It's been said time and again, life can change in an instant… And that change can make you realize what is truly important.


Ginny had been at the hospital with Mike since 8:00 Friday evening. Sitting in the most uncomfortable chair leaning over Mike's bedside, holding his hand. There was nothing more she could do for him in this hour. Nurse Alan entered the room just before midnight. Alan laid his hand on her shoulder to gently get her attention, not knowing if she was awake or asleep. "Ms. Baker…" Ginny lifted her head from Mike's bedside. "I go off shift in a few minutes. I wanted to set you up for the night." He extended his arms full with a pillow and blanket to Ginny. "We also have a few of these for extreme situations, where a loved one stays in the room overnight." And he went out side of the room and wheeled in a reclinable chair. "It's not a bed, but it's better that what your currently sitting in."

Ginny stood up to put the pillow and blanket on the new chair and started to cry. She tried hide her tears, but Alan came up behind her and gave her a hug. "It's always hardest in the middle of the night. Our loved ones look most vulnerable when there is no one else around. He's got you fighting and he's a fighter. Get some rest and things will look better in the morning."

She nodded and settled down in the new chair. Alan continued. "Why don't you slip off your tennis shoes and see what that friend of yours brought you? I'll be back tomorrow evening." Before Evelyn had left, she gave Alan a quick rundown of the contents of the bag, which included fuzzy socks to keep her feet warm overnight, earplugs and an eye mask. Ginny found these items, which definitely helped her sleep through the next few hours, especially since nurses and doctors came in to check on Mikes' vitals every hour.

The sun started to come in through the blinds around 6:00 and at about 7:00, now Saturday, Ginny was no longer able to ignore the sunlight, even with the eye mask. She got up to use the bathroom and then she needed to search out some food. She came out of the attached bathroom to find Amelia in the "bad" chair, the one that didn't recline. She held out a bag of McDonalds and a large soda with a stoic face.

"I've never been so happy to see you." Ginny took the food, set it aside and hugged Amelia, which Amelia was completely unprepared for.

"If I had know a bag of fast food would get this type of reaction, I would have started all our meetings this way. But seriously Gin… I'm so sorry for you… and Mike." And then Amelia's eye's looked over at the man laying motionless in the bed.

"What are you doing here so early? I didn't expect to see you here in San Diego. I figured you could manage any press issues from L.A." Ginny took the bag of food and sat down to start eating.

"I know our relationship has been strained. But you are still important to me, and I couldn't leave you alone. Not now. Eliot and I will take turns here during the day in case any reporters make it past security. By the way, thank Blip for putting me on the approved guest list."

Ginny hadn't even thought of that, it could really become a circus in here if their wasn't control over who was able to visit.

"So far, Eliot and I haven't seen anything in the media about the accident. I hate to ask, but I need to know… Do you have any more information on what happened?"

"All I know is Mike wasn't at fault. The other driver died." And the tears came again as flashes of her father being thrown from the car so many years earlier, ran through her head.

Amelia got up out of her seat and came over to kneel down in front of Ginny. "Mike is here, he survived. I know this brings back so many memories. But stay with me. You can do this. Do it for him. If the roles were reversed, you know he would be moving heaven and earth for you."

Ginny wiped her eyes. "Yeah… you're right. I got this." She said intermixed with sniffles.

"So let's talk strategy. I think we say nothing until the media finds out, but have a press release ready to go. Eliot should be here soon. Then I'll head over to the police station to get an official report to make sure anything we release is accurate. Do we have any information on his recovery?"

The ladies got to speaking on everything Ginny knew thus far. Amelia was beginning to understand the depth of the situation. Just as she was getting a full grasp on it, Dr. Harris came in.

"Morn'n Ms. Baker, and friend. How'd our patient do last night? No surprises, I assume?"

"Well he did try to grope me in the middle of the night, but that's normal for Mike." Ginny said sarcastically… Mike was still in his medically induced coma and hadn't moved an inch on his own.

"I like you. He is breathing really well on his own since we removed his breathing tube. So now I'm going to send him down for some scans and see how the swelling in his head is doing. Hopefully, we can wake him up soon and get him moving. Then the real healing begins." He looked information gathered during the night. "They'll be in to get him in about 20 minutes. It will take a bit to get the images back to me. It's not a fast process, so don't expect me back here for another hour or so. I like to make sure that people know that slowness is not bad news. Sit tight, and I'll see you in while.

