Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace.

Thanks for all the comments. Keep them coming! I think I forgot to mention that this is set somewhere during season 7 - so I'm saying it now in case it was till unclear. :)

Chapter 3

They all entered the room together. Apart from a quiet, steady beeping sound coming from the corner, everything was silent. The lights were dim and the only occupant in the small room was lying motionless in her bed.

"Where's Rosario?" Grace whispered to Jack. It was unlikely that Karen would have been disturbed even if she had shouted, but somehow it seemed more appropriate not to break the silence.

"I don't know" Jack hissed back. "She disappeared somewhere just before you two came." He shrugged. "Maybe she went to get something, or call someone…although I don't know of anyone else who might need to know." he added with a hint of sadness in his voice. They all knew that Karen had many acquaintances but only few true friends. Nobody knew about her relatives.

"What about her mother?" Will suggested.

"Does anyone even know where she lives these days?" Grace asked with little enthusiasm. Her opinion of Karen's mother was not very high. "I don't think Karen needs the kind of person right now who will leave her for another con whenever she chooses."

As she spoke, Grace took a step almost cautiously towards the bed. She thought she saw Karen stir slightly, but the next minute she was sure she had imagined it as there was no further sign of any movement. Grace could barely even register Karen's chest rising with every small breath she drew in her sleep. Then, as a sudden thought hit her, she quickly looked down at her shabby clothes. She couldn't have picked a worse outfit if she had tried

Shaking her head, she returned her eyes to Karen and sighed audibly.

"What's the matter?" Will asked gently, placing his hands on her shoulders as he stepped forward to stand right behind her.

"It's nothing" Grace shook her head again. "I just never thought I'd miss hearing her opinion about my…couture."

"I'm sure I could tell you exactly what she'd have to say" Jack chimed in quietly - half-heartedly - but still unable to resist the chance to make fun of Grace's clothing. He knew Karen would have done the same, and in a way it made him feel closer to her. It was a connection they shared.

"I have no doubt of it" Grace replied in the same joyless manner, and the subject was dropped.

Jack moved quietly closer to the bed, finally taking the lone seat right next to the patient. He took Karen's tiny hand and held it wordlessly between both of his. Looking at him, Grace and Will both knew he wasn't going to leave her side before she'd open her eyes. None of them had any idea how long it would take, but they were all prepared to wait.

"I'll go and get us all some coffee" Will whispered into Grace's ear. She merely nodded and approached the bed, drawing another chair with her. She too was prepared to wait.

As Will walked out and started making his way towards the coffee vending machine, his eyes suddenly passed and soon came to rest on a familiar figure standing further up the corridor. It was Rosario. She was talking on the phone - and by the looks of it, it wasn't just a pleasant chat with an old friend. His curiosity aroused, Will decided to approach her from behind, hoping to find out what was going on. Rosario's back was half turned, and it seemed she had not noticed his presence. As Will came closer he could finally hear the other half of the conversation:

"No!" Rosario seemed to be insisting. "I have told you. I don't think it's a good idea at all!"

There was a silence. Will wondered what was being said in the other end of the line…and by whom.

"This is not the time or place" Rosario spoke again, clearly starting to lose her temper. "You can't expect…" she seemed to be cut off by the other person. "No, she's not seeing…" Suddenly Rosario turned around and found Will staring right at her. "I must go now" she said hastily in to the receiver before hanging up.

"What do you want?" she asked Will, challenging him with one look to ask about what he had just heard.

"I…uh…nothing" Will muttered. He wasn't going to start interrogating Rosario. Not when he was by himself and caught so off guard. "I was just looking for coffee" he mumbled. "…ah, I see the machine is right over there", he added hastily and hurried off, wondering what had made Rosario so defensive. What could she be hiding? He had never questioned her loyalty to Karen, but now he didn't know what to think. Who could she be calling in the middle of the night? And what for? Something was not right.

However, when Will returned to his friends, he decided not to bring up the subject of what he had just witnessed. At least not yet. Both Jack and Grace had enough to worry about as it was. He knew they were both very close to Karen. Even if Grace insisted she only employed her because of her wealthy connections, it was clear that the two had become good friends over the years. Even Will himself, who hadn't always been in such good terms with Karen, had to admit that they shared a connection. It was an odd friendship, but they both knew – even though neither would admit it - that the friendship existed. He cared about Karen, and as her lawyer he also felt somehow responsible for her. He wasn't done with Rosario yet, but he knew he needed to gather himself before he could confront her, and until then his place was with Jack and Grace – by Karen's bed.

It was dark. Everything was dark and there seemed to be no way out, nothing to take hold of – and then there was a pounding pain. It had started as an unpleasant, undefined feeling somewhere in her head, but then slowly it had begun to take shape and demand her consciousness. But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to leave the darkness where she was wrapped in so comfortably. The only thing she was distinctly aware of for a while was that she was now feeling well – and she didn't want to be aware of it. She wanted to go back to wherever she had been. Karen stirred slightly, and her mind started shifting back towards oblivion…

Hours passed. Unbeknownst to Karen the light in the room grew stronger as the sun rose above the horizon. Jack was the first to wake up and realize they had all fallen asleep during the night; His head was resting on Karen's side, and Will and Grace were leaning on each other.

The next thing he noticed as he lifted his head was that Rosario had also entered the room and was sitting on the opposite side of the bed. She was not asleep.

"Rosie..." Jack yawned. "Have you been up all night?" He looked from Rosario to Karen who seemed to have shifted in her bed over the night. "Has she opened her eyes?"

Rosario only shook her head, glancing at Will's sleeping form as she did so. Then she got up and motioned Jack to come closer to hear what she had to say:

"I must go up to the manse" she hissed. "…to get some of Miss Karen's things that she'll need when she wakes up. I won't be long."

"Sure" Jack replied, looking puzzled "But why are you whispering?"

"Bozo and her friend just fell asleep" Rosario said simply, nodding towards Grace and Will. "It's been a long night for them both. There's no need to wake them up yet."

"But how long was I sleeping?" Jack asked, frowning. He was almost certain Grace had been the first one to nod off.

"Just keep an eye on Miss Karen" Rosario avoided the question. She was almost out of the door when she suddenly stopped. For a moment Jack was sure she was going to turn around and say something more – but she didn't. She only took one more look at her lady before making a quiet exit.

Jack resumed his position by Karen's side, still wondering about Rosario's behavior. He had been married to her for a year. Sure, the marriage had never been consummated, but he knew her well enough to know when she was hiding something – and now she was. But what was it? Jack sighed. He had a hard time concentrating on Rosario when Karen was there, still showing no signs of waking up.

In the morning light she looked like a sleeping beauty with her dark, almost black, wavy hair falling around her pale face. Jack had always envied her milky white skin, but now the effect it created was almost frightening. She looked so peaceful. Too peaceful…like nothing in the world could ever disturb her sleep. So unlike Karen. Jack reached out to brush an errant curl off her face. If only there was a prince charming to wake her up.

A sudden flash of anger went through Jack's body as he thought of all the men in her life that had betrayed her. Stan had cheated on her. First he had gotten himself into prison, and then he had cheated on her. Lyle had only tried to use her…turn her into something she was not just because it would have suited him better. Sometimes Jack wished he was straight so he could make her happy and take care of her for the rest of her life – but he wasn't, and never would be. He would never be able to fulfill all her needs. He could only try to protect her from those who might hurt her. If only he was given another chance to do so.

Jack stroked Karen's cheek gently and brushed his lips against her forehead. She had to wake up. He wasn't ready to lose her yet.