NEW YEARS EVE

Elizabeth tried not to let her friend's circumstances dampen her mood. Tonight was going to be romantic and wonderful because she would be with the person she loved most.

She slipped on her navy wrap dress and looked in the mirror. "Not bad," she said, turning around to see the back. She added a silver bracelet and earrings and then pulled on her boots.

"Wow, Beth. You look great."

"Thanks, Julie. Are you sure you don't mind staying here? I feel bad leaving you."

"The last thing I need is to be in the same room with you two, just to be reminded of how much I miss Tom and Elisa. Besides, Tom said he'd call and I have a date with a bubble bath and the new romance novel I picked up."

Elizabeth looked unsure. "I'm fine. Go be with your sexy cowboy."

"If you insist. Oh, I'll probably be pretty late."

"Ok, but it would be better if you just stayed there. If you are going to be drinking and all."

"Good point." She took out her phone and texted Jack. "Hey, can I borrow a guest room 2nite?"

"Yes, or the other side of my bed. Either one is fine with me."

"Guest room is good. Thanks. C U soon."

"Ok, Jules, I'm staying at his house tonight. See you tomorrow."

Elizabeth headed to her SUV and almost fell twice. It was icy and the snow was falling hard. When she finally got to the vehicle, she breathed easier.

As she drove she called Jack. "Hey babe. I'm on my way but the roads are really bad. It's going to take awhile."

"Sweetie, be careful please."

"I am it's just hard to see." The windshield was getting iced over even with the wipers on full speed and the defrost. "Jack, I think I need to pull over."

"Ok. Good idea. Put your hazard lights on."

She clicked the button to turn them on, somehow taking comfort from the little orange lights blinking. As cars passed, she became more and more concerned that someone might not see her and hit her from behind. "Jack, I'm scared."

"I'll come get you, Elizabeth. Where are you?"

"Not too far from town. Please be careful. This is bad."

"Ok, babe. Stay in your car and keep your hazards on. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Before she could answer, she saw a truck speeding up behind her. It was going too fast and it was too close. "Jack!" she screamed.

"Elizabeth! Honey? Please!" He yelled into the phone but it had disconnected. "Please no," he mumbled as he tried calling her back but she didn't answer. He dialed 911 and grabbed his coat and ran out the door.

As he drove, he forced himself to go slow and to not jump to conclusions about what may have happened but it took a lot of effort. He kept his eyes peeled for her vehicle. As he got closer, he saw flashing lights and then her vehicle on its side against a pole and a large pickup with a smashed front end.

He pulled off into a parking lot, his heart in his throat. He pushed through the people who had come out of their house to see what happened. "Let me through," he pleaded. "Elizabeth! Where are you?"

"Jack!"

"Mike, where is she? Is she ok?" He struggled to see around him.

"Jack you need to wait. They're working on getting her out of her car."

"Is she conscious?"

"No and her leg is pinned under the steering wheel."

"Oh God," he sighed, trying to hold his emotions in. "She's alive. Please tell me she's alive." He grabbed his partner's shoulders as the tears poured out.

"She is. She's alive."

"Thank you, God," he prayed. He watched for a bit and then noticed the other vehicle. "The person in that car? Where are they?"

Mike looked down for a moment. "He wasn't wearing his seatbelt. When he hit Elizabeth, he flew out the windshield. He didn't make it."

Jack nodded and fought more tears. This situation was so similar to the night his dad was killed.

"Gurney!" someone shouted. "Ready to move!"

Jack stood up and watched as the rescue workers removed the door from Elizabeth's SUV and then cut out the steering wheel. He could see her and she was so still, unconscious. "Wake up, baby. I need you." Mike and Lyle, another EMT, pushed the gurney through the snow up to the vehicle. Mike squeezed himself between the gurney and the SUV to place a neck brace on Elizabeth.

"Lyle!" Lyle moved closer. "Looks like broken leg, cuts and burns on her neck and face. Still unconscious. Pulse thready." Lyle took notes and then helped Mike slide Elizabeth onto the gurney and strap her to the back board. "Let's go!"

