A.N.: So that's it – the final chapter. There may be a sequel if I ever manage to finish it and if you're interested… Please R+R.

Chapter 24:

Jack quietly stepped behind Samantha, who was standing in front of the examination window opening to Danny's hospital room, arms crossed before her chest, face expressionless and staring inside. He wasn't even sure she had realized he was there and he didn't want to disturb her, as lost in thought as she seemed. Therefore he kept his voice at bay as he addressed her.

"Have you been talking to a doctor yet?"

Even now – being that careful with her – she slightly winced. She stayed in the same position for some more moments, her eyes transfixed on the form of her injured co-worker, lying in that hospital bed. Finally - and with an effort - she turned away and faced Jack, giving him a concerned look.

"Yeah – I talked to his surgeon as they brought him back down here from OR. He told me that they were able to remove the bullet and stop the blood loss. He has lost pretty much blood, but they told me he's going to wake up soon..."

"You don't actually sound happy about that news?"

He knew he was neither polite nor very careful in the choice of his words, but he hadn't actually been thinking about what he was saying. He was still pretty emotionally entangled as he had just informed Miranda's parents about their daughter's death and he felt concerned about Danny and his condition. Therefore he had simply questioned Samantha without careful thinking about her emotional state – but she didn't seem to be angry with him. She seemed to be just sad.

"That's because it's not all – the doctor told me something else...

He told me he wasn't sure about the injury to his spine. He couldn't tell if it would be having any permanent effect. They need to wait until he wakes up. Then we're about to find out..."

"So it's likely to have a permanent effect?"

"The surgeon didn't say that, he said it was a possibility. But from my point I believe he just tried to stay positive and didn't want to disturb me... Danny told me he wasn't feeling his legs. He told me already when we were waiting for the ambulance..."

He tried to find some soothing words that would help her, but he actually didn't found them. At least none that would sound believable. Sam had already told him about this on the phone and Danny having the lack of feeling earlier wasn't a good sign after all. Both of them knew that all to well. Still they had to stay positive as the doctor had suggested – there wasn't much more they could do but hope – hope for at least one good outcome.

"You shouldn't think about it too much. We don't know about his condition – why not wait till he wakes up and can tell us himself?"

She had turned away from him once again by now and was staring back into Danny's room, carefully looking at her unconscious co-worker. Jack didn't dare to touch her as she was standing there completely lost to the situation. He didn't know what to say any more – he had run out of soothing words... Yet Sam didn't really seem to be in a need of them.

"I can't go in there, Jack. I don't know why, but I don't have the courage to get in there and sit by his side, waiting for him to wake up. I don't want to have certainty. It would just be too cruel if this turns ill..."

"I know that and I fully understand... You don't need to wait by his side. I'd actually suggest you get some rest yourself. It has been a hard day for you, too."

Barely visible she was shaking her head, but not saying a word right now. He wasn't even sure she really had been listening to him. He at least knew she wouldn't give in to his proposal, she wouldn't leave Danny right now, she wouldn't rest – she had gone this far, had been there for him for the whole distance of time – she wouldn't leave him alone right now.

"No, I can't – I can't just go away. I won't leave him alone..."

"You want me to join you?"

Once again she turned around and this time she wore an expression on her face – a slight but still sad smile. He wasn't absolutely sure what she was smiling for, there wasn't much to be content about after all. But he actually knew that this was just about thankfullness – she was thankful for him trying to give her counsel and now she rewarded him with a smile.

"No, it's okay – I'll stay here alone. It's gonna be okay. Don't worry..."

With this, she passed him by, opened the door to the hospital room and entered hesitatingly. She carefully sat down beside the bed, trying to be absolutely quiet as if she was afraid to wake Danny up. It would be a matter of waiting right now and Jack didn't wish to disturb her any more than she already was in her actual state by peering through the window.

She must've fallen asleep – though she couldn't remember it. She recalled talking to Jack and finally entering the room, sitting down besides Danny's hospital bed. But she didn't remember anything else. She felt a slight feeling of guilt and shame – she had come here to watch over him and be there for him and the first thing she had been doing was falling asleep...

She wondered why she had woken up anyway. As she must've been extremely tired – as she actually had fallen asleep as soon as she had sat down in the chair beside Danny's side, it was highly unlike she would've woken on her own just like that.

She gazed at her watch, realizing, that it had been almost three hours of sleep, which she had been able to take. It was now early evening and she knew the nurse in charge would soon be coming around, throwing her out. She wouldn't get permission to stay over night.

A deep, shattered breath and a slight moan ripped her out of her thoughts. Now she knew what had been waking her up, why she hadn't been able to stay in her dreamless, soothing sleep. It was Danny breathing in deeply just beside her – he was waking up...

She felt tension rise within herself and for a moment she didn't know why. But that moment passed very soon as the surgeon's words came back on her mind all of a sudden. There was no way back and out of it any more. The moment had come – a moment of truth and certainty. As soon as he was fully awake they would know if the injury had any permanent effect.

Without even thinking – having the urgent wish to somehow support her co-worker – Sam reached out her arm and touched Danny's hand, carefully holding it in hers – hoping for him to feel her presence. She hoped to be able of assuring him and giving him at least some strength – the strength he needed to wake up. Her voice – sounding slightly raspy – was but a whisper as she addressed him right then.

"Danny, it's okay. You're in hospital – everything's fine. You don't need to worry. Do you understand me?"

It took some more awfully long moments, but at least she got a reaction. It seemed a great effort to him – probably due to the narcotics from the surgery – to blink his eyes open and looking at her. It took another few moments before he focused his look on her and finally managed to piece an answer together.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm here, I'm with you. Are you okay? Are you in any pain?"

He seemed to need some time to think about this question or just needed a few moments to piece the answer together – she wasn't sure on this one. However she didn't receive an answer to her question for the surgeon she had been talking to entered the room right then, stepping close to the bed.

"Mr. Taylor – I'm doctor Davies. I want to check on your condition and I need you to answer me a few questions. Okay?"

"Alright."

"May you move your toes for me?"

Samantha felt the tension rise inside of her as the doctor asked the question. It was the one decisive moment she had been afraid of. The doctor had told her there was only this one moment to decide if Danny would be okay, and if this wouldn't work...

She could feel herself staring to the end of the bed – fearful and expecting at the same time. The seconds seemed to go on forever as Danny tried to fullfill the doctors demand. But seconds turned into a minute and yet another minute... Nothing happened.

This couldn't be true – it just wasn't happening. She was probably dreaming – still half lying in that chair besides her co-worker's bed waiting for him to regain consciousness and having a nightmare about the events that could possibly happen when she was forced to wake. The doctor's words pulled her back out of her thoughts.

"Do you have any sensation in your legs?"

This wasn't a dream, it wasn't a nightmare. It was just too real to be one. But the bitter realization that astounded her right then was that she was awake and that was far worse than any nightmare she could've been having. Yet it still got even more worse...

"No, I don't..."