Stan slowly puts a hand to his chest. He groans and opens his eyes, totally out of it. Kyle takes his hand. "You'll be okay, man."

The gym door slams open as Bebe lets in two paramedics.

Paramedic Dave comes over with his partner, pushing a stretcher. "What happened?" He goes to place an oxygen mask over Stan, starting to assess him.

Kyle let's go of Stan's hand, even if it hurts him. He wipes his eyes from his crying. "He didn't feel good and sat gym out. Found him passed out and not breathing. Did CPR for like five minutes."

The other paramedic Chloe takes her scissors and starts to cut away at Stan's shirt. She goes to stick him to the EKG. She blinks a bit at the readout. "I'm going to grab the pacer, be right back." She gets up to hurry back to the ambulance.

Dave starts an IV on Stan. "Any known medical problems or history of this happening before?"

Kyle hears pacer, his eyes widen. "Asthma, coconut allergy, had supraventricular tachycardia, heart surgery at thirteen, cardioversion, shot twice, vaginitis, stubborn as fuck."

Stan blinks and moves as his arm is poked. "Fuck... you."

"Hey, I just did CPR on you, asshole." Kyle starts to cry again. "Why didn't you go to the doctor when I told you?"

Dave shines a light in Stan's eyes. "Are you conscious? Can you tell me your name?" He shakes him slightly. "Can you stay awake for me?"

Stan groans, his body hurt so badly. No idea why these people were standing over him or why Kyle was yelling at him. He was laying on the gym floor like a pathetic loser. He just shakes his head and cries out. "It hurts."

Chloe returns and she has Dave help her sit Stan up as she places a pad on his back, she lays him back down and places the other pad on the front of his chest. She turns on the machine to start pacing him.

Stan's heart races scared and confused about what's going on. The pacer sends a shock back and he yells out. Kyle grimaces and grabs his hand. "Hey you're okay. You'll be fine, dammit."

"Owww. Kyle... it hurts." A tear rolls down Stan's cheek and he clutches his hand.

"I know it does. But it'll keep you alive, make you better." Kyle tries to reassure him.

"Kyle... I'm sorry. Tell my mom I'm sorry too. Am I dying?"

"Stan you're not gonna fucking die. Okay, you won't if I'm around." Kyle's voice catches in his throat.

Stan stares up, dazed. Kyle snaps his fingers in front of his face a few times. "Hey, focus on me. Don't pass out on me again. Fuck, you should've gone to the doctor weeks ago."

"Let his hand go please." Chloe tells Kyle. He wants to argue but looks at the pacing monitor. Kyle let's go of Stan's hand to let the shock pass again. He looks up to see Bebe holding Wendy, both girls are sobbing.

Chloe shines the light in Stan's eyes again. "He's not responding anymore. You think he's stable enough for transport?"

Dave shakes his head. "I'm not liking this chart yet Chloe. We need to get his rhythm under control."

"At least he's a normal color now. He looked scary a minute ago." Kyle squeezes Stan's hand, touching the side of his cheek again.

"Before transport? What do you suggest?" Choke asks

Stan moans as he moves around uncomfortably as Kyle keeps tapping his cheek.

Dave reads the EKG readout. "Yes, before transport. With his medical history we can't take any risks. Okay, kiddo you need to step back. We're gonna sedate your friend briefly. We have to do an emergency cardioversion before we take you to the hospital."

Kyle wraps his arms around Stan as he feels another pacer shock. "Don't fucking die, idiot." Kyle looks up at the paramedics. "He tends to stop breathing when under sedation. You might have to have intubation equipment ready just in case." Kyle hugs Stan once more before letting go.

Dave nods as he gets another needle out of adenosine. Chloe comes back once again. Portable defibrillator and intubation kit in her hands, just in case.

Bebe wipes her eyes she holds tight onto Wendy. Kyle goes to stand next to both sobbing girls. He can see his worried classmates in the bleachers, but some have their phones up- recording. "I've seen this before. It's awful to watch. We have to make everyone in class leave."

"Hey guys." Kyle says quietly to a few of his classmates. "Leave if you can. It's not good to see."

Most of his classmates took off, mostly upset and happy for an excuse to ditch Cartman had his phone out recording the whole thing. Kyle slaps it out of his hand. "Leave fatass."

Dave puts the medicine into Stan's IV. He carefully watches his oxygen and other vitals.

Stan eyes drop halfway. The medicine goes to work to try and reset his heart rhythm into something more stable.

