The hospital waiting room was full of people with nowhere else to go. The whole of Pine Valley was in mourning and everyone was searching for any kind of hope to cling to.

When David Hayward entered the room Ryan and Jessie rounded on him.

"Greenlee, could you make her a part of your Orpheus Project again?" Ryan asked, desperation in his eyes.

"It can't be done." said David quietly,

"But you saved her before!"

"The bullet destroyed her lungs Ryan. No lungs - no oxygen, no oxygen - no brain, I'm sorry to be so blunt but there is nothing I can do."

"But Angie…" began Jesse.

"There is nothing I can do."

David met them both with a level gaze, the pain evident in his eyes.

Jessie cried out a heart wrenching sob and spun, punching the wall behind him again and again until Brot put his arms around him and begged him to stop. Ryan just stood there numb no clue as to what to do next.

Both men lost in despair, two men who had lost everything. A huge hole in their life now that the woman they loved was gone.

And then there were the others whose friends and family were still in danger. Those that could do nothing but wait – wait to see if there was hope or if soon they too would be lost in a deep hole of despair.

Jackson sat in a category of his own, his heart broken by the death of his daughter, his heart hopeful for news of Erica and Bianca. He couldn't stop the tears that ran down his cheeks as he mourned and as he prayed.

…

It took him a moment to notice the comforting hand on his arm. He looked up to see Krystal, her eyes bloodshot from crying.

"Are you alright?" she asked. It wasn't really a question that needed asking as the answer was obvious but Jackson was grateful for her reaching out to him even amidst her own grief.

"Has there been any news?" Jackson asked, trying to wipe away any trace of his tears.

"Tad's out of surgery." said Krystal, "And the prognosis looks good for a full recovery."

"Anything about Erica or Bianca… or Marissa?"

"They've removed most of the bullet fragments from Erica's wound, I think they said, but I haven't heard any more."

Jackson nodded and looked down at his hands wishing there was something, anything, he could do to help.

"He's quite the hero now." said Krystal and Jackson followed her gaze to JR who was sat at the opposite end of the room. People were shaking his hand, patting him on the back, engulfing him in hugs.

"He saved so many lives." said Jackson.

"I know." said Krystal but something in the tone of her voice gave Jackson pause.

"You don't think so?"

Krystal shook her head.

"I know if he hadn't done what he done then a lot more people would have been injured or killed. But my gut is tellin' me something isn't right about it."

"Like what?" asked Jackson.

"Like what was he doing being at the party in the first place? I mean, he just appeared out of nowhere. Dixie said he was leaving town, he wasn't even supposed to be there."

"No," said Jackson, not willing to question the miracle just yet, "But we were very lucky that he was. Maybe he wanted to see Stuart."

"If that's true then why did he bring a gun?" Krystal asked.

Jackson frowned, he couldn't think of an answer for that.

…