I don't own these characters or Robotech, just borrowinf them for a little while.Thanks "DWP" for the help pn this one!

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Max paced nervously in the waiting room of the ER of the Fokker Base Hospital. Miriya's burns were minor, but painful. She would be fine, and he was grateful. While he was waiting for someone to update him on her release, his thoughts turned to Rick.

It had been about a half an hour since he had spoken to him. Max didn't want to tell him on the phone, but from his vantage point it would be nothing short of a miracle for anyone to have escaped from the bridge. Given the extent of damage to the ship, escape pods would have been their only option. If Lisa was in one of them Rick should have heard from her by now.

He was reaching into his pocket to give him another call when he was approached by one of the ER doctors.

"Captain Sterling?"

Max looked up to see the physician walking toward him, hand outstretched.

"Yes."

"I'm Dr. Hoffman. Your wife is fine. She just has a few superficial burns on her arm. She can go home as soon as we finish her paperwork."

"Thanks, Doc. Do you know if they brought in anyone from the SDF-1?"

"A few technicians with minor injuries, I think. Are you looking for anyone in particular?"

Before the Max could answer, the ER doors flew open and the paramedics were shouting out the stats of the patient they were bringing in.

"This is Captain Lisa Hayes - 29 years old, she was in a smashed-up escape pod from the SDF-1; apparent internal injuries to the chest and back, shrapnel wounds right back and shoulder. BP 90 over 60 and falling. Weak pulse, no breath sounds on the right side. She's been in and out of consciousness and minimally responsive"

"Take her into Trauma 4." Hoffman ordered one of the residents. "Get X–Ray in here and tell the OR to stand by."

Rick went racing toward the room behind the paramedics. A nurse who had just left Lisa's room stopped him.

She put her hands on Rick's shoulders and turned him around. "You can't go in there. I'm sorry – you'll have to wait out here."

"No!"

"Hospital policy, Captain, now, please."

The nurse gently pushed him to the waiting area. "Please have a seat. One of the Doctors will talk to you as soon as he can. Captain Sterling, your wife will be out shortly."

"Thank you."

Max watched as the trauma team rushed Lisa into the room and closed the doors. He was unable to get a good look at her but based on what the paramedics said she was badly injured. He walked over to a chair and sat down hard.

Rick sat down across from him, and put his head in his hands, sighing loudly.

"How's Miriya?" he asked without lifting up his head.

"She'll be fine, Rick. They're releasing her in a few minutes."

Max was concerned about his friend. It was just two days ago that Rick confided in him about his true feelings for Lisa. Rick resolved to be honest, with both Minmei and Lisa this morning, but Max didn't know if he got the chance.

"You okay, Rick?"

"I don't know." He answered, rubbing his eyes and he sat up and back into the chair.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Lisa?"

"Yeah, this morning before all this. She came to see me….to say goodbye"

Rick didn't need to explain any further. Max heard the news that morning that Lisa had been given command of the SDF-2. Her assignment was a closely guarded secret, and only those directly affected were "in the know" about the plans for the nearly completed battle fortress.

"What happened to Minmei?"

Minmei! Rick had forgotten about her.

"I don't know. She went to a shelter. I'm sure she's all right."

Just then, Miriya was walked out of the ER.

"Maximillian, I can go now." She stopped, realizing that Rick was also there, and that he looked upset.

Max gathered Miriya into his arms and said in a low voice so Rick wouldn't hear. "Mir, Lisa's been hurt. It looks pretty bad."

"Oh, no." Miriya was of course, well aware of the drama surrounding Rick and Lisa. She never could understand Rick's obsession with Minmei, or why he would even consider choosing her over a great warrior, and friend, like Lisa. She sat down next to Rick and placed her hand on his back.

"She's strong, Rick. And the doctors here are excellent, you know that."

Rick didn't say anything, numbly nodding in response. Yes, the Doctors were good, the best at dealing with Lisa's types of injuries, for sure, whatever they were. Except for a shrapnel wound on her shoulder Rick didn't see any other injuries, at least on the outside. It couldn't be too serious, could it?

