Disclaimer - I do not own Rookie Blue

3 weeks. That's how long she's been here in a medically induced coma, laying so still and looking so pale; white bandages wrapped around her head, so many wires and tubes, she looked so fragile hooked up to that ventilator. She had visitors constantly, Traci more than the other rookies; Collins hasn't shown his face since that day 3 weeks ago. Tommy and Sam took turns staying the night with her, and so far there was no change, but the doctor said that with every day that passed her chances improved, she grew a little bit stronger.

Today was a big day though; today they were going to take her off the ventilator. Both Sam and Tommy had discussed whether or not to take her off the ventilator when the doctor told them that if she can breathe on her own then chances are she'll survive. They decided together that if it was Andy's choice, she would not want to be on the ventilator any longer than absolutely necessary.

"It takes a really strong person to make it as far as she is now" Dr. Lavelle said

"It's the Irish in her" Tommy smiled small "She's more stubborn than I am"

Sam's lips twitched at Tommy's words.

Dr. Lavelle hoped his gut was right about this, his gut told him that Andrea McNally is a fighter and that her body is strong enough to breathe on her own. If she can breathe without the ventilator, then they would know that the damage didn't affect her brain stem, which would mean that the surgery worked. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he had to ask

"She would want this" Sam answered confidently and Tommy agreed

The process of removing the ventilator seemed to take forever, and waiting to see if she would breathe seemed to be even longer. Andy's chest was still and Sam's breath caught in his throat 'Come on breathe Andy, breathe'. It was as if she heard his plea because her chest began to rise and fall.

"She's breathing" Tommy said with relief

Dr. Lavelle turned to Sam and Tommy "Breathing on her own is a good sign, but she's not out of the woods yet" he said "The next 24 hours are critical, if she makes it through the night, her chances of recovery will double. I'm going to put her on a 15 minute check until then." He checked Andy's vitals and then he was about to leave the room but stopped "I'm not supposed to voice my personal opinion, but I believe that Miss McNally certainly has something to live for, I've never seen someone with her type of injury show this much improvement in so little time"

Sam smiled a little "Thank you doc", once he left, Sam looked to Tommy "You don't seem surprised"

"I know my girl and so do you…there's no chance she'll give up, she'll keep fighting with everything in her"

Nick Collins was a broken man. Once he was cleared, he went to his shifts and did his work and on his days off…he drank until he couldn't form a thought. He didn't sleep because every time he closed his eyes, he saw himself pulling the trigger and Andy lying in a pool of her blood, so much blood. Every thought of her brought him back to that moment, and that one bullet that changed the lives of everyone at 15. That's why he drank, to be numb, even for just a little while.

Everyone looked at him differently, either with concern or contempt, mostly the latter. There was one person that showed both…Gail. She like everyone else hated him for what he did but at the same time she was concerned about him, an emotion that she didn't show very often. Today though when she showed up at his place, it was pure fury that she expressed.

"Okay that's it!" she growled at him "You're done!"

"Hey keep it down will you" he groaned

She gave him an ice-cold smile "I will not keep it down" she yelled louder "Now you're just being pathetic"

"Yeah, yeah, kick a man while he's down" he yelled back and instantly regretted it because the throbbing in his head intensified.

"You need to man up Collins and stop feeling sorry for yourself!" she toned down her voice…just a little "You need a shave and for god sakes take a shower, you smell like booze"

"Just go home Gail" he moaned

"Don't tell me what to do" she responded and the left his sight.

It was quiet so he thought she left, that was until he heard the clinking of bottles and then the sound of liquid being poured down the drain. He bolted to the kitchen "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he tried to stop her but she delivered a right hood straight to his cheek.

"I'm fed up with you drinking your life away and I want to stop you from ruining your job too" she replied and kept on dumping his liquor down the drain. "Now go take a shower and shave before I make you, and I promise I won't be gentle"

He sighed and winced when he touched his tender cheek, he knew she would stay true to her word if he didn't do what she said. In all their time together, there wasn't one argument that she didn't win.

After his long shower, he shaved and almost didn't recognize himself. When he stepped out of the bathroom, all traces of his activities over the last month were gone. The empty bottles and takeout containers were all gone, and everything was put back in place. Gail sat on his couch just glaring at him "Don't you EVER make me clean up after you again!" she spat "Now come on we're going to be late"

"For what?"

"You'll see" she answered

After about a 10 minute drive they pulled into a parking lot.

"What is this place?" Nick asked

"You'll see" Gail answered

Nick sighed "Either tell me where we are or take me home"

"You are going to a meeting"

"I don't need a meeting" he said though gritted teeth

"Yes you do Nick, you've been drinking your life away ever since you came back from UC"

"What do you care huh? It's my life, I can do what I want with it" he said in a raised voice

"Don't yell at me" Gail smacked him "You are going to this meeting, you are going to stop drinking and you are going to quit feeling sorry for yourself, it's pathetic and I'm sick of it"

"If you're so sick of it, then why the hell do you keep coming back?"

Gail leaned close to his ear "Because, believe it or not…this ice queen cares"

A week later, Andy was still breathing on her own and he chances increased to 60%. Everyone was astounded with how far she has come in the month since she was shot.

Sam sat at her side and took her hand in his "Hey" he said "The doc says that you might be able to hear us, so I guess I should talk some eh" he swallowed nervously "I…I want you to know that hurting you was the biggest mistake of my life, I should have let you be there for me after Jerry" he sighed "You're the best thing that ever happened to me and I made you walk away…this whole thing is my fault. If…when you wake up…I'm going to make it up to you. I still want a mutt and call him Boo Radley; I want kids and park on Sunday…with you. I want to go to sleep every night with you by my side and wake up to you every morning…I just…I lo…" he trailed off when he felt her hand twitch "Andy?" her hand tightened ever so slightly "Come on Andy, come back to me". Her eyelids fluttered, "Open those beautiful eyes".

It was like she was actually listening to him because she slowly opened her eyes, he unfocused gaze worried him a little, but a few moments later her gaze zoned in on him. He could see confusion written all over her face and his heart broke in more ways than one when he heard her speak for the first time.

Her voice raspy from lack of use "What…what are you doing here? You…You're supposed to be in jail!"