Episode 136


“What was that,” Deidra questioned with wide eyes thinking about the kiss that had just taken place between her and Dean.  Now as they stood face to face, she felt an awkward moment overtake her.  Granted she’d thought repeatedly about what it would be like to kiss him, but at the same time she never really believed that they would actually cross that line with one another.  Then again she’d hoped they would.  Okay, so maybe her thoughts were making about as much sense as the moment had, she thought to herself.
   
“Something I’ve been thinking about since the first day I saw you step onto the elevator,” Dean confessed searching her eyes as he felt his own heart pounding furiously in his chest.
   
“Dean, I’m just not…” Deidra started thinking about the way her life had been.  Every time she’d tried to find some happiness, something was always ripping it away from her.  “You see I’ve…”
   
“Had a lot of heartbreak,” he finished with a quick nod, “Yes, I know but I’m willing to help you through it.  I know that things haven’t been great, but if you give me the chance, well I’d like to prove to you that I can be what you need.”
   
“But why me,” she questioned in confusion feeling her stomach tied in knots at the way he’d kissed her.  Even now her eyes traveled longingly towards his sensual mouth remembering how good it felt to have him kiss her.
   
“Because you’re exactly what I’ve been waiting for in my life.  I mean sure you might think I’m crazy, but from the moment I first saw you I knew that I had to get the chance to know you.  Even now I would like an opportunity,” Dean reached out to her taking her hand in his, “I know you have a lot going on, but if you’d give me a chance…I mean hey, we’re still on for dinner right?”
   
“After that kiss,” she couldn’t help but smile feeling the warmth of his touch upon her, “how could I refuse?”
   
“See now, was that so hard,” Dean began ready to say something more when there was a furious knock on the door.  Seconds later one of the nurses entered the room looking rather perplexed.
   
“There you both are,” she started in a frenzy.
   
“What is it Janet,” Dean questioned spinning around to face the small woman before him.
   
“There’s been a bombing over at the airport.  The ambulances are bringing people in left and right and I’ve been asked to have everyone on duty get down to emergency.”
   
“Say no more,” Dean nodded in response turning to offer up an apologetic look to Deidra, “We’ll continue this later.”
   
“Okay,” she agreed before following him out of her office ready to help those in need after the disaster had taken place shaking up the lives in Coral Valley.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zack rushed into the hospital, quickly discovering the information he needed to know to find Johanna.  While there hadn’t been any word on Ken or Caitlin yet, he knew he had to find his wife.  He had to make sure that she and the baby were alright.  Fearing for what could’ve happened, he hurried to the room Johanna was in. 
   
Standing in the doorway, he found the first moment of peace inside of him since this whole thing began.  There before him in the bed was Johanna with a small blanket in her arms.  Upon taking a step closer, Zack’s eyes fell upon the small child she was holding.  It was his baby--their baby and as Johanna slowly lifted her eyes up to acknowledge his presence.  She smiled weakly as he moved in beside her.
   
“Jo,” he mouthed her name finding himself completely in awe of her.  She never looked more beautiful than she did with their son in her arms.  His eyes sparkled as the baby she was holding cuddled into her.
   
“Zack,” she motioned for him to get closer, “come here and meet our son.”
   
“Our son,” he repeated with a lump building in the back of his throat.  Focusing on the small infant in her arms, he watched the baby wiggle a bit beneath the blanket he’d been wrapped up in.  Unable to contain the emotion that carried over him, Zack sat down on the edge of the edge of the bed.  He touched