"Kendall… sweetheart… Kendall… stay with me, Kendall!"

Zach… it hurts…

"Kendall… sweetheart… please don't leave me. I… I don't… have many friends… and I can't afford… to… to lose the one that I've got."

Why are you crying, Zach? I'm not going anywhere.

"Now it's time to wake up, my darling. Your Uncle Jack and Greenlee and Ryan are all waiting for you to open your eyes… and we're not going anywhere until you do."

Mother? I'm so tired… I'm just going to sleep…

"It's time to wake up, Kendall! Miranda wants to play with her Auntie Kendall."

Bianca? Why aren't you in Paris?

"I know you care more about your casinos than Fusion, but I thought you'd like to know that I'm taking care of the company. After all… Fusion is a part of both of us. I'll make sure that it goes on no matter what happens."

You sound like somebody's dying Greenlee! As soon as I'm done with my nap I'll remind you that Fusion is as much mine as yours! Don't you even think about stealing my share of the company!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…"

Zach? Why are you reading to me?

"You think about waking up today, okay? Things just aren't the same when you're not keeping me in line."

I'm so tired, Zach. Let me sleep just a little while longer.

"Kendall, darlin', it's time. Your man is missin' you something terrible. Zach needs you… and he's too fine a man to leave hangin' like this."

Zach's not my man, Myrtle… Myrtle?

. "Do you understand me Kendall? I love you… and I… I need you to come back to me… my life is so… so empty… without you here. I'll be right here waiting… when… whenever you're ready…"

No… no… Zach doesn't love me… I can't… I need to… Zach? Do you really need me? Do you really love me? That can't… I don't believe… maybe I should…Kendall's eyes fluttered open and she tried to speak but something was preventing her. She pulled her hand from beneath Zach's and wondered why his head was leaning against the bed… and then realized that she couldn't move anything except her hands and one leg. She wanted to scream and couldn't even do that as the terror began to take over. Zach! I can't talk! Help me! She cried silently until he looked into her eyes and caught her hands in his.

"Shh… shh… shh… It's okay, sweetheart… I'll explain everything."

Zach why can't I move? What? Where? There's something in my throat! Finally awake from her coma, Kendall could only recall fractions of conversations and vague dreams. She struggled vainly against the equipment, but Zach's voice and soothing manner caused her to relax as two nurses rushed into the room. Zach was telling her something… explaining about an accident and medical equipment… I was in a car accident? This is the hospital? So tired… need to sleep…I'm going to close my eyes for just a minute, Zach. Her eyes closed and she relaxed from the sedative that the nurse had administered to her intravenous line, but she was not asleep as Zach had assumed.

The car accident and even the few weeks leading up to it were completely gone… her memory was wiped clean of the events that took place for more than two weeks leading up to Zach and Kendall's meeting in Livia Frye's office. She tried to concentrate on Zach's words, the explanation of events and her condition, but something was getting in the way. Zach had said something… something that made her want to see him… What did you say, Zach? What did you tell me?

"…I love you."

Kendall's eyes opened and she looked for Zach. You love me? Did you say you love me? Zach's eyes met hers and she tried to ask him her questions without words, but he didn't understand. She was so tired, though, that she lost the battle to remain awake and perhaps hear him say those words again… and drifted into sleep without the restlessness that had so punctuated her several days in a coma.

"Kendall… my darling… your mother's here… wake up and say hello."

Kendall's eyes flew open to find her mother standing beside her bed. Mother? Where's Zach? What did you do with Zach? Zach loves me Mother! Zach? Don't leave me Zach! She felt his hand on hers before she turned her eyes and saw him sitting beside her. He spoke softly to her, comforting her once more as she couldn't move or speak… but when he looked at her mother his eyes were shooting sparks. Zach? Then he turned back toward her, his eyes once more gentle and filled with… love? She relaxed and allowed her eyes to close once more, certain that he would be there when she woke again. Just as she drifted back to sleep she thought she heard Zach say once again, "I love you."

