Lena POV

I received a call from Stef some hour after we had arrived at the hospital. She had been working non-stop since the explosion took place. There had been no time to look at her phone as they were literally chasing down the possible person responsible. As it turned out, they she was now almost all across the city. The police and the special task unite were now trying to figure out what their next step was and how to handle the whole situation further.

Hearing her voice, hearing that she was unharmed, was a huge relief off all of our shoulders. I had put her on the speaker, so that everyone could hear her and talk to her. Even if it was just to say - say mom or we love you. Without a doubt, needed to hear each other voice went both ways. I'm sure, Stef had been going out of her mind, not knowing how we were or where we were or if we were safe. Now that we finally got in touch, I felt a lot calmer.

Once everyone had the chance to speak to her, I set it back to private and put the phone back to my ear, and walked outside of the hospital. Not going far, I stayed just couple of meters from the main entrance.

"Is it just you now?" Stef asked, I could hear in it her voice - she was tired and wanted for all of it to be over and done

"Yes, it's just me," I said leaning back at the wall, rubbing my temple slowly with my free hand that wasn't holding the phone

"Lena…" Stef paused, her voice was heavy, so I knew, she was about to drop some news to me "We saw her."

"What?" I gasped out and stopped massaging my temple

"We saw her get blow away. One moment she was smiling, waving at us, coming toward us...the next..." Stef cut her sentence short, not being able to finish

She didn't need to finish the sentence for my brain to imagine how it had went down. And the image in my head, that my mind painted for me, horrified me. I was left speechless. More than anything, I wanted to get that image out of my mind. But no matter how hard I tried to shake it away, it was still there. Putting my palm over my mouth, I suppressed the cry. But it did not stop the tears from falling.

It became very clear to me as to why Amy still hadn't said a single word.

Seeing your child hurt, being helpless to take the pain away, watching how the child was fighting to stay alive was bad and hard enough. But witnessing first hand, how it happened, is even worse. No wonder Amy was so broken and devastated. This will haunt her for the rest of the days. She will never forget it, she will never be able to get that moment out of her mind. It will stay with her like a shadow, just handing over wherever she will go.

I would be scared to let my child out of my sight after that and no doubt, Amy will be the same.

"Lena, love...are you there?" I heard Stef's soft and full of concern voice on the other end of the call.

"Yeah...yeah," I chocked out, wiping the tears away "I'm here. I just...I.." I shook my head, it was too hard to form a normal sentence together.

"I know," Stef said and another silence fell between us "I have to go, love. I love you. I will try to get there as soon as possible," she said the last part in a hurry

"I love you too! Please, be careful."

I ended the phone call, but was in no hurry to get back inside. Before I go back, I needed to gather myself us. I needed to stay strong, for the rest of them. Amy needed people to lean on and she will need all of us for that.

It took me a bit longer than I had anticipated as I had let myself cry and let all of it, all of what had happened today, out of my system. I needed the release, before I could be the person the rest of the family needed me to be.

When the tears strains were no longer visible on my cheeks, I leaned off the wall, ready to head back inside the hospital, but I stopped, when I saw a large group of people arriving. It consisted of men only, that I could see. All tall, strong and very confident looking men. If it wasn't for the man, that was leading them, who was dressed in a dark blue pants, white shirt with a firefighter emblem over the chest, and carrying a radio over his shoulder, I would have not realized who they were.

These were people from Callie's work. The firefighters she works with.

As the man in front, obviously the Captain of the Firehouse, disappeared into the hospital, followed by the rest of the men, I saw that there was one woman in the group as well. She was walking at the very end and compared to all of the men, she seemed so tiny. Walking like this, it almost seemed like she had her own group of bodyguards.

And I did recognize her. It was Beth, Callie's partner.

She had definitely looked the most physically exhausted and mentally drained out of all of them. And quite possibly, the one who had the most thought running wild at the given moment as she sure looked like she was lost in her own thoughts, not really paying attention to anything that was happening around her.

Beth was dragging her feet, her hands were in the pockets and she was walking with her head down.

She looked up right before entering the hospital. Seeing and recognizing me, she stopped and started at me for a moment, before changing the direction and coming towards me.

The closer she got, the more she tried to present herself better. Like she wasn't feeling so down. But her eyes and features and the whole body language, still betrayed her.

I had only met Beth few times. can't say that I have had the chance to really get to know her, to talk to her one-on-one. The few times that I have talked to her, like earlier today, she was with Callie and working. Not really the best time to get to know a person. I wouldn't call us friends exactly. Acquaintances more likely, but I would never turn her away and I was looking forward to someday having that one-on-one conversation with her for more than 1 minute. I had the most respect for what she did and from the little conversation that we have had, she seemed like a very nice, gentle and caring person.