And about two hours later, sometime around 10:00 am, Dr. Harris was back in Mike's room. Amelia had left and Ginny was alone, half asleep. She has assumed her position, sitting in the "bad" chair, resting her head on his bed, holding his calloused hand. "I've got good news Ms. Baker. The swelling has gone down enough to take him off of the meds keeping him asleep."

"Remind me again… How long until he wakes up? It's been a long night." Ginny asked.

"Don't expect any signs for at least 6 to 12 hours. But for some patients, it can take longer. We'll keep a close eye on him and the monitors attached to him will alert our staff as soon as he begins to come out of the coma. But let us know if you notice anything." A few nurses came in looking at the computers and his IV's. Then they all headed out.

Ginny sat in the room alone once again. Mike had to be okay.

She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Eliot who would be on his way to the hospital soon. She needed his help looking up some information. Plus she wanted him to bring more food for her.

Eliot arrived around noon with a bag of In N Out and handed her a piece of paper with a few phone numbers on it. Then he stared at Mike.

"You're the best. Mind if I make these calls before I eat?" Ginny asked.

Eliot just shook his head, in disbelief that a man as powerful as Lawson, lay so motionless and helpless.

Ginny picked up her phone and dialed the number Eliot handed her.

A woman's voice answered on the other end. "Hellooo…"

"Hi Rachel. It's Ginny Baker, I know I'm the last person you expect or want to hear from, but it's about Mike. He's in the hospital." Silence. "Look, I know things ended awkwardly between you two, but Mike has always said there will be a part of him that loves you, so I was assuming that a part of you would always love him. I figured you should find out from me instead of some random person or through one of your media connections that he was in a car accident that landed him in the hospital."

"Why did he have you call instead of calling himself? Just like him."

"Rachel, he's unconscious! In a medically induced coma. The doctor is hoping he'll wake up later today or tomorrow, but they aren't sure. If you want to see him, you can text me on this number and I'll add you to the guest list. But this isn't some game he's playing." And with that she hung up. Rachel texted that she would be down Sunday.

The next two calls went about the same as the call to Rachel. The second call was to Mike's mom and the third call was to Mike's dad. Ginny felt they both deserved to know how serious of a situation he was in.

Now to food. Ginny ate, then slept some more, since there was a chance she was in for another long night waiting for Mike to wake up from the coma. While she sleptEliot monitored social media and other websites for signs that the accident had been picked up. He and Amelia emailed and called working on a press release to go out as soon as needed.

Al and most of the team had texted Ginny. Eliot handled all of these as well. He responded with Mike's status, letting them know it still wasn't a good time to come by, maybe tomorrow. The team was leaving for Boston on Tuesday and she new they wanted to see him, but it just didn't seem right for them to see their Captain like this. Blip and Ev texted, and Eliot suggested they bring dinner by for their friend.

By 4:00 Ginny told to Eliot that he should head out for the day. It could still be a while longer before Mike woke and she new Blip and Ev would be by later.

6:00 came and so did the Sanders, with food as promised. "Real Food! Bless you. I'm dreading the day when I have to eat hospital food. You all have been so good to me."

Blip pulled the bag away from her. "There is a condition to getting this." Ginny looked at him puzzled. "When was the last time you left this room?"

"I guess I haven't since last night."

Ev's turn… "Well then, you and I are going to dine in the hospital court yard. Blip will sit here with Mike. Anything changes, we'll have our phones out and he'll call us. But you need to get outside, and walk."

Ginny new better than to argue with Ev. She leaned over to kiss Mike's forehead. She whispered she loved him in his ear and left. The ladies were only gone for about 20 minutes when Blip called. Ev answered on speaker phone. "No change in Mike, but the police are here and wanted to speak to Gin."

"Go Ginny, I'll pack up here and meet you back there." Ginny hurried through the hospital to Mike's room. To find the police.

"Ms. Baker?"

"Yes, Call me Ginny. What can I help you with?"

"I'm officer Martinez. How much do you know about yesterday's events?"

"I've only been told that Mike wasn't at fault and the other driver didn't survive."

"That is all true. The other driver was a college student. She had been up studying all night for an exam. Her route to school crossed Mr. Lawson's path to Petco Park. We think she fell asleep at the wheel, based on what her parents said and the way her car swerved into oncoming traffic and hit your fiancé's car." The officer paused to give Ginny a minute to take it in. Blip stood up and motioned for Ginny to sit down. "The other driver died instantly. Because the accident occurred during the day, there were enough witnesses calling 911 and help was onsite immediately. We think this is what saved his life."

