A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers and followers for your lovely support! It definitely means a lot.

Chapter 7: The Injury

"Everybody, stop crowding her."

"Do you think we should get another cold compress for her head?"

"It's okay, Christian, I think she's waking up…" Ana could hear Grace speak quietly, though it sounded like she was far away in the distance. "Ana?"

"Ana!"

Ana blearily blinked open her eyes, vaguely realizing she was lying on something soft. The ceiling of the living room came into focus, along with the faces of several people leaning over her, gazing down at her in concern. She registered that the back of her head as well as her left elbow throbbed in pain.

"Ow…" she groaned, trying to sit up, but immediately several people reached toward her to make her lie back down again.

"Take it easy, dear, you've had a bit of a nasty fall," Grace chided her gently. "Just lie down and try not to move too much."

Ana blinked again as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She seemed to be lying on the couch in the living room with all the Grey's around her, gazing at her in concern. Christian sat closest to her, his handsome face pale and deeply concerned as he held her hand in both of his own. Grace sat beside him on the foot of the couch, a doctor's stethoscope around her neck. Everyone else stood around the couch, either talking quietly to each other or looking down at Ana with worry. Her head throbbed again, and she grimaced in pain.

"Shh, it's okay - just relax," Christian said quietly, reaching up to gently tuck her hair behind her ear. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Ana was about to answer, but then her eyes landed on Lily, who was standing further back next to Mia and Sean. She had an unreadable expression on her face as she gazed at Ana before glancing down at the ground.

A strange feeling nagged at Ana… she didn't know what it was at first, but she knew it had something to do with Lily. For a few moments, her befuddled mind couldn't quite place it… but then suddenly, the memory of what had happened came rushing back to her like a tidal wave, and her stomach dropped.

Lily had confronted her outside - she said some horrible things to Ana and then accused her of having sex with Christian. She then shoved Ana backward, causing her to slip and fall on a patch of ice.

She did this to me.

Ana felt sick. Did the others know what had happened? Should she tell them? The back of her head suddenly throbbed with pain again, and she winced.

"How long was I out for?" she asked, trying to reach up and touch her head, but the pain in her elbow was too much, and she brought her arm back down with a groan.

"No more than a few minutes," Grace said, gently taking Ana's injured arm in her hands and looking over it. "Luckily, Lily saw you fall right when it happened and came to get me. I was with Christian, and he went outside and carried you in."

Ana blinked before looking over at Christian and then at Lily again. She only gazed back at Ana, her expression a stone mask - the others were clearly oblivious to what had actually transpired, a fact that Ana didn't entirely know how to feel about. She said nothing.

"I fell…" Ana mumbled, looking over at Christian. He nodded.

"Yeah."

"Did anyone else see me?" She couldn't help but ask.

"We just told you - Lily saw you fall," Mia said. "Thank God, too, otherwise none of us would have known what had happened."

Ana didn't say anything - she looked over at Lily again, and once again Lily looked away, avoiding her gaze. Ana felt a powerful emotion stirring in her chest, and she clenched her jaw tightly - the lie Lily had told the others was despicable, since it was clearly done out of selfishness for saving her own ass. Ana knew she should tell everyone the truth, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to. She wasn't entirely sure why.

"Where's Lester?" she asked Christian, finally looking away from Lily.

"We put him in the mudroom - he was barking up a storm earlier," Christian explained, still holding Ana's hand tightly in his own.

"Do you think she needs to go to the hospital, Mom?" Elliot asked his mother, standing next to his father and gazing at Ana in concern.

"I'm fine," Ana insisted, trying to sit up again, but the pain in her head and arm shot through her body once again, and she winced.

"A trip to the hospital might be a good idea, dear," Grace said seriously. "You hit your head pretty hard, and you very well might have a concussion. Plus, the fact that you're flinching every time I touch your arm tells me you may have fractured your elbow."

Ana stared at Grace, unable to stop the tears filling her eyes - a concussion and a broken arm? This all felt like a nightmare - why on earth did this have to happen to her? On Christmas Eve of all days?

And why couldn't she bring herself to tell everyone the truth of what had actually happened?

"Aspen Valley Hospital is about seven miles away," Mitchell spoke up, looking over a map in his hands. "I'm pretty sure the roads are clear, but we can take my truck just to be safe."

"Are you okay with doing that, Ana?" Christian turned back to Ana, gazing at her imploringly. Ana could only stare at him for a moment before looking down at her arm, trying to quell her emotions - the tears had begun sliding down her cheeks, however.

"I-I don't… know," she stammered tearfully.

"Oh, baby, it's okay," Christian whispered sympathetically, squeezing her hand tighter. "I know you're in pain right now, but we need to take you to the hospital just to make sure everything's alright. Okay?"

