Thanks to Panz, Lu78, CynthiaB, Kandy4eva, kursk, jemma-grace, sharkie2008, dogsbody, marky allan and cammy!

I kinda want to sound like Josh here to get you all cheesin for this chapter, and the future ones; there will be a death, there will be a funeral, there will be Chrismukkah and there will be a ticket to Scotland……………………………dun dun dun!

This is 4 my friend rachy-raccoon whom, in Friday's maths class ingeniously shouted out "We're only 14! We're too feckin' young to do calculus!" without realising our teacher had walked back in the classroom. So Rachy you can read this after you finish your punnie tonight. (luv ya hunni!)

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Tuesday; November 29th; 1.34am.

As the rain fell from the skies in California, tears were shed from eyes in Newport. It had been a day and everyone really really missed Kirsten. They all found it hard to accept that Kirsten may not be coming home. And every minute that passed increased that chance.

Kirsten's children and husband sat helplessly in an empty waiting room. None of them had gone home since Kirsten went on the ventilators.

Seth's mind was racing; This can't be happening he had kept thinking to himself during the last four days. He hoped that the worst hadn't yet to come but he knew that what ever may lie ahead, there could be trouble. Even if Kirsten did wake up there could be problems. "Dad…" He said softly. This was the first word that had been spoken in about an hour. "What if mum uh," He looked down at the floor then back up at Sandy. "What if there's brain damage? I mean that's a possibility right? It could happen," He paused. "What would we do?" Seth couldn't help the tears wearing up.

A worn out Sandy looked at his son. "Then we'll deal with that when it comes." Sandy was hanging in there and trying to be strong for his kids. There was nothing he could do for his wife and he couldn't understand why. But he wasn't ready to lose Kirsten yet and neither was Newport; she was too important to everyone and they all just prayed for her to be alright.

Everything had been silent since the second day. Tears had been drained from every person's eyes. Ryan was the only one who hadn't publicly shed tears. He was frightened just as much as everyone else just better at hiding it…most of the time. He sat with his head in his hands.

2.05am

The door handle clicked and a body walked in. All eyes shot up but only Seth's stayed watch as his girlfriend walked over to him. She hugged him tightly but took his hand and pulled him to standing, determined to get him out of the dispirited room.

"I'm sorry Mr Cohen." She said softly with a smile to Sandy as they walked out. Marissa walked down the corridor just as Summer and Seth walked out; they car pooled together. Ryan saw her and got up and out of the room before she had to come in. Julie was behind her though and she walked into the room where Georgia ran up to her and embraced her in a hug at the door. "Aunty Julie!" She said happily, holding her closely. Georgia had seen a lot of Julie since she had arrived and they had developed a close relationship together.

"Rather her than me." Marissa said in Ryan's ear as they walked away down the corridor.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. "Stupid question I know but-"

"-No its fine." Ryan said. "But I think you know the answer."

"You have questions right? Ones you can't really ask Sandy." Marissa presumed.

"Why her? Why not someone else? Why now?" Ryan asked instantaneously.

"Kirsten's not dead Ryan. Stop talking like she is." Marissa said forcefully.

"I'm angry but I don't know why. Not at Kirsten, I can't be mad at Kirsten."

"Of course you're angry at Kirsten." Marissa said sussing him out. "She could die and leave you all alone again; motherless again."

"Kirsten's not my mum." Ryan denying it with false hopes.

"But you want her to be." Marissa told Ryan who paused. She sighed. "So do I a lot of the time."

"We would be brother and sister."

"Yeah one of the reasons I changed my mind." Marissa said smirking. "Look Ryan," She stopped walking. "If Kirsten's not your mum, then what is she?"

Ryan had recently become ever more aware of his regard and affection for Kirsten and he reckoned he saw that through Georgia.

Marissa was right; she was his mother and he would forever think of her as his mother because she had watched over him when he needed her, or when he was caught up in trouble she would be there to help him in a understanding way and ultimately because she loved him as her son. And he loved her as his mother. And Ryan only wished Kirsten was awake so he could tell her he loved her.

Julie stepped out of her embrace with Georgia. She ran her hand through her best friend's daughter's hair and smiled kind-heartedly. "You hungry angel?" Julie asked. Georgia nodded. Julie smiled. "Ok." Then she looked around at Sandy. "Sandy?" It took him a moment to realise his attention was desired. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"I uh oh no Julie I uh ca-don't want anything."

