Trish Ford gently eased her son back onto the bed and held his face in her hands as she kissed his forehead.

"M..Mom. Don't cry."

"It's OK, baby. These are happy tears."

Brodi tried to blink the fog away. He felt like he'd run a peak-to-valley by himself in record time. The haze was slowly lifting, but it didn't change the fact that he felt like hell.

His parents were here. He didn't remember them saying they were coming to visit. But then, he was in a hospital, apparently, so he was trying to get his head around how that had happened. The event was still hiding somewhere in the drug haze, though.

"What are you thinking about, honey?"

"Trish, the boy doesn't need to talk right now, hon. We need to give him time to adjust to being awake, to shake the drugs off.

Brodi turned his head towards his father, though he immediately regretted the movement.

"It…it's OK, Dad."

Kurt put a hand on his son's shoulder. "We don't want you overdoing it, kiddo. Small steps."

"Your father is right, son. I'm sorry. It's just hard to not be excited, when you haven't been awake in so long. Isn't that right, Elise?"

Trish looked around in surprise when there was no answer.

"That's funny. I didn't hear anyone leave. That young lady of yours is quite a woman, hon. From what everyone tells us, she hasn't left your side.

"My…"

"Why, Elise, sweetie."

Brodi was trying to formulate a suitable response to that when there was a knock at the door.

"Mr. Ford? I am Dr. Brennen. I've been asked to check you over."