SPOV:

Forever.

That's what it felt like, absolutely forever before the ambulance arrived. I managed to feel a pulse as the driver of the Audi got out—a shocked and shaking, Sophie.

She started to scream, and I wanted to reverse her car and run her over.

"Shut the fuck up, Sophie! Dial 911!" I threw her my cell phone while I ran and grabbed my coat from the car in an attempt stop the pouring rain from hitting Eric. Only, my coat was very small and in case no one noticed, Eric was a big man.

"It's okay… Okay, Eric, it's okay... everything's gonna be okay." I heard Sophie rhyme off what had happened to the operator and give them our location. When she hung up her hands were still shaking.

"Sookie, I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't. I was coming to the bar… I wanted to see him but my phone rang... it rang and the road was slippery, and I lost control of the car. I didn't even see him standing there."

"Just… shut up. Okay. Just. Go sit in the car, or something."

I looked at her and her forehead was bleeding, probably from where she hit her head on the steering wheel.

"Eric? Sweetie, can you hear me? I need you to listen to me, okay? If you can hear me, please just squeeze my hand or something, okay?" He was breathing now only, it was shallow and almost non-existent.

He didn't squeeze my hand. His forehead was still bleeding and we were both soaking wet. The patrons, as well as the staff, began to shuffle outside upon hearing the commotion. One of the waitresses, a hysterical girl named Tiffany, was screaming and crying. I told her to shut up and get us some blankets or something to keep us from getting even more soaked until the ambulance arrived. She didn't take too kindly to my tone with her, but frankly I didn't give a fuck. I tried to keep him warm, though it was impossible since I was in nothing but a dress and heels and the freezing rain hadn't let up at all. The ambulance finally arrived and when they loaded Eric up, I insisted on going with him. Sophie was seated in the back, being treated for shock and her cuts. She'd be fine.

Eric, on the other hand, was on oxygen and a heart monitor.

"How fucking fast were you driving, Sophie?" I aimed at her as she was getting cozy under her medical blanket.

"I don't know."

"Fast enough to skid off the damn road and into a building!"

"Miss, please calm down," the paramedic said, then went on to ask if I was injured, which I wasn't physically. Emotionally, I was pretty damn screwed.

By the time we got to the hospital, I was a shivering mess. Eric was taken in by two more doctors to the ER. Sophie was sent for stitches while I was taken by a male nurse to change into some scrubs he'd found for me. I was drowning in them, of course, but they were warm and dry and that's all that mattered. When they protested my entry to see, or find out about Eric, I told them the only thing I knew.

"He's my family; he's the father of my daughter."

They told me he'd fractured his shoulder on impact, as well as broken two ribs. With the head injury there was a cerebral edema—swelling on his brain- due to the impact and the lack of oxygen those first few minutes after the accident. The nurses tried to break it down into layman's English for me, but all I knew was my fingers were crossed that he'd come out of it okay. First things first, we needed him to wake up.

I'd been seated in the waiting area maybe half an hour when Pam came rushing through, throwing her umbrella to the side and embracing me in a hug. Very un-Pam-like.

"Anymore news?"

"No. They said they were waiting to see if the swelling goes down on his brain. If it doesn't, then they'll need to operate to relieve the pressure."

"I'm going to fucking kill that little bitch," she said taking a seat with me.

"I felt the same way but the cops came to take our statements and I do believe her, that it was an accident. Apparently there was an oil spill near the bar, and combined with the rain and how fast she was going was disaster enough. Team that with her being a complete idiot… and well…"

"Why was he even outside?"

"I was calling Maxine to check on the baby, and I guess he got tired of waiting on me and came looking for me."

"Jesus, impatient bastard. I'm gonna kick his ass, too," she said with a half smile. "He'll be okay, Sookie. He's strong."

"I hope so. I just… two hours ago I was so mad at him that I could spit. Then, then I just wanted everything to be good again, and it was on it's way… I told him I loved him."

Her eyes widened. "What about Dr. Boring?"

"Sam."

"I don't care."

