~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't want to run away
But I can't take it
I don't understand
If I'm not made for you
Then why does my heart tell me that I am?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The silence in the waiting room persisted until at last Dr. Wilson came in. "There's not much more we can do. You can see her," he told the anxious group, "But only one at a time. And the baby has to stay here, it's hospital policy."
By unspoken agreement, Prue got to go first. Handing Aviva over to Leo, she followed the doctor down the hall.
She inaudibly gasped at the sight that greeted her from Piper's bed. Her sister was considerably paler than she had been just hours ago. Her thin frame looked even smaller in the large hospital bed, where she lay unmoving, unconscious. Slowly, Prue stepped toward her, seating herself on the edge of the bed.
"Hey, sweet girl," she said, stroking Piper's hair. Tears were brimming in Prue's eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. She continued, her voice taut. "Are you getting me back for those two weeks, when I was in a coma after the accident? Hey, at least I came back to you. You have to do the same for me, okay? I need you, and so do Phoebe, and Paige, and... and Aviva needs her Aunt Piper. She needs you to be there when she grows up, and to teach her to cook, because you know it would be a disaster if I even tried. God, Piper, we all need you for so much. You need us, too, and we're here. All you have to do is come back to us, sweetheart." She leaned in to kiss her sister's forehead. Her speech had been slowed by the overwhelming emotions produced by seeing Piper just lying there, and she paused several times to wipe away tears that wouldn't seem to stop coming. Now, her visitation time was up. "I love you," she said before departing.
She used the short trip back to the waiting room to dry her eyes. When she got there, her face just barely hinted of fresh tears. After taking her baby from Leo, she sat down next to Jack again, and he put his arms around her comfortingly, wordlessly encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder. She did.
Phoebe got up next, her turn having been decided in the same silent accord as Prue's. Briskly, she walked down to the unit where her sister was, anxious to see Piper's condition for herself. Met with the same sight as Prue had been, Phoebe was no less scared. She lay down next to Piper, hoping the comatose girl could feel her presence. "Hey, honey, it's me. I know you're in there somewhere. You need to hold on. If you go and die on us, I'll never forgive you." Phoebe had meant that last comment to be light-hearted, but as soon as she said it, she started to cry. At a loss for words, she buried her face in her sister's hair, and spent several minutes whispering how much she loved her. When her time was up, she kissed Piper good-bye, and walked shakily back to the waiting room.
Upon her return, she was surprised to find someone else waiting for her in the hallway. "Cole!" she exclaimed, surprised.
"Hi," he said, flashing her a half-smile. "I hope I'm not intruding, I just... Well, after we talked and everything, I couldn't stop thinking about you, so I wanted to come see if you were alright. How's your sister doing?"
"She's been moved to the ICU," Phoebe said quietly. Then on a brighter note, she grabbed his hand, leading him inside. "I want you to meet my family." She introduced him to her sisters and their men; as with Glen, they were polite but just barely responsive. Glen, as the other semi-stranger, looked up and nodded in recognition, so Cole took the chair next to his. Phoebe sat on Cole's other side.
It was now Paige's turn. Nervous, she took her time moving down the hall. Finally, she entered the unit and sat down next to her sick sister.
"Hey," she said softly. "It's Paige. But, um, I guess you can recognize my voice by now. Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm here. I'll be here when you wake up." She paused, but nothing happened. Piper didn't move. Paige, trying to ignore the tears that were making their way down her cheeks, continued. "Please, Piper, you have to wake up. I can't lose you now, just when I've started to really know you. Just when we've started to feel like sisters."
Paige looked around. The sight of tubes and machines hooked up to her sister made her sick. She hated hospitals; they reminded her of when her parents had died. She shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking of it. "No," she told herself, "Piper's not going to die." Even so, she couldn't stand being there any longer. She gave Piper one last kiss, then hurried out into the hallway.
