Everything can be over in a heartbeat!

As agreed, Ridge signed the contracts with the 'Jackson production' two days later. Later at night he celebrated the success with Taylor and the kids. Like he had told Taylor he gave Rick the responsibility for this project. The latter was very proud and gleeful about the opportunity to prove himself. He was honestly a little surprised that Ridge would trust him with such a big important project, but he didn't give any more thought to whether Ridge might have had any ulterior motives. Ridge had talked to Steffy and Thomas ahead and discussed to them his reasons why he was delegating this project to Rick. The two had a sheepish grin on their face as their father explained that this was a good opportunity to get rid of Rick for a while. Furthermore, their father took them in his arms and said

"Plus your mother would kill me if I sent either of you to New York for that long!" They laughed and agreed with him and jokingly replied that they definitely didn't want to risk that. So at the end Thomas and Steffy were not too disappointed that neither one of them was allowed to lead this project. However, they appreciated that their father discussed the matter with them beforehand. Then there came a big shock for all of them, Eric suggested Thomas and Steffy should support Rick, as the work could not be done alone. Eric was convinced it would be most effective if all three worked together. Secretly, of course, he hoped it would help to keep the peace within the family. Because even if the fronts were settled and Ridge had clearly decided with which woman he wanted to spend his future, the relationship between Rick and the Forrester siblings was more than tense. He hoped by working together they would become closer again and they would finally find a way to get along with each other. Rick as well as Thomas and Steffy were horrified by this idea and none of them had any real desire to form a partnership, but in the end they all agreed to it for the sake of the family. Ridge praised his children and confirmed he appreciated their willingness to do this. He encouraged them, not to let Rick undercut them and to assert themselves.

Taylor sat in her office waiting for her next patient. She was studying the file again when her cell phone rang.

"Hi Sweetheart!"

"Hey Doc! Do you have a moment or are you doctoring on someone's soul right now?"

"Ridge!"

"Just a little joke! So what are you doing?"

"Waiting for my next 'victim'. What do you want? Are you calling just to get on my nerves or what?!"

"You know that's one of my favorite things to do. No seriously, I actually want to take you out for dinner. What do you say? The two of us all alone, a good meal, good music..."

"How am I supposed to say no to that?!"

"Okay! Then I'll pick you up at seven."

"Fine, I'll see you then, I'm looking forward to it!"

"Me too! And now I won't bother you any more with your 'shrinking'. Bye Doc!"

"Bye jackass!"

"I love you too!" After she hung up, Taylor shook his head. This man would never grow up.

After her last patient left, Taylor changed and got ready for their dinner. She was excited to have a nice quiet dinner with Ridge again. But it turned seven and Ridge didn't show up. At first, Taylor remained completely relaxed. It was not unusual for Ridge to be late. But the more time passed, the more anxious she became. She called at Forrester Creation, Pam was no longer there, but after several attempts, Thorne finally answered the phone. But all he could tell her was that Ridge had left the office some time ago. Taylor now suspected that Ridge was stuck in traffic and continued to wait. But more and more time passed without Ridge showing up. That's when her phone rang.

"Good evening. This is the General Hospital, am I speaking with Dr. Taylor Forrester?"

"Yes, that's me!" Taylor got extremely nervous, a bad feeling overcame her.

"I'm sorry to inform you, your husband was in a car accident and has just been admitted to our hospital." Taylor felt the blood freeze in her veins, she began to shake terribly. An eerie fear took hold of her but she tried to stay calm.

"Oh my God! What happened? How is he?" asked Taylor nervously and full of fear.

"I'm afraid I don't have any information..."

"Yes of course, I'm on my way! I'll be there in a few minutes!" Hastily Taylor hung up, grabbed her things and rushed to her car. Her pulse was racing and she was barely able to form a clear thought. She fervently hoped it wasn't too bad and that Ridge was okay. Throughout the ride, she prayed to herself.

"Please please please let him be okay! Make sure nothing happens to him!" At the hospital, however, the receptionist was still unable to give her any further information. She was asked to take a seat in the waiting area until the doctor would talk to her. Impatiently, Taylor ran back and forth. This waiting was unbearable, with every minute she got more anxious. She went to the machine to get a cup of coffee. Just as she was about to go back to the waiting area, she caught sight as a doctor rushed toward the OR area and a nurse greeted him.

"Dr. Goldberg! I'm glad you're here. Your assistance is desperately needed in the OR!" She showed him a chart "Middle-aged man, severe car accident, multiple broken bones and most severe internal injuries in addition to a basal skull fracture. If you ask me, this man has very little chance of pulling through. We'll be lucky if he makes it through the surgery and through the night. Taylor stopped, frozen and stared at the two people who disappeared back into the operation area. The nurse's words kept echoing in her ear. Numb she went back to the waiting area, where she dropped on a chair and began to cry her heart out.

"This couldn't be true, it was impossible! This couldn't be Ridge, who was having a surgery right now and was fighting for his life." She suddenly felt terribly cold, lonely and utterly distraught. She gazed at her wedding band.

