Lauren held a wary hand to her forehead, the previous events tumbling back into her head. The fear and panic was pushed to the back of her head as she turned the tv off, before waking Declan up. She was trying her hardest to keep herself in a calm demenure as Declan fluttered his eyes at her, quietly asking if his dad was home. She shook her head, biting her lip.

"No, sweetie. But, I'll gotta go out now, okay?" Declan shook his head, tugging at her arm. "I'll be home as soon as I can, Louise will be here if you need anything, I have my cell." She said quickly in one breath. She kissed him lightly, "I love you, ma chere."

"I love you too, mama." He said before she'd left, just like how Ian had left this morning. Lauren quickly told Louise she was leaving, no explanation given as she rushed towards the door when someone knocked. Lauren froze, not knowing who it was.

"Lauren? Lauren?" She heard Liam call between knocks and she swung the door open. He unexpectedly pulled her into a hug, and Lauren remembered that she hadn't picked up the phone after she collasped. Without a word exchanged between them she was in the passenger's seat of Liam's truck, and they rode in silence.

When they'd reached the place, Lauren took off before Liam had time to stop her, running towards the first official she could find. She tugged at a cop's sleeve and he turned to face her, her calm attitude had worn down and she was barely able to speak as she rambled out a jumble of words to the man. Liam came up next to her shortly afterwards, explaining simply that her fiancé was in that bank.

The cop explained that anyone who was pulled out of that building alive were taken to the nearest hospital. Since the bank was closing, there weren't many people there but he also said that that they were not many survivors.

Lauren swallowed, bile rising in her throat before they headed to the hospital. Lauren strode through, quickly maneuvering between doctors and patients alike before she reached the front desk. The nurse looked up from her work, giving a once over to the woman who stood before her. Her hair was surely a mess, and she hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"Hi, um," She stammered, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm looking her my fiancé, his name is Ian, Ian Doyle." She said, before adding, "he was in the bank that exploded." She swallowed hard, just trying not to throw up as she put a hand to her stomach.

"We don't have anyone here with that name but we did have several John Doe's if you'd like to give us a description." She nodded quickly, listing off as many features as she possibly could as the nurse sifted through patient papers. She waited impatiently until the nurse stood up and Lauren released the breath she didn't know she was holding when she said,

"Come with me."

And so she did, she trailed after her, nearing stepping on her heels as Liam followed behind her. The corridors became quieter and quieter as they continued and the nurse gestured for Lauren to enter the room, and she did, quickly walking towards the far bed near the window. There was a curtian obscuring her view of the person on the bed and she slowly made her way over, both of her arms tightly hugging herself as she did.

Suddenly she was thinking about her course of action if it wasn't Ian lying on that bed. What would she do? Would she spent the rest of her life with this golden ring hanging around her neck? Would she watch Declan grow up by herself, quietly fingering her glittering ring anytime he'd do something like his father? Would she bite back tears everytime she looked at their baby? A constant reminder of their love, and her loss. She was praying that the baby had his eyes, or some unmistakably redeeming trait. She'd realized that she'd closed her eyes, as if watching a slient movie of these events behind her eyelids.

She'd done things in her life that she wasn't proud of, she had done things that could have gotten her killed. There have been moments where she risked her life, when she was a second from death. But she'd never felt more terrified then in the moment when she slowly but surely opened her eyes.

"Ian," She breathed out, kneeling down beside the bed to hold one of his hands to her face, kissing it lightly. The fear had evaporated in that one moment, because even though she had no idea about his injuries, all that mattered was that he wasn't in a morgue right now. She had always been uncertain of her faith but she silently thanked God or whoever or whatever force had kept this man out of harm's way. "I love you." She managed as the tears fell, looking over at the nurse she asked quietly if he was going to be okay.

The smoke inhalation was the worst of his health issues other than a few bruises and cuts, he was suffering from a concussion which is why he'd hadn't woken up yet but the odds were good. Liam put a hand to her shoulder, and she simply nodded at him. She was unsure of what to do now. She didn't want to leave until Ian could, but she'd promised Declan, hadn't she?

It was growing late, and what would she tell the boy? She didn't know, but she dialed the house phone, wiping a few tears away as she moved to the chair beside the bed that she hadn't thought of using before.

"Hello?" Louise answered.

"It's Lauren, can I speak to Declan?" Louise quickly agreed and she could tell she had to wake the boy up, his quiet and sleepy voice seeping through the phone as he greeted her.

"Hi, sweetheart." She greeted back.

"Mommy, when are you and daddy coming home?" She glanced over at Ian, watching the rise and fall of his chest as the monitors hummed around him.

"Declan are you listening to me? You've gotta listen to me, okay?" She said, tears welling up without warning.

"I'm listening." Replied the four year old.

"Your dad... Had an accident and he's in the hospital. He's asleep right now, and I'm going to stay with him until he wakes up." She explained, trying to put it in words that the boy would understand. She knew he would, he was a smart boy after all, he was his father's son.

"But what about the wedding?" Declan asked in a quiet voice, and she was crying now, just remembering the look on his face when she'd shown him her dress. He'd walked in while she was trying it on, and she jumped and spun around, thinking Ian had gotten home early. He proceeded to tell her how beautiful she looked and she was about ready to cry at how excited the boy was for this one event.

"I'm not sure, Declan." She said, letting out a long breath to keep her voice even. "Can you do me one favor though?" She asked.

"What is it?"

"Can you-"

"Lauren?" She jumped, surprised and confused at the sound of her own name uttered in a rasped voice.