At the sound of her pained groan, John shot upright, leaning forward in his chair. He'd been sitting there for hours, having only managed a brief hello with her before she had fallen back to sleep after her initial wake up. This was normal, the doctor had said. She'd been sedated for more than three days and even though they had gradually reduced it it was still in her body, along with the strong painkillers, those combined would make it hard for her to stay away for long to begin with. He didn't mind, all that he cared about was the fact that she was on the road to recovery, everything else was secondary.

She turned in his direction, as if she instinctively knew he would be there. Being extremely careful not to jolt her, he rested his forearm on the bed, bringing himself closer to her so she wouldn't have to strain her healing body in any way.

Her eyes slowly opened, blinking as if expecting the light to hurt her eyes. It wouldn't, he'd made sure that they turned the lights down as low as they could and had angled them away from her face.

She blinked again, obviously finding it hard to focus, staring up at the ceiling for a moment or two before she registered that she wasn't alone. When her gaze shifted to the side, her sky blue eyes latched on to his with such surety this time, without the fuzzy disorientation he had seen before, that he had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat before he could speak.

"Hi, beautiful," he whispered, stroking a gentle finger down her cheek, brushing her tangled hair away from her face.

He didn't know what he expected but it certainly wasn't the small, unladylike snort of disbelief that she let out.

"Liar," she croaked.

Just hearing her voice, even rusty and sore as it was, was like music to his ears. He'd never heard anything sweeter.

"I am?" he murmured, cupping her bruised cheek softly, smiling when she leaned into his caress, seeking comfort. "How so?"

"I feel like shit…" She paused to cough, clearing her throat before she continued. "Which means I probably look even worse."

That was so typical of her, to wake up swearing, as blunt as ever. He shook his head, wishing he could put into words all the emotions that were rolling through him at that moment. He felt amazed that she was talking so normally, that she was so much herself still. He felt an immense amount of pure pride that she had woken up and was already fighting. And a big helping of relief that she was awake after so long. All the hours of waiting, the worrying, the fears, all of it faded away now that she was there, talking to him. It had been horrible, but he'd go through it all again and again if it meant that he got to experience this moment again, to see her open her eyes, see him sitting waiting, and smile.

"I'd never lie to you," he promised her. "You'll always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

"Then you must be blind." She blinked her fuzzy eyes a few times before she could focus on his face, taking in the bags under his eyes and the stubble that decorated his cheeks, something that no amount of time in the hospital bathroom sink could have fixed. "How long have you been here?"

"Not too long," he promised, confident that he was telling her the truth, no amount of time would be too much where she was concerned, he'd wait for eternity if he had to. Clearly she didn't believe him, as evident but the little frown that creased her forehead

"I don't believe you," she mumbled, but her eyes were already closing again, the medication still in her system too much for her to fight.

"Don't worry about me," he whispered, dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You rest, I'll be here when you wake up."

-x-

It was dark when she next awoke. She lay there for a moment or two, gathering her wits and her bearings. It was quiet and dark in the room, clearly nighttime, the peaceful feeling broken only by the sound of footsteps and hushed whispers in the distance. Closer to her she could hear the quietened beeping of the machine she was attached to and those in other rooms, along with the soft snoring that she instantly recognised as that of an exhausted John.

She turned to look at him, smiling to herself at the sight that greeted her. Someone had managed to wedge a small camp bed against the wall under the windows, leaving a clear path around her bed and the room itself. She recognised it as one that Virgil kept in the storage lockers of Thunderbird Two, along with the pop-up dome tent, sleeping bags (one of which John was currently rolled up in), heat cubes, first aid kits, and food supplies. Everything a daring rescuer would need if he found himself stuck on the side of a mountain or similar with nothing but a pod vehicle for company. She didn't know who had been bribed, threatened, or indeed begged, to allow the bed in her room, but she was grateful. He obviously needed the rest as much as she did.