"This couldn't all be over now, just when they finally had found their happiness and were living the life they had always dreamed of!" Again she began to pray. "Please, Ridge stay strong! Hang in there! Don't leave me alone, I need you!" The most terrifying thoughts raced through her mind, at the same time she tried to give herself courage and remain optimistic. Ridge was a fighter, he would surely get through this.

After what felt like an eternity, a doctor appeared and addressed her.

"Good evening, Mrs. Forrester?"

"Yes!" Taylor jumped up and looked expectantly at the doctor.

"I'm Dr. Sander, please excuse me for keeping you waiting..."

"How is my husband?" asked Taylor tensely.

"He's fine! He got off quite easily, he has some minor bruising and a concussion and of course he has a shock. We gave him a sedative and he's sleeping now." A chaos of emotions overwhelmed her. She could hardly believe what the doctor had said to her.

"He's really okay?" she asked through tears of relief. "He doesn't need any surgery?"

"No, you don't have to worry about that! Nothing serious has happened to your husband! In a few days he will be fine."

"Oh my God!" Taylor collapsed on the chair again. She was completely done with her nerves, the shock from earlier was still in all her bones and at the same time she was incredibly happy, relieved and blissful that nothing else had happened.

"Your husband was really lucky. A driver on the opposite lane had lost control of his car, thank God your husband was able to swerve, so the other driver only hit him in the back side of his car. Unfortunately, the other driver wasn't so lucky!" Taylor realized that must be the man who just underwent a surgery between life and death. Shaking, drenched in sweat and completely exhausted, she slouched on the chair. The doctor noticed her condition.

"Are you not feeling well? Do you need anything?" Taylor rebuffed.

"I'm fine! May I see my husband now, please?"

"Wouldn't you rather go home and rest? Your husband is asleep and he's in the best hands with us."

"I know, but I really need to see him! Please!"

"All right, then follow me." Dr. Sander instructed a nurse to take Taylor to the ward. Quietly, so as not to wake him, Taylor stepped into his room and sat by his bed. She reached for his hand and gently stroked his face.

"Hey sweetheart! Don't be scared, I'm here! Everything is going to be fine! I love you!" She breathed a soft kiss on his lips. All of a sudden, Ridge's eyes snapped open. Disoriented and confused, he stared at her. Taylor strained to crack a smile.

"Hey, how are you?" she whispered to him.

"I don't know, I feel kind of weird. What happened?"

"You were in a car accident, but everything will be okay. Your injuries are not so bad. You'll be all right in a little while. Are you in any pain right now?" Ridge concentrated and moved carefully.

"No, I just feel pretty dizzy and woozy and my head is pounding."

"That's normal, the best would be you go back to sleep! I'll stay with you!" She gripped his hand tighter and laid her head next to his. Softly she started to hum. Ridge closed his eyes again. Soon he was fast asleep again and Taylor was dozing fitfully. When a nurse came into the room to check on Ridge, she woke up again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay!" The nurse looked at her with concern. Taylor was wearing only her thin dress and it wasn't quite warm in the room.

"Wouldn't you rather go home? It's getting late and maybe you should get some rest?!"

"I'm fine! I'm staying here!" Nothing and no one could get Taylor away from Ridge's side tonight. She needed to be with him, to feel and sense him.

"All right, But I'll bring you a blanket, though!"

"Thank you, that's very nice!" A short time later, the nurse was touched as Taylor, snuggled into the blanket, lay back down next to Ridge's head and held his hand. These sights always made her emotional.

The next morning, Taylor awoke very early. She had slept terribly all night and was far from being rested. Her eyes immediately fell on Ridge, who was still fast asleep. During the night, Taylor had had horrible nightmares over and over again, so she was all the more relieved to see that Ridge was actually doing very well, considering the circumstances. Finally, he opened his eyes. He was much more conscious than he had been the night before. Taylor helped him to get comfortable.

"Good morning! How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine, just a little drowsy. What exactly happened?" he wanted to know from her.

"What do you remember?" Ridge thought hard.

"I remember I was on my way to your office and then I noticed that car on the other lane...suddenly it started skidding and then it ran into me...I just jerked the steering wheel in a flash and then I don't remember anything."

"The car hit you, but luckily only in the back side. The doctor said you were very lucky!"

"Seems so!" Because based on the fact that the accident was just 12 hours ago, Ridge was feeling great.

"You definitely look a lot better since yesterday!" Taylor tried to build him up.

"Therefore you don't look so fresh for it though, if I may say so!" Taylor glanced at Ridge stunned and then went to the mirror, she got a shock herself when she saw her face. Due to all the crying, her make up was all smudged and the sleepless night had clearly left its mark. She washed her face with ice cold water. Ridge noticed Taylor was standing there in a short black dress. He whistled through his teeth in approval.

"Wow sexy! Quite an outfit for a night in the hospital!"

"Very funny, you may remember actually we were supposed to have dinner last night and I didn't expect to spend the night in an uncomfortable chair in this cold hospital room." Immediately, Ridge lowered his head guiltily.

