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A/N: For this story's purpose I'm taking the liberty of writing Langston Wilde, Starr's best friend's back story.

Chapter Eight: A Hospital Christmas Eve Part One

Langston unzipped her black parka and fumbled through her black messenger bag as the elevator let her off the main floor of Llanview Hospital. Truth is the young 17 year old hated hospitals but she braved her disdain for them for her Mom, Savannah Wilde who was nearing the end of a two-year battle with breast cancer.

The holidays were always the worst for Langston because all she wanted to do was be normal and have a tree at home, but some wishes didn't come true no matter how many stars she wished on every night.

Shaking her head as if to empty it of such childhood dreams, she continued fumbling through her bag hoping to find her Mom's Christmas present. Instead she found herself bumping into a solid object that sent her backwards and falling to the hard linoleum floor.

Bracing herself for the impact she expected to feel she shut her eyes tightly, but was surprised when she felt nothing. Her eyes blinked open in surprise and she met the warm large chocolate eyes of one Cole Thornhart.

What's he doing here, she thought, Shouldn't he be at home with his Mom and that cop guy?

"You all right, Langston?" Cole asked as he steadied her, his arm firmly around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She responded in her usual short tone, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He countered.

"I'm here visiting my Mom. She's sick so I spend Christmas Eve and Christmas here with her. Why are you here? Is your Mom making you volunteer or something?"

Cole didn't hear anything Langston said after she admitted her Mom was sick. He was finding it hard to wrap his head around the fact that she spent her Christmases and Christmas Eves here at the hospital instead of at home. He found it hard to believe until he remembered the position his Mom was in right now.

"Hello! Earth to Cole!" Langston yelled waving her hand in front of his face wildly.

"Uh, sorry. I just um spaced out when you told me your Mom was sick. I didn't think you were going to say that. So is she going to be all right?"

"No, she's not all right. She has breast cancer and the docs say it's pretty bad, but after two years you learn to deal," Langston said put off by his concern, "So like I said is your Mom making you volunteer? You know do something constructive over winter break or whatever?"

"No, my Mom's not making me volunteer. She um got into a car accident last night and she's still here, so here I am."

"Oh. I'm really sorry. Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure actually," Cole admitted, "I was hoping to talk to Dr. McBain or Dr. Miller before I went to see here but I'm not really sure I want to."

"For what it's worth I hope your Mom's okay. She seems like a nice lady."

Langston tucked a strand of her green hair extensions behind her ear and turned to walk away when Cole called out to her, "Hey Langston!"

"Yeah Cole?"

"Um listen after you uh visit your Mom would you come visit mine with me? I know it sounds really dumb but I really could use a friend right now."

"Okay."

Cole nodded as he watched her walk away until she disappeared around the corner. Running his fingers through his hair as he let out a nervous breath, he walked down the hallway to his Mom's room. Not sure if he was ready to go in yet he just hung out by the door watching the nurses and doctors passing by.

John looked at the small tree in his hand and the bag of ornaments in the other and wondered what the hell he was doing as the elevator let him off on the hospital's main floor. Marty had to practically hand cuff herself to him so he would help her and Cole decorate the Christmas tree in their apartment. Then there was what she decided to do to his office at the station, it was a regular Christmas wonderland in there as was his room at the Angel Square Motel.

Rounding the corner to her hospital room he saw Cole standing by the door and the look on his face had his heart in a vice grip. He knew what the teenager was thinking about as he stood there. He was thinking about all of the things Marty couldn't remember from Natalie, to the steroids, to Miles, running away with Starr; the list went on and on. John knew it was all tearing Cole up inside because it was tearing him up inside too.

"Hey, Cole." John greeted as he turned around. "Hey, John. What's in the bag?"

"Ornaments for the tree I bought. Your Mom may not remember anything as far as I'm concerned but I doubt her love of Christmas has changed."

Cole smiled as he remembered how much his Mom loved Christmas, "Yeah, I don't think so either."

"Are you gonna go inside?" John asked motioning to Marty's hospital room.

"Yeah, now that you're here, I think I'm ready to go inside."

John and Cole were about to walk in when Langston popped up next to Cole saying, "I guess we can all go in together."

When John noticed Langston, he arched a brow at Cole who replied, "Langston's here visiting her Mom so I figured she could come visit mine with me."

John nodded in understanding and opened the door so all three of them could walk through. When they walked in, they found that Marty was still asleep. John was the only one who noticed when she began to stir and then her eyes fluttered open, and as usual her eyes immediately connected with his own.

"Hi." She breathed stunned to see him in her room again.

"Hi." He repeated.

It was then that Marty noticed the teenage girl standing awkwardly by her son's side. She had long brown hair with green extensions running through it and had an affinity for black. Seeing as she couldn't remember anything she wondered if she was Cole's girlfriend.

Deciding not to put her foot in her mouth she asked, "Hey, Cole who's your friend?"

"Mom, this is my friend Langston Wilde we go to school together."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Langston."

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Saybrooke." Langston said easily realizing they never officially met.

"I brought a tree that we could decorate if you want." John said showing Marty the small fern in the red planter's pot.

Smiling brightly at him she replied softly, "I'd love to."