Thankt to everyone who has been faithfully reading my story. Thank you to Soldier Hear for being my ever faithful beta reader. So, please keep reviewing!

The guys stepped off the elevator on the floor for the ICU. As they were walking to Karen's room, the men were silent, contemplating the young paramedic's condition.

Captain Stanley was lost in his thoughts. He realized that as soon as Karen was better, she would be permantly assigned to another station. Cap didn't want that and knew his men did not want it either. He decided that he would talk to Chief McKonnikee as soon as he could.

The six men entered her room quietly. They weren't sure whether Karen had fallen asleep or if she was still awake.

As they entered the room, a weak voice said, "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."

The head of Karen's bed was propped up slightly. After three weeks, she was still bruised heavily. The doctors still had her on the heart monitor, but she was off the respirator. The casts were still on both legs and both arms. The fact she had come out of the coma was a good sign.

Joanne DeSoto had been sitting with Karen when she had come out of the coma. She had been elated the young paramedic had finally woken up. So happy that she had cried. Joanne watched her husband and the other men of the crew come in as she was sitting quietly in the corner. Roy walked over to her and took her hand.

All the other men walked over to Karen's bed.

Karen's brown eyes looked up at her crewmates. She looked very tired, but the color was coming back into her face.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" Cap asked, taking one of Karen's hands in his.

"Okay I guess. I just want to go to sleep. I hurt all over too. From what Dr. Brackett told me, I broke two vertebrae in my back. He explained that I would have to be in therapy for a little while, even when I am released, but he said the vertbrae were healing nicely. Also said that I shouldn't have any lasting effects from any of the breaks. I do want to ask you all something. I asked Dr.s Brackett and Early and Dixie, but they just looked at each other and would only tell me that I was unconscious for three weeks. Said it would be better coming from you guys. What exactly happened? The last thing I remember was a roll call."

The men looked at each other before Mike asked, "Are you sure you want to know? We can tell you when you've had some sleep."

"No. I really want to know."

"Well, you were hit by a car while we were out on a run. The man that hit you was drunk," Cap said, still holding Karen's hand.

Karen was silent for a moment. "Judging by the pain I'm feeling, it wasn't good."

"Yeah, it was bad. We were at the scene of a car accident and you had gone to get something out of the squad when the driver had come around the corner and hit you. He was drunk. We didn't know if you would survive the accident. We had just started checking you over when you had a grand mal seizure. You stablized for a minute before you went into cardiac arrest. We got you back, packaged you up and headed here," Johnny said, pausing to take a breath. He noticed Karen was very quiet, gripping Cap's hand tightly.

"What happened next?" Karen asked.

Roy picked up where Johnny stopped, "You crashed again just as we got out of the ambulance. We rushed you to a treatment room and the doctors brought you back again. They checked you over again and took you pretty quickly to surgery. You were in there for about 4 or 5 hours," Roy said, stopping for a moment. His emotions were getting the better of him. Roy had almost started to cry.

This time Marco picked up the story. "The next day, you started to get an infection from all your wounds. You went into cardiac arrest again. We were glad you pulled through again. You had us all scared to death."

Karen shifted her gaze to the bed but still held Cap's hand tightly. "I didn't realize it had been that bad. I can't believe I put you through all that," she said quietly.

"We were just concerned for your wellfare. You were pretty near death. Each time you went into cardiac arrest, we thought we had lost you for good. You had lost a lot of blood at the scene. You know about the broken bones. You also punctured your lung, had to have a chest tube put in, had swelling in your brain because of the skull fracture you got, so they put a shunt in," Johnny said.

"Believe me, everyone in the department has been asking about you for the past three weeks," Cap said, sitting in a chair next to Karen's bed.

"Just realizing that you were in bad shape was killing us all. We thought we had lost out junior partner and the young paramedic who had brought sunshine into our little world at the station," Mike said quietly, trying to hold in his emotions. He didn't do a very good job.

Everyone in the room had tears flowing down their faces.

"The worst feeling for me was having to watch the accident like it was in slow motion and realizing that there was nothing I could have done to stop it," Cap said quietly.

"Cap? I hope you aren't blaming yourself. How could you have stopped something like that? Oh God. I could have died out there," Karen said as she began to weep silently.

"But you pulled through Karen and it was a miracle you survived. Someone was watching out for you," Chet said from beside Karen.

"I guess so. But why did it have to happen? Why me? It always seems like bad things happen to me," Karen remarked, tears flowing down her face.

"Karen these things just happen sometimes. But believe me, you were being watched. Someone had to be watching over you. You are our little miracle. You survived against the odds. We are so glad you are still with us. You mean a hell of a lot to us. These past three weeks have been murder, watching you lying so still in that bed and realizing that at any time you could slip away from us," Roy said.

"I didn't realize you all felt that way. I guess.. I guess I was oblivious to it," Karen said, yawning.

"Yeah you do mean a lot to us. But, you're tired, we need to let you get some sleep. We'll come back when you have gotten some rest," Cap said, silently motioning his crew that they needed to leave.

"I'm glad you are awake mi amiga. I'll come back tomorrow," Marco said, heading out the door.

"See you tomorrow. I'll come with Marco to see you," Chet said, following Marco out of the room.

"We'll be by later also. Take it easy honey," Johnny said as he, Roy and Joanne walked out of the room.

"I'll come back too. I'll bring Emily. She will want to see you," Cap said as he began to walk out the door.

"Cap wait, could you stay for a few minutes?"

"Yes, are you okay?" Cap asked.

"Yes, I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes. I was going to talk to you before the accident, but I guess I never got around to it. I want to stay at 51. Is it possible to do that?"

"I will have to ask the Chief, I don't know if can be done. But I can ask."

"I'd appreciate it. One more thing. I want you to know, you are not to blame for my accident. There is nothing you could have done. Joanne told me that you arranged for someone to sit with me at all times. But you know what, I could tell when you were in the room. I want to thank you for taking care of me. You have become like a father to me. I am glad I was stationed at 51. I have not had a father figure for a couple of years. But you have seamlessly come to be a man that I respect enough to look to when I have problems. I was told you passed out the from low blood sugar and slight dehydration. Dixie told me that it happened the day after the accident. I'm glad you are okay. Please Cap, please do not blame yourself. You are not to blame," Karen said as she started crying again.

"I did blame myself. I wanted to help you at the scene. But there was nothing I could have done. I have slowly come to terms with that. But you have become like another one of my daughters. I feel so protective evertime you get into dangerous situations. Any time you need someone to talk to, Emily and I are here for you," Cap said, also crying.

"Thank you Cap," Karen said quietly.

"I'd better go, you look really worn out. I'll be back later and I will bring Emily," Cap said, walking out of Karen's room.

As Cap left, and Karen fell into a restful sleep, she thought of the family she had gained by becoming a paramedic and being assigned to train at Staion 51. Karen fell to sleep with a smile on her face.