Note: Thanks for the reviews as always they do keep me going! Also a note about all of the medical stuff. Yeah I watch a lot of medical dramas but I'm not sticking to a medical book. So if I get stuffed mixed up or wrong…sorry. I'm more interested in the story itself than the accuracy of the medical things. Hopefully you understand. Love for all of yous! And thanks for jh's suggestion of fixing the painting with duct tape te he (giggles and eats donut and drinks coffee while averting eyes from POPpop). Really I love you guys.

Mark and Roger sat in the waiting room doing just that. Waiting. They called Angel's parents and the whole group, and they were on their way. Collins' mother on the other hand was impossible to reach. Although they called her house the answering machine was the only thing to pick up. More than anything this made Mark nervous, if the doctors needed something…they would need her.

"It's messed up you know." Mark grumbled quietly half-expecting Roger not to answer.

But he did, "What isn't messed up at this point, Mark?" Roger said quietly glancing towards the door. "I'm gonna try Collins' mom again." He got up and went to the payphone. Mark sighed deeply leaning into his chair. They hadn't heard a thing about either Angel or Collins. There were nurses and doctors running through the ER, but then again they might have nothing to do with his friends. But Mark couldn't help but watch the distressed nurses wondering if he could hear a word. Anything from them, any clue to what was going on with Angel and Collins. Their family. Mark clenched his fists knowing that they wouldn't be allowed to see them…because they weren't blood relations. In his mind, they were a family. And in Collins' case more of a family than he actually had.

"Mark! Where's my baby?" Sybil's voice called out running into the Emergency Room, Peter was at her heels looking paler than usual.

Mark stood up and went to them, "I don't know…she's ok. Just really shaken. They're checking to see if they missed anything."

"Can we see her?" Peter asked putting his hands on his wife's shoulder protectively.

"I'm not sure, you might be able to because you're family. They told us to stay here." Mark explained as Roger came over. He nodded to Angel's parents. Peter went to the nurses desk to see if they could find Angel.

Roger stuck his hands in his pockets, "I still can't get a hold of her." Roger said quietly.

"Who are you trying to find?" Sybil asked keeping an eye on her husband.

"Collins' mom." Mark replied, "We just keep getting the answering machine."

Sybil paled, "How is he?"

Mark paused with the memory of an hour ago. The feeling of Collins' blood pushing against his skin. Roger watched his friend and put his hand on Mark's shoulder, "Not as good as Angel." He said solemnly to Sybil.

Peter came back quickly, "We can see her now. Only family…sorry boys." Sybil's eyes teared up nodding to them, she went off to see Angel with her husband.

Roger helped his friend back to the seats glancing at the doors again.

"Maybe I should drop by Collins' house and rip his mom out of bed." Roger grumbled cracking his knuckles.

"Maybe." Mark mumbled, "It might be a good idea." He glanced down at his now stain free hands. But there was something about them, it was probably the cleaner the nurses gave him. It felt like his hands were tingling.

Roger gazed at Mark for a few minutes before saying, "He's bad?"

The filmmaker nodded tears forming in his eyes, "I tried to stop the blood, but it just kept coming."

Roger turned to face Mark. "It's not your fault, man."

"Maybe if I didn't call about fifteen people before getting to them-" Roger took his friends shoulders in his hands.

"Mark, it's not your fault. It's Sid's. And Tommy Boil's. And anyone else who was there. Not yours. If you didn't act, Mark, Collins would be dead." Roger said slowly trying to convince his friend of the truth.

"But he might die anyway. He lost so much blood." Mark looked away, "And how…how are we going to tell Angel? Maybe Sybil will…cause I don't know what to say."

Roger shook his head, "We'll figure something out, ok?" The rocker was never more relieved to hear the Emergency Room doors open. Joanne and Lori came rushing in. Without even a word out of her mouth Lori ran to Mark and hugged him. Feeling her close to him Mark sobbed quietly, finally letting his emotions go.

Joanne came over to Roger and hugged him, "Have you heard anything?" She asked looking like she had got no sleep all night.

