Broken.

Scene Eight.

A/N: I know that last scene took a predictable turn, but I wanted to keep it going for a bit. So that was what I'd throw in for the season finale and here comes the season premiere…

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Janet sat in an empty corridor of the hospital, staring at the pale cream wall. In less than 48 hours her life had changed. She told the man she loved how she felt, knowing he couldn't hear her, but thinking he would at least remember her when he woke up. Now she was left heart broken on a hospital floor, wishing more than anything to get her life back.

Hannah came over and slid against the wall to be next to her. She looked at her crestfallen friend and held her hand. Up the hall, the men sat in the waiting room, heads in hands, trying to get over the shock of what just transpired.

And in a large, empty room, Eddie Latekka sat in a bed, bruised and battered, listening to a doctor explain what was happening to him. He couldn't hide his shock or frustration with the look on his face. Leaving the room, the doctor headed to the waiting room. He went straight to Nick, pointing him out as a ringleader of sorts.

"The best thing you can do is remind him of his past. Explain who everyone is, slowly, but repeatedly. There's potential this is temporary. The main thing is to stay positive."

"Stay positive? You've been saying that from the beginning and it's been nothing but a rollercoaster of emotion and heartbreak."

"These things aren't easy."

"Yeah, I get that this is a difficult situation, thanks for the insight. It's really perceptive."

"Come on, Nick. Don't do this," Owen voiced.

"You need to see this as a positive. Your friend easily could have been killed. Be thankful for the fact he's alive, there are a lot of people in this hospital tonight that aren't so lucky." After pause, Nick responded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I just don't know how to handle this."

"It's to be expected. You should see him now, because as frustrated as you are about this, he's facing an uphill battle himself." The doctor left them to their own devices.

"Go on, Nicky, talk to him," Owen said.

"Why me?"

"You know him best."

"As happy as I am to be back in all of your lives, the truth is, I don't know about his last ten years."

"But you know the last one. And you know who he is. You've got a thing with words, Nick. That's all he has to go on right now." Nick looked to his friends and started toward Eddie's room. As he entered, he saw Eddie struggling to get up.

"Woah, woah, what goes on, buddy?" Nick hurried over, trying to coax him back into bed.

"I need to get out of here," he said panicked.

"No, no… you need to stay and rest. You just got out of surgery," Nick said.

"I know, I know, I just can't breath, this room is too claustrophobic or something. I can't be here right now," he pleaded back, standing up, but collapsing back on the bed immediately in pain. "Ok, that was a bad plan."

"Yeah, a broken rib or two might make the escape a challenging one." Nick helped him lay back down.

"This isn't going to be easy, huh?" Eddie asked as Nick sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm sure you'll be healed up in no time."

"I meant the whole catching up on the last 30 years. Or wait, how old am I?"

"29. Just last month."

"And who are you?"

"Nick."

"Right, Nick. Doesn't sound familiar," he looked discontented by that fact.

"We go way back. You'll remember, eventually."

"So uh, want to work this as a Q and A type thing or what?" Eddie asked.

"Sure, we could do that."

"Let's start with why I'm here. I'm thinking not a car accident."

"What tipped you off?"

"The knuckles. There was definitely a fight. Tell me I was the good guy?"

"Yeah, you were. It's a long story, dating back to years of frustration against the town's bully. We'll go ahead and call him Big Cat. Couple weeks ago he came by our business and tried to rile you up. You took a swing at his buddy and then they came for retribution a couple nights ago."

"So I'm not exactly the superhero in that rendition," Eddie responded.

"I don't know what Big Cat said to you at the shop, but it most likely warranted the response. Whatever went down between you two then, you didn't deserve this."

"So you said there's a business, our business?"

"Yeah… Best Friend Windows," Nick said it, gesturing with his hands with each word to give them resonance.

"So you and me, we're long time friends, huh?"

"There was a bit of a gap in the relationship, but yeah, you've always been my best friend."

"I think there's another story there, but I've got to ask another question before we delve into that. Who's Janet?" Nick smiled at Eddie's question. "What's the story there?"

"Oh, you'll like this." As Nick started to describe Eddie's recent relationship, the subject of the story stood up in the hallway.

"What's the plan?" Hannah asked Janet.

"The plan? The plan is to get over it."

"What do you mean?" Hannah said, standing next to her best friend.

"It's a hard blow, but nothing we can't get over. I'm going in there, I'll remind Eddie who he is, and we'll get through this. All I asked for was to get him back and for him to be ok. This is a slightly different version of ok, but he's alive. He's awake. And I'm not going to mope around about it."

"That's great, Janet. That's a really good way of looking at this."

"Now if only I believed it." She sighed.

She made her way to Eddie's room. Standing outside it, not quite ready to go in, she listened as Nick wrapped up what she surmised to be the story of Eddie and Janet.

"So she's definitely been the best thing to happen to you in oh, say, ever," Nick said.

"She sounds great. Better than great. I just wish I could remember her. Don't get me wrong, man, that was a good run down of our relationship, I'm sure. Just, ya know, it'd be nice to have a little more insight."

"I can help with that," Janet said, making her presence in the doorway known.

"Yeah," Nick said, looking between them. "Why don't you take over from here?"

"I think I can pick up where you left off," she smiled and took a place beside Eddie's bed. Nick left the room, but before he did, he turned to his friend.

"You're going to be all right, Eddie. Because whether you know it or not, you're a fighter--always have been."

"Looks like that's what got me into this situation," he responded dryly.

"Yeah, maybe. But it'll be what gets you through it, too." Eddie nodded in response and Nick left him and Janet to discuss their life. To explain to Eddie what they've been through the last few months.

"Well it all started with this talking raccoon," she began, prompting a smile from Eddie.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah. Ralphie was his name."

They talked for hours, with Eddie doing most of the listening. Her eyes lit up with every story and he could tell their relationship was something real. And he started to fall in love with Janet, all over again.