Thanks again for being so patient with this. No excuses this time, I just plain forgot! And, now I've finally finished this I can tell you that it is 22 chapters long, so you've got 7 to go! Enjoy, and review!

Nina

While You Were Sleeping

Part 15

A gasp

Chandler felt the air surging into his body; he felt the rush of emotions that came with that one breath. He felt a rush as he experienced tastes long forgotten to him. He continued to breathe short, sharp gasps that eventually began to satisfy his thirst. As more and more ir filled his body, he felt his brain begin to work again. He could feel his mind starting to question his surroundings, wonder why he was lying on crisp, white sheets when he had last lain on a floor, a familiar floor. After IT had happened.

Suddenly the door banged open and Chandler saw Ross walk in and sit down without realising his friend was now awake. Chandler watched, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal himself, when Ross quietly began to sob, burying his head deep into his hands.

"Things can't be that bad", he heard himself say, almost to himself. He watched, a small smile on his face, as Ross leapt out of his seat and darted his eyes in Chandler's direction.

"You're … you're … you're … you're awake!" Ross exclaimed finally, after several seconds of simply leaving his mouth open.

Chandler grinned, turning to a grimace as a wave of pain hit him, "Well noticed. You were always good with your deduction and observation skills", he saw Ross relax slightly and as he resumed his seat, Chandler took it as a good sign and continued, "Erm … why exactly am I here? Was it at least exciting? Oh God, I didn't just fall over did I? Where's Monica? Has she gone for a drink? I guess she got bored of just watching me lie here, huh? Sorry, one question at a time" he sat back and waited for Ross' answers. Instead he watched as Ross' face became confused, and then finally shocked.

"Don't you remember anything about … about it?"

Chandler shook his head, a bemused smile on his face.

"You were … you were shot – " Ross began. As he told Chandler the tale he paused only to give his friend a moment when he spoke of Phoebe's death. Allowing him the time to attempt to deal with the shock. He finally finished over half an hour later.

Chandler stayed silent, simply watching Ross as the thoughts pulsated through his brain. Phoebe was dead. Murdered. Joey, his best friend Joey, was about to go the same way. Monica was probably dead. His soul mate was almost certainly gone. Someone had taken everything from him and he needed to know who.

"Who?" he said simply.

Ross paused and looked down at his hands as he mumbled the answer. Just loud enough for Chandler to hear,

"Monica"

--------------------

"Monica E Geller"

Monica stepped forward as he name was called. Silently she collected her post, three standard brown envelopes. One she assumed was from her father. Her mother hadn't contacted her since she's been arrested, Monica didn't blame her. She walked quickly towards a corner of the yard when she hoped she wouldn't be disturbed. She read her fathers note, full of promises that she'd be out soon, promises that she'd be given a lenient sentence. Smiling she folded the letter and placed it delicately in her inside pocket. She knew as well as her father did that the judge would not be lenient. The public wouldn't stand for it.

She slowly picked up her second letter and smiled even wider as she recognised Ross' neat handwriting. Like her mother, Ross had practically severed all ties with her in the weeks following her arrest. At least contact meant he was finally coming to terms with it. She ripped open his letter and gazed in disappointment at the two lines hastily scrawled on hospital paper.

"Chandler's off the sedation. Was asking after you. Just thought you should know,

Ross"

Chandler was asking after her, the pleasure that thought gave her was dashed when she realised that he would know now. He would understand that she was the one who had put him in the hospital in the first place. She was the monster who had forced him to watch as she killed his friends. She was the person you had taken pleasure in shooting them all, one by one. How could any person ever accept that? Even she, months on, couldn't fully accept that she had done it. She was legally guilty of the crime but someone deep inside she still questioned it.

Brushing those thoughts away, she knew they would achieve nothing, not now. Not when her fate was already sealed. Shaking her head quickly she opened her third letter, expecting the regular junk she usually received from her lawyer. She skimmed over the opening paragraph but as her eyes came to rest on the middle paragraph she felt the breath being forced from her body,

"Sentencing begins tomorrow. The prosecution is recommending the death penalty, I think the judge agrees"

Death

A life for a life

A shout?

No use

A scream?

Pointless

A struggle

Why?

A life

Fair?