Emma and Sean were in the basement as Sean was getting ready for bed.

"Thanks for letting me sleep down here, Em."

"Like I said, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"I know, and I appreciate it."

She kissed him and said, "Text me if you need me, okay?"

Sean nodded and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you."

Emma walked out of the room, and Sean listened to her footsteps above him as they approached the stairs in the entryway. When she climbed the stairs, he sighed. He was not happy about what was happening to him. Sean was afraid to fall asleep, but he needed to sleep. He was hoping he could get a few hours without having a nightmare.

Emma peeked into Drew's room, and he had passed out with his Lord of the Flies book on his chest. Emma giggled, tiptoed in, and turned off his light. She pulled Drew's blanket up, kissed his forehead, then tiptoed to his door. Emma shut off the light in the hall and made her way up to her bedroom. When Emma looked around, she sighed because she hated that Sean was downstairs, but she knew it would be better for him, and she wanted him to be comfortable.


Sean woke up screaming again. At first, he forgot where he was, then remembered he was in Emma's basement. He took a deep breath and grabbed his phone. It was only 4:30 a.m. Sean hoped he didn't wake up Drew or Emma. He got up, walked into the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was looking a little better, not as swollen. Sean felt a bit out of sorts, and his heart rate was accelerated from the nightmare so he did the breathing exercise, his therapist had taught him, and after he calmed himself down; he went upstairs to get something to drink.


Emma woke up at 6:30 and stretched. She went downstairs to check up on Sean, but he was already on the couch watching TV.

He looked at her and said, "Hey. What are you doing up so early?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." She walked over and sat next to him, "Were you able to sleep at all?"

Sean shook his head, "Not really. I woke up about two hours ago and couldn't get back to sleep."

She caressed his face, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "I'll try it again later."

She asked, "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Only if you want to make it."

She smiled and said, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to do it, silly."

Sean smiled, "Okay."

Emma smiled and nodded, "Okay." She stood up and walked into the kitchen, "How about some pancakes?"

"Sure." Sean got up and walked over to the kitchen island, "How did you sleep?"

"I hated that you weren't next to me."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I get it."

"I'm going to try and sleep while you and Drew are out. That way, if I scream in my sleep again, I won't be disturbing you."

"Sean, you need to sleep at night." She asked, "Have you ever had to take medication for this?"

Sean nodded, "Yep. I took them for a while after I first got back from overseas, but I didn't like how they made me feel."

"Too groggy?"

He shook his head, "Not exactly. I felt too blah. I barely reacted to things. In either direction. Nothing made me happy, nothing made me sad, I was never mad. It was an odd feeling, and I didn't like it at all."

She nodded, "You should find out if they can give you something that you can take for sleep that won't make you feel like that."

"I know."

She asked, "How are you feeling otherwise? Any dizziness?

"No."

"Nausea?"

"No."

"Headache?"

"Yes, but that's to be expected."

Emma nodded.

"I'll be okay, Em. I promise."

"I really don't want to leave you here alone all day."

"You have to work."

She shrugged, "I don't have to work. I can reschedule appointments, people can cover for me, and I can work from here."

"I feel bad though. I don't want you to put your life on hold for me."

"Sean, I'm in love with you, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives." He smiled and she continued, "When you were in the hospital, I referred to you as my partner, and I meant that. So if you're not well, I will help take care of you." She smiled and said, "And again, if the situation were reversed, you'd be taking care of me, right?"

"Of course, I would."

"Then that settles it. I will help you, so stop feeling bad about it."

He took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I'll try."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Good."

He looked at her and said, "You're in love with me, huh?"

She nodded, "Afraid so."

"Poor girl." She laughed and he continued, "I guess it's a good thing I'm in love with you too."


Drew came downstairs dressed for school an hour later.

Emma said, "Hey, kiddo. I made pancakes."

"Oh cool," He sat next to Sean, "Dad, how are you?"

"Better. Thanks."

Drew nodded.

Emma served Drew his pancakes and shut everything off. "I'm going to get dressed so I can drive this one to school."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

Emma went upstairs, and Sean and Drew were left alone.

