Kate jogged into the waiting room as quickly as her stomach would allow, Eugene following close behind her. She spotted Drew and Oswald sitting in a corner and made her way toward them. They had been conversing in low voices, but when Drew spotted her, he looked up, a grim expression on his face.

"We came as soon as we could find people to cover our shifts. How is he?" Kate asked instantly.

"No word yet," Drew replied. He helped her into the seat next to him and Eugene sat beside Oswald across from them. "Oswald saw him earlier when he was talking with a doctor though and said he looked horrible."

"He looked horrible," Oswald echoed weakly and his lower lip began trembling. Eugene threw an arm around his shoulders and Oswald leaned into him, crying into his shoulder.

"Do they know what happened?" Kate asked, turning back to Drew.

"Some bastard blew a red light and hit Lewis' car, right on the driver's side," Drew said bitterly. "The car was completely totaled. I guess they said it got flipped quite a few times before it came down."

"Oh God." Kate blanched and her hands lifted to cover her mouth as she felt tears escape her. Drew rubbed her back soothingly, tears mounting in his eyes as well. Oswald was crying uncontrollably as Eugene held him, and even the older man had streaks of tears on his cheeks. The lack of solid information filled them all with fear as they tried not to wonder if they would ever see Lewis alive again.

Each minute that passed felt like an extra pound of weight on everyone's shoulders. Although they were all exhausted, none of them could sleep. The uncertainty of their friend's fate hung around them like a thick cloud and it felt nearly suffocating. Every time a doctor walked into the waiting room they all looked up hopefully but slouched back into their seats when he approached someone else.

Finally a young male doctor strode directly towards them and everyone stared at him, almost not daring to believe it. They both craved and feared what news he might bring. When he had reached their corner the doctor glanced down at his clipboard and then gave them all an encouraging smile.

"You're here for Lewis Kiniski, aren't you?" he asked and they all nodded. "Alright then. I'm Dr. Aarons, and I've been treating him. Which one of you is –" he paused and consulted his clipboard again, "Oswald Harvey?"

"I am," Oswald said, standing up in his eagerness. He was as white as the doctor's coat, except for his eyes which were still red and swollen from crying. "How's Lewis?" he asked before the doctor could say anything more.

"He's stabilized," the doctor replied and gave them another encouraging smile. "Your friend, Mr. Kiniski, is one lucky man. According to the paramedics who brought him in, if his car had landed on its roof when it was thrown he would have broken his neck. He's not in the best of shape at the moment, but he is alive and I can guarantee you that unless another problem arises he will pull through."

All four of them exhaled heavily at the doctor's words, relief seeping into their faces. Oswald was so overcome that he slumped down into his seat again and Eugene gripped his shoulders protectively.

Dr. Aarons cleared his throat, drawing their attention again. "Mr. Kiniski won't be able to do much for a while though," he said. "He amassed quite a few injuries in the wreck. His left forearm is broken and his left ankle was fractured, although it is a fairly small crack. He has several cuts from the broken glass that required stitches. We worry that there may be problems with whiplash, as men of his height and build are more prone to back and neck injuries, so we will monitor that. Also until he wakes up we can't judge where there was any damage mentally or not."

"He's still not awake?" Drew asked in concern. "But it's been hours."

"We did have to partially sedate him so that we could set his arm and treat his other injuries, so we think that is a largely contributing factor," the doctor explained. "Don't worry, he is showing no signs of going comatose. He responds well to all of the nerve testing and his eyes still visible move. He is simply unconscious."

"Can we see him?" Oswald asked, the pleading in his voice enough to squeeze even the hardest heart.

Dr. Aarons grimaced, clearly struck by the plea. "I'm sorry, sir, but we can't allow visitors until he is conscious and we have assessed him completely," he said sympathetically. Oswald nodded dejectedly. "I think –" the doctor hesitated, thinking hard, "I think that I can take you back to see him though. You can't go inside the room, but at least you can see him for yourself."

Oswald was on his feet before the doctor had even finished his sentence. "Could you?"

"Yes, but only you," Dr. Aarons said, glancing hastily at the others. "I'm only going to be able to get away with this because you are listed as Mr. Kiniski's emergency contact and next-of-kin. And we cannot stay long."

"Thank you, sir," Oswald said, shaking the doctor's hand gratefully. The doctor nodded to them all and then led an anxious Oswald away into the maze of rooms. The remaining three were silent as they watched him walk away and continued to stare at the door long after he'd disappeared.

"Thank God he's alive," Kate breathed suddenly, startling the men. She was still pale and shaking, her face streaked with trails of tears. Drew grasped one of her hands in both of his while Eugene came over to her other side and took the other, rubbing her upper arm with his free hand. They sat like that, silently comforting each other, until Oswald returned fifteen minutes later. Oswald dropped into the seat on Eugene's other side and placed his elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands.

"How is he?" Drew ventured tentatively.

"Bad," Oswald answered. "He's got casts and bandages everywhere and he's covered in cuts and really pale. He doesn't – he doesn't look like Lewis." This last statement made his voice falter slightly and soon he was crying in Eugene's embrace again.

Kate and Eugene were conversing in whispers, trying not to wake either Drew or Oswald, who had both fallen asleep in the waiting room. A nurse suddenly stopped by them and said, "Excuse me, are you the group here for Mr. Lewis Kiniski?"

"Yes," Kate answered. She gently shook Drew, who came awake muttering something about a cat. Eugene shrugged his shoulder where Oswald's head was resting and Oswald sat up, blinking sleepily. He soon spotted the nurse and was instantly wide awake.

"Mr. Kiniski is awake now. They tested him and so far everything seems to be perfectly functional," the nurse said. "Only immediate family can visit now, though. Are any of you his family?"

"I'm Oswald Harvey," Oswald spoke up. "Dr. Aarons said that I could see him because I'm next-of-kin."

The nurse examined her notes and nodded. "Oh yes, it says that here. He's in room 17A, can you find it on your own?"

"Yeah, thanks," Oswald said, standing up. He glanced at the others and said, "I'll tell him you're here." When they all agreed he walked off again.

"If he stays stable for six hours then we can move him up to a room and you can all visit him," the nurse said with a gentle smile before she turned and headed back to the reception desk. Relieved to know that Lewis was awake and well, Kate's exhaustion caught up with her and within minutes she drifted off to sleep with her head on Drew's shoulder.