Too numb to move Holly sat by the edge of the bed for what seemed like hours. It was the ringing phone that jostled her from her paralysis. She wiped her eyes and nose before answering it, noting that Ed didn't move.

"Hello, Bauer residence" Holly said quietly.

"Mom!" It was Blake.

"Blake, honey, how did you know I was here?" Holly asked, wiping her eyes again.

"I didn't. This was just the last place I tried. I tried you at your house, at the station, I even called the Journal. Fletcher Reade is such a jerk. Asked why I thought he'd be in bed with the competition. Do you know he hasn't even given Daddy's accident the press it deserves? No, he buried it on the 3rd page below the fold. Honestly. I know Daddy isn't Fletcher's favorite person after what he did to Alexandra, but come on, he's a citizen of Springfield too, and he deserves to be front page news even when he isn't the one causing the problems. What a class act ass…."

"Blake, honey, I'm sorry, but what is so urgent, I'm about to be in the middle of something here." Holly eyed Ed who was starting to stir.

"I called about Daddy"

Holly held her breath. "And?"

"He's awake and talking. Dr. St. John said it's a miracle that he can't believe. He said his speech is a bit slow, but that he is coherent. They sedated him for now, they don't want him to overdo it, but he said that tomorrow he is going to move him to a regular room and we can talk to him as much as we want. Oh Mom, isn't that great?"

"That is wonderful Honey. Listen, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go. Can I call you later?"

"You sound off Mom, is everything alright?" Blake was concerned.

"It will be darling, it will be. Give Ross my love" Holly said hanging up the phone.

Ed sat up quickly and closed his open eyes. "My head" He complained.

"I can imagine" Holly said dryly.

He turned towards her "Holly? How did I get up here?"

Holly sat on the bed next to him, but as far away from his as possible. "You don't remember?" She asked, absently running a hand along her belly. The baby had recently started kicking.

"Remember what, Holly? I'm having a little trouble here."

"I'm sure. I remember quite well these black out drunks of yours. Why they were so frequent back in the day that I was able to convince you I conceived Christina Blake during one of them."

"Holly, that's ancient history. This is completely different."

"Ok fine, let's talk about recent history. Just how long have you been sleeping with that tramp?"

"First of all, she isn't a tramp, and second of all I would never touch Blake. I still see her as my daughter. What is wrong with you Holly?"

He was either a great actor or he was genuinely confused as to what Holly was saying.

" Not Blake you idiot, Lillian. Just how long have you been sleeping with Lillian?" Her emotion betrayed how she really felt. Deep down she still loved Ed and was genuinely angry that he had slept with the same mistress that caused Maureen to die.

Ed's mouth was dry. "Holly, I told you I only slept with Lillian once, and that was when I with Maureen"

Holly stood and pointed at him. "You're a liar! She came down the front stairs and told me you could explain what she had been doing here, again. She looked as guilty as a toddler who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Ed!"

"She isn't guilty of sleeping with me, Holly. She's guilty for enabling me to drink."

"What? What are you talking about? You only just started drinking Ed." Holly fell back onto the bed, nearer to him now than before, but still far enough away that he couldn't or wouldn't reach out and touch her.

"It started after Maureen died. After the funeral. Michelle was at Bill's for a sleep over, or maybe it was Ben, I don't know. Anyway, Lillian came over and told me that despite everything that happened that she still had feelings for me. I rebuffed her of course, I had just lost Maureen. I couldn't imagine being with Lillian again."

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"When I rebuffed her, I foolishly offered her a drink. She drank very little of it spending more time crying into it than anything. When she left, I started to pour it down the sink, but I ended up drinking it along with the rest of the bottle. She's known ever since and did nothing to stop me. She thought if she placated me on that, then I'd come back to her because she'd enable me further."

Holly laid her head against the wall. "How did I not see this? How did I miss all the signs?" She asked herself out loud"

"You didn't miss them. I was careful. I only drank when I was alone, and never enough to get drunk. It wasn't bad at first, I thought maybe I had licked it, you know, I could be a social drinker again, but that's a myth. I am an alcoholic. I can't drink, period"

"Oh Ed. I am so sorry."

