A/U: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Three things prevented me from doing so sooner. 1) Thanksgiving was hectic 2) I got just a little distracted by a couple other things and 3) I made this chapter a little longer than the others. I hope you guys aren't too upset with me. I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope you all like it.

Oh and one more thing before you guys start reading! I'm so appreciative to everyone that has put this story on their author alert and their favorites; I'm even thankful for those of you that are silent readers. I would like for all of you that haven't reviewed before to tell me what you think about my story. I want to know what you guys think. I'm writing this story for you, my wonderful readers, so I want to know what you think of what I'm writing. How am I supposed to know what you think if you don't tell me?

Anyways, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter XII

A Feeling Taking Control

(Baralai)

I almost couldn't believe that I had just spilled so much to her so quickly. I had just done what Gippal affectionately called 'diarrhea of the mouth'. Really smooth there, Baralai, I thought to myself with disdain. You're supposed to be trying to win her over, not pushing her further away. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she must be thinking about me. I probably sounded like any normal naïve, love sick teenager, but I was hoping to Shiva that she didn't think that. I had wanted to wait until I figured out what I was feeling for Paine was real or not before I spilled my heart out to her. I had sworn to myself that I would never tell another girl that I loved her until I found the one I knew I was going to marry. Less drama that way.

When I finally built up the gumption to look back at her, her crimson eyes were filled with dozens of different emotions. I could pick out uncertainty and confusion among them and press my lips tightly together so I wouldn't end up spilling my guts out to her again. We stayed like that, just staring at each other, for many tense, silent moments. During that time I found myself zoning out and getting lost in her eyes. Every since the first day I had met her I had thought her eyes were the most gorgeous feature she had. Never in my life had I seen someone with red eyes before and I never thought that something so strange would seem so beautiful to me. After I had seen that picture of her and her parents I discovered that she had inherited those eyes from her mother.

I blinked when she took a breath and opened her mouth to say something but just as she was about to speak someone's hand on my shoulder made me break eye contact with her. It was Dillon and he was holding a headset out to me. I ground my teeth together in irritation as I begrudgingly took it. I shot Paine an apologetic look as I put the headphones over my ears.

"We're getting ready to land. A medical team will meet us out on the landing pad to transport her inside," he said, his voice full of static.

I nodded, swallowing the lump that had settled in my throat. "What's going to happen after that?"

"They'll need to take x-rays to see the extent of the damage. After that they'll probably rush her right into surgery to make sure the damage isn't permanent," he replied, keeping his voice positive.

I wasn't very reassured though. "Do you think she'll ever be able to walk again?" My eyes darted to the left nervously, hoping that Paine couldn't hear us.

Dillon shrugged, his brows creasing in concern. "It depends on how badly her back is injured. If it's not too bad then she could be back on her feet in a matter of months. If not, she could be in a wheel chair for the rest of her life."

My heart plummeted through my body and almost fell out the bottom of the helicopter. If that happened her career would be over; she would never be able to perform again. I tried my damndest to keep my face stoic when I looked back at her but some of my worry must have leaked through because she frowned. I quickly hid what I was feeling and put on the best believable smile that I could. Her face relaxed and the corners of her mouth even turned up a little. My hand found hers without breaking eye contact and she squeezed my fingers tightly.

I leaned down and put my mouth next to her ear. "We're getting ready to land."

Her eyes widened and the grip she had on my hand intensified. "You're going to stay with me, right?" She asked, her voice shaking with fear.

I nodded, softly weaving my fingers through her hair. "I'm not going anywhere," I whispered sincerely, gently rubbing my thumb across the back of her hand.

"Okay," she answered, her voice weak. She averted her eyes away from me and stared up at the ceiling, continuing to keep a firm grip on my hand.

I straightened back up and watched as the pilot carefully maneuvered the helicopter onto the landing pad. I felt my phone vibrate for probably the fiftieth time since we had come back in cell range. Before I left I had promised Yuna and everyone else that I would contact them as soon as we got to the hospital but apparently they were getting exceedingly impatient. I slowly pulled it out of my pocket and opened my messages folder. Both Yuna and Rikku had sent me almost thirty messages between them asking about what was going on, if Paine was alright and even quite a few asking why I wasn't answering. I smiled as I quickly typed a message to Yuna telling her to calm down and that I would call her as soon as I could.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket as the helicopter roughly touched down, making me rock in my seat. Dillon and Aaron immediately jumped out, running around to the other side like they were being timed. I could see a pair of nurses running towards the helicopter with a gurney once Dillon had opened the doors. He began to nimbly unbuckle the backboard from the floor, being careful not to rock it too much, then both him and Aaron carefully lifted her out. I squeezed Paine's hand reassuringly as I followed the backboard out of the helicopter. I had to job to keep up with the brisk pace of the nurses as they wheeled her into the emergency room.

