A few days later Karen was awake and ready to face her friends, she was still hooked up to a drip which kept her hydrated and the annoying sound of the heart monitor was a cruel reminded of where she was. The doctors had told her they feared her body would go into a state of shock when all the toxins had been filtered out of her system so they kept a close eye on her. Visiting hours were between 6 and 8 and as the clock struck 5 the nerves set in. She had been in hospital three days now, the first two she had barely regained conscious, so having to answer the questions hadn't been an issue, but today she felt stronger, she was still very shaking and tired but she knew today everyone would want answers. She didn't know what to tell them, she didn't mean for it to go that far, she intended to drink and drug herself to the point where the pain would go, but she didn't intend to kill herself. Waking up, in that hospital bed, being told that her friends had barely left her side was the happiest moment, she was still alive, she could still do all the things she wanted. The time ticked on and the moment the bell rang indicating visiting time Rosario marched through the door.

"Ah, my chica your awake." She cried pulling her into a tight hug, so tight that Karen could hardly breath. "What did you think you were doing you drunken fool." She shouted angrily at her boss.

Karen just pulled her back into a hug and whispered "I'm sorry." Feeling tears burn her cheeks. Rosario brushed them away and smiled down at her.

"Your so beautiful you know?" she said sincerely watching Karen smile. Her voice changed to a darker tone. "But if you ever do anything like that again I will whip your ass so hard the pain creases will stayed carved into your face."

Karen laughed brightly, "Oh I love you Ro-ro." The two hugged again and only parted when Will and Grace walked in.

"Oh my god, Karen your awake, your up, you scared the living crap out of me." Grace shouted looking angry.

"I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean for any of this to happen I swear."

Grace looked doubtful. "Karen tell me truthfully, were you trying to kill yourself?"

"No honey, I didn't want to die, I don't want to die, it got out of hand, it was stupid and I wish I could take it back but I swear I didn't want to kill myself." Karen started crying again as Grace rushed over to her and hugged her just as tightly as Rosario only a few seconds ago.

"Karen I'm so glad your alive, you scared me so much, I found you, I thought you were dead." Grace by this point was also crying.

"I'm sorry you had to be the one to find me, but I'm glad you did."

Grace pulled back and smiled, "well you should thank mister life saver over here, he was acting the proper man, kicked the door down, rushed to help me when I screamed, took over the whole situation." Grace turned her attention to Will, "and here was me thinking you to didn't like each other." She joked.

"Looks like I've got myself a hero in you then Wilma." Karen smiled sounding like her old self again.

"Yeh" was all Will replied, looking at the floor uncomfortablely. He didn't say anything else until the bell rang for the end of visiting. Karen hugged Grace and Rosario who promised to be back tomorrow and headed out the door. Karen shouted Will back.

"Honey are you ok, you haven't said a word to me all evening."

Will looked up at her with tears in his eyes. Karen held her arms open and he walked into them freely allowing himself to cry, pulling her tight to his body as if she might disappear at any second.

"Kare, I was so scared, every horrible comment I've made to you, every time I've rolled my eyes at one of your suggestions. They all came flooding back to me when I saw you lying on that bed barely breathing. Grace was screaming so I knew I had to remain calm. Then at the hospital, Grace was crying and Rosario was trying to kill Jack, and Jack looked like he was going to throw himself in front of the first car he came across, so I knew I had to remain calm, be strong for everyone, for you. Then during visiting hours, you were lying there and Grace would be crying or Rosario would be crying so I had to be strong again but Karen all I wanted to do was cry, I felt like it was my fault, that telling you about me and Jack pushed you over the edge, all I wanted was for someone to hug me and let me grieve."

Karen was crying too listening to this confession, it was true Will always took control of everything, organised everything they did as a group, he picked Grace up every time she broke up with her latest loser, but nobody looked after him.

"Honey, I love you so much, none of this is your fault, you did the right thing in telling me, you always do the right thing and I've told you once before that you are the only man in my life I have ever been able to depend on and I meant that, but from now on I want you to know that you've always got me to depend on, always." She whispered into his ear.

He pulled away brushing her tears away and mingling them with his own, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "I can see why Jack couldn't help falling for you." He whispered back to her. There was a silent look of understanding between them, a new level of friendship. Will started to back out the door saying his goodbyes.

"Will?" Karen asked quietly her head looking down as if she was going to ask the forbid question.

"Is Jackie ok?" she asked.

"He's been better, I don't think he can face you."

"Will, tell him I love him."

Three days later Karen was finally released from the hospital. Grace and Rosario had come to fetch her and she was moving back in to Will and Grace's apartment for a few weeks. Everyone had insisted so they could keep their eye on her, even Rosario had made up a bed on the sofa so she could stay near her boss. Karen got the impression that they didn't fully trust her, she couldn't blame them but deep down she felt the shame and embarrassment of what she had done and wished it would just go away. She hadn't seen or heard from Jack since she had been taken in, she had hoped he would visit or send a card anything to show he still cared but nothing and each day she would feel the disappointment when his face didn't appear along side the other familiar ones.

"Here we are" Grace said happily as they reached her apartment. She opened the door and shouted surprise. Karen jumped back in shock as she looked around the room. Streamers and balloons, a banner saying 'welcome home', a table full of food, party games stacked up. She felt so moved she didn't know what to say. Will came over had kissed her cheek whispering, "welcome back." She just smiled a reply.

"Well, well, Karen Walker, did you really think you that the big man upstairs would let you in yet, I told everyone, I know this Karen Walker and there aint no way she'll get past them pearly gates, I even think they'd turn you away downstairs, so I knew you weren't going anywhere just yet." Karen smiled in the direction of her old friend Beverly Leslie as he strutted across the room to her side. "You did have me worried for a second though." He whispered as she bent down low to hug him.

She looked around the room and saw lots of faces, Will and Grace's friends Rob and Ellen, Joe and Larry. She noted her step kids were in one corner, Beverly Leslie and his 'friend' Benjie, were occupying the couch. She had received lots of flowers from members of her social circle, but the one face she wanted to see wasn't there, she tried to keep the smile on her face but Will had noticed her disappointment. Whilst everyone was tucking into the food and chatting to Karen he slipped across the hall and knocked on Jacks door.

"Oh hey" he said not enthusiastically.

"Jack, Karen's just got back from the hospital."

"I know, you told me this yesterday."

"Jack stop being stupid, she walked in that door and immediately looked for you, and I saw her face when you weren't there, I saw her face everyday at the hospital when you didn't visit." Will was becoming annoyed at his friend, he had tried to help him lately, and seeing as Grace wouldn't speak to him he thought he'd make an effort but Jack was being so selfish.

"Will, she's better off without me, she's got herself through this, she don't need me walking in and causing all the upset again."

"That's crap and you know it Jack, you're just scared, you didn't visit her in the hospital because you were scared, scared to own up to the fact that you were half responsible for what happen, you're scared of what everyone is going to say, scared she might reject you. Well you know what I hope she does, she deserves so much better than you, and yet in the hospital the first person she asked for was you. Then during visiting hours she'd whisper to me how's Jack? Where's Jack? Tell Jack I love him. You don't know how lucky you are but I'm telling you this now, each time she looks for you and you aren't there that love is turning to bitterness and unless you get your act together soon, you will lose her."

Will took one last look at Jack and turned to rejoin the party. Jack didn't know what to do, he wanted so badly to walk in there and pull Karen into his arms but Will was right he was scared.