Exactly 43 minutes later Sydney had taken her place next to Gage's bed again. Her thoughts were moving a mile a minute. How were they going to handle this? What would happen with them raising their child? Would he be strong enough? Was he ready for this? Was she ready for all of this?

Looking over at his face, softened by sleep, she knew the answer to that question by heart. Yes, she would be there, even if he didn't want her to be. She knew he could be stubborn, but she also knew herself. And she was self aware enough to know that she could be too. Sure, there would be fights, and he would be in denial, as Dr. Evans had pointed out. But she knew him, and she had seen how strong he had been when he had lost his hearing. Together they would be able to beat this, and maybe… The doctor had said there was a small chance that he would be able to walk again, and knowing that the chance was there, she clung to it. Grasping it like a lifeline. And he would have to do that too, so he could walk again, and chase their child through the yard, or her to the bedroom…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sigh coming from the sleeping form on the bed. The content features had disappeared from his face and were replaced by a dark frown while he was shaking his head.

"No, no, no, please, god no!"

Sydney gently put her hand on his bruised face, softly stroking the hair out of his face, and moving along his strong features she stroked the frown away. He seamed to calm down a little, but was still making soft whimpering sounds. And for a minute she felt herself being transported back to the dark cellar, where she had also stroked his face, with him whimpering softly to 'please make it stop'.

Shaking her head she took that thought and buried it deep inside of her. She had to be strong now, and not weakened by memories. That's what they were, memories. They were over, now the only thing she had to worry about was the future. Unknowingly she had stopped stroking Gage's forehead, and as if he felt this he started twisting and turning again. This time even more than before.

"I'll tell, I promise! I'll talk, no please nooo!"

With that the scream died from his lips and his eyes suddenly shot open, his breathing heavy and sweat forming on his face.

Sydney had to swallow the large lump which had formed in her throat, taking in his haunted appearance. Again she placed her hand against his body, keeping him from sitting upright, which she knew, would cause him great pains.

"Calm down, Gage. It's alright, you're safe. Just lay down, everything is fine."

She cringed at the tone of her voice. 'Everything is not fine' she said to herself, you're lying to him and he trusts you. While berating herself she didn't notice Gage's expression change. She only noticed it when he started speaking in a soft tone.

"Syd? It's not good isn't it?"

She felt tears sting in her eyes, while she looked up to look him directly in the eye. She couldn't find her voice, so she slowly shook her head.

Gage sighed, deep down inside he had known something was wrong, his legs felt like lead and he couldn't seem to move them. During the tests he hadn't been completely conscious, but he had seen the doctors face, which had scared him even more. Now he just needed Syd, she would know all the answers.

"Wh-…" he had to swallow hard before he was able to continue, "What's wrong, something's wrong with my legs isn't it?

Sydney braced herself for what was about to come, she put her feelings aside as best as she could and tried to remember what Dr. Evans had told them.

"You remember Anderson shot you right?"

Gage nodded.

"Dr. Evans said they were able to remove the bullet lodged in your chest. The other one was really close to your spine," she paused for a few seconds, gathering some courage to go on, "They couldn't take it out before, cause you were so weak… After you woke up, they tried to remove it, but there still are some fragments in there."

Gage was quietly listening to her, trying to catch each and every word she said.

"And because some of it is pressing on your spine, you can't feel your legs."

"So why don't they just get those fragments out?" Gage asked, thoroughly confused, the solution seemed so simple.

Sydney slowly shook her head, repeating what the doctor had told her, "It would be too dangerous, you could become paralysed for life, or you could loose feeling in other parts of your body."

She shuddered after finishing the last sentence.

Gage sighed, almost afraid to ask further questions.

"So, how long, before I can walk again?"

The question was so full of hope, Sydney wished she could just disappear, knowing she was the one who was going to hurt him now.

"Well… Ìf they get the splinters out, there's a 20 percent chance you will walk again." she finished, immediately searching his eyes to see if he could still grasp it all.

Gage didn't know how to react, as the news slowly sank in. He looked up in Syds eyes, searching for something to hang on to. And he found it there: Hope. He would cling to it, with all his power, and together they would beat this thing.

Through blurry eyes they each found a hand to hang on to, an anchor to keep them safe for the coming storms.