Wow, I am really sorry about the lack of updates, especially after the end of the last chapter.  Well, here I am, with a new chapter for your enjoyment.  Or at least, I hope you'll enjoy it. 

I have been in such a good mood since DTM.  I was literally jumping around the house at the end of it, yelling nonsense words.  Oh, and "Death to Iris".  I think I said that a few times, too. 

Overall, people seem to be glad that I woke Adam up.  Maybe I should injure good-looking characters, leave them unconscious for almost six chapters, and then wake them up suddenly more often.  Heh.  I actually like this chapter, and I think it makes up for the lack of authoress-liking-the-chapter-ness that there's been for the past two chapters.  Plus, we get Adam's POV for the first time since chapter one.  Hoorah!

Uhm…that's all I think I'll say, since I don't want to waste too much of your time.  So…review responses then.  Yay for reaching 50 reviews!  Cookies for everyone!  *Tosses cookies to the peasant masses*

hgill:  YES!!!  I wanted her to be Tibby!  So now my favorite actress is going to play my favorite character in one of my favorite books!  Yay rah and stuff!  Thanks for the review!

AL:  I think without any humor, sadder stories would be just too depressing, so I love it as well. 

Allie:  Thanks!  As for Luke being the go-for, the way I see it, that's what guys are for.  Unless they're like Orlando Bloom, then all they need to do is sit there and look good.  A pet's name? Hmm…that might work.

Wiccan-One14:  I loved mixed blessings.  They're fun to write about.  That way, it's not all good, but not all bad, either.

HandsOff:  Well, I can think of lots of reasons for there to be much joyousness to be had, but if you're asking about what I *think* you're asking about, and then there is much joyousness because Adam doesn't stay with Iris.  I could be wrong about what you want to know, though, so if I am, please tell me, and I'll give you the answer to your real question.  Anyhoo, that's for the review!

LyssaBoot:  Yes, I have returned from my great odyssey.  I'm very proud of myself for waking Adam up as well, since I was tempted to kill him at the end of that chapter.  But it's all okay, because I didn't.  Now, that doesn't mean I won't kill him later…BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA…*cough* Sorry.

EmmyMik:  Yay for the review!  I'm glad you like the suspense.  About any God appearances, although Radio God is a very good idea, there won't be any of His appearances in this story.  So, if you're looking specifically for a story with God in it, this isn't one.  Still, I think it does pretty well without Him.  Oh, and I really liked you idea for a road name.  I'll decide which one I'll use in a few chapters.

Writer-always-and-forever:  Oh, but you have to update!  I love "Blessings Disguise."  Have I reviewed it, though?  I think not.  Well, I will, eventually.  Oh, but you read my chapter instead.  I see.  Well, that's okay then.  And, yeah, there is a bit of fluffy-ness to come.  Angst-fluff, though.  I like angst-fluff better than regular fluff.  I like your whole 'foreshadowing by merely naming a road' idea a lot.  Thanks for the review!

Jessica14:  That line is right up there with my favorite from this story.  Thank you for reviewing! 

RoswellianKitten:  You're my 50th review!  And for that, you get an extra cookie.  *Gives you another cookie, and throws confetti*

DISCLAIMER:  I own nothing.  Not even the Tivo that I record JOA with.  *sniffles* Oh, and please don't lynch me if people seem too OOC.  I think the Girardi parents might be a little bit.  Sorry in advance.

*        *        *        *

Soundtrack of Sorrow

Chapter Seven:  Dark Dreams

Adam hadn't felt this terrible for a long time.  In fact, he couldn't think of any times when he'd even been remotely close to being in so much pain.  He ached all over, and it felt like he'd been skewered.  Or at least he thought it felt like that, but he couldn't be sure, since he'd never actually been skewered before.  Also, it was difficult to get his thoughts straightened out.

Seeing wasn't coming too easily, either.  He saw a few fuzzy faces, but after so much darkness even the dim lighting hurt his eyes.

He made a mental list, trying to figure out if there was anything that *didn't* hurt.  He'd tried sitting up, and that had hurt, he'd tried talking, and that had hurt, too, and even breathing was bringing him pain.  That was probably a combination of the sharp pain in his chest, and the fact that his throat was dryer than it had ever been.

Clearly, someone was reading his mind.  Adam felt the plastic rim of a water bottle pressed against his lips, and heard a gently voice murmuring into his ear.  He didn't register what the voice was saying, but he recognized the voice itself, somehow.  Then in clicked.  Jane.  Jane was with him.  He relaxed considerably then, and let the cool water trickle down his parched throat.

Once again Adam tried to figure out what was going on.  He knew that he was hurt, and that Jane was with him.  That alone was a comforting thought.  For the first time he realized that he heard whispered voices, and that triggered something in his memory that he couldn't quite place. 

In a flash, everything came rushing back to him.  The voices on the radio, dozing off, and the truck, then Jane's terrified scream, which nearly tore his heart in half.  Blackness and pain had taken him after that, and he hadn't been aware of anything for what seemed like an eternity.  After that he remembered hearing Grace's voice, begging him to wake up, and he had tried, but just couldn't.  Grace had cried, he was sure of it, and he had felt terrible for scaring her so much.  But not even the frigid waters had fully woken him. He had been cold up until recently, and had caught snatches of conversation, but nothing more.  He came close to waking when someone had moved him, but his awareness had remained far away.

All of this was too much to handle at one time.  He breathed in deeply, trying to clear his foggy mind, but this proved to be a mistake.  He erupted into coughing fit, which hurt more than everything else put together.  The sense of time escaped him, and he wasn't sure of how long he had been coughing, or when it would stop. 