Ana didn't respond, and Christian leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to her forehead. He then let go of her hand before sliding his arms underneath her body - he lifted her up bridal style off the couch, and Ana, despite the pain she was in, couldn't help but feel comforted at being carried around like this in his arms.

"Grandpa - go start up your truck, Ana and I will sit in the backseat. Mom, you should come with us too, and maybe bring an ice pack and your doctor bag."

"Of course, dear," Grace said. "Would anyone else like to come with us?"

Odette agreed to go along with them, but no one else did, much to Ana's relief. She was thankful for their concern, but she was starting to feel a bit crowded with everyone standing around her like this. Plus, the last thing she wanted to do right now was be around Lily anymore.

Ana's arm throbbed with pain again, and she tucked it up against her body, grasping it tightly with her other hand. Christian gazed down at her, concern etched all over his handsome face.

"Let's go," he said firmly, and after Grace had placed a blanket over Ana's body to stave off the cold, Christian had whisked her away outside and into Mitchell's waiting truck.

The ride to the hospital was awful - every turn and bump on the road caused pain to shoot through Ana's arm and head, and despite the ice packs Grace had placed against her sore spots, nothing seemed to really help. Christian sat in the seat beside her, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders while making sure the blanket on her kept her warm. Ana was grateful for his attention, although she couldn't let herself enjoy it too much - what Lily had said and done to her still resonated, making her feel rather queasy in addition to the pain of her injuries.

Lily was a horrible, underhanded bitch for doing what she did and lying about it, but Ana couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth to anyone. She knew that telling the others that Lily had pushed her would only result in a huge argument, and would most likely cause more unnecessary drama and animosity among the Grey family. Also, a small part of her was afraid what Lily had said to her was true to an extent - that maybe she was just an interloper who was deluding herself into thinking she could actually be with a guy like Christian.

Why am I letting her get into my head?

They finally arrived at the hospital, and Mitchell pulled up to the front doors while Christian, Grace, and Odette helped Ana step out of the truck and walk through the hospital doors. The place wasn't too busy, thankfully, and they were able to talk to the nurse behind the front desk right away. There were some forms Ana needed to fill out, which Christian was kind enough to do for her since her arm was hurting too much to do it herself.

"Hold on - I need to find my insurance information," Ana said, looking through her purse Grace had been thoughtful enough to grab for her before they left.

"Don't worry about it Ana. I'll cover your hospital bills," Christian said, writing something on the clipboard.

Ana stopped and stared at him, a frown on her face. "What? No, you don't have to do that - my insurance covers emergency room visits."

"Not when the doctors are out of your network, otherwise you'll have to pay out of pocket," Christian said firmly, and he glanced up at her. "I have your financial information, remember?"

Ana stared at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "How on earth would you know if this hospital is out of my network?"

Christian hesitated, and Ana knew she had caught him. "Okay, I don't actually know if this hospital is out of your network, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm covering your hospital bill. End of story."

"Christian…" Ana began.

"Ana, I'm not arguing you about this. You are my employee and you got injured while at work on my property - it is my responsibility to ensure all your medical expenses are covered. I will pay for everything - please don't worry about it."

His voice was firm, and it made Ana feel even worse, if that were possible. He had paid for so many things since she arrived - her luggage being shipped here, her student loans, that professional paint set as a Christmas gift, and now this. It was starting to feel like charity at this point, and Lily's words which had been ringing inside her head the entire car trip here seemed to hit her once again - she really didn't matter.

To Christian, she must have seemed like this poor little creature with no money or connections, hoping desperately for a chance to get a taste of high society life, and he came swooping in like the proverbial white knight. He kept her around for the holidays so he could flaunt his wealth and power over her, dazzling her with his vast amounts of money and fortune. Surely, that had to have been the reason why Christian was attracted to her - she was the perfect audience.

Oh my God, maybe Lily was right.

"...I can't do this," Ana whispered to herself, staring down at the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Christian look over at her in confusion.

At that moment, Grace and Odette appeared alongside a nurse in scrubs pushing an empty wheelchair, and the three women and Christian helped Ana into the chair, despite the fact she was perfectly capable of walking by herself.

They pushed her down an adjacent carpeted hallway before turning into a long sterile-white room with hospital beds along the walls, each bed separated by blue curtains. Most of the beds here were empty, so the nurse brought her over to the one nearest to the door.

"Alright, Ms. Steele - I'm just going to ask you a few questions about what happened, and then the doctor's going to come by with his own evaluation. We're likely going to take you in for an x-ray for your elbow, just to rule out a fracture or a break. Worst case scenario, we'll have to put a cast on you for a few weeks while your bone heals, but we won't jump to conclusions just yet. Okay?"

