Jake walked back into the emergency department waiting area coffee and food in hand. He made his way around the room distributing each cup and stopping at Elizabeth handing her a sandwich as well. "You need to eat," he stated.

"Thank you," Leo said taking the food Jake offered. "He's right, you need to eat." Reluctantly, she took the sandwich and coffee, but set them on the table beside her. The thought of food was the last thing on her mind.

"Sorry about before," Jake said as he took the empty chair next to Tom. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"It's okay," Tom answered.

"No, it's not. I know what it's like to be on the other end of the headset when something goes wrong and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Me barking at you wasn't fair."

"It's fine, really," Tom said as Jake rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

Before Jake could say anymore, Melanie entered the room with a man in a white coat who Jake assumed had to be Jason's doctor. Immediately the group swarmed the pair. Elizabeth looked at the embroidered name on his coat, Dr. Bennett, she knew he was a neurologist. She closed her eyes and held her breath fearing the worst.

Melanie reached out and took her friend's hand, "He's going to be okay," she said.

"Mr. Morgan has a severe concussion, several broken and cracked ribs and minor cuts and abrasions. After a few weeks of rest, he should make a full recovery. He's one lucky man. It could have been much worse."

"Can I see him?" Elizabeth spoke hurriedly not giving way for anyone to beat her to the punch. She looked at Jake and Alison knowing she should have given them first access to Jason but she didn't care. She needed to see for herself that he was truly alright.

"Yes. He's been asking for you," Dr. Bennett said.

"Thank you," she said as her stomach began doing somersaults.

"It'll be okay," Leo said rubbing her shoulders sensing her anxiety.

Elizabeth exhaled deeply and followed Dr. Bennett toward Jason's room. She watched as the neurologist walked away leaving her alone in the middle of the hallway. Her mind felt like a damn that had just let loose with a torrent of rushing water. She laid her hand against the door to steady herself, all the emotions she had been trying to keep at bay for so long felt all consuming and left her breathless.

Finally drawing the courage, she needed, Elizabeth slowly pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit but she could see Jason's unmoving form laying in the bed a few feet in front of her. Tears she had no control over spilled from sapphire eyes soaking her cheeks at the sight deep gash inside the brandy wine bruise on his cheek and the bandage above his left eye. Her eyes scanned his body and she could see the contusions on his forearms and imagined there were matching ones on his torso and legs hidden by the sterile white sheets.

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth took a calming breath in a vain attempt to contain her uncontrollable sobs no matter how overwhelming those emotions were. He was alive and she hadn't lost her chance to tell him how much she loved him and how sorry she was for her asinine behavior.

Tentatively, she closed the gap between herself and Jason. Each step closer caused the lump in her throat to grow. Cautiously Elizabeth took his hand cupping it between her own. "I'm so sorry. This, all of this is my fault," she choked on her words.

In the distance Jason could hear the sounds of crying, yet the fog that encircled his brain wouldn't let him concentrate of the noise. He struggled against his confusion and the continual pounding in his head willing his eyes to open.

Elizabeth brought her lips to Jason's hand kissing him softly careful not to jostle him or cause him any more pain. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "I've been such an idiot! I love you so much."

Jason felt the pressure against the top of his hand and a feathery sensation against his skin. He thought he was dreaming when he caught the familiar scent of Elizabeth's perfume. Fighting for control of his senses, Jason pushed past the throbbing of his head and forced his eyes to open. Even the dimly lit room assaulted his brain causing his head to spin a bit, but it was the sight of Elizabeth's bright blue eyes looking down at him that compelled him to push through the pain.

"Liz," Jason whispered his tone strained and raspy. "Please don't cry. I'm fine," he lied. He didn't feel fine but he couldn't let her know that.

Wiping the tears from below her eyes, Elizabeth tried to gain what little composure she could. "I'm so sorry. All of this is my fault. I'm such an idiot," she repeated. "I love you so much. I never stopped."

