Rating: PG13

"Hey Dad. How you holding up?" Emma sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Fine." When he and Rick had hit the ground, he had suffered a minor concussion. It was nothing serious, but the doctors wanted to observe him over night.

Suddenly, Emma threw her arms around her father.

"Em, what is it?" He hugged her back.

"It's just… I'm so glad you were there. If it wasn't for you, Rick would be dead right now."

"I know Em. I know…" Her words stung true to Snake. There was one more thing he needed to know. "Emma? Right before Rick almost… What did he say to you?"

Emma took a deep breath. She hesitated, trying to rehearse in her mind what she should say. She was definitely not going to tell him the truth. Or at least, not the whole truth. "I'm not quite sure." Lie. "I think he thanked me for sticking up for him." Truth. "I couldn't really understand him." Lie, lie, lie.

"Oh." Snake looked at her. Emma knew he wasn't convinced, but he didn't press the matter.

"I just wish there were more that I could have done more for him."

"No Emma!" Snake surprised even himself at his sudden outburst. "I want you to promise me that you'll just try and forget about Rick."

"What!" Emma stood up in shock at her father. "I can't just ditch him Dad. He needs me."

"He needs more help than you or I can give him!"

"He doesn't need help Dad! He just needs someone to be there for him, to care about him."

"He has parents-"

"That obviously don't care about him at all!" Her voice became louder and louder. "His father's dead and he was abusive! It doesn't take much to see his family's screwed up!"

"Emma, that's not our problem!"

"Why did you even stop Rick from killing himself? You don't even care about him!"

Before he could argue, Emma dashed out into the hallway.

It didn't matter what anyone said. She refused to give up on Rick. Right before he pulled that trigger, Emma sensed something in him. Something good, something pure. Something that she wouldn't give up on without a fight.

As Emma walked the halls of the hospital, something she had said kept ringing in her mind. "It doesn't take much to see his family's screwed up!" She couldn't help but wonder about Rick's mother. Surely any other mother would be at their child's side if they were in a coma, right?

Passing Rick's room, something caught her eye. His charts! She could look up his address and visit his mother for herself.

She did just that. Twenty minutes later she was standing in front of a little two-story shack. The grass was overgrown, the house a mess. Emma could hardly believe that it was still standing.

Cautiously, she knocked on the door. When she got no answer, she knocked harder, causing the door to spring open.

"Hello?" She called into the house. Still, no one answered. Despite the unsettling silence, Emma walked into the living room. An old, beat-up, retro-looking couch was shoved against a wall. A black and white TV was placed on an end table in front of it. Cans and bottles of beer and vodka scattered the floor.

Disgusted, Emma carefully walked into the kitchen, making sure to avoid all the trash. It looked like the rest of the house. Sitting on the table, Emma saw something that appeared to be a blanket and some old clothes.

Upon closer examination, Emma shrieked. It was a woman. Her face was against the table, but Emma saw by her hands and arms that her skin had a bluish hue to it. She reeked of alcohol and filth. When Emma saw the needle poking out of her arm, she realized it was probably an overdose. Instincts taking over, she called the police.

"Miss Nelson, are you sure that you saw no one entering or leaving the house?"

"I told you! It was just me!"

After the paramedics had arrived, the police had started asking her questions. Right now they were pummeling her with the same few over and over.

"Emma!" Spike ran up and started hugging Emma. "Are you okay?" She looked her over as if she was making sure she was still in one piece.

"Yeah Mom." Emma assured her. "Fine." Her eyes followed the paramedics as they rushed the woman outside.

"Who's that?" Spike looked over.

"Dunno. They think it might be Ms. Murry, but they don't know for sure." She stood up. "Can we go back to the hospital?" Spike nodded.

"Mrs. Nelson?" A doctor walked up to Emma and Spike.

"Yes?" They both stood up.

"Well, we have a positive ID on the woman, a Ms. Paulette Murry."

"That's great!" Emma smiled. "It's Rick's mom." She looked at her mother.

"Not so great…" The doctor's face fell. "I'm sorry, but she didn't make it. She suffered an OD."

"An OD?"

"An overdose. I'm sorry." He left them to themselves.

"Mom… What are we going to do? Rick's father's dead and so is his mother." She leaned against Spike.

"I don't know Emma." Spike brushed Emma's hair with her fingers. "I just don't know."

Will Rick ever wake up from his a coma? Will he have a home to go to if he does?