Mark sat by Amy's bedside until the sun started coming through the window in the tiny room, his eyes fixed firmly on her face and willing her to wake up. He had been shocked by how bad she looked when he had come in here the night before, and he had sat there talking to her for hours, telling her how he felt, how sorry he was.
He didn't know if she could hear him or not, but he hoped she could and that she could hear the sincerity in his voice. Vince had been right. He had come here because it had been what he had wanted to do, not just because it was the right thing to do. He couldn't have stayed out of pity and ruined both their lives. He was here now because she meant everything to him, and he had nearly thrown it all away because of his own stupidity. The anger at himself settled acidly in his stomach. When he had arrived the night before the nurse had given him the pendant that he had ripped from Amy's neck.
"She was clutching this when she came in," the nurse explained, smiling at the big man. Mark had stared at the delicate gold chain for a long time, seeing the place where he had snapped it as he pulled it from her neck, and he went about trying to fix it, finding it difficult because it was so tiny compared to his fingers. But it gave him something to do as he sat with Amy, and eventually he managed it, satisfied that the chain would hold together now.
Mark looked down at the small piece of jewellery and sighed deeply. She must have picked it up again after he took it from her, and he realised how much it must mean to her. He looked down at his other hand, amazed at how small her hand was, resting in his large callused palm, and he wondered how she could ever have been strong enough to come through the things she had. Now all he could do was pray she came out of this all right, and that she could bear to look at him if she did.
His vigil was interrupted a couple of hours later by Vince walking into the room, smiling when he saw Mark still sitting there. "Tell me you haven't been here all night?"
Mark shrugged, looking briefly at Vince and then returning his gaze to Amy's pale, bruised face. "Where else would I go."
Vince frowned at Mark's morose expression. "You need some sleep."
"I need to see Amy open her eyes," Mark corrected, pain flickering across his face before he got it under control. "I need to see her look at me without hating me."
"She won't hate you," Vince said, sitting on the other side of the bed and looking at his goddaughter. "If she does, then God help me, because she'll hate me too."
Mark shook his head and glanced up. "She would never turn against you Vince, you're her family."
"Maybe. We'll see won't we?" he said, lifting a hand and gently touching Amy's face. The reaction he got was unexpected as her eyes shot open and she stared blearily around the room, seemingly unaware that they were there.
"Jesus!" Mark hissed out, shocked at the suddenness of her coming awake. "I'll get the nurse!"
He left the room and returned a couple of seconds later, virtually carrying the poor nurse in with him. She brushed her uniform down and gave him a dark look, before turning her attention to her patient and noting down the readings from the monitors. "I'll just go and page the doctor," she said with a smile, rushing out of the room.
A short while later the doctor arrived and examined Amy, smiling gently at the way her eyes were now following his movements. She frowned slightly as she tried to swallow and felt the thick tube running down her throat, and she lifted a hand to try and remove it, her mind working fuzzily as she came out of her deep sleep.
"Ah, no, no, no," the doctor said, pushing her hand away gently. "We'll take that out for you, don't worry. Your breathing seems fine now. You just wait there a minute."
Mark and Vince stood helplessly at the back of the room, watching the doctor checking her over and the nurse flitting around doing his bidding.
"Okay now, we'll just take that tube out and see how your chests doing, okay? When I say 'now' I want you to breathe out as hard as you can, okay?" the doctor asked her, smiling reassuringly when she gave a slight nod. He grasped the tube between his thumb and forefinger and nodded. "Now."
Amy breathed out as hard as she was able and felt the tube sliding out of her body, making her gag slightly as the end reached her throat and was finally gone. She took a shaky breath in and coughed, making the doctor frown at her. "Let's have a listen to that chest. Gentlemen, if you would?" he said, gesturing for Mark and Vince to leave, something they did with great reluctance. Once they were out of the room, the doctor made her take a few breaths, listening intently. "Hmm, not too bad, but I think we'll keep you on oxygen for a while longer. Oh don't worry," he added, seeing her concerned expression, "it will just be a mask this time. Get some rest now."
