could see the hurt expression on his face but she didn't care about his feelings. Not any more.

"That's not fair Stephanie. Okay, I'll admit I didn't like you seeing him but that doesn't mean I want to see him dead."

Stephanie shook her head. "Save it Dad. I don't want to hear it." She tried to pull away once more but he had a firm grip on her and she couldn't break free. "Dad, please let go of me!" she demanded.

"Not until you hear what I've got to say."

Stephanie stared at him defiantly for a few seconds before she sighed and conceded defeat, reluctantly leaning back against the wooden spars of the bench.

"I've done a lot of thinking over the last few days and I would like to apologise to you for how I've reacted to your relationship with Paul."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at her father's apology but remained silent staring straight ahead as he continued to talk.

"I've done some things that I'm not proud of and I'll admit Paul's not the person I pictured my baby girl wanting to spend the rest of her life with but I can see that you love him and he quite clearly makes you happy. And all I want is for you to be happy Stephanie. I know you probably find that hard to believe and I don't blame you but anything I've done, I've done because I've thought that was what was best for you at that time."

Stephanie found herself turning to smile at him in spite of herself. God knows she had every reason to still be angry at her father but she found that that anger was slowly disappearing. If the last few days had taught her anything, it was that life was so short and you should cherish the people around you because who knows what was waiting around the corner. Her family could be taken away in a heartbeat and after everything was said and done, Vince was still her father and she still loved him. Her family was her blood.

"Look, I know I've let my anger and rage rule my head and I'm sorry for any pain I put you through. I just hope that in time you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Oh, Dad. Of course I do."

Vince felt his shoulders slump with his relief as Stephanie held her arms out to him and he pulled her into a hug. He was just so glad she had forgiven him and he was grateful to be given the chance to make things up to his daughter. He hadn't been lying to her when he had said he wanted her to be happy. He was going to have to try and accept that her happiness included Paul. It wasn't going to be easy and it was going to take a lot of tolerance and restraint on his part but he had to do it. He had to try and do something to suppress the guilt he was feeling over what had happened to Paul. See, he wasn't stupid. He knew that although he hadn't played any part in the attack in that ring, he was in some way indirectly responsible for what Andrew had done. If there was any chance that Paul didn't make it, he would have his blood on his hands. He just thanked God Stephanie couldn't remember his part in all of it. If she did, she would never be able to forgive him and he couldn't handle that. He just couldn't lose his baby girl.

As they broke apart, Vince watched as Stephanie sat back on the bench and sighed, her hand gently rubbing her neat bump.

"Dad, what am I going to do if Paul doesn't make it? How am I going to cope with raising this baby on my own?"

He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and tenderly kissed her hair as her head leaned against him.

"You'll never be on your own Stephanie. You've got a family that loves you and that will be there for you. And as for Paul, you've got to believe he's going to be okay. The doctor hasn't given you any reason to believe otherwise."

"I know and I know there's a good chance he'll wake up. But you heard what the doctor said. Paul never regained consciousness after the blows to his head. Maybe he never will. But even if he does, what are the chances of there being no permanent damage? He was really hurt Daddy. There was so much blood and it was everywhere."

Stephanie bit down on her lip as the tears burned her eyes, the images flashing through her mind as she remembered how Paul had looked as she had held him in the ring. He'd felt so lifeless and cold and his beautiful face had been covered in blood and every time she pictured it, she felt a chill in her heart.

"Stephanie, please try not to get upset. It won't do you or the baby any good."

Vince watched as Stephanie sniffed and tried to blink back her tears. He sighed feeling totally useless and unable to take away her pain. It killed him to see his daughter suffering like this.

"Look honey, you have to try and not think the worst. You've had some great news today. Paul's coming off the ventilator. Surely that's something to be positive about and you should focus on that and try not to worry about what could happen. Try and see it that Paul's condition has improved and he's getting better."

Stephanie lifted her head, wiping her cheeks and nodded in determination. "You know what? You're right. I'm not going to think the worst. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to sit with Paul and I'm going to tell him that he's going to wake up."

