DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, ESPECIALLY HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS :(

WARNING: AGAIN, I AM NOT A LEGAL OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL NOR DO I EVER INTEND TO BE SO ANY AND ALL MEDICAL/LEGAL SUBJECT MATTER IS OBVIOUSLY FALSE AND COMPLETELY MADE UP.

SORRY GUYS, THIS IS NOT THE MOST EXCITING OF CHAPTERS IT REALLY IS A GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B SO I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU ARE DISAPPOINTED.

CHAPTER 18

I'M SORRY

Patch stood then walked to where the Doctor with the clipboard was standing. The man in the blue scrubs whose face gave away nothing had Patch almost certain of impending doom. His throat was closed, his mouth dry, his heart was beating out of his chest and those damn tears were stinging his eyes again. If she'd died he'd know it right? He'd certainly feel it he thought as he tried to calm himself.

"Mr. Cipriano, Nora is out of surgery and while it has been touch and go she is stable as she can be for now. We were worried about the internally bleeding she had when she came in as well as the severity of her head trauma. The bleeding is stopped and from the scans we have done she got very, very lucky. There's no signs of bleeding around her brain or a crack in her skull, swelling around the brain will have to be monitored. She is being transferred to a room across from the nurses station in the ICU ward as we speak. You and her grandma are the next of kin and will be allowed to see her in approximately thirty minutes. She is hooked up to quite a few machines and is in a medically induced coma at least for a short time to give her body some time to heal from the trauma she endured. Any questions?"

All Patch could think was his Angel, his little fighter had beaten the odds and pulled through, he was going to see her again and talk to her again. He was going to be at her side keeping her company, keeping her safe while she healed and he was never going to leave her side again. It was at that moment that Blythe and Harrison decided to make their rushed début.

"Where's our precious daughter? We heard our daughter was brought here, she was in an accident. We want to know how she is immediately." Blythe demanded.

"I'm sorry who are you looking for?" The Doctor asked.

"Nora, Nora Grey."

"And you are?"

"Her parents, we were out-of-town on weekend away that we just couldn't possibly get out of and as hard as we tried we were stuck and unable to find an earlier flight."

That was news to Patch since he knew they flew by personal plane not airport transportation. No, once again he was sure they'd chosen themselves and 'business' over their own 'precious daughter' only this time he was holding the whole stack of aces and he fully intended on using them as they had against Nora the last five years. With his signature smirk in place that they hated so much because it promised trouble with a capital T and eyes as black as night shooting daggers at them he turned from them and gave the Doctor a quick smile.

"Yes Doctor, please let them know when they get to see their precious little Nora." The Doctor looked a little confused and checked his notes again before glancing back at Patch with the same confused look before putting on his professional face and with a cool collected Doctor voice of authority turned back to the Grey's.

"You will have to ask Mr. Cipriano when you will be seeing your daughter. Seems your daughter had legal papers drawn up prior to the accident appointing him power of attorney that clearly dictates legally that Miss Grey left him in charge of all visitor access until she is in sound mind to decided for herself. Seeing that she is in a medically induced coma Mr. Cipriano will be the one you will have to work that out with." Then he informed them that any medical information could be gotten from the nurse upon showing proper identification before he turned back into the triage ward leaving a stunned and VERY pissed off Mr. and Mrs. Grey.

"You...you did this! I know you did! You always hated us, you put her up to this, there's no way in hell our little girl would have chosen you over us, especially for something like this. For all we know it was you who ran her off the road!" That's when Clista stepped in.

"Harrison and Blythe Grey, you made that decision for her when you turned your backs on 'your' precious little girl when you made her choose between you and Patch. Was she your little girl when you told her to pick you or her best friend, the best friend who raised her when you were nowhere to be found just like you have been since this all began last night while he was here? Don't you go giving me that look Blythe Grey! He had nothing to do with those papers, he didn't even know about them until last night because only I did! Who do you think got her a top-notch lawyer and paid the money to have everything drawn up the way she wanted it to read? No one, especially Patch, knew what was in those papers aside from her and the lawyer that drew them so you can keep all of your accusations, insults, mud-slinging and pity partying to yourself. You should be groveling at the feet of the man who has taken care of her since before you cut her out, the man who provided her a home, food, and necessities, the man who's paying for her education and anything else she needed or wanted long before he could afford it. It was him that loved her, him that cared for her and aside from giving birth to her it has been him him him and him time and again and it will always be him in case this fails to sink in once again in that bleach damaged brain of yours! I refuse to have you insinuate things that aren't true of my grandson and my granddaughters protector and provider anymore. When the time comes and she asks for you it will be him who has enough love for her to come and get you, until then you will just have to wait it out far and away from the lot of us!"

