Author's Note: Originally this chapter and the previous were one chapter. But I decided to separate them. I think I separated it at an appropriate place. Annie is about to make a decision that will affect both her and Auggie.

Auggie finally made his way back to Annie's room about an hour and a half after he left it. After calling Joan he had walked to the cafeteria, ate some lunch and then walked the hospital grounds for a few minutes. Sitting for so long had really taken a toll on his body. Auggie still got quite lost trying to get to the ICU by himself, so he asked for a nurse to assist him. After waiting for her to finish the task she was working on, he quickly, but efficiently gave her a lesson in how to be a sighted guide. She guided him to the ICU and then to Annie's room.

When they stopped at the door to Annie's room, he thanked the nurse and knocked gently on the door to Annie's room. He listened for a response, but got none. He wasn't sure if he should enter anyway or not. As luck would have it, a nurse happened to be walking by and told him that she thought Annie was sleeping since the doctor had left her about thirty minutes prior.

"Thank you nurse." Auggie replied as he entered Annie's room, sweeping his cane slowly from side to side. He knew the room well, but was never sure if they would add, remove, or move things. As he made his way around the room to where he had left the chair he was sitting in, he realized it was no longer where he had left it. For now, he would stand to check on Annie and move the chair later.

Gently, he found the bed and tried to find Annie's hand, but it was not lying on the bed where it had been the previous three days. He was afraid to continue to search for her hand because he didn't want to hurt her in his exploration.

"I know what you're looking for and I am purposely withholding it from you." Annie's sudden hoarse voice scared him more than he let on.

"You're awake!" Auggie said excitedly not picking up on Annie's current hostility towards him. This just made Annie more angry.

"Damn right, I'm awake, I've been laying here waiting for you to return. Where do you get off withholding information from me?" Her voice was beginning to get stronger the more she used it. Her hostility was showing through and Auggie was unsure what she was talking about. He simply stood there for a second waiting for her to speak again.

"Auggie, don't play dumb with me. Why didn't you tell me I am paralyzed? And when were you going to tell me about Simon?" Annie stated bluntly.

Suddenly Auggie realized why she was upset with him. He had not thought he needed to tell her. He had not thought it was his place to tell her. Nor did he think it would do her any favors to give her the news about Simon minutes after her awakening from a coma. But now, he realized that her anger about her condition was now being transferred to him. It is something he had done when he first lost his sight. He had blamed everyone around him for his circumstances. It did not help anyone. And this would not help Annie.

"Annie, you have been out of a coma for about five hours. I did not think that was the first thing you needed to hear. Yes, you are paralyzed. Yes, I have known that was the most likely case for days. Yes, I knew about Simon's death, but I didn't think you needed the grief right now with your heart in the state it is in. Yes, your life is going to be a little different from now on. But yes, Annie, you can and will live a successful life despite having a disability." While he spoke, he gently laid his hand on the bed next to her as an invitation for her to put her hand in his. She never did. He had withheld information vital to her, so now, she was going to withheld the hand that seemed vital to him.

"Auggie, I don't care the reasons. You should have told me. I want you to leave. I don't want you here."

"Annie, don't do this. You need–"

"NO AUGGIE! You don't get to tell me what I need. LEAVE NOW!" She shouted. He could hear the tremor in her voice and heard the heart monitor speed up. Her heart couldn't take stress right now. He would give her space if she needed it.

"Okay, Annie, I will be in the waiting room. Tell a nurse to come get me when you want me to come back."

"NO Auggie! Leave. Leave the hospital and don't come back. I don't want you here. I don't want anyone here. You are no longer welcome in my room. You are no longer welcome in my life."

Auggie blinked a few times as if she had slapped him over the face. He knew from experience what she was doing. But he couldn't fight her. He couldn't argue with her. She couldn't handle the stress of all of this. He had no choice but to obey her wishes for now.

"Okay Annie. I will gather my things and leave. The nurses have my number if you change your mind. I hope you do. I can tell you from experience that you need support while you go through the rehabilitation process."

"Auggie, I'm not you! I don't need you or anyone else. Now leave, right now. Come get your things from the nurse's station another time."

At this Annie watched as Auggie, awkwardly made his way to the door, open it, and walk out. She knew she had hurt him, but she did not care. He was not acting like her best friend. She did not want him sitting there next to her pitying her. She did not want his pity help. She did not need a handler right now. She did not need him.

She did not see or hear from him the rest of the week. For the majority of the week all she did was sleep, eat and then sleep and wake up to eat. The nurses came and went, changing her bandages, replenishing her IVs and medicines and occasionally trying to strike up a conversation with her, but she never talked with them about anything other than her medical needs.

Meanwhile, Auggie immerses himself into work and refuses to speak with anyone about Annie. Even Joan can't get him to open up what was going on with him and her. Joan visited Annie several times over the next few days and never got anything other than medical information from her. Annie always seemed to be "too tired" to speak with her for much longer than a few minutes. Every time she had volunteered to stay with her, Annie would conveniently "fall asleep" for hours at a time, therefore, wasting Joan's time.

Annie was not allowing anyone into her world. She secluded herself for everyone. She was becoming quite bitter over her current situation. Auggie could not force her to accept his help. He knew exactly what she was doing. He had done the same thing when he first lost his sight. She needed someone and he would wait until she told him she wanted him there. He could be just as stubborn as she could. He would not beg her to stay in his life.

Author's Note: This is the last chapter I have completed so far. While the idea for at least 7-10 more chapters are in my head, the words are not on paper yet. Thank you to those who has reviewed. I appreciate the encouragement! Are we liking where this is heading or not? How often do most writers update their stories? I'm not sure, what is the norm on the site?