"Mom, you didn't have to come!" Kate grabbed her things from her spot at the nearly empty bar. "I told Tony to…"

Kate was twenty one, and her little brother eighteen. He had offered to pick her up anytime she would be drinking, and shed often taken him up on that. Tonight she wasn't even drunk, but had been drinking, and knew it'd be best if she could have her little bro come and pick her up.

The rest of her friends had left a while ago, and Kate had no more money for a cab ride so shed been obliged to call someone she knew would be sober, and willing to pick her at 2 am. She'd talked with him a half hour ago, and was getting a little impatient... til she saw Jenny in her pajamas and robe walking into the bar looking disheveled.

"I know, Kate. We need to go." Her mom turned, almost coldly Kate sensed as she followed her mom out of the bar.

Their charger wasn't even in a parking spot, just sitting right outside the door, and the engine was still running. Something was off. "Kate--" Her mom paused as they were climbing into the car.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Something in Kate's gut had told her to ask.

"Tony was in a crash on the way to come get you," Jenny looked Kate in the eye. She wasn't mad at Kate, or blaming her, but her eyes were angry…at someone.

"Oh god…"Kate said in shock. "How bad?" They climbed into the car.

"Your father is there right now. We are going to the scene. Dad just called and said they would be there for a bit."

"Well is Tony hurt?" Kate asked worriedly. Tony was in sports, avidly. As a junior in high school they were his life and she knew any type of injury would really suck for him. She felt so guilty at the thought …

"I don't really know, Kate. I just knew that he was coming to get you, so I came to pick you up first. I don't know what happened or anything. The police just told us to come to the scene." Jenny began to break down, choking on her tears.

Kate just looked over at her mom nervously, rubbing a hand on her shoulders.

"They said that we should go down to the scene, because Tony wouldn't be in an ambulance, or at the hospital." Jenny sobbed a bit as she drove, but kept it as together as she could. "I heard the officer say that it was serious…and that the driver from the other car…was drunk."

"Oh god," Kate breathed.

"I just don't know what that means. They didn't even say if he was alive. I was too scared to go down to the scene at first. I just wanted to come and get you and hopefully everything would be all better by the time we got there …"

"Mom, you know Tony. I'm sure he's fine…" Kate tried to think positively.

They saw the bright flashing lights from a mile away. The car was silent until they reached the myriad of emergency vehicles. There was a cop directing traffic around the blocked off scene of the accident, and Jenny disobeyed the man and pulled off over to the corner of the notoriously busy intersection where all the emergency vehicles were surrounding what she knew was a crash that involved Tony.

They go out of the car, and explained their relation to the boy in the mangled black mustang in front of them.

Jenny brushed off the officer quickly, and made her way towards the twisted metal and broken glass. She couldn't see much, because there was a bunch of people, fireman and cops and EMT's gathered around the two black vehicles. Her eyes quickly recognized Jethro kneeling, his back to them, and his head and an arm in the broken and crooked drivers side window of Tony's prized car.

Jenny finally took a look at the scene, to try and determine what happened. Tony must have been turning left, and got broadsided by a car right on the driver's side.

"Oh god." Jenny said to herself. They were still a ways from the actual car, and Jenny could hear someone rambling on the curb about how it wasn't his fault as he wrestled with some angry looking paramedics.

They finally walked up to the familiar mustang. "Jethro?" Jenny asked timidly.

Jethro craned his neck, then peaked back in the window to say something, and stood and met Kate and Jenny a few feet away. It looked like Jethro had been crying, which made Jenny cringe in fear.

"Hey, guys. Tony is --" Jethro was pretty shaken. "Tony is pinned. He banged his head and face all up, and right now they don't know what to do to get him out."

"What do you mean pinned?" Kate asked.

"The dirt bag hit him right in the door," Jethro flashed pure hatred at the mention of the other driver. "They hit so hard that the dash and door completely crumpled on Tony's leg. They think its crushed, so I … I don't know. Theres a piece of metal that was from the door, that is stuck in his arm right now. They are still trying to find out how to move him, because from the angle of the hit … they uh-- the EMT's are pretty certain his back and neck are pretty damaged. They just don't know how to get him out …."

Tears were falling freely and uncontested from the strong marines face. Jethro didn't care. This was his son. He'd heard the EMT's talking behind him about how the metal in his arm could be hitting an artery and moving it could cause him to bleed out. And say that there was no way that 'this kid' could feel his legs, and that his spinal cord was for sure broken or he'd be screaming in pain from the crushing of his leg. Jethro was truly scared. Scared this could be the last time he talks with Tony, his boy.

