Disclaimer: I do not own the Total Drama series or anything else copyrighted.

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Man... I started writing this chapter a long time ago. I knew I had to use this idea as soon as it popped into my head. Enjoy!

"Hi, I'm Dr. Mark, from the University of Toronto Hospital. I have some rather upsetting news to tell you. You're listed as one of the Emergency Contacts for a Mr. Duncan Evans, and I regret to inform you that he is in surgery because of a serious car crash..."

Crash.

She never expected to receive a phone call like that. She felt like she was going to suffocate, like she was about to stop breathing at any moment. She sat on her bed, paralyzed in shock and fear. She couldn't even speak for a few moments.

"Miss... Are you still there?"

"Yeah," she finally breathed out. "Thank you."

She hung up the phone, realizing, but not caring, that she sounded incomprehensible. In her head, she cursed life in general for being unfair and cruel. Her and Duncan were supposed to move into their new apartment in four days. Four days! She knew that definitely wouldn't be happening now. She placed the phone down on the bed, but couldn't move any more.

"Honey?" Her Mom knocked a couple of times before entering her room. "What would you-" She stopped after seeing her daughter, who was just staring out the window, a blank expression on her face. "Darling, what's the matter?" When Courtney didn't respond or even move, she immediately stepped in front of her daughter. She bent down on an eye-level and asked, "Courtney, what's going on?"

"Duncan got into an accident."

"What kind of accident?" her Mom questioned, frowning at the state her daughter was in because of the young man.

"It was a car accident. He's..." Courtney sighed before continuing, "He's in surgery right now."

"Oh, my God," her Mom breathed out. She immediately reached for her daughter's hands and said, "I'm sure he'll be just fine."

"Mom, he's in surgery..." Courtney shut her eyes and looked down. "I'm listed as an Emergency Contact. They wouldn't call me unless it was bad."

"Well, sweetie, when people are admitted in hospital's by themselves, usually their Emergency Contact's are reached," her Mom explained, squeezing her daughter's hands. "Do you know if they called his parents?"

"I'm sure they did..."

"Would you like me to call his Mom? Just to see if she knows anything else?" When her daughter shook her head, she asked, "Would you like to go to the hospital? I'll drive you."

Courtney didn't respond for a good twenty seconds. Should she visit Duncan at the hospital? When she was in there, he visited her, and when his jail-fight bruises got slightly infected, she accompanied him to the hospital. "Yeah," she finally said.

Her Mom smiled and said, "Let me call your Father. He's supposed to be getting home any moment now, but I don't want him to worry about where we're out. Meet me downstairs in a minute or two, okay?"

Courtney nodded and watched her Mom exit her room. She slowly stood up and grabbed her bag. She double-checked the contents of her bag, making sure her wallet and other necessities were in there. She grabbed her phone and put it in her pocket before exiting her room. She slowly made her way downstairs and resisted the urge to stop at the bottom and curl up against the railing.

"Alright, sweetie, let's go," her Mom said, opening the door and walking outside.

Courtney followed her Mom outside, not saying a single word. She got into the front passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. She shut the door and tightly held her purse on her lap.

"Did the Doctor or whoever you spoke to tell you what exactly is wrong with him?"

Courtney shook her head, quietly emitting, "No." She leaned her head against the window and shut her eyes. Suddenly her phone began to ring, and she frowned even more. She immediately know it was his parents. As a joke, Duncan set up an annoying ringtone in case his parents called. After setting it up, he said, "It's just a reminder for me not to answer the phone when we're out together." She sucked in her emotions and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hi, Courtney. It's Mrs. Evans... Duncan's Mom... I, um... I have some really bad news..."

"Duncan's in surgery right now," Courtney quietly said.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "How did you know?" his Mom finally asked.

"The hospital called me," Courtney informed her boyfriend's Mom. "I'm listed as an Emergency Contact."

Another moment of silence was emitted before his Mom quietly said, "Wow... Um, well, I'm glad you know..."

"What happened?" Courtney quietly asked, her voice whisper-like.

"Another car ran into his," his Mom explained, causing Courtney to gasp. "It hit his side of the car, unfortunately. The other driver was texting and didn't see that he had ran a red light or that other cars were in front of him..."

"'Other cars'?" Courtney repeated. She was extremely upset at this news, and was scared to hear more.

His Mom sighed before continuing, "Yes, other cars. Duncan's car got completely totaled. The other driver ran into Duncan's car, which ran into the other car beside him. Also, unfortunately, another car or two ended up hitting the back of Duncan's car, and the front of his car got damaged..."