"Not as sorry as I am. There is something else you need to know. I wasn't covering a shift over the Fourth of July when I sent you to the Cliff House alone. I was scared. I couldn't imagine not having a drink for three whole days. It was torture. So, I sent Michelle to Ben's and you to the Cliff House. That is why Michelle was so angry at me when we finally arrived."

"If this is confessional, then I need to tell you something too" Holly wrapped her hands around her stomach protectively.

"You don't have to. I already know." He said, laying a hand on her knee. "Our baby isn't ours, he's yours. He was conceived that very weekend, and he isn't mine."

Holly blinked several times. There was no anger, no malice in his voice, just truth.

"How long have you known?" She asked, tears filling her eyes.

"Since the day you told me you were pregnant. As soon as I calculated your due date, I knew that if my math awas correct that I couldn't possibly be the child's father. I hoped that once you had your first ultrasound that we'd find your dates were off, but no, everything was right on time"

"Ed, I am so…"

"Don't say you're sorry. I should have been there,I should have been sober. I put everything in motion, everything that has happened since is my fault."

"So it was you who hit Roger? Is it because the baby is his and not yours?"

Ed closed his eyes and shook his head. "Holly, I didn't know the baby was Roger's until the day of Blake's wedding. Of course, it all made sense then, I didn't think you had some random hook up, but in my continually inebriated state I didn't allow myself to fathom the possibility of it either, but I did not get behind the wheel of a car and run anyone down. I promise you that"

"If not you then who?"

"I think I know. I think I need to call the police department." He said, standing to go to the phone.

At the same time at Cedars Jenna rushed into the ICU having listened to Blake's many voice mail messages. Not even allowing her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room she rushed to the desk and pounded on the window. The receptionist calmly sat down and opened the sliding glass between them allowing her access to Jenna.

"I need to see my husband right this moment!" Jenna demanded.

"Right this moment ma'am, I need you to lower your voice. I then need you to look around the room. Do you see that nice police officer over there? His name is Victor. Victor is here in the event that a patient or family member becomes hostile to the staff. I can assure you that Victor is very bored, and very tired, and won't hesitate to use both his mace and his hand cuffs if needed."

Jenna turned her head and spotted the armed and uniformed officer who had taken equal notice of her.

"My apologies. It's been a very long day" she said lightly. "I've been in England, and just got home. When I did, I found out that my husband, Roger Thorpe was involved in an accident that has left him gravely injured. If it's at all possible I would like to see him."

"What is the patient's last name?" She asked only to fluster Jenna further.

"Thorpe, first name Roger, date of birth November 3rd. Would you like his blood type and shoe size too?"

The receptionist smiled at Jenna. "No, that won't be necessary." She typed slowly on her key pad as Jenna drummed her fingers in response.

"Mrs. Thorpe, do you know a Blake Marler and a Holly Bauer?"

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Yes, why? Are they hogging up the air in Roger's room? That figure. I don't care if Blake stays, but Holly, she should go home. She had her own husband, and step child to worry about. Poor Michelle, loses Maureen and gets stuck with Holly Lindsey as her replacement. Life truly is unfair" She tsk'd.

"They are not currently visiting, but as I explained to them earlier only two people are allowed to visit at a time. Those visits cannot be more than 20 minutes at a time, and no more than three times a day. As Mrs. Marler and Bauer have already been once, you are now using his second time slot. He will only be permitted one more visit today."

"Like hell you say. I am his wife, and if I want to see him every hour on the hour I will. Do you know whose name is on this ICU wing?" Jenna asked.

"Yes ma'am, Brandon Spaulding."

Jenna smiled wickedly. "You're correct, as in Spaulding Enterprises. As in the company that Roger Thorpe and I own and operate. So, in essence, our endowment pays your menial salary. So dear, if I were you, I'd open that door and point me to Roger's room otherwise you'll be standing on this side of a reception desk at the unemployment office because I'm not going anywhere"

"Yes, yes ma'am" The receptionist stammered, not even bothering to get a visitors' badge.

Jenna went directly to Roger's room, gasping when she saw him. "Oh Roger" She cried out softly. "I am so, so very sorry."