"We need to go talk with him." Jethro said as he realized time could be running short.

Jethro led the way as they passed the theorizing emergency response teams. There looks were of sympathy. Two EMT's had always been with Tony, monitoring signs and keeping him awake. One in the back seat and the other in the passenger seat.

Jethro leaned into the driver's window, "How ya doing Tony?"

"Mmm 'kay." Tonys eyelids fluttered open and revealed hazy green eyes. Tony tried. He really didn't feel okay. His head really hurt, his arm was on fire, something was aching strongly in his lower back, and his leg was in true agony. He failed to admit it to anyone, but it hurt. He wanted to vomit from it. Maybe he didn't want to believe that it was injured, so he didn't really admit the pain to anyone else in attempt to make it just go away. He hoped that whatever was wrong would go away soon, track finals were coming up soon and a busted leg wasn't the way to win states.

"Tony? It's mom and Kate." Jenny leaned in the window behind her husband. Jenny had gasped as she finally got a look at the slumped, bloody Tony in the car. There was blood running all down his face and neck. He had a c-collar on, which now was stained with blood. Broken glass was laying all over him, in his spikey brown hair that was matted down with blood, as was his black T-shirt and blue jeans. His hands were shaking a bit. His eyes were blinking closed, and he looked tired and in pain.

"Keep talking to him…you stay awake Tony, ya hear ?" The EMT, Joey, tapped the teen on the shoulder, looking up from his seat where he was preparing an IV. "It's very important."

Tony's eyes opened up again slowly, blinking away the sleepiness. "Sorry I was late, Kate.."

"Tony, Im sorry about this. I should have just--" Kate spoke up, the guilt incomprehensible, and the tears forming. Her brother looked like a mess. There was so much blood and the car was completely crumpled in.

"Oh Katie," Tony slurred. "S'not yer fault …" He turned his eyes to look at the three concerned pairs staring in at him for the first time. "I shoulda seen em comin.."

"Hey Tony, its not your fault." Stan the EMT from the backseat that has been holding gauze on the various cuts on his skull.

"How d'you know?" Tony asked, he didn't really know what happened, couldn't seem to remember, but he'd figured he should have seen someone coming if they ended up hitting him right in his door.

"Well…" Joey spoke up beside him. "We did get here later than the cops, but they were referring to you as 'the kid' when filling us in on the situation, and referring to the other driver as 'the bastard'."

Tony let himself giggle, and Jethro smiled from his place, it being good to see his son smile.

"That other guy is wasted," Stan spoke up. "Im guessing the light was red, and he ran it."

"Me too," Jethro said. Tony is a good driver, and he's not stupid. This was completely the drunk guys fault, and it made him want to really cause some physical harm to the imbecile who was irate over the condition of his new bmw, when his son was still trapped in the mustang, and seriously injured.

"Why am I still in here?" Tony asked through gritted teeth, the pain was really getting intolerable.

"Your leg is pinned in the car, and your arm is stuck on some metal." Jethro reminded him.

"Ya, I can feel all that." Tony replied. "I jus want to lay down, and get outta here.." Tonys eyes closed gently. His breathing was a bit rough, his hands shaking more then ever.

"Tony, what hurts the most right now?" Stan asked from the back.

"M'leg," Tony managed to mutter.

"Okay, what else is hurting, I have the feeling you weren't being honest with us before…" Joey asked beside him as he stuck the IV in the kids shaking and cut up hand.

"M'head, arm. Back."

"Your back hurts?" Joey asked as he hung the IV on the rearview mirror and moved his hands to lift Tony's black Tshirt. "Where at ?"

"Lower back. Center…" Tony looked up to his dad apologetically. Tony had told them all that nothing hurt and he was fine about ten minutes ago. But he was really starting to believe he might be injured there the more the pain intensified from what it was ten minutes ago.

"Tony … you need to be honest." Jethro was mad his son let them sit there idly while he was in severe pain. "Don't lie to anyone whos trying to fix you ever again … it could end up killing you." Jethro was concerned, not mad. Protective over his son who always seemed to wind up in trouble day after day.

"Kay. Wont 'appen again.." Tony bit his lip.

"This IV should help with some of that pain, Tony." Joey said.

"Tony, you are gonna be okay. Don't worry," jenny could sense the worry in his eyes as he was realizing the magnitude of the crash he was in.

"Okay, are you mom and dad ?" A fireman spoke from behind the three people leaning in the window.

They turned around, "Yes."