The raised voices had woken up the rest of the Scooby Doo crew as Patch referred to them and Shadow blinked her eyes open from her perch on Rixon's shoulder, while Vee and Scott both woke up to cast their own glares at the elder Grey couple. Blythe and Harrison just stuck their chins a little higher in the air and with heads held high as if they hadn't just been put in their place in front of an audience over a daughter who had tried and tried to mend things with them, giving them chance after chance that in the end always had them demanding she choose between her parents and her heart and just as grandma had said, her heart always won, she'd follow it every time.

One of the young nurses that had eyed Patch since they arrived announced that he and Clista could follow her to Nora's room. Before taking them in the nurse prepared them for what they were about to see as best anyone could in a situation like this. Patch knew that what waited behind those walls and curtains was his broken heart, but she was still fighting for now. His best friend was still in there, that's what mattered, not what she'd look like. He knew Clista needed to and deserved to see Nora as much as, if not more than he did, but there was something he needed to say, something he had to get off his chest before anyone else saw her so he asked Clista if he could have the first few minutes alone with her promising not to take long. As much as Clista longed to see her grand baby she could see how much Patch needed this, whatever his reasons were she would respect them and she could use a few more minutes to prepare herself for what was coming.

Patch pulled back the curtain steeling his eyes for what he though he would see but nothing could have prepared him for this. Nora had machines hooked up everywhere. Two IV's were going and monitors for her heart and god knows what else were all over her and making sounds. There were cuffs on both her legs squeezing and releasing pressure to prevent blood clots from forming and then there was the ventilator...that awful wheezing sound that permeated the room solidifying any idea that she might be okay, that her life wasn't hanging in the balance. Her arm and leg were in casts and she looked black, blue and swollen all over with cuts. That wasn't even looking under her gown where her ribs were broken and bruising from internal bleeding were evident along with the surgery she had required. Patch felt sick again but quickly pulled himself together for her and brought a chair to her bedside, taking her hand, carefully avoiding her IV and being as gentle as he could.

"Oh God Angel, I am so so so sorry for everything, I'm sorry for making you mad, for spending the last two days mostly in fights with you, hell, for every little thing I have ever done to upset you. You have to fight this for you, but for me too please, because I am that selfish, if your life ends mine will too so you better fight with all that fire you have Angel, cuz I'm counting on you. Lord knows I've tried to protect you from everything and everyone but myself and here you lay while I sit here in perfect shape being eye candy for the nurses. I see you rolling your eyes at that. Bet you never thought you'd see the day that I didn't want this sexy body drooled over, huh?" He laughed a humorless laugh. "Angel, we both know that we love each other and have always had each others backs, we've stood together no matter what the obstacle, but in the last day I realized that I never actually said the words to you no matter how close a heart to heart talk we had or how intimate we got, I only had to look at you or say "Hi" and you would say 'I know', but Angel, that's no excuse for me not telling you. I know you know, I'm glad you know, but you deserved and still deserve to hear it over and over how much you mean to me and what your life means to mine and most important how much I...I.." He took a deep shaky breath. "I love you Angel." Patch's voice was barely a broken whisper. " You know I loved Dabria, I wanted the whole settled down life with her, how that turned me so cold to anyone, even you to some extent. She could never get past the fact that you would always come before her, that no one could take your place as my best friend, as my girl. You're MY Angel. You ended up being right about her like you were about so many other things we've fought about throughout the years. I think you even knew that Dabria wouldn't have ever wanted that white picket fence dream. You knew that beneath that showy exterior that is Dabria and her witty little remarks, that under it all all that she wanted was money and to be the one who finally caught the famous uncatchable Cipriano bachelor..." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before shaking his head and continuing in the same gravely voice. "You have always been beautiful to me, from the first day I met you when you were just five and every year we added you only grew more beautiful until there wasn't another word to describe you besides an angel or a goddess. I've been so selfish with you, but I don't know what to do Angel, I just can't seem to let you go even just a little. This thing with Tristan...I'm sorry you were right about how many women you have seen me with and I freak over one guy like I own you, like you're property to be had. You're not and you never deserved that. When you were at the wishing well with the coin toss over me not marrying Dabria, I guess as much as I had myself and you fooled I never considered you would actually be with anyone else and I took advantage of that and now I may never get to tell you all of this so you hear it, so that I can apologize properly. You look so little, Angel, so broken, I just want to kiss it all better Angel, please I beg you come back to me and I promise I won't ever leave your side..." Patch didn't know if Nora had heard any of what he said but he knew that he needed to say it. Now it was Clista's turn, he would wait in the hall.