She risked an experimental stretch, finding that, although she still ached all over and that each movement she made was accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain, it was bearable. She imagined that she could have felt a lot worse than she did, which meant that whatever pain medication they had given her was still doing its job, enough so that she had been able to rest up and sleep most of the sedation off. The only problem with that was the fact that it now seemed to be stupid-o-clock in the morning and she was wide awake.

She couldn't say with any surety how long she lay there, wishing she had a book or her phone, anything that she could use to occupy her mind in some way, but it felt like forever. As it was, all she was doing was fighting with her own mind, questions tumbling around and around in her brain. What had happened? Why couldn't she remember the accident? Had she done something wrong? Was there anything she could have done to prevent it? Was anyone else hurt? Was it her fault?

These thoughts haunted her, troubling her so much that she closed her eyes again, forcefully telling her mind to calm. She took a few deep, meditative breaths, even though it hurt to do so, and found that it helped a little. This was fine, this should could do. She was used to dominating her own thoughts and bullying them into submission, she'd had enough practice at it over the years any time she needed to escape into her own mind or more recently, when a particularly dangerous rescue came up and she'd had to wave her boys off with a cheerful smile.

Keeping her eyes closed she focused her mind as best she could, taking the time to conjure up a soothing scene in her mind's eye. Just as she would if she were meditating, she breathed, she relaxed and she calmed. She felt the fuzzy relaxed moment that you feel just as you're falling asleep, the moment when you feel like you're floating away and then she lost all awareness of any noise, any beeping, any pains…

-x-

When she opened her eyes again sunlight was just peeking around the blinds.

She didn't know what had woken her at first, her body still feeling languidly sleepy, her brain still fuzzy and dulled.

She frowned, hearing a soft knock on the room door and managed to sit up a little and turn in its direction just before it wheezed open.

"Oh, good, you're awake," said the tired looking nurse that stood there. Her eyes roamed over John but she seemed to dismiss the idea of waking him or complaining about him being there as too much effort since she kept her voice pitched low and quiet so as not to disturb him. "Your dad is out here, shall I let him in?"

"My dad?" What the hell? How could… Selene squinted at the nurse, who seemed to be whole, healthy, and above all, sane. Her eyes went automatically to the camp bed where John was still stretched out, this time on his back, one arm up to cover his eyes. His chest was rising and falling steadily as he slept. He looked peaceful so deeply asleep and like he was finally getting some much needed rest. She didn't want to try to wake him to find out what was going on.

"Yeah, shall I let dad in?" the nurse asked again, clearly growing impatient, no doubt having more important things to do than hang around in a doorway all night.

He couldn't be there. It was impossible. Selene slid her good hand down under the covers and caught a lump of skin between her fingers, pinching her thigh as hard as she could. Fuck! Yep, that hurt. But that didn't necessarily mean that she was actually awake or indeed, alive and well.

She'd heard stories before, stories of people that had slipped into comas and seen their deceased loved ones. Was that what was happening here? If it was, shouldn't she be panicking more than she was? Shouldn't she be worried or scared? She thought she probably should be, that was how normal people would react, right? But then, when had she ever been considered normal?

The voice in her head that should be telling her to be sensible, to think rationally, was noticeably absent. So much so that all she could think about was that if there was even the slightest chance that she could see her dad again, she would take it.

"Yes, please," she finally answered. She crossed her fingers under the covers, knowing that she shouldn't be hoping so much but unable to stop herself all the same.

"Right you are." The nurse stepped aside, holding the door open for someone that Selene couldn't see.

She stared at the open doorway, waiting, her heart pounding in her chest. Surely, if she were dead, she wouldn't be aware of such things as her heart and her breathing? She shouldn't feel the bed solid and real beneath her. She shouldn't be thinking about something so ridiculous.

She heard the sound of quiet but firm footsteps, saw a shadow on the floor growing bigger as whoever was outside came closer.

He paused in the doorway, his eyes going first to the sleeping form of John who hadn't moved a muscle, then to her, a relieved smile on his face. The sight made her smile in return, even though it wasn't for the reason she had expected.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hey, darlin'."