"So, did you get everything done for today?"

Drew nodded, "Yep. We're reading Lord of the Flies."

"Ah, yes. We had to read that too."

"Did you like it?"

Sean shook his head, "I hated reading that stuff. The only class I liked in high school was shop class."

Drew smiled.

Emma came back down the stairs and asked Drew, "So how did reading go last night?"

"I fell asleep in the middle of Chapter 9, but I have a free period before English so I can finish it then."

Emma laughed, "Is the book that boring?"

"No! I was just tired last night."

She nodded and grinned at Sean, who shared her amusement.

Drew said, "I don't know if I like the two of you ganging up on me like this."

Emma pat him on the back, "Sorry, kiddo, but your father and I are a team."

Sean added, "That's right, but don't worry. We can always get her back."

Emma said, "Hey!"

Sean suddenly started seeing double and closed his eyes.

"Babe, are you okay?"

He nodded, "Yep. Just feeling tired."

"Are you sure?"

He kept his eyes closed, leaned on the island, and put his head in his hands. "Yeah. Don't worry about me."

Emma didn't want to press. She looked at Drew and said, "Okay, kiddo, when you finish eating, get all your stuff together. Oh, and bring down your birthday party list!"

"I still have to finish it. I was going to do that at school." Drew turned to Sean, who had opened his eyes again. "Are you sure you're okay, dad?"

Sean smiled and lifted his head, "Yep. Just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks, kiddo." Sean stood up and said, "I think I'm going to try to sleep a little bit."

Emma said, "Okay. I'll come right home after I drop this one off at school. Can you think of anything you need while I'm out?"

Sean shook his head, "Not really." He looked at Drew and said, "Have a good day at school, buddy."

"Thanks."

Sean walked to the basement stairs, opened the door, and walked down.

"You're staying here with him today?"

"Yes. I want to make sure your dad's alright."

"Good."

Emma smiled at Drew, "He'll be okay, I promise."

Drew looked toward the basement door, but he wasn't so sure.

Sean walked into the bedroom in the basement, climbed into the bed and shut his eyes. He was hoping the double vision was just a result of him being tired. He didn't want to have to go back to the hospital.


When Emma got back from dropping Drew off, she went into the kitchen to clean up the bowls and dishes she used for breakfast. Suddenly she heard Sean yelling downstairs. She ran down the basement stairs and jogged into the bedroom. Sean was still asleep, thrashing around in the bed, and Emma didn't know what to do. After a few moments, he finally woke up with his eyes wide open. "Em?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

He sat up, "What happened?"

"You were having another nightmare."

He put his head in his hands, "Shit." Emma sat with him and didn't say anything. She waited for him to speak. He held her hand for a few moments and said, "Thank you for just sitting here and not forcing me to talk."

"It's a miracle, huh?"

Sean chuckled, "Oh, stop."

"I just feel bad that you're having trouble sleeping, and I wish I could help you."

"Maybe I should call my therapist and see if she can recommend someone who can put me on something."

She asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm desperate here, Em."

"Okay," Emma stood up, "I'll give you some privacy. Do you need anything?"

"Some water."

She smiled at him and said, "You got it. I'll be right back."

When Emma walked out of the room, Sean grabbed his phone. He dialed his therapist's number and got her voicemail.

"Hi Dr. Goldberg, this is Sean Cameron. I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping. I keep having nightmares, and I need something to help me sleep. I'm desperate here. I'll see anyone and take anything. Please call me back." He left his number and ended the call. After that, he took a deep breath and got out of bed. He went into the bathroom and looked at himself. The unbruised side of his face looked tired. He sighed and walked back into the bedroom.

Emma was walking back into the room with his water, "Did you call?"

He nodded, "I got her voicemail, but I hope she could hear the desperation in my voice. I really need to sleep, Em. If I don't, it may cause me to have an episode where I won't want to leave the bed. I'll just lie here, depressed, not wanting to see or be with anyone."