"Shhhh," he squeezed her hand. "You have nothing to be sorry about. Come here," he said reaching out to draw her close, but immediately regretted the movement as a stabbing pain shot through his side. He did he best to cover his discomfort. "Ahhh," he let out a painful groan.

"Easy," she said. "Moving isn't such a great idea. Dr. Bennett said a couple of your ribs are broken and the rest are bruised."

"So, I noticed," he tried to laugh but that only caused further pain.

"I am really sorry. If I hadn't been so damn stubborn,"

"That's what I love about you," he said bringing his finger to her lips stopping her words in mid-sentence no matter the ache that it caused him. "Your spunk," he smiled broadly.

"Can you please at least let me apologize?" Elizabeth questioned.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"Of course, there is. I was irrational, unreasonable, downright absurd and look where that landed you."

"You aren't responsible for this," Jason said.

"I wish that was true."

"It is," he tried to reassure her. All he wanted to do at that moment was take her in his arms and hold her. He cursed himself for his inability to do so. Jason hated that she was somehow blaming herself for his accident. That fact alone reinforced the number that Pat Ryan had done on his daughter over the years when it came to how she saw herself.

"I should let you get some rest. Dr. Bennett said you have a concussion too. The last thing you need is me chattering on."

"That's exactly what I need," Jason countered pulling her closer to him no matter how much he was hurting. "I love you Elizabeth Ryan. You are the best medicine I could get."

"I love you too, Jason. And I know you said I have no reason to be sorry, but please know that I am. I wasted so much time running scared. I should have trusted you." Jason wiped away a tear that silently slid down her cheek.

"That doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you know that it's always been you. No one can hold a candle to you. I'm sorry too, sorry that I didn't take your feelings, fears more seriously. I should have. I should have listened to Leo when it came to Theresa. I knew that she had the ability to push your buttons. I just didn't handle her well."

"I should have been stronger," Elizabeth added. "You never gave me reason to doubt you. I just saw the worst in every situation and shut down. It's kind of what I do."

"So, I've been told," Jason grinned. "On several occasions," he added playfully.

"I really should let you get some rest though."

"Stay. I promise to close my eyes. But I want you here. I want you by my side always."

"I promise, that's exactly where I want to be." Elizabeth leaned in carefully kissing Jason with such passion that it left them both out of breath.

Alison was still processing Jason's doctor's words on his condition before she realized that Elizabeth was being ushered off to see her son. "I can't believe that you didn't stop her," Alison grumbled turning toward Jake.

"She needed to see him."

"And I don't?"

Jake shook his head. "I didn't say that."

"I want to see my son. I want to see for my own eyes that he's okay."

"I know and you will. Let's just give them a little time." Jake almost went on to liken Elizabeth and Jason's relationship to hers and Erik's but stopped himself not sure that that remark would serve him well in this instance.

He looked at Alison and understood her anxiousness. He still felt a bit on edge but hearing Jason's doctor's assessment of his condition had lessened his apprehension. "Now that we know Jason is going to be alright, why don't we go to the cafeteria and get some food? It's been a while since either of us has eaten anything," Jake suggested.

"I don't want to. I want to stay here. I want to see Jason." To Jake she sounded like three-year old throwing a tantrum.

"Woman, enough. I am hungry and you are coming with me," Jake announced taking Alison by the hand not giving her a chance to protest further.

The pair settled themselves at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria. Alison sipped her coffee, refusing the food that Jake put in front of her. "Suit yourself," he said shrugging his shoulders. He had learned over the years when Alison put her mind to something she could be as stubborn as an angry mule.

They sat in silence until Jake couldn't take it a second longer. "Can I make a suggestion?" he began without giving her the opportunity to speak. "If this is the attitude that you are planning to have with Jason, you might want to rethink that idea."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. This," he motioned to her face and the posture of her body, "isn't going to win you any friends. I know that you're scared and that call you got had to be like history repeating itself, but it isn't. Jason isn't Erik,"

"He could be," she interjected.

