Epilogue

"She's entering Code Blue!"

Several doctors in white coats and scrubs rushed about the young beauty in bed before them, one nurse in particular preparing the electrical paddles before placing them over the girl's chest and giving the general warning: "Clear!"

The jolt racked the comatose beauty's limp form, yet her vital signs remained the same, the young nurse now cursing before calling out yet again, "Clear!"

This time, however, the flat plane on the monitor jumped to a steady heartbeat, the doctors all exchanging relieved glances before they began to full-heartedly applaud. This was well merited, for the weary medical staff had been working on a Miss Maggie Evans for a grand total of eight hours, now, after the poor beauty had been struck down by an inexplicable illness. Miss Evans had reportedly had tremendous chest pains and, odder still, had actually been coughing up a great deal of blood.

As if this weren't enough, Willie Loomis had been delivered to the hospital with similar symptoms, yet the pain had been in his left-hand shoulder. After a blood transfusion (it absolutely floored the staff as to how he had lost so much bodily fluid to begin with), he had been released without another moment's hesitation, yet after watching word of Maggie's situation he had faithfully stuck around to learn of her condition.

So now that Maggie's health had been at long last restored, the head doctor opened the door to the hospital room and nodded Willie inside, the sandy-haired blonde anxiously entering and allowing his soft blue-gray gaze to fall upon his secret love's sallow form.

Feeling the sudden desire to retch, Willie placed a hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes tightly closed, trying his damndest to shut out the horrific scene of Maggie lying there with several massive tubes coming out of her petite body.

As if sensing that the young man wished to be alone with his friend, the doctor motioned to his staff and they all dutifully followed him out and into the hallway, Willie paying them no mind as he dared to draw nearer to Maggie's bedside and touch her hand. "H-hiya, Maggie…c-can ya hear me?" he whispered, giving her appendages a firm squeeze. "It's me, Willie…now I know that we ain't never been much-a friends or anything, but I…I wanna be here for ya. That is…if you'll let me?"

Maggie, of course, didn't respond, her long lashes failing to flutter and the brilliant smile that had always bedazzled Willie never coming to cut across her rosy lips. The very notion of her never being able to smile again was nearly enough to bring the poor blonde to his knees, his bottom lip trembling as he placed his free hand over their already locked appendages and did something he never did – he prayed.

He prayed for all of Maggie's pain and affliction to melt away and leave her radiant and whole, again – he prayed for all of those who loved her to be strong in their grief – he prayed that whatever had caused her sudden ailment would get shot straight to Hell for all the misdeeds that it had so terribly committed, and above all, he prayed that Maggie would open her eyes again, and when she did, that she would willingly take him in her arms and allow him to love her. And boy, did he love her. As far as Willie was concerned, he would give his life for her if he could, but now…

"Oh, God, please let her wake up…please" he moaned, squeezing his eyes tightly closed as he leaned his head forward and rested it upon Maggie's soft bosom. The steady rising and falling of her chest brought a newfound hope to his tattered heart, but he still couldn't help but fear for the worst…

"Will?"

He gasped, glancing up into the sleepy gaze of the one woman whom would forever hold his fancy, his breath catching in his throat as he finally managed to squeak out in return, "Maggie? I-is it really you?"

"Well of course it's me, Will! What a silly thing to say!" she exclaimed, reaching out a soft hand in order to cup the coarseness of his unshaven cheek. "And now that we've both survived, we can finally be together."

Willie felt as if he'd been struck into oblivion, his mouth now terribly dry as he ventured, "I…you…what?"

"Will!" Maggie exclaimed, thoroughly astounded, "What on earth has gotten into you? Were you that sick?"

"Well, n-no, I-I just…um…"

"Never mind all that" she hurriedly cut in, bestowing Willie with a bewitching smile before pulling him in for a fierce embrace. "As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters."

Willie knew that he should be relishing in all of this unexpected affection, really, he did, but why on earth did Maggie think she loved him? And why did she keep calling him Will?

The moment he spotted the engagement ring on her left hand, however, he suddenly knew all the answers, the Willie that everyone had known immediately transforming into that of Will Hollingshead Loomis, a large grin now upon his lips as he leaned forward in order to kiss his fiancée.

At long last, the illicit couple were finally together…

A/N: Okaaay, although many seemed to like the last chapter as the ending, I didn't feel that it was complete enough, so this was what I came up with. Although it's VERY different from what my original concept was, I feel that it's better than what I had planned.

You see, my original intention was to have it all a dream, only to have Maggie wake up in a hospital bed (she's recovering from pneumonia) and discover Willie standing over her. Remembering how she and Will had been in her dream, she then pulls him in for a fierce embrace and makes him promise to never leave her side, again. Lame? Yes…which is why I went to the spirit-possessing, instead, esp. since it's more of a DS thing to do. :) Hopefully you're not confused! Thanks for sticking with me so long! ;0)