Natara and Amy had taken one car, Ken and Kai the other. Amy tried to lighten the mood by saying Kai was probably annoying the crap out of Ken by now. Natara was not amused. She found herself clenching her fists on her lap, a handful of the fabric from her pants growing damp from the sweat of her palms. Long after the sky changed from dark to light, they finally parked right behind where Ken had in the hospitals parking lot. Natara already was half-out of the car when it stopped moving, and ran right through the heavy morning mist to the building where she knew she would find Mal. Without looking back at the others, she walked right past the sliding doors to the front desk, ignoring her initial distrust of the building. "Natara Williams, I'm here to see Mal Fallon?" she said. The receptionist looked around the empty waiting room, and said "If isn't in here, he might be with the girl he came with. Room 208". She heard the others enter behind him, but was so intent on her destination she took no time for a glance back. She fast-walked to the room, making sure it was the right number before she walked in. The sight that met her eyes was not a happy one. Mal was sitting next to a little eight-or-so year old girl. He was lovingly pushing a strand of her hair that had escaped her loose braid out of her face. Her face was deathly pale, and at first she thought she was a corpse. As she entered a ghost of a smile played on Mal's face, and as she ran to embrace him she whispered "I never gave up on you".
Over the next hour Mal explained to them what had happened, after they were joined by Amy, Kai and Ken. His encounter with Maxwell, how Molly had saved his life the first time as she wept over the body of her mother. Being knocked out, Molly treating his injured shoulder. Being stuck in the truck for what he was later told was three days. Molly giving him the nail to free himself, being forced to walk down the trail, how Maxwell had finally lost it with his daughter, giving Mal the chance to strike back. How Molly had saved his life the second time, bringing her here. Natara listened, her eyes big and compassionate for the little girl. She leaned over to get a better look at her, gently pressing her fingers to her cheek as if checking for fever. "I never thought a little girl could do all that."
"She did, and if she didn't I wouldn't be here right now."