Kyle looks up scared as Stan's machine goes off again. Chloe shakes her head and starts to poke Stan on the shoulder. "Yeah, he stopped breathing." She grabs the kit to intubate him.

Wendy looks up from hugging Bebe as Kyle is still trying to shove people out of the gym.

"Whatever, it's on the cloud!" Cartman screamed as Kyle shoves him and a few other classmates out of the gym.

He ignores Bebe and Wendy since he knew they needed each other. He shoves a group of girls back through the locker room.

Dave looks up from checking Stan's blood pressure. "I'll shine the light to guide you Chloe

"Alright." She grabs the metal blade and looks down his throat for the trachea. She starts to guide it in slowly. "Good?" she keeps pulling it down until it's in position. "Okay check breath sounds before we move the blade?"

Wendy cringes as she watches this process, it never gets easier to see Stan have an emergency. She approaches closer, holding Bebe's hand to look over at Stan.

Dave nods as he checks with a stethoscope. "I think we're good. Let's finish this up for transport."

Chloe puts the bag on the tube and pumps it a few times to get him some oxygen, watching his vitals and nods. "he's stabilizing, good."

Kyle finished kicking everyone out of the gym minus him, Kenny, Wendy and Bebe. Both girls hugged each other and were crying. Kyle slowly approached Stan again, shaking his head. He kneeled next to him but kept enough distance to let the paramedics work on him.

Chloe was watching his oxygen. "Oxygen raising, check for rhythm. Make a determination. "She looks to Dave.

Dave looks up. "Still erratic, let's wait a few more seconds to see if we need to try something else."

Chloe looks at Kyle. "Kid, come here. We might need you." She looks around to the school nurse. "We also might need another set of hands. What are your names?" She asks.

"Kyle." Kyle looks down at Stan, worried but trying to be brave.

"I'm Marian." The nurse said.

Dave is still watching over Stan as his machine goes off and his vitals start to lower again. "Emergency cardioversion again. Get ready." He grabs a defibrillator.

"Okay, with emergency cardioversion there's a chance of complications but we have to do this." Chloe looks at Marian. "You're CPR certified? Might need that in case things go downhill."

Marian nods. "Yes, I'm here to assist in any way I can."

Chloe looks at Kyle. "In case I need to do something else, medication or something. Can you keep him breathing? Squeeze this every three second and don't stop until someone tells you."

Kyle nods, scared. He kneels at Stan's head.

Dave leans down. He places two orange gel pads over Stan. "When I say 'clear' take your hands off him." Dave tells Kyle, who nods to him.

Dave pulls out the paddles, waiting for the defibrillator to charge up. "Let's hope we only need to do this once."

Kyle gulps at the memory from Stan's cardioversion four years ago. He looks into Stan's face as he gives oxygen, touching his hair.

"Okay... almost ready... clear!" Dave places the paddles down to deliver a shock.

Kyle takes his hands off. Looking into Stan's face again. His eyes are closed but as Stan is shocked, he body twitches violently and his eyes fly open, seemingly staring right up to Kyle. It's completely silent as they wait for the EKG to show signs of life. After a few seconds the machine starts beeping at the sound of a steady pulse.

Dave looks at the monitor and nods to Chloe. "I think that did it. Good job Stan, kiddo."

Kyle lets out a breath and picks up the oxygen again. He resumes giving his best friend oxygen, running a hand on his forehead. He looks up at Wendy, Bebe again.

Chloe keeps careful watch. "We're going to monitor for a few minutes and give care as needed. If he stays stable, we'll get him ready for transport. You're coming?" She asks Kyle.

" Yeah of course." Kyle looks down at Stan again. He wipes his eyes.

Dave looks over at the monitors. "He's having good rhythms for now. Chloe? I think we're ready for transport."

Chloe nods and she and Dave pick Stan up and transfer him to the stretcher. She leaves the pacer and defibrillator pads on just in case and situates the various machines around him. She hooks the IV overhead after giving more medicine to stabilize his heart. She finally tucks a blanket over him. "I'll drive. His friend Kyle is going to come with us." She tells Dave as they wheel him out the gym to the waiting ambulance.

Dave takes over oxygen from Kyles "it's about a fifteen-minute ride to Hell's Pass. He should be stable enough until we get to the hospital. Don't worry kid, you did good."

The paramedics load Stan in the ambulance, Kyle sits to his side. He takes mental stock of every piece of equipment Stan is attached to. He grabs his hand, threading his fingers through. He squeezes for any response. "He should? What if he's not? Can I help? What will you do once he's at the hospital? I bugged him for a few days to see a doctor. Didn't think he was this bad."

