Kerry slowly opened her eyes. Henry was splayed over her lap, a few chairs down Rose was asleep on an equally asleep Charles' shoulder in the surgical waiting room. In the corner sat Lori, wide awake, though she looked like she could use a lot of Zzs too.

Dubenko walked in and both Lori and Kerry looked up. Kerry carefully put Henry down on the chair and went over to Dubenko. "Tell me."

"She came through the surgery fine, but... she's in a coma, there was swelling..."

Kerry put a hand against the wall to hold herself up. The world wasn't as solid as it had been just moments before. It was an unknown, yet known hand that gripped her waist before she could fall. "You should sit."

"I want to see her."

Dubenko nodded, "Just give the nurses a few minutes." Kerry nodded back slowly.

Di maneuvered Kerry back to the seat next to the still sleeping Henry. "I'll..."

"No, stay... please."

Di looked mightily uncomfortable and blinked as Lori sat down on the other side of Henry. "You have..." She swallowed, "I'm..."

Kerry grabbed Di's hand, "Please..."

Di sank down into the chair next to Kerry. She mumbled, "Is County always this... draining?"

Lori grumbled right back, "Constantly..."

Di chuckled a tired chuckle, without Kerry downstairs the ER seemed to be semi-imploding.

Kerry stood suddenly, "I... I'll be back."

Di and Lori watched Kerry leave the waiting room. Di frowned, "She's... she holds it in? Only lets Kim in?"

Lori nodded, "For the most part. We crazy Legaspis have seen a bit of the softer side of Weaver, and the Lopezes as well. How is Carlos anyway, still seein' him since the Fourth of July? He's like, a century younger than you right?"

"You're funny. Why are you giving me grief anyway?"

Lori chuckled, "You're part of the family Di... want me to draw you a tree? It'd be pretty, lotsa branches, even more leaves."

Di put a hand on her forehead. "I wanted to be a doctor. Instead of just another year of medical school I get my birth mother, apparently a half-aunt, though I think she's been dodging both Doctor Weaver and I, never see her at the Admit desk anymore. And, of course, the Legaspis and Lopezes. Present company included." Di shook her head and looked towards the hallway, "Should we check on Doctor Weaver?"

Lori shook her head, "Nah, leave her be. We'd just make her clam up. If my sister was..." Lori trailed off and shook her head, "Hey." She bumped Di's shoulder, "Why should you care if we should check on her..."

"I..."

Lori smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes, "Yep, you are sooo in the family now."

Kerry leaned against the wall next to the nurses station with her eyes closed. She looked like crap, her eyes were tinged with red, her hair pulled up in a small ponytail, and dark circles under both eyes.

"Excuse me."

Kerry didn't open her eyes, "Not a nurse." She wasn't using pronouns, she really was tired.

"Please, I... could you take a look at somethin' for me? Someone."

Kerry opened her eyes and was surprised to find a well looking woman about her height standing in front of her. The woman had brown hair cut to shoulder length and eyes that seemed to take in everything. "Two Brits in the same day. Pin a rose on me. Look... I'm not on duty and my... my... I'm about a half a breath from either taking that fire axe to everything in this place or breaking down in tears again, and I'd rather not do either in public."

The woman didn't blink, "Please Doctor."

Kerry took a deep breath in, "Where is she? And what's wrong with her?"

Now the woman blinked, "How'd you know it was a woman?"

Kerry shook her head "I have many skills." Even as she said the words she closed her eyes, wondering how the hell she'd picked up lines from
Xena and how Kim had gotten so entangled in her life in such a relatively short time, "Sorry, lead the way."

Abby came into the waiting room and frowned, "Where's Kerry?"

Lori looked up, "I thought you might know."

Abby shook her head, "No... is someone in with Kim right now?"

"Mom and Dad." Lori shook her head as she drew in a deep breath. "She looks so... she's my big sister, she's always, always been an adult in my eyes, and she's never disappointed me, never not been there for me."

Abby put an arm around the twenty-six year old woman. "She'll be okay. This is Kim we're talking about."

A laugh bubbled from Lori, "Plus, if she's not, Kerry'll kill her."

Abby smiled sadly.

