Chapter one by itself was waaaay too short… I didn't realize just how short until it was posted up. Sorry. So, here's a little more:

Daria was shaking all over as she drove to the hospital. Jane was hurt; badly. What was going to happen? What if Jane… 'Stop it, Morgendorffer.' She chided herself. 'She'll be alright. She'll be just fine.'

Trent was sitting in the passenger seat. He had stopped crying but now he was sitting slumped over, looking totally defeated.

'His little sister is in trouble; and this time there is nothing her big brother can do to help.' Daria thought, taking quick glance at him. Jane had told her before how much they meant to each other. Jane and Trent were undoubtedly the closest of the Lane children.

When they pulled into the hospital parking lot, Daria parked in the first spot she saw, and at first neither of them moved.

"Daria… I'm scared." Trent said quietly after a moment.

Daria reached over and put her hand on top of his. "Me too, Trent."

He looked up at her with sad, but grateful eyes and squeezed her hand. "Thanks for doing this... It means a lot."

Daria wasn't sure what to say. Words, normally her strong suit, were not coming easily at the moment. "I'm just glad you called me." She took a deep, steadying breath. "Come on," she said, squeezing his hand one last time and opening her door. "Let's go in and see about Jane."

They walked into the hospital reception room still holding on to each other, both too afraid to let go of the other. A plump older woman sat at the desk and looked up as they entered.

"May I help you?" She addressed her question to Trent, but it was Daria who answered, knowing Trent was frazzled enough.

"We're here to see Jane Lane. She came into the ER... a car accident." Daria kept her voice as calm as possible, even though she wanted to run though the hospital looking for her friend.

"Let's see," the woman started looking though files on the computer. "Ah, here she is," She declared after a few minutes of searching. "She still in surgery, but you can go wait in the 5th floor waiting room and the doctor will find you there. But I need you to sign in here." She added handing them a clipboard half filled with names of other hospital visitors. Daria took the pen and fought to still her hand long enough to write her name. Trent took the pen silently and wrote his name quickly, handing it back to the plump lady when he was done.

"The elevators are just around the corner," she said, with a small smile at their worried faces. "I'm sure you're friend will be alright" she added, with a cheery, supposed to be reassuring smile, but it didn't help.

"Why is it taking so long?" Trent burst out after they had sat in the waiting room for forty-five minutes with not so much as a scrap of news. Daria didn't answer. The wait and lack of news was driving them both crazy. Trent put his hands over his face again.

"This is all my fault," He said through his hands.

"How can this be your fault? You didn't put the idiot in his car."

"But I put Janey there." He dropped his hands, and Daria could see self-loathing on his face. "She asked if I would drive her, but Jesse and I were up late last night practicing, so I told her to take my car."

Daria didn't understand. "So? Jane is perfectly capable of driving."

"But if I had been driving…" He started, but Daria cut him off, seeing his point.

"I you had been driving then I would be sitting here alone worrying about two of my friends." She snapped. She wasn't angry at him, but the thought of having them both hurt, or worse, brought the previously pushed back tears back to the surface.

"But Janey might not have been hurt..." Trent said quietly.

"Then she'd be sitting here worrying over you. Don't you see Trent, no matter how it could have worked out, this is how it did. Now all we can do is hope that Jane will be alright." Daria swallowed hard to keep from crying.

Trent knew he had upset her now, and looking over he saw her eyes brimming with tears. This was the most emotion he had ever seen her show, and in a way it frightened him, yet at the same time, he knew he was seeing the real Daria, not the mask she put up for everyone else's benefit. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders again.

"Jane's lucky to have you as a friend, Daria." He said, hugging her to him. "And so am I."

Daria smiled a little as the tears started to fall.

Yes, sappy I know… but hey it's a stressful time..

Enjoy berating me with reviews…

Kai