After Napoleon and Mark left the room, Illya sat in the chair Mark had placed next to the bed. He looked around at all the machines and IV drips keeping her alive. She looks so small and vulnerable lying there. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss. "April, moya lyubov', please. This cannot be the end of our story. You must return to me. You owe me that because we love each other. You cannot open my heart, move into it and then leave me. You would leave a hole that no one else could fill. Please, do not do that to me."

He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. "I want you to know, lyubov', that if it turns out that you have become paralyzed, it will change my love for you because it will make me love you more. I also want you to know that part of me is very angry with Mark right now even though I know he was doing everything right. I know I am being illogical because you and I are lovers. I do not know how I will get past this anger; I only know that I must if Mark and I are to continue our friendship. I know how you feel about him and I know you do not blame him, but right now, I cannot help the way I feel."

He heard footsteps approaching, so he sat back and quickly wiped his eyes. Napoleon and Mark walked in followed by Dr. Perez. The doctor checked April's chart and then checked the readings on the machines. "Gentlemen, I don't expect Miss Dancer to wake up until tomorrow afternoon the earliest. Therefore, I ask that two of you leave her room. As I said, these first twenty – four hours are critical, so I'm not suggesting that you leave the hospital. However, I want only one of you in here at a time. Okay?"

Napoleon spoke for them all. "Yes, that's fine. If things change, you will find two of us in the waiting room we were in earlier."

"That's fine. Miss Dancer was the last surgery of the evening, so unless an emergency occurs, that room will remain empty until tomorrow morning."

"Good," Napoleon said. "I do ask that you give us a few moments alone with her. I promise you we will be out of here in less than ten minutes. You can wait outside and time us if you like."

"No, I'm trusting you. I will see you all tomorrow." Doctor Perez smiled a good night and closed the door behind him.

Mark and Illya looked expectantly at their CEA. He moved to the side of the bed opposite Illya and said, "I want to pray for April" before kneeling beside the bed.

Mark glanced at Illya who stepped back so that the Brit could take his place. "That's a good idea, Mate. I think I'll join you." He knelt and said to Illya, "I know this is not your thing, Illya, so I will pray silently."

Both men clasped their hands on the bed, bowed their heads and prayed silently while Illya stood at the foot of her bed. Though he was an atheist, he believed in the power of positive thinking and quietly sent positive thoughts to her.

Mark leaned back just as Napoleon was making the Sign of the Cross. They stood and Napoleon leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Please stay with us," he whispered in her ear. "We need you." He stepped towards Illya and Mark and the three of them put their arms around each other. After a moment, Napoleon tightened his arm around Mark before releasing both of them. "Mark, it's ten – thirty now. Sit with her until two – thirty and then call Illya. Illya, you wake me at six – thirty. If anything changes, we want to know immediately."

"You've got it, Napoleon. Illya, I'll call you on my communicator."

When they returned to the waiting room, Napoleon turned on one of the lamps and turned off the overhead light, casting the room in a soft glow more conducive for sleeping. He was pleased to notice the door had a deadbolt lock which he turned. There were two couches in the room; one on either side of a rectangular coffee table. He moved to one of them, took off his jacket and hung it over an easy chair. Next, he removed his gun from its holster and stuck it under the pillow on which he intended to lay his head. The holster itself he jammed into one of his jacket sleeves.

Illya had started to mirror his partner's actions, but when he removed his jacket, he looked at the small window on the door and used his jacket to cover it. When Napoleon looked askance at him, he shrugged and said, "I have a feeling that I am going to want the privacy." He tucked his gun under the pillow on his couch and laid down.

"Illya? I want to talk to you."

"I knew it."

"I just want to check in with you, Partner. What are you feeling?"

Illya didn't sit up; he threw his right arm over his eyes and said, "I am scared. Scared of losing her, scared of what that would do to me and scared for her state of mind if she is permanently paralyzed."

"I fear the same things, too. Illya, Mark thinks you're blaming him for April being shot. Are you?"

A long sigh escaped the prone man. "I know it is wrong, but I am blaming him to a certain extent. I thought I had hidden my anger from him. I certainly have not said anything to him."

"I know. Please don't. He already feels guilty."

"I will not say anything." Illya dropped his arm and turned to look at his partner. "What about you, Napoleon? How are you feeling?"

"Like I have to keep it together not only for Mark, but also for you. I'm the Chief Enforcement Agent, what happens is ultimately my responsibility. I assigned them to that surveillance mission. If April…if she doesn't make it, I'm going to be questioning myself as to why I chose them and not another team."

"You chose them because in your judgement they were the best qualified team to handle the assignment. I have no doubt about that and neither should you, Polya."

Napoleon smiled wanly and laid down. "We are a pair, aren't we?" he asked rhetorically. "Okay, let's get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning. Night, Partner."

"Good night."