"I can't do this." John said leaving. He just couldn't be there or he would totally loose it. He headed for the lab to have his blood tested.
Bo had gotten everyone settled in the waiting room and then began to explain. He told them that Willow had been shot and lost a lot of blood. Since she had a very rare blood type the hospital didn't have any in the blood bank. After hearing the news everyone in the room volunteered to donate blood. They all wanted to help. So one by one they each went to be tested.
John was walking back from the lab dejected. His blood hadn't been a match, neither had their mothers. Apparently Willow had their fathers blood type and they had their mothers. He was walking by the chapel when he heard Michael crying. He was praying and crying. John had never heard Michael so agonized. It was like he had given up hope. He went in to the chapel to talk to him.
As John approached Michael calmed down a little and asked if John or Eve was a match. When John said 'no' he looked hopeless. Not seeing the irony of the situation John sat next to Michael to comfort him.
"Mike, she'll be ok. Practically all Lanview is out there in the waiting room to support her. Hell, even RJ Gannon is out there. You have to believe she will be ok. She didn't survive all she has been through to leave us now. She's a fighter." John said, for the first time believing every word. Their Willow was a fighter. She would come back to them.
Michael looked up startled, not at John's words but the conviction with which he said them. John really believed what he was saying. If John believed it then it must be true. "Thanks John." Michael said softly. "What happened isn't your fault. She loves us like we love her. Wouldn't you do the same for her and I?" Michael asked, trying to help John past his guilt.
"You know I would Mike." John said.
"Would you want us to feel guilty about it?" Michael asked and when John shook his head 'no' he said, "Neither would Willow. She wouldn't want you to blame your self either."
John nodded, feeling better but he still had something he had to do. "Mike, I have something I need to do. If her condition changes call me on my cell."
"Where are you going?" Michael asked incredulously.
"There is someone I need to find for Willow." John said simply before heading out to the address that Willow had mentioned, making sure he had the hair clip.
Rex had returned from the lab to find the waiting room full of people. He hadn't known Willow even knew half the people in the room. He knew she was friends with Kevin, Asa and Duke because of the work she did for them on occasion. She and Adriana were sort of friends because Adriana was dating Duke. Rex wondered why RJ, Lindsay and Dorian were there. Did they even know Willow?
Since Willow and Natalie were best friends and Jessica and Willow were friends naturally she had gotten to know Vicki. Willow once told him that Vicki reminded her of her adopted mother. What she remembered of her anyway. Rex wondered absently how Todd, Blair, Kelly and Carlotta knew Willow but then decided he didn't care as long someone had the right blood. He was deep in his own thoughts when the doctor came into the room.
"We have blood now! We are taking Willow right back in to surgery to take out the bullet and give her an infusion." Spencer announced to the relived room of friends and family. Eve left to go tell Michael and John. She had seen them in the chapel earlier.
Michael had called John the minute Eve had told him the news. He wondered who had been the match. He owed that person a great deal. Michael went into the OR to observe the operation.
5 hours later Natalie was sitting with Rex in the waiting room trying to calm him down. He wasn't handling this all that well. Natalie could feel his fear pouring off him in waves. "Willow is going to be ok, Rex," she told him. "Spencer might be an ass but he is a great doctor. Michael trust him to save Willow. I don't think Michael would a bad doctor with his little sister after what happened to his father."
"Its been 5 hours and they haven't told us anything, Natty! What is taking so long?" Rex said for like the 10th time. He was going out of his mind waiting. John had disappeared and Michael was in observing the surgery and Eve, Vicki, and Carlotta were in the chapel praying. Natty was the only one he could talk to anyway so he didn't care, but he was sick of waiting.
Just as he was about to get up and pester the nurse again Spencer and Michael came into the room asking for Eve. As some one went to get her Rex nudged Natalie and gestured to Spencer and Michael. "The doctor is here. Michael looks better so Willow must have made it." Rex said in relief.
Just as Eve came back in John came in with a satisfied look on his face. He had found Isis, though she wasn't here right now John was bringing her tomorrow.
Spencer waited till John, Eve, and Michael were in front of him before announcing, "Willow came through the surgery. It was very touch and go for a while there, but she made it. She is in stable condition. We were able to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet from her lung. Thanks to a someone in this room we were able to replace enough of the blood she lost so that she will be able to live. She is going to be weak for a while her body makes up the lost blood and heals but, in time, she will make a full recovery. She is in recovery right now. She will be sleeping the rest of then night."
The next morning almost everyone one had left and had come back. Willow was out of recovery and in her own private room but had yet to wake up.