Ana nodded silently, getting up out of the chair and into the hospital bed. Christian reached forward to help her move, and although she appreciated his attentiveness to her, she wished he wouldn't make such a fuss. Grace and Odette then excused themselves, saying they were going to call the others and tell them what was going on.

For the next few minutes, the nurse asked Ana about her accident, and Ana told her the truth - at the least the truth that Christian and the others had heard. She had tripped and fallen on the ice when taking her dog outside... the tripping and falling part was true, at least. and the nurse didn't seem to question that part of the story, thankfully.

"…And you, sir. What's your relationship to Ms. Steele?" the nurse turned to Christian inquisitively.

"I'm her employer," Christian said, glancing over at Ana. "She's housekeeping for me and my family over Christmas vacation, and she got injured while on the job, so I'll be covering her hospital expenses."

Ana blushed before looking away, not meeting his gaze.

"Well, that's a very considerate boss you got there, Ms. Steele," the nurse smiled at Ana, scribbling something down on her clipboard. "I think I have everything I need at the moment. The doctor should be coming around in a few minutes, and once he gives his evaluation of your injuries, we'll take you down to radiology for an x-ray. Alright?"

"Alright," Ana nodded, and the nurse smiled at her before walking away.

"A fracture wouldn't be that bad, Ana," Christian said reassuringly to her the moment the nurse left. "Your injuries could have definitely been worse. Plus, my mother told me that more than likely you just bruised your bone, which I know can hurt a lot, but it would heal pretty quickly. You should be good as new in no time."

Ana glanced down at her injured arm and nodded, not wanting to meet Christian's gaze. Her feelings about this whole situation were very scattered, but in all the hurt and confusion swirling about in her mind, she finally seemed to make a decision about what she wanted to do.

And the thought of it hurt deeply.

"Hey," Christian said quietly, noticing the look on her face. He took her hand in his again and squeezed gently. "Everything's going to be okay, Ana - everybody trips and falls sometimes, especially up here in the mountains where it's icy and cold. You have nothing to feel embarrassed about."

Ana still didn't say anything, though the sick feeling in her stomach persisted.

She felt the bed beside her dip as Christian sat down beside her, and she finally looked up at him. He stared into her eyes before bringing his hand up to cup her cheek gently. "Ana, tell me... what's wrong? What is it you need?"

Ana swallowed, feeling a lump grow in her throat.

"I want to go home."

The look that appeared on Christian's face was one Ana would never forget - he blinked in surprise as some unreadable emotion flickered across his features briefly, quickly being replaced with sadness and disbelief. His eyes searched hers as if he wondered if she was serious - when he realized she was, he slowly brought his hand down, still gazing into her eyes with that same, hurt expression.

It was heartbreak.

Ana knew how he felt because she felt it too - it was a horrible, all-consuming emotion, but she didn't say anything about it as she continued to gaze into his eyes, trying to keep her tears from falling.

Thankfully, at that moment the doctor appeared, followed immediately by Grace, Mitchell and Odette, who had finished up their call back to the house. The doctor proceeded to introduce himself as Dr. Larston to everyone and then began asking Ana questions about what had happened to her, much like how the nurse had done earlier. Ana answered him as best she could, giving him the same story as she did the nurse - she was very aware of Christian sitting next to her on the bed, but she tried her hardest not to look at him as she focused on the doctor.

Dr. Larston ended up ordering an x-ray for her arm as well as treatment for a potential concussion - he recommended Ana stay at the hospital overnight just for observation, and then she would be be released tomorrow morning. Ana and the other Grey's agreed to that, and pretty soon an orderly appeared with a wheelchair to take her to radiology. The doctor asked Christian, Grace, Mitchell and Odette to stay in the ER while Ana got her x-ray, for which she couldn't help but feel grateful. Christian's presence was making her heart ache, and she needed a break from him, even if it was just a temporary one.

The x-ray was quick and painless, and once it was done, Ana got her arm wrapped up in a white sling before being brought to her own private room overlooking the mountains of Aspen. She stared out the window from her bed, wishing she could enjoy the view, but not being able to bring herself to really appreciate it. She suspected Christian had paid extra for a room like this, which somehow made her feel even worse.

More than anything, Ana wished she could be back home in Boulder with Kate, celebrating Christmas with her and the other Kavanagh's while not having to deal with work or life or relationships. At the very least, she wouldn't have to stay at a hospital in an unfamiliar city with a mangled-up arm and a concussion.

Not to mention a broken heart.

Just as Ana's thoughts began to take this depressing turn, she heard a knock on her door.

"Hello?" Grace appeared with a smile, followed immediately by Odette, Mitchell, and Christian. "Ana?"