Kendall drifted in and out of sleep, and every time she opened her eyes she found Zach by her side looking at her as if she was the greatest miracle of his life. His eyes glowed with warmth and affection and she felt safe despite the terrifying feeling of being trapped in the bed. She tried to communicate her gratitude with her eyes, and she hoped that he understood what she was trying to convey. Once she tried to pull her hand from beneath his, wanting to pat his hand to let him know she was grateful that he stayed with her. Her hand wouldn't go where she directed it and instead fell from the bed for him to catch and bring to his lips before whispering quiet comforting words until she relaxed.

"Are you certain that she'll get all the oxygen she needs? She won't suffocate if you remove the tube?" Zach was asking someone as Kendall opened her eyes. Something was different. She tried to reach her right hand toward Zach but it seemed to have a mind of its own and instead became tangled in something hooked up to her from one of the machines. A loud beep emanated from a machine and she tried to turn her head just as Zach's attention was drawn to her, noticing immediately the fear he was coming to expect each time she awoke. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "That's just an alarm on one of the machines, Kendall. It's okay…"

Zach? Take this thing out of my throat… I'm breathing by myself… I can feel it…Kendall was willing herself to voice the words but they were still only in her mind. If she allowed herself to think that she was trapped the panic would start to rip into her… and then Zach would catch her eyes with his gaze and she would fall into them. Zach was her safe place… as long as he was there she would be safe.

Time had no real meaning in Kendall's room. Once she awoke from her coma, Zach would not be moved from her side. When her eyes opened she looked for him with panic evident, her right arm flailing as if she couldn't control it and often hitting him without any awareness. Each time he gently coaxed her into relaxing and not fighting the equipment as she was gradually weaned from the ventilator. The process had been slow and painstaking, and he was exhausted, but soon she would be released from the machine and the need to calm her would be reduced… he'd rest then.

"Zach," Bianca said as she entered Kendall's room quietly. "She'll be okay with me for a little while. You won't be any good to her if you don't get some rest and some food. I promise… if I can't keep her calm I'll send someone to find you."

Zach looked at Bianca with a combination of weariness and apprehension in his eyes, "I can't, Bianca. I can't leave her."

Zach was gratified to recognize compassion in Bianca's expression. She had been steadfast in her own care for Kendall, assisting him in keeping her calm while the arduous weaning process continued. He didn't know what he would have done without Bianca… but the fact was that he had not left Kendall's side for any appreciable time for the better part of two days. And he had no intention of doing so until she was fully weaned from the vent and able to speak her needs for herself. Right now, everything that Kendall received was based on his intuition about what he could read from her very expressive eyes – and he sincerely hoped that he had been reading her correctly. There was only one expression that he hadn't felt able to decipher and it seemed to be there only when she was relaxed… but it was almost as if she was trying to tell him something.

"Fifteen minutes, Zach. That's all I'm asking," Bianca answered him. "Myrtle is out in the waiting room with something to eat. You can eat and close your eyes for a few minutes and then be right back here. They aren't planning to remove the endotracheal tube until later today, so you've got the time now."

He looked from Bianca to Kendall who was once again resting, breathing on her own although still hooked up to the machine for the time being. Although the sound of the ventilator continued, the doctors assured them that Kendall had been breathing on her own for the better part of twenty-four hours, which caused a quiet celebration among Zach, Bianca and Erica as they maintained their vigil at Kendall's side. Despite the fact that Zach had not left her side, Erica and Bianca were still taking turns helping to keep her calm and he had ceased to be concerned about any consequences that might have to be paid for this interlude of cooperation – Kendall's wellbeing was the only thing on his mind.

He slowly nodded his head before replying, "Homemade soup?"

Bianca giggled, "Of course… and muffins, too. I told her that was the only thing that would tempt you to leave this room before Kendall does."

"Well, then… I shouldn't disappoint Mrs. Fargate after she's gone to so much trouble," Zach replied with a grin. "Fifteen minutes."

"Right. And I'll be here holding Kendall's hand until you get back," Bianca said with a smile as she seated herself in the chair he had just vacated.

Zach walked around the bed and leaned down to kiss Kendall on the still evident bruise at the left side of her face while caressing her right cheek with his hand and then left the room.