Rayna stood pacing in front of the elevator when the doors opened and Bucky and Luke stepped out.

Bucky went to her immediately, taking her in his arms. "Ray, I'm so sorry about this."

She held his embrace, then stepped back, struggling to let a smile across her face. "We don't know anything yet, it could all be fine." She nodded. "He's gonna be fine. He has to be, Buck." She broke down in tears briefly, then turned to the man standing next to Bucky.

"I'm so sorry, Luke-I just wasn't sure who to call. I…" Her voice trailed off.

Luke just shook his head. "I'm glad you called, Rayna. I'm real sorry about this, about Teddy, about all of it."

"I just need the girls to be somewhere for a little bit with someone who they trust and I do too and honestly, you were the first person I thought of. I just couldn't leave them with a nanny when all of this is going on. My sister will be here in the morning, but if they could just go with you for a little bit, until I can figure out what's going on here, what's going on with their dad…"

Luke reached out and touched her shoulder. "I'll get 'em back to the ranch, feed them something and see if we can't settle 'em down for the night. You call me and let me know as soon as you hear somethin'."

She walked down to the waiting room with Luke and Bucky to talk to the girls.

"I don't want to go," Maddie protested. "I want to stay and see Dad."

"I know, hon," Rayna responded. "And you will get to see your dad, but please, go home with Luke for a little while, get something to eat and a little sleep. I promise I'll either come get you or bring you back up here as soon as we know anything."

"What about my dad?" Daphne asked, her face falling.

Rayna drew her close. "I'm sorry, baby. Bucky is going to go find out what's going on and see if your dad needs anything. Aunt Tandy will be here in the morning. We'll find out what's going on."

"Is it going to be like Paw Paw?" Daphne asked, her face pressed against Rayna's body.

Rayna smoothed her hand down Daphne's hair. "I don't know, baby. We'll find out." She pulled back from Daphne and leaned down in front of her daughter. "You'll be with Luke and Maddie and Colt and I'll come for you as soon as I can."

She pulled both girls to her again, looking over Maddie's shoulder at Luke, mouthing "thanks" as she said goodbye to the girls.

She watched as the girls headed out with Luke, then turned to her manager. "So, what did you find out about Teddy?"

Bucky shook his head. "I'm not sure of all the details, but embezzlement, extortion, something about solicitation."

Rayna sank down on the couch. "I'd love to just let him go stew in this mess he's made for himself, but you saw those girls-they're devastated."

"Ray." Bucky reached out to touch her arm. "What are they saying about Deacon?"

Rayna looked over at her manager, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Buck-"

He stepped moved over next to her and took her in his arms. "It's okay, just let go."

And for the first time since Caleb Rand came to the door to tell her something was wrong, she did.

Rayna and Scarlett stood in the hall outside Deacon's room in the ICU.

"You can go in for a couple of minutes, but then we need to just let him rest," Caleb explained.

"So, what are you doing?" Rayna asked. "What are we expecting?"

"We're using hypothermic therapy," the doctor began. "We're keeping his body cool to preserve neurologic function."

"But I thought you said it was his heart?" Scarlett asked as she pressed her hand against the large window looking into Deacon's room. Through the glass they could see him in his bed, a ventilator pressing oxygen through the mouthpiece into his throat, his body cover with cooling blankets. There were monitors and wires coming from every direction.

"It was. But once the heart is started again, we worry about the possible injury to the brain," Caleb explained.

"How worried should we be?" Rayna asked as she turned her face from the window to the doctor.

He didn't respond.

"Just tell us," Scarlett said as she also turned her gaze away from Deacon.

"It's a little hard for us to know since he was under anesthesia when the arrest happened," Caleb began. "This therapy is a precaution in some ways. But in patients who remain comatose after a cardiac arrest, only about 20% have a good neurological outcome."

"How long will you keep him like this?" Rayna asked as she turned back to watch Deacon.

"The protocol calls to begin the rewarming process after 24 hours," Caleb replied.