Courtney's heart was beating at an incredible rate. Her chest was heaving up and down. Her breathing was hard and erratic. Hearing all those details was making her physically sick, and was sending her into a fit of hysterics. She didn't even realize she dropped her phone as she said to her Mom, "Mom, please stop the car. I'm going to be sick."

"Sweetie, surgeries can take hours..."

"Mom, I want to be here when Duncan gets out of surgery."

Mrs. Richardson let out a sigh as she started down at her daughter. Her daughter had been sitting in the surgical waiting area ever since they arrived at the hospital. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "Courtney, I don't have the time-"

"Then just go, Mom!" Courtney snapped, staring up at her Mom angrily. She cursed herself for showing weakness in front of her Mom. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at the older woman. "If you can't be bothered to stay here, then just go," she quietly, but sternly, said.

Mrs. Richardson let out another sigh, this one longer and more frustrated. "I don't think you understand, Courtney."

"No, Mom, I don't think you understand," Courtney said, narrowing her eyes at her Mom. "Duncan... He..." She blinked back the tears and had to control her sobs. "He needs me. I need him. I can't just leave him here. He's always been there by my side, despite the crap I once put him through. I... I want to be here, no matter what happens. I... I don't think anything bad will happen, but... I don't want to get another phone call..." She couldn't speak anymore. She instantly began to cry. She buried her head in her hands and cried. Sobs overtook her body.

She was a bit shocked that her Mom just left here in the waiting room, crying. At the same time, she wasn't surprised by her Mom's actions. She took a few deep breaths, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention towards herself. She really didn't want anyone coming up to her, asking if she was "okay". She figured people would figure out she had recently been crying. Her eyes felt heavy, and she was sure they were puffy and red from crying. She wiped away her tears and thanked herself for not wearing any make-up that day.

She let out a sigh and let her hands fall into her lap. She looked down, a soft smile forming on her face. She stared at the ring that laid on her right ring finger. She could already feel the flutters in her stomach and her heart beating faster. The ring meant so much to her. She would cherish that ring until the moment she died, there was no doubt about that. While it definitely was a promise of greater things to happen in their relationship, it was also a promise to herself, one that she would never go against.

"Courtney?"

The teenager instantly looked up, smiling softly at Duncan's Mom. She could instantly tell that Mrs. Evans was recently crying, for her eyes were still red and puffy. She couldn't blame the older woman, though. Her son was in surgery after a horrible car accident. The thought turned Courtney's stomach even more. "Hello," she softly said, standing up. Mrs. Evans instantly engulfed Courtney in a hug. Courtney instantly hugged Mrs. Evans and quietly said, "I'm sorry..."

"There's no need to apologize," Mrs. Evans softly said. "It's not your fault. I'm... I hate to say this, but I'm glad you didn't accompany Duncan to Montreal..."

Courtney's stomach knotted up even more. She almost went with Duncan to Montreal, but couldn't get out of work because the trip was a last-minute idea. If she had went with him, she'd probably be in surgery as well. She began to cry once more, her head buried into Mrs. Evans shoulder.

"Oh, sweetie," Mrs. Evans said, gently rubbing Courtney's back. "I'm sorry I said that..."

Courtney couldn't even speak. She continued to cry, holding onto her boyfriend's Mom. She realized that if she had accompanied him on his trip, he may have avoided the accident. She knew it wasn't his fault, but if they were together, they may have arrived in Toronto later, after the accident had happened. She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at this point.

"It's all my fault..." she murmured.

"No," Suzie sternly said, looking down at the teenager. "It's not your fault, Courtney."

"I could have told him to stay here," Courtney murmured. "Or-or I could have went with him-"

"And you could have been in that crash, too," Suzie softly said, continuing to gently rub the younger woman's back. "When the Doctor first called me, I blamed myself for the longest time. My husband finally had to sit me down, because I just kept pacing back and forth, and he told me that it wasn't any of our faults. The guy who ran into him - it's his fault."

Courtney nodded, sniffing a few times. She stepped back slightly, wiping her fallen tears. "You're right," she murmured. She looked up at Duncan's Mom and asked, "How long has he been in surgery?"

"Since he got here," Mrs. Evans said. "So... Um, maybe an hour and a half ago?"

Courtney nodded, letting out a sigh. "Do you think he'll be okay?" she softly asked.