Roger shook his head. "But Sybil and Peter are in with Angel. So she must be ok." Joanne nodded and hugged him again.

Mark's sobs subsided but he still held onto Lori who was now cradling him.

"Thank you for bringing her." Roger whispered to Joanne.

She smiled gently, "Lori wanted to come. Apparently she's quite fond of the geek."

"Aren't we all?" Roger said with a tiny smile, "He came to save the day."

Joanne wrinkled her forehead, "Yeah…about that…how did he know?" She asked, "I'm just trying to put everything together."

"Robbie." Mark said pulling away from Lori slightly, "He gave me a call…who'd have thought, huh?"

Joanne bit her lip, "I never knew the guy…but if he was with Collins for that long…he must have felt something for him. He's a human being." She frowned to herself and then added quietly, "You do stupid things when you're hurting."

Roger sighed knowing he would never be a fan of Robbie's. Sure Collins' ex had issues, but so did everyone else in the world. It wasn't a valid excuse in Roger's opinion. But he let it go as he always did.

The group looked up as Peter came out to them. Mark and Lori stood up to gather around him. At that moment, Mimi ran into the Emergency Room. Seeing the group already gathered she feel into the ranks taking Roger's hand right away.

"How is she?" Mark asked quietly.

Peter gulped, "Shaken. But she's calmed down now more like herself… I think seeing Sybil helped a bit. She has…" He paused for a moment no doubt flashing back to the days when Angel would periodically get abused in school, "One of her arms is broken. She needed a few stitches on her lips. Twisted her ankle too. Fractured it…she didn't realize it. They only found it through x-rays." Roger nodded realizing how Angel was in such shock when they found her.

"But she's ok." Paul said with a sigh of relief, "Just shaken." Before he continued he looked to Mark and Roger, "I have to say…thank you for finding her. I don't know what would have happened if she stayed in that state much longer…so thank you boys. Thank you so much."

Roger nodded and Mark let smiled slightly, "You're welcome….I'm happy she's ok."

Mimi shed a few tears wiping them away quickly.

"She wants to see one of you…we can only have three people in the room at the same time." Peter explained.

"Isn't that family based?" Joanne asked.

Peter smiled gently, "True but we realized that with our family you can never tell. Mark? Wanna be our adopted son?" Mark looked to Lori who gave him the okay.

"Go ahead. Tell her we're happy she's ok." Lori said kissing his cheek. Mark nodded and went with Peter.

Mimi watched them go off and threw herself into Roger's arms. He rubbed her back gently, "It's ok Mimi, she's ok."

"I know." She sobbed into his shirt, "But what could have happened…those jerks. I'm gonna find them and beat the shit out of them. Or at least call them nasty names." Mimi pulled back and waved at Joanne and Lori. "Hi guys."

"Hi." Joanne said quietly.

Roger felt the need to call Collins' mother again but he didn't want to detach himself from Mimi. "Hey Jo can you call Collins' house?"

"You haven't gotten his mother?" She asked shocked. Roger shook his head. Joanne bit her lip and went to the phone searching for a quarter in her pocket. Lori took a seat and wiped her face hiding the few tears that escaped her eyes.

Maureen came in a few minutes later with a large bag in tow. "Guys?" Lori waved to her, the drama queen ran over. "Any word?"

Roger nodded, "Angel's ok…well she has a few broken bones, but she'll be ok."

"And Collins?" Maureen asked with a frown dropping the bags.

"Nothing." Roger replied with no emotion.

"Mrs. Collins…if you do not get here soon…you have to come here now!" Joanne demanded through the phone, "Be a good mother for once! Do something for your son-" She stopped feeling Maureen's hand on her shoulder, "Ummm… get to the hospital as soon as you hear this message." She hung up the phone and turned to the group, Mo included. "She's still not answering." Joanne's shoulders were shaking with frustration, "I mean how can she?" She asked looking at Maureen.

