Beep. Beep. Beep. That's all I had been listening to for the last few hours while I tossed and turned on an uncomfortable cot. It was my wedding night and I was spending it with my unconscious wife in the hospital, while our son stayed with my father. The doctors put a breathing mask on her, they said that her brain wasn't receiving the proper amount of oxogen, which is what caused her to faint. When I asked why she hadn't been getting enough oxogen, they looked at me like I was an idiot. When they realized I really didn't know, they apologized for not explaining to me that she had stage 3 lung cancer, because they had assumed I knew. I didn't cry, and I didn't cause a scene, I just fell silent. I was oblivious to everyone and everything around me, my heart was broken. After breaking the news to me the doctors left the room, explaining that they'd be monitoring her through the night. I simply nodded, not taking my eyes off of Clare. Her makeup was still in tact, and the flowers she wore in her hair for the wedding still in place, but now she was in a hospital gown instead of a wedding dress.

"Eli, you need to get some sleep. Why don't you let me take you to your fathers, so that you can stay with Adam tonight?"

I tore my eyes away from Clare, so that I could face her mother, who had been standing beside the door, too afraid to see Clare hooked up to machines. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll be just fine right here."

Helen shook her head, biting her lip to keep from crying. "Oh Eli, I love you for loving her so much, but we must be rational. This kind of cancer she has, it's not good, ok? She's very sick, and we have to start focusing on how we're going to get Adam through this."

She reminded me so much of Clare, always trying to be factual, and it infuriated me. I stood up, causing everyone else in the room to cringe. "Don't say it, and don't imply it. She isn't going anywhere, out of all people I would think that you would know just how strong she is. She's done this before, she'll do it again."

Hellen wiped a tear from her cheek, looking at me with such pity. "If you need anything I'll be at the house. Don't hesitate to call." She quickly exited the room, leaving me alone with Imogen, Fiona, Jenna, K.C., Conner, Alli, Dallas, and Drew.

I sat back down in my chair, showing no emotion. I appreciated that they all came from the reception to see Clare, but I just wanted to be alone with her. Imogen came behind me, and wrapped her arms around me, whispering in my ear. "Eli I love you, and I'm going to do anything in the world that you need me to do, but I know you need to be alone with her. I'll call you tomorrow." She lightly kissed me on the cheek, while Fiona hugged me goodbye. The best thing about Imogen is that she knew me so well, I really did need to be alone, or I'd explode.

After ten minutes of silence, K.C., Jenna and Conner walked over to me from one of the couches in the room. Conner was the first to speak. "Eli is she going to die?"

I gritted my teeth trying to remember that Conner couldn't help the things he said sometimes. When I didn't respond Jenna intervened. "What he means is he really hopes that she is ok." I still kept silent, so Jenna walked around to the other side of Clare and sat on the edge of her bed. She squeezed her hand, and smiled. "Clare you're going to be just fine, I know it. I'm going to write a song about you when this is all said and done, it's going to be titled super woman, I think you'll love it."

For once Jenna's perky, "everything's going to be alright" attitude was a breath of fresh air. She stood up motioning for Conner to follow her, and they exited the room, but K.C. Stood in place facing me on the other side of Clare. "May I?" I nodded my head, and K.C. sat down, holding Clare's hand. "Hi Clare." K.C. paused almost like he was expecting her to respond, and when she didn't his face fell. "I don't know what to say, this shouldn't be you. You're perfect, you're Saint Clare, it just isn't right. I want you to know that I'm here for you, and that I'm sorry I ever hurt you, because no one as good as you, deserves for anything bad to happen to them. Especially not this. I'm blessed that you're still my friend, even though i don't really deserve your friendship. Me, you, Alli, and Conner, we'll always be friends, so don't leave us ok?" I uncomfortably watched K.C., stoke her hand as his eyes became glossy. He finally made eye contact with me, and let go. "Well I should get going, take good care of her man, if you need anything...I'm here."