Mrs. Evans shrugged. She slowly led Courtney over to a couch and sat down. "Physically, yes. He may be scarred for a while, but he'll be fine. Emotionally?" She shrugged once more. "I'm not sure. He... He's got an interesting psyche. When he was younger, he was very emotional. His emotions were always at a high. He was either very happy, or very sad, or very angry. He wanted a lot of attention. Maybe it was because of him being a middle child, I'm not sure. He kind of toned down around ten, but then become more mellow around the age of... Thirteen? Fourteen?"

"So you think maybe he'll revert back to when he was a child?" Courtney softly questioned.

Suzie shrugged again. "Maybe. My husband and I tend to a lot of car accidents, and we see a lot of people react differently. Well, we see a lot of people days later, because of surgeries and hospitalizations and such. Some are just fine, with no psychological side-effects. Some say they've become different and act more emotionally than ever. What about you, darling? Do you think he'll be okay?"

Courtney also shrugged. "I don't know," she softly said. "I-I mean, you're closer to him, so..."

Mrs. Evans quietly laughed. "Well, you're pretty close to him as well," she said.

Courtney softly smiled. "Yeah... I... I really don't know. I just... I-it's hard to see him in this situation." She paused before quickly adding, "A-and I can't imagine how you're feeling..."

Suzie softly smiled, rubbing the girl's back. "I'll admit, I felt a bit selfish after a few minutes... I remembered how he was supposed to move into that new apartment and grew happy because we would stay together longer, but... Of course, I felt bad for you. He's told me how about how much you wanted to move out. Not why, just... You were set on getting out."

The teenager nodded. "I did..." She sighed, placing her face into her hands. She felt the tears stinging her eyes once more. Two days after she were to move, her parents were going on vacation. Now that she wasn't moving into her apartment... She would home alone. And Duncan would be at the hospital. Probably alone as well.

"Hello, Suzie..."

Courtney glanced up and saw a doctor walking towards them. Mrs. Evans immediately stood up and walked over to the man.

"Hi, Larry," Suzie softly said. "How is he?"

"Good, surprisingly," the doctor said, nodding. "I heard about his car..." He let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"It looked horrible," Suzie muttered, shaking her head. "It's completely totaled..." She sighed before asking, "What all was wrong?"

"He had a lot of glass shards in his arm, mostly his right one," he explained. "He also had a couple barely lodged in his head. He may have been blocking his head. He only had a few stitches in each arm, and none in his head. His left arm is broken, and that will be in a cast for over six weeks. His left kneecap was fractured, so we placed some wires in there. This left leg will be in a cast for a few weeks, before we'll take off the cast. He'll have to wear a knee brace after that and undergo physical therapy. He'll also have to undergo physical therapy for his arm. Half of his ribs were cracked, and we're going to keep them bandaged while he's here. It may take a while for those to heal."

Suzie let out a shaky shudder, wiping slightly at her eyes "That's all, right?"

Larry nodded, reaching forward and rubbing her arm. "That is all. You should be very happy."

"I am," she said, smiling. "Believe me, I expected a lot more to be wrong with him."

"Normally, with car crashes like his, people are in surgery for hours," he explained. "I don't know how it happened..." He shrugged, smiling. "They're moving him into the recovery room right now. He'll be in room 513. You can go on and head in there in just a few minutes."

"Thank you," Suzie said, smiling. When the doctor walked off, she walked over to the teenager. She bent down, smiling at the girl who still head her head in her hands. "Did you hear that?" she softly asked.

Courtney nodded, looking at Suzie. "I did."

"Did you want to see him first?" Mrs. Evans asked.

Courtney shook her head. "You see him first," she softly said. "Just, uh... Just come get me when you're done."

Courtney stood outside Duncan's door, twiddling her fingers together. His Mom informed her that he had just woken up, and after a few minutes, he told her, "As much as I love talking to you... Is Courtney here?"

Courtney was more than shocked than he had asked for her. She was speechless. She was also incredibly nervous. She let out a sigh, rubbing her arms. She then walked into the room, nervously smiling at the two of them. "Hey," she softly said.

"Well, don't act so nervous, Princess," Duncan teased, smirking at his girlfriend. "I'm not dead."

"Duncan!" his Mom snapped, exasperated.

"Oh, mellow your yellow," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"So, um... How are you doing?" Courtney softly asked, taking a seat in the chair on the opposite side from where his Ma was sitting.

"Not-so-awesome," he admitted, shrugging. "I've got a couple of casts on, my ribs are killing me..."

"We are going to sue this guy!" Suzie suddenly exclaimed.