By now Evelyn had re-joined them in Mike's room. We have had a request from the driver of the other car. They are grieving for their daughter, but would also like to apologize to you and see Mr. Lawson. We have advised against this, but said we would pass this along. They do not know who their daughter hit, so they are not looking for fame of any sort. You can say no and we will completely support you."

"I agree with you. Not now, if… When Mike wakes up, he can decide if he want's to meet them. This isn't my call to make. Can I get back you to you when he wakes up?"

"Yes Ms. Baker. I'll let the family know, not now. Here's my card." And Officer Martinez handed Ginny his card. "Can you also just let me know when he wakes up. I was first on the scene of the accident and I want to know how he's doing. I'm a huge Padres fan. Have been since I was a kid. Love seeing you both play."

"Yes sir." And Ginny put the card with other paperwork she had been collecting over the past 24 hours. The officer left and Blip, Ev and Ginny sat in silence until Nurse Alan came in.

"Miss me? I'm back on shift. I'll be here all night tonight." Alan said as he began the standard checks on patient Mike.

"Nice to see you." Ginny said. Alan had been so comforting to her last night when she needed it most.

"So we're waiting for your man to wake up. Can I make a suggestion? I've seen it help things along once you get past the 8-10 hour mark, when all the medicine causing the medical coma should be out of his system. I've had it work several times. No scientific proof, but I think it helps."

"I'll try anything to help him wake up." Ginny said.

"Talk to him. Soft, in his ear. Tell him anything from how much you care about him, to a recap of the day. Tell him what you're watching on TV. Keep it positive what ever you say. And hold his hand or put your hand on his shoulder. Contact with you is important. This won't be immediate. But when he begins to wake, it will also keep him calm because you will be the first thing he feels and hears. Which will keep his heart rate low, also important. When he begins to wake, he won't know where he is or what's going on. Think about what you'll tell him, that he's safe and you're here. Those can be the most important things he could hear right now."

"Okay…" Ginny shifted into the "bad" chair to be closer to Mike.

Blip turned on the TV. "ESPN recaps should make him want to get up out of that bed." Said the best friend.

They took turns talking to Mike. Ginny never letting go of his hand. By 8:00, Mike still hadn't shown any signs of waking. "Guys… you should get home to the twins. I'll text you if anything changes."

"Thanks. You know the rest of the team doesn't care what he looks like. They just want to be here to help." Blip said.

"I know. But there just wasn't much to do today. And seeing him like this. I just don't think he'd want that. Maybe tomorrow." As the Sanders were collecting their things to leave, a news flash came on ESPN…

[BREAKING NEWS… PADRES CATCHER MIKE LAWSON IN FATAL ACCIDENT, STORY AT 9:00.]

Ginny picked up her phone, "Amelia… Yeah I saw it on TV too… Glad you're on it. Thanks." And she hung up. Amelia was taking care of the media. She would make sure what ever was said on ESPN was accurate. Then she dialed another number.

"It's Ginny again."

"Is it true? Did Mike pass?" Said a somber female voice on the other line.

"No, that's why I'm calling. I saw the news flash and they have it wrong. The fatality was the driver of the other car. The tagline is misleading. I'm with him right now. He's doing better than this morning and we're hoping he'll wake up from the coma soon. I just wanted you to know."

"Thank you Ginny. Thank you for thinking of me. I'll see you tomorrow." And she hung up.

The Ev asked, "Who was that second call to?"

Ginny replied, "Rachel. I called her earlier, along with Mike's mom and dad. I figured they each deserved to know."

"You are a good woman. The best for Mike." Said Blip. Both Sanders hugged Ginny and left for the evening.

Ginny changed the channel to the Travel Channel. Settled in next to Mike and began to tell him of the cool places they could go on their honeymoon. He just needed to wake up. By 10:00 she'd switched over to HGTV and started talking to Mike about what type of house they were going to need when they had kids. It was when she started talking about kids that she felt a twitch in his hand. So she kept talking about kids, and raised her other hand to his cheek - kissing it in between brushing her thumb down his jaw line.

And then, around 10:30 he coughed a little and opened his eyes. She was about 6 inches from his face. "Mike, babe. Stay calm and look at me. It's Ginny. I'm right here for you."

MIKE WAS OKAY!

Mikes throat was dry and it was hard for him to talk at first. He tried to swallow and found that difficult. His body hurt, everywhere, and he had a headache that doubled his worst hangover. Yet in all the pain, there was Ginny's face looking at him like the day he'd proposed to her. Like she had just been given the best gift of her life.

"Old man, you were in a really bad car accident, but you're gonna be okay…" She leaned in to kiss him. It hurt to kiss but he didn't care. "I'm gonna call for the nurse to come check you out." She leaned up and pressed the red medical alert button. In came Nurse Alan and another nurse on call.