Again, I just nodded, watching K.C. Leave the room. It was only me, Alli, Dallas, and Drew now. I dreaded hearing what they were going to say, it was eating away at me, the way everyone acted like she was dying. After a few more minutes Drew came over to me, and patted my back, startling me. "You know tonight I was going to apologize to you and Clare for getting in between you guys all those years ago, and then this happened. It's bullshit. I had a front row seat to the Eli and Clare show, and as crazy as you two were together sometimes, I could see that you two were meant to be. I don't mean this in a cheesy way, I just mean that you guys literally can get through anything together. Even this. Don't worry so much, she loves you...and Adam. She'll stick around."

I stood up from my chair, and turned around awkwardly to hug Drew while patting his back equally as awkwardly. Once his initially shock wore off, he awkwardly hugged me back. I finally gathered enough strength to speak, but could still only utter one word. "Thanks."

Drew half smiled and nodded his head in understanding, he then pulled away to look at Clare and bent down to kiss her hand. "Get better, I need my veep back in action."

An hour later Alli and Dallas still sat in Clare's hospital room, and just as I was about to ask for some alone time with her. She stood up, and she broke her silence. "Wake up." She slowly walked over to Clare, sitting beside her on the opposite side that I sat at. "Wake up now." Her voice was small, and her round eyes began to shed tears. "Wake up and tell me that you're going to be ok. Dammit Clare wake up!"

My head snapped up in surprise, and I looked back at Dallas who simply had his head in his hands. I looked back to Alli, who now wore an angry expression. "Alli, she's pretty medicated, we have to let her wake up on her own." My tone was dry.

She shook her head, crying into her hands. "You don't understand Eli! I knew it, I knew the whole time and I didn't say a word! I'm as bad as Lenore, I killed Clare, I killed her!"

My eyes widened, "What do mean Alli?" I huskily spoke.

"She told me about her diagnoses hours before the wedding, yet I let her go through the ceremony. She said she'd tell you the next day, and I just, I just stayed quiet. She could have been checked in early today, She could have already started treatment, but I didn't say anything!"

My fists were balled up in anger, but I quickly unclenched them. It wasn't her fault. "When Clare wants to do something, she does it. You couldn't have stopped her from going on with the wedding, don't blame yourself."

Alli looked at me in shock, "Eli. Do you know that in stage 3A lung cancer there is only a 24% survival rate? Do you understand that? I'm a doctor, yet I ignored all the facts about her disease, it isn't ok. If she dies-"

"Please just shut up." I yelled, causing Dallas to stand up, and Alli to flinch. "It doesn't matter Alli, it really doesn't, Clare knows how sick she is, ok?! It was her choice, now can you just stop? What's done is done, we have to deal with what is. Thank you for all of your help and support, but I think Dallas should take you home now."

Alli put her head on Clare's stomach and began to sob, causing Dallas to have to pry her off of Clare. He mumbled an "I'm sorry" my way, and dragged her out of the room, finally leaving the two of us alone. It didn't make anything better like I had thought it would though, I just became more depressed than before. I spent hours just staring her her, fighting the urge to pull her breathing mask off, and taking her home. I couldn't stand looking at her like that, I just wanted so desperately for her to be better. As I tossed and turned on the cot, she finally awoke.

"Elli."

I ran to her side, sitting beside her, while turning on a lamp. She had ready pulled off her breathing mask. "Clare put it back on." I warned.

She swatted my hand away as I tried to force it back on. "I'm fine, I don't need the stupid mask right now. I need to know what happened, where is Adam?"

I squeezed her hand, "He's at Bullfrogs. You fainted Clare, you've been out for hours, everyone's been so worried. Why didn't you tell me? How could you keep this from me, you seriously put yourself in danger."

Clare half smiled, "I'm sorry I worried you tonight, but I just wanted on last night as a family. The three of us...I don't regret keeping it a secret, because I will cherish this night for always."

I sucked in air, as I began to tremble. "Don't act like this night was the last night, don't bail on me now. We are going to have years and years of nights together, as a family with our little boy. You just have to fight for it Clare."

A tear ran down her cheek, as she struggle to speak. "Is he scared, does he know?"

I sighed, "I don't think so, but he's turning six in a few weeks, he's going to start understanding things a lot more, we have to tell him."

Clare squinted her eyes in pain, "Why Eli, why me."

I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed into my chest. "I don't know blue eyes, but I know that it's going to be ok. You're a Goldsworthy now, no excuses, you're going to fight this. Losing isn't aloud."