So yeah that last chapter was pretty short, sorry guys. I just needed to get Joanne to the hospital and this chapter has proven to be a pretty long one without all of that added too. But I'll try to keep in mind to keep them longer. I'm glad though that you guys are enjoying the story. Thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate them. Hope you enjoy this one!

(Joanne's POV)

I was sitting in the back of the cab between Eden and Roger. The silence between us was deafening. Roger had his arm around me, rubbing my shoulder; Eden had a tight grasp on my hand. It was like they were thinking if they let go of me, I'd fall to pieces. Which honestly I might have and even though they weren't saying anything to me, they were giving me so much support in those moments.

They hadn't really told me anything, except for she was beat up. I didn't know anything and that scared me even more, I didn't know what to expect when I walked into her room. Guilt had now too taken over. If I would just have went home when I usually do, I could have been there, maybe I could have done something. If only we hadn't got in that ridiculous fight. The last thing she heard me say to her was, "fuck off Maureen Johnson" Oh gosh, that can't be the last thing I tell her before she…no, I didn't know if she was really going to die, I didn't know.

"Joanne?" Roger was looking at me, his voice so soft and gentle. "We are here." I had gotten so lost in my thoughts; I hadn't even realized we were at the hospital.

Roger got out of the cab and reached his hand back in the cab to help me out. Eden was paying the cab driver and came over to help Roger walk me into the hospital. Without them both I doubt I could have gained enough courage then to walk into the hospital.

I was finding it hard to breathe while we walked through those doors. We walked over to the information desk and they told us that she was on the tenth floor. Something at that moment took over me and I raced to the stairwell. I didn't want to waste time waiting on the elevator. Roger and Eden took off chasing me up the stairs. Panic had taken over my body. I was taking two and three steps at a time; Roger and Eden were getting further and further behind. I burst threw the door that read "10th floor" my mind racing, not knowing what to do now. I noticed the nurse's station and rushed over to it, realizing I didn't know what room Maureen was in.

"What room is Maureen Johnson in?" I was so out of breath, I could hardly get the words out.

The lady behind the desk had a blank look on her face like I was speaking a foreign language to her. "Excuse me, ma'am. What can I help you with?"

"Maureen…Johnson…what…room?" I was gasping for air in between each word.

She then started punching some keys on her computer. "Yes now let's see here," could she take any longer. "She's in room 1032, down the hall on the left."

As I turned to run down the hall, I heard the stairwell door swing open and Roger and Eden walking onto the floor. I stood there and waited on them realizing I was going to probably need their support walking into that room.

"You ready?" Eden hugged me before we took off down the hall.

We stood outside the slightly closed door for a moment. I needed to compose myself. Maureen didn't need to see me like this; I needed to be strong for her. Roger finally pushed the door completely open; we didn't move an inch though. I could see her lying there in that bed, her body beaten. My body collapsed to the ground, Roger caught me in his arms before I hit the floor. I just buried my face into his chest, I was sobbing. I couldn't believe this was happening. His arms were wrapped tightly around me; he was gently rubbing my back trying to calm me down. This was a side of Roger that didn't show very often, but I was glad he decided to let it come out today.

"Joanne, whenever you're ready," he whispered to me.

I looked up at him, just shook my head. He helped me stand up, my body still shaking.

"She needs you; you're the one she wants here with her."

I looked into the room, realizing Mark, Collins, and Mimi starring at me. Eden was still by my side. Mark had got up and put a chair up by Maureen's head for me. Roger and Eden walked me into the room, both holding onto me tightly. I sat down in the chair, just starring at her beaten and bruised body, she was almost unrecognizable. Tears were again flowing down my face.

No one was saying a word. They just sat there and watched me, as if I'd fall apart if they spoke. However, I still didn't know anything and that was making it worse for me. I reached out and gently took Maureen's hand into mine; she was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her.

"So, what happened?" I think everyone was surprised I had even spoken because they all began glancing back and forth from one another as to figure out who was going to tell me.

Finally, Mimi walked over to me, knelt beside me, wrapping her arm around me. "Well honey," she paused, gathering strength to get the words out, "Eden and I went over to your apartment and we found her lying on the floor." Mimi looked at Roger in efforts to get permission to continue. "She was blacked out when we first got here, but she woke up once we started calling out her name and shaking her. And honey she's just sleeping right now; she's not in a coma."

I heard Eden speak up from behind me, "Joanne, she just kept asking for you. She said to make sure you know that she loves you."

I turned to Mimi, crying on her shoulder. I couldn't take this, why did this have to happen. She didn't deserve this; why would anyone want to do this to her.

"Don't cry," I heard a weak voice from the bed say.

I let out a sigh of relief and wiped the tears from my face as I turned back to the bed seeing Maureen awake. She was trying to smile, but I could see the pain, hurt, and fear still in her eyes.

"I love you," that's all I knew what to say. We just stayed there starring at each other.

Finally, Collins broke the silence, "hey well lets give them a minute guys. Let's go to the cafeteria, get a bite to eat."

They all got up and made their way over to Maureen. They each kissed her, told her they loved her and that they'd be back. They all left, Roger smiling at me as he slowly shut the door.

I turned back to Maureen, not knowing what to say. I just sat there and looked into her eyes. After a few minutes I think the silence was worrying her.

"Joanne, say something."

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have just come home instead of being stubborn. I shouldn't have told you about Steve, I shouldn't have said all those things to you. I shouldn't have fought with you." It was like once I had started on this ramble, I couldn't quit.