The nurse, who had been hovering in the doorway as if she doubted what was going on, was apparently satisfied with this exchange. Having confirmed that she hadn't let a random stranger in, she nodded her goodbye and left them in peace, the door swinging shut behind her.

He crossed the room, moving quietly around John's bed on the floor, and took the seat beside her bed where John usually sat.

"It's good to see you awake. How you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck," she deadpanned.

"Close enough," he chuckled. "How long has he been asleep?"

"I don't really know, I've been drifting in and out myself, but I hope it's been a few hours at least."

"Good, it's been a long few days for him."

"Could no one make him leave?"

"When have you ever known anyone, besides you, make John do anything?"

"Yeah, he's stubborn," she said, smiling softly as she looked over at John and then back to her visitor. "Obviously he takes after his dad."

"I refuse to take responsibility for anything any of my sons do." Jeff stretched his legs out, getting as comfortable as he could in the chair.

"Do I take it by that statement that the rest of the idiots are around here somewhere?" Selene felt her heart slowly returning to its regular resting rhythm, the mystery of her early morning visitor now solved. No, it hadn't been the person she had wanted it to be, but she found that she wasn't all that disappointed. A warm, fuzzy feeling had settled in her chest, one that she was pretty sure had nothing to do with the pain medication and everything to do with the fact that Jeff had claimed her as his daughter just to get in to see her. He might not be her real father and he might not have even meant it the way she was taking it, but at that moment in time she didn't care, she needed a dad and an amazing one had stepped up to the plate. That was more than enough for her.

"They should be back at the hotel with Grandma, your mom, and brother, but knowing them I'd say it's a safe bet that at least two of them are awake and at least one is trying to get in here at this very moment. Scott says he wants his hoodie back, by the way."

"Then he knows what it is to want, doesn't he?" she answered, glancing at the back of the spare chair where the hoodie was draped. "I'm keeping it forever now."

"I doubt he'd dare argue with you at the moment."

"I know, and believe me I'm going to be milking that fact for as long as possible. Might as well get something positive out of this whole thing." She paused, her tone growing serious. "How's Allie? No one has really told me anything, I don't even really know what happened. Is he OK?"

"He's fine, a little bruised and shaken up but otherwise OK. He's at the hotel with the others, they only kept him in for one night for observation."

Selene visibly relaxed then, seeming to sink back into the pillows, the tension in her draining away now that she knew for sure that he was really still in one piece. "Good. I'd never forgive myself if I'd done something to hurt him."

"You never would and you didn't this time," Jeff insisted, reaching over to take her hand in his, giving it a careful, but reassuringly firm, squeeze. "The accident wasn't your fault."

"How am I supposed to believe that if I don't know what happened? No one will tell me anything. They keep treating me like I'm some delicate flower that will curl up and die if I hear anything remotely negative. It's pretty obvious that it wasn't a little bumper to bumper thing, and not knowing is making it worse."

"You really are so like Scott."

"Don't insult me when I can't get out of bed to defend myself."

Jeff ignored the attack on his first born, knowing that she didn't mean it in the slightest.

"Do you know what happened? Can you tell me?"

Jeff looked at her carefully, his face creased into a small, concerned, frown. "Are you sure you want to hear it now? Wouldn't you rather wait until John's awake?"

"Again, I'm no flower. Just tell me, please."

"Alright." Jeff leaned back in his chair, lifting one leg to rest his ankle on his knee, mirroring the casual pose that Scott and something Gordon could be seen doing. "We don't know all the details yet ourselves, but believe me we are investigating, so all I know is what Alan told us the night it happened."

He was clearly stalling, warning her that he didn't have all the answers and giving her time to change her mind.

"Go on then, I'm listening," she ordered, respectfully but firmly, her tone telling him that there would be no arguing with her.

He should have known that she wouldn't take the easy option.