"Can we go see her?" Eve asked urgently, needing to see her daughter since no one had been aloud in during the night.
"Yes, but immediate family only. And one at a time." Spencer said leading Eve to the room where Willow was.
John had brought Isis back with him that morning and was holding the little girls hand, took Michael, Natalie and Rex aside said, "This is Isis." The little girl cowered behind John's leg in fear but soon saw that they meant her no harm. "Its ok" John said. Gesturing to Michael he said, "This is Mike, Willow's brother."
Michael knelt down to her and held out his hand, "His Isis. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said softly in a prim voice, hoping to make her laugh. He was rewarded with a giggle and a quick handshake.
"Aunt Willow's brother like Uncle John?" Isis asked curiously, giving Michael a once over. Looking over at John she said, "He's Uncle Mike?" She asked John and he nodded. "I like him. He is silly."
Michael smiled This little girl was smart and charming. He was Uncle Mike already. He could get used to that. Michael thought.
"This Natalie." John said motioning to Natalie. Isis looked her over before saying to John, "Your princess?" Natalie laughed and John shrugged and said, "She likes fairy tails."
Isis curtsied to Natalie before stating seriously, "You're a princess but I'm a goddess." And without missing a beat Natalie said, "yes I know you're a moon goddess," with a smile.
John finally motioned to Rex and said, "This is Rex, your Aunt Willows boyfriend," hoping this would go smoothly, and that Isis would be as accepting with him as the others.
Rex held out his hand. As Isis cautiously put her hand in his Rex bowed and kissed her fingers like a gentleman at the royal court. Isis laughed and said, "Your Willow's prince?" Rex smiled and said, "I love your aunt very much, and she loves me. She loves you very much, too."
"More then You?" Isis asked worriedly, but smiled when Rex replied, "more then anyone in the world."
"Where is Aunt Willow, I want to see her." Isis said after looking around and not seeing her. Her lips trembling and she clenched her hands tighter around the hair clip. "I wanna see Aunt Willow!" She said starting to cry.
"You will see her," Natalie said, "but your grandma Eve is in with her right now. Your aunt Willow is very sick right now and needs all of us to be calm for her." Natalie said gently.
"Is Aunt Willow going to go to heaven like Mommy and Aunt Diana?" The little girl asked innocently and Natalie looked at John sharply. He had told her that? John shrugged and mouthed back, 'she wanted to know where Diana was.'
"No, Willow is going to be just fine," Michael replied, "I'm a doctor so I know these things." He said showing her his stethoscope.
"Promise?" She asked when he nodded Michael was relieved that she nodded too, as if to say 'I trust you.'
The little group sat there chatting for about a half an hour. Every so often someone would come over and express their relief that Willow would be ok and then leave for home. The only one's left were John, Michael, Natalie, Bo, RJ and Lindsay when Eve came back into the room. She walked over to RJ and told him that Willow was asking for him.
RJ went in, he was a little uncomfortable. He hated hospitals. When he got his first look at Willow he was surprised and shocked. She usually looked so healthy and vibrant but right now she looked so pale and tired. "Hi, your mom said you wanted to see me."
"Yes," Willow said softly, motioning for him to sit in the chair next to the bed. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life. The doctor said that you donated blood to me."
"Yeah, Well.."RJ said uncomfortable with the praise, "Now you owe me one."
"Yeah I guess I do." Willow said with a slight smile.
"Is it true you jumped in front of a bullet for John?" RJ asked with his usual bluntness.
"Yes" Willow replied.
"Why?" RJ wanted to know. "You have only known him for a couple of months, yet his life means more to you then your own?" He asked genuinely confused.
"He is my brother, my family. With out my family I have nothing." Willow said simply. She was silent a minute then said to him, "You and Antonio are Jamie's family. She needs both of you. This feud you have going with him is only hurting Jamie. Without both of you in her life she will never be truly happy." She fell silent while RJ thought this over.
"I'll think about it," Was all he said as he turned toward the door.
"RJ" Willow called to him and he stopped. "Why did you really come here, why did you save my life?"
RJ turned around and said, "Because while I hate your brothers I like you."
"Why? I was helping Antonio get Jamie back." Willow asked confused.
"You tell anyone else this and I'll deny it, but I admire your courage, your guts. Most people I know wouldn't survive a quarter of what you did. You not only survived you also built something for yourself and didn't rely on anyone for help. In fact, you remind me of myself when I was younger." RJ said with a slight smile heading for the door. When he got there he turned and said, "If Jamie grows up half as strong as you I would be extremely happy." With that he was out the door leaving Willow speechless and extremely touched.