Bianca licked dry lips and opened her eyes as the effects of the anaesthetic wore off.

"Hi sweetheart. Welcome back." said a warm male voice.

"Uncle Jack." Bianca sighed without looking.

Bianca then felt a warm hand touching her own.

"How are you feeling?"

Bianca recognised this new voice as her mother's and this time she turned her head.

"Hi mom… I'm sleepy." she replied.

Erica grinned at the cuteness of her daughter's dreamy expression.

"So I see." she said.

Bianca then turned and looked down at the blankets covering her legs.

"How is..?" she began to ask.

"David said the operation was successful."

"Can I see?"

"Of course." said another male voice, and there was David watching over her from the foot of the bed. He'd clearly been there all the time as well but, only half awake, she hadn't noticed him. He reached down and pulled aside the blankets.

Her leg looked redder than she remembered it and there was a new short brace fixed below her knee.

"That's to keep the muscle stretched in place." David explained. "You'll be like that for a few weeks at least. We'll see how quickly the healing process is."

"I know. I remember what you told me." said Bianca. "I just wanted to see what I was feeling."

"Feeling?" Erica asked starting in alarm.

"I feel a sort of throb at the back of my...leg bit… It's not too painful." said Bianca in a still groggy voice.

"I think the feeling part was what your mother was reacting to." said Jackson putting a hand on Erica's shoulder.

Bianca turned and smiled a sleepy smile at her mother.

"Orpheus has... um…" Bianca's lethargic mind couldn't find the words so she tried again. "My leg's still not…um… still there… but I feel what hurts… sort of."

"We'll check your pain medication." said David reaching to check on the drip that led to her arm. "We don't want you uncomfortable. Now I know you're still sleepy but I do need to check your movement… can you try and wiggle your toes for me."

"I can try to wiggle my toes." Bianca echoed.

She concentrated and her toes gave a little twitch.

"Good. That's good enough for now; motor control still present." said David. "Now I want you to take it easy. Take your time waking up; there's no hurry and I shall leave you in your mother's capable care. I'll be back to check on you this evening."

"'kay." said Bianca nestling back into her pillows without protest.

Erica was still on shock at the news of Bianca's new recovery of sensation.

"You've got the feeling back in your leg?" she asked delighted.

"A little… little… little bit." Bianca muttered trying to fight the drowsiness that hadn't left her since she first opened her eyes. "Now I just need to move it again."

"You'll be fine." reassured Jackson "You're in good hands."

"I know." said Bianca, but she wasn't really feeling part of the conversation, her eyelids were feeling heavy and it was a struggle to keep them open let alone concentrate on something as complicated as words.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Erica asked, wondering what else she had missed.

"Marissa and I are getting married…" Bianca sighed with a grin. A part of her was aware that wasn't what her mother was asking but she was too sleepy not to say the first thing that came into her head.

"I know that sweetie." said Erica with a smile, but Bianca didn't really hear her.

"And I'm very very happy…" she slurred, as she shut her eyes and everything went black. "I lo… her sss… mmm…"

Sleep caught Bianca again before she could finish her words.

'I love her so much!'

…