When Alex, Walker and Trivette slowly entered the dimly lit hospital room. Sydney was in the same position, having fallen asleep next to the still form of her partner.

Alex turned sad eyes to Walker, "We should wake her, this can't be good for the baby," she whispered.

"She wouldn't leave this room even if we ordered her," Trivette remarked.

Walker nodded slightly, "We'll bring her food, and take care of her, but she needs to be with him now. They will need each other," he said while softly turning towards the door.

The others followed him. Alex, being the last one, took one last look at two people who seemed to be resting peacefully. But she knew better, one of them was fighting for his life, and the other was along side of him, fighting for the very same thing…

She turned her eyes skywards and sent another prayer to the heavens above, 'Please let them be okay,' before leaving the room and shutting the door.

One week later…

"You should have seen her Gage, she's so tiny. And she's healthy, that's the most important thing. Now we have to get you back, and we can be a family, like we wanted."

Sydney paused as she sat next to Gage, knees pulled op in the comfortable chair the nurses had brought in for her. She had been there the entire week, talking to him, sitting with him, or just sleeping. This morning she had made her first sonogram. The baby, she didn't know why, but she kept calling it a she, although she didn't know if it was a boy or a girl yet, was beautiful and most important, healthy.

She didn't know if Gage could hear her ramblings, but she was afraid to stop speaking or to leave, fearing he would let go if she gave him the chance. Until now, he was doing just that, holding on. And although the doctors said the chance he woke up was minimal, she couldn't give up on him. So she sat there and talked…

"Alex almost cried when she saw the sonogram. She just looked so small, so beautiful… Angela has been here to visit you, she wanted to know why her uncle Gage was sleeping so much. So what do you think, isn't it time to wake up? Isn't it time to come back to us?" Sydney choked back a sob.

She quickly wiped her eyes and stood up to go over to the window. Stretching all the kinks out of her back she stared at the parking lot where people were walking with children, balloons clutched in their hands, happy smiles on their faces.

Captured by the beautiful smile of a little girl with a bandage across her arm, she almost didn't hear the small sound coming from within the room. A little annoyed by the distraction, Sydney turned around fast, expecting a nurse that had walked in. But there was no one there. So that meant…

"Gage?"

Her eyes were now focused at the troubled man in the hospital bed. His head was twitching slightly, and his eyes were fluttering a little. Sydney rushed towards the bed, putting her hand on his clammy forehead.

Fighting his way to the surface, Gage welcomed the cool hand on his painful skin. The panic which was rising within him, caused by the large pressure on his chest and the fact that something was in his throat, was slowly taken away by the loving touch. Suddenly a name came to him, and opening his eyes he looked in the face of the woman that name belonged to. The woman his heart belonged to.

Sydney kept stroking his forehead, whispering to him, " Shh, it's okay, calm down. You're safe now."

When his eyes opened, she could have cried for joy. They were a little glazed over, but she could see her beloved partner was in there.

"It'll be okay. I am going to get a doctor okay?" she whispered, almost afraid to speak aloud, fearing she would wake up from this dream. Gage nodded slightly, wincing in pain from the tube in his throat.

Sydney turned and went out to get a doctor. He went inside, telling her to wait outside while he examined Gage. After a few minutes the doctor came out,

"Ranger Cooke? Your partner is awake now, I took the tube out, but we'll have to examine him further later today, to see how the bullet is effecting his spine. You go and see him first."

"Thank you so much dr. Evans, I'll see you this afternoon," Sydney breathed, already turning to Gage's room. When she entered Gage was still lying in the same position, eyes closed and machines beeping.

"Gage?"

His eyes slowly opened, and with a raspy voice, scratchy from lack of use, he replied,

"Shorty?"

Sydney smiled, he would be okay…

"How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" She felt a little awkward, knowing he had gone in to this assignment because of her, but she decided to put that behind her. She had to be there for him now.

Gage seemed in thought for a second before he answered.

"My chest hurts, but…" And all of a sudden he got a terrified look in his eyes while he turned to her and grabbed her hand in a vice like grip with his good hand.

"Syd?" his voice was soft and frightened, like that of a small child.

"I- I can't feel my legs… Syd? Why can't I feel my legs!"