Leo was the last person to visit Piper in the ICU. He sat on her bed, taking one of her hands in both of his. "I'm here, baby," he told her, kissing her forehead. "God, I wish you were here with me. I love you. There's so many people here that do. You can't leave us yet, Piper. There's still so much out there for you, so much you haven't done, so many people who need you. I need you." He paused, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. The harsh glare of the flourescent lights made the sight of Piper's seemingly lifeless body even harder to bear. He kissed her hand, then continued, his voice slightly strained. "Piper, if you can here me, you need to wake up. You need to come here, come back to me. We need to be together. I can't live without you. I want... I want you to marry me."
Piper's eyelids fluttered. She'd heard his voice, nearly every word, and had been fighting her way back to him. Finally, she'd succeeded. She opened her eyes, trying to get them to focus on him, and, in a hoarse whisper, asked, "What did you just say?"
He smiled, and kissed her, thrilled to see her awake. Piper, not seeming to know or care that she'd just come out of a coma, repeated her question anxiously.
His smile growing even wider, he told her what he'd been meaning to say for quite some time now. "Piper, I love you. I know you love me. I've always known we were perfect together; God, sometimes I think we know each other better than we know ourselves. I truly believe that we were meant to be together, so Piper, will you marry me?"
Piper, with tears in her eyes, pulled herself up to a sitting position. She nodded, a big smile on her face. "Yes."
****************
A/N: I meant for the P/L in this chapter to be longer, but it's hard writing that 'ship because there just so little chemistry between them on the show. I'll try extra hard for the next chapter, though. :)
A/N2: Now, you didn't really think I'd let Piper die, did you? Pfft. I wouldn't do that. Yet... ;P
A/N3: You can probably guess what chapter 100 is going to be. I've got a few songs that I think would be perfect for their wedding, but I can't decide which one to use, so let me know what you think of these: "The Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera (this is the one I'm thinking of going with); "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" by Bryan Adams (if I don't use this one next chapter, it'll definately go somewhere else in the fic); "After All" by Peter Cetera featuring Cher (I'm actually thinking of using this for the last chapter, whenever that happens).
~from the song "If You're Not The One" by Daniel Bedingfield~
I don't want to run away
But I can't take it
I don't understand
If I'm not made for you
Then why does my heart tell me that I am?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The silence in the waiting room persisted until at last Dr. Wilson came in. "There's not much more we can do. You can see her," he told the anxious group, "But only one at a time. And the baby has to stay here, it's hospital policy."
By unspoken agreement, Prue got to go first. Handing Aviva over to Leo, she followed the doctor down the hall.
She inaudibly gasped at the sight that greeted her from Piper's bed. Her sister was considerably paler than she had been just hours ago. Her thin frame looked even smaller in the large hospital bed, where she lay unmoving, unconscious. Slowly, Prue stepped toward her, seating herself on the edge of the bed.
"Hey, sweet girl," she said, stroking Piper's hair. Tears were brimming in Prue's eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. She continued, her voice taut. "Are you getting me back for those two weeks, when I was in a coma after the accident? Hey, at least I came back to you. You have to do the same for me, okay? I need you, and so do Phoebe, and Paige, and... and Aviva needs her Aunt Piper. She needs you to be there when she grows up, and to teach her to cook, because you know it would be a disaster if I even tried. God, Piper, we all need you for so much. You need us, too, and we're here. All you have to do is come back to us, sweetheart." She leaned in to kiss her sister's forehead. Her speech had been slowed by the overwhelming emotions produced by seeing Piper just lying there, and she paused several times to wipe away tears that wouldn't seem to stop coming. Now, her visitation time was up. "I love you," she said before departing.
She used the short trip back to the waiting room to dry her eyes. When she got there, her face just barely hinted of fresh tears. After taking her baby from Leo, she sat down next to Jack again, and he put his arms around her comfortingly, wordlessly encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder. She did.