Julie looked at Georgia and mouthed "Has he eaten?" Georgia shook her head. Julie sighed then went over to Sandy and crouched down in front of him.

"Sandy you have to eat." Julie said softly. He gave no response. She put on a smile. "I know what you'll want." She raised her eyebrows and he looked up at her. "Cream cheese on bagel. That's the Sanford Cohen special isn't it?"

Sandy half smiled. "Thanks Julie." Julie squeezed his hand tightly nodding and smiling. There was no one quite like Kirsten. And there was no friend quite like Kirsten and she deserved better than this but Julie knew exactly what she would want if she was aware of what was happening; her family to be taken good care of. Mostly her husband of twenty years. Twenty years; Julie found it hard to believe Sandy and Kirsten had been married that long. Twenty years Kirsten had been Mrs Cohen. Two whole decades. Julie wondered if they had ever got bored. She doubted it. With their kind of love, a boring day was an impossibility. Life without each other was impossible. Life without Sandy and Kirsten was impossible. Neither was one without the other. Julie just couldn't imagine it.

"Actually Aunty Julie, do you have any change, I need to make a call?" Georgia asked.

Julie stood up. "Of course Georgia here;" Julie passed her some coins "I'll meet you in the café."

Summer put a cup of hot coffee on the table in front of Seth. "She thinks I hated her." He said desolately.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" Summer asked softly as she sat down in the metal chair beside him.

Seth put his hands around the cup of hot coffee. "I found out you went to her about the pregnancy." He said vacantly.

"Why were you mad at her?"

"Becaaaaause she should have told me." Seth said strongly.

Summer paused looking at her dead beat boyfriend. "Cohen…" Seth looked up at her. "…I'm not pregnant."

Seth frowned. "What!"

"Yeah no uh false alarm," She gave a diminutive smirked, "just the bug I guess."

"Ugh!...Ugh! This makes things 1000 times worse." Seth groaned frustratedly but he wasn't angry at Summer. "She's gonna die thinking her own son hated her for something she didn't even do wrong."

Summer stopped herself before she said 'Your mum isn't gonna die'. Maybe on the first day she would have but Kirsten had been on ventilators for four days now and to say she didn't have doubts would be lying. She swung her chair round closer to his and snuggled into him. "I'm sorry Cohen."

"I'm sorry Mark. I can't. Kirsten's not awake yet and I can't leave until she is and I know she's going to be ok…I don't know when the next flight is but there's no chance I'm getting the one in two days… please don't make this harder than it already is Mark...Listen I miss you and believe me I'm desperate to see you too but I can't leave. I love Kirsten too much to leave and I love the rest of my family too much to leave them now. They need me…I don't know." Georgia sighed. "Could be a few days, could be a week, or two I-don't-know when I'm coming home…I know…I love you too…I'm sorry…Thanks, I'll tell her if she- no I'll tell her when she wakes up. Bye." Georgia hung up the payphone sighing. Letting more people down again.

She trudged in the direction of the cafeteria, passing their waiting room. Georgia stopped at the doorway and looked at Sandy. He hadn't slept in four days. He'd slept beside Kirsten for more than twenty years, without her it just didn't feel right. It felt lonely. Georgia wished she could promise him Kirsten would be alright and that she would be coming home but she couldn't. But she could give him second best.

She walked over to him, closing the door behind her; she sat down on his lap sideways and paused before kissing his cheek. "Everything's going to be ok." She whispered to him. He turned his head and half smiled at his daughter before kissing her forehead and pulling her in closer. She rested her head against Sandy's chest and closed her eyes. Exhaustion taking over.

Sandy peered down at his daughter and smiled because she reminded him of Kirsten and he knew that's what she intended to do. Sitting in his arms like she'd seen Kirsten do, Georgia had hoped Sandy would find it easier to get some sleep. No words were spoken between the father and his daughter. They didn't need to say anything because what they felt couldn't really be put into words. But looking into each others they knew that they were thinking the same things; feeling the same way.