Dave attaches a blood pressure cuff and oxygen monitor to Stan's finger. "that's noble of you son but it's best to leave him to the doctors. I'm not going to make any promises. We just have to keep him stable for now. The doctor will make sure he's not in pain and keep his heart rhythm as stable as possible."

"This happened four years ago, when they found out about his heart problems. He got worse and worse. Almost didn't make it." Kyle sniffs and wipes his eyes. "He seems worse this time around. I'm scared for him." Kyle turns Stan's wrist and puts two fingers to it. The pulse feels strong and stable, not weird, and uncomfortably fast like it was before. "He had been living like this and didn't think to tell anyone. Even when we were worried about him? Stan!"

Dave doesn't look at Kyle as he keeps caring for Stan. "Son, I'm sorry to tell you that oftentimes symptoms don't present themselves as you might expect for heart problems. It is very possible Stan here did not feel any worrying symptoms. That he felt he could wait until his doctor appointment."

"He looked pale for days and right before he was ashen, almost blue. He couldn't feel that? Hate to say it but he was lucky, what if that happened when he was alone or asleep in bed?" Kyle holds his hand up and starts to sob again. "Why don't you listen, stubborn ass? Why don't you just start breathing and be normal for once?"

Dave frowns at Kyle now. "Maybe it's best not to hop along. We don't need you to get upset and yell at your friend while he's unconscious."

As if responding back, Stan's heart rate drops ever so slightly. Kyle looks at the monitor going off in fear. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please stay stable. I'm just scared and want you to pull through. Please pull through." Stan's heart rate continues to lower, Kyle grips his hand in fear.

"Damnit kid, stay with us." Dave pushes more medicine into the IV.

The pacer goes off again and Stan's heart rate stays where it's at, a bit slower than normal. Kyle looks to Dave. "How soon till we get there? Stan, please hold on. You want to graduate right?"

"We are five minutes out. Hopefully Stan holds on for us." Dave says.

The machines go off again as Stan's heart rate continues to drop. Kyle looks up scared at Dave, "You can't shock him again before he ends up flatlined or something?" Kyle leans over him. "Stan, fucking stay with us. Please man."

Dave bangs on the back of the van to alert Chloe who's driving. "He's dropping! He's dropping Chloe!"

"I'm gonna keep driving. Four minutes out." She yells back. "You have the kid for help."

Stan's heart rate drops to a critical level. "Oh god, please no." Kyle cries over him. He hears a screech from the monitors as Stan loses his pulse. "Hey, do it, do it now." Kyle yells. Terrified at this point.

Dave grabs the defibrillator and puts the paddles down on Stan's chest again. "Clear! C'mon kid, c'mon... one more time. Wait... wait..." Dave watches the monitor as Stan's pulse comes back.

"What? What's happening now?" Kyle asks as the ambulance pulls into the hospital emergency entrance.

"He keeps having arrhythmias that turn into arrests. Not sure what they can do for him." Dave keeps the paddles out to keep watch before the ambulance pulls into the parking lot of Hell's Pass Hospital. Chloe parks and opens the back door as doctors and nurses come to grab him.

Doctor Marshall runs to his side. "What do we have here?" She asks the paramedics, rushing him to trauma.

Chloe reads off the chart. "Seventeen-year-old male. History of subventricular tachycardia. They found him unresponsive during gym class. CPR started and ROSC, but Heart rate dropped, and pulse lost en route. Defib reverses it."

Nurse Sara takes over oxygen as she wheels him through the trauma center. "What room doctor?"

"He's a level one extreme critical. I want cardiology and surgery down here right now." Dr Marshall called out. "Put him on a twelve led and order an echocardiogram, everyone be prepared for a code just in case."

"Yes, Doctor." Nurse Sara prepares drugs to inject into the boy as the ultrasound is wheeled over. She sees Kyle still watching from the corner. "I'm sorry young man, you'll have to go to the waiting room."

Kyle looks at her hallowed eyes, opening his mouth to argue

At this moment Stan's heart rate drops again and he goes into a flatline. Dr Marshall calls code blue, nurse Amy jumps up to start chest compressions.

"Out!" Nurse Sara yells as Kyle. He sinks his shoulders down and leaves. Looking back once more. He can overhear Dr Marshall. "If we're able to get him back I want him taken to surgery immediately. If not, there was nothing we could do. Add more atropine and sodium bicarbonate. Keep CPR going and check in two minutes."

