Jamie's recovery was a slow one. She was heavily sedated and slept most of the first week after her surgery. Even after her respirator tube was removed the day after she woke from the coma she did not have the energy to speak more then a word or two at a time.

Landon spent the majority of his time at the hospital. He sat next to Jamie's bed studying while she slept and talking or reading to her when she was awake.

Final exams were upon them and while Jamie had been exempted from them, her grade coming from her final classroom mark, Landon still needed to sit the exams. Now that the future looked a little brighter he was determined to do well. He would not be satisfied with just a pass as he had in the past. It wasn't just his life anymore after all; it was Jamie's as well.

There seemed to be an arrangement that Landon was not let in on concerning visitors. It could be anywhere between 10 o-clock in the morning to eleven at night someone would come in and order him out to go home and sleep or study and they would sit with Jamie. She was never left alone. Landon was not sure who was arranging it all but he was grateful.

It was 3 o-clock on the Monday following Jamie's surgery when Dean came sauntering into the room. He motioned with his thumb over his shoulder to the door, "out." He ordered.

Landon couldn't keep a straight face. "You have got to be kidding me?" he laughed.

"Why is everyone so surprised. Tracie and Belinda have had a turn and so has Eric, I'm a friend too, so why shouldn't I come in and do my part?" He looked serious so Landon proceeded cautiously.

"It's just a lot of sitting around is all," he motioned over to Jamie who was sleeping. "She sleeps a lot and when she's awake she can't talk much, it's painful and she doesn't have the energy. So you have to do all the talking or just read out loud."

Dean held up a couple of magazines he had rolled up in his hand. "I borrowed some of Trace's Cosmo. And I can talk. What are you scared of, man? That I am gonna turn into the bogey man, tell her all kinds of stories about you, make fun of her?"

They were both silent for a minute. Dean was the one to break it. "Look, I wasn't your friend when you needed me to be, let me be one now. I know that this has to be almost as hard for you as it is for Jamie." He shook his head sadly; "all I keep thinking is what if that were Tracie lying there? I've treated her like shit, she deserves better then that."

Landon laid his hand on his friends shoulder, "it's never too late. Think of how I treated Jamie and she forgave me. Tracie loves you, she'll do the same."

"Yeah, and only God knows why." Dean said with a laugh plopping down in the chair closest to Jamie's bed.

Landon began to gather up his schoolbooks from the makeshift desk he had made out of Jamie's bedside table. "What time do you want me to back at?"

"You have the night off, Reverend Sullivan is coming in after dinner. He said something about going out to dinner with a friend. He wanted you to study and get a decent nights sleep."

Landon smiled to himself knowing very well whom the friend Reverend Sullivan was going out with. He and Hope had been spending a lot of time together, going for coffee in the cafeteria on her breaks and she even came back sometimes in the evenings to sit with the Reverend and Jamie. It all appeared perfectly innocent, two old friends getting to know one another again after many years but Landon wondered if maybe it would progress to something more.

"All right, man, I'm off." He told Dean after he leaned down to kiss Jamie good bye. "Tell Jamie I will be back first thing tomorrow morning when she wakes up." He left the room chuckling as Dean began to read out loud from Cosmo, "The top ten ways to please your man in bed." Raising his eyebrows at Landon, "I think this is going to be an educational afternoon."

With everyday that passed Jamie was getting stronger. She was no longer so heavily sedated and she had a little more energy. She could sit up in bed and have a conversation that lasted more then a minute, which delighted Landon more then anything. During the week following her surgery he had not realized how much he missed her voice, the quirky little comments she made and most of all her laugh.

On the day that final exam marks were released Landon was the first person in line when they were posted on the school bulletin board. Quickly scanning them he ran to the parking lot and drove to the hospital in record time.

He could hardly contain his excitement as he burst into the room. He had done better then he could have ever imagined and he could not wait to tell Jamie.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her empty bed. A million different scenarios flashed before his eyes in a matter of seconds and not one of them was good.

He turned quickly when he heard a rustling sound in the corner and there stood Jamie, in her faded pink housecoat supported by two orderlies. Landon face broke into a smile as he hurried towards her. Jamie though looked disappointed.

"I wanted to surprise you." She told him, "You're earlier then I expected."

"You're doing great." He said hugging her gently then taking her arm from one of the orderlies. "Plus I have good news of my own. Final marks are out."

"How did you do?" she asked a little breathlessly as they began to walk slowly back to the bed.

"We'll get you settled back in bed and then I'll tell you." He promised. "I am way too excited for you to get worn out now."

When she was helped back into bed and agreed to take another short walk that afternoon they were left alone. She squealed and clapped her hands when Landon told her his average. "I knew you could do it," she said her smile lighting up her whole face, "all you needed was to believe in yourself."

Taking her hand in his he kissed her palm before looking up at her, "I would never gotten there if you hadn't believed in me first."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she squeezed his hand. "I love you."

"I love you." He helped her settle back comfortably into bed. "Now we have a future to plan."