Ginny turned to Alan, "Looks like your suggestion worked." Alan looked at Mike and smiled an 'I told you so' smile and went straight to looking at Mike's vitals.

"Hi Mr. Lawson. I'm Nurse Alan. Nice to finally meet you. I'm sure you have a LOT of questions. But first how are you feeling?" Mike attempted to say somwthing but still couldn't talk. "Let's start by getting you some water. I'll be right back."

It was only a few minutes and Alan was back in the room with a cup and a straw. "Just a few sips for now, we're going to ease back into everything."

"Thanks." Mike said with an extremely hoarse tone. "I feel like I was hit by a train."

"We can give you something for the pain. We had you in a medically induced coma, so we didn't have you on any pain meds." Alan said.

"Just an over the counter, like Aleve or Ibprofen. Can we see how that works before trying anything stronger? Wait... did you say medically induced coma? What happened?" He looked outside and saw that it was dark. "Gin, why aren't you at the game?"

"Cap, the game was last night. We won, but I was pulled in the first inning, with Blip. He and Ev drove me over here. To be with you. You were in a car accident. The other driver died on impact."

"Was it my fault?"

"No!. No, it was her fault, she hadn't been to sleep all night and fell asleep at the wheel, swerved into your lane and hit you. You were barely conscious when you were transported to the hospital, but because of the swelling in your head and other injuries, they placed you in a medically induced coma to help you heal as fast as possible." Alan spent the next 20 minutes going over Mike's medical event of the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Ginny sent out a flurry of texts letting those closest to Mike know he had woken up. Alan left the room after advising both of them to try to sleep.

"You scared me Mike." And Ginny laid her head on the pillow next to Mike while she stood next to his bed. Then if dawned on Mike, that Ginny lost her dad to a car accident as well.

"I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere until I get a few kids from you." Even in his pain, he could still make her smile.

"So the team wants to see you before they leave for Boston, and Rachel is coming up tomorrow. She's been really worried about you. Oh, and there is a chance that the world thinks your dead, but Amelia is working on that – stupid media."

"Rachel is coming?"

"Yeah, I called her, and your mom and dad. I thought they deserved to hear it from me, and not through the media."

"You blow me away Baker. How'd I get so lucky?"

"It was your narcissism." She said sarcastically.

"So you need to leave town Tuesday with the team?" Mike's voice turned somber.

"Nope, you're stuck with me. I'm on the DL with you for right now."

"Baker…" He growled.

"Look Lawson, if I was in that bed, would you be going to Boston?"

"Well no. But…"

"No Buts… I'm staying here until we figure out next steps. The team is on board." Just then Dr. Matz came in and introduced herself.

"So Doc. I've heard all about how bad I've been beat up. Now how long 'til I'm all better."

"You should be able to leave here on a few days. You'll need to be able to eat regularly. It would be great if you could moved some as well. Because of the broken ribs and the removal of your spleen, you are looking at recovery at home of about 6 weeks." She paused to let it register with Mike.

"So I'm out for the season."

"I'm afraid so."

It was something Ginny hadn't wanted to think about. She was afraid how much it would affect Mike. It was his last season. Maybe he could rehab and wait one more season… Maybe… Something…

"Okay…" And he looked at Ginny. "But I'm alive, and from everything I've heard in the last few hours, that is nothing short of a miracle."

They settled in for the night. Unlike last night, Ginny woke every time a nurse or doctor came in to check on Mike. She too, wanted to make sure he was still okay.

By Sunday morning Mike was more alert, and definitely looking forward to visitors. Various team members came and went throughout the Sunday and Monday. Al stopped by, relieved to see Mike awake. Even Rachel's visit went better than expected. She was genuinely concerned for Mike, and grateful to Ginny for respecting her past relationship with him. But as each of his visitors came and went, Mike and Ginny evaded the question of recovery. They both knew his season was done, but they wanted to wait a bit to tell the rest of the team.

Mike's mom and dad never did stop by. But they each did text her a few times to make sure he was doing okay.

And Amelia had made sure the stories on air were accurate, no Mike Lawson wasn't killed, he was on his way to recovery. They would not release the name of the other driver, to respect the privacy of the grieving family.

It was five days after the accident, but Mike was released to go home. Home.

MIKE WAS OKAY!


These chapters are dedicated to a dear friend of our family who was killed in a similar accident. A woman was behind the wheel of a car who had been up all night studying. Sleep deprived and swerved into oncoming traffic.