Duncan gave his Ma a dirty look. "Really?"

"Do you want to pay for these bills?" his Mom questioned.

"Nope," he muttered.

"Exactly."

"Do you remember the accident?" Courtney softly asked.

"You're being really quiet..." Duncan shrugged. "I mean, I guess I'd be a bit nervous if my vacation had a possibility of being ruined..."

Courtney's mouth immediately dropped open. Even his Mom looked shocked. His mind was set two weeks back! Courtney blinked a couple of times, still shocked. "Um..."

Duncan immediately began laughing. His Mom groaned loudly, which Courtney stared at him in shock. "I'm kidding!" he said, grinning like mad. "Nah, our vacation was, like... a week and a half ago."

"You are so rude!" his Mom snapped.

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes.

Courtney wearily stared at her boyfriend. He was being especially rude, something she hadn't seen in two years since the start of Total Drama Island. It seemed like he was being serious, and his attitude was real, but he could have been playing around. She looked at his Mom, who was also staring at Duncan curiously.

"What?" he asked, looking in between Courtney and his Mom. "Did the crash totally disfigure me?"

"Courtney, do you mind if Duncan and I talk alone for a few minutes?" Suzie asked, continuing to look at Duncan.

As Courtney began to stand up, Duncan inserted, "No. Courtney, you can stay. Ma, if you've got anything to say, you can say it to the both of us."

"I don't think you want me saying this stuff around her," Suzie sternly told him.

He continued glaring at his Ma. "Fine." He turned to Courtney, sighing. "Sorry, babe."

Courtney shrugged, smiling. "Just call me whenever you want me back in here."

Suzie stared long and hard at her son. "I'm worried about you, Duncan."

Duncan sighed. "Am I posing symptoms of PTSD?"

She shrugged. "Not yet, since you did just wake up. Those symptoms may not pop up until later, if that's the case. You've been a bit meaner than usual. Yeah, I know you don't like hospitals so you just... do whatever to get out of here quicker, but that's not happening. I feel like since you hit your head-"

"No, I didn't hit my head."

"Sweetie, you have a bruise on the front of your head."

"No wonder it hurts right there." He chuckled.

"Anyway, since you hit your head, I feel like that triggered something in your brain. I feel like it switched something."

Duncan continued laying there, thinking about what his Ma was saying. Finally, after remaining silent, he quietly asked, "Am I really that different?"

Suzie sighed, reaching forward and grabbing his hand. "Maybe this is just a temporary thing. I don't know. I can't think of anyone I'm particularly close to that's been in a really bad car accident."

He pursed his lips in thought. "I can't think of anyone, either." He sighed, rubbing the side of his head. "How long am I going to be here?"

"Between three and five days at the shortest."

"Damn."

Suzie sighed, nodding. "I agree. Shall I get Courtney?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later, Courtney walked into the rooms, without his Ma. He didn't mind not seeing his Ma - he wanted to spend a little bit of alone time with his girlfriend. "Hey," he said, grinning.

She smiled at him, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Sorry it took me a few minutes to come in here. I was on the phone."

He shrugged. "It's cool. So, uh... Sorry if it seemed like I was lashing at you earlier."

She shook her head. "You weren't lashing out at all. You just... You kind of snapped a bit, but that was all." She patted the cast that covered his left arm, since she couldn't intertwine their fingers.

"Sucks my left hand is in a cast," he muttered.

"Why is that?"

"I'm left-handed."

She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "You're ambidextrous."

"I know, but I'm mostly left-handed."

She slowly nodded. "Well, at least it's not like you have to learn how to use your right hand."

He nodded. "So I realized I never answered your question from earlier."

She blinked a few times, trying to remember the question. "Oh, yeah," she muttered.

"I barely remember the accident."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I remember driving and then, like... I saw the guy coming, and I remember just cussing because I couldn't get out of the way. But that's it. I vaguely remember hearing the impact, and I certainly don't remember feeling it... I completely blacked out until just a little while ago."

Courtney let out a shaky shudder. Just him being in that crash was a horribly scary thought, but for him to not remember much... Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it wouldn't. Time would only tell, really. "I'm really glad you're okay."

"Have you called the apartment?" he softly asked.

She nodded. "That's who I was on the phone with. They understand, and they said that they would hold the apartment for us for the next sixty days."

"Well, that's nice of them."

"It is."

He reached over with his right hand and gently rubbed her arm. "We'll get there, Princess. This is only a slight roadblock."

She nodded, smiling at him. "Yes, this is."