Georgia's tummy was sore. She tried not to cry. The boys said it was ok but Georgia knew Kirsten didn't like it when she cried, because she never wanted her to be sad. Georgia tried for her mum but it hurt.

She let tears fall from her eyes freely for the first time without trying to hold back. But she was completely silent. She kept her eyes tightly closed and her head rested on Sandy's chest and gripping onto his shirt. Together, the two eventually fell asleep; for the first time in four days.

Georgia made sure the light was kept on in the waiting room as they tried to sleep. Just in case Kirsten woke up and came to kiss her good night.

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4.28am

Georgia stirred as she woke up. She felt like she needed to stretch but realised she was fixed in Sandy's clasp. She opened her eyes and looked up at her dad who clutched her tightly as he slept. Georgia smiled to herself; he was asleep. But in cracking time Georgia needed to go to the toilet. Crack. Toilet. Hehehe.

Her eyes wondered across the room. Everyone was there. "You alright sweetie?" Sandy asked in a whisper. Crap. Georgia thought. She had woken him up.

"Sorry yeah, I need the loo."

Sandy smiled and nodded. "Okay."

4.29am

Kirsten stirred slowly waking up. She was alone in her room with Niamh, the nurse, who was monitoring her vitals and checking her stats. Kirsten choked on the tubes down her throat. Niamh heard her struggle and came over to Kirsten. "Okay hunny, ok. You're ok." She said as she put her hands on top of the tubes. "Alright…" She said as she pulled them out carefully and gently. "There you are." She said with a sigh as she released Kirsten from the ventilators.

Kirsten gasps for air and catches her breath but still coughs for a few seconds. After Niamh had put the tubes etc to the side she came back over to Kirsten's side, sitting her upright in the bed.

"It's good to see you finally awake. You gave your family quite a scare." She said with a cheery smile.

Kirsten looked out the open door and saw Georgia walk past, coming back from the toilets. "Georgia." Kirsten tried to speak but no sound came out and she started to cough again.

"Here hunny." Niamh said getting Kirsten a plastic cup of water. "Drink some water. Your throat probably dried out from the ventilator." Niamh passed her the cup then raised her eyebrows. "Is that fine crème de la crème alluring angel your daughter?" Kirsten smiled and nodded and she drank.

"Mmmmmm! I'll get her for you." Niamh said grinning before pulling down the side bars on Kirsten's bed and leaving her.

She yelled down the hall after Georgia. "Young lady!" Georgia stopped. "Yeah you. Yo mammas awake." Georgia's eyes grew wide and she grinned widely at Niamh. She then ran as fast as she could down the hallway.

She skidded to stop at the doorway, looking through the open door before going in. She saw her mum sitting up in her bed, alive and breathing. Kirsten smiled. Georgia missed how Kirsten smiled at her. Smile at me. Georgia thought. "You're awake!" She shouted grinning with happiness and in disbelief.

She ran into her arms, jumping up onto the bed. This is all that Georgia had wanted in the past four days; to be held by Kirsten in her arms. She was so happy but in such amazement she was finding it hard to believe that the moment was happening.

But it wasn't too hard to see that Georgia felt like she was in heaven.

"I was so scared." Georgia said, holding Kirsten tightly and nestling her face deep into Kirsten's shoulder. "I was so scared." She repeated, starting to cry lightly.

"I know. It's ok." Kirsten assured her, hugging her daughter as close as possible. "I'm here. I'm here." She rubbed Georgia's back comforting her as she cried.

In your life you only once find someone who will turn your world around. For Georgia, that person was Kirsten. She could make Georgia smile even when she was sad and pick her up when she was feeling down.

There's a lot that Georgia wanted to tell Kirsten but she just wanted her to hold her now.

Kirsten kissed Georgia's temple and closed the spaces between her and her daughter, wanting to be as near to her as possible. She wanted nothing to take Georgia away from her, especially death.

Kirsten had been waiting for so long for Georgia to arrive and come into her life. Her dreams were all coming true but drama in the OC seemed to be building walls between those privileges instead of building bridges.

Kirsten wanted Georgia to know that through all the good times and the bad, she would always be standing by her side; holding her hand.

"I love you. I love you so much." Georgia said strongly before exiting the hug. "I just had to tell you that." Kirsten smiled and cupped her cheek. "I love you too sweetie….where's your dad?"

