Grace and Rosario were pacing the waiting room waiting on any news.
"I didn't think alcohol could ever do this to miss Karen, she should be immune to it, half off her body is a vodka, gin mix." Rosario muttered not to anyone imparticular but just trying to work out how this had happen.
"She hasn't been drinking since all this happened with Jack." Grace sniffed. "She hasn't been eating either, perhaps her body just went into shock with all the drink and pills." Grace sat down and cried into her hands; Rosario went to her side and rubbed her back trying to ease her pain.
"You've been a good friend to Miss Karen, she may make fun of you, she calls you names, she does absolutely nothing in that office of yours but she loves you, you, Mr Will and…" she trailed off not wanting to mention Jack.
"I know." Grace said quietly looking up at Rosario "she loves you to."
Rosario got up and laughed, "ah my chica, we fight, but she's like my little girl, we're all she's got." Grace nodded silently in agreement, thinking how lucky she was to have her mum and dad, her two sisters, a family with uncles and aunts. Karen never mentioned her family, her mother was still alive, but she wasn't in contact with her regularly, she didn't spend Christmas or birthdays with her. She never mentions having any other family, not since Stan had died had she seen her step kids. For the first time Grace realised how lonely she must be, and how much Jack was part of her life. The two sat silently contemplating what they each could have done to prevent this from happening.
Half an hour past they still hadn't heard anything, Will came rushing through the door pulling Grace into his arms. "Any news, how is she?" he eagerly asked.
"They haven't told us anything, they wheeled her in, told me to give her details at the reception and I haven't seen or heard from anyone since, Will I'm scared." He hugged her tightly, but she pulled away when she saw Jack entering.
"What the hell is he doing here?" she snapped.
"Now Grace, this is not the time or the place."
"No, Will, he has no right to be here, she's in there because of him."
"Red is right." Rosario interrupted, approaching Jack "I warned you not to hurt my baby." She threatened causing Will to stand in front of Jack for protection.
"Now listen, Karen would want Jack, they need to get thought this together, look at the state of him, they need each other, now both of you back off, Jack is here and he's staying." He sat Jack down and motioned for Grace and Rosario to do the same. Sitting in between them all he couldn't help but wish that someone else would take control, wish that someone could comfort him so he could show how scared he really was, but no he was Will Truman, dependable, strong Will Truman and looking around the room at his friends he knew that wasn't about to change.
Minuets seemed like hours, and the 55 they spent waiting for the doctor to come see them felt like days. A young male doctor walked in and moved them into a private room, no one knew if this was a good or bad thing but all just kept hoping.
"I'm doctor Gold, are any of you related to Mrs Walker?" he asked politely.
"No, we're all her friends, Jack is her…." Will trailed not knowing how to finish that sentence.
"Jack McFarland?" the doctor questioned.
Jack's head shot up and the doctor automatically knew who he was in relation to his patient. "She asked for you." Dr Gold continued.
"She's awake, she's ok?" Grace shouted.
"It's to early to say, she is in and out of consciousness, we've managed to stabilise her condition but we have know way to tell the amount of damage she may have inflicted on her self, she took a lot of sleeping pills and pain killers, we pumped her stomach, but the after effects of the sheer amount of alcohol and drugs is yet to show itself. She is very week, dehydrated and undernourished which isn't helping, when she came to, she asked for Jack." The doctor's eyes wandered over to Jack who looked down in shame taking the full brunt of blame upon himself. "We need to ask a few question about her condition before she came in, does she drink?" he asked first taking out a pen and notebook.
Will nodded a reply, "Yes quite a lot, more than the normal person, but she hasn't been drinking for a week or so."
"And why is that?"
"She just stopped, she's been staying with Grace and I, and she didn't drink at our place."
"Ok, has she been eating?"
"Not a lot" Grace replied, "She's been very down and depressed lately, she hasn't been eating properly, she's lost about 5 or 6 pounds over the course of this week." Grace sobbed feeling responsible.
"Well this will explain why she's so weak, we'll have to ask you some questions later, as for now I can tell you she is stable, we are just preparing her room so I'll come and get you in a few minuets and you can see her." With that he smiled weakly and walked off. No one said anything, just waited until they could see her for themselves.
On entering the small room all were shocked to see Karen's tiny body, cover in wires and drips. The doctor had warned them that she was connected to a lot of monitors, but until you see someone you know and love hooked up to them it doesn't seem real. Grace took her left hand, Rosario her right. Will moved around and kissed her forehead "We're hear sweetie" he whispered.
Jack stood by the door and couldn't move, he couldn't believe she was lying there looking so weak and vulnerable, the bleep of the heart monitor made him realise just how serious this was, how close he is to losing her. He backed out the door and headed for the exit Will followed him. "I can't do this Will, I can't, I'm weak and pathetic and I can't do it." Will looked hard at his friend.
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
Jack nodded and walked away, leaving Will torn as to who needed him more right now.