-x-

She didn't know how long Jeff stayed or when she had dozed off again. She was pretty sure it had been some time in between him telling her about the accident and then, at her insisting, catching her up on everything that had been happening with the family while she had been out of action. Jeff in no way had the same kind of voice magic that John did, but his did have a comforting quality to it that relaxed you and made you believe that everything would be alright. Maybe it was just his dad energy or the fact that it was Jeff and you knew that if he told you that something would be OK, he wouldn't rest until he made sure it was. Either way, she was able to slip off into another sleep that let her sleep the morning away.

The next time she opened her eyes it was to find Scott in Jeff's place and John's camp bed neatly made but empty of any gorgeous husband.

"Hey, bitch, nice of you to bother to wake up to see me. How you feeling?" Scott grinned, reaching over her to pick up the bottle of water from her bedside table and offering it to her.

"Better than you will be when I get out of this bed, dickhead." She smiled back, taking the water he handed her and gulping down half the contents, her throat still so sore from a combination of the breathing tube and being asleep for so long.

"Barely awake and already threatening me with violence, it seems you're fine."

"Yeah, I'm still kicking, I guess that's all we can ask for. Anything else is a bonus."

"Too right it is."

"Where's John?"

"What, I'm not good enough for you? I pulled the big brother card and sent him to the hotel for a badly needed shower."

"Are you saying my husband smells?"

"Yep."

"Rude."

"True."

"So I'm stuck with you?"

"Yep." Scott leant back in the chair, arms behind his head, a vision of relaxed casualness. "Aren't you the lucky one?"

-x-

"I brought you some food."

Selene's eyes widened as she took in the sheer number of food boxes her mother was unpacking onto the little wheeled table.

"Mum, there's no way I'll eat all that, you know they said I have to go easy and only eat little and often at the moment."

"Nonsense, good home cooking, that's what you need." Celia continued spooning out food as if she was trying to feed the whole hospital.

"Why don't you save some of it for the others? I'm sure they'd appreciate some food that isn't from the hotel or the hospital cafe," Selene tried, starting to feel a little scared of the food that was already heaped on the plate while her mother showed no sign of stopping.

"They've already eaten, I made sure of it, this lot is just for you." Celia shot a pointed look at her daughter, obviously not impressed with the way she was still lying down.

"I'll try and eat a little bit," Selene promised, not wanting to disappoint her mother since she had gone to so much trouble. She knew how her family worked, they showed their love by making sure that you were always fed and watered, the act of feeding often being the only thing they felt they could do to help. Selene was the same with the Tracy family, she had been that way from the start. After a long, hard rescue, they often wanted nothing more than to come home, shower away the day and collapse on the couch with a plate of something hot and filling. There was very little Selene could do to help them while they were out but she could make sure that they had every comfort they could wish for when they got back. Oftentimes it was the only way she could support them and she took her role in the family very seriously. There was no way she would try to stop her mother doing the same thing for her.

"You can't eat like that," Celia snapped, although Selen knew she didn't mean it. Her mother often got very short tempered when she was worried or scared, and this was most definitely one of those times.

Selene shifted awkwardly on the pillows in an effort to sit up, but found it almost impossible to do alone. She was still wearing a pelvic brace, had a cast on her ankle and another on her wrist and stitches in her abdomen, hell she was lucky to be moving at all. Luckily Adam was there to help, finding the button to lift the head of the bed and rearranging her pillows so that she was able to sit comfortably once she was upright.

As soon as she was settled a lap tray was dropped over her legs and a plate thumped down, the knife and fork clattering down beside it.

"Well? Eat up."

"Mum, I can't really eat…" she trailed off, gesturing with her good hand to the random selection of grilled chicken pieces, a baked potato, and some kind of salad with coleslaw that her mother had bestowed upon her.

"Don't tell me you've gone vegetarian like him," Celia sniffed, spearing Adam with a glare that clearly said she thought his vegetarianism had been done purely to spite her.

"No, but-"

"I made your favourite, and I've got a roll right here, and some chocolate cake for afters."

