A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far guys, they are very much appreciated, and as always any more will be welcome!

Jo sighed indignantly as she climbed out of the car, making her way into the hospital and towards the intensive care unit she knew like the back of her hand now. Entering the small room Sam had been occupying for the last week, she sat down beside the blonde, pulling out a magazine from her bag. 'Hey Sam. It's Saturday y'know, day off. I need it mind, working all day and then spending the majority of the night in here doesn't do much for your sleep pattern. People are starting to get worried about you; it's a good job you're not meant to be in work for the next three days, because they'll want a sick note soon. I should tell them you're still in here. I mean, what you did… I can't tell them without them assuming you tried to… I mean, I know you wouldn't have… I'm sure you didn't, did you? I mean, there must be another explanation. If only you'd wake up and tell me, put my mind at rest.' She concluded, looking down to her lap and opening the magazine, flicking through a few pages before her brain clicked into gear and she looked up to the blonde. A smile crept onto her face, carefully examining the woman before heading out of the room and towards the nurse's desk.

'Samantha Nixon, is she breathing for herself?' she asked the duty nurse, a grin creeping onto the brunette's face.

'Yes, yes she is. I was just about to call Dr Smyth down actually, she asked me to tell her when you got here so she could come and speak to you.'

'Right, okay, yeah thanks. That's, that's great news.'

'Jo, just the woman I was looking for.' The doctor called, rounding the corner and spotting Jo standing at the nurse's station.

'Oh, don't need to bother now.' the nurse concluded happily before busying herself with patients.

'Hi. I see Sam's breathing for herself.'

'Yes she is, I thought you'd be pleased.'

'Very.' Jo provided, the grin on her face unmistakable.

'Glad to hear it. Well, I don't know how much the nurse has told you…'

'Only that she's breathing.'

'Okay, well, she did show signs of response earlier today. It's possible she's been semi-conscious at times, one of the nurses said they possibly saw her eyes flutter open but they can't be sure, so it's just a waiting game I'm afraid.'

'But you think she will wake up?'

'I can't really say, you know what it's like in this kind of profession.' She added, her extensive chats with Jo drawing information out about Jo's line of work amongst other things.

'Yeah, but it's hopeful, right?'

'Yeah, its hopeful.' The doctor replied with a smile. 'Now, I was just on my way to check on Samantha, you coming?'

'Yeah, yeah of course.'

'Sam. Sam wake up.' Jo coaxed sleepily, laying her head down on the blonde's hospital bed, still gripping her superior's hand. 'I know it's late, but you must have heard what the doctor said earlier today, you're getting much better. Just wake up before I go to sleep, show me you're alright.'

Jo pursed her lips as Sam gave no reply. 'G'night.' She whispered to the blonde before shutting her eyes, not wanting to leave Sam that evening.

Sam's eye lids fluttered open, the blonde slowly regaining her senses before she felt a searing pain in her wrist, struggling to tilt her head up enough to look at the cause of the pain. Her vision initially concentrated on the source of her pain, seeing a bandage wrapped around her left arm. Though after a second or two she looked to the mass of brown hair splayed across the white sheet. After blinking a couple of time she realised the hair belong to Jo, the DC resting her head of the bed, hand clutching Sam's. At first she couldn't figure out where she was, but after flicking her eyes around the room and seeing a mass of machinery, she accepted she was in a hospital, the events leading her to be there slowly coming back to memory. She clenched her eyes shut as she remembered what happened, not being able to bring herself to open her eyes again and explain herself to Jo, choosing instead to drift back asleep.

Jo blinked slightly, sitting up and looking around the room, quickly checking all the monitors seemed to be displaying the same information as always before resting her eyes on Sam, blinking again as she tried to figure out if she was dreaming or not. 'Sam?' she whispered, looking into a pair of blue eyes.

'Yeah.' Sam replied weakly, struggling to sit up.

'Here, let me help.' Jo was running on autopilot, her mind still trying to comprehend the fact Sam was awake.