"I'm sorry our date didn't work out, but we'll make up for it as soon as I'm alright! I promise! A night together in the hospital really isn't what I'd call a romantic date."

"You're right about that!" she nodded with a laugh. "I wouldn't mind spending our next date somewhere else." Taylor gave him a gentle kiss. "I'm just glad nothing worse happened to you. I was terrified!" Ridge squeezed her hand.

"I'm fine, I'm sure I'll be back on my feet pretty soon."

A nurse came into the room to take his temperature. She asked Ridge what he wanted for breakfast and offered to bring Taylor some coffee. Taylor nodded enthusiastically; a coffee was just what she needed right now. A short time later, the nurse returned with his breakfast. Ridge tried to sit up, but Taylor slowed him down.

"You better be careful, you still need to take it easy because of your concussion." So Ridge let Taylor feed him.

Later, the doctor stopped by and gave Ridge a quick checkup. "Everything looks pretty good already! Still I'd like to keep you here for a few days for observation Mr. Forrester, just in case of any repercussions." Ridge was not thrilled about this news; he wanted to get home as soon as possible. Pleadingly, he looked at Taylor. She knew how much Ridge detested hospitals, especially when he was the patient.

"Dr. Sander, isn't it possible that my husband may be discharged sooner? With all due respect to your professional expertise, I'm convinced he would do much better at home, especially psychologically. I guarantee I'll make sure he gets the rest he needs and I take well care of him."

"Yes exactly, actually my wife is a colleague of yours." Ridge jumped in. Gratefully, he reached for Taylor's hand.

"Well, in that case..." said Dr. Sander with a slight smirk. "...we'll definitely give you another thorough examination today, and if everything is okay, you can be released tomorrow morning." With that answer, Ridge was already much more satisfied.

After Dr. Sander left the room again, Ridge pulled his wife to him.

"Thank you for not feeding me to this mob here!"

"Now don't be like that, Ridge! They have been taking excellent care of you for the past few hours."

"Yeah, but I'd still rather be at home with you! You are my doc my love" Taylor couldn't fight this charm offensive.

"I also want you to come home, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yeah, looks like you're going to have to put up with your jackass for another while!" Ridge grinned at her, but Taylor got a terrible fright all at once. She remembered she had called him that on the phone yesterday. That was the last word she had said to him. Suddenly a lump stuck in her throat; she didn't even want to imagine that it could have been the very last word she ever said to him. Her façade collapsed. Sobbing, she threw herself into Ridge's arms and she began to cry hysterically. Ridge was a little overwhelmed by this emotional outburst, he didn't really understand what was going on inside her. He just held her and tried to soothe her until she calmed down to some extent.

"Taylor, hey it's alright! What's going on with you, Doc? Did I say something wrong?"

"No Ridge...it's just...I just had to think about it...life can be over so fast...yesterday I was so scared I was going to lose you forever." Finally, she told him about the conversation she had overheard. "I was so afraid that they were talking about you...I love you so much, Ridge...I couldn't bear to lose you right now!" Ridge gradually understood the worries and fears Taylor had been through the last couple of hours. Lovingly, he stroked her cheek.

"You won't lose me, you see I'm fine again!"

"I know, but a situation like this makes you realize again, everything can be over in a heartbeat!"

"I understand what you mean, but there's nothing anyone can do about that. The only thing we can do is to cherish every moment that we have!"

"You got that right! Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself in the future, because I need you for a very long time!" "Deal, but only if you promise me the same! I would be totally lost without you!"

"Promise!" They sealed their vow with a kiss. Then Taylor hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"I'm a silly girl, you're lying here in the hospital and you should be getting pampered, instead I'm whining all over your ears."

"Stop it, you're the one who had to worry and be scared all night. I'm glad you're so open with me about it!" Ridge was indeed very relieved that in their new relationship, Taylor didn't keep her feelings under wraps like she used to. In the past, she had always been the sensible and analytical one, she often hid her disappointments or hurts so he wouldn't feel bad. But he wanted to get a glimpse of all her feelings. He loved her all the more when she didn't try to be the strong one, but showed him her vulnerable side as well.

Finally, Taylor had regained her composure, she scrambled to her feet.

"I think I'm going home now, take a quick shower and I need to tell the news to Thomas and Steffy."

"They don't even know yet?" asked Ridge surprised.

"No, yesterday at first it didn't come to my mind to call them and then it was so late and when the doctor said it wasn't all that bad, I figured it wasn't necessary to ring them out of bed."

"Well, you have a point. It's soon enough to let them know what happened this morning." Taylor got ready to leave, she gave him another sweet kiss.

"So take care and be a good boy!"

"Of course! But you'll be back later, right?" he asked anxiously, clinging to her hand.

"Of course, what do you think of me? I'm not going to leave you here alone!" Ridge pulled her to him once again.

"I love you!"

"I love you too!"

"I love you more!"

"I love you much, much more!" said Taylor, finally disappearing out the door. Outside, she took a deep breath."