She turned back to the doctor again. "And the liver?"

"Looks really good so far," Caleb responded. "So, do you want to go in for a minute?"

Both women nodded. He pushed the door open and held it as they walked through.

Rayna walked up next to the bed and put her hand on his cheek. "He's warmer than I expected," she commented.

Scarlett stood next to the bed, watching as the ventilator pushed another breath into Deacon's body. "He's so still."

"I'll give you a few minutes," Caleb replied. "But please, only stay about ten minutes."

Rayna nodded.

Scarlett stood watching Deacon, then turned as Caleb opened the door. "Have you told my momma yet?"

He shook his head. "I thought we should give her a night to rest, but to be honest, she's asking for you."

Scarlett nodded, then leaned in and kissed Deacon's cheek. "I'll be back, Uncle Deacon." She turned back to the door. "Let's just go tell her. She needs to know anyway."

Scarlett stood outside her mom's hospital room, gathering up her strength to go in and talk to her mom.

"Scarlett?"

She turned at the sound of Gunnar's voice.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I left," he said as he walked up to her. "Is...is Caleb here with you?"

Scarlett shook her head. "No, he was called away to consult with another one of the doctors about Deacon."

"You talk to your mom yet?" he asked.

She shook her head again. "No, and I know I should just go in there and do it, but I just have no idea how she's going to react."

"You want me to go with you?" Gunnar offered. He held out his hand to her.

Scarlett slipped her hand into his. "Thanks, Gunnar."

Rayna pulled a chair up next to Deacon's bed and slid her hands in past the bedrail to take his hand in hers.

"Oh, babe," she said as she leaned her head forward, pulling herself as close to him as the bed and medical equipment would allow. "You're strong and I love you. And you promised me that you wouldn't make me a widow, so I need you to dig down in there and come back to me."

She sat for a few more minutes, Deacon's chest going up and down as the ventilator breathed for him, the monitors beeping regularly as his heart now functioned normally. But he was so quiet, so still and so cold.

She lifted his hand up, the clip on his finger measuring his oxygen, and kissed it.

"You rest. I'll be back. Those dreams of yours are not coming true. It's my turn-my dreams are coming true now, Deacon Claybourne."

She stood up and crossed to the door. Bucky stood in the hallway. She closed the door behind her and turned to her manager.

"Ray, I'm sorry-how much of this stuff do you want to hear?" Bucky started.

Rayna walked past him down the hall to a spot where two chairs were sitting against the wall. "Let's just sit for a minute and you tell me what you know."

He joined her and first took her hands in his. "Rayna, Deacon is a strong man. Just know that. He's been through a lot and he's gonna get through this."

Rayna nodded. "So, what did you find out about Teddy?"

Bucky sighed. "Well, there isn't too much out there except that he was arrested, but according to my source at the courthouse, they had an indictment against him for a bunch of charges. Did you know about any of this?"

Rayna shrugged. "I knew about the hooker-that was what was behind that whole fiasco with Maddie and Edgehill, but this other stuff, extortion and embezzlement, I had no idea. Except, you know, it isn't the first time. Last time my daddy got him out of all of it."

"Tandy will be here in the morning, said she can stay as long as you need her. I talked to Luke a few minutes ago and the kids are all settled in for the night. They're pretty upset, but everything's handled for the moment."

Rayna dropped her head down into her hands, then looked over at Bucky. "Anything else?"

"Just some stuff with Juliette, but nothing that you need to worry about tonight," Bucky answered.

Rayna let out a short laugh. "I don't even want to know, Bucky. Unless my house is on fire or my kids are in danger, I don't think I want to know anything else and honestly, I'm not even sure I'd care about the house as long as the kids weren't in it."

"Can I take you home, let you get some sleep?" Bucky offered.

Rayna shook her head. "No, I can't leave him while he's here like this. I'll find some place where I can close my eyes."

Bucky stood up. "Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all."

Rayna nodded. "Thanks, Buck. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Luke tapped on the door to the guest room.

