Bianca opened her eyes to the familiar view of white ceiling tiles. She had been lying in this bed for days now.

She heard the creak of a chair. She had a visitor but she couldn't see who it was.

"Hello?" she called out wondering if she was mistaken.

"Sweetheart…"

It was Uncle Jack. He leaned over her and smiled.

"You should have woken me." said Bianca. She returned his smile and pretended not to notice that he had been crying.

"You looked so peaceful."

"I have nothing to do but rest. Visiting hours are the highlight of my day. I don't want to miss them."

"I'll remember that." He said caressing her shoulder. She couldn't feel it but if she tried she could almost imagine the touch of his hand on her skin.

"I'm so sorry about Greenlee." Bianca sighed after an awkward silence.

Uncle Jack nodded; he obviously didn't trust himself enough to speak. Bianca could see the beginning of fresh tears. It broke her heart to see him so lost.

Bianca tried desperately to find a subject that would bring back his smile.

"How are my girls?"

"They are incredible. You would be so proud of them."

Jackson's smile returned and with it so did Bianca's.

"Everyone is pitching in to help watch the kids; I think they are with Madison and Scott this afternoon. They are really missing you."

"And I miss them. I think after my next operation David will allow a visit… at least I hope he will."

"Well in the meantime they send you all their love."

Bianca smiled.

"Is there any news of mom?"

Jackson gave a deep sigh.

"She back in intensive care. They want to give her time to stabilise before they continue surgery. She's still hanging on in there. Your mother's a fighter, she's Erica Kane, and one bullet isn't going to stop her getting back on her feet, not when there's a chance of movie stardom on the horizon."

Bianca smiled at Uncle Jacks attempt to lighten the news.

"And Kendall's with her?" Bianca asked. She wondered why her sister hadn't made a visit yet.

Uncle Jack's face darkened.

"Kendall isn't… Zack didn't make it. It's hit her very hard and she's pushing everyone away. I can't get through to her, I've tried."

"Kendall!" Bianca gasped. "She was so happy, having Zack back and to lose him again – oh god!"

She wanted to leap from her bed, rush to her sister's side and hold her tight, only she was trapped in a body that could no longer do any of that.

Bianca started crying, crying for her sister, crying for her mother, crying for herself. She had been able to hold in her tears but now the floodgates opened and she didn't know how to close them again.

A machine by her bedside began to bleep and suddenly two nurses charged in. One ushered Jackson from the room while the other asked her to try and calm down. Bianca couldn't obey she no longer knew how to stop the torment of emotions that was tearing her apart. The nurse produced a syringe. Bianca realised it was a sedative as her eyelids began to close.

In the moment of peace between her grief and the oblivion of sleep Bianca realised she never got the chance to ask about Marissa…

...