Maureen pulled Joanne into a hug. They held onto each other longer than any simple friend should. Maureen placed her hand on Joanne's cheek, "I'm so fucking sorry."

Joanne sniffed speechless, was this really the place? She was about to open her mouth when a nurse came over to the group.

"Is a relative of Thomas Collins here?" She asked in a hurried voice.

"No." Roger said taking responsibility, "We haven't been able to get a hold of her-"

The nurse nodded cutting him off, "Are any of you O positive? Or O negative? We need blood for your friend, the supplies are almost done."

Joanne's jaw dropped and she started to yell, "You don't have enough? What the-"

"You're friend used most of it, honey. Don't get mad at us…but he still needs more. Are any of you O positive or O negative?" She repeated aggravated at Joanne's choice words.

"I'm O positive." Maureen said quietly raising her hand, "I think…no I know I am."

"And I'm O negative…universal donor right?" Lori asked.

The nurse nodded, "The two of you come with me." She guided them off to another room quickly.

Mimi watched them go, "If that nurse is that eager…" She looked back at Roger.

"I'll go to Collins' house." Roger whispered before kissing Mimi's forehead and heading for the door.

"Do you want me to come?" Joanne offered following him halfway.

Roger shook his head, "I can handle it."

Mimi bit her nails and Joanne whispered, "I don't know if he can…" Joanne had to wonder how long it would take Roger to break down like Mark did earlier.

When Mark came into Angel's hospital room he gulped. There she was completely out of her glorious clothing and looking lost and worn. But when she saw Mark a gentle smile came to her mouth that reminded him of the person he knew so well. She was still Angel, but she was broken.

"It's the cute one." She whispered her voice hoarser than Mark remembered. It took him a moment to realize it must have been from the screaming she had done all night. Peter took a seat next to his wife kissing her cheek.

"Yeah. Your dad told everyone that I was your brother…how do you like that?" He asked getting close to Angel's bed. He noticed that her one arm was in a cast already and that the painting she wouldn't let go of was now on the night table.

Angel smiled again, "It's the truth." Mark took her functioning hand in his own careful not to disturb the tubes that were giving her strength. "Looks like you've been crying, hun."

Mark nodded, "You worried me…everyone else says that they're happy you're ok. We're all outside waiting…to hear how you and Col…" He stopped himself short.

A shadow passed across Angel's face, "How is he?" Her split lip began to tremble and her chest rise and fall faster, "And don't you dare lie to me, Mark Cohen." Sybil and Peter watched Mark carefully wondering what he would tell her.

Mark's eyes filled up with tears again, "I can say I don't know…" A knot formed in his throat, "He was bleeding a lot Angel…he's…." Mark looked away for a moment, "they said in the ambulance…it's gonna be hard."

Angel closed her eyes a sole tear running down her face. She let out a small laugh when she felt it, "I thought I had no more tears left to cry."

Roger wasn't surprised to find out that it was raining heavily. Finally nature seemed to catch up with the current events. Roger pulled up to Collins' house and ran up to the door. Using his fist, he banged on the front door.

"Mrs. Collins!" He called out, "Mrs. Collins please!"

It was then that Roger noticed that the door was unlocked. He opened the door and ran through the house looking for Collins' mother.

"Mrs. Collins?" He reached her bedroom her light was on but she wasn't in bed. Roger turned the corner to see her on the ground in a daze. Squatting down to meet her eyes he saw that her eyes were dilated.

"Mrs. Collins?" She jerked slightly. Roger looked down and saw white powder at her side. All those times she went to fix her make up when she couldn't handle her husband any longer. All those time Collins said she didn't care, that she was in a daze. It finally made sense. He took the powder, his friend's mother so high she didn't even care.

He threw the powder in the toilet and flushed it. Without a word to her Roger left the house and drove back to the hospital.

Post: I really hope I didn't go overly melodramatic at the end, I know I might have and I'm nervous about it. But I think it fits her completely. I couldnever understand her inside and out til I realized this.Tell mewhat you think please! Next Chapter: Collins comes out of surgery and Angel is allowed to see him.