'Thanks.' Sam smiled slightly, resting her head back on the pillows before opening her mouth again. 'How long have I been in here?'

'Eight days.' Jo answered automatically.

'Really? Have you been here all that time?'

'Most of it. I haven't told work why you're not there, they think you're just sick. I mean, JP knows that you, about your wrist, but he's not going to tell anyone. What happened?'

'Why are you so certain that he won't tell?'

'Oh, just a sort of owed favour. Don't avoid the question, Sam.'

'What question?' Sam asked innocently, hoping to stall Jo for as long as possible.

'What happened?'

'When?'

'You know when Sam.'

Sam was just buying time, trying her hardest to think of an excuse.

'I was just walking around the kitchen, I slipped and the knife was in my hands, it just cut my wrist, I couldn't do anything.'

Jo let out a sigh of relief. 'Oh right. Well, y'know, it just looks like…'

Sam shook her head defensively. 'No, I wouldn't… but, thanks for not telling anyone. I don't want the entire station thinking I…'

'Yeah, yeah of course. Well, look, how are you? Is it hurting? I mean, it's a nasty cut.'

'It's hurting a bit.' Sam lied, her wrist in complete agony.

'I'll go and get the doctor. She needs to know you're awake.'

'Okay.'

Jo wandered into Sam's hospital room, dumping her bag on the floor before settling down in the chair, handing a bag of crisps to Sam. 'Here, thought you might be hungry.'

'Thanks.'

'How you feeling?'

'Mmm, okay, y'know, not great but I'm coping. Wrist is hurting me a bit, but I guess I'm just lucky to be here. I could have really damaged myself.'

'Yeah. You'll have to be careful with your floor in future.'

Sam smiled slightly, not really sure what else to say. 'How are you?'

'Oh not bad.'

'Good. How's work going?'

'Oh you know what it's like. Phil's moaning that he's got too much on. Stuart's being his usual self. Nothing new.'

'Glad to hear it. Doctor said I might be allowed out tomorrow.' She added after a pause, not really sure how to approach the subject.

'Yeah? That's great news.'

'Well, I need to be staying with someone else apparently, y'know, just making sure that I'm okay.'

'Well, you were very weak, they probably just want to make sure you don't faint or something.'

'You know as well as I do that they want to make sure I don't try and kill myself.' Sam replied bluntly, fed up of Jo tiptoeing around her, however grateful she was for her friend's presence.

'Well, you never did try that, so they shouldn't really be concerned, they're just covering their backs.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'So who you staying with?'

'Um… that's the thing… I don't really have anyone.' She admitted, looking away from Jo.

'Oh, you mean… sorry, I didn't realise.' On receiving no reply from Sam she added, 'You can always stay at mine if you like.'

'Oh, well I don't want to put you out or…'

'It's fine. I'd be happy to have you.'

'Well, if it's not too much trouble…'

'Of course not.' Jo said with a grin, glancing at Sam's bandaged wrist briefly.

Sam followed Jo's gaze, seeing the brunette look down to the bandage. 'You do believe me, don't you?'

Jo looked up, locking eyes with Sam, biting down gently on her lip. 'Yeah, yeah of course I do.'

'Thanks.'

'Do you take sugar?' Jo called from the kitchen, peering around the door to see Sam awkwardly sitting on the sofa, feeling out of place.

'Er, no.'

'Sweet enough as the saying goes.' Jo added with a grin.

'Mmm, something like that.' Sam said with a half smile, feeling awkward around Jo.

'Yeah, well, here you go.' Jo handed Sam a steaming mug of coffee, the blonde cautiously taking a sip, holding the mug with her uninjured hand.

Jo sat on the chair, looking over to Sam briefly. 'You okay?'

'Yeah, I'm fine. You can… y'know, sit over here if you like. I don't bite.' She added with a small smile.

