So as the days went by life went on as usual for everyone. Holly broke up with AJ and moved in with Michael. No one in the office had ever seen him that happy, and that helped to break the mood that everyone was in about Kelly's condition. Even Kevin had been to see her. He took her in a jar of M&M's, just in case she woke up hungry. For real food, he called it. Toby managed to sneak off during his lunch break to see her, and it about broke his heart seeing her like that. He knew very well that that could have been him if circumstances were different, and so he made an extra effort to visit her, even if no one else knew about those visits. Oscar knew about those visits, and he understood. He was beginning to see a new side to Toby. He just prayed that he really wasn't the Scranton Strangler. He said that to the camera, then begged them to erase it. They wouldn't. Toby would be one of the first people to see the footage from the cameras, and would probably be shocked at how many people thought that he was the Scranton Strangler.

But Oscar was beginning to feel sorry for Toby. He had his daughter, but she was growing up and didn't need him as much. So pretty much Toby was alone in the world. Everyone at the office hated him. Oscar was afraid that if something happened to Kelly and then she didn't make it, then something bad could happen to Toby. She was kind of giving him hope in a strange way. If she could defy the odds and make something of her life despite this life altering event then maybe Toby could wind up doing something with his life. At least that's what Oscar told the cameras. He didn't want to seem like a total asshole for calling the guy a mass murderer.

Dwight and Angela went about their ways, pretending to avoid each other while secretly stealing glances at one another. No one knew about the engagement, and they liked it that way. It made it more exciting, like a little game that only they were privy to. They were the new Jim and Pam, according to Dwight, and the thought made Angela giggle a little to herself when she thought no one was watching. Sometimes the camera would catch her laughing and then she would start to cough. No need in everyone knowing her and Dwight's business.

Jim and Pam took turns wrestling with guilt. They had their hands full with CeCe and couldn't always find a babysitter for her, even though Pam's mom offered to help out any way she could. Sometimes at night one of them would grow quiet, and the other would rub their back or turn on mood music or just leave the other one be. It was hard with two guilty consciences in the same household. Jim tried to tell himself that he couldn't have predicted this, but that wasn't true. He knew from the beginning that Ryan and Kelly would be a disaster, but it was like he had had a front row seat on the Titanic and just watched in shock as all of the events unfolded. Didn't Ryan know that women were supposed to get the first life boats? He couldn't understand how a man could treat the woman he was supposed to love like that. He would never hurt Pam for all the money in the world. True, their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start, with each other loving a different person when the other was available. But no matter what had transpired between them, Jim always knew that Pam was the one for him. She didn't have to try to do anything to impress him; everything she did impressed him naturally. She had a great sense of humor, she was smart, not to mention beautiful, and now she was a wonderful mother to his child. But Ryan could have had all of that, and he chose not to.

What was Ryan's deal, anyways? Was he selfish or playing it smart with his heart? There were times Jim hid from Pam, usually in the form of dating another woman, just so that she wouldn't be able to see how much he loved her. But Ryan had to know how Kelly felt about him, she was anything but subtle. Kelly wasn't his type, but he admitted there were times he had been attracted to her. Not that anything would have ever happened, but she had a great personality, she was pretty and even had a cute little rear. He let that slip to the camera guy once and then slipped him a ten to delete that. Pam would kill him if she ever found out that he thought of Kelly that way, even when they were both single.

And plus it was obvious from the first day Ryan joined the office that Kelly was all about him. Jim would never forget how she begged him to hook her up with him. And he did, even though Ryan hinted strongly that he just wanted a good time. It was never like that with Jim and Pam. What they had was deeper, stronger, more meaningful. And he could sense that that was what Kelly really wanted, but had no idea how to achieve it. So she hid behind superficial substances, like clothes and makeup and gossip, but really she wanted what Jim and Pam had wanted- to be loved. Who could fault her for that?

He thought back to how he felt when Pam was with Roy. There were days were he literally had to force himself to get out of bed. The thought of seeing Pam with Roy made him sick and uncomfortable, and yet he put up with it for a long time. Why? The rest of the world might have told him that he was crazy. He never would forget what Michael told him on the booze cruise. Engaged ain't married, he'd told him, and that was probably the best advice anyone had ever given him ironically. So he bid his time, and it paid off in spades. Knowing that the girl who he loved loved him back was the best feeling in the world.

So he couldn't fault Kelly for wanting to fall in love. Sometimes he wondered if she knew what the difference between a crush and love was, but then he reminded himself that he and Pam started with a crush. It was funny...this ordeal that was tearing everyone apart was bringing everyone closer.

