Chapter Two:

The sound of a car loudly sputtering to life shocked Elizabeth awake, though not at all well rested. She was groggy and couldn't think clearly, despite the fact that it must have been hours since she had last gotten up with baby Daniel. She reached over, but didn't feel Nathan by her side. She tried to remember if he had come to bed last night, and then everything came flooding back.

The events of yesterday hit her hard, and she struggled not to begin crying this early. She knew Allie, Jack and Daniel would be joining her by early afternoon, and she focused on that to keep her spirits up. As she tried to make yesterday's dress work for her again today, something inside her heart leaned towards hope. Elizabeth began praying that, despite all of Dr. Mueller's confidence, Nathan would defy all odds and return to her in full health.

She grabbed a quick breakfast in the hotel dining room, speeding through her meal and not even finishing her cup of coffee before she headed straight to the hospital. Elizabeth walked into Nathan's room, hoping for the miracle of seeing him sitting up and greeting her with that crooked smile of his. Her prayers for recovery continued even more fervently when she saw him looking exactly the same as yesterday; maybe a little more green in his bruises and that scrape on his cheek was less red. But otherwise, he hadn't moved an inch, arms and legs still and stiff. "Good morning Constable," she whispered, kissing his forehead and taking her seat.

She spoke to him quietly, trying not to let reality dictate her actions. "I spoke with the children last night. Lee already said he would be happy to drive them to come see us. They should be here this afternoon. They're all anxious to see you. Jack mentioned a "surprise", so that should be interesting."

Nurse Lethbridge entered the room, and Elizabeth cut off abruptly. She didn't know how the nurse would react to her talking to an unconscious man.

"How are you doing this morning Mrs. Grant?" Nurse Lethbridge asked.

Elizabeth gave a weak smile. "As well as I can be."

The nurse gave her a nod. "Constable Grant has good vitals this morning, which is a great sign. And someone came to the desk to see you. I wasn't sure if you wanted visitors, so I said I would ask."

Elizabeth's heart leapt. She hadn't imagined her family would be here this early, but she was grateful for the extra time with her children. "Yes, please, I want to see them!"

Nurse Lethbridge left, and a minute later, Elizabeth got the surprise of her life. A beautiful caramel blonde haired woman came through the door, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Abigail!" Elizabeth greeted her dear friend with a tight hug. Abigail's warmth spread through her, and she didn't want to let go. This is what she needed, what she was craving in her grief.

"How did you know I was here?" Elizabeth asked.

Abigail pulled back just enough to look her friend in the eyes. "As luck would have it, I was on my way to Hope Valley for a visit. It's been too long, and since my mother passed, I've had too much time on my hands. I had to stop here last night, and something prompted me to call you this morning. When Allie answered, she explained what had happened, and that you were here in Union City as well."

Elizabeth pulled her friend close again. "I'm so glad. I could really use a friend right now."

"What is Nathan's prognosis?"

Elizabeth broke down again. "Oh Abigail, the doctor says… Nathan… he's…." she sobbed in her friend's arms, unable to finish the thought. Words were unnecessary however, and Abigail could seemingly read her mind.

Abigail rubbed soft circles on her friend's back, whispering all the comfort she could into the embrace. "You are strong, Elizabeth. You will make it through. I don't have anywhere to be except by your side until you've weathered this storm."

There was no way Elizabeth was going to be able to speak around the tightness in her throat, so she instead held Abigail even closer to her, and allowed the tears to flow. Abigail understood exactly what her friend needed, and the two women stood there, neither willing to let go of the other. Time, equipment and nurses seemed to pass around them, but in their bubble of support, nothing meant more than having someone so steady to rely on.

Elizabeth finally received enough strength to let go, and she motioned for Abigail to take her chair while she sat on the corner of Nathan's bed. Unconsciously, she took her husband's hand in her own as she began to allow herself some normalcy in her conversation with Abigail.

"How have you been?" Elizabeth asked.

Abigail gave a little sigh. "It's been busy. After my mother passed, I found some unusual debts she never told me about. I was worried that either someone had taken advantage of her and may still have access to her money, or the debt had been accrued without her knowledge. I hired a lawyer to look into everything for me, and he's doing a very thorough job, though I wish he could hurry up and resolve all of this for me."

Listening to Abigail's troubles gave Elizabeth a chance to lay her own aside for a moment. "I'm sorry, that sounds awful. Does your lawyer have any answers as to how your mother got into debt yet?"

Abigail shook her head. "He suspects that when she got sick, a fake insurance broker came around to try to get her to invest in his scheme. If Ben, my lawyer, can prove fraud, that will make settling this so much easier. But it's still too early to tell."

Elizabeth nodded in sympathy. "Well, how about Cody? What's he up to these days?"

The subject of her son put a smile on Abigail's lips. "Cody just began his first year at university. He and Robert have kept in touch so well, and when Robert said he wanted to go to the Mountie Academy, Cody considered it as well."

"Oh." Elizabeth began an internal argument against sweet, loving Cody taking up the Mountie profession. Nathan's hand in hers, several degrees colder than his usual heat, was another startling reminder of just how dangerous the career could become.

"Yes, well, I didn't exactly support him. I did leave the decision up to him, but after what happened with Jack, I don't know if I could ever let someone I love take on such a dangerous job without advising them against it." Abigail shifted her eyes to her lap, and Elizabeth felt the guilt coming off her friend.

"I once thought that way as well. Nathan's career held me back from loving him for so long. But I realized that I loved this man too much to not spend every moment available to us together." She glanced to the side, and brushed that adorably pesky lock of hair off of his forehead. "I just hope we haven't already run out of moments."

Elizabeth turned back to Abigail when she placed her hand on Elizabeth's unoccupied one. "I'm praying for a miracle."

"As am I."

After some technical difficulties and an amazing second episode, I finally have chapter two for you! It's a little on the shorter side, but this just felt like the right place to end. Next chapter should be posted much earlier next Sunday, so hopefully before the episode airs. Have a wonderful week!