Emma looked at him and said, "Okay, if that happens, I will leave you alone, if you need me to."

Sean shook his head, "This is why I should be at my apartment."

"Again, you have a head injury that I need to help you take care of, so no, you're not going over there alone." She handed him his water.

"Thanks," He took a sip and said, "I should probably call the guys and see how things are going."

"After you do that, Do you want to come upstairs and watch some TV with me?"

He shook his head, "I'm going to stay down here if that's okay."

"Of course, it is." She smiled and said, "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Of course." She smiled at him and walked out.

Sean put the glass of water on the nightstand and got back into bed. He didn't even bother calling the shop, he just pulled the covers up to his chin and cried quietly.


A little while later, Emma was going through work emails when her phone rang.

"Emma Nelson."

"Jay Hogart."

"Oh, hey, is everything okay at the shop?"

"Yeah, I was just checking in on Seany, but I didn't want to bother him."

Emma didn't want to worry Jay, so she said, "He's okay. He's downstairs resting right now."

"Okay, well, let him know everything is good at the shop and that Drake had to postpone."

"Oh, I hope that doesn't mean bad news."

"Nah, he rescheduled for later next week. Apparently, he had to go back to LA for something. Some awards show. Whatever."

Emma laughed at how blasé Jay was being. She asked, "Anything else happening at the shop?"

"Nope, so just let him know."

"I will. Thanks for calling."

"Later."

Sean walked into the living room.

Emma smiled at him and said, "Hey, babe."

"Hi." He sat on the couch. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, that was Jay. He said everything is good at the shop and that Drake had to postpone until next week."

"Oh God, I forgot about Drake. I'm actually glad he's postponing because I want to work on his car."

Emma said, "I'm so proud of you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes," She got up out of the chair and walked over to him. She sat next to him and said, "You realized your dream with your business."

"Yeah, sometimes I still can't believe it." He got dizzy and shut his eyes.

"Sean?"

"I'm okay."

Emma said, "You're not okay. If something is happening, you need to tell the doctor."

Sean snapped, "I just want this all to go away. I want to forget this ever happened."

"I know you do." Emma placed her hand on his right cheek, "And I'm sorry."

Sean nodded, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, Em." He took a deep breath and said, "You're right. I need to call the doctor. Earlier, I saw double, and just now, it felt like the room was about to flip."

She got up and walked toward the stairs, "Forget calling, I'm taking you back to the hospital."

"Em—"

She said, "Sean, get dressed."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

Emma followed Sean up the stairs and into her room. She watched him get dressed and made sure he was okay.

As soon as he stood up after putting on his work boots, he almost immediately sat back down on the bed and grabbed his head.

"Sean?" Emma sat next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Dizzy again."

Emma rubbed Sean's back, and they sat there in silence for a few moments.

"I'm okay now."

She asked, "Are you sure?"

He slowly stood up and turned to her, "Yeah."

"Okay." She joined him, and they walked down the stairs.

When they got to the main level, Sean said, "Shit. My phone is downstairs."

"I'll get it for you." Emma went down to the basement to get Sean's phone. She noticed he had a voicemail. When she got back upstairs, she gave it to him, "You have a voicemail."

He looked and said, "Shit, that was Dr. Goldberg." He listened to the message and said, "She left me the name of a doctor who can prescribe something."

"Maybe the doctor at the hospital could do it too?"

"I hope so. I need something." He grabbed his coat and handed Emma her jacket.

"All set?"

Sean nodded.


When they got to the hospital, they had to wait a bit for the doctor to be available. He was in surgery. After an hour in the waiting room, he walked in.

"Hello, Mr. Cameron."

"Hi, doc."

"I'm glad you listened to me." Sean nodded. "Well, come with me and tell me everything that's been happening."

Emma looked at Sean and said, "I'll be right here."

He nodded and followed the doctor. They walked down the hall, stepped into an office and sat down. "So, what's been going on?"

