Emily's head jerked up as she felt the body next to her began to move. She sat straight up in the bed and turned to face Matt who appeared to be regaining consciousness. Matt attempted to open his eyes, but closed them again quickly, blinded by the fluorescent lights overhead.

"Matt?" Emily questioned as she leaned in closer to him.

Matt was sluggish but managed to lift his head just enough to make eye contact with her.

"Hi" Emily said softly as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair, "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks," Matt replied in a raspy tone.

He took hold of the bed rail and made an effort to bring himself into a sitting position, but quickly decided against it when he felt the pain course through his body. Instead, he grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her towards him. She sank down onto the stiff hospital bed and carefully buried her face in Matt's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, running one up and down her back while she silently sobbed against him.

The negotiators were startled by the sound of the latch on the door, they both looked up to find the nurse barging into the room.

"It's about time you woke up," the older woman said when she that Matt was now
conscious. She once again picked up the medical chart off the foot of the bed and wrote down Matt's vital signs.

While finishing up she looked over at Matt and asked, "Do you need anything honey? Are you feeling alright?"

"My side is killing me," Matt muttered, nodding towards the large bandage wrapped around his torso.

Emily spun her head towards Matt, a look of concern coming over her face, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry you. It just hurts a little, that's all," Matt insisted, trying to calm her fears.

"Ok, dear, just sit tight and I'll see if I can get you something for the pain," the nurse said as she patted the top of Matt's hand.

"Thank you," he replied as she walked back towards the door.

The nurse stopped and turned around suddenly, "before I forget, there are some people out here that want to see you. Can I send them in?"

Emily looked at Matt who nodded, "of course they can come in."

Moments later the door opened once again. Cheryl, Frank, Lia and Duff walked in all smiles, happy to see that Matt was awake.

"What? No presents?" Matt joked as the team surrounded his bed.

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor. Maybe you should have hit your head when you fell," Frank teased.

Despite the laughter his comment caused, Cheryl glared across the bed at Frank to silence him.

"Sorry."

"Matt," Cheryl began, "you look like you're feeling better."

"I'm not too bad, just sore."

"How about you?" Lia asked, directing her question to Emily.

"I'm fine… now," she answered looking directly at Matt.

He smiled back at her and gently rubbed the side of her face with the pad of his thumb. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his skin against hers, she kissed the palm of his hand.

"None of that mushy stuff!" Duff exclaimed, shaking his head at the couple.

Lia raised her eyebrows at Duff, "what's wrong with that 'mushy stuff'?"

"It's just not something I care to be around."

"I'll remember that."

"Wait a min-"

"Anyway…," Cheryl interjected, "do you know how long they're going to keep you?"
Matt shook his head.

"Here we go honey," the nurse said having barely stepped foot in the room.

She approached Matt and pulled a syringe out of the front pocket of her scrub top. The nurse disinfected the IV access tube with an alcohol wipe and punctured the blunt plastic with the tip of the needle. She pushed the plunger into the barrel, injecting the 50 milligram dosage of Demerol into Matt's IV. She added 50cc's of saline into the IV, forcing the drug quickly through Matt's veins.

Just moments after the medication began to take affect, Matt's throat grew dry and he fell into a coughing fit.

Flustered, Emily quickly grabbed the styrofoam cup of ice off the tray table and offered a piece to Matt, "try this."

Matt shook his head as he began wheezing and gasping for air, his face faded into a ghastly shade of white.

"I… can't… breathe."

Sirens on every monitor in the room began whaling. The spikes on the Matt's EKG were off the charts, his heart was beating way too fast.

"Matt? What's wrong?" Emily jumping up from the bed, "What's wrong with him?" she shouted a the nurse.

Matt's knuckles turned white from the grip he had on the bed railing. His body began shaking violently as a seizure overtook his body.

"I think he's having an allergic reaction to the medication," the nurse replied as she reclined the head of the hospital bed. She placed the oxygen mask over Matt's mouth and nose to help him breathe.

The nurse reached down and pushed the red emergency button on the guard rail of the bed, causing an alarm to sound outside of Matt's room. Seconds, later a team of doctors and nurses rushed into the room.

Cheryl backed her team away from the bed as the medical staff horded around him.

"Get them out of here," one doctor ordered.

Emily heard the beeping of Matt's heart monitor start to descend as the beats moved further apart. Then, one, long, shrill, continues beep.

"No! No I need to stay with him!" Emily pleaded for the second time that day.

A male nurse approached Emily from behind and pulled her away against her will. He escorted her to the exit and motioned for the others to follow. Once outside he promised to keep them updated on Matt's condition before going back in to the room.

"I can't do this again," Emily mumbled. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

"He's gonna be fine," Lia assured her. She lead Emily to a bench just to right of Matt's door.

Cheryl, Frank and Duff took a seat on the bench opposite them.

Emily rested her head on the younger woman's shoulder as the pair sat there in silence for several minutes. Emily closed her eyes and thought back to the previous night with Matt…