The next morning Marissa popped in to the hospital to see Bianca before work. She found Bianca sat on the mattress flicking through a magazine. She was wearing a short hospital gown; her left leg without its usual bracing.

"Hey you!" said Marissa, smiling from the doorway.

"Hey yourself." said Bianca putting aside the magazine and sitting up straight.

With the exception of the hospital gown, Bianca looked fine. Perfectly normal, it was hard to understand from the smile on her face just how serious this could be.

"So do you know what they have planned for you today?" Marissa asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"I think it will be the same as before." said Bianca. "They did similar tests when I was paralysed - scans, sensors and exercises. In other words, a long boring day of being shunted from pillar to post."

"Well, Erica and Kendal are coming by this afternoon, and I will bring the kids this evening, so we will strive to keep the boredom at bay."

"I'd like that." said Bianca with a grin.

Marissa starred at Bianca for a long moment. Her girlfriend was endeavouring to be cheerful, but the act wasn't fooling Marissa, there was an unspoken fear behind her eyes.

Bianca must have recognised the look

"I'm fine." she insisted.

"Liar," said Marissa taking her hand. "Just admit how worried you are. Just say it. For me."

"I don't want to." said Bianca with a sigh. "I don't like the thought of worrying about something I can't change."

"So?"

"So I've decided to be pragmatic. This is happening, I can't alter it, so I have to live with it the best I can, whatever the outcome."

"David said you could lose the use of your arm."

"Worst case scenario. But even then I'll still have my right arm and my right leg. I can still walk and move and hold my girlfriend in my one good arm. That is not so bad. Not after those horrible months of limbo when my body was just numb flesh…"

"Urgh, stop being the brave one." cried Marissa exasperated, "I'm here; I want to be here for you but you're not letting me… you keep pulling away!"

"I'm not." said Bianca reaching out to stroke Marissa's cheek. "But I don't know what is going to happen until I have these tests."

"Bianca…" sighed Marissa.

"I will worry when I know I have something to worry about." said Bianca before silencing any further protests with a kiss.

"So why don't you tell me what's upsetting you?" said Bianca,.

Marissa stared at her girlfriend. How did she know? Maybe she just looked tired, after the dream last night she didn't get much sleep.

"I'm fine." said Marissa.

"Is this where I get to call you a liar." asked Bianca with a grin.

Marissa ran her fingers through her short hair.

"It's nothing, I just had another dream last night."

"About me."

Marissa's cheeks turned a little rosy,

"Yes, about you. AJ woke me up. Apparently I was screaming you name."

"A nightmare?" Bianca asked concerned.

Marissa's cheeks turned even redder.

"Er… no."

"Oh," said Bianca a smile appearing on her lips. "One of those dreams! Well I'm honoured."

Marissa bit back a laugh at Bianca's expression.

She didn't know why the dreams worried her. They were just dreams weren't they?

"It's just I keep having dreams about you."

She noticed Bianca's raised eyebrow.

"Not those kinds… Just us talking or laughing, but I don't recognise myself… They're strange."

"Tell me about them." said Bianca, sitting closer to Marissa, taking both her hands in her own. Marissa looked down at the gesture so familiar from her dream.

"I can't, not now."

"Why not now!" insisted Bianca.

Marissa looked around the hospital room.

"Because you have all this going on."

"Marissa, nothing is more important that you!"

"Wrong." said Marissa, "You are more a million times more important than me and my silly dreams."

"But if they are worrying you…"

"I've made an appointment with Dr Stanhope. He should know a thing or two about what's going on in my head."

"Dr Stanhope."

"I want you to concentrate on yourself okay; on you getting better. I shouldn't have even said anything thing."

"Well," said Bianca, her hand's still entwined with Marissa's, "I'm glad you did. And you'll tell me what he says?"

"I will."

"You'll worry when you know you have something to worry about, right." said Bianca echoing her earlier words.

"Something like that."

They shared a smile and a sigh before moving in as one for a soft kiss.

Bianca's rested her forehead against Marissa as her eyes trailed downward.

"Your still wearing it." said Bianca, in quiet surprise.

Her hand reached up, a finger traced down Marissa's throat, stopping at the heart shaped pendant around her neck.

"Always." said Marissa looking down as Bianca lifted the jewel from her chest. "I take my job very seriously."

Bianca sighed.

"Keeper of my heart."

"Mmm hmm." said Marissa, smiling at Bianca.

Bianca smiled back, and they fell together once more, their next kiss a little deeper.

"I wish I could stay with you." Marissa sighed.

"I wish you could too." said Bianca, "No scrap that, I wish I could walk out of this hospital and take you home with me."

"That would be better." said Marissa with a grin, "But you can't"

"No I can't." said Bianca, kissing Marissa's cheek.

There was a knock on the door and David Hayward entered.

"We are ready for you, Bianca."

Bianca nodded.

She wordlessly pulled Marissa into another kiss.

"I love you." said Bianca, as they gazed nose to nose for a moment.

"I love you more." said Marissa, as she reluctantly got up to leave.

Marissa leant down for one last goodbye hug before turning to go.

"I'll see you tonight."

As she left the hospital room, she put a hand on her father's arm.

"Please take care of her for me."

"I will." said David.

…