Phoebe got up next, her turn having been decided in the same silent accord as Prue's. Briskly, she walked down to the unit where her sister was, anxious to see Piper's condition for herself. Met with the same sight as Prue had been, Phoebe was no less scared. She lay down next to Piper, hoping the comatose girl could feel her presence. "Hey, honey, it's me. I know you're in there somewhere. You need to hold on. If you go and die on us, I'll never forgive you." Phoebe had meant that last comment to be light-hearted, but as soon as she said it, she started to cry. At a loss for words, she buried her face in her sister's hair, and spent several minutes whispering how much she loved her. When her time was up, she kissed Piper good-bye, and walked shakily back to the waiting room.
Upon her return, she was surprised to find someone else waiting for her in the hallway. "Cole!" she exclaimed, surprised.
"Hi," he said, flashing her a half-smile. "I hope I'm not intruding, I just... Well, after we talked and everything, I couldn't stop thinking about you, so I wanted to come see if you were alright. How's your sister doing?"
"She's been moved to the ICU," Phoebe said quietly. Then on a brighter note, she grabbed his hand, leading him inside. "I want you to meet my family." She introduced him to her sisters and their men; as with Glen, they were polite but just barely responsive. Glen, as the other semi-stranger, looked up and nodded in recognition, so Cole took the chair next to his. Phoebe sat on Cole's other side.
It was now Paige's turn. Nervous, she took her time moving down the hall. Finally, she entered the unit and sat down next to her sick sister.
"Hey," she said softly. "It's Paige. But, um, I guess you can recognize my voice by now. Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm here. I'll be here when you wake up." She paused, but nothing happened. Piper didn't move. Paige, trying to ignore the tears that were making their way down her cheeks, continued. "Please, Piper, you have to wake up. I can't lose you now, just when I've started to really know you. Just when we've started to feel like sisters."
Paige looked around. The sight of tubes and machines hooked up to her sister made her sick. She hated hospitals; they reminded her of when her parents had died. She shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking of it. "No," she told herself, "Piper's not going to die." Even so, she couldn't stand being there any longer. She gave Piper one last kiss, then hurried out into the hallway.
Leo was the last person to visit Piper in the ICU. He sat on her bed, taking one of her hands in both of his. "I'm here, baby," he told her, kissing her forehead. "God, I wish you were here with me. I love you. There's so many people here that do. You can't leave us yet, Piper. There's still so much out there for you, so much you haven't done, so many people who need you. I need you." He paused, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. The harsh glare of the flourescent lights made the sight of Piper's seemingly lifeless body even harder to bear. He kissed her hand, then continued, his voice slightly strained. "Piper, if you can here me, you need to wake up. You need to come here, come back to me. We need to be together. I can't live without you. I want... I want you to marry me."
Piper's eyelids fluttered. She'd heard his voice, nearly every word, and had been fighting her way back to him. Finally, she'd succeeded. She opened her eyes, trying to get them to focus on him, and, in a hoarse whisper, asked, "What did you just say?"
He smiled, and kissed her, thrilled to see her awake. Piper, not seeming to know or care that she'd just come out of a coma, repeated her question anxiously.
His smile growing even wider, he told her what he'd been meaning to say for quite some time now. "Piper, I love you. I know you love me. I've always known we were perfect together; God, sometimes I think we know each other better than we know ourselves. I truly believe that we were meant to be together, so Piper, will you marry me?"
Piper, with tears in her eyes, pulled herself up to a sitting position. She nodded, a big smile on her face. "Yes."
****************
A/N: I meant for the P/L in this chapter to be longer, but it's hard writing that 'ship because there just so little chemistry between them on the show. I'll try extra hard for the next chapter, though. :)
A/N2: Now, you didn't really think I'd let Piper die, did you? Pfft. I wouldn't do that. Yet... ;P
A/N3: You can probably guess what chapter 100 is going to be. I've got a few songs that I think would be perfect for their wedding, but I can't decide which one to use, so let me know what you think of these: "The Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera (this is the one I'm thinking of going with); "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" by Bryan Adams (if I don't use this one next chapter, it'll definately go somewhere else in the fic); "After All" by Peter Cetera featuring Cher (I'm actually thinking of using this for the last chapter, whenever that happens).
~from the song "If You're Not The One" by Daniel Bedingfield~