I sighed. "I broke up with him shortly after Eric and I slept together. Then when Eric moved out, it was sort of the shock to my system I guess I needed. That, and I've never cheated on anyone. I think if you cheat, or want to cheat, then something's very wrong. And it was wrong with Sam."

"And you think it'll be right with Eric?"

"I want it to be. I want to be with him, properly, and not just for Jessica. I know no matter what he'll be there for her, but I want to be there for him. I want him to be there for me. I want us to be a family again. Only this time, honestly and open and true."

"How poetic." She smirked turning it into a genuine smile. "Did you tell him all this?"

I shook my head, no.

"I was going to. We were going to sit down and talk it all out. But then… Well…"

"Right."

Pam and I waited it out as long as we could before we broke down and went to the cafeteria. The coffee was awful and the food was even worse, but it killed some time if nothing else, and distracted us both from worrying—a little. She regaled me with stories of Eric and his adventures before last summer. How she'd moved to California for University—and to get as far away from her family as she could—and how she met Eric on one of his trips to see his mother. They'd become fast friends mainly because she said if she'd been straight, he'd have been just her type, at the time—grunge surfer guy with a naughty glint in his eye.

The idea of Eric on a surfboard was intriguing.

She told me how they'd decided to go into business together when she graduated with her business degree. She had wanted to go out on her own, but working with and for Eric had proved too much fun, and he had become like the brother she never had over the years. I could see that in their interactions with one another. It got me thinking of my own brother and how I never even saw him anymore.

By the time we'd gotten back to the waiting area, nothing had changed and everyone from Amelia, Lafayette, and Maxine called just to check up again. I'd called everyone when I'd arrived to let them all know what happened, and of course to make sure Maxine could keep Jessica until I got back. Thankfully, she was an amazing neighbor and babysitter.

By nine thirty, Pam and I were both drained and still waiting when one of the nurses came to talk to me.

"Miss Stackhouse?"

"Yes?"

"We've contacted Mr. Northman's emergency contact but it seems she lives out of state. You are family, correct?"

Sort of, right?

"We both are," I said nodding to Pam, who shocked the hell out of me by grabbing my hand.

"How is he? He's okay, right?" I asked.

"The swelling has shown signs of retreating but not as fast as the doctor would like, so we took him into surgery."

"Oh my God." Pam said, "And?"

"And it went well. We were able to alleviate the pressure successfully and Mr. Northman's vitals all look promising."

"So… basically yes he's going to be, okay? He's going to wake up?"

"He should. We've done everything we can for him, and like I said, all the signs are currently pointing to him making a full recovery. Other than that, he has a few bruised ribs as well as a few breaks that we'll need to be looking at again, but the worst is over."

"Oh, thank God," I exhaled, slumping against Pam. "When can we see him?"

"Well, he's in recovery right now. He won't be awake from the anaesthetic for a couple more hours. You can see him then if you'd like."

If I'd like? He was kidding right?

"Yes, definitely. Thank you."

He turned to leave, leaving Pam and I sitting on those incredibly uncomfortable chairs again.

"You should go home for a few hours, maybe sleep?" Pam suggested.

"No, I want to be here. I mean, I should probably go check on Jessica I know, but she's in safe hands with Maxine and I just… I don't want to leave."

She nodded.

"Well, I'm going to go get us some real food and bring it back here, and I'm going to get you some real clothes. Hospital scrubs aren't hot on anyone."

"George Clooney rocked them sexily," I commented.

"Fine, one person in the world rocks scrubs. You aren't him. Any preference?"

"Jeans, and my black cashmere sweater. They're on my bed. I was going to change into them after dinner…"

"Okay. I'll be back soon."

I curled myself up on the chair, attempting to watch the television that was on in the waiting room. I'd managed to zone out for twenty minutes when the nurse came to talk to me again.

"We've moved him to the ward now. There's one other person in there, but he's a coma patient."

"That's no problem. Thank you so much," I said as he led me to the sterile, white room. That hospital smell was never less appealing than that moment.

