Oh, yes we were! We're HERE, aren't we? And how DARE you waste that good fortune by simply giving up? Shame on you. Shame on you! SHAME on you! The worst of it is, you allowed an old fool like me to believe I was needed... that I still had a purpose... and do you know what? You were right. And I'm going to go on believing it. And I, for one, am not going to die here!

-Dinosaur

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They were at the hospital. She didn't realize it but she was holding her breath. Then she would let it out and suck it in again.

'Sheis trying to prepare herself,' Ryan reflected to himself. She didn't even have a clue how much she was fidgeting with her rings on her hands and her eyes glanced at her boys so much he was surprised she wasn't dizzy.

"Kirsten, I want to go in first, if that's okay with you," Ryan said softly. Actually he didn't, but he wanted to make sure Sandy looked okay, cause if he looked like a zombie stuck with tubes coming out everywhere he wouldn't let her go see him.

She looked like twenty-pounds were lifted off of her. "That's fine with me Ryan."

He motioned to Seth who looked frightened out of his mind and they entered the room.

Ryan looked at Sandy for the first time in two days. He looked like he was sleeping as if he would wake up any moment, look at him and tell him "I could do worse."

There were no horrible tubes sticking out in all directions, really just his IV line was all that Ryan could see. He looked at Seth. Seth looked grief stricken. He looked at Ryan "I think mom can handle this, he doesn't look so bad, as long as we'rehere . . ." Seth trailed off moving closer to his dad.

Ryan went out and saw Kirsten looking at him anxiously. He reached for her, wrapping an arm around her waist and guided her in the room to see her husband. She put her hands over her mouth and gasped softly. Ryan tightens his hold on her but he led her to the chair that Seth had placed by his bedside. She sat down and reached for his hand. "Hey baby, its me," she whispered so softly she doubted he heard it. No one noticed Sandy's vitals had been dangerously high, and as soon as she grabbed his hand and said those words to him they dropped into the safety zone.

Ryan pulled up a chair along Kirsten and Seth sat across from them. They stared at Sandy and Seth and Ryan exchanged looks, "Seth and I are going to run to the cafeteria real quick, what would you like?"

She looked at him gratefully, "Something to drink would be fine Ryan."

He nodded and leaned over kissing her on the temple before he whispered, "We will be right back." Seth watched his mother lean into Ryan and close her eyes briefly.

They understood her need for wanting to be alone, but they also made sure she knew they were readily available in case she needed anything.

Seth hugged his mother quickly before exiting.

She watched them leave before smiling at Sandy, "Honey you would be so proud of our boys, especially Ryan, they're being so strong for us. I miss you Sandy . . ."

A young, blond doctor breezed in a few minutes later with a small smile on his face as he greeted her. "Mrs. Cohen? I'm Dr. Alex Rudley, I treated your husband when he came in." Kirsten jumped up and shook his hand asking how he was.

"Mr. Cohen should be fine, but with the amount of blood that he has lost, the traumatic stress, he has slipped into a coma. He could wake up today, tomorrow, or its possible he may never wake up again."

Kirsten swallowed. She took in this new information.

"However, his vitals are strong, his will to live is obviously strong, and with you to come home to, I'm putting some faith that he will pull out of this," he tried to make her feel better. "Quiet frankly I was worried with how many times he coded on us, normally there is damage, to the brain, the heart, and other organs, but everything seems normal, and the only way I can do a full diagnostic is when he wakes up."

If, he wakes up.

'This doctor was optimistic, or he has a very serious crush on me,' she thought. She voted for the optimistic option.

"Its up to him now Mrs. Cohen. Please remember, I am hopeful, but this can go either way, he isn't totally out of the clear yet..."

"Please call me Kirsten."

He lowered his voice to a whisper, "I want to see something Kirsten, it's just a hunch, and I'm probably wrong but do me a favor. Tell Sandy that you will be back in a few minutes, and give it a minute and come back into the room, take his hand and tell him your back. I want to see something."

She looked at him quizzically but followed his directions, walking over to Sandy, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, telling him she wanted to check on the boys and walked outside, giving the doctor the weirdest look he had yet to receive.

Sandy's vitals almost shot through the roof.

The doctor smiled to himself. He had been right. This man might be in a coma fighting for his life, but he was very aware of when his wife was around, which meant he could hear them. The more she talked to him the more likely he was able to make a full recovery, no side effects. He had read about this happening.

She waited outside for about two minutes and walked back in. The doctor was grinning and he nodded to her making herself known in the room with him. When she walked over to his sleeping form she leaned over again and kissed his forehead telling him she was back. Sandy's vitals went from being agitated to the relaxed where they should be. "The safe zone," he liked to call it.

"Kirsten. He can hear you. He knows when you're near!" Alex was excited about this, for this was good news.

"How do you know that?"

"His vitals go down when you enter the room. He can sense you. Which is good. He can relax and not stress his body out and the more you talk to him, reassure him, the more likely he is to come out of this coma."

She smiled. Only her Sandy would be able to excite a doctor and know when she was in the room even when he was in some indeterminate state. She should have known that however. Her memory was jogged to many nights when she had lain awake and knowing he was out cold and yet if she shivered he would draw the blankets up around her more, and would pull her more tightly against him, placing a tender, reassuring kiss on her shoulder. She knew he hadn't woken up.

"I believe that Doctor. My husband is an extraordinary man," she says softly smiling for the first time in two days.

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