10.00am

"Hey guys." called Vivian breathlessly as she rushed over to Danny and Martin, "Are Sam's family here?"

"Yep, they are in her room." said Danny. "The doc told them how she is and everything, and we told them about, well everything else."

Vivian cringed, "How did they take it?" she asked.

"I think they're still in shock." said Martin.

"I just can't stop thinking about what Van doren said about Sam's dad." said Vivian. "Did you guys really have no idea?"

"I didn't." said Martin.

"I had my suspicions." said Danny. "But whenever I tried to talk to her she would immediately change the subject."

"Poor Sam. How did she manage not talking to anyone." wondered Danny.

"Samantha never used to like to talk about things."

The three FBI agents whirled around to see Mrs. Harris. "John's just gone to get some coffee. Anyway, as a kid she was always so strong willed and everything. She would keep her feelings hidden, I see she hasn't changed much."

Vivian smiled gently, "When I first met her I noticed that she was very independent straight away."

"You know about her father, Liam?"

"Yeah we just found out." said Martin.

"Didn't Samantha tell you?" asked Nicole.

The others shook their heads.

"Well that just proves what I just said." Nicole smiled. "She hated feeling pitied or patronized or anything like that. When he would get abusive, she would always play down her pain and look after her mom."

"That sounds like Samantha." said Danny. "Putting others before her."

"One time it got too much for her..."

"Is that when she tried to run away?" asked Martin.

Nicole nodded, "I almost didn't go after her, thinking she would be free but then I realized she never would be. She was only 17 too young to have to try and survive on her own. And I realized that he would keep looking for her and that would just make it worse for her. So I

drove around looking for her and convinced her to come home."

"If you don't mind me asking, what made Sam try to run?" asked Vivian.

Nicole sighed, "Well Liam was incredibly drunk, and uhh Samantha had been out with this guy that Liam didn't really approve of and she was only 5 minutes late. Anyway he was so angry, he kept yelling, he was

saying horrible things..." She closed her eyes lost in the memory. "Ummm so I tried to get him to shut up and he hit me. So that got Samantha mad, so she tried to stop him and he just completely went off at her, kept hitting her, throwing things and I couldn't stop him he was just too strong. He eventually got tired, and passed out from the alcohol on the sofa. God, I'd never seen him so violent. Samantha was covered in bruises, she was in so much pain. Samantha ran upstairs and locked herself in her room, she wouldn't let me in, so I went downstairs and I went back up about 20 minutes later, the door was

unlocked and the window was open. She'd left a note on the bed. I just sat there, reading it over and over again. Then I went out to find her."

Danny, Martin and Vivian stood in shock after hearing the story.

"Oh God. I'm so sorry. That must have been terrible." said Vivian.

"What was terrible?" asked John coming up behind them carrying coffee.

"Just talking about the past." said Nicole. "Thanks." Taking a cup of coffee.

"Did any of you want coffee?" John asked.

"No thanks I'm good." said Danny.

"Same." said Vivian and Martin.

Nicole sighed. "Hope she wakes up soon."

12.00pm

The hours had passed incredibly slowly. The group sitting in the waiting area sat anxiously, looking up every time a doctor or nurse walked passed in hope. Nicole sat next to John the two sharing concerned glances every few minutes.

"Umm she will be ok when she wakes up won't she?" asked Nicole.

"She will be. However incidents like this can take a long time to get over, depending on the person." said Vivian.

"Samantha's strong she'll be alright." said Danny. "You know her."

"I haven't seen her in so long." Nicole sighed "I really wish we had stayed in contact more. We just kind of drifted apart."

"Honey, when she wakes up, you will have plenty of time." said John, holding Nicole's hand.

"I'm sure Sam will want that." said Martin.

"I hope so." said Nicole.

A cough from next to them startled them. "Hello." said the doctor "I've got some good news."

"She's awake?" said Martin excitedly.

"Well not quite, but we've been able to remove the oxygen mask, as she can fully breathe on her own now. And we can expect her to wake up any time now, if any of you want to sit in her room to be there when she

wakes up, please go ahead."

"That's great news!" said Vivian.

"Thank you so much." said Nicole.

"You're welcome." said the doctor.

"I gotta call Jack." said Vivian.

"I'm gonna see Samantha." said Nicole. "Anyone else coming?"

"I will." said Martin.

"I think I'll stay here for a bit. Don't want to crowd Sam." said

Danny.

"I'll stay too." said John.

Martin and Nicole walked cautiously into Samantha's room.

"God, look at her." said Nicole a few tears slipping down her face.

"I know it looks bad, but it will heal." said Martin. "Hey look, I think she's moving." Martin and Nicole rushed to either side of Sam's bed.

They heard a low moan. "Samantha?" asked Nicole.

Martin internally froze, remembering just a few hours earlier just before Samantha flat lined. Please don't let anything like that happen again. He prayed to himself.

"Sam?" he said, holding onto Samantha's hand.

Samantha slowly opened her eyes, wincing as the bright light shone in her eyes.

"Samantha? Can you hear me?" asked Nicole.

"Mom?" said Samantha in a quiet voice.

"Yeah. Its me sweetie. Martin's here too."

"Martin?" she said, turning her head to look at him.

"Hi Sam. How you feeling?"

"Ok. Are Danny and Viv here?" she asked trying to look around but wincing in pain.

"Sam lie still, they're just outside." said Martin.

"I'll get them." said Nicole.