Jack walked up to the ambulance as they brought her close. He kissed her lips and cheek. "Please hang on, baby." He looked up at Mike. "I'm going with you. She can't be by herself." He ran over to his truck, grabbed the keys and his phone and hopped into the back of the ambulance.

He sat next to her as they drove to Billings. On a good day, it would take about 45 minutes. The roads being as they were, it was likely to take double that. Jack held her hand and texted with his thumb.

"Julie, come 2 Billings Memorial. Elizabeth in accident."

He texted his Mom too who said she would call Julie and drive her there. "Thanks Ma. I love you."

"I love you. Now be careful. I'll see you soon."

He would call her parents from the hospital. Right now he just held her hand. His eyes focused on her engagement ring.

"Jack," Mike called from the front.

"Yeah."

"We will be there soon. She'll be ok."

He felt her hand move and then she moaned, her eyes opening. "Jack?"

"Honey, I'm right here. You were in an accident."

"I can't move." Her eyes grew wide and she tried to move.

"Babe, don't fight. You are strapped to a backboard." He moved closer to her head. "It's ok. Just relax."

"Everything hurts. It hurts so bad." Tears streamed down her face.

Lyle spoke up. "What's your name?"

"Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I'm Lyle. Can you tell me what hurts?"

"My leg and my head."

"We think your leg is broken and it has a large gash. What is your pain level, from one to ten? Ten being the worst."

"Nine," she said, taking a deep breath.

"Ok, we will be at the hospital soon and then we can get you something for the pain. For now concentrate on Jack."

They took her blood pressure and covered her in warm blankets while Jack talked to her.

"Hi," he whispered. "You had me worried there. Please don't do that again."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "You have beautiful eyes," she told him.

"So do you. The color of the sky."

She sighed and looked at his mouth briefly. He moved closer and kissed her. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too."

After another forty minutes, the ambulance arrived at Billings Memorial and things moved quickly. Jack slipped her engagement ring off her finger. "I don't want it to get lost. I'll keep it safe."

"Jack, please don't leave me." She looked scared and miserable.

"The doctors need to help you now. I'll wait in the waiting room for you."

Mike and Lyle pulled the gurney out of the ambulance and rushed through the doors into the ER.

Jack sat down in the ER waiting room and closed his eyes.

His phone chimed. It was Julie. "Jack we r almost there."

"Ok. Come 2 ER waiting room."

Ten minutes later, Julie, Charlotte, and Monte walked in.

"Jack, is she alive?" Julie was frantic and crying.

"Yes. She's alive." She threw herself against his chest and sobbed so he just held her.

"What happened, son?"

"She was driving over to see me and the roads were terrible and she couldn't see. So she pulled over to wait. I told her to put her hazards on. The next thing I knew, she screamed and the phone went dead."

"Some one hit her?" Monte asked.

"Yes. The car smacked her from behind and pushed her into a pole. Her leg was trapped under her steering wheel. It's broken. She's got some cuts and burns. She was unconscious so she may have a head injury."

"Family of Elizabeth Thatcher?" a nurse called from the doorway. They all walked over. "Are you her family?"

"I'm her sister and this is her fiancé and his mother."

"Miss Thatcher?" she said to Julie. "We need to perform surgery on your sister's leg. She is unable to sign the consent form. We need you to do it."

"Of course." Julie signed the form.

"Wait, why can't she sign the form?" Jack asked.

"I'm sorry sir. I can't discuss her condition with you."

Julie took his hand. "Tell me. Why can't she sign the form?"

"She is in and out of consciousness. We need someone who can make decisions for her."

"That's me," Julie confirmed.

"Thank you. You may all head up to the 3rd floor surgical waiting room. Miss Thatcher, we will keep you informed."

Jack knew the hospital policies about confidentiality, but it didn't make it any easier that he was being excluded. Thank goodness Julie was there.

"Julie, would you call your parents? I think they might want to hear this from you and not me."

"I did. They will be here in a few hours."

A FEW HOURS LATER, SURGICAL WAITING ROOM

Julie's phone chimed. "At hospital. Where r u?"

"3rd floor surgical waiting room."

Jack stood at the window, staring into the darkness, his fingers gripping the ring that was meant to be on her hand. If he lost her, he didn't know what he would do. Yes, typically people survived the death of a spouse or fiancé but already, just thinking of it, made his heart feel like it was being ripped from his chest.