"Come in," Maddie said.

He walked in. "You girls have everything you need?" he asked as he stepped next to the bed where Maddie and Daphne sat with the covers pulled up.

"Yeah, we're okay," Maddie replied. "Did my mom call?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but I just talked to Bucky and he said that she was in with Deacon and that everything was the same as when we left the hospital."

"I want to see him," Maddie said, her voice breaking.

Luke sat down on the end of the bed. "I'll take you up there, first thing in the morning."

"What about my dad?" Daphne asked, her voice choked with tears.

Luke patted the covers over her leg. "I'm not sure, honey, but I've got my guys finding out what's going on. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."

Daphne nodded, then began to cry again. Maddie took her into her arms to comfort her.

"Your Aunt Tandy will be here in the morning," Luke stated as he stood up.

"Thanks for letting us come here," Maddie said as he turned to leave the room.

"Of course," Luke replied. "We may not have become family, but that doesn't mean we can't all be friends."

Scarlett walked into her mother's hospital room with Gunnar following behind her. Beverly was in the bed with an IV running into her arm, a clip on her finger measuring her oxygen and a small cannula in her nose. It was so different from all the tubes and monitors and machines in Deacon's room.

"Momma?" she said quietly.

Beverly looked over at her and smiled. "How'd I do?"

Scarlett worked a smile onto her face. "You did great, Momma. They said the liver was perfect. Thank you."

"How's Deacon?" Beverly asked as she tried to shift in her bed, then groaned a bit.

"You need help, Ms. O'Connor?" Gunnar asked as he stepped forward.

"I'm okay," she responded. "How'd my brother do? He wake up yet?"

Scarlett reached over and took her mom's hand.

"What's wrong with Deacon?" Beverly asked. "What aren't you telling me?"

Scarlett took a deep breath. "There was some trouble after the transplant. His heart stopped."

"Is he dead?" Beverly asked, her face growing white.

"No, no, he isn't dead," Scarlett responded quickly. "But they're keeping him asleep, with this therapy to keep his body cold."

Beverly shifted in her bed, raising the head of the bed slightly. "I want to see him. Where is the button to call that nurse?"

Gunnar came over to her. "We can help you do that, but let's wait until morning."

Beverly started to cry. "But I want to see him. I want to see my brother."

Scarlett took her in her arms. "We'll see him tomorrow, Momma."

Beverly began to cry harder, then began to gasp.

"I'll get a nurse," Gunnar said as he headed for the door.

Scarlett held her mother until the nurse, with Caleb following behind came into the room. The nurse injected a medication into Beverly's IV line.

"What's that for?" Scarlett asked as her mother's sobs quieted.

"It's gonna help her sleep," Caleb explained. "So, you told her?"

Scarlett nodded. As Caleb pulled her into his arms, Gunnar backed out of room.

"Can I take you home?" Caleb asked. "I have to come back, but there's no reason you need to stay here tonight."

Scarlett shook her head. "No, I want to stay here, with my mom, and make sure everything's okay."

As Gunnar headed back down to his car, he pulled his phone out to find two missed calls and a voicemail from Kiley. He listened to the message, then called her back.

"Hey, I'm really sorry and please let Micah know I will be down to see him soon, but I think I had better stay in town. Will you go without me?"

He listened as Kiley agreed, then ended the call. It was stupid, staying up here just in case Scarlett needed him, but he knew there was no way he could leave her now with all of this going on in her life.

Teddy looked at the bars on the holding cell. His lawyer said they would arraign him in the morning and set bail. Which he would most likely be able to make-he had inherited money from Peggy's estate.

But instead of bail, he found himself looking at the bedsheet on the bed in the corner, the bag in the trashcan, anything that he could use…

He shook his head. He wouldn't do anything without talking to his girls. He wouldn't.

His dad had done it without talking to anyone and that had haunted Teddy for years, made him swear up and down that he'd never repeat any of his father's sins.

Except he had. Almost every single one of them.

TBC