He left the room and shortly afterwards the nurse reappeared and put a mask over her nose and mouth, smiling and patting her hand as she left. Amy had a chance to examine her surroundings then, finding herself laying in a high hospital bed, tubes and wires coming out of her arm and her ribcage. Memories flooded back quickly of what had happened to her and she felt her eyes fill with tears as she thought about Stephanie, of the things she had had to say to Mark and Vince and of the way Mark had gone to Sara. She allowed herself a moment of self pity, then frowned. Vince and Mark had just been in her room, she was sure of it. Or was she? Her vision had been a little blurred, and she hadn't heard them speak, but she had been sure it was them. But where were they now? Her tired mind couldn't work it all out and she let her eyes drift closed again, barely hearing the door open again as the two men re-entered the room.
Vince went straight to her and put his hand over hers. "Peaches?" he said softly, watching her eyes flicker open and stare tiredly at him. He smiled and squeezed her hand gently. "How are you feeling?"
Amy's forehead creased in a frown as she tried to work out why Vince was here. He must hate her by now. She realised belatedly that he was waiting for an answer and she licked her dry lips beneath the rubbery mask. "Sleepy," she said, her voice no more than a whisper even though she felt as though she were talking loudly.
"Are you in any pain?" Vince continued, his eyes taking in the severe bruising on her face with concern.
She tried to analyse how she felt, but her body was strangely numb. "No." Her eyes met Vince's again and she frowned, the action making her face twinge a little bit, but she ignored it. "Why...are you here?"
The older man winced. "I have to be where one of my favourite girls is, don't I? When she needs me?"
"Stephanie?" Amy asked, thinking he couldn't mean her, not after what she had said. But his next words lifted her heart.
"No, you. You're my baby, the same as Steph is, don't you know that?" he asked her, bending and brushing a light kiss over her forehead, pretty much the only place on her face that wouldn't hurt if he touched it.
"But...I said things..." she frowned again, feeling incredibly tired and frustrated as her mouth wouldn't work properly.
"Shh, honey. You were made to say things, we all know that now. You've done nothing wrong."
She stared at him through a mist of tears and then turned her eyes away, looking around the room and seeing Mark standing there, the tears getting worse and overflowing. Mark moved swiftly over to her and took her other hand, sitting in the small chair and leaning in so she could see him properly. "Don't cry, my baby," he murmured, carefully brushing a tear away.
She gave a hitching breath and felt her system start to give up it's fight to stay awake, but she had to tell him, she had to say it. "I'm....so..sorry," she faltered, her eyes drifting closed as exhaustion overwhelmed her.
Mark swore softly at her words and closed his eyes in pain, his chest hurting with his heavy emotions. "Oh God," he groaned, dropping his forehead onto the bed and squeezing her hand gently.
Vince stared at him and shook his head, knowing how the younger man was feeling. "Mark, let's get some coffee while she's sleeping, then you can get home and get some rest."
Mark lifted his head and stared at Amy for a long time, lifting her hand to place a kiss on it, before standing up and moving out of the room, not saying a word.
They went to the hospital cafeteria and Vince purchased two large cups of coffee, sitting down at a quiet table with Mark and sipping it slowly, smiling helplessly when he saw the strong brew doing it's job on the bigger man and waking him up a bit. "Better?"
Mark nodded and sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck wearily. "I needed this more than I thought," he admitted. "How can she blame herself?"
"I have no idea, not after what we said to her," Vince said, shaking his head and staring into his own cup. "But it's our job to make sure she gets better, make sure she quits those sort of feelings and puts the blame where it really lies, with Tony." He looked up again. "And you need to get some sleep so that you'll be of some use."
"I don't want to be away from her," Mark said, shaking his head in refusal, but Vince raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, well you will be, and so will I some of the time. We're going to resume our normal routine."
Marks face became stiff with anger. "And pretend nothing's happened?"
"Of course not! But routine will help Amy settle back in. If we're around her all the time, paying too much special attention, she'll only feel more guilty. Believe me, I know," he said, thinking of how she had been some years ago.
Mark narrowed his eyes as he looked at the older man, a suspicion forming in his mind that he didn't like at all. "You're not thinking of sending me back on the road?"
"That's exactly what I'm doing, and no arguments," Vince said, looking deadly serious. "For the next couple of days you'll follow the normal roster, but after that you go on the road with the others."
"I was supposed to be taking time off, and Amy was supposed to be coming with me," Mark said.
"And now you're not. I'll get the writers to come up with some storylines, maybe involve Kevin to get him back in the spotlight again. As for the rest of the company, they'll do as they're told. There's no way I can have the Christmas party now, so we may as well send them onto the next town," Vince said, shrugging.