'I just don't want you to feel… well… I just want you to have enough room.' Jo replied awkwardly, not really sure how to act around the blonde.

'It's fine, honest. I'd like to be near you.' She admitted, her cheeks turning crimson, not really sure why she'd come out with that statement.

'Okay then.' Jo replied cautiously, moving over to the sofa and sitting next to Sam, the blonde instantly curling up, looking at Jo briefly to make sure she didn't mind. Jo smiled slightly, answering Sam's silent question, the blonde resting her head on Jo.

'Do you wanna watch a film or anything?' Jo asked awkwardly, not really sure what Sam had meant about liking being near her. the brunette had come to the conclusion that it definitely wasn't what she hoped it was, you only had to look at Sam's history to know she was as straight as they came, but she couldn't think of another explanation. Sam must just be feeling vulnerable, that was the only viable reason.

'Er, yeah, why not?' Sam asked rhetorically, shuddering slightly as she felt Jo move.

'Are you okay?' Jo questioned, seeing Sam's sudden reaction.

'Er, yeah, just a bit cold, that's all.'

'I'll go get a blanket.' She said cheerfully, waiting for the blonde to move her head far enough for the DC to be able to get up off the sofa. 'Do you wanna pick out a film, they're all in that cupboard there.' She pointed at a small unit just to the right of the television, the blonde nodding in response.

'Okay, thanks.' Sam answered as she shakily rose from the sofa, using the arm as a support. She bent down to the DVD cupboard, shuffling through the collection to find something. She pulled out one near the front, inspecting it briefly before smiling to herself, inserting it in the DVD player before settling back down on the sofa, just in time as Jo re-entered the room with a blanket in her arms.

'Found one?'

'Yeah.'

'Care to expand?' Jo asked as she returned to the sofa, lying down allowing Sam to settle back down on top of her before pulling the blanket over the two of them, wrapping her arms protectively around Sam's small frame.

'Oh, I'm sure you'll recognise it. It's one of my favourites.' Sam concluded cheekily, relaxing into Jo's embrace, feeling very natural in that position.

'Okay, we'll wait and see.'

'Good.' Sam finished, snuggling her head further into Jo's neck.

Jo frowned slightly at the TV screen, the film one of her personal favourites, but never one she'd thought Sam would like. To be honest she didn't think it would have been Sam's kind of thing.

'You like it?' Sam whispered, her breath lingering on Jo's cheek.

'Love it. Didn't think it would have been your thing though.' She whispered back.

'There are many things you don't know about me, Jo.' She replied mysteriously.

'Care to expand?'

'Not right now, no. Watch the film.' She responded, smiling slightly as she sensed Jo's frustration.

Sam awoke suddenly; the first thing she became aware of was a searing pain in her wrist, shortly followed by a pain in her neck. She immediately recognised the pain in her wrist was down to her injury, but it took her a while to figure out the pain in her neck, though after waking up properly and looking around her, she realised she was lying on Jo's sofa. Or to be more accurate, on Jo herself. She glanced up to the TV screen, smiling slightly as the option menu played on the constant loop, Sam tiredly reaching for the remote and flicking the screen off.

Once she was certain that Jo was asleep, she looked to her wrist, rubbing her hand over the area she could feel the cut before cautiously unravelling the bandage, taking in a deep breath as she saw the deep laceration to her skin. Gingerly, she reached out to it with her other hand, running two fingers over the injury, taking in a sharp breath as she flinched.

Jo lay silently, not moving as she attentively watched Sam inspect her injury. She wasn't quite sure how the blonde was feeling, they hadn't spoken about it since Sam first woke up, and if Jo was being truthful, she liked it that way. She wouldn't know how to react if Sam were to ever confront her about it, so until the time came that it was necessary, she was going to do her utmost to avoid the that moment.

As Sam wrapped her wrist back up, haphazardly pinning the bandage back in place, Jo relaxed a little, shutting her eyes and eventually drifting into sleep, presuming Sam had done the same.