"Sam, Sam where is she? How is she?" Quinn cried as she raced through the Emergency Room and found her husband pacing the length of the waiting room. Looking like he was ready to tear all his hair out and bite all his nails off at the same time, Sam was a mess. No-one had been able to give him a proper update on his daughter and he was scared out of his mind. "Sam, stop" she sighed as she gripped Sam's shoulders hoping he would stop pacing for just a minute.

"She's..." he sniffed as he tried to collect the million thoughts running through his mind at that moment "They took her straight into surgery and they won't tell me anything else. It's... I don't think it's good Q"

Quinn caught Sam just as he broke down in tears. He didn't know if his little girl was going to be ok. It felt like his world was slowly crashing down around him. Quinn was the only thing stopping him from collapsing into a deep pit of depression.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" Mike sighed softly from where he was seated between Tina and his two children. Driving the car that was hit, the guilt he felt for anything happening to Alex would soon eat him up. His guilt only multiplied as he saw the minor cuts, scratches and bruises he sustained from the accident while Alex was fighting for her life.

"It wasn't your fault" Sam insisted softly as Quinn led him to a seat and sitting beside him. Still with her arms around his shoulders, she forgot any dispute she had with Sam solely concerned about Alex and her welfare.

"What happened?"

"This guy came out of nowhere" Mike began as he ran his hands through his hair avoiding the gauze strapped to his forehead "We were driving back from Alex's therapy appointment and someone slammed into the side of my car. Alex's side was the worst hit. Sam, Quinn I'm so sorry. I'll never forgive myself if..."

"Don't say it, please" Quinn insisted softly as she rubbed Sam's back gently. For someone that has avoided going within a few feet of Quinn over the past 6 weeks, Sam craved her comforting touch. He just needed to feel her there because she was the closest thing to Alex at that moment.

The hours the two families had to wait were excruciating to say the least. Both Sam and Mike spent a majority of their time pacing back and forth fearing the worst, much to the dismay of their wives. One of Alex's doctors was able to ease their minds only very slightly as she gave them an update on the teenager's progress. She would be in surgery for another few hours and until then; the doctor couldn't predict the outcome. Her only comforting words were 'She's young, she'll fight'

XXXXX

"Aunty Quinn?" young Aaron spoke softly as he sat down beside Quinn. Watching both his Dad and Sam pace was making the thirteen year old dizzy and was thankful when his Mom suggested they got a coffee.

"How are you holding up buddy?"

"I just keep praying that Lexie will be ok"

"That makes two of us" the blonde sighed softly and took the boy's hands gently "God might hear us a little louder if we pray together"

Just like everyone in that room, Aaron wanted Alex back. She was his best friend and he didn't want to think about life without her.

Another hour passed before a surgeon finally emerged with an unreadable expression on his face. His news wasn't bad but it wasn't all that good either.

"Mr and Mrs Evans?" the surgeon asked as both Sam and Quinn made their way over to him clutching each other close. They'd need the support of the other in case the news was the worst they'd thought of. "Alex pulled through the surgery"

A collective sigh of relief could be heard from everyone in that room just knowing that Alex was alive. Mike in particular was thanking a few people up above for keeping that little girl in this world. Losing her could have broken Sam and Quinn apart for good.

"But..." the surgeon continued "She's in the Paediatric ICU and she's not out of the woods yet. We lost her for a few minutes through the surgery so our biggest issue is how it affected her brain. The lack of oxygen to the brain when her heart stopped could have caused some damage but we can't gauge that until she wakes up"

Letting out a soft sob as her grip on Sam's arm tightened, Quinn couldn't handle all the doctor was saying. It terrified her to think that her daughter wouldn't wake up as the same person that she always had been.

"She obtained a number of other injuries that we will monitor but I'm confident she will recover well from them"

"Can we see her?" Sam asked softly

"Of course but only family"

The surgeon led Quinn and Sam up to the Paeds ICU where the nurses had just gotten Alex settled. Still under the influence of the anaesthetic, Alex slept soundly as machines and monitors beeped around her. There were tubes and wires everywhere and Quinn did her best to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. It was hard to see her little girl like this.

"I can't" Sam gasped as he saw Alex that way and raced from the room. He couldn't stay and watch his daughter suffer like this.

"Sam..." Quinn called after her husband but he continued to walk away disappearing around a corner.

"I understand this is hard for both of you" the nurse sighed softly "Alex probably won't wake up for another hour or so, we're taking good care of her if you..."

"I'll be back in a minute" she nodded and followed Sam out of the room. Quinn couldn't blame him for walking out like that; she was using all her strength to keep it together herself. Finding Sam sitting against a wall not far from Alex's room, Quinn sat down beside him and rested her hand on his knee gently.

"I just..."

"I know" she sighed leaning into his side "She's your little girl, it's hard"

"Thank you for coming back out here so quick. You were the first person I thought of when I got the call"

"I appreciate it, Sam. I can't tell you what it was like getting back here knowing that if I hadn't screwed up, none of this would have happened"

"Hey" Sam sighed softly as he turned to Quinn "It was an accident"

Quinn shook her head as the tears flowed and powerful sobs wracked her exhausted frame. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't been so stupid, her family wouldn't be in therapy and this accident wouldn't have happened. Alex could be safe in their apartment learning to play the piano instead of lying in that hospital bed if Quinn hadn't ruined everything.

"This is all my fault" she sobbed as Sam wrapped his arms around her trying to calm her in any way "Alex is paying for my mistake"

Rubbing between her shoulder blades which always comforted the blonde, Sam held her close. He wasn't really sure what to say to that because Quinn's guilt would soon start to eat her alive. Yes, if there was no need for the therapy sessions things would be different but it was an accident. Quinn couldn't have controlled that car hitting their daughter as much as she couldn't control how Alex would pull through.

"I'm so sorry, Sam for everything" she cried "For Rachel, for everything. I regret what I did every single day, what I did to you and Alex. You two are my life; I was an idiot for ever doubting that. I'm sorry"

"It's ok" Sam hushed softly as he continued to rub her back "It's ok"

"No it's not ok. I can't take back what I did now. The divorce papers..."

"Are yet to be signed" he shrugged "I couldn't do it"

The Paeds ICU was suddenly alive with noise and activity as staff were alerted by a patient's monitors. Getting up off the floor, Quinn and Sam looked around the corner and found all the commotion was coming from Alex's room. They both raced toward the room to see their daughter's eyes open and her body thrashing slightly.

"She's fighting the intubation" a doctor spoke up as he flew into the room ordering Quinn and Sam leave. Neither moved or had any intention to. The doctors and nurses worked quickly to try and calm Alex long enough to take the breathing tube out of her throat. Now was the time they tested what affect the accident had had on her brain.

"Alex, I'm Dr Hinton can you tell me how old you are?"

The young girl stared up at the doctor searching for the answer. She knew what to say, she just couldn't say it.

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