Georgia ran down the hallway twice as fast back down to the family room, jumping over carts and trolleys and swerving in and out of people, doctors and nurses telling her to "Watch it kid!" as she passed them. She burst through the door grinning. "Mum's awake!"

Sandy jumped out of his seat then leaped over the small table in the centre of the room as he ran out. "Thank you!" He yelled back.

Sandy veered off into Kirsten's room and ran into her arms. When he saw her in front of him he shivered but in a good way.

They hugged firmly, so tightly Kirsten's nails dug into Sandy's shoulders. "Oh baby thank god you're ok." Sandy said sighing. "I love you. I love you so much." He said with importance.

"I know I love you too." Kirsten said relieved now her husband arms were around her.

"I gotta be honest" Sandy said, pulling back. "I thought I was gonna lose you."

Kirsten shook her head. "No. There are only so many reasons to give up and I'm not even close." Kirsten was enforced to take some rigid breaths every now and again. Although she was off the ventilators she still had a tube up her nose which helped her breath still. "I just thought of you and the kids and that's what made me strong." She said with a large smile and happy titter.

Kirsten took her husbands hands and sighed. "Sandy I'm so sorry I didn't tell you I wasn't feeling great. Maybe if I did, you wouldn't have had to go through all this."

He stroked her cheek. "Oh baby its ok, it's been unbearable but it's ok. As long as you're here now."

Sandy sat and stared at his gorgeous wife and, despite everything that had happened to her and how sick she really was, he was still taken away by her eyes. He felt like he was falling further in love with her but that was no surprise to Sandy. Knowing that Kirsten was just inches from Sandy made him smile.

Kirsten looked longingly at Sandy's lips, pursing her own, batting her eyes and playing with him as she leant in. They kissed lovingly and longingly after so long for this again. They loved each other with all that they were and they were all each other needed. Sandy felt out of his league as Kirsten pulled back and smiled at him before placing light butterfly kisses on his lips. She rested her forehead against his, linked her fingers through his and lifted his hand with hers up to her heart. "I'm never leaving you, ok?"

Seth interrupted unfortunately; knocking on the door and walking in. Kirsten and Sandy pulled back from each other. "Uh sorry dad, can I talk to mum for a minute?"

Kirsten hadn't forgotten about what happened with Seth before she…whatever and she was still honestly still very hurt. Bizarrely, she felt scared about being alone with him. But Sandy nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

Seth stood for a moment speechless. This was already scary. "I'm really sorry for making you cry." He said.

"It really broke my heart what you said." Kirsten said honestly.

"I know, I didn't mean to hurt you. Never mind everything I said cos I didn't mean a thing of it. I promise you. It hurts me to know how much I hurt you…What do I do? Tell me. How can I make this right?" Seth asked, stepping forward.

Kirsten looked at her son and saw he was sincere. She held out the empty plastic cup and gave him a small smile.

Seth smiled and took the cup, kissing her forehead. "I love you mum." He said. He threw the cup in the bin, he smiled proudly when he got it in but when he looked down at Kirsten he still felt guilty. He sat on the bed beside her. "I don't hate you mum. Not even close."

Kirsten smiled. "No harm done. At least none I can see." Seth smiled back at her gratefully. "I love you too sweetie."

"It's been a riot around here mum, I tell ya, it's not been very pretty. You're glad you haven't been here to see the mess we've been in. Too much time was spent dragging the past up. I've had my strength of mind drained from me faster than blood sucked out by a backstreet dentist."

Kirsten giggled as her durable breaths forced themselves through tubes. Hopefully she would be going home in a few days. After a week, everyone was pretty sick of the hospital. Hopefully no one would be back here soon.

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Incase you were wondering I did a lot of research into septicaemia and ARDS before I wrote the last chapter. I didn't just naturally know all that. That'd be cool though…

I have to apologise because I know some of you will probably dislike the fact Summer isn't really pregnant. I just did it as an extra idea to get Seth frustrated and angry at himself when Kirsten slipped. Sorry!

Sorry for this delay; I've been uptown with friends and out 4 dinner with friends then I had them sleeping over and yesterday was my granddad's birthday so we were out for dinner and OMFG I've started calculus in maths on Friday and I'm so happy cos I actually understand it!