"Hi," Ana smiled as they all approached her bed. "They just finished up my x-ray, and I'm going to be staying here overnight so the doctors can make sure I don't have a concussion."

"That's good," Grace nodded approvingly. "You can never be too careful with injuries like that. How's your arm doing?"

"It's feeling a little better," Ana said, glancing down at her sling. "The doctor hasn't given me any meds yet, so the fact that the pain is going down is probably a good sign."

"It definitely is," Grace smiled widely. "I'm sure everything will be just fine, Ana."

Ana smiled at her before glancing around at the other Grey's, her eyes lingering on Christian. "You know, you guys don't have to stay here at the hospital with me. I'll be perfectly fine here on my own."

"Nonsense, dear," Odette piped up in a conciliatory tone. "It's Christmas Eve - you shouldn't have to spend it all alone in a hospital room!"

"You guys shouldn't either," Ana countered right back. "You and your whole family came to Aspen this year to spend Christmas together at Christian's house - don't let my injuries spoil that for all of you. I'll be fine here on my own, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Mitchell asked dubiously, and Ana smiled at him.

"Hey, I actually get television here," she nodded to the flat screen LCD TV mounted on the wall opposite her bed, and Mitchell and the others chuckled. "And I got a phone next to my bed so I can call my dad or my roommate if I needed to talk to someone. I'll be totally fine here on my own, I promise."

The Grey's all glanced at each other. "If you're sure…" Grace said doubtfully, turning back to Ana. She stepped forward and leaned down to give her a hug around her good shoulder. "Take care of yourself, dear - we'll all come by to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. And be sure to call us at the house if you need anything at all between now and tomorrow."

"I will, Grace," Ana assured her, hugging her back.

Odette and Mitchell both hugged Ana goodbye, expressing their hope that she would feel better soon. Christian was the last one to say goodbye, and he stepped forward, gazing down at her for a moment before turning to the other three.

"Do you mind giving us a minute?" he asked them. "I'll meet you guys at the car."

"Of course," Grace smiled, giving her son and Ana a knowing look. She, Odette and Mitchell all filed out of the room and closed the door behind them, leaving Christian and Ana alone together.

There was a heavy silence as neither of them seemed to want to speak first. Christian turned to look at Ana, sighing slightly before bringing his hand up and running his fingers through his hair.

"…You said that you wanted to go home," he said after a moment, and Ana looked up at him. He finally brought his hand down, gazing into Ana's eyes. "Is that still the case?"

Feeling a lump in her throat, Ana glanced away from him before nodding silently. There was a short pause.

"Is this because I wouldn't let you pay your hospital bill?" Christian asked, partially joking but Ana could detect an undercurrent of worry in his voice.

"No," she said, looking back up at him. "This isn't about that, Christian. I just feel that, considering what happened, I wouldn't be much use around the house anymore. I don't want to be a burden on you guys once I get released from the hospital."

"You would never be a burden on us, Ana," Christian said imploringly, moving over to sit on the edge of her bed. "We all care about you, and none of us would make you do something you weren't capable of doing."

"Christian…" Ana said wearily before closing her eyes and looking away. Why did he have to make this more difficult than it had to be? "You knew that we were going to have to say goodbye eventually."

Christian was silent for a moment, and Ana glanced up at him. The sad, pained expression on his face broke Ana's heart all over again. "…I know," he said quietly after a moment. He looked down at the floor. "I guess I was just hoping to delay the inevitable."

Ana reached over and gently took Christian's hand in her own, and Christian looked down at their joined hands. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful, Christian," Ana said sincerely. "Because I'm not - I'm deeply appreciative everything you and your family have done for me over the last few days, honestly I am. But I feel like now's the time for me to move on and go home."

Christian continued to gaze down at their entwined hands, and finally he nodded, though he did so reluctantly. "I understand," he said quietly, and he looked back up at her. "I'm going to miss you though."

Ana didn't say anything, though she felt tears fill her eyes, causing her to look away. The truth was that she didn't want to admit to him - or to herself, for that matter - that she was scared. She was scared of what Lily might do to her if she stayed at the house with them even one more night. She was scared to find out more about Christian's troubled past that he had alluded to, and if Lily was a part of that history. She was scared that her feelings for Christian were becoming too strong too quickly, and that she had never even remotely felt this way about someone before.

Above all else, however, she was scared of getting her heart broken, which she knew was an inevitable outcome of this situation. It was easier to just walk away now.

Gazing into her eyes, Christian slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ana's in a gentle kiss, expressing to her without words how much he would miss her. Ana kissed him back, wishing more than anything that their circumstances could be different.

A/N: So yeah - sorry about that :( This is HEA though, let me remind you.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review! The next chapter - Christian's POV :)