"Thanks." said Martin. "Sam do you want anything?"

"I'm ok, just hurts a bit. When did my mom get here?"

"A few hours ago. Viv called her."

"Did she bring John?"

"Yes, he's outside too."

"Sam?" said Danny as he came into the room closely followed by Vivian.

"Hey guys."

"Its great to see you awake. Your mom's gone to tell the doctor." said Vivian.

"What happened to Riley?" asked Samantha quietly in a scared voice.

"He's in jail." said Danny. "He can't hurt you anymore."

The doctor burst through the door. "Good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts a bit, and my shoulder."

"Ok. We'll get you some medication."

"How long will I have to stay in here?" Samantha asked.

"At least a week. We need to make sure you're 100 healed. Now Samantha needs her rest. I suggest you all go get some lunch."

"But I just woke up." objected Sam.

"We don't want you over tiring yourself. I'll give you 5 minutes then." said the doctor.

"We'll let you get some rest then Sam." said Vivian dragging Danny and Martin out the door. "I'm sure your mom wants to see you for a bit."

Once outside they sat on the chairs to wait for Nicole who had gone to see Samantha briefly.

Danny heard a small sniffle coming from Martin's direction.

"Hey Marty, you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just glad she's ok."

"Hey sweetie." said Nicole.

"Hey mom." said Samantha.

"Are you honestly alright?"

Samantha nodded, "Yeah." and smiled a tight lipped smile.

"Why haven't you called?" asked Nicole. "Especially after you were shot."

"Did they tell you about that?"

Nicole nodded. "So why didn't you call."

"You haven't really made an effort yourself. This will be the first time I've met John, and I found out you were married a month after it happened."

"I am sorry, there were circumstances."

Samantha winced as she shifted in the narrow bed.

"Are you sure you're ok? Do you remember what Riley did?"

Samantha closed her eyes and saw a flash of Riley standing over her, with his manic grin and brandishing his knife. She immediately opened

her eyes, "Yeah I remember." she said a dark look coming into her eyes.

"Umm the other Agents also know about your father, and everything."

"Who told them?" Samantha asked angrily

"I don't know." said Nicole. "Isn't it better that they know?"

"I don't know." Samantha mumbled.

"If you need to talk I'm here you know."

"No its ok." Samantha turned over. "I'm quite tired now."

"Ok. Get some rest, we'll come back later." Nicole walked out, closed the door and turned the lights off.

Samantha closed her eyes to get some rest, but saw James Riley's face behind her closed eyelids. She lay huddled in the dark room, eyes wide open, too scared to close them with silent tears pouring down her face.

1.00pm

"Do you have a hotel to stay at?" asked Vivian.

Nicole and John shook their heads.

"There's a good one, just round the corner from here. You can't miss it, big stone pillars in the front. Sorry I've forgotten the name."

"We'll go and sort out the rooms then." said Nicole. "See you later."

"Bye." said Danny and Martin.

Nicole and John walked down the corridor holding hands.

"So what do we do now?" asked Martin.

Vivian sighed. "We have to help Samantha when she's properly awake."

"Do you think the doctor would mind if I just went back to see her

quickly?" asked Martin.

"Not if you're quick and he doesn't know about it. We'll keep watch." said Danny.

"Thanks." said Martin smiling gratefully as he ducked back in to

Samantha's room. The sound he heard caused his heart to wrench in pain. He heard soft sobs coming from Samantha.

"Samantha?" he said turning on the light.

"Hey." said Samantha in a shaky voice.

"What's wrongs? Don't say nothing cuz I know its not nothing." he said crossing the room to sit next to her.

"It's just, every time I close my eyes I can see him. I was so scared. I thought you'd never find me." she broke off into small sobs again.

"Sam, calm down you're shaking." he said holding her hand. "He can't hurt you here. You're fine here."

"I can still feel him hurting me! Oh God, what he did. He's haunting

me, I can still see him..." she broke off breathing hard.

"Sam! Snap out of it. He's not here. I just need to get Viv ok?"

"Don't let him get me, please?" said Sam her eyes half closed as if she was half asleep.

Martin rushed into the hall. "I think you need to come in" he said to

Danny and Vivian.

"She keeps seeing him, she thinks he's still here. What do we do?" said Martin frantically.

"Ok, Danny get the doctor. Tell him she keeps seeing Riley." said

Vivian, walking over to Sam's bed.

"Hey Sam, do you know where you are?"

"Viv?"

"Yeah its me. Do you?"

"I don't know. I'm so confused. He was here."

"Samantha. You're imagining things. He's not here. He will never hurt you again. Ok?"

"I couldn't stop him, I tried but I couldn't. It's all my fault, I'm so

sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about, you understand? And it

wasn't your fault." said Vivian.

"Ok." Samantha sighed. "I'm so tired."

"You need to sleep." said Martin.

"I can't! I keep seeing him." said Samantha getting agitated again.

"Samantha, the doctor will give you something so you don't see him ok?"

The doctor came in holding a syringe.

"I just need to give her this sedative. It will help her sleep

peacefully."

Marin cringed and looked away as the doctor injected Samantha with the fluid. Within a few minutes she was lying asleep.

"She really needs her rest." said the doctor.

"Yeah. We'll go now." said Vivian.

"She'll get better, won't she?" said Danny.

"She just needs time." said the doctor. "But she will."

"We should go back to the office and fill Jack in." said Vivian.