A feeling of dread settled into the pit of my stomach when I saw how busy they were. Dozens of nurses and doctors were rushing in and out of small sections that were separated by curtains. I could hear shouts and cries of pain coming from behind a couple of those curtains which didn't do much to help calm my frayed nerves. I looked down at Paine, unsurprised to see fear seeping into her red eyes. I knew she couldn't see much but her hearing told her everything that she needed to know. She knew as well as I did how much trouble she was in.

That is until I heard one of the nurses speak up. "Make sure Dr. Archer knows this one has top priority. We need to get her in for an x-ray right away!"

Paine's fingers went lax in my hand and we both breathed a collective sigh of relief. The other nurse ran off as the one that had spoken began to scribble furiously on a clipboard. She came to stand on Paine's other side and leaned down over her. I could clearly see the tension and stress in her face but as soon as her gaze met Paine's all of that melted away and she smiled down at her. "My name is Jaelynn and I'm going to make sure we find out what's happened with your back. Why don't you start by telling me your name?" This nurse was good. She wasn't even talking to me and she was helping me to calm down.

Paine's eye shot over to me and leveled me with an apprehensive stare. I frowned, confused about why she was hesitating. After a few seconds though she sighed and looked back at the nurse who was waiting patiently for her answer. What she said next struck me dumb.

"Aria Fallon."

The nurse continued to ask her questions but it was like thick wads of cotton had suddenly been stuffed into my ears. All I heard was Paine repeating that foreign name in my head over and over again. I almost couldn't believe what I had heard. Finding out that 'Paine' was merely an assumed name she was going by really put how much I didn't know about her in perspective. I had seriously thought that Paine was her real name. Every since meeting her I had meant to ask her about it. I thought her parents hand an interest in strange names, which I thought was fascinating. My parents were the same way.

I was pulled out of my trance when I felt my hand being shaken and I blinked, clearing my vision. The nurse had left; we were alone again. I was reluctant to meet her gaze so I stared down at our joined hands. I wanted to speak but the maelstrom in my years would not be silenced.

"Baralai, say something," Paine said, irritation plain in her voice.

I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly through my nose, meeting her eyes hesitantly. "Your real name is Aria?" I whispered, my own voice sounding unfamiliar to me.

She huffed and looked away from me, choosing to stare at the ceiling instead. "I don't go by Aria anymore. I haven't gone by that name since my parents died. I had to tell that nurse my real name. They don't care for aliases." She paused and gently extracted her fingers from my grasp. "I was going to tell you in my own time."

"I've heard that before," I mumbled to myself, unable to look at her anymore. I could understand why she refused to open up to me. I only wished I could find a way for her to trust me. If you rush her you'll only end up pushing her farther away, my mind told me. Patience is a virtue. I stiffly crossed my arms over my chest, wishing that I could walk away from her without feeling guilty about it.

My fingers twitched when she began to speak. "You can't possibly think that because you watched over me the week I was unconscious that you deserve to know all of my secrets." Her top lip curled up into a sneer. "I was foolish enough to open my heart to someone that barely knew me before. I won't be fooled a second time."

I knew exactly where she was coming from so I had no reason to be scornful. She was looking out for herself and I couldn't blame her for that. I was being self-centered and my attitude wasn't helping any. She had the right to keep certain things from me just like I did. I realized that the only reason why I was acting like this is because I wanted to be with her. I wanted to be able to call her mine. I had known that as soon as I had seen her, as corny as that sounds. It only sealed the deal once I heard her sing for the first time. I couldn't believe such a big voice was capable of coming out of a person as introverted and secretive as Paine. Gippal and Tidus had teased me incessantly about how I was staring at her that night.