Vince's brown eyes were filled with admiration as he squeezed her hand. "That's my girl. Now let's get you back inside."

He helped Stephanie to her feet holding her hand as he walked with her back to hospital.

Stephanie's footsteps were slow and deliberate despite her heart racing excitedly in her chest. She exhaled slowly trying her best to stay calm as she walked along the bright and airy corridor towards the hospital side room. She was still trying to digest the news that Paul was now off the ventilator and according to the doctor, so far all the signs were encouraging. He was managing to breathe on his own without any assistance from any machine and she tried to tell herself that it was a huge step in the right direction. Still, she knew Paul wasn't out of the woods yet and until he woke up, she wasn't assuming anything. But this had certainly lifted her spirits and now she was just so desperate to see him.

Her hand pressed against the door and pushing it open, Stephanie walked into the room. The bright sunshine streamed through the open blinds and the first thing that hit her was the overwhelming silence. There was the machine monitoring Paul's vitals but that was all. The bed was no longer surrounded by all that ominous equipment and his handsome face was clearly visible to her.

Moving closer to the bed, Stephanie felt her lips curve up gently. Now the tube was removed from his mouth, he looked so much better and he looked like her Paul again. Her hand drifted to his face and she softly caressed his cheek lightly trailing her fingers along his jaw line. The stubble there had grown and his thin beard felt softer against her skin. Her thumb traced his bottom lip before she leant over him, brushing her lips gently against his. She had missed the feel of his lips and they were lovely and warm and soft yet still unable to move or respond to her kiss.

As Stephanie broke away, she sighed and moved her hand up to run her fingers through his matted blonde strands, her hand resting there as her blue eyes watched him intently.

"Come on Paul. It's time for you to wake up now." she whispered.

She sighed once more as his facial features remained still and she realised there would be no response. Well, at least not yet.

Pulling out the seat just next to her, Stephanie sat down, her hand moving from his hair to clutch at his hand tightly. Her thumb lightly traced small circles on his knuckles as she just watched him, searching his face for any signs that he might be waking up. Although there seemed to be none, she refused to be downhearted about it and she refused to believe that Paul wouldn't wake up. After all, the doctor had told her not to expect him to regain consciousness straight away and he had only come off the ventilator less than an hour ago. She would just have to try and be patient somehow while she waited for him to come back to her. And Paul would come back to her. She put all her faith in that.

Stephanie wasn't sure how long she sat there or how much time had passed when she heard the door open behind her. She turned round as Shane's head popped through.

"Do you mind if we come in?" he asked her.

Stephanie smiled back at him, shaking her head. Her smile got even wider as she saw Marissa walk through the door with him. She kissed Paul's hand before gently placing it on the bed and she got to her feet pulling her sister in law into a hug.

"It's so great to see you Marissa. When did you get here?"

"Just now. Shane called me last night and told me Paul was improving so I thought I'd come and show my support." Marissa glanced towards the bed her eyes settling on Paul. "How is he?"

Stephanie raked her fingers through her hair and sighed. "He's still the same but at least he's breathing on his own now. I guess we just have to wait and see if he wakes up."

As her blue eyes fell on Paul's face once more, she felt Shane squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"He will wake up Steph."

She turned to him and nodded and the three of them walked over to the bed and sat down. Stephanie was on one side holding Paul's hand once more while Shane and Marissa sat on the other.

"He looks so much better now that tube has been removed. It's just like he's sleeping really." said Shane.

Marissa smiled. "I suppose he is, isn't he?"

"I guess so."

Stephanie's smile was full of love and affection as she held Paul's hand up to her mouth tenderly kissing the tips of his fingers. "Then we should all be prepared for a long wait. Paul's a really deep sleeper and it's a nightmare to even try and wake him up in the mornings never mind after a coma."

Their gentle laughter filled the hospital room but Stephanie suddenly stopped and froze. Shane noticed her shocked expression and his brow crinkled in concern.

"Steph, what's wrong?"

Stephanie looked towards her brother, her mind in a total daze before a smile of wonderment slowly crossed her face.

"Shane, I felt it. I felt Paul move his fingers."