Disclaimer: Everything belongs to a guy called Hank, so nothing is mine. Of course, this is J/S.

A/N: As you can see, the topic is a little old. That's because that story was gathering dust in the depth of my computer, before I eventually decided to post it.

Oh, and this is the first story I ever posted on here, so I'm a little nervous about what you guys will say...:goes hiding:

Big thanks again to Alex, my amazing beta :hug:

She hated hospitals...

...ever since she was five and needed to stay a whole damn week in one of them, because of a complicated broken leg.

Now, twentyfive years later, she was back at the beginning, again because of her leg.

The only difference was, that she'd gotten a bullet through it this time and not because she decided to make a really risky jump down from the big maple tree on the next playground.

Three days had passed since she first stepped...well, was rolled into the hospital room she now lay in and was already through with counting the cracks in the ceiling 21 times.

The first day, she admitted, she couldn't really remember, but the second day, the nurses and doctors poked and prodded at her, until she was very close to make use of some very un-ladylike comments- and maybe even get a little violent.

Despite the pain in her leg (which she could swear was on fire- she just ignored that everyone was telling her it really wasn't), she could still give really dangerous glares to everyone who dared to poke and prod it (in her opinion anyway) without a really good reason.

Now, on day three, she looked over at the little desk beside her (uncomfortable) hospital bed and sighed as she stared at the many flowers and get-well-cards (which a few had come from people, Sam couldn't even remember having seen just once).

Viv, Danny, Martin and even Van Doren had been here to look how she was doing, the boys actually two times, if she remembered correctly. Even her mother had called to hear what in god's name she had thought to let herself get shot.

But the one visit she craved the most hadn't shown up yet.

Sam sighed again and forced her gaze away from the table, directing it back to the many cracks in the ceiling...

Day four came and went and as the nurses changed for the nightshift, he still hadn't visited.

She knew from the others that he was okay; having been able to get all the other hostages out, save and sound, if shaken up after the ordeal they'd been through.

And she knew that he was back with his wife.

The thought alone was ramming many little daggers into her already broken heart.

He went back to his wife, after he nearly sacraficed his life for hers.

Where was the sense in that?

Closing her eyes and trying to keep the tears that threatened to fall at bay, she listened to the sounds the hospital provided around her.

The soft beeping of the vitalmachine beside her, once annoying and agitating, was now soothing in a strange sort of way.

Nearly every sound was soothing after the terror a firing gun had caused.

Cringing, as she thought back to the moment she could feel the bullet penetrate her flesh, she craved his presence now more then ever.

But deep down, she knew that he wasn't going to be there at any time.

Not for her, anyway. Not the way he had been in the past...

Before all of this mess happened.

With these thoughts she drifted into a sleep plagued with nightmares.

At dawn of day five, she'd given up hope that he would come, but as she turned to reach for her glass of water, she stopped in her tracks, ignoring the pain in her leg that motion caused, and reached for some other thing instead.

Her fingers shook slightly as she grabbed the sheet of paper gently, as not to crumple it.

Holding it between her cold and shaky fingers, she studied it thoroughly.

It was bright red, cut in the shape of a heart.

As she turned it, a sob escaped her throat and she was laughing and crying at the same time.

There was only one word hastily scribbled on the back, the simplicity of it only letting her cry harder and she nearly felt like she was back in Highschool.

Relief and happines flooded through her as she carefully set the heart (her heart) back in its place.

Closing her eyes again, she smiled softly as she let the word manifest itself in her mind.

always

-fin-

Yes, I know it's sappy, but I hope you like it anyway. Oh, and I would really love to read a few reviews!