So, after a few minutes of choking down my pride, I leaned over her and did something I never thought I would have the guts to do. After a moment's hesitation I gently pressed my lips over her own, holding back the moan that was struggling to erupt from my throat. Kissing her for real was so much better then fantasizing about it. Her lips were dry and chapped but I didn't give a damn; a second later that moment was ruined when I felt her hand wrap firmly around my throat and push me away. I almost laughed in spite of the situation but wisely held back.

I knew she was angry; I didn't have to look at her to figure that out. Once I had backed up enough so I could see her whole face, her expression wasn't too far off from what I had imagined. Her features were what I could only describe as firm. The muscles in her face were stretched and constricted in a way that was actually quite beautiful. I couldn't keep my eyes off her lips and wished for only a second that I could kiss her again. I felt her fingers tighten around my neck as she breathed in to speak but I was determined to have the last words and quickly put my index finger on her mouth.

"I know, I'm a bastard for doing that. Once you're out of here you can hurt me as much as you want. I just wanted to get that out of the way. I swear to Shiva that I will never do anything like that ever again until you ask me."

I cautiously moved my hand away from her mouth, expecting her to start swearing at me, but was relieved and a little bit surprised that she didn't. Her face relaxed and she peeled my fingers from her throat, returning her hand to her side. "I hope you realize that I have grounds to kick your ass if you break your promise."

I smiled as I straightened up. "I would expect nothing less," I replied, boldly grabbing her hand and sighing in relief when she didn't pull away. I think I could even see the ghost of a smile if I looked hard enough.

A few moments later, and not a moment too soon, the nurse came back and told us that Paine was cleared for an x-ray. She wasted no time in briskly wheeling her out of the emergency room. She kept calling Paine Aria whenever she addressed her and, even though I had come to terms with her real name, it still caught me off guard. I could tell the sound of her real name was bothering her as well. Every time the nurse said it I could feel her fingers twitch in my grasp. When we reached the x-ray room I tried to follow them inside but Jaelynn put a restraining hand on my shoulder.

"I'll have to ask you to wait here, if you don't mind," she instructed, smiling apologetically at me. "You can watch from the window over there." She pointed to a large glass window a few feet to my left.

I nodded and squeezed Paine's hand before reluctantly letting it go. I stood in front of the glass and crossed my arms over my chest as Jaelynn wheeled the gurney next to the x-ray table and talked to her. I jumped when my phone vibrated and I swore under my breath, remembering that I had forgotten to call Yuna. Sure enough, when I pulled my phone out of my pocket her name and number were flashing back at me. I was almost scared to answer it.

"Baralai!" She shouted, once I put my phone to my ear. She sounded relieved and hysterical all at the same time. "Now that I finally have your attention, how's Paine? Is she alright?"

"Well, she's awake but she can't feel her legs. She's getting an x-ray right now," I answered, watching nervously as the nurse transferred Paine from the gurney to the x-ray table.

Yuna was silent on the other for a few seconds, putting two and two together on her own. "Which means you don't know if she's okay yet," she stated, sounding crest fallen.

"I'll call you when I know more." The muted tone of my call waiting alert sounded in my ear and I quickly looked at the screen. I had to hold back the groan of disgust when I saw my ex-girlfriend's name staring me down. I finished talking to Yuna as quickly as I was able then answered. "Kiele, I thought I told you not to call me anymore."

"Well hello to you too, Baralai," she replied, that same snotty tone in her voice that I abhorred.

"What do you want?" I asked, making sure she knew exactly how impatient I was with her. Her calling couldn't have come at a worse time. Right now I wanted all my energy concentrated on Paine, not on arguing with my ex.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "You're just no fun anymore, you know that?" She pouted. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I just want you to know how upset I was when you stood me up at YRP's concert that weekend. That was pretty rude of you."

I chuckled silently to myself, remembering that night perfectly. I had told her earlier that day I was going to meet her there at the stadium, conveniently leaving out the part about being a part of the sound crew. Of course, I wasn't going to come out of the sound booth even if my life depended on it. Five minutes before the show started I sent her a text telling her that I wouldn't be able to make it. She had no idea I was a couple hundred feet above her and I laughed about it with Gippal and Tidus the rest of the night. The only thing I felt bad about was telling Paine that I had been considering spending time with her. For a few seconds I was genuinely considering it but I quickly abolished the idea from my mind, thinking I had gone nuts for thinking something like that.

