There's a bit of mean-ness and guilt tripping towards Casey in this chapter, but some of it is unintentional (from the people doing it, not me) and some can be put down to tiredness, stress, painkillers etc. It is a trend that will continue throughout the fic though, so you are warned.

Disclaimer: You got me! I am Daphne Ballon. That's why I'm publishing fanfic of my own work online and for free instead of making money off it. (In case you were wondering, that was sarcasm)

George hadn't left Derek's bedside, even though he'd woken briefly about five times now, giving a statement to the police during one of the more lucid moments. The younger McDonald-Venturi's were with the Davises for the night and Nora was alternating between talking to doctors and bringing George endless cups of coffee.

Derek had been attacked. He'd got out of the car to stretch his back and legs and go find some bushes to pee in, and had been jumped. He had been beaten and robbed. Beyond that, Casey had no idea. The doctors wouldn't tell her and her Mom kept getting this sad look on her face and telling her they'd all know more later.

It was killing her. This was on her shoulders and she didn't even know what had happened. Not really. She didn't know how many attackers there were, how bad Derek's injuries were or the specifics of what was done to him. Or how long it had been after she'd hung up that it had happened, and that was the part she was equally obsessed with and scared of. All she knew was that it was bad enough that the doctors and nurses avoided her eye when she asked questions.

Casey hadn't been allowed in to see him, but then only George, Nora and the police had. Even Sam had to wait outside once they got to the hospital. She didn't know if that was down to hospital policies alone or Derek or George's wishes. They'd tried to make her leave, but she'd obstinately stuck it out, saying he was her family too and she needed to know he was okay. She wasn't a little kid, she could handle a late night and some bad coffee. Sam stayed for three hours, but then his Mom wanted him home, and without being allowed into Derek's ward there was little point in him staying. That left her alone in the waiting room.

A couple of times she tried to occupy herself with one of the magazines the nurses let her look at or the crossword book she got from the hospital store when she got up to stretch her legs, but she gave up when she realised she'd been reading the same page for nearly an hour and then the only word she could think of for the clue vanishing act was 'missing'. She was failing to count the ceiling tiles (was it forty-two or thirty-eight?) for the fourth time when Nora sat down beside her.

"He's awake again." Nora's voice was tired and distant. "He asked to see you."

Casey straightened up so fast her pen rolled onto the floor and under a chair. She ignored it. "Can I go in?"

"Yes, sweetie," her Mom paused mid sentence, "but he's still a little dazed and the doctors told us not to ask him any more questions just yet."

Casey nodded, already standing and forcing herself forward on uncooperative legs. Her feet were numb from sitting in one position for too long and she stumbled a few times before she reached the door, cringing at the overwhelming pins and needles sensation as the blood flow returned. She took a deep breath and pushed through, heading for the curtain she'd seen the others slip through.

"Derek?"

A sleepy grunt signalled her further in.

Derek sat propped up in the bed, head lolling to the side a little and eyes glazed as the met hers. "Hey." The word was elongated and without follow-up.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" She asked tentatively.

George was still sat in the chair beside the bed and he shot her a blank look as she sat on the mattress close to Derek.

"'M good, they got me on some stuff that makes me a little dizzy." Derek answered. "Heard you pestered the police to find me."

Casey looked away. "A lot of good it did anybody. And I wouldn't have had to if I'd just picked up the phone."

"Or not hung up in the first place." Derek agreed. "Teach you to ignore inebriated, delinquent step-sibs."

A crack about long words and morphine was dying to tumble from her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to mock him right now. "I'm so sorry, Derek. You have no idea how sorry."

"Hey, no crying!" Derek ordered, a look of panic in his eyes even through the drug haze, and Casey would laugh at that if she wasn't already disobeying him. "I'm the one in hospital here!"

"I know, and I put you there." Casey sobbed. She tried to stop, honest she did, but she was too exhausted to keep up the effort for long.

"Dad?" Derek shot an urgent look to his father.

George stood. "Come on, Casey, why don't you go back out to your mother."

Casey stood to do so. It wasn't fair to subject Derek to tears as well as everything.

"Wait," Derek piped up before she could get very far. "Come back and visit me?"

The shock of those words coming from Derek was enough to make her freeze in place. She nodded quickly and left.

George followed her out and stopped her before she made it to the chairs again. "I think it's best if you don't visit for a few days."

"But Derek just asked me to." Casey answered in confusion.

"He's going to be tired, and they won't keep this level of painkillers up for very long. I don't want you coming and stressing him out." George answered readily.

She nodded again, wiping at her cheeks with her sleeve and trying once again to compose herself. "Okay. But tell him I will come and see him, you know, once he's feeling a little better."

George made a tired noise that she took as agreement and turned to go back in.

"I really am sorry."

He showed no sign of having heard her.

After awhile, Nora came back around the corner, laden with another cup of coffee.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Casey?" Nora paused with her hand on the door.

"Could you take me home?"

Nora walked back over, stroking a hand over Casey's hair. "Of course. I'll just give this to George and let him know."

"Mom, how do I make this right again?" Tears were close again and she squeezed her eyes shut against them. She was starting to get a headache and she was so tired.

"I don't know if you can." Nora pressed a kiss to her daughter's head and went to deliver her husband's drink.