A/N: IF you haven't read All the Broken Pieces and Picking Up Broken Pieces, then I highly recommend it, or this chapter is going to be confusing to you.

Standing in the hospital waiting room, Joe paced. Scared. The thought hadn't occurred to him that he might lose his son today. That thought wouldn't usually cross anyone's mind on a normal day. He continued to pace, each step wondering what had happened. How did he end up underneath another car? How did he end up in the accident in the first place?

"Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead," he repeated over and over as he paced. Sometimes he would stop, rub hide his face in his hands and cry...then he'd wipe the tears away quickly and start pacing again. His heart ached. I can't lose my son...I can't lose all I have left of Rosa...not now. Not like this! Why did it have to be a car accident!

Of all the times it could happen, why'd it have to be now?

In a chair in the far corner of the waiting room, Jon sat in silence. His body still, his eyes fixed on the grey carpet. Staring, like it was the most entertaining thing he'd seen that day. What else was there to do?

Tears filled his eyes, but hadn't fallen yet. That's my best friend... God please don't take my best friend! The tears couldn't be held back any longer. At a rapid pace they fell, rolling down his cheeks like a steady stream. A river.

Joe glanced to Jon a moment, then back to the hall where a doctor could be coming out any minute...and he really needed them to show up already...

oOoOo

It had been several hours, before a doctor came to the waiting area.

Out of exhaustion from his worry, Jon had cried himself to sleep. A fitful sleep, his dreams all leading to his friends death. Each ending with Jon waking up, panicking a moment then falling back to sleep.

Joe couldn't even attempt sleep. His legs wanted to give up at times, but he continued to pace. He had been so focused on the pacing he didn't even see when the doctor walked into the room.

"Sergeant Getraer?" the doctor cleared his throat.

Joe jumped at the noise, then turned to him. "Yes? How's my son?"

"He's alive..." the rest of the doctors sentence had been muted to Joe's ears, the only thing he heard being 'he's alive.'

Relief washed over, like a warm relaxing shower. "Take me to him, please." He didn't wait for Jon to get up, he figured Jon would follow when he was ready. Or the doctor would come back for him, but Joe wasn't going to wait.

The doctor led Joe down a quiet hallway, no words exchanged between the two. It was hard enough for Joe to even walk, he wished he could just already be sitting beside his son's bed. Telling him everything was going to be okay, what if it wasn't though? He didn't even hear what was wrong...

"It's not fair...it's not fair," Joe muttered as he walked down the hall. Just when it seemed all was looking up, his world began to crumble again...He could still remember not that long ago, Ponch laying in a hospital bed after multiple attempts at killing himself. Joe worried he'd lose him then. He blamed himself, still did after hearing how much not having Joe in his life hurt him.

I didn't mean for this to happen. He thought, as he followed the doctor into Ponch's room. I really did want him. I was scared. His eyes filled with more tears. I didn't mean to hurt him. He knew no matter what he thought, it wasn't a good excuse. He left, and his leaving hurt the entire family.

"You can stay for an hour, then he needs rest," the doctor said. That had been the only thing he said that Joe actually heard. He'd heard the mans voice, but never paid attention to a word he had said, until that last sentence. His mind on other things. The last time he'd been in a hospital room with Ponch, he told Jon the truth. Jon still was mad at Joe. Something Joe wouldn't argue him on. He didn't expect to be forgiven, or treated nicely after what had happened. He still couldn't believe that Ponch and Frankie were letting him stay in their lives.

Joe nodded at the doctor, to show he'd at least acknowledged he spoke, then the doctor left. Joe took a seat beside Ponch's bed. "I was so scared," he said, reaching for Ponch's hand. He made a mental note to talk to the doctor about Ponch's injuries. Something I should have done before he left. He shook his head. All that mattered right now was that he was alive. "I'm so sorry..." Joe cried. He wasn't sure he'd ever stop apologizing...

oOoOo

The doctor had been in and out, Joe convinced the doctor to let him stay. When his mind had cleared a little, he even thought to ask for a full report on Ponch's injuries. Some Joe had guessed just by looking. Like his left leg was broken, he had some pretty bad road rash on his left arm at least. Joe wasn't sure about anywhere else. Some bruises here and there. The doctor said he'd bruised a couple ribs, and they were running tests to find the extent of damage to his brain. But they'd told Joe he for sure had hit his head pretty hard, and there would be some damage.

Joe feared Ponch might not remember him when he woke up. What if he didn't? What if he didn't remember Jon? That scared him too...he only took into consideration memory problems, not having a chance to consider anything else. At least not at this time, his thoughts were interrupted by Jon coming into the room.

"I called Maria," Jon stated when he walked in.

Joe's eyes widened, but then he relaxed. "Good."

"I just thought you might want to know she's going to be coming out here..." Jon bit his lip. "I know it'll mean a lot to Ponch to have his aunt here when he wakes up. I also know that you haven't seen her-"

Joe nodded. "Thanks, Jon," he cut him off. I don't need to be reminded of my relationship with Maria. He felt a heaviness in his chest. How could he face her again in a situation like this? He hadn't talked to her since Rosa died. If anything ever came up with Ponch, he would have someone else call her. They never questioned their sergeant, but it would all start making sense soon...