Eric was laying on the bed, still and pale. He was also missing half his hair on one side.

"We had to shave it to operate. He wasn't too attached was he?" The nurse smiled at me.

"He'll get over it, if it means he gets to live."

Once he left, I walked to the chair beside the bed. I didn't know if I should talk or just let him enjoy his drug induced sleep. But I thought what it might be like if I were the one laying there, and If i could hear and no one talked to me... I'd feel so alone. I didn't want Eric to feel alone, so talk I did.

"Hi. Thank you for not dying." Was the first thing I said before I burst into tears—tears I'd been holding in since I saw him laying on the ground outside of his bar.

"It's stupid to cry, right? A stupid girl thing to do, I guess," I said before I grabbed his hand. He was colder than he usually was.

"I have been so stupid, Eric, and for that, I'm sorry. I haven't really treated you like I should have, mostly out of fear. You were that guy, you know? That hot, cocky guy I thought I'd never mesh with. On our first date, it was all I could think, and it was mostly the reason why I was such a bitch to you. I didn't think you should like me, so I made sure you didn't. Stupid, huh? It was pretty stupid, but all the other men in my life had sort of ingrained that message in my head. After that, I stopped thinking I deserved what I really wanted, never mind actually getting it… But then fate happened, or kismet, or whatever you wanna call it, and we got thrown together and … Jesus, I was so scared. There were so many things against us, and stacked up on us when it happened... Losing Alcide and Hadley... it made me not want to get too attached to anything; to anyone. I think it's why it took so long for Jess to warm to me. It was because as much as I knew I should love her and embrace it all, the fear kept me back. I did love her, I just held it in, and it's like she knew. Then everything happened with us and you left, and it was just her and me. I wasn't so scared of her anymore, and once I let go and let it out… She embraced me. Freaky, right?"

I was rambling. I knew that much, but I was tired and emotional and well, I was surrounded by two guys in a coma. How annoying could I be to them?

"I'm tired of keeping it in; how I feel about you. I know I've said it once today, but that was in an entirely different mood. But I meant it. I do love you. And I want you to wake up so we can see if we can do this thing and not screw each other over. It's a realistic goal… one I think we could work on… if you wanted."

His finger twitched, then his hand, and then his eyes flickered.

"Eric?"

He was groggy, but he spoke. "Schedule," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"What?" I asked scooting closer to him.

He coughed once then licked his lips. Movement! It was a start!

"Will there be a schedule?"

I realized he meant for us trying to be together. He was mocking my need for a structure! He had sarcasm! He was still in there.

"You know, I've spent hours worrying your sarcastic ass might die, and now you're mocking me?"

He coughed again, this time attempting to smile.

"It's what I'm here for," he said, his voice still gruff and low. "What the hell happened, Sook?"

Thank God, he remembered who I was.

"Sophie being a idiot, that's what happened. There was water on the roads, and an oil spill not far from the bar. That, plus her A.D.D. attention span and your unlucky as fuck timing… you ended up smooshed."

"How smooshed?"

"Well, they had to drill into your head to keep you alive for one."

"Explains the headache," he said with a frown.

"And you have a few breaks—shoulder, ribs…and ankle."

"Shit. Trade me in for a new model. Save yourself," he said in jest. I just squeezed his hand harder.

"Not on your life, Northman. I want you, broken bones, half shaved head, holes in your brain and all. Got it?"

He smiled, before he frowned, and it was obvious he was in a great degree of pain.

"I'm gonna go get the nurse or someone, okay? I'll see about getting you some pain meds or something."

"No… Stay for a little while." he said, gripping my hand. Stay I did.

EPOV:

I paced around my office. Wondering just what the hell she and Maxine could be talking about. I was anxious, excited and scared. I was in love. I wanted so badly to hash everything out with her, once and for all, with no interruptions. I felt like I was waiting forever before I decided to go look for her.

Bad idea.

The rain was falling heavier than I'd recalled in the week of non-stop hail, but I could see her form through the raindrop covered windows of her car. She was talking, and she waved to me. That's when I felt the thump, and not a whole lot else.

