His eyes fluttered again, only the light seemed intensely brighter than it had been moments before. Where darkness had enveloped him, now he was bathed in a white light. He was certain now, he was dead. His actions had set in motion the images that Bert Bauer had shown him. Roger inhaled, the air felt warm and moist. He tried to move his hand to his chest, which no longer was in searing pain when he heard her voice.

"Roger, try not move"

It was Holly, but she sounded like she was miles away.

"Roger, honey, try to stay calm."

He had to open his eyes. He had to see her.

First he clenched his eyes closed, an effort that took the majority of his energy, before he willed them to open. His vision was blurry. He was no longer in his car, but he couldn't believe that he was in heaven either.

"Blake, call Ed, your father's awake" He heard her distantly say.

He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't form in his throat. He balled his hand into the shape of a fist, or tried too but something prevented him from folding his fingers. Then, just as before black space engulfed him, swallowing him whole..

He wasn't sure how long he spent in the void. There was no travel, no Bert, no snowy embankment where he landed. He had no concept of time or place as he came awake to a murky awareness. He could see light filtering through his eyelids again. Once again he willed them to open and this time they complied. Looking to his right he could see an out of focus figure standing over him.

"Holly?" He whispered intently.

He thought he heard her tell him to be quiet. He lifted a finger on his hand, then just like before his world went black.

The next time he was aware he could hear a rhythmic, albeit annoying beeping sound that seemed to fill the room. He inhaled deeply, the air was warm and moist. He lifted his left hand and touched his chest, groaning as he did. The effort was excruciating as the muscles in his arm screamed. He wiggled the fingers on his right hand, grazing something as he did. Turning his head took effort, but when he did he thought he saw Holly, her head lying on her elbow, her left hand wrapped around his right.

He blinked several times, trying to bring her into focus, but it was futile. He inhaled, and croaked out her name.

She had to be dreaming, Ed said Roger could be unconscious for days. Even so when she heard her name she snapped into awareness.

"Roger, oh my God, you're awake again. Try to stay that way!" She commanded as she rushed to the head of Roger's bed. He couldn't see what she was doing, but she had pressed the call button. "Blake, wake up, honey, it's your father!"

Roger watched her through unfocused eyes. She didn't seem angry at him.

"What's happened Mom?" He heard Blake ask from his other side.

"Chrissy" He choked.

"Daddy! Oh Daddy! You scared us so badly!"

Blake leaned over and pressed her cheek on Roger's chest. He struggled to breathe when she did.

"Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?"

He couldn't form coherent words so he raised a hand and waved it lightly.

Just then the door to the room opened. Holly and Blake stared at Ed as he entered the room to examine Roger.

"Well, well, look who decided to join the land of the living." Ed laid a hand on Holly's elbow when he passed. "Has he said anything?" He asked, pulling a pen light from his pocket.

"He said my name, but it was weak," Holly admitted as she hovered near Ed.

"That's to be expected. He experienced quite a trauma." He turned back towards Roger's bedside. "Roger, I'm going to examine you, then I'm going to raise your bed a bit, make you more comfortable."

Roger, still unable to see clearly, narrowed his eyes. He had once been at the mercy of Ed Bauer and landed at the bottom of a ravine presumed dead as a result. Still, he had to have faith that Ed would abide by his oath to 'do no harm'

Ed shined the pen light into Roger's pupils. "Equal and reactive. That's good Roger." He picked up Roger's hand and asked him to squeeze his finger.

Roger did so, though not with his typical strength or ability "Good, good. He has motor function." Ed noted.

"Alright, Roger, I'm going to take this mask off, see how you do on your own." Ed pulled a mask down below Roger's chin and kept watch of what Roger presumed was a monitor above his bed.

"Water" Roger croaked.

Holly and Blake nearly knocked each other over rushing to the sink to fill a cup. Holly, winning the battle. She carried the small cup to Roger's bedside, holding the cup to his lips, making sure he took small sips. "Easy" She coached with a smile.

"Thank you" He managed when he had consumed nearly half of the liquid.

"Holly," Ed said, simply.

"Oh, sorry" She backed away, wrapping her arms around a still shell shocked Blake.

"Roger, do you know where you are?" Ed asked.

"I expected hell, but this looks like Cedars." He answered quietly, finding his voice with every word.

"If it makes you feel better your recovery will be just that, Roger. Now tell me, do you know how you got here?"

Roger looked in Holly's direction then averted his eyes. "I uhm, I hit a rogue tree, but Bert kept me company." As he had begun to slur his words slightly Ed asked him to repeat himself.

"Bert? Was he a passerby? A passenger? Roger, this is important, ems only found you at the crash site!"

Roger leaned into his pillow and sighed heavily. "Not him, her. It was Bert Bauer."