"Hi," she said shyly as she took her hands out of the pockets. But the problem with that was, now she didn't know what to do with her hands. Eye contact with her was brief as her eyes were mostly averted to the ground between us. Her face was red, probably, from spending so much time in the Sun today and her hair was still wet. Her arriving only now, meant that she had been working on the scene till recently and that would clearly explain why she was looked so exhausted.

Seeing her like this, played with the strings of my heart and I just wanted to give the young woman a hug. She looked like someone, who needed a hug, badly but was too afraid to ask for it. At this moment, right now, like she stood in front of me, she reminded me of Jesus, Mariana and Jude, when they first got to us.

"Hi," I smiled at her

"Any news?" Beth asked, now picking her own fingernails with the other hand fingernails

I shook my head and told her everything that I knew, but it was not much "Last we heard from the nurses, was the she's in a surgery."

Beth nodded her head slowly, accepting the news. She probably expected to hear something along the lines.

"I know the doctors here," she gestured towards the hospital entrance "They are good doctors. She's in good hands."

"I hope you are right," I replied quietly, averting my eyes to the ground between us as I prayed for that to be true

"Is your family..." she wondered

"We're all okay," I quickly confirmed, cutting her off mid sentence "We were on the other side of the Fair, when it happened."

"That's good. That's good." She said, quieter the second time "Last I saw Stef she was still working-"

"Oh, um..yeah. I know. I ended a phone call with her just now, actually. She's alright as well."

"That's good to hear," Beth repeated herself

When she looked to me the next time, she finally managed to hold eye contact with me for longer than 2 seconds "Amy?"

"Hasn't said a single word, since we arrived," I answered honestly "We're actually quite worried about her. But it's not like we can make her talk. She will, when she's ready. We just need to give her time."

"Just knowing what she has already been through with Markus and Aaron," I noticed Beth swallow a lump in her throat at the mention of Amy's deceased son and husband, and only then I remembered that she had lost Markus as well. But it was too late. You can't pick up spilled water. I mentally kicked myself for not thinking about it sooner.

"…and now this happened. I mean, I think I can imagine what's going on in her mind, but still..." I let out a sigh and shook my head slowly as I was not able to finish my thought.

"We're worried," I concluded at the end

"How are you?" I gave her a question in return as she didn't say anything afterwards I told her about Amy. I believe I had done a little damage by mentioning Markus to her.

"I'm..." she was slightly taken aback by my question, even took a small step back increasing the distance between us. Beth scratched the side of her neck and ran her hand quickly through her still wet hair, brushing it so that it falls to the other side of her face.

"You know," she shrugged running her hand over her nose again as she sniffed, trying to brush off her own feelings as if she, her feelings, were not important

My head tilted to one side "I don't," I pressed on, but softly, keeping a close eye on her. And as weird as it was, in this moment, I saw no difference between her and my now kids. How recrulant they had been about sharing, about becoming vulnerable and allowing other people to help her, and seek comfort in others.

Her eyes snapped up to mine and she started back "I'm fine," Beth shrugged after a longer pause, not convincingly at all.

I saw through her lies as a small laugh escaped my mouth, making Beth look at me perplexed by my reaction.

"Oh, Beth..." I decreased the distance between us and set my hands on her shoulders, she stared into my eyes "I have heard that line too many times to know that is a lie. So, how about we try again, huh? How are you?"

Beth returned to avoiding my gaze, she turned her head slightly to the right. I saw her starting to bite her lower lip. She was fighting herself on this hard. Trying to keep it together, but also wanting to talk it out, share with someone. I might not be the person she wanted to talk to, but I was here now, listening, offering her the chance to get it all off her chest.

She sucked in a quick, but deep breath, before she blurt out "I'm so fucking scared and exhausted!" As our eyes finally met again, I saw they were full with tears, that were threatening to spill over any second now.

"I don't know if I can take loosing another Scott!" the tears dropped, the moment she said it

"We're not going to lose her!" I assured her, strongly believing it, as I pulled Beth into a hug allowing the young woman cry it out

Amy POV

This was the most unfunny joke life has ever played out with me. I would even go as far and say it was beyond cruel.

It felt sort of like a Deja Vu.

I have been here before. Not just the hospital, but in the situation as well.

