Cap was out of breath by the time he reached the desk in the ER. He knew his risking a speeding ticket based on a dream was stupid, but it hadn't slowed him down one bit. For once his department parking tag came in handy and he wasn't pulled over. There were occasional perks to wearing the white hat, and this was one of them. He had parked in a staff space when he reached the parking lot… another perk.

He saw Dixie just coming out of the elevator. He fast-walked over to her as he was innately in the habit of never running indoors unless someone was literally in flames… or he was running from someone chasing him with a fish…But that was another story. He breathed out a sigh of relief and didn't even take the time for a greeting. "Can I go see Beth, Dix. I have to talk to her!

Dixie nodded, reversing course. "Come on. She's waiting for you."

The ride up was silent, but the nervous tension was nearly electric. Dixie wanted badly to ask what was going on, but she also felt it wasn't her business. If Beth wanted her to know, she would tell her later. Cap followed Dixie through the door. Beth stood and took his hands and began speaking immediately. Neither of them noticed Dixie leave quietly.

"Captain Stanley, thank you for coming. I needed to talk to you anyway, but I'm a little confused by your message. Dixie told me only that you needed to speak to me urgently. What is it? Oh," she gestured to the two chairs in the room. "Please sit down."

Cap's eyebrow raised as he realized Dixie had not delivered the entire message. He sat across from Beth as she sat also. "I asked Dixie to tell you not to allow anyone to touch Mike's life support equipment until I had a chance to talk to you."

Beth's expression was troubled as she realized the implications of Cap's words. "I only signed the papers early this morning to remove his life support. How did you know about that?

Cap's eyes widened. "I didn't! But you can't do that Beth! Please, he's not brain-dead!"

At his words, Beth's eyes filled with tears. "How can you know that? Even the doctors can't be positive."

Cap was quiet for a moment, trying to frame his words so that Beth would believe him. His expression grew very solemn. He leaned forward and took both of Beth's small hands into his own larger, work-hardened ones. "I'm taking off my captain's hat here. This is me, Hank, your friend talking. Beth, do you trust me?"

She blinked, and then looked him deeply in the eyes. "Yes, Hank. I trust you."

"Michael is NOT dead Beth. NOT brain-dead. I had a conversation with him. A dream, a vision… something. He's in a kind of limbo but he's there. He was describing stuff from his childhood in the bayou. Stuff I never knew about… but mainly, he talked about how he kept seeing a woman he was sure was his Momma. He started describing her… but then said she had changed. I asked him what this woman looked like, and he described you, Beth! He described you and laughed because you were wearing his ugly green tee-shirt. He was a little freaked about that because you had NEVER worn that in front of him before. Don't you see, Beth? He described you looking like you do now… not like you were years ago when you first met, but like you do now. He even described the shirt as having holes around the collar… that you really hate that and that's why he laughed when he saw it on you. No way could he be brain dead, because you can only describe someone like that if your brain is working!"

They both heard someone clearing his throat behind them. Beth hadn't replied to Hank, so Joe asked the question he was sure was on her mind.

"How do you know all this for sure, Hank?"

Hank stood and looked the neurosurgeon directly in the eye, expecting to be ridiculed for his answer. "As I told Beth, it was a vision, a dream, something weird. I don't really know, but I am positive it was real."

Joe was silent for a few moments. He turned to Beth. "What are you thinking about what Hank has told you?"

Quietly, but firmly she also looked straight at Joe. "I believe him. I have felt that Mike is still there. But I just didn't want him to suffer or be trapped."

Hank was surprised at Joe's next question of him. "Do you believe he's suffering, Hank?"

He sighed and considered his answer carefully. "No, but I do think he wants to come home. I didn't at first, but when he described Beth, I got a sense that he is incredibly lonely." He turned towards Beth. "He misses you."

Joe was quiet as he seriously searched his own mind and soul on the matter. Finally, he looked at the other two and removed the papers on his clipboard and handed them back to Beth. "I think maybe you'd better hold onto these. I don't think we need them just yet."

Beth smiled and hugged Joe who chuckled and told her, "We'll keep watching for him to come back. I guess it's just a matter of time."

Simultaneously both Hank and Beth thanked Joe who headed out the door in a much better frame of mind than he had been when he walked in on the middle of the strange conversation. He was sure Dixie would be happy to hear the outcome as well. He punched the elevator button and nearly began to whistle but realized his fellow passengers might not appreciate his musical whim quite so early in the morning.

~TBC~