Sara looks over from checking his records. "Someone has to tell his parents."

"Find his friend and get information from him. We'll let you know his status in a bit." Dr Marshall looks at the monitor. "He's gone into vfib. Defibrillate at 100j and check rhythms."

Sara runs out of the room to look up her patient's information. The last name Marsh seemed familiar. Looking in the computer she can see Stanley Marsh, his mother was an employee at the hospital. Sara sighs and calls up Sharon Marsh.

Sharon stepped out of the shower and was eating a quick brunch before she started her afternoon shift. Her phone went off showing her work's number but from a department she didn't work in. Emergency Room. "Hello?" She said cautiously.

"Sharon Marsh?" Sara asks.

"Yes?" Sharon says, frowning now. "What's wrong?"

"This is Sara Westcliff from the emergency department. Your son Stanley was brought in ten minutes ago

"What happened?" Sharon feels her blood turn to ice. "Is he awake? Can I talk to him?"

"No. He had heart complications at school. Taken by ambulance to the emergency department here. He's unconscious." Sara tells her gently.

"Unconscious? Heart complications?" Sharon drops her coffee cup and curses to herself as she throws a kitchen towel over the mess. "What are the next steps? What complications?"

"I'm sorry Mrs. Marsh. We're going to need you to come in."

Sharon's quiet for a moment as she starts to cry, knowing what it meant if the staff didn't give out too many details. Stan was in really bad shape. She nods. "I'll be right there. Please, do all you can. That could be your own child in that hospital bed someday." Sharon hangs up and sinks down in a kitchen chair to cry for a moment. If Stanley were to pass away, she better get there before that happened. Too upset to drive, she calls Abby to drive her and calls into work.

Back in emergency after a fourth shock and eight minutes they're able to get Stan's pulse back. They're doing a quick check over him if he's stable enough to be moved before they make a diagnosis. Sara comes back in for more information.

"He keeps going into fatal arrhythmias. I think we need to take him into surgery right away." Dr Marshall is saying. "He seems to have heart damage judging from his echocardiogram earlier."

Kyle sits in the waiting room, staring into space. Feeling bad for yelling at Stan. Not sure if he was alive or dead seeing his best friend code in front of him. He hunched over in the chair, crying quietly, wishing, hoping, praying Stan would make it.

Sara spots him and walks over. "Young man?"

Kyle's stomach drops. He gets to his feet. "How is he?" He asks in a hoarse voice.

Sara looks down at her chart. "Alive but he's critical. They're preparing him for surgery soon."

"Oh, another surgery. He won't like that." Kyle says flatly. "Can I see him before they take him in?"

Sara looks into the boy's troubled expression and nods. "Briefly, if he's not already in the operating room. If you think you can handle seeing him hooked to so much."

"Not the first time." Kyle shrugs, putting on a strong face as he follows her through the energy room doors. Sara leads him into Stan's room, pulling back the curtains.

Stan remains intubated and now has monitors all over his body to monitor breathing and cardiac output. Kyle can see his vitals are very low at the moment. The pacer makes Stan twitch occasionally and defibrillator pads are still on, just in case. Stan now has bruises spreading across his chest. Kyle straightens up to try and act brave and walks over, touching Stan's hand. "Hey. It's me." He starts to cry. "Dude, that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen from you." He squeezes his hand, feeling stupid for hoping he'd get a squeeze back.

"Please don't die, Stan. You have so much going for you. No idea what surgery they're gonna do but just be okay. Don't die. Stan, stay in this place. You know what I mean." Kyle tries to memorize how Stan's hands and face look; in case this is the last time he sees him. "We got graduation, prom, and college."

A knock at the door and Dr Marshall enters. "He's been stable long enough and the OR is ready. It's time to take him, Sara?"

Sara puts her hands on Kyle's shoulders. "Time to say goodbye. Stan will be in very good hands sweetie."

"Not goodbye. I'll say see you when you're out." Kyle looks at him one last time before letting his hand go and watching Stan be wheeled away.

School was finally out. Wendy wasted no time pulling out her phone in the hall to call Kyle. She was angry the teachers wouldn't allow her to leave to be with Stan since he wasn't 'family'. She waited standing with Bebe in hopes that Kyle would answer his phone.

Kyle sat in the surgery waiting room next to Stan's mom. He excused himself to return Wendy's call. "Hey." He said wearily.