"Joanne stop it!" she demanded. "This is not your fault, you hear me." She reached over and grabbed my hand. "I love you Joanne," she began crying now, which made me start crying again. I hated seeing her like this, in this much pain. What she must have went through; I hated to think about how scared she must have been. She then moved over in the bed, lifting up the blankets, "come here."

"Maureen, I can't. You don't need to be squashed in that bed. You need to lay there and rest. We got to get you better."

"I'd feel better if you'd come up here and just hold me," she was flashing me those puppy dog eyes and she sounded so cute, how could I say no to her.

I climbed up in the bed with her. I gently wrapped my arms around her; she laid her head on my chest. It felt so good, so right, to have her in my arms. Even though I had been sitting there looking at her, some sort of comfort came over me by just having her in my arms. I leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"What was that?" some laughter had entered back into her voice. "Everyone else at least kissed my cheek or forehead and my girlfriend kisses the top of my head," she had looked up at me smiling.

I gently leaned over and kissed her on the lips. I made sure to be as gentle as possible, seeing how badly her face was bruised and busted up.

"Thank you," she sweetly told me as she laid her head back on my chest.

I began running my hand threw her massive curls. I was so thankful she was alive. I couldn't imagine my life without her in it. I loved her so much and didn't ever want to let her go ever again.

"Hey Pookie," she started; I could hear the sadness in her voice, "Pookie you know the one thing that I kept thinking about while it was happening; the one reason I was trying to survive? It was you. I love you so much Joanne. I don't ever want to loose you. I love you," she said all of this without even looking at me. She reached over and latched her fingers in between mine. We were both again crying.

"Baby I love you too."

We just laid there, holding each other. There was so much more I wanted to know about what happened and mainly who it was, but now wasn't the time. I just wanted to be in the moment; her in my arms. She was alive and she loved me and that's all that mattered to me right then.

"Hey kids wake up," we were startled awake by Mark's voice. We were still in the bed together, still holding onto one another.

"What time is it?" I was rubbing my eyes trying to wake myself up.

"It's 8:30."

"8:30?" I looked out the window, it was light outside, we had slept all night like that.

Mark kind of laughed realizing that we were both just then realizing we had slept all night. "Yeah, we all came back last night and saw the two of you sleeping we didn't want to disturb you, you guys just looked too damn cute," he got a little smirk on his face.

"Has the doctor been in?" I could tell by her voice she was nervous and worried. I started rubbing her back in an attempt to make her feel safer being in my arms.

"We don't know, Eden is out at the nurse's station trying to find something out."

Just then Eden walked in the room, a smile on her face. Usually that would mean good news, but I was so worried that I wasn't jumping to any conclusions.

"So what did you find out?" I quickly asked her. I was eager to find out something about how Maureen was going to be, seeing how last night I never really found out anything about what was going on with her.

"Well," she sat down at the end of the bed, "the doctor will be in here in about fifteen minutes. He has already checked out all your test results from yesterday," her smile somehow got bigger at this point, "but as long as you seem ok when he comes in, he's going to release you."

Maureen and I just looked at each other; our smiles as big as Eden's now. She reached up to me and kissed me, I couldn't have been happier.

"So, all the tests were ok?" Maureen still had a slight hint of worry in her voice.

"Yeah, that's what they told me. No internal bleeding or swelling, no apparent organ damage. You do have three broken ribs though, but that doesn't mean you have to stay here."

Maureen gave her this no shit I have broken ribs look. "Thanks Eden. I really appreciate everything," I couldn't believe what Maureen was saying to Eden. She seemed very genuine and sincere in her comments; I'd never heard Maureen take that tone with Eden before.

"You don't have to thank me Maureen."

The doctor then walked in; I quickly jumped out of the bed so he could assess her. He was rather quiet during his assessment. Eden was standing beside me, her arm around me. Maureen looked nervous and scared lying there, probably since he wasn't speaking. Finally, after he was done he took out some papers and started scribbling something down. We all just looked at each other, confused, wondering what was going on.

"Well," his voice was very deep and stern, "Maureen I'm going to go ahead and release you." I was so relived when I heard this news. He continued rambling on some restrictions and instructions. When he said, "no extrenuous activity," we just looked at each other, disappointed, I'm sure that won't last too long though. Maureen then signed some papers, got dressed and we left.

Mark and Eden had to get to work, so they headed on their way, telling us they'd call us later. Maureen and I headed back to the apartment. As we were walking up the stairs, Maureen's body began to shake, her grasp on my hand tightened. I put my arm around her waist pulling her a little closer to me. I knew this wasn't going to be easy for her, but Maureen was a fighter and I was going to be there every step of the way supporting her in every way I could.

Earlier, Mark had pulled me aside and told me that they all had went over to the apartment and cleaned it up for us. They didn't figure I was going to leave Maureen's side at the hospital and that she didn't need to be returning to that apartment with it being trashed like it had been. I'm glad we had such great friends.

We had finally made it to our apartment. She just stopped and starred at the door. Her body was shaking so bad that I thought that I was going to have to carry her into the apartment. She then turned and just looked at me; I could see all the pain and fear that had returned in her eyes.

"Whenever you want to go in Maureen, we'll go in. We can sit out in the hallway all day if you want to," and I would have sat there all day if she wanted to.

She just smiled at me, "ok Pookie let's go home."

We walked in and she began crying. I took her in my arms and walked her over to the couch. We sat down on the couch; I just held her and let her cry. Even though she was crying and in so much pain right now; I knew we were going to be ok.

"I love you Maureen."

So what did you think? Please review. I haven't even got the next chapter started, so hopefully I can get that wrote maybe tonight beforeI go to sleep...we'll see. I'll get one up and posted as soon as I can though, promise. Thanks again for the reviews and don't forget to review this one!