The same nurse, that I had spoken to when I had arrived then, was the one who had stopped me and held me back from following the gurney with Callie on into the emergency room.

Callie had the same exact emergency doctor, who was on call the day Markus was brought in and who was trying to save his life. Yet he had failed miserably the first time around.

Neither of them, of course, remember me. And honestly, I don't expect them to. They have had thousands of people coming and going through here during these last few years. How could they. But I, well, that's completely different story because I will never forget their faces. Neither will I ever forget the face of the truck driver who was guilty of killing my family.

I was sitting in the same fucking, uncomfortable chair as I had that day. Only this time, I don't have Callie by my side. I have Cooper, and Callie's brother and his whole family, except for Stef, who was still working. The Adams Foster kids, took turns to go walk with Duke around the hospital, because no dogs are allowed in hospital, not even the waiting room or lobby. And whoever came up with that rule, is a fucking idiot, because dogs can help so much. They are such good companions.

This is biggest coincidence that I had ever witnessed. If it was a sign, of what was about to happen, then screw everyone, screw this whole World and Universe. It may sound dark, who am I kidding, it is dark, but I don't want to live in a World without Callie in it. I had somehow suffered through losing one child, I cannot take that pain a second time. Knowing, how it felt, what could be in store for me again if it happens, was simply too much.

Out of the anger that I felt, I pulled both of my hands in fists.

I felt Jesus tap my forearm. When I glanced to him, he pointed towards someone. Following his gaze, I saw Callie's Captain Raymond Jennings and what appeared to be the whole Firehouse behind him, walking in the waiting room.

He walked up to me, expressed his condolences about what had happened during the Fair and the whole situation that Callie was in now, before telling me that if I need anything, I can turn to him. The firehouse was ready to help with whatever we need, because in a way, they were her family as well. In response I simply nodded my head. Appreciating the gesture. All the firefighters came inside the waiting room and sat down, filling basically all of the remaining empty seats. It was already pretty crowded in here because Callie was not the only one, who was brought to this hospital after the explosion. There were at least 5 more families, who were here because of the same reason Callie was here.

A while later, Lena returned inside, along with Beth. The look the young woman gave me, spoke more value then words ever could. In a way, she was in the same fucking boat as I was. Different Scott, different kind of friendship, but still the same situation. No words were needed from her, for me to know that she was sorry and, just like the Captain Jennings had said, here for me as well if I need anything.

Minutes passed by, followed by hours. No news. No updates. Brandon and Frankie were now walking with Duke outside, keeping him company.

I needed to streach my legs, I had been sitting for far too long.

I got up and walked out. Without saying anything or looking back that the others.

I walked down the familiar hallway. Still remembering like it was yesterday, how I had been walking here with Callie beside me. She had asked if I had wanted to get hot coffee.

As I was approaching the coffee machine, I pulled out the few coins that I always carried with me, just so I could buy coffee or a pastry during the lunch time. Looking at the options, I decided to go for a hot chocolate, instead of the black coffee with milk I had taken while I was waiting for news about Markus.

I counted the needed coins. The first one that I picked up, slipped out of my fingers. The sound of a coin hitting the ground echoed throughout the hallway. Crouching down, I quickly picked the coin up, before I lost it and put it inside the machine. Then added the rest of the coins. The machine buzzed and made all the other weird sounds as it made me the required drink.

Please take your drink

The message appeared on the small screen. So I did. I grabbed the drink and turned to walk back to the waiting room.

I took the first sip of the hot beverage and almost burnt my tongue, it was so hot. Decided to blow on it as I walked back. My eyes went between looking at the drink and the hallway in front of me. Part of me was scared to see the doctor coming to find me in the hallway, similar like the police officers had found me and told me about Aaron.

Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened this time. I reached the waiting room and sat back down, next to Cooper and Jesus, where I had sat before I had left. It took me about 10 minutes to slowly drink the whole drink. Cooper was so kind to take the empty cup and throw it out for me.

Then, the Deja Vu feeling returned as Callie's doctor walked inside the waiting room and took off his scrub hat. The scrub hat, of course, was the same fucking dark hat with the same silly cartoon drawings on top, because doctors are superstitious like that. His face was as serious as it gets. So I braced myself, as much as I possibly could, for the news.

"Mrs. Scott Ellis?" He asked to confirm I was the person who he was looking for. I nodded back. In my peripheral vision I saw how the whole Firehouse gang jumped up on their feet. Cooper gripped my hand that was resting on top of the armrest. The whole Adams Foster gang held their breath along with me.

"Your daughter is in recovery," he announced smiling down at me