"We aren't together anymore so I don't have to explain myself to you. You need to leave me alone. I've…" I paused and put serious thought into what I was contemplating on saying next. I was probably going to be opening the proverbial can of worms so to speak but I was done being nice. "I've found someone else." That was really the only gambit I had left to play against her. It was either going to work or it would piss her off. I was kind of hoping for the latter. I knew for a fact that she had the 'if I can't have him no one can' mentality, which I thought was odd because she hadn't felt any qualms about cheating on me multiple times.

She was silent on the other end for quite a while. I knew that definitely wasn't a good sign. "That's why you didn't show," she said, her voice dangerously low; also not a good sign.

I smirked. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Who is she?"

"Now that's something I won't be telling you," I answered, beginning to get irritated. "I'm hanging up now. Good bye." She began to loudly protest but I paid her no mind and ended the call before I even heard what she was going to say. Jaelynn wheeled Paine out of the x-ray room a few moments later and not a second too soon. I immediately went to her side and smiled down at her. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied, smiling back. "It'll be about half an hour until we can see the x-rays."

I nodded and was about to say something when Jaelynn cut in. "It may be earlier than that depending on the extent of the damage to her spine."

We remained silent until we were back in the emergency room. Once Paine's gurney was securely back inside her small curtained off room Jaelynn asked me if there was anything that I needed but I politely declined, saying I was fine for now. She scurried off then and left us alone once more. An apprehensive atmosphere settled over us and I knew we were thinking about the exact same thing.

"I'm getting tired of laying on this damn backboard," she remarked, her voice full of agitation.

"I know," I replied, rubbing her knuckles with my thumb. "Just try to be patient. We'll have answers soon."

She met my gaze and her eyes narrowed into tiny slits, trying to detect if I was feeding her any bullshit. I knew she was scared; I would be too if I was in her position. I was trying to put up a brave face for her but my nervousness and anxiety were getting the best of me. It was almost enough to drive me crazy. I could feel my right leg beginning to tremble and I was praying that the doctors would hurry up before I totally lost it.

Fifteen minutes later the doctor finally showed up with Paine's x-rays in hand. I eyed the dark pieces of plastic with apprehension, knowing Paine's future was going to be revealed soon. The doctor leaned over Paine and smiled down at her, the skin in the corners of his eyes crinkling together. "Hello, Aria, I'm Dr. Allbrook. I've looked over your x-rays and I'm pleased to inform you that I've got some very good news." I gripped Paine's hand tightly as a sudden rush of excitement welled up inside me. The doctor held her x-ray above her head and I bent down so I could get a better look. "You can see here that your fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae have almost been cracked in half. The pressure on your spinal cord from both vertebrae is the answer to your paralysis. The procedure to correct this is fairly simple but it will take a couple months until you'll be totally healed."

I squinted my eyes and cocked my head to the side, trying to see what the doctor was pointing out. I moved closer and my eyes popped open when I saw what he was talking about. I had never seen anything like that before and I was suddenly more worried than I had been just a few minutes ago but I was extremely relieved at the same time. She was going to be fine, that was all I cared about. I was so relieved, in fact, that I could have laid down right there on the tile floor and slept like a baby. My mind was buzzing so loudly that I almost missed what Paine said next.

"So does this mean I'll be able to walk again?" She asked, keeping her voice surprisingly calm.

"If your spinal cord hasn't been damaged too badly then yes. You should have your full range of motion back within a few months," the doctor answered, a wide smile on his face.

Paine sighed in relief, her hand going limp in my grasp. The wait for that news had been well worth it. "When can I get this surgery then?" She asked, a small amount of apprehension leaking into her voice.

"Within the hour. I'll send an anesthesiologist to give you a cocktail shot to help you relax." He patted her arm a couple times before leaving.

I exhaled slowly through my mouth and ran my free hand wearily through my hair, wishing I could take a nap. Once Paine was in surgery I wouldn't be able to do anything except pace nervously in the waiting room.

"Do you have Yuna's cell number?" She asked after a few moments of silence. "I want to let her know what's going on."

I nodded as I pulled my phone out of my pocket then swiftly punching in Yuna's number. She answered on the second ring. "What's going on?" She asked, her voice full of desperation.

Just when I was about to answer Paine tugged on my hand, effectively diverting my attention to her. "I want to talk to her." I nodded again and quickly transferred the phone from my ear to hers. "Yuna," she said simply, flinching when her best friend gasped and screamed on the other end.