Kerry picked Henry up, "Hey bud..." She'd finished with the Scottish sounding Brit and then they'd told her that Henry was down in the ER.

"Randi's teaching me things."

Randi swallowed as she stood from the couch in the doctor's lounge. "I need to go..."

"Of course, thank you Randi."

Randi paused at the door of the lounge and turned, "You seem... is Kim going to be okay?"

Kerry looked down at Henry and back up to Randi. "Everything went well... it... you know how these things go."

Randi nodded, "My thoughts are with you guys."

"Thank you."

Randi left and Henry pulled on Kerry's hand, "Mama, can we see Kim, please?"

"We're going there right now."

Henry nodded much more seriously than his almost five years, "Good."

"Oh..."

Abby blinked, "Sorry... I came in like a Rhino in a china shop. I didn't know someone else was in here."

"I can close the curtain..."

Before Abby could answer the woman Kerry and Henry walked in, hand in hand. Kerry blinked, "Ah, Helen right?"

Abby hefted Henry so he was on the edge of Kim's, "Where have you been?"

Kerry moved over until she was standing behind Henry. "Actually here... well..." She gestured with her head towards Helen, the woman she'd met in the hall earlier. "Over there, and then picking the tyke up."

Abby frowned, "I..." She shook her head, "I should go. Pick up Joey. If... do you have somewhere to stay? If you don't..."

"Considering that my home is, that everything I own is... right about here. If they have the guts to kick me out of this room, I'll be in the doctor lounge downstairs. Or perhaps my office."

"I'll bring a change of clothes for you though Kerry..."

Kerry opened her mouth to say no, but instead just nodded, "Thank you Abby."

Abby gripped Kerry's arm over Kim's legs, trying in any way she could to reassure Kerry, "She'll make it." She squeezed her hand and let go as she turned, "And have a goodnight."

Abby left, and Henry cleared his throat, "Who's the lady?"

Kerry glanced across the room at Helen. "Well, that's Ms. Helen Stewart." Henry nodded, "This is my son, Henry."

Helen smiled, "It's good to meet ya Henry. The... lady takin' her sweet time wakin' up is Nikki... Nikki Wade."

Kerry blinked, "Oh..."

Helen shook her head and sank down into a chair next to Nikki's bed. "It's been..."

"Years right?"

Helen closed her eyes, "Yeah..." After a moment she opened her eyes and pinned Kerry with an intense look. "We're citizens ya know. Have our first Presidential election this November. For what it's worth."

"Mama..."

Kerry pulled her gaze from Helen and to her son, "Henry."

"Is Kim gonna die like Mommy?"

Helen blinked in surprise as Kerry spoke, "NO..." Henry sniffed and Kerry hugged him to her. "Sorry, didn't mean to yell. No hon, she's not going to..." She didn't bother to finish her thought, that Kim couldn't die, Kerry wouldn't know how to stay together again if Kim died.

There was a knock on the door frame. "Excuse me..."

Florina nodded, "I thought he could have a sleepover. With his cousins."

Henry looked between Kim and his grandmother, and then at Kerry, "Mama..." Kerry could see in his eyes that he didn't know if he was supposed to go or not.

"Do you want to go Henry?" Henry shrugged, "I'll stay here with Kim tonight," she gave Henry's stomach a tickle, "Tell her all about when you were a cute little kid. You should go with your grandma. When Kim wakes up, I'll call you."

"Even really early?"

"Especially really early, or really late, or any time in between."

"Promise?"

Kerry kissed the top of Henry's head. "I promise kiddo." He nodded and kissed Kerry's cheek before Kerry helped him down. He took a hold of Florina's hand and as they left Kerry took a breath. "Sorry... my..." Kerry took Kim's hand in hers and shook her head, "Our family tree is... big and... boisterous."

A half a smile came to Helen's lips. "I've seen every shape, size and flavour of family. This one has two parents and an older brother who won't give 'er the time of day. I have a father that I'll never please. Yours seems very supportive."

Kerry was silent for a moment before she shook her head, "It's ironic, I'm not related to any of them by blood. But, they are actually surprisingly supportive. How long have you and Nikki been together?"

"Seven." Helen paused, "Or ten years, depending on how you count."

"Relationship turbulence."

"That'd be one way to describe it."