"I know, and I appreciate it but I can't-"

"Allow me," Virgil interrupted smoothly, wandering in through the open door with his usual perfect timing. After hearing that she would be moved out of high dependency and onto a recovery ward as soon as she ate a meal and was cleared by a doctor, he had offered to accompany John in picking her up some much needed personal items from home.

"Oh, hey, you're back. Where's John? Don't tell me you left him somewhere because he was being annoying? I mean I wouldn't blame you but still."

"He's fine," Virgil assured her. "I left him sorting out the arrangements for your room move." He kept his answer short and sweet because there was no way that he was going to tell her that John was currently arranging a private suite, along with a private nursing team, ignoring all her protestations that she didn't need or want it. They knew she'd be content with a standard bed in the ward or even a small private one, but that didn't mean that John would be happy with that.

"Thanks, babe," Selene sighed gratefully, moving out of the way so he could pick up the knife and fork, chopping up the chicken into more manageable pieces and mashing up the insides of the potato so she could eat with just one hand.

"Well I could have done that if you'd just told me you needed the help," Celia huffed. Selene didn't bother to correct her by pointing out that she had tried to tell her but hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways.

Virgil hid his smile as he passed the fork back to Selene and settled his butt on the edge of the bed, arms crossed like he was fully prepared to do battle on her behalf should it be needed.

"Right, you make sure you eat all that up, I'm going to go find that husband of yours. No doubt he'll be needing help sorting your room out," Celia announced, heading for the door in an abrupt about turn. She moved so fast that she was almost at the door before they realised she'd been planning anything.

Selene paused, fork poised halfway to her mouth, not even managing one bite. "No, Mum, stay here with m…and she's gone. Virg?" She looked at him imploringly.

"Guess I'm gonna have to perform my duty as a daring rescuer sooner than I thought." He heaved himself up, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and lumbered out after Celia.

"Is she alright?" Selene asked Adam once Virgil and her mother had vanished down the hall, finally getting her fork into her mouth.

"Not really."

Selene blinked in surprise, not having expected such a straight answer from him. Her brother was usually one to go 'around the houses' as her nan would say. He didn't really see the world as others did, everything was subjective to him. She'd been prepared for one of his long-winded explanations about how their mother was never alright because that was society's expectation of what was considered to be alright. Instead, he had come straight out and said no.

"Really?"

"She's been worried out of her mind, Sis. We all have. We got a call from Scott saying that you'd been in an accident and that Jeff was coming to get us and that was all we knew. She didn't say a word until we got here, she just shut down. It was like she was back there, to how she was after…" he paused, trailing off, either unwilling or unable to finish his sentence.

"After Daddy died?" Selene supplied. She didn't blame him for not wanting to spell it out, especially as she was currently sitting in bed having nearly died herself. It was hitting a little too close to home for her too.

"Yeah."

"Gods, I'm sorry," she sighed, dropping her fork back down after her first bite, not feeling at all hungry. "I never wanted to put her or any of you through something like that."

"It's not your fault, you didn't ask for this, and you didn't do anything wrong."

"But that doesn't change the fact that it happened, that I put you all through hell while I laid here completely oblivious to everything. I basically had a nap while you guys dealt with the fallout."

Adam snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure you were having a great time."

"Is that sarcasm I can hear in your tone, Baby Bro?"

"Of course not, sarcasm is a worthless endeavour that only succeeds in frustrating all involved."

"That'll be a yes then. But I really am sorry, I hate that everyone felt like they had to drop everything and rush to my side when I wasn't even aware of you being here. I hate the thought of you all suffering because of me."

"We're your family, of course we'd be here, there was never any way that we wouldn't be. I made sure that Mum got some rest. I teamed up with Sally to take her to a hotel, it helped that the others came too, well, everyone but John, nothing was going to make him move."

"I know, Jeff told me the same. I do appreciate you all being here though I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah, me too. Now eat before Mum gets back and finds out."

"Yes, sir." She stuck her tongue out, earning herself a flipped middle finger before picking up the fork again.

-x-

"Are you sure you're OK?"

Alan rolled his eyes. "Yes, how many more times do I have to say it?"