Grace and William walked in the room and Julie ran to them, her tears falling again.

"How is she?" Grace asked.

"In surgery. Her leg needed a couple pins inserted."

"Where's Jack?"

Julie pointed at the window. "He's not doing well."

Grace walked over to the window while Julie introduced Charlotte and Monte to her father.

"Jack?" Grace put her hand on his arm. He looked at her, his cheeks wet, his eyes red and swollen.

"This is my fault. I'm so sorry, Grace."

She shook her head and hugged him. "Stop. You know this was an accident. You didn't cause it anymore than I did."

Jack hugged her back. "She was coming to see me. If I hadn't asked her…"

"Jack, I know Beth and I know she loves you. Nothing would have stopped her from wanting to see you. You two belong together."

"Julie Thatcher?"

"Yes?" Julie walked over to the nurse and everyone else followed. "These are my and Elizabeth's parents, Grace and William."

"Elizabeth is out of surgery now. In about an hour, we'll move her into a room. For now, she's in recovery. She can have one visitor."

Julie pointed at Jack. "Jack, you go." Jack looked at everyone else and they nodded.

"I'll go." He took a deep breath as he followed the nurse to the recovery area where Elizabeth was. He walked up to her bed and kissed her forehead. "Hi, beautiful. It's me." He looked at her neck where the seatbelt had cut into her. It was bandaged. Her cheek had a scratch on it and a few burns, maybe from her airbag. She was still breathtaking.

All in all, a broken leg was not as bad as it could have been.

About an hour later, he felt her squeeze his hand. He squeezed back. Her eyes moved as she tried to open them. "Jack?" she whispered.

"Yes, baby. I'm here." He stood up and kissed her forehead again.

"Handsome," she croaked out. "Lucky me." She smiled and brought her hand up to touch his cheek. He was so relieved she was alive and talking that he started crying again. "Oh, sweetie, don't cry." He leaned down and put his head on her chest.

"I was so scared that I lost you." She ran her fingers through his hair as he cried, dampening her gown. "I love you so much, Elizabeth."

"I love you." He lifted his head and kissed her gently.

A doctor walked in, interrupting their moment. "Well, Elizabeth. How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy."

"Yes, completely normal. How is your pain level?"

"Six or seven."

"I'll get a nurse to give you some pain meds." The doctor explained how they put three pins in her leg but that she should heal well and would need physical therapy.

"How long will I need to be in a cast?"

"At least eight weeks. If everything's looking good at that point, you may need a walking cast."

"As long as I don't need crutches by March 5th, I'm ok with that."

"What's March 5th?" the doctor asked.

"Our wedding." Jack kissed her hand and smiled.

"Elizabeth, we could postpone."

"No, I don't want to, Jack. It's far enough away."

"Let's just see what happens. If I have anything to say about it, you will walk down that aisle with your dad's assistance, not crutches," the doctor told her.

After the doctor left, Jack took her hand. "Happy New Year, sweetie."

She smiled and then groaned. The pain was approaching the terrible stage. Every muscle in her body ached. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Elizabeth, focus on me. I'll help you through it." She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, staring at him.

"It's late in the evening," he sang. "She's wondering what clothes to wear." He paused to kiss her softly. "She puts on her makeup, and brushes her long brown hair."

"Blonde, sweetie. It's "she brushes her long blonde hair.""

"You don't have blonde hair. I changed it." She chuckled. "And then she asks me, do I look all right? And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight." He sat on the edge of her bed and then laid down, careful to not touch her leg. "We go to a party, and everyone turns to see. This beautiful lady, walking around with me. And then she asks me, do you feel all right? And I say yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

"Jack, don't leave me." She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, her forehead resting on his shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere. This is where I belong."

Just as she dozed off, the nurse came in and gave her medicine. "Thank you," Jack said as she pushed the medicine into her IV.

"You're welcome. Are you her husband?"

"Fiancé."

"You have a beautiful voice."

"Oh you heard that? I'll be quieter next time."

"No need. It was very soothing. In a while, we'll move her to her own room."

"Ok, thank you."