Their conversation went on for almost ten minutes. Yuna was so excited to hear her voice that she yelled practically the entire time. She got so bad, in fact, that I could sometimes hear what she was saying and I had to hold back from laughing. The irritation coming off of Paine was almost palpable.

"Alright, I'll see you guys soon," she said, sounding almost relieved to be getting off the phone. As soon as I ended the call she swore harshly in Al Bhed. "I thought she would never stop talking. I think I need to get my hearing checked now."

I couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped my mouth. "Try not to sound so enthusiastic. In case you've forgotten, a couple weeks ago we all thought you were dead."

"Do you delight in reminding me?" She asked, glaring at me harshly. "All of this feels like a bad dream that I haven't woken up from yet. I'm still trying to digest the fact that I'll be going into surgery in less than forty-five minutes."

"If you don't feel like seeing them I'll call her back," I said, already reaching for my phone.

"No, don't," she said, tugging on my hand again to stop me. "I'm sorry. I guess I don't want them coming in here and acting like I'm going to my death. I really do want to see them, don't get me wrong. I just…don't know what to think right now."

"Don't worry about it," I replied, smiling at her. "You've been through a lot."

She smiled back at me and I marveled at how gorgeous it made her look. "Thanks, Baralai."

"For what?"

"For everything. You didn't have to do any of this but I'm glad you did." She looked away from me and I was shocked to see a faint pink tinge color her cheeks.

I gaped at her with my mouth partially open, wondering if I had heard her correctly. I had no idea how to respond. I never thought that she would every say anything like that to me. I swallowed nervously and desperately scrambled for an answer. "I…uh, I'm glad I did too." The corners of Paine's mouth twitched as she tried to fight off a smile. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling myself.

Sweet Shiva, Baralai, is she flirting with you? My mind exclaimed frantically, my elation filling my lungs up like a pair of balloons. I seriously wanted to believe that.

"Paine!" Both Rikku and Yuna screamed as they tore through the curtain. I jumped so high out of fright that I swore my head hit the ceiling.

Paine had been just as surprised as me but, instead of jumping like I did, she ended up only ripping her hand from my grasp. "Holy shit guys!" She yelled as her best friends surrounded her. "Don't do that! My back is broken in case you've forgotten!"

They launched into a chorus of apologies before diving into the questions they had probably rehearsed on their way here. I wisely backed away from the bed and settled into the chair in the corner, knowing that they would be talking for a while. It took a while for Yuna and Rikku to calm down so they weren't yelling in hysterics anymore. I could only imagine the look on Paine's face and hid my chuckles behind my hand.

A few minutes later the anesthesiologist came in and gave her a shot to help her relax and told us that she was going to become mildly lethargic in the next ten or fifteen minutes. Yuna tried to ask him about Paine's surgery but he didn't know much about it. He was only going to be present to keep her asleep. After he left Yuna turned her attention to me, leaving Rikku with Paine. She sat down next to me and gingerly placed her hand over my own, sending me a half-hearted smile.

"How are you?" She asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"Much better now that I know she's going to be okay. Now all I have to do is make it through her surgery."

Yuna nodded and turned her gaze back toward her two friends. I did the same and we sat there in silence for a few moments, watching Rikku and Paine interact. After listening to Paine talk I slowly began to realize that the shot she had been given was starting to kick in. Yuna noticed as well and we immediately went to her side, looking down at her nervously.

"Are you alright?" I asked, grasping her limp fingers.

"Yeah," she answered, her voice soft. "I'm just kind of tired."

It wasn't long after that when a pair of nurses came to collect her for surgery. I felt my throat constrict as they moved towards the gurney and my hand instinctively tightened around her fingers. I suddenly didn't want her out of my sight again.

"Baralai…"

The sound of her voice made me whip my head back around and I leaned closer to her so I could hear her better. Her crimson eyes were half-lidded and the small part of her eyes that I could see were dreamy looking like she was already asleep. I opened my mouth to whisper her name but before I could her eyes fluttered all the way open and caught me in their captivating stare; I almost forgot what day it was. I only partly felt it when the fingers of her free hand wrapped around the collar of my shirt and coaxed me closer.

When our lips met it was like fireworks had just gone off around us. I couldn't believe what was happening. I thought that I was dreaming. If it is a dream I never want it to end, I thought, a sudden thrill searing through me. Just the simple action of her reciprocation made the kiss a million times better. There were really no words I could use to describe what I was feeling. If I died now I would die very happy.