"You promise you're not lying to me?"

"I promise."

"Say it."

"I promise that I'm not lying to you about being OK," Alan parroted back obediently. "It's just a strained shoulder and some bruising, it looks much worse than it is. I've been hurt more out on a rescue."

Selene studied his face carefully for any signs of falsehood but eventually, she nodded, accepting his assurance. "Alright, I'll take that for now."

Alan snorted, but he was under strict instructions from John that he wasn't allowed to argue with her or stress her out in any way, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Grape?" Selene offered, nudged the bag in his direction. "Mum seems to think this is the 1960s and everyone that visits someone in hospital has to bring grapes with them or they won't be allowed in. This is the third bag, I've given one to the nurses and Scott said that if I dare try to force even a single grape on him again he's going to disown me."

Alan, who had been reaching for the bag, paused. "I'm not sure I want one now."

"Eat it and stop moaning, they're good for you."

Alan took the bag, peering inside, not looking at her as he selected a piece of fruit. "I was really scared, Sel."

Selene looked up sharply, but the look on his face clearly said he wasn't talking about the grapes. She kept quiet, not really knowing what to say, although she did reach for his hand with her good one, squeezing it tight.

"Not of the crash, well, not really. I've been in scarier situations. But I was scared for you, you scared me because you weren't responding, I didn't have any way of contacting my brothers, I didn't have any of my equipment with me and there was nothing I could do to rescue you. There was nothing I could do for you but sit and watch."

"You did so much for me. I don't remember anything about the crash or after but Jeff said that you did everything right. You kept me talking and you kept me calm, and we both know that keeping me calm is an almost impossible task on a good day, let alone in a situation like that. Knowing myself as well as I do, I'm quite confident in saying that if you hadn't been there I would have been in a much worse state, I'd have tried to get out of the car and injured myself further, had a panic attack or something like that. So, in my eyes, you did save me in every way you could."

"I did?"

"You really did." She cast a quick glance towards the door, checking that there were no nurses in sight, or any sign of John, then shifted over on the bed, ignoring the shaft of pain that lanced through her abdomen. "Come sit with me."

Alan looked like he wanted to protest but didn't dare. Slowly, carefully, he perched his behind on the bed beside her. She sat up carefully, holding in the groan that wanted to escape, and wrapped her good arm around his middle cuddling up to his side.

"Don't worry about me," she told him. "I'll be fine, not much to keep me down, I'll be back home and nagging you all in no time."

"Promise?" Alan asked, echoing her earlier words.

"I promise," she assured him.

-x-

"Not so fast!" Selene screamed, clutching at the armrest of her wheelchair like her life depended on it, which, if Gordon had anything to do with it, was probably true.

"Do not crash her into a wall," John shouted after them as Gordon noomed her down the hallway towards her new room, having taken off with her before the orderly got a chance to step in.

"Like I'd do that," Gordon called back, "I'm an expert at this."

"I'm gonna die!"

"No, you aren't."

"The crash didn't need to finish me off because you're here!"

"Don't you trust me?"

"No!"

"Harsh!" Gordon slowed down just enough to allow John and Virgil, who were both carrying her bags, to catch up.

"Not harsh," she huffed, trying to catch her breath, not easy to do when you had broken ribs and your lung was still recovering, as Gordon screeched around a corner and zoomed her into the small suit that had been secured for her.

"Harsh, but I'll let it go this once." He parked her beside the bed and flicked the breaks on. "Your room, madame."

"Don't even try to get up on your own," John ordered, hurrying into the room after them. He tossed a mild glare in Gordon's direction as he set the bags down on the second bed where he would be sleeping. Gordon, immune as he was to all forms of negativity, ignored him.

"I wasn't going to," Selene lied smoothly, gently lowering her backside back into the chair.

Gordon snorted in disbelief, John gave her the eyebrow raise of doom, but Virgil stepped over to help before John could. Holding tightly to his arm she pulled herself up and, with much groaning, hopped the three steps to the bed, being careful to keep her broken ankle raised. Still keeping a tight hold, and supported by his free arm around her waist, she lowered herself down then shimmied onto the bed.