The three of them sat in the waiting room for almost an hour waiting to hear news on Lisa's condition. Rick was too nervous to do anything but pace and stare out the window.

Max broke the silence by standing up and asking , "I'm going to go get something to drink, Mir, Rick, can I get you something?"

Before they could respond a young Dr. in scrubs entered the waiting area and asked, "Is anyone here for Captain Hayes?"

Rick shot to his feet as though he had been shocked. "That's me. I'm Rick Hunter."

"I'm Dr. Novak. Are you her husband… boyfriend?"

"Uh……..boyfriend," Rick answered slowly. What else could he say? "How is she?"

"Come with me, we'll talk" Dr. Novak put his hand on Rick's back and led him toward Trauma 4.

"We'll wait here for you, Rick," offered Miriya. Rick would need them there, especially if there was bad news.

"Thanks." Rick nodded his head and continued toward Lisa's room.

"Captain, Lisa has several life-threatening injuries, and she's very critical. She got here just in time. Five more minutes and she would have died."

Rick stopped and looked at the Doctor, he could feel his heart pounding. She could have died?

"But she seemed okay. She was walking and talking just a little while ago."

"She was in shock. Things can go bad quickly with injuries like hers. We're going to have to operate to stop the internal bleeding and take care of those shrapnel wounds."

Dr. Hoffman stopped outside the door. "You can see her for a minute before we take her to the OR. She is conscious, but in a lot of pain. Unfortunately we can't give her anything stronger right now; she's still somewhat unstable. We had to insert a chest tube to help her breathe so there's a lot of blood around, try not to look. Don't upset her. I'll be back for her soon as the surgeon is ready."

"Thanks."

Rick slowly entered the room. The Doctor was right, there was blood, Lisa's blood, all over the floor. Pieces of her uniform were strewn about the room. He walked slowly over to her side and stood there not knowing what to do.

He didn't even see the nurse who was standing on the other side of the room writing on a chart. "Go ahead, you can talk to her, she's awake." Rick jumped, startled by the nurse's presence. His mouth was dry and he suddenly felt afraid.

She was covered only by a white sheet that was splattered with blood, and she was still wearing the plastic collar the paramedics put on her to immobilize her neck. Her skin was deathly pale, almost blue. She was on oxygen, but breathing on her own.

"Lisa? "

Lisa's eyes opened slowly and Rick noticed tears dripping down the side of her face. He sat down next to her and stroked her forehead.

She tried to open her mouth to talk, but all that came out was a quiet sob.

"I know it hurts, Lisa. Don't try to talk." He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to convey confidence. It was difficult. He had never seen Lisa like this before. She had always been the strong one, the lucky one, even. Through countless battles she never sustained so much as a scratch. Rick, in turn had been injured and hospitalized three times since joining the RDF, earning him the nickname "Crash," for a short time.

Once again Lisa tried to say something, but was unable. Instead she mouthed Rick's name and weakly lifted her hand toward him.

Rick took it and held it against his chest. He moved in as close as he could so he could see Lisa's face. "We're going to make it through this, you hear me? The doctors are taking good care of you. You're going to need an operation to stop the internal bleeding but you're going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

She squeezed his hand as hard as she could in response. Rick gently kissed her hand in return and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Lisa could feel Rick's strength and confidence. The look in his eyes and emotion in his voice touched her like never before. Yes, he said he loved her earlier, but she could see it now. She could no longer doubt it. Tears began to pour from her eyes and she tried to blink them away furiously. Her friends were gone, her mission and ship were gone, and her heart was aching. But she had Rick's love, finally, and as long as she had that she knew she would be all right.

The Doctor returned and put a hand on Rick's shoulder.

"We have to take her up now, Captain."

"Okay." Rick kissed Lisa on the forehead and whispered, "I'll be here when you wake up."

Rick stood in the trauma room and watched helplessly as Lisa was wheeled through the doors and into the elevator. As soon as everyone left the room he sat back down hard in the chair, put his head in his hands and let the tears that he had been holding back flow freely.