A/N: So here is the next chapter. A really short chapter this time but it reveals a bit more about Lauren's feelings for her cousin.

Chapter 5.

Lauren peeked through the window and saw Joey lying in the bed. Taking one last calming breath she opened the door and walked over to him. It was a scary place to be. As she stepped closer to where he lay she saw the various machines that surrounded him. The bruises on his body hadn't lessened in the intervening hours since she'd last seen them, in fact they'd got worse, much darker than they had been. The blanket and sheets were only pulled up to his waist and Lauren could clearly see the bandage that covered where they'd operated on him. There was an oxygen mask on his face and his eyes were shut. She took a seat beside the bed and reached for his hand, taking it in both of hers.

"Lauren...?"

His voice was weak but it was definitely his. "Joey...?" she said softly, moving her chair closer to him so he could see her. He turned his head and looked at her, his eyes the only part of him that looked better than it had when she'd last seen him. He could now open both eyes, even if it was only partly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great," he told her, reaching for the oxygen mask and trying to move it away from his face.

"Leave that on, Joe. It's helping you."

"Don't like it."

"Please Joe... do as I ask..."

He stopped what he was trying to do and looked at her, "Okay..." he relented finally.

"Thanks." She smiled at him, "You had us all really worried, Joey."

"I don't think that's true."

"I was worried." She stopped speaking and looked down, staring at their hands that lay entwined on the bed, "I thought you were going to die." She admitted in a whisper. "I'm sorry for last night. I didn't mean what I said."

"S'Okay." He replied.

"No it's not, Joe. I said some horrible things that I shouldn't have." Her eyes darted up to his face, "I didn't mean what I said."

"I know. I knew that last night too." He shut his eyes again and Lauren let him lie quietly, figuring he needed the rest after surgery. He shifted slightly on the bed and moaned in pain.

"Lay still." She urged him. "Do you want me to go? You can get some rest..."

"Stay." He whispered. "Don't leave..." he added as his eyes fell shut and he lost the battle to stay awake. His last two words were a reminder to Lauren of when he'd asked her than before. Was that really only a few hours ago?

She sat with him for a long time, eventually resting her head on the bed beside their hands. Despite the ever present sound of the machines surrounding them her eyes kept drifting shut only for her to wake after a few seconds and then the whole process would start again. It seemed right; being here with him like this and Lauren took this time to evaluate her relationship with her cousin. In all honesty, she barely knew him. He'd only been on the square for a month but she'd felt an instant connection to him that first time of meeting him. They hadn't really spent any time together since then but when they did, there was this spark between them that Lauren couldn't work out. It definitely was enticing though.

When she'd seen him in the square this morning, unconscious on the ground, her heart almost stopped in her chest and she'd rushed to his side. She became more alarmed when he didn't respond to her but then he'd groaned and woke up. She'd never been more relieved than in that moment.

She felt like she'd been on a rollercoaster for the last few hours and being here with Joey now was the best feeling in the world. She just needed him to get better.

TBC

A/N2: So there you go. Let me know what you think. As a treat a second chapter will be posted later today - which is a bit longer.