"We have made a decision. We think we can get a back board on him, and loosen up some of the metal under the steering column. Then pull him out through the passenger side door. The arm puncture will be hit or miss, but we will be ready to treat an arterial hit as soon as he pull him out."

"Okay, thank you." Jenny said as she looked back over at the big fireman taking place of the gentle EMT's. She heard a saw turning on, and then watched as a tarp was laid over Tony's body and face, and the saw went in loudly and began to grind through the steering column.

The saw was loud, but Jethro could hear screams of agony beneath it. He made his way over to the car, and climbed through the back passenger door, past the fireman in no contest, as they wanted the screaming boy to be comforted as well.

Jethro lifted up the tarp, and stuck his face right in Tony's as the saw continued its work.

"Tony… im here." Jethro could see the pain in his sons eyes. "Stay strong, your doing so good."

Tony was shaking almost violently by now. Shock was most definitely setting in. He couldn't see, it being dark out, and them being underneath a tarp, but Jethro could see the gritted teeth and eyes clenched shut.

"Ahhh. Shit!" Tony screamed. Jethro felt sick to his stomach. He didn't even want to know what kind of pain he must be in. "MMM. Please stop it, Dad! Make them stop!"

Jethro removed his head from under the tarp, and yelled for the fireman to stop.

"He needs a break!" The fireman complied, and turned the saw off.

"Tony, they need to cut you out. Its going to hurt, but you got to do it." Jethro leaned back into his sons space.

"No, I cant do it. I can't… Please, make it stop."

"Tony, listen to me. You can." Jethro began to rub a hand on the back of Tonys head. Jethro's mind flashed back to a time when Tony was five years old, and had gotten incredibly sick from the chicken pox, and had pleaded much in the same manner. He looked over at Tony and saw the same five year old boy crying for him to make it better, and Jethro would be damned if he was going to let some drunk driver be the end of Tony who had already gone through so much adversity in his life. "You are strong, Tony."

Tony didn't answer, he just bit his lip and nodded slightly.

"You ready?" The fireman yelled through his face shield.

Jethro nodded the affirmative and took his head back down to where it belonged.

The saw began its loud course again. Tony screamed in muffled agony once more.

Kate and Jenny were hugging each other, crying at the sounds of the kid they loved so much in so much pain. It was like a horror movie. The EMT's and all other emergency personnel were are standing around solemnly. The sounds of the kid in the car screaming in agony was hard for them to hear, and they couldn't imagine if it were their own son and brother.

"Mom, make it stop." Kate sobbed into Jenny's neck.

"I know, Kate. I know…" Jenny wiped the tears.

"Okay, almost there," Jethro slowly helped walk the tender and sore Tony gingerly to the Laz-E-Boy in the living room. They took a few more painful steps, and finally they were at the chair. "Tim! We need you."

Tim came running around the corner. "What do you need?" Tim saw Tony's face was pinched in pain as his dad held him up straight. Tony had a bulky back brace on and a leg cast on from ankle to hip.

"Just help set him down in the chair…gently," Jethro asked as he took one side of Tony, and waited for Tim to take the other.

Tim joined the guys, and gingerly helped sit Tony in their dads recliner. "You okay Tony?" Jethro asked as soon as they had him settled in.

"Fine, thanks…" Tony answered kindly, his eyes closed in attempt to gain comfort as he laid back against the soft chair.

"Alright, Kate's up and she will be here all day to help you out." Jethro informed Tony as he fetched the remote and handed it to Tony. "Be good, okay?"

"Mhmm," was the answer, Jethro could tell Tony was definitely in some pain. Tony wasn't allowed any pain medication stronger than aspirin, and with a broken leg and back and a headache the size of Alabama, he knew that wasnt getting it.

"Hang in there, a few more days and we can get you on some real meds." Jethro clapped Tony gently on the shoulder.

They had found out Tony was allergic to most pain meds, except the really strong stuff which cant be mixed with a bruised brain like Tony had. They had to wait for it to heal, until then Tony was stuck in agonizing pain that he wouldn't let anyone see him in.

Tony opened his eyes and looked into his dads, the look almost pleading.

"Keep your chin up," Jethro tapped under his chin, then made his exit to gather for work.

"Tony, do you need anything right now before I go to school?" Fourteen year old Timmy asked his older brother.

"No thanks, Tim," Tony opened his eyes and smiled a small smirk at his little bro for the offer. It was nice.

"Okay, I will see you after school." Tim turned and left Tony alone in the family room.

