The hospital was a blur for Kate. Doug had been found at his girlfriend's apartment and arrested. Kate had been able to find an attorney willing to sit in on the interrogation with him. She sat like a statue in the waiting room, paying no mind to her surroundings. Her cast and clothes were dirty, covered in a layer of sweat. Her leg was aching and possibly fractured beyond what it was before. Nurses tried to help her and communicate with her with no such luck. She was alone. She had tried to call Krista, Jem's sister, only to find out that Krista was too high to drive and feared being searched by the police. Her good knee bounced wildly as she stared at the grains of the door. She bit down on her lower lip imagining Jem laying in her lap again. She was angry with herself for not noticing something was wrong with him. She felt like it was her fault. Rubbing her hands on her thighs, her eyes lit up as she watched the surgeon walk out of the doors. His light blue scrubs were splattered with fresh red blood. To Kate, he looked like something out of a horror movie.

"You here for James Coughlin?" he asked, raising a blonde eyebrow to her. She nodded, not daring to speak. She wasn't even sure she could. "We almost lost him a few times, but he's stable." Kate sunk into the padded chair for the first time in hours. Relief, happiness, and her own physical pain set in all at the same time. She cried quietly to herself relishing the word stable.

"Can I see him?" she croaked. She needed to see him, even if it was just for a moment.

"He's in recovery right now. After he's been moved to a regular room I'll be more than happy to take you to see him." Refraining from pouting like a child, she nodded. "Looks like you have your own wounds to get tended to." He waved his wrist and a nurse pulled a wheelchair up beside her. Kate willingly moved into it.

After an x-ray, being put into a fresh new cast, and getting a harsh warning about staying off of her broken leg, she was wheeled into Jem's room. She was disappointed to find him still peacefully asleep. She half-expected him to be awake. A large gauze bandage wrapped around his shoulder and torso. He had an IV hooked up to the crook of his elbow along with a few other monitoring devices. The beep of his heart monitor made her breath stop at each pause.

"Can you shut that off, please?" she asked, politely.

"Sure," the nurse answered, pushing her to Jem's bed as she pressed a button on the screen.

"Thank you," she told her with a smile. The nurse nodded and left the room. Kate's hand climbed its way up into Jem's. His hand felt rough and calloused. She stared at the veins in his hand and peered up at him shyly. He looked so innocent and calm. So different from his norm. The lines on his face seemed much deeper. With a shaky hand she lifted her arm up to touch his face. He felt warm, but not as warm as he usually did.

"Jesus, Jem… I love you," she breathed, rubbing his cheek. Her left hand played with his Claddagh ring as her right hand stroked the stubble on his jaw. His silver chain pendant was lying on the table beside him. She picked it up and placed it on his lap. Her heart yearned to kiss him, but she wasn't sure she could muster the energy to do it. Her head felt like a dead weight as she laid it on the bed next to him…

"Who is this man, Kate?" Kate's father asked, walking the living room anxiously.

"Dad, please, don't start," she mumbled, sitting on the couch, staring out of the front window, waiting to see him come up around the corner.

"Robert, dear, just relax, I'm sure he's a charming man," her mother soothed, sitting down next to Kate on the couch. Kate's eyes lit up as she watched Jem walk up to the door, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, the sleeves of his dark blue sweater rolled up. She tried to remember the last time she had seen him in a sweater and jeans instead of a t-shirt and track pants. The doorbell rang and Robert dashed to the door, immediately, not skipping a beat.

"Sir," Jem stated, his voice low.

"You must be James Coughlin…" Robert started, looking him over. He cast a glance to Kate, who nodded in his direction. Robert opened the door wider. "Come on in." He scrutinized Jem's walk and demeanor. Kate smiled wildly when he walked into the living room.

"Jem, this is my dad, Robert, and my mom, Cheryl," she introduced, waving a hand to the both of them.

"For you, ma'am," he stated, holding the flowers out for Cheryl. Kate's mom blushed and took the flowers from him.

"Why thank you, Jem, you didn't have to do that," she explained through her fluster as she looked from the flowers to her husband.

They sat on the couch talking with her parents for close to an hour, going over pleasantries and history, Robert sat in the reclining chair facing them, playing the role of over protective father. He knew he played it well.

"It's almost 7, ya ready for dinnah?" Jem asked, rubbing Kate's hand.

"Yes," she answered, smiling to him. They rose up together, Robert following closely behind.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Jem," Cheryl chirped, shaking his hand as he walked with Robert and Kate towards the door.

"Same ta you," he told her. They stopped just short of the door, Robert still casting a glare down at Jem.

"You better make and keep her happy, Coughlin, you understand me? I got connections and I have my ways." Jem swallowed hard, keeping the beast inside of him at bay. He nodded his head at Robert, not sure he trusted himself to speak. "Give me words, Coughlin. I want to make sure you understand me."

"Yes, sir," he answered roughly…

"Kate," whispered an all too familiar voice. She groaned with her eyes still closed. "Kate," repeated the voice, a little louder. A hand gently ran down her face. Remembering Jem, forgetting where she was temporarily, she cursed and sat up quickly. Her eyes met his and she blinked, unsure if she was still dreaming or not. He smirked at her.

"You're alive," she stuttered, her eyebrows scrunching up.

"As far as I know," he told her. She pointed a finger at him, ready to unleash hell's mightiest fury. "Please, don't be mad…" he started. Jem looked so young and hurt compared to yesterday, it pushed her anger aside.

"Oh, Jem," she cried, falling on top of him. Hot tears fell from her eyes, soaking his chest and bandage. He comforted her the same way he always did, one hand on her back, the other tangled in her hair, gently massaging her scalp. "I thought you were dead," Kate sobbed. He bit his lip as tears of his own fell.

"I know, I'm sorry." His voice cracked through the words.

"What in the hell were you thinking?" He shut his eyes and squeezed her.

"I was doin' it ta protect ya – believe me – you can ask Doug, okay?" Jem explained, kissing her cheek. She rose from him and nodded, wiping away her tears.

"Don't ever do that to me again, you hear me?" He nodded. "Give me words, Coughlin. I want to make sure you understand me." He gave her a wide smile.

"Yes, ma'am." She smiled back at him with the same intensity.

"I love you, Jem," she whispered, holding his face.

"I love you, too, Kate," he breathed back.