Okay, how did we get from 500 chapters to 550 so fast?

Thank you for all the reviews this week.

SPOILERS – this week – Everyone has to make time to recover from the New York Trip, Holly's welfare come under scrutiny and Erica make plans to put everything right again.

…

Marissa awoke with the sensation that she was choking and she couldn't swallow. She opened her eyes in alarm and tried to sit up but two arms quickly restrained her.

"It's okay… it's okay… You're in the hospital."

Marissa turned to see the last person she expected to see.

"Erica…" she tried to say but ended up almost choking.

"Don't try to speak." warned Erica, giving her a worried smile. "They had to put a tube down your throat to help you breath. I'll call a nurse. Don't move."

Marissa watched as Erica leaned over her and pressed the on call button.

Erica sat back beside her and smiled again.

"You scared me there for a moment. Do you remember what happened?"

Marissa thought hard but the last thing she could remember was coming to the hotel and going for a meal. She had no idea how that led her to be lying in a hospital bed.

She shook her head as much as she dared.

Erica reached out and stroked her cheek in a motherly way. It was strange to have Erica suddenly acting so kind to her.

"Try not to worry, Bianca is on her way." said Erica, "And I promise I'll take care of you until then."

Just then a nurse entered.

"She's awake." Erica called.

The nurse hurried forward and started to examine her.

Marissa desperately wanted to know where she was and what had happened and tried to ask the question, but almost choked again.

"Please you mustn't talk." he said. "You're in hospital. You were drugged; an overdose of a GHB derivative. You suffered a respiratory arrest. You're going to feel very weak and sore and probably have a bit of a headache too… And you really mustn't try and talk," he said again as Marissa tried to ask another question, "We've had to insert a tracheal tube to keep your airway open. It goes through your vocal cords and you can damage them if you talk. I'll get you a pen and paper for now, but a doctor is going to want to examine you and remove the tube."

"Wait." said Erica rummaging in her purse. "I've got paper… I should have thought."

Marissa turned her eyes back Erica, confused by why she was suddenly so being friendly. She also wanted to know why it felt like she had been hit by a truck..!

Who had drugged her? It wasn't Erica was it? Is that why she was acting so guilty?

Happy that she was stable the nurse left to find the doctor and Marissa and Erica were left alone.

"You know we almost lost you." said Erica still smiling kindly at her as she handed over a small notebook and a matching gold pen. "I'm just so glad you're awake. You're going to be alright... We're all going to be alright…"

Marissa grabbed the pen and paper and began to scribbled down,

'What happened?'

But as she was writing Erica leaned closer as the nurse left the room.

"And if anyone asks." she whispered. "You're my daughter…"

Marissa looked from Erica to the words she had started writing and with a quick amendment, held up the page,

'WHAT?!'

"I promised Bianca I wouldn't leave you and they wouldn't let me stay unless I was family." Erica explained

Marissa started writing again.

'What happened?'

"Madison followed us to New York. She drugged you and Scott; slipped something into your coffee. I think she was trying to force you to have an affair. She is really not well."

'Is Scott…?' Marissa began writing, but Erica pre-empted the question.

"Scott's fine. He had half the dose you did. He's already up and about. And they've taken Madison for observation after her break down. And Holly is safe in Pine Valley… I can't think what else there is to tell…" said Erica, although she still looked a little haunted.

Marissa wasn't to know she was reliving the moment when Marissa stopped breathing and she tried franticly to keep her alive. And then there was the terrible conversation she had with her daughter, having to tell her that her girlfriend was unconscious at the hospital and in critical condition.

"I'm sorry." Erica said eventually. "This is not… I mean… I can see now how much you love my daughter… and how much she loves you. I should never have tried to interfere. It's just Bianca's heart has been broken so many times…"

Marissa ripped of the last page and wrote in big letters.

'I would never break her heart!'

She reached up for her heart-shaped pendant, the symbol of her role as keeper of Bianca's heart, but it wasn't there.

'Where is it?' she scribbled with a moan of alarm.

Erica wrinkled her brow.

"What do you mean?"

Marissa scratched at her neck, as if to show her what was missing.

She couldn't have lost Bianca's heart!

…