Author's Note: Thank you all for your lovely reviews. They really make me feel special and also help getting the chapters out faster. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the others. I really have no idea where I'm going with this so it could be a bit hit and miss. Also, my medical knowledge consists of what I know from TV so I wouldn't be surprised if it's very wrong.

Chapter 2

I don't know how long we stood there like that, drawing comfort from each others presence. An old lady flipping, restlessly through a magazine studied us carefully, throwing me a smile as if to say "It's going to be okay, stick together and you'll be fine."

"Mr and Mrs McCoy?" I heard someone question behind me. I slowly start to turn around in Danny's arms, my eyes flicking to Danny's for a second. He nodded slightly. We were going to go through with this.

"Yes," he answers tightly, obviously keen to get this over with.

I finally lay eyes on the doctor as he takes a step back, obviously a little startled Danny's tone. The doctor's young and good-looking, he can't be any older than me and Danny. I can tell he's slightly intimidated by Danny. Everyone always is the first time they meet him. Sam thinks its all about his height, his blatant good looks and the fact that Danny carries himself with such obvious confidence. I'm not so sure. I can't imagine myself ever being intimidated by Danny.

Jamie is hovering just behind the doctor, a smile on her face as she winks at me.

Shaking his head slightly, seemingly to get over his initial feelings the doctor starts to talk. "I'm Doctor O'Connor, I was the doctor working on your father. It appears Mr McCoy, that your father was a victim of a head on collision. He's suffered a broken leg, shattered pelvis, back injuries and severe head trauma."

I can't stifle my gasp as the information hits. I feel Danny's arms tighten around me, his entire body tensing behind me.

"At the moment we have induced your father into a coma. We believe this will keep him stable for the moment and allow his injuries more time to heal successfully. Until the injuries have settled and the swelling has gone down there is no exact way we can tell how much damage has been done. I need to tell you now that there is a possibility that McCoy could be rendered permanently brain damaged. There was movement in both his feet earlier which is a good sign that no damage has been done to the spinal cord. We are waiting for a bed to become available in ICU before we send him up. We also need you to fill out some forms, his medical history, insurance information, etc. I know this seems to be a lot to take in at the moment but I'll be here if you need me. In the meantime do you have any questions?"

I look up at Danny. He's staring off into space, his eyes glassy with a completely blank look on his face making no indication that he heard a word the doctor was saying.

"When, um, when can we see him?" I find myself asking, my voice sounding small and foreign to me.

Dr O'Connor shakes his head, giving me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. We can't let you see him until he's in intensive care and stabilised there. We can't run the risk of stressing him too much at this stage."

"Okay," I whisper in that strange, foreign voice which had seemed to have taken over my own.

Dr O'Connor looks from me to Danny and back to me again as if expecting us to say something more or show some kind of reaction. I guess the detachment thing we both seem to have perfected over the years must have been some kind of freak out.

"Okay," the doctor continues, in a loud and falsely positive voice. "I have patients I have to get back to. Jamie here can help you with all the forms."

"Sorry about that," Jamie apologises quickly, shaking her head as she watches Dr O'Connor leave. "He's a doctor, and contrary to popular belief he is not paid to care."

As Jamie ushers us quickly into some empty seats an overwhelming sense of loss consumes me as I leave Danny's arm. Still searching for reassurance as we try to find a comfortable way to sit Danny's hand instantly entwines itself in mine and he pulls me as close as the hard, hospital plastic will allow.

I glance quickly up at Danny to find his expression mirroring my own. We're both a little lost. Larry had always been the one who kept everyone together during a crisis. He was the one who was always looking after us, ready to give advice. To know that Larry was not here, ready to help but lying in some hospital bed struggling to live was disquieting to say the least.

"All these are pretty straight forward. We got what we could from his wallet but there are a few gaps. Danny, we also need you to sign off on his health insurance. Um, I think that's about it. If you can just fill them out and bring them to reception." Jamie hands the clipboard to me, shooting Danny a worried look. I think she realised that he wasn't listening to a word she was saying.

Jamie looks around the waiting room for a second and then quickly seats herself in the chair next to me. "I'm really sorry guys. I don't know what to say. Sorry we took so long to call you. We had a bit of trouble tracking you down. Both your numbers are silent and no one around here knew where you were working."

I open to mouth to tell her its okay but Jamie shakes her head. "I know," she tells me softly. "I, um, got you these. They aren't exactly all that stylish but it's better than running around barefoot."

Looking down at my feet I'm slightly shocked to realise that I'm still barefoot. When we had left Danny's heels seemed too weird for what I was wearing and with no other options I had gone without.

"Oh," I manage in a daze, taking the slippers Jamie was holding out. "Thanks."

"Once you've given those to reception," Jamie tells me motioning to the forms, "head on up to intensive care. The chairs there are a bit less plastic. You might be able to get some sleep. I'll let them know you are on your way up."

My attention already turning itself towards the forms I nod my thanks, barely aware of Jamie getting up to leave. Silently I begin to make my way through the dull questions, answers on Larry's medical history coming to me with unexpected ease. I may have known Danny my entire life but I didn't think that, that would have made me an expert on his father's health.

Suddenly I feel Danny brushing my hair back behind my ear and his lips brushing my temple. Curious I look up, finding him staring down at me looking like the lost child I once knew. "Thanks," he tells me quietly and I know he is not just talking about the forms.

I nod, smiling, letting him know that I understood before turning back to the forms.

"I think I'm done here, I just need you to sign them."

Silently Danny takes the clipboard from me, signing his name with a flourish where required. "C'mon," he tells me standing up and holding out his hand.

Taking Danny's hand I let him lead me over to reception, Danny talking quickly to the girl behind the counter, getting directions from here as to the location of intensive care.

The trip up to the ICU is one of silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts, neither wanting to intrude on the other.

As we enter the ward, one of the nurses absconds us, taking us straight into the waiting room.

"Jamie told me you were coming," she tells us by way of explanation. Surprisingly she is not one for small talk, telling us where coffee and the bathrooms were and then quickly scurrying from the room, mumbling something about other patients.

Looking around the waiting room, it quickly became obvious that the room was designed for people expecting to stay there for hours at a time. There were a couple of sofas and arm chairs scattered about the room, a television and VCR in one corner, a box of children's toys in another and a coffee table scattered with old magazines.

Danny takes a seat on one of the sofas, his arm out gesturing for me to come sit next to him. Gratefully, I take a seat next to him, my legs curling up beside me and my head resting against his shoulder as I tried to make myself comfortable. I think we both need the comfort that our proximity gave us because Danny's arm come around, gently resting on my shoulders, his hand absently running up and down my bicep tracing nonsensical patterns.

"You should get some sleep," Danny tells me absently.

I smile slightly, typical Danny. Putting me first before his own health. "So should you," I tell him dryly.

I feel him smile slightly, as he kisses the top of my head, lingering there longer than necessary. "No matter what I try, sleeps not going to come."

"I know," I whisper, understanding completely.

TBC