Carter walked out to the car with his two daughters close to him. When he found Lucy laying on the sidewalk, half naked, blood in her tangled blonde hair, and cuts everywhere.

"Annabelle, put Ralina in her car seat. Then, sit down and get your seat belt on and daddy's going to take mommy to the hospital where daddy's going to make mommy all better, ok?" he ordered, half sobbing.

She nodded and did as she was told. Carter quickly dressed Lucy as best as he could, covering up the parts he didn't want to be seen by anyone else. He picked her up and set her into the jeep. He got in and sped off. A police car suddenly pulled behind him and he pulled over, sighing.

"Sir, you know how fast you were going?" the police officer remarked.

"Yes. I was going 75 miles per hour. It's an emergency. I'm a doctor over at Cook County Hospital. My wife is hurt. I need to operate on her."

"I'll need to see some ID."

He dug through his pockets and showed the officer the hospital ID he always had. The officer nodded and let him drive off. He sped through the streets of Chicago and wove in and out before reaching the hospital.

"Carol, gurney, now!" cried Carter, wiping off his tears. "Abby! Take care of Annabelle and Ralina, please."

"Why? What's the---oh my God! Lucy! Gurney. Right."

Carter ran off and got a gurney as Abby fetched his daughters. He placed Lucy gently on the gurney and he wheeled her into Trauma One. As Carol called for some surgeons, they were all surprised that it was Lucy.

"Benton! Lizzie! Mark! Please help Carter!" cried Carol.

The surgeons all rushed to save Lucy's life. Carter was hysterical but he was focused when he was operating.

"Carter, you sure you're ok to do this?" asked Benton, worriedly.

"I'm FINE!" he shot back. "I'm not going to let her die."

"Sats are dropping. Gotta hurry, Carter."

"Lucy, you're not going to die, you hear me? You're not going to fucking die!"

"Starting compressions."

"Come ON!" he cried.

The steady rhythmic beating was once more. Carter sighed in relief. He nudged his shoulder as if it could wipe off some of the sweat that littered his forehead. Lucy was stabilized for now. He went to the bathroom to wash his hands and face.

"Carter, listen", started Carol.

"No! No sympathy. I'm fine. Lucy's going to make it!" he countered, interrupting her sentence. He threw his hands in the air angrily and walked off to see Lucy. "Lucy."

He fell asleep in her room and throughout the week, she was slowly recovering. He was crying again, stroking her hair back lightly.

"Daddy!" cried Annabelle, who hadn't seen her father in nearly a week. "Mommy. Is Mommy okay?"

"Dada!" cried Ralina, mimicking her older sister. "Momma."

"Yea, Annabelle. Daddy helped Mommy get better. Maybe Mommy will wake up tomorrow."

"Mommy's been asleep for this long? For", Annabelle paused to count her fingers. "Five days? Momma's been asleep five days?"

"Don't worry, sweetie. You can talk to Mommy if you want to. She's asleep but she can still hear you. She'll get better."

"Momma, I miss you. I want you to come home. I want you to read me "Cinderella". I want you back here, giving me chocolate chip waffles while we watch Sesame Street. Mommy, come back, please?" she cried.

"It's okay, Annabelle. It's okay. C'mere," Carter consolingly told his daughter, hugging her tightly.

"Momma. It's me, Lina. Why are you not back here, Momma?" repeated Ralina.

He hugged his two daughters tightly as they cried in his arms. What to do when your father's not at home, your mother's unconscious most of the time, and you're four years old? Those poor little girls.

Abby took Annabelle and Ralina home that night, so that they wouldn't be there to reminisce of painful memories, when their mom had a slight chance of dying. Carter was there every day and night. He would not budge unless he had to go to the bathroom or wash his face or get something to eat. He was there for her. That night, something incredible happened. Carter was asleep on Lucy's arm, as always.

*Inside Lucy's Mind*

"Mom? Carter? Annabelle?" Lucy asked, her voice reverberating off the hollow walls. It was an empty, white room. Nothing. No furniture, no light, though there was a natural source of burning bright light somewhere. Her memories were playing in front of her. What she felt, what she said, it was all being played simultaneously. There was a bright light in front of her and she looked at it. The light transformed into a beautiful girl with brown hair and shining brown eyes. Her hair was long and she had wings on her back.

"Are you an---" started Lucy.

"Angel? Yes. I'm here to talk to you. You are unconscious. Your family is very worried for your health. You have to come with me."

"You mean, I'm unconscious? Oh yeah. I remember. I'm at the hospital? Carter saved me? I could die?" she stated, unbelievably. "This can't be happening. I have two little girls. It's not my time."

"You must come with me."

"NO! I want to live."

"Very well."

The angel transformed into a bright ball of light once more and faded off into the sky. Lucy saw herself, lying there, and Carter and her two little girls. Talking to her, hugging her, wishing her to come back. Lucy found herself being pulled by an invisible force. She made no attempt to struggle and found herself staring at Carter.

"Lucy, you're awake," he whispered.

"I am? The angel. She flew away."

"Mommy?" asked Annabelle, unsure.

"Hey there, Annabelle. Come here. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mommy!" she whispered, hugging her mom.

"Mommy!" cried Ralina.

"I think you have another visitor," chuckled Carter, picking Ralina up and putting her in Lucy's arms.

"Hey there. How you doing?" she asked. "John, am I well enough to go home?"

"You've been here for a week. You've been unconscious for a week. I think they'll want you to stay a few extra days before letting you go home. Think about it. If you had a patient who was unconscious for a week and suddenly woke up, you think Kerry would let you release her?" he reasoned.

"No. She'd probably bitch at me for a week."

"Well, we worked very hard to save you. Everyone was worried, Luce. I can't believe you would scare us all like that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Carter ran out of the room and got Carol. She ran inside with Carter.

"Lucy. You're awake. Ohh, the hospital was so scared. They were afraid they were going to lose one of their best doctors."

"Thanks, Carol. When do you think I can go back home?" she asked.

"Two, three days."

"Okay, thanks."

"Lucy, do you remember anything about what happened that night?" Carter asked.

Her mind raced back and forth and her palms were getting sweaty. When Carter touched her shoulder for an answer, she slapped him. Realizing what she had done, she apologized.

"I'm so sorry, John. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. Let's try not to delve into that subject. You'll be fine."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I have to go do a check-up on a patient and I'll be back soon. You can watch the girls. They'll be sure to lift your spirits," he grinned, his back turned to her, running down the hall. This would be a hard year.