AN: Sorry for the wait and the sudden cliffhanger. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

"Where is Q?" Bond asked again. The woman seemed unable to reply so Bond decided to try something simpler. "Is he here?"

"Yes."

"Then stop stuttering. It's easy enough to say," replied Bond as he tried to get up. However, his cry of pain made the nurse rush to him and push him back down to the bed.

"Oh no you're not. You just woke up for the first time in five days. You are not moving right now."

"Five days?" Bond asked, completely shocked by this.

"Yes, five days and you can't just hop up whenever you like 007. Believe me, I've heard all about you and you will stay in this bed."

"What about Q? I want to see him now if he's here," Bond argued. He hated not being able to just get up and leave. If he had been physically fit he would've already done just that but he obviously wasn't. "And besides, why did you say 'I'm so sorry' before now?"

The nurse looked down at the ground and then back up at Bond when she said, "You'll be able to see him tomorrow 007," and began to leave.

Before she could though he yelled out, "At least send M or Tanner in here!"

For a moment Bond thought that she had ignored his request but not long after that Tanner finally came in. "Finally, someone who'll give me answers," muttered Bond. "Is M with you?"

"No he's currently busy right now," replied Tanner curtly.

"Well since you're here can you at least tell me what happened to Q?"

Now even Tanner was getting quite.

"Just tell me what the hell happened!"

Tanner took a deep breath as he replied, "Q is here—"

"Thanks I already know that and?"

"He . . . he still hasn't woken up yet. Bond it's just that . . . when MI6 found you that is . . . an officer eventually did have to fire and they . . . that is . . . Q was shot in the head."

Bond froze, the words wrapping around him like blankets of ice. Shot in the head. Tanner's words seemed to ring in his ears and echo through his head as he thought of it. Depending on where the bullet pierced the skull, a person could survive from getting shot in the head. However, it wasn't likely and there were multiple side effects that could happen.

"What condition is he in?" asked Bond softly.

"Obviously he went through surgery and that went well but like I said, he hasn't woken up yet. His heart rate, though not dangerously low, is still lower than it should be and each breath he takes is irregular. Truthfully it's impossible to say if he'll be able to pull through or not at this moment."

"Of course," Bond agreed, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping the bed sheet. "Um . . . I know the nurse said tomorrow but may I see him now?"

Tanner normally would've said no to most things Bond asked for but this time he couldn't. Bond wasn't being impatient or rude; instead he was quite and acting soft spoken. "I'll go get a wheel chair," Tanner quickly replied, leaving the room for only a few minutes.

Tanner helped Bond into the wheel chair. The entire process took several minutes as Tanner transferred the agent as carefully as possible from the bed to chair. Bond winced several times but there was never an outcry of pain so that was good.

The wheels soundlessly turning, Tanner took him through the hallways until they finally reached another hospital room. Instead of simply going in, Tanner paused, looking down at Bond. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course," Bond replied even though he was almost positive he wasn't ready for what would await him. As he was taken into the room, he found himself to be right.

There were few bandages of any kind that covered most of Q's body that Bond could see, but half of his face was covered with wrappings. They looked fairly new. Q's skin was pale and his cheeks seemed slightly sunken in. He was hooked up to a heart monitor that showed his lowered heart beat and an IV dripped by his bedside as well.

Bond found it hard to look. The picture of Q as so week and sick was just about as bad as Q when he was psychotic and murderous, as well as broken and terrified.

Quickly, everyday Bond would be by Q's bed. If he could, he would've stayed through the night as well but the nurses or doctors wouldn't allow that. At times, Q's condition seemed to get better, maybe even well enough for him to awaken, but then his health would seem to immediately drop right after that.

Bond, after about a week, was up and walking again, though he prohibited to run or jog for the moment. Most of his wounds were healing up nicely but even once he got discharged out of the hospital he still saw Q each day.

Each time he saw him, he hoped for Q's eyes to open, each time he hoped to see Q's hand move or hear his voice but every time he was disappointed. Bond tried to keep up hope, faith, but as days were turned into weeks and soon a month had passed, Bond had almost become convinced that Q was never going to wake up.

The idea that he was going to die, in a hospital, hooked up to machines, never knowing what had become of Bond, hurt 007 more than it should've. Still, he had stopped hoping for Q to wake up a while ago.

Nevertheless, as one day Bond was sitting besides Q's bed again, he froze as he heard movement. At first he didn't dare look but as the heart monitor seemed to pick up slightly, Bond finally turned his head. Slowly his head turned until he was finally looking at the former quartermaster. Q's hands were twitching only slightly and then suddenly his eyes scrunched up when finally they opened.

Bond's breath caught in his throat and for a moment he couldn't speak a word. Finally he asked, "Q?"

Q's head suddenly turned his head and in a voice that was nearly inaudible said, "Who are you?"