Just as he left Abby came running in. "Tony, its great to have you home." She hugged his brace gently. "Me and Timmy are going after school to rent a bunch of movies for you to watch while you are stuck here at home all day!"

"Thanks, Abs." Tony was grateful for their contribution to the 'help Tony' club.

"No prob. Feel better," Abs kissed his forehead, evading the stitching, and ran out of the room to gather her last things she needed for school.

Jenny rushed into the room, worrying she was going to miss the caravan from the house, her running a bit late as she was filling Kate in on some things about Tony in the kitchen.

"Hey, bud. You don't hesitate to ask Kate for anything you might need, and try and get some rest!" She kissed him on the cheek, and ran out checking her watch.

Tony heard a few minutes of ruckus, and early morning hussle before the front door slammed and the house was quiet.

Tony sat and sulked from his spot on the Laz-E-Boy. He was completely useless. He couldn't walk, stand, sit comfortably, sleep well or do anything for himself. He was missing school, and more importantly he was missing his track practices and meets.

He was the anchor leg on the states number one mile relay team. Key word 'was'. He'd worked very hard to get that spot, more than anyone cared to acknowledge, always playing it off as he was that naturally gifted. But it was blood, sweat and tears that got him and his team that ranking, and now it was all over.

He missed running already, and he knew he would probably be behind for football camp this summer because of this stupid injury, and football was his real love. This sucked. All he could do was sit around like this, and worry about whether or not he would ever be able to run like he used to, or catch a football like he used to.

Drunk drivers. How sweet are they….

"Hey Tony…" Kate peeked around the corner. "You up for some breakfast yet?"

She felt like she wanted to throw up every time she looked at Tony. Those horrid staples on the side of his head, the stitches on his forehead. The bruises on his cheekbone and jaw line. The bandage on his arm. The bruising across his chest from where the seatbelt saved his life. The pin straight back brace, and the long white leg cast. It was all because of her, and she deserved to be sitting in his place, not Tony. He should be out running around chasing some skirts around the high school, and practicing Track, laughing and being annoying and peppy.

He didn't deserve to be hurt like this, and depressed like his parents had warned her about. She didn't want to believe her annoyingly happy little brother was depressed, but the more she looked at him the more she knew it was true.

He was just sitting in the family room alone, staring at the wall. He didn't even turn on his beloved television or watch his sacred movies. Just sat there sadly.

"No thanks, maybe in a little bit." Just sat there, still staring at the wall.

"Tony, I know being hurt sucks. And that you are in a bit of pain right now, but what else is bothering you?" Kate moved closer and kneeled by his recliner.

"Nothing, just the pain is all," Tony lied right to her face. He always avoided revealing the deep things to people. Only allowing them to see the parts he was most known for. But Kate knew him better than that.

"If you are worried about sports," Kate began touching his hand. "You are going to be just like you used to. There is a great chance of a full recovery, I heard the doctor say it himself…"

A single tear slowly fell down Tony's face. His eyes glistened with emotion, but still stared straight ahead. Kate knew that that nerve was the one she had needed to strike.

"Hey, listen to me. You are going to be better than you were before," Kate began rubbing his good arm up and down, her emotions were fighting her, but she tried to stay as strong as possible. "I will make sure of it.."

Another tear fell. God Tony hated when his sister saw him cry, when anyone saw him cry.

"Tony…Look at me."

Tony turned his head and sad puppy dog eyes met strong brown ones.

"You are going to be okay," Kate couldn't help the tears from falling anymore. But she kept her gaze strong, locked onto Tony's.

Tony blinked and nodded his head in acceptance.

"I'm so sorry Tony," She dropped her head and began to cry. "This is all my fault.." The dam had finally broke.

"No, no Kate," Tony's voice was dripping with sadness. "Don't say that…"

"You were the smart one who didn't drink and drive … That other guy made the mistake, this is his fault…" Tony grabbed Kate's hand this time.

"But I shouldn't have asked that of you, I shouldn't have called that late, I could've came home earlier, or--" Kate rambled on as she let the feelings she had been holding back the last few days at the hospital go. "Im just sorry this happened to you."

"Kate, don't be like that. I will be fine…" Tony was finally realizing he was going to get better, for him and for Kate. They needed him to get back to normal, or they would never live with it. "Im tougher than I look." He tried..

Kate smiled at that as she looked his in the eye, tears threatening to spill some more, "You are tough." she reassured.

"How about some breakfast?" he asked, ready to get a move on in his recovery.

"French toast alright?" Kate smiled up at her little bro.

"My fave…" "Mine too.."