As the nurses wheel Ulrich's bed into his side room, Yumi stirs from her nightmare filled dreams and rushes up to see her unconscious husband. She felt so happy then that he had survived and that he was here with her steadily breathing.

"Did the operation go okay?" Yumi asked one of the nurses who were busy taking Ulrich's blood pressure.
"I would not know madam, I was not in theatre with him, and have only been requested to look after him" She said politely giving Yumi a supportive smile. "But he's stable and that's all we need to worry about for the moment"

A couple of hours later, Jeremie and Aelita cautiously entered the side room which Ulrich was in. Aelita gasped as she saw the bruised man lying unconscious on the hospital bed. Even Jeremie was taken aback. His once lively friend who he had seen only the weekend before, was deathly white and looked so fragile and weak.

"Jeremie, he looks..." Aelita begun
"Terrible" Jeremie finished for her.

Aelita nodded walking towards his bedside. She put her hand upon his gently.

"He feels so cold Jer"

Jeremie gave her a saddened look and followed her to his bedside.

"Oh, Ulrich, get better will you?" Aelita said in frustration.
"Ulrich, I knew you didn't want us to go but you this is not how to go about!" Jeremie said attempting to get a reaction from the weakened man without any luck.

Yumi walked through the door and found her two friends looking down on Ulrich in sympathy and talking to him. She smiled slightly. Glad to have someone there with her for a little while.

"Jeremie has a point Ulrich, you didn't have to be so dramatic to show how much you wanted us to stay" Aelita said trying keeping her spirits up.

Yumi smiled once more and quietly walked over to Ulrich, startling the couple who had not realised she was there.

"How are you?" Aelita asked hugging Yumi.
"Oh you know, coping" She replied hugging Jeremie.

Aelita nodded and watched her friend look upon Ulrich with fear lurking in her eyes.

"So what you two been up to?" Yumi asked distracting herself for a moment from Ulrich.
"Arranging a trip to Seattle for a couple of days to sign contracts, see our new house, you know" Jeremie replied keeping his eyes on Ulrich.
"Oh. When you guys planning to leave for that then?" Yumi questioned
"Next week probably" Aelita said smiling slightly at Yumi.

Yumi nodded and returned the small smile.

"We could hold it off though, until Ulrich was well. It wouldn't be a problem Yumi" Aelita said rubbing Yumi's arm in sympathy.
"No, don't do that. I'll be fine. I have my children and Odd and Sam. You guys have to get sorted! Besides, before you even think of doing that anyway, I'd be angry and hurt if you went against what I said" Yumi said looking towards Ulrich again.

Jeremie smiled at Yumi and thanked her. Silence rang through the room as they watched Ulrich.
Both Jeremie and Aelita looked over suddenly as Yumi, once again, broke down in tears. Aelita rushed to her side and hugged her. She whispered words of comforts soothingly but nothing she said or any of Jeremie's logical talks to her quietened her sobs.

Eventually she calmed down and apologised to which Jeremie and Aelita brushed aside. An hour later, they had to leave to book their flight tickets.

It wasn't long after Jeremie and Aelita left that Yumi was joined by Odd and Sam and her children. Krystal had come leaping in the room and into her Mother's arms. It was the first time that Yumi had fully smiled since yesterday morning.

"Mommy, is Daddy going to be okay?" Krystal asked spotting her dad on the bed.
"Yes, honey, he is" She said looking away from her daughter.
"Do you want me to take Krystal to the cafeteria?" Sam asked her.

Yumi bent down to Krystal hugged her and told her to go with Sam for a while.

"Thanks Sam"

Odd gently passed Kaiser to Yumi as he was asleep.
"Did you have much trouble with him?" Yumi asked looking down into her son's smooth face.
"No, more trouble from Serenity then Kaiser" Odd said quietly looking at Ulrich.
"Thanks for looking after them; I don't know what I would have done without you and Sam"
"Its no trouble Yumes, what are friends are for?" Odd assured her.

As Yumi was walking around the room with the awaken Kaiser, Odd moved forward to Ulrich. He, too, was shocked to see how pale and weak he was.

"What is wrong with him Yumes?" Odd asked
"I don't know; the doctors haven't showed up yet. They're rather relaxed here" She replied sounding irritated.

Krystal came running into the room again. Sam soon after who was panting.

"Krystal, you shouldn't run away from Sam" Yumi said sounding rather annoyed.
"Sorry, Mommy, it's just that I don't want Daddy to go away like Granddad did" Krystal said jumping up to look at her Father.

Yumi gasped. She never did realise how much Krystal knew. How smart Krystal really was. Yumi passed Kaiser to Sam and bent down to Krystal again.

"Krystal, I'm sorry" Yumi said sounding pathetic as she started to cry yet again.
"Mommy, you never did anything. It's not your fault. Daddy had an accident" Krystal said wiping her Mother's tears away.

Soon after, Odd and Sam took Krystal and Kaiser back home with them as Yumi faced another night in the hospital with her husband. She refused to leave her husband's side. She knew that he wouldn't leave her and she was determined to be there when he woke up.

An hour later, Ulrich began to stir and his eyes gradually opened. This action however went unnoticed as Yumi had her head buried in her arms, which were leaning on his bed, silently crying. Ulrich recognised Yumi and carefully placed his hand on her shoulder.

Yumi looked up immediately.
"Ulrich, you're awake" Yumi cried with a watery smile.
He smiled though it looked pained.
"I'm sorry" Yumi said stroking his face.
"What are you on about?" Ulrich asked croakily.
"I called you downstairs, none of this would have happened if I hadn't of called you" Yumi explained.
"Oh be quiet Yumes" Ulrich said putting his hand on her waist. "I'm so tired"
Yumi frowned. She bent down and gently kissed him.
"I've got to get the doctor, I was told to notify them if you woke up"

By the time Yumi returned with the doctors Ulrich had returned to sleep. She watched the doctors examine him.

"Well?" Yumi asked.
"I'm sorry to tell you this Mrs Stern, but I think that your husband may not make a full recovery" The doctor told her looking solemn.
"What...what do you mean?" Yumi said, tears welling up.
"He may be left paralysed Mrs Stern" The doctor patted the stunned woman on her shoulder and left the room.

Yumi staggered to the bedside and looked at her husband. She felt her knees collapse and herself fall to the floor. Tears began soaking her shirt again. The same empty, lonely and helpless feeling returned to the sad woman.

Righto folks. Review. Please. I'll update quicker that way.