The street in front of the hospital was filled with news vans and reporters, so Kayla urged Steve to go around to the back. She convinced security to let them park in the staff parking lot before they went inside.

In the waiting room, the atmosphere was much the same as when they had left, so she assumed that there probably was no news on Shane's condition. Roman confirmed that a minute later.

There were more people, though. Her parents had arrived. Caroline rushed over and embraced Kayla.

"We were so worried," she cried. "Are you okay? Are you really okay?" Before Kayla could even respond, Caroline looked at the cut on her forehead. "Did you have that checked?"

"Yes, Ma," Kayla said patiently. "I'm fine."

Shawn waited for Caroline to pull away, before he hugged Kayla too. "We're just glad you're safe." He turned to Steve. "And we've got you to thank for that."

Kayla detected a bit of discomfort in the way Steve shifted. "Shane did most of it," he said.

"I say you're both heroes," Shawn insisted. "Don't tell me different."

Kayla studied Steve. He had told her about walking into the trap, but she suspected there was more about what happened that he had not told her. She knew Steve though, and her gut was telling her that he was blaming himself for what happened to Shane. But they would discuss that more in private. Right now, she wanted to reassure him. "Oh course, he was." She stepped over, kissed Steve on the cheek, and whispered in his ear. "I love you and I know you, but you're not responsible."

Steve tensed up, telling Kayla that her suspicions were correct. "Baby. . . ."

"Shhhh. . . . Not here. We'll talk later - when we're alone." She kissed his cheek again. "Just remember that I love you no matter what. And I know your heart, Steve Johnson."

As she stepped away, Roman approached them. Abe was beside him.

"I hate to do this," Roman said. "But, Steve, we've got a few questions-"

Kayla wondered if that was the best thing. "Roman, do you have to? I mean, right now?"

"I wish it could wait," he replied.

She felt Steve put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sweetness. We might as well get this over with."

Abe cleared his throat. "I think it would be better if we did this in private, with you, alone, Steve."

Kayla began to protest, but Steve took her hands in his. "It's okay. Besides, don't you have something for Kim?"

He was right. She squeezed Steve's hands. "I'll be right here when you're finished."

As Steve walked toward the staff lounge with Roman and Abe, Kayla turned around. For the first time, she saw that some of the Hortons were there. Mickey was sipping a cup of coffee by the nurses station and speaking with Neil and Tom, probably about dealing with the press. Alice, in her striped volunteer uniform, stood nearby with Julie.

Over by a table, Kim was seated next to Marlena. Bo was hovering over them, with his hands on Kim's shoulders. Kayla could see the worry and doubt in Kim's eyes, which she then closed. Bo leaned over and whispered something and Kim forced a tiny smile to her face and nodded.

Kayla walked over and glanced at her little brother. "Do you mind if I interrupt? I need to talk to Kim."

"Okay, Sis?" He checked with Kim who nodded at him and then at Marlena. "Come on, Marlena," Bo said. "I bet there's a doughnut in the cafeteria with my name on it."

As they walked away, Kayla took Marlena's seat. The brown box in her pocket was tiny, but it felt heavy against her leg.

Before Kayla could pull it out, Kim glanced around the waiting room and smiled softly. "When Shane first came to Salem. . . . God, that seems like a lifetime ago." She looked at Kayla. "You were still in Cleveland, so you didn't know him then. I guess I didn't really either. I had no idea if we would ever get together."

Kayla was confused about where Kim was going with this, so she tried to sound reassuring. "But you did-"

"I know. But I was just thinking about that time," she said. "See . . . there was a point when he was going to leave to take another job, and I asked how he could walk away from the friends he'd made here in Salem. And he said that he had no friends."

"Like you said," Kayla replied. "That was a lifetime ago. A lot of people love Shane."

"Even if he doesn't exactly make it easy." Kim shook her head. "Still, I think he'd appreciate having so many people here." She turned back to Kayla. "So you had something to say, Kay?"

Remembering the cameo, Kayla reached into her pocket and pulled out the box. "When I was in the trauma room with him, Shane asked me to get this for you. Not the box, but what's inside."

Kim seemed to know what was in the box, because her hands trembled as she reached for it, opened it, and pulled out the cameo. Her breath caught in her throat. "I don't understand."

"I knew where he kept it, so he made me promise to get it and bring it to you. He wants you to have it. He said it's a sign of how much he loves you."

Kim let the box fall to the floor as she clutched the cameo in both hands. She was crying again. Kayla reached forward and placed her hands around Kim's.

"You have to hang on, Kimmie."

Kim's eyes widened. "How did you. . . ." She looked down at her hands, leaving the question unfinished. Then she said, "I had a dream once, that horrible summer when Shane was being held by Jericho. I dreamed that Shane came to me and told me to hang on to this cameo. He said that as I long as I hung on to it, I wouldn't lose him."

Kayla felt her own breath catch in her chest and she blinked back on her own tears. She needed to stay strong for Kim. She lifted Kim's hands, so the cameo was directly between them. In a determined voice, Kayla said, "Then hang on to it, Kim. Don't you dare let go."