"Kyle! How is he? What's wrong with him? Can I see him?" Wendy can't help but cry.

"Umm bad, everything is bad. He's in surgery until tonight. Flatlined two more times. No idea when any of us can see him or if he'll survive the surgery." Kyle starts to cry again. "We're all waiting on news."

Wendy feels her knees go weak as she backs into a wall. "No... no. Kyle please no!"

"We're just kinda in the waiting room. You're welcome to come." Kyle says, rubbing his swollen eyes.

Bebe reaches over to steady Wendy, putting an arm around her. "I'll drive you to the hospital." She whispers to her.

Wendy drops her phone and begins to cry into Bebe's arms. Bebe just holds her and rubs her back. "It's okay, let it out. We'll go see him." She hugs her best friend tight, feeling misty eyed herself.

Wendy pulls back, her tears making her makeup run. "Kyle said he's in surgery. They don't know if he'll make it."

Bebe gets quiet for a moment and hugs her again, wiping her face. "Well then we need to be there to show him our support. It's Stan, of course he's gonna make it." She hugs her again as she grabs her keys and purse from her locker.

"But how many 'close calls' will he have until it's too much and he- he doesn't..." tears fill Wendy's eyes again. "Stan isn't immortal, Bebe."

"He might as well be at this point." Bebe's eye catches Kenny's in the hall. He gives her an unsteady wave back. "You'll want to be there for him when he's out of surgery. Come on. You'll feel better once we leave school." She puts an arm around Wendy and leads her out of the building.

Wendy nods and allows Bebe to lead her out. "I feel so bad, Bebe. I got upset with him earlier. And now he's in surgery. Seeing him like that in the gym. It was so scary. I'm scared."

Bebe pulls out a pack of tissues from her purse, grabbing one for herself before giving the entire pack to Wendy. "I know, I saw them carry him over and start CPR. I was the one who called 911. They gave him the best care possible, or he wouldn't have made it that long. I know it's scary to see him like that, but surgery is going to help him. It's awful but they do that to keep him healthy." Bebe hugs Wendy again and leads her to her car.

Wendy slowly hops in the car and texts her mother about what happened. She needs to be strong now. It was easy to say Stan would be okay, but no one really could know that. So of course, the only thing she could do was worry at his side. no doubt Kyle and Stan's mom were falling apart as well.

Kyle grabbed some water for himself and returned to the waiting room, sitting across from Stan's mom but not meeting her eyes. He didn't want to see that particular shade of blue right now.

Sharon sat in the waiting room because she had to. At least it felt like that right now, it was expected of her. It was the same formula. Her son got sick or injured and was taken to the hospital and she would have to sit and wait for news on his prognosis. Sometimes she was hysterical about his condition, other times she was simply mad. This hospital stay no doubt was making her feel mad. And it made her feel awful. He was critical. She should be nothing but worried sick. But he blatantly disregarded doctor appointments simply because he 'forgot'. Her son was eager to live on his own, yet he couldn't be bothered to schedule his own doctor appointment. And now she was here. Not because of her work shift but because of Stan's negligence for his own health.

Her pain in the ass son better pull through.

A nurse named Elizabeth comes in, Kyle sits up right away, fearing the worst. "Family of Stanley Marsh?" She calls out.

Sharon tiredly raises her hand. "Here. I'm his mother."

Elizabeth goes to sit next to Sharon, Kyle also leans forward to hear everything.

"We're about halfway through surgery and Dr Taylor is installing a combination pacemaker and defibrillator to go into your son's body right now. He'll have it the rest of his life."

Sharon nods, rubbing her eyes. "I have to ask; would things have been this bad had a doctor found out sooner? Was he showing symptoms beforehand? He was due to see his doctor and cardiologist in a few days. Did we wait too long?"

"In the past year he's developed a bit of cardiomyopathy which was contributing to the problems. Maybe the damage could have been avoided with a change of medication or a cardioversion sooner. That's the other thing I need to discuss." Elizabeth says, pulling out a clipboard.

Sharon looks to Kyle before looking back at the nurse. "Yes?"

"Right now, there's pretty severe damage to his heart. When the doctor takes him off bypass, she's not sure if it can sustain function on its own. She wants to do an additional surgery to put him on an ECMO machine to take some stress off his heart and lungs and give him some recovery time. It's also extra time for his body to adjust to the new ICD. Do we have your permission to put him on this machine? It's the last step in critical care but probably his only chance left." Elizabeth takes Sharon's hand.