"And he could get hit by a bus," Jake countered. Alison let out a deep groan in frustration. "I'm just saying no one knows what life has in store for them. You of all people should understand that. I think you need to think of what kind of relationship you want to have with your son, if any, going forward."

"Of course, I want a relationship with Jason," she said appalled that Jake would have thought differently.

"Then it's about time that you come to terms with the life your son lives rather than the one you wished he did. Alison, we could have lost him. This might be your last chance to make amends."

"What do you mean, last time?"

"I am just saying that if you go at Jason in your typical fashion ranting and raving about the evils of racing you might as well write off what little relationship you still have with him."

Alison was at a loss. Deep down she knew Jake's words had credence yet she was having a difficult time wrapping her brain around them. She had no idea how to be okay with Jason's choices and his accident only served to heighten those thoughts.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked as Alison stood up pushing her chair against the small round table.

"Honestly, I don't know."

"Just think about what I'm saying, is all," Jake reiterated.

"I will," she conceded.

Jake watched her as she left the cafeteria hoping beyond all hope that she had heard him. He truly believed that this could be the last chance she would have to mend her broken relationship with Jason. He just hoped that Alison could get out of her own way and put her fears aside before she lost her son for good.

Through a sleep filled haze Elizabeth felt a gentle stroke across her hair. Sleepily she lifted her head to see Jason's blue eyes smiling at her. "Hey," she said rolling her shoulders stiff from napping head resting on the edge of Jason's hospital bed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine. How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm okay," he answered even though the steady pounding in the back of his head reminded him of a beating drum.

"Are you sure? I can see if I can get you something for the pain."

"No don't. I'm fine. I'm glad you stayed," Jason added even though he could see how exhausted she was. He wanted to be the bigger person and send her home to get some rest, but the thought of her being away from him was difficult for him to bare at the moment. Part of him was fearful this was merely a dream and she would vanish at any second.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere," she squeezed his hand. "But I really should let everyone else in to see you. Jake and your mother are here," she added quietly unsure of what his reaction might be.

"Oh really?" The idea of seeing Jake thrilled him but his mother on the other hand not as much.

"Uh-huh."

"I can't say I'm all that excited to see my mom," he said honestly. "The last thing I need right now is her 'I told you' speech."

"I understand. But I am betting her and Jake come as a package deal. And Jake, well him I am sure you want to see."

"Oh yeah," Jason agreed. "I just don't want to see her. Is that horrible of me?"

"No," Elizabeth said stroking his bruised cheek. "I totally get it. I just don't see any way around it."

Alison stooped short at her son's words. It was like a knife through her heart to hear him say that he didn't want to see her. She knew he hadn't been wrong because up until a few minutes ago that had been her intention, to bestow on him again all the evils of racing and how she knew that something like this was going to happen one day. But she thought about what Jake had said to her about losing Jason for good. She couldn't bare that thought. She wasn't sure how she was going to change the prospective she had held about racing for years now, but for the sake of not missing out on her son's life she had to find a way to do just that.

Knowing that Jason didn't want to see her, Alison walked into his room just the same. "Hello Jason," she said. "Elizabeth, would you mind," Alison pointed to the door. "I'd like to talk to my son alone."

Elizabeth started to stand but Jason quickly reached for her arm. She could feel him tense trying to cover the pain she knew that jarring movement caused him. "She's not going anywhere. Whatever you have to say you can say with Liz here."

Elizabeth looked at the older woman suddenly sensing something was different about her. The stern look that Elizabeth had grown accustomed to seeing on Alison's face was missing. "It's fine."

"Liz," Jason started to protest.

"It'll be okay. Trust me," she whispered kissing his cheek. "I love you."

Elizabeth left mother and son staring at one another awkwardly.