It was true. Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration started showering Phyllis with flowers and taking her out to lunch more often. Michael had won Holly, and was more pleasant to work with. Stanley still checked out at five, but one time only he caught Stanley at the hospital parking lot. Stanley turned around once he saw him, but Jim could have sworn that he was going to make time to see Kelly. Just what he needed, another girl on the side.

Angela seemed like she was off in her own little world. Jim didn't really want to guess, but he supposed it had something to do with Dwight. Dwight was still Dwight, albeit somewhat tolerable. Of course, the fact that Jim and Pam hadn't been pulling pranks on Dwight probably helped. He'd get back there again one day, he promised himself. One day.

Andy and Erin were evidentally in love. He spent more time at the receptionist's desk than Jim ever had, and that was saying a lot. He had practically rented a chair at Pam's desk, now there was Andy, hovering over Erin like she was a little lost puppy. Even though Andy still insisted on calling Jim Tuna, Andy had become somewhat easier to deal with. Apparantly love was in the air at Dunder Mifflin, and it was doing wonders for the morale there.

Pam walked up to Angela one day and admired her ring around her necklace. "It's unusual," she commented while reaching out to touch it.

Angela slapped her hand back. "Thank you. It has sentimental meaning to me and I can't afford to let just anyone touch it."

"Did Dwight give it to you?" Pam looked at Dwight who was smiling and then at Angela who was trying to hide a smile. "Is it an engagement ring? It is, isn't it? Hey everyone, Dwight and Angela are engaged!"

Everyone started to clap, and the couple realized that their cover had been blown.

Michael was the first to approach Dwight. "So you landed yourself Angela huh? How's that bedset going to work, a king size for you and a twin mattress on the floor for Angela?" he laughed at his own joke.

"No, there is plenty of room in my bed for the both of us."

Jim made a face like he was going to vomit at the camera.

"Okay guys, you know what this means...our first party in some time! Phyllis get busy, Oscar you too. Angela you know you cannot be on your own party planning committee. It's about time we get some good news in this place!" He looked over at Ryan. "Speaking of good news, have you heard anything about Kelly?"

"No but you'll be the first to know when I do," Ryan replied dryly.

So the party began. The theme was of course, cats, and Angela couldn't have been happier if she had planned it herself. There were cupcakes, punch, and a break from the day. It was truly a happy occasion for Dunder Mifflin.

"So, big guy," Michael playfully punched Dwight in the gut. "When...when were you going to spring this on us?"

"Well, Angela and I thought it might be tacky to revel in our good news with the unfortunate Kelly and Ryan situation going on. The last thing we wanted was to steal Ryan's thunder when he revealed that he had at last proposed to Kelly, even if it was on her death bed."

"Dwight? When are you going to accept that Kelly's going to be okay! I bet Angela will even invite her to be matron of honor at her wedding when she wakes up."

\

The camera panned to Angela who was shaking her head no. A definite no.

"Who says you'll get married before Ryan and Kelly? Let's have an office pool. I have three hundred that says Kelly and Ryan get married before Dwight and Angela."

"Put me down for ten," Oscar chimed in, then looked at the aforementioned couple. "What?"

"Oh I bet Angela will get married first because she's pregnant," Kevin laughed. Everyone stared at Angela.

"No. No, Kevin. No cupcake for you," She grabbed it and threw it in the trash. Kevin looked upset.

"Erin, the phone's ringing. Can you grab it?" Michael asked as he laughed at Kevin's misfortune.\

What Erin had to say when she came back in quieted the room. "Everyone, I have big news. Kelly's awake. And she wants to see Ryan."

Everyone stared at Ryan. This was his make it or break it moment, and no one, not even Michael, could predict how he would handle this. Would he hide or would he face his girlfriend? More importantly would he live through their conversation?

"Holly and I can go with you if you want us to," Michael offered.

"No thank you. I'd better do this alone."

"Tell her we all said hi and we miss her and we love her," Erin chimed in.

"Will do."

As Ryan raced down the stairs to his car, he realized that his heart was racing even faster than what it had been doing while he was on cocaine. How this would play out, he had no idea. He was scared to death to find out what she was going to say to him. This could be it for them, and finally he broke down before starting his car.

Everyone had been staring at him through the window so they all knew he was crying.

"Come on, people, enough's enough. Haven't you seen a grown man cry before?" Michael demanded.

"Once when the vending machine wouldn't take my money, I cried," Kevin admitted, to which everyone stared at him blankly.

Kelly was going to be okay, Ryan told himself. She had to be. He wouldn't accept anything less than the best from her, because that's what she always gave him. The question was, what was she going to give him when he saw her?