"His...his only? Sharon breaks down. Realization comes over her. She was stupid to be angry at her son.

Kyle goes over and hugs Mrs. Marsh. "How long will he be on this machine? How is his survival rate?"

Sharon cries harder, things a blur for her.

"Anywhere from two days to two weeks for us to see a turn around. Depends on him. I'll be honest his chances aren't good at the moment but with the ECMO treatment it improves them significantly." The nurse hands over the clipboard to a sobbing Sharon.

Kyle looks at her. "You want him on this thing? I do."

Sharon nods, taking the clipboard with a shaking hand. "Y-yes... yes just save my baby. Anything to save my baby." Sharon feels she is also signing her life away with this agreement but has to trust this is the best option for her Stanley. "Kyle what am I going to do? My baby…"

Elizabeth leaves and Kyle hugs her back. "I don't know. We had plans. We do everything together. It hurts me when we're fighting or apart, but this? This shouldn't be happening. He didn't deserve this." He breaks down now.

Sharon hugs him back now. "I don't know what else I could have done, Kyle. I feel I've tried everything. He's so stubborn, he doesn't listen. He wants to take charge of his own life." Tears fall down. "What's going to happen now?"

"He'll pull through and learn his lesson?" Kyle tried to convince Stan's mom, even if he doesn't believe himself. "He has a defibrillator in him now, so he won't just go around sick for weeks. That thing will knock some sense into him. You know if he doesn't..." Kyle sighs and starts to cry again.

At that moment Wendy is led in by Bebe. "Over there." Bebe points to the corner. She holds her best friend as they take a seat across from Kyle and Sharon.

Wendy sinks down on the hard chair, trying to compose herself. "Any... any news?"

Kyle wipes his eyes. "Yeah." He looks to Sharon. "Would you call it good or bad news?"

Sharon looks up, taking Wendy's hand gently. "It's just news sweetie. Thank you for coming girls. It- it means a lot."

Wendy squeezes Stan's mom's hand. "Is he still in surgery?"

"Yeah, still in surgery, needs an additional one. They're gonna give him a permanent pacemaker/defibrillator and put him on some machine to give his heart and lungs a rest for a while. Unsure how long." Sharon gives her a weak smile, trying to keep it together for her son's friends.

"He might not make it without the machine." Kyle grits his teeth. "If he had been more on top of going to the doctor this might not be so bad. He has heart damage from earlier."

"Could this have been avoided? but when... When will we find out more?" Wendy asks.

Sharon let's go of her hand to wipe her eyes. "We don't know. It might be a while. He's going to be placed on a machine to give his heart and lungs a chance to heal so they aren't working as hard. It may be his only… Chance." Her voice cracks again.

Kyle hugs Sharon and glares at Wendy. Bebe glares at him back. "Well, he has a chance, he's going to take it." Bebe said evenly, putting her own arm around Wendy.

Hours later, night had fallen. Sharon sat slumped over a bench, asleep. Kyle is nearby also asleep, his long legs out as a tripping hazard. Wendy is the only one awake. She watches every doctor and nurse walk by, hoping one of them would have news on Stan, but so far nothing.

Elizabeth comes back in. "Family of Stanley Marsh?" She calls out.

Wendy looks over and shakes Sharon as she herself gets to her feet. "Mrs. Marsh? Mrs. Marsh, wake up."

Sharon jerks awake and sits up. "Yes? Should I be sitting or standing for this?"

Elizabeth smiles and sits with them. Kyle slowly blinks awake. "He's out of surgery and transferred to the ICU. It's touch and go for now but we've managed to keep him stable and program the new ICD. We're just waiting on recovery right now from the ECMO. But you're welcome to see him briefly before visiting hours are over."

Sharon looks to the others. Wendy is crying again, and Kyle is hugging her. Sharon herself feels overwhelmed. She needs time to compose herself. "You two go on ahead. I'll see him after."

Wendy turns around. "Are you sure, Mrs. Marsh?"

Sharon nods and sits back down, a painful slight smile on her face. "Go on. I'll see him after."

Wendy looks to Kyle, who gets up quickly.

"Okay, what floor?" Kyle asks the nurse.

"Follow me. You'll need to wash your hands and put gowns on."

"Been through it before." Kyle mutters as he helps Wendy up and they follow the nurse out.

Sharon gets to her feet. Once she sees the three of them leave, she gathers her purse in hand and walks out the hospital. She quickly gets to her car and drives off, not looking back.