Like Alice down the rabbit hole, I fell into dizzy sensations of pain before everything went black.

The next thing I recalled was Sookie's voice.

"I'm tired of keeping it in; how I feel about you. I know I've said it once today, but that was in an entirely different mood. But I meant it. I do love you."

I knew I couldn't be dead because I could feel the throbbing pain in my head and I figured heaven should be pretty pain-free. That's when I felt her warm hand in mine and I tried to grab it. It seemed like all my movements were slowed down. I wanted to do them faster, but somehow my body wouldn't cooperate. And then it did, slowly.

I was in various amounts of pain all over my body. Whatever the hell happened had hit me badly.

She told me when I asked and after the initial shock of wondering why the hell Sophie was even coming to see me... I told her that after how she treated Sookie, I never wanted to see her spoiled ass again. It seems some people just can't take a hint.

I reluctantly let her go that night, but she was dead tired and looked like she needed a world of sleep. Between her and Pam, I was exhausted myself. The pain medication helped a ton in letting sleep take me.

Later I was awakened by my nurse—her name was Ali, and she was from Texas. She told me how well my surgery had gone and that they'd been very happy with my progress overnight. She blushed when I thanked her. Not bad for a broken dude with a half head of hair.

Sookie insisted we go the full whack and shave it all off. My hair had been various lengths over the years from a grunge inspired chin-length, to preppy parting, to midway between the two, but never a buzz cut. Maybe it would be a good thing? I decided to go for it and by the next afternoon I was able to sit up, hair-free.

Sookie came around the door with Jessica—at my insistence. I'd wanted to see her and hoped she missed me just a little bit. Her eyes widened.

"You hate it?"

"No! Not at all. I … wow." She wasn't the only one shocked, since it took Jessica a second to even recognize me. She clung to Sookie, so unsure of who was speaking to her at first.

"Dada?"

I nodded and smiled and she scrunched her tiny brows as she looked me over before petting my face.

"Boo-boo?" She touched my stitches.

"Yep, daddy had a little accident."

She looked to Sookie who took over.

"There was an accident when Daddy was gone, sweetie, but look! See? The doctors made it all better!"

"Hurts?" she asked me.

And I told her no. Why worry the kid?

It took her a little while but she warmed to me again, carrying her book and her favorite Bunny—who was called Bunny. As it goes, she decided she wanted a cuddle from me.

Sookie was apprehensive and told her no, but I had one good arm I could use. Sookie laid her on the bed beside me softly. She was very careful as she noted my other arm in a cast and how my leg was all stitched up. Her little eyes were wide, as her hands went to my hair, or rather, my lack of hair.

"Ohh..." she said, rubbing it before she smiled.

"I think she likes it," Sookie commented.

Jessica opened her book to read, or as she called it, 'weed.' Personally, I thought it was mostly just pretty pictures to her.

"Do you, though? That's the question. I mean, I can't have my girl hating my looks, now can I?"

She blushed before she laughed.

"No, believe me, I like. I more than like. I mean, with this and the cuts and scruff? It's a little sexy."

"Really?"

"Mmm. Lil bit," she agreed before offering me some water. I declined.

"The doctors said you should be allowed home in the next day or so… I mean… you are coming home, right?"

I hadn't really thought about where I'd go when I got out.

"If you want me to."

"I never wanted you to leave in the first place."

"But you understand why I did?"

"I do now. I just… well, it's your home. Not some stupid apartment or Pam's place. You belong at home… with me." She smiled.

I loved how good that made me feel, and her smile assured me she was being totally honest in her request. If she wanted me with her, then that's just where I'd have to be.

Home.

A/N: Now really, did you doubt I'd kill him? Tut tut. I'm evil, I'm not THAT evil (…yet.)

So sweetness was sweetness, and I figured after the last chapter we all deserved a little break from the angst. And I hate to say it, but I think we're winding down on Life, accidental.

There maaay be a sequel though. :D