So, school ends NEXT WEEK, so all this extra time that I have pours into my fanfic. For the AWESOME reviews, I just wanted to give you a little token of my appreciation. Chapter 5 & 6! (two weeks early.)

At about 11:30 A.M. the Venturi/McDonald family rushed in the same waiting room Derek was dozing off in, and bombarded him with questions.

"Derek! You're ok!"

"Where's Casey?"

"Oh my God! Oh my God, there's blood on his pants!"

"Is Casey dead?"

Derek quietly stood up and raised his hand to silence his family.

"First of all, yes, I'm ok. I wasn't at there when Casey was shot. We were on the phone together when I heard the explosion. Second, Casey's in the operating room, getting the bullet out which hit her in her stomach." he paused before adding, "And third, I'm hungry."

Everyone hugged him, and thanked him for helping Casey, even though it had been a rough weekend; after a while blah, blah, blah, was all Derek heard. A doctor who looked overjoyed strode towards the Venturi/McDonald family.

"I am pleased to say that the bullet is out of the patient's stomach, and she'll be ready for visitors in about an hour when the amnesia wears off. She'll be fully recovered by next Wednesday at the most." he said.

Nora cried tears of joy. "Oh, thank you, doctor. You saved my daughter's life." she said before hugging him. George shook the doctor's hand, but hugged Derek.

"You're the real lifesaver, Derek." he had whispered to him.

"So Casey isn't dead?" Marti asked Derek.

Derek took her up in his arms. "Nope." he answered her. "When she comes home on Wednesday, she'll be the regular Casey the Kluztilla again."

Marti frowned. "I hope not, I don't want her to run away again."

Me either, Marti.

"Ok, should we stay here for another hour? Or go home" Nora asked.

"How about I stay here with Ed and Marti, and you take Derek home to change, and grab something to eat." George suggested.

"Ok." Nora said, getting out the car keys. "Come on, Derek."

Derek walked away with Nora, and got into their brand new minivan. "Where was she?" Nora asked as they pulled off.

"In Woodlawn Park. It's in the back of the neighborhood."

"Thank you for bringing her home-well the hospital, Derek." she said quietly.

"Well, it as a lucky thing that she was on the phone with me when she was shot. Thank luck." he said.

"We left you home because we were choosing out a birthday present for you, in case you were wondering. I didn't want you to think we hate you." she said. They pulled into their driveway. But Derek didn't get out the car.

"Are you going to send her to counseling?" he asked after a moment.

Nora looked at him thoughtfully. "I don't think so. We'll see. I don't want to put her into something that she may not be ready for yet. You know?"

"Thanks, Nora." he said, climbing out the car.

Derek took a quick bath in ice cold water, and then grabbed a waffle for "breakfast". He also took some clothes from Casey's room, seeing that her other clothes were no good.

"Ok, I'm ready." Derek said coming down the steps.

"Ok, let's go." Nora said turning off the TV.

They got to the hospital where Marti nearly knocked him down with joy.

"She's awake! She's awake!" she yelled in delight.

"Hey! Nice, let's go see her, ok Smarti?" he said nearly dragging Marti to Casey's room.

Edwin and George were already in the room with Casey. She looked pale, but happy. When Derek walked in, her face seemed to brighten up.

"Casey!" he said going over to give her a hug.

Neither of them saw George and Nora exchange glances, or Lizzie and Edwin smile at each other.

"How are you, Case?" he asked.

"Fine. They said if I healed quickly, I could be out of here by next Wednesday." she said happily.

A doctor quietly came in, and asked George and Nora to step outside. No one noticed. Marti had jumped on Casey's bed, and Edwin and Lizzie were sitting next to each other, quietly watching what was going on.

George, Nora and the doctor came back into the room with grave faces.

George cleared his throat. "We have some bad news, Casey."

He looked at Nora, and she nodded slightly, and turned towards Casey. "Casey, the bullet grazed some important nerves." Tears sprung to Nora's eyes.

"You may never be able to walk again." she barely got the words out before she started sobbing into George's chest.

Uh-oh