The extremely pleasant and desired touch of her lips left mine and the impulse to reinitiate our lip lock almost overtook me. I had not wanted that to end. I gripped the edge of the gurney, my dark knuckles turning bone white from the exertion, and pulled away from her. She was gazing up at me with the same dreamy expression except one corner of her mouth was curled up only slightly. I had just enough time to drag the pads of my fingers down her cheek before the nurses wheeled her away. I watched them leave until they were out of sight then turned to look at Yuna and Rikku.

Their expressions couldn't have been any more confusing. Both of them were staring at me like I had just fallen through the ceiling. "What?" I asked, frowning as I looked between them.

They looked sideways at each other, almost like they were awestruck. "Nothing," Rikku said, her voice unusually high. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Yuna again. They stared at each other for a good ten seconds before looking back at me. "Nothing," she repeated.

I frowned and couldn't stop my upper lip from pulling up in bewilderment. There was something that they weren't telling me about what just happened between me and Paine. Just when I was considering about saying something else Jaelynn stepped through the curtain and rushed over to us.

"Come with me," she said, grabbing my upper arm and tugging on it.

Yuna and Rikku instantly took off after her while I trailed behind a little more slowly. I gingerly rubbed my throbbing temples and wished I could get some sleep. I was so exhausted that I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last. If I was going to be staying up I needed to find some headache pills and quick. I jumped when a hand wrapped around my forearm and I met Rikku's confused green gaze.

"Baralai, where are you going?" She asked as her eyes darted to the right then back to me. I followed her line of sight and saw Yuna's head sticking out from around corner practically halfway down the hall behind me.

The fact that I had walked so far without realizing it floored me. "Oh, sorry," I replied, following Rikku to where Yuna was waiting.

I zoned out again as we continued down the hallway, my thoughts meandering to Paine. I wondered if she was in surgery yet and my stomach began to twist in anxious knots. I was a nervous wreck and I wasn't about to deny it. I saw Rikku's blonde head dart to the right and I quickly tried to follow, almost losing my balance in the process. A narrow set of stairs was laid out before me and I could feel my shoulders deflate before I carefully made my way up them. At the top I found myself in a small room with a large glass window covering the entire far wall. Jaelynn was waving us over.

Yuna and Rikku joined her first and they both gasped, their hands flying up to cover their mouths. My frazzled nerves became even more frayed then and I reluctantly crossed the room, surprisingly keeping my composure when I saw what was on the other side of the glass. We were overlooking an operating room and Paine had somehow been transferred from the backboard to an operating table. They had her lying on her stomach with her head turned towards us, her top half was completely uncovered while a sheet covered the rest of her. The fact that I was looking at her half naked didn't even faze me, but the tube sticking out of her mouth and the tape holding her eyelids shut did.

Jaelynn was talking to Yuna and Rikku but I couldn't help the question that burst out of my mouth. "Why are her eyes taped shut?"

Jaelynn paused and looked down at her. "Oh, that's just to make sure her eyes don't dry out during surgery. Because of the delicate nature of this procedure it's going to take at least four to five hours to complete and since tear production is cut down to almost nothing during operations the doctors need to keep her eyes moist to prevent damage to the cornea."

"What about that tube?" Rikku asked, staring down at her friend with apprehension. "Won't she choke on it?"

Jaelynn laughed and shook her head. "No, she won't. That's called intubation. It helps her breathe."

"She won't wake up, will she?" Rikku asked, biting down on her nail nervously.

"No, she won't. The anesthesiologist will make sure she stays asleep." She paused and walked over to a flat screen television that was mounted on the wall close to the ceiling. She turned it on and a close up view of the milky white skin of Paine's back appeared on the screen. My mouth dropped open in shock, the realization that we could watch the entire surgery hitting me in the face like a brick. "You guys can stay up here as long as you want. I'll come back every once in a while to check on you."

We thanked her then turned our attention back to the operating room below, watching as a nurse spread a blue cloth with a hole in the center over Paine's back. Then she took a sponge and spread a sickly yellow substance that I presumed was iodine over the part of her back that was exposed. I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my chest as I watched the doctors and nurses assemble around her. I clenched my hands in tight fists to prevent them from shaking. It was going to be a long night.