Clista walked in and gasped, her tiny hand going to her heart and the other over her mouth. Her granddaughter was laying there all hooked up not even able to breathe on her own looking like she belonged in the morgue minus the steady beeping of the machines. All of her beautiful color was gone, she practically matched the white sheets where she wasn't bruised or bandaged. Clista hadn't stepped foot in a hospital since her husband Nick had died in a tragic accident and she had to identify his body. It gave her shakes and shivers just to be here, but anything for her baby girl. Now though, it was time this old lady went home for some rest before facing this place again. She spoke a few more words to her granddaughter, reminding her what the young man out in the hall meant to her and to always always always follow her heart back to him and that her friends and sister all loved and missed her then she placed a soft kiss to Nora's bruised cheek and quietly left the room.

Out in the hall Clista gave Patch a big tight hug, whispering in his ear, "I know with the love you kids share she will be okay, you aren't going to leave her side until she is completely healed if even then stud, so I'm going to go home and get some rest. Call me if anything changes, if not I will be back later. Make sure you let her sister in next and her friends one by one. They are family to her, just stay by her side with each of them Stud, that's all a grandmother could ever hope to ask for. After a kiss on each cheek she left and Patch took his spot next to Nora's bed holding her unresponsive hand before telling the nurses who to bring in next until everyone had seen her.

Patch never left Nora's side for long. He took a shower, shaved and changed in the adjoining bathroom. Rixon stopped by his loft and grabbed his laptop and cell phone charger along with Nora's favorite books. He spent long hours talking to her about anything and everything as the time passed. Nora's heart rate would become stronger and steadier anytime he spoke to her. It hadn't taken much at all to get a fold out bed brought into the room for him once the nurses figured out it was for him and it meant he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Nora quickly became the most check upon patient in the hospital as each nurse hoped to catch Patch's eye. He never looked away from Nora. He barely slept missing the way she snuggled and would curl up in his arms, nuzzling his neck and tickling him with her hair while he held her safe and protected.

The first week passed as quickly as one could expect given her comatose state. The frequent visits by Nora's friends, Rixon and grandma helped some to pass the time. There were a few times Nora had scared them when her heart rate spiked or her blood pressure. Every time that happened Patch thought he was losing her for sure and he would be violently ill.

After the first few days Patch started doing a little work from the hospital, as much as he could with the lack of concentration he had, but little by little he was on his phone and laptop at her side in case she needed him, still holding on to one of her hands with a minor exception here or there. Any time not spent working or with company Patch spent reading to her. Nora loved classic literature like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights was one of her most read books, she loved to try to convince Patch why the 'bad boy' should have been the chosen one. Nora related that to her life experience, she loved the 'bad brother/black sheep" of the family and it was the 'saintly' brother who would never own her heart.

Patch's favorite book was there too, Gone With The Wind. He related to Rhett. Nora was the only person who knew that was his favorite book, he'd sworn her to secrecy so when their visitors would ask he would roll his eyes and say he was only reading it because she loved the story so much.

The second week was hard in more ways than one. It became harder to believe she would wake up or when she did that she would be the same girl he had always known and loved. The Doctor's had all explained that patients without severe brain damage who were placed into induced coma's would either not have any amnesia or it would be very temporary not more than a day on average. They had tried several time that week to slowly back off her medicine so that she could wake up but her blood pressure and heart rate spiked and the medical staff had agreed she was still under too much stress and wasn't ready yet. They would keep trying and told him to keep having faith.

The staff had all fallen in love with Patch's total commitment and love for Nora. He had insisted on learning as much as he could on how to properly care for her while she was there. He had Rixon bring all of her favorite soaps and shampoos with conditioner (he hated how the hospital made her smell) and even her body lotion. Each day he would sponge bathe her ever so gently and wash her hair the way the nurses had taught him, taking extra care of the machines she was hooked to. As he waited for her hair to dry some he would rub her down with scented lotion to keep her bruised skin moist and satiny like she had always kept it, then he would work on brushing out her long hair, often braiding it to keep her unruly curls a little under control. With the nurses help he would change her sheets each day and he was always repositioning her so she wouldn't get bed sore. He did anything and everything he could to care for her, she was his best friend, he just wanted his Angel back. He wasn't doing anything he hadn't always done before, his life had been spent taking care of Nora so no one, including him, gave his actions a second thought. Except for grandma.