Sean took a deep breath before he spoke. He wanted to tell the doctor everything. "I'm a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and have been battling PTSD for 10 years now." The doctor nodded, "I finally felt like I got a good handle on it, and then this robbery happened. Now I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm having nightmares again, and I can barely sleep. On top of that, I'm getting dizzy, I see double, my mood changes from minute to minute and the headaches are unbearable even with the medication you gave me. My partner doesn't know most of this because I don't want to burden her, but I got dizzy in front of her, and she insisted I come here."

"She was right to do that."

Sean nodded and said, "I know. I'm desperate here, doc. I need something to help me sleep."

"Okay, before I do that, I want to examine you again. I may have to admit you into the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"Because your head injury may be worse than we initially thought, and it would be safer for you here. We can monitor you and make sure you're okay."

Sean shook his head, "This is the worst timing. My son is turning 14 this weekend, and it's the first birthday I'm ever getting to spend with him."

The doctor looked at him and said, "I think your son would rather have you in here than unconscious or worse on his birthday."

"You mean it could be that bad for me?" The doctor nodded. Sean sighed and said, "You're right."

After the doctor examined Sean, he said, "I have to admit you."

Sean nodded, "Okay."

"Stay here. I'll go get your partner."

"Thanks, doc."

The doctor walked down the hall and into the waiting room. When Emma saw him, she could tell something was wrong.

He asked, "Can you come with me?"

Emma just nodded and followed him down the hall to the office. When she walked in, she could see a look of worry on Sean's face. "What's going on?"

"We're admitting Sean into the hospital. His symptoms indicate that the head injury is worse than we originally thought."

Emma's eyes filled with tears, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He will be if he's with us while he recovers. We can keep an eye on him and monitor any sudden changes and take care of him."

She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand, "Are you okay with this?"

"I have to be."

She nodded, "Okay."


Once Sean was settled in his room, Emma sat beside him and held his hand.

"I can't believe this."

"Sean, it's okay."

"I'm going to miss Drew's birthday, Em. This is the first birthday I would get to spend with him, and now it's ruined." Emma didn't say anything. "That wasn't a dig."

"I know. I just feel horrible because it's my fault you haven't spent any birthdays with your son."

Sean closed his eyes, "Why did this have to happen? Things were going well for us."

"This is just a blip, Sean. You will get better, and everything will be good again."

He opened his eyes again and asked, "How do you know?"

She shrugged, "Sometimes you just have to have faith and believe that things will get better; otherwise, they won't."

Sean shook his head, "I'm so angry, Em. I finally felt like I had a good enough grasp on my PTSD. Sure, I still had some rough patches here and there, but it was a lot better than it was when I first got back from Afghanistan. I could barely function then. And it feels like it's heading that way again."

"But now you have Drew and me." He had tears in his eyes and couldn't say anything, "We both love you, and we're going to help you through this, okay?" Sean nodded. Emma kissed his hand and smiled at him. "And speaking of Drew, I need to call dad to tell him what's happening."

"Poor kid. He's going to be worried about me."

"We'll just explain everything to him and make him feel like he's a part of this. I want to be honest with him. Is that okay with you?"

Sean nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Try to rest a little."

Sean nodded again and closed his eyes.

Emma walked out into the hall and found a quiet place to call Archie.

He picked up his cell right away, "Em, is everything okay?"

She finally broke down and said, "No, Sean's back in the hospital." She composed herself long enough to ask, "Can you help me with Drew?"

"Of course, sweetie. Are you back at St. Michael's?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll bring him there, if that's alright."

"Thank you. Sean's in room 416."

"I'll see you in a bit."

Emma ended the call and immediately called Manny.

"Em? Is everything okay?"

"No," She couldn't stop crying.

"Is it Sean?"

"Yes." She choked out the words, "He's in the hospital again."

"What room? I'll be there as soon as possible."

"416."

"Okay, go to a bathroom, splash some water on your face and try to calm down. I know it's scary, but Sean needs you to be strong for him."

"I know."

"I'll see you soon."

"Okay."

Emma ended the call, looked around for a public bathroom, and when she found one, she walked in, and splashed cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and said, "He has to be okay. He just has to be."