"That's crap and you know it. I don't feel any more like having a party than you do, but the whole company has come to expect it now. You always throw a party for Christmas," Mark said, looking at the older man and then giving a sad smile. "It would have been Amy's first real Christmas, you know?"
"I know. I guess it could still go ahead, but it would have to be without me. Amy won't be out of this place for a long time, and I just wouldn't feel right drinking and dancing while she was laying here." Vince pursed his lips as he started thinking more clearly. "I was going to have caterers anyway and I could get JR to host it. Hmmm," he said, rubbing his chin, "maybe that would work. I could arrange a small gathering when she's better, a late Christmas just for her."
"She'd like that," Mark murmured, thinking of the gift he had been going to buy her. He had seen a ring, a beautiful emerald ring that would match her pendant. It had merely been a gold band with a large emerald in the middle, no frills and no diamonds because he didn't think she was a diamond sort of girl. Now he didn't know whether such a gift would be welcomed. He thought about it for a second. He hadn't intended it to be an engagement ring, but the thought of proposing to her didn't hold any particular terrors for him and he was surprised by that fact. Vince's voice brought him back to reality and he stared at the older man as he spoke.
"Okay then, the day after Christmas you'll all travel to the next arena and continue working. Then, when Amy's totally recovered, you can take your time off and come back for her party." He looked at Mark and rolled his eyes. "I know you'd prefer to stay, but there isn't anything you can do for her at the moment anyway, and you know what they say about absence?"
"Yeah. I just hope it's right in this case," he murmured, taking another swallow of coffee and retreating into his own troubled thoughts.
For the next four days Mark was constantly at Amy's bedside, watching her as she slept most of the time. It was Christmas Eve before she was more lucid and opened her eyes for more than an hour. She looked around her and her eyes lit up when she saw Mark sitting there, his head resting on the bed and soft snores issuing from his mouth. She lifted her hand slowly and touched his hair, biting her lip at the feeling of touching him again when she thought he'd want nothing to do with her anymore. She couldn't remember much about the past few days, but she did vaguely remember his presence and it made her feel warm inside. He stirred slightly at her touch and his eyes popped open, a smile tilting the corners of his mouth as he felt her touching him softly, and he took her hand, kissing her fingers as he sat up.
"Hello beautiful," he murmured, reaching out and running his finger down the side of her face.
Amy blinked slowly at the gesture and gave a small smile, realising her oxygen mask was gone and so were most of the tubes. "What day is it?" she asked, frowning at the slightly husky sound of her voice.
"It's Christmas Eve, darlin', very nearly Christmas Day," he replied, glancing at his watch and seeing it was nearly midnight. Vince's Christmas party was going on right at that moment, but Vince and Linda were with Stephanie in her private room down the corridor. Amy was still in intensive care, and Mark had been determined to stay with her every minute. Vince had arranged it that he would go back on the road the day after Christmas, and he needed to talk to Amy before he did that. He opened his mouth to speak and then cursed when the door opened, interrupting him.
Kevin poked his head around the door and grinned. "Is it okay to come visiting?"
"No!" Mark hissed, and glared at Kevin as he sauntered into the room anyway, grinning at him as he made his way over to Amy and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek.
"How are you, honey?" he asked her, taking the hand Mark wasn't holding and perching on the edge of the bed.
Amy looked him up and down and smiled lightly. "Okay, I think. You look nice."
Kevin looked down at his tuxedo and patted his ponytailed hair, grinning cockily. "I do try my very best," he said, and then eyed Mark with a raised eyebrow. "Shame the same can't be said for that redneck over there!"
"Get lost," Mark shot at him, still glaring.
"Where am I?" Kevin instantly said, looking confused and Mark couldn't help laughing.
"Moron," he muttered and the other man smiled again, turning his attention back to Amy.
"You see what happens when you do as he asks? What the hell do you see in him?" Kevin shook his head.
Amy didn't answer him and Mark stared at her, waiting. But still she said nothing, not knowing what to say in answer to that question, when she thought that Mark was only here out of pity really. She didn't want to let him know she was still madly in love with him. That would only make him feel more guilty, so she remained silent.
To the big man sitting waiting hopefully for her to say something nice about him, it was the final straw. She had finally realised she wasn't to blame, he thought, and now she blamed him instead. He stood up abruptly and looked from Amy to Kevin, before walking out of the room and closing the door quietly behind him.