After a while, though, it did.  The pain eased away a little, but never completely left him. Adam succumbed to the exhaustion that was creeping over his body, and slipped into an uneasy slumber.

*        *        *

"Is he okay now?" Joan asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Grace replied, just as shaken as Joan.  "He's still breathing, so..."

"Yeah," Joan said absentmindedly, watching Adam's face carefully.  "Yeah.  That's good."

Luke remained silent.  All three were terrified beyond measure.  Adam had woken, and spoken briefly, but had responded to very little after that.  He had nearly come to when Joan had spoken to him, and had taken a bit of water, but nothing else.  After that he had started murmuring, and seemed to be struggling to wake up, but no one was entirely sure of what was going on inside his head.  Then he had gone into a horrible coughing fit, that hadn't stopped for several minutes.

For one dreadful moment they had thought that they'd lost him, since he didn't seem to be breathing.  But Joan had noticed the shallow, ragged breaths that he was taking, and his barely existing pulse.

Now he was asleep, and all three were thankful of the fact.  It was better for him to be asleep and away from the pain, than for him to be awake and suffering because of it.

His reprieve from consciousness didn't last long, however.  Not even half an hour later, Adam was once again struggling to wake, Joan was by his side, as always, and spoke to him softly.  His eyes opened slowly, and focused on her face.

"Jane," he said, watching her.  "What happened?" He shifted a bit, but clearly even the slightest movement brought him pain.

"Don't try to sit up," Joan told him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He obeyed her command, but repeated his question.  "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Joan asked him.  Adam thought for a moment.

"The truck," he said finally.

"Truck?  What truck?" Joan asked, confused.

"The one that hit us," Adam explained his voice a little shaky.  Joan nodded, and caught the glances of Grace and Luke.  Things were starting to make more sense. 

"How do you feel?" Joan asked, turning her gaze back to Adam.

"Not good," he told her, with a slight grimace.

"I'm not surprised," Joan said, narrowing her eyes.  "Let's not go off-roading again anytime soon."

"Unchallenged," he murmured, closing his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them he noticed the towel that Grace had found the day before.  The rather bloody towel.  A billion things flashed through his mind, and he registered for the first time where they were, and the kind of state he was truly in.  Joan saw where his gaze was directed, and sighed.

"Is it bad?" Adam asked her quietly.

"Yeah, it is," Joan said sadly, "but you'll be okay.  We'll figure out how to get home soon."

Adam smiled slightly at the note of hope in her voice, even though he didn't quite believe what she was saying.  "So what happened?"

Grace crouched down beside him, and addressed her long-time friend for the first time.

"You got a windshield wiper rammed through your chest," she told him, "and scared me more than I've ever been in my life in the process."

"I'm glad I don't remember that," Adam said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Grace said, all but glaring at him, "and I *know* that has to hurt, so don't you dare try and pretend that it doesn't." Joan nodded in agreement.  Luke was still sitting at the front of the cave, lost in thought.

Adam started to nod as well, but even something as simple as that was painful.  Maybe he should just abandon the thought of moving totally.  Too bad he still had to breathe…

Grace noticed the pained expression of Adam's face, and her expression softened.

"You should try and rest some more," she said, motioning to Joan to grab the water bottle again, "but drink something else first, okay?"

Before Adam could agree, Joan was once again helping him to swallow another mouthful of the bottled water.  He shut his eyes again, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Grace sighed heavily.  "What do we do now?" she asked.

"There's not a lot that we can do," Luke said, glancing over at her.  "We can't go anywhere, and we don't even know if anyone has realized that we're gone."

"So we wait?" Joan questioned, even though she didn't need an answer.  The only thing she didn't know was what they were waiting for.

*        *        * 

*Earlier that morning*

Helen Girardi sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping a cup of coffee.  She had almost grown accustom to the quiet of the house.  Kevin had moved out a few months ago, and Joan and Luke were still on their little trip with Grace and Adam.  She expected them to be back sometime within the next two days.

Just then, her husband walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"The kids aren't back yet?" he asked.  Helen shook her head. 

"Not yet," she told him, "but they will be soon."

At that moment the phone rang, ending the briefing conversation.  Helen picked it up while Will searched for his keys.

"Hello?" she said, twisting the phone cord around her fingers.

"Helen?  It's Carl," came the reply of Carl Rove.  "Have you heard from Joan or Luke?"

"No, I haven't," she told him. Suddenly dismayed by the thought.  Shouldn't they have at least called to say they were on their way?  "Why?" she asked.  "What's wrong?"

"I can't get a hold of Adam," Carl explained, "and I called Mr. Polonski, and he hasn't heard from Grace either."

Helen cast a worried gaze towards her husband, who looked back at her, confused.

"I'll try to call Joan," Helen said to Carl, "I told her to keep her phone on, and she keeps it with her.  Unless she lost it again, which is possible?  But I'm sure the others just have theirs off.  She'll have them call you."

After exchanging good byes, Helen hung up the phone and turned to her husband.

"What's going on?" Will asked her.  Helen had already picked the phone back up and was dialing Joan's cell phone number.

"Adam and Grace haven't called home yet," she said quickly, bringing the phone up to her ear.  "I'm calling Joan to check up on them."

Underneath a twisted pile of metal that had once been the back half of a car, a cell phone was ringing.

*        *        *        *

You like?  I hope so.  Just to let you know, there isn't a lot left.  There are ten chapters altogether, and I have a little less than half of the tenth one left to write.  Yay for finishing a long story!  Rejoicing, as in townspeople!  I think you'll really like these last few chapters.  They're definitely my favorites.

Please review and maybe I can get the last few chapters up sooner.  No promises, though.  I'll be really busy all the way through May, because I referee soccer.  I'll try really hard, though.

~Cop~