Ed looked from Holly to Blake who were just as perplexed as he was. He went to the head of the bed and pushed the call button that would signal the nurse to his need.

"Roger, Mom has been dead for a number of years. I'm going to send you to radiology for a stat scan. I want to rule out brain damage." Ed informed him. "Holly, Blake, why don't you two go home, get some rest. Better yet, stop by the house. Maureen will put you up in a guest room and then you can get some Christmas dinner. You've been here all night."

Holly shook her head in the negative. "No, I'm not going anywhere until I know he is going to be alright."

Ed shrugged. "How about you Blake? You look exhausted."

Blake looked at her mother who nodded. "Go on honey, Ross has to be missing you. I will call you if there is any change." Holly hugged her daughter tightly. "Thank you for coming, thank you for staying. I love you honey."

"I love you too Mom."

Blake went to her father's bed side while Holly and Ed backed away. She bent over and gently kissed Roger's cheek.

"Daddy, I love you" She smiled.

With his finger he beckoned her. "Chrissy, you've given your mother and I the greatest gift. I can't wait to meet my grandchild"

Blake pulled away. She grinned and then narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?" She whispered.

There was a twinkle in his eye. "I told you, Bert kept me company."

The nurse's arrival prevented Blake from asking additional questions, but didn't stop her from staring as Ed instructed the nurse to take Roger to radiology where he would follow.

"What was that all about?" Holly asked curiously.

"Huh?" Blake said, still trying to figure out if Roger was serious.

"With your father? What was that about?"

"Oh nothing, but I have a feeling he is going to be just fine." Blake smiled. "I'm going to go home, Ross and I have something amazing to celebrate this Christmas."

Blake leaned in and kissed her mother.

"Alright honey, I'll call you later."

When Ed returned with Roger, Holly was still waiting.

"Well?" She asked, nervously.

"It's remarkable, but there is no brain injury." Ed said confidently.

"So when can I take him home?" Holly asked, peaking Roger's interest.

"I'd like to keep him for at least the next forty eight hours, then I will clear him to home."

Home, the word caused Roger's eyebrows to raise. Where was home? He wondered, but he couldn't read Holly's face as her back was to him.

"Only forty eight hours, Ed? Are you sure? I don't want you to rush him."

"Yes Holly, forty either hours. Surprisingly, he doesn't have a traumatic brain injury. His broken ribs will heal, oh sure, he may have a scar or two, but in the end he will survive. It won't be the first time he's cheated death." Ed wrapped a hand around the back of his neck "and with that, I am going to home to my family to celebrate what is left of Christmas"

Holly wrapped her arms around Ed, kissing his cheek gently. Roger pursed his lips, somewhat jealous, but didn't speak.

"Thank you Ed. Thank you for giving up your holiday to help Roger. You may not see it this way but it's a gift"

Ed released her from the embrace, and held her at arm's length.

"I'd say it was my pleasure, but let's be honest, I was just doing my job." He went to Roger's bedside. "Roger, if you have any pain or shortness of breath please call the nurses."

"Thank you Ed" Roger said, extending his hand as best he could. Ed, being gracious, took it and wished him well before leaving. Holly walked him to the hall, closing the door behind him. When she returned, she surprised Roger by not only stopping at his bedside, but by gently climbing onto the edge of it. She balanced precariously, trying not to disturb the plastic tubing of his IV, or placing too much pressure on his injuries.

She could feel his breathing even as she lay beside him.

"Holly" He said quietly as he stroked her hair "I need to tell you something."

"I already know," She said.

"Know what?" He asked

"You didn't sleep with that wretched woman, Alexandra. I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry I kicked you out of our home. I am the reason why you're here now. Had I just listened to you, we'd be at Blake and Ross's celebrating Christmas with them."

"And Charlie," Roger sighed.

"Who?" Holly asked.

"Never mind that." His muscles ached so he was unable to turn his head to kiss her but he wanted to. "What made you change your mind?"

Holly sighed, she was embarrassed. "Fletcher"

The corner of Roger's mouth raised slightly, not quite a smile, and not quite a grin. "Fletcher, as in Reade? That bumbling lapdog?"

Holly frowned. "Yes, Roger, Fletcher Reade. He had intended to ask Alexandra to marry him, only instead he found out that she set you up so that I'd leave you. It was a final act of revenge and Fletcher, despite his hesitation to set the record straight, felt I needed to know." She wiggled closer to Roger's side. "Oh Roger, I am so sorry I didn't trust you, or believe in you"

Despite the pain, Roger wrapped an arm around Holly's shoulders. "I've given you many reasons over the years to doubt me, but I promise I am not that man anymore and will spend the rest of our life proving it. Oh Holly, and it's going to be a long one"

He closed his eyes, purposefully this time allowing sleep to engulf him.