"Phew, that was a mission," she gasped, panting through the pain that rode her. "Won't be doing that again for at least an hour."

"You'll stay put for longer than that," John ordered, carefully lifting her legs up onto the bed and tucking her in.

"Yes, Mum," she quipped, although it turned into a snort of laughter when Gordon and Virgil's heads whipped towards the door as if expecting Celia to materialise there like a Disney villain.

"Don't be cheeky, just do as you're told."

Selene grinned evilly. She was feeling a lot better now that she was out of the ICU and on a normal ward. That, along with Kayo popping in armed with face wipes to clean off the last of her five day old smeared makeup, dry shampoo, a hairbrush and endless patience in teasing out the knots, had left her feeling much more human. Now her hair was neatly brushed and hanging in twin braids on either side of her head, and she'd had a quick wash and brushed her teeth, meaning she was feeling fresher than she had in days. Sure, she was craving a hot bath and a proper hair wash, but at this point she'd take what she could get.

"We'll leave you two alone to get settled, do you want anything from the store or the cafeteria?" Virgil asked.

"What's the chance of me being able to have a strong latte?" she tried, knowing what the answer would be.

"Slimmer than none," he answered. "Good try through."

"Can't blame a girl." She sighed deeply. "I guess I'm good then."

"Alright, we'll be back," Virgil said, grabbing Gordon by the collar and hauling him out the door with him when he looked like he was getting a little too comfortable on the end of Selene's bed.

"Hey, no need to manhandle me!"

"Then move it."

Rolling his eyes, John pushed the door closed behind them. "Why did I have to have so many siblings?"

"There isn't an answer I can give that doesn't involve you shuddering in disgust."

"This is true." He paused to stuff his bag into the storage locker beside his bed then turned to her with a critical eye. "You look exhausted, you need to get some rest."

"I'm fine, I'm not a baby that needs a nap."

"No, you're not, but you are a stubborn woman that probably wouldn't rest even if she did feel like she needed it. So, for me, can you at least try?"

"I will," she promised. "But later, because I honestly don't feel like I could sleep right now."

John didn't look like he believed her.

"You know I have trouble sleeping during the day," she wheedled. "Besides, I've spent the best part of four days asleep, I'm bored of it now. I just want to go home and concentrate on getting better. The sooner that happens the sooner we can get back to our normal lives."

She glanced over at John when he didn't immediately dive in to tell her that there was no way she was getting home any time soon. John never said a word, but he didn't need to. She knew her husband almost as well as she knew herself, and she knew that something wasn't right. He had flinched slightly, his body had stiffened, his jaw tightening like he'd wanted to say something but had stopped himself.

"What is it?" she asked, as blunt as ever. "What's wrong? Was Alan lying to me? Did he get hurt and didn't tell me?" She knew her voice was rising, feeling the first flush of panic.

"No, no Alan is fine," John was quick to assure her.

"Then what is it? Because I know you, and I know that something is bothering you. So, what is it?"

John stayed quiet, his eyes focused on the pillow he was needlessly fluffing.

"John? What aren't you telling me? Did I say something wrong?" She mentally rewound the conversation, but could find nothing that could have provoked this kind of reaction. All she had said was that she couldn't wait to get back to normal…her brain stuttered to a halt, a thought occurring to her. "If I was to call the nurse now and demand to see a doctor, would they tell me something that you guys haven't?"

There it was again, that brief hunching of his shoulders, the barely visible flinch that told her her question had hit its mark.

"John," she called, waiting until he turned to look at her before she continued. "What's happened? What's wrong with me?"

His eyes squeezed shut for a moment or two, as if he couldn't bear to look at her, but when he opened them again they were filled with such pain. Pain the likes of which she had never seen from him before.

She didn't move as he sat down beside her on the bed. She didn't say a word as he took her hand in his, even though she could feel it shaking.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you something."