Kevin grimaced and looked at Amy with raised eyebrows. "I think he's upset."
"Why?" Amy murmured, frowning at the closed door.
"Because you didn't defend him, of course. Don't worry, I'll go and find him," he said, squeezing her fingers before releasing her and going after his friend.
Amy wasn't left alone for long. Two minutes after Kevin left, Glenn came in the room, with Paul Wight behind him, the two men making the room shrink as they came in. "Hey Amy!" Glenn said enthusiastically, sitting next to her and grinning. "You look better."
She smiled but didn't have a chance to answer as Paul came and sat on the other side and patted her hand awkwardly. "Good to see you awake," he said in his deep, slow voice.
She looked at their attire and raised her eyebrows slowly. "Why is everyone dressed up?"
Glenn and Paul grinned, both of them wearing tuxedos like Kevin had been. "Well we had a Christmas Eve party, and we had to look good. Do we look dashing?" Glenn asked, standing up and striking a pose.
"Yes, you do," she said, smiling tiredly. "Where's Tammy?"
"She's just gone in to say hello to Vince and Linda, they're visiting with Steph. She'll be along in a minute so she can show you her dress," he said.
"What about you Paul? Didn't you have a date?" she asked him, stifling a yawn.
"Yeah, sort of, but I left her there for a while, so I could come and see you. She's probably gone home by now," he said, shrugging his huge shoulders and getting a stain of colour on his cheeks as Glenn laughed.
"Yeah, and you don't give a damn because she ain't the person you want to be with, is she?" he said, laughing at Paul's outraged expression and then looking at Amy. "He's got the hots for someone else."
"That's nice," she murmured, smiling at him and then turning her eyes to the door as Tammy came in. She looked stunning with her hair coiled up in a complicated mass of curls, wearing a midnight blue dress that fell in soft drapes down to her ankles, the corset bodice accentuating her figure. Glenn's eyes lit up and he looked her up and down appreciatively, as if he hadn't seen her dressed like that before, and she walked over to him as he held his hand out to her.
"Doesn't she look absolutely fantastic?" he asked Amy, his eyes still on his girlfriend.
Tammy gave him a light smack and smiled at Amy as she was pulled down onto his lap. "Ignore him," she said, looking Amy over. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, tired," she replied, grimacing as she felt her eyelids getting heavy.
"You're not in any pain at all?" Tammy asked, glancing at the drip that was attached to the other girls arm.
"No, I feel...sort of numb, I guess."
"Hmm, that's this drip, I think it's morphine," the blonde girl murmured. "Feeling numb is a good thing at the moment, I should imagine. You missed the Christmas party."
Amy gave a small shrug. "It doesn't matter."
"Vince thinks it does," Tammy said, raising her eyebrows but not elaborating. "He's just coming to see you as well, so we all have to get out, there's already too many of us in here. Talking of which," she said, frowning, "Where's Mark?"
"I don't know," Amy replied, her eyes closing on a blink and almost not opening again, a movement that Tammy saw and smiled at.
"We'll get out of here and give you some peace. It's nice to see you with your eyes open for a change. Get better okay?" she said and gave her friend a kiss on her forehead, jumping up and grabbing Glenn's hand to pull him out of the room. He resisted until he had given Amy a kiss as well, and then waited while Paul did the same and they all left together.
Vince arrived next, beaming at her as he walked in with Linda and Shane. She noticed that none of them were wearing party clothes, and she wondered why. "Merry Christmas, Peaches," Vince said, bending and kissing her cheek and hugging her gently, mindful of the drip and the chest drain tube at her side. "How do you feel today?"
Amy smiled as she thought of how many times she had already answered that question. "I'm fine. How's Stephanie?"
Vince smiled and looked at his wife as she sat down next to him. "She's doing real good, she's coming out of here tomorrow...well, later today now, I guess, since it's gone midnight!"
"I'm so glad," Amy murmured as her eyes closed for too long again. She opened them and saw Shane sit down on the other side of the bed.
"You're tired, we should leave," he said, looking at her worriedly.
"Yes, we should," Vince agreed, brushing Amy's hair back from her face and wincing at the bruises still vividly colouring her skin, although the swelling was a little better. "We'll come back later on, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed, too tired to argue about it anyway. She closed her eyes again and this time was unable to open them, and she felt Vince stroke her face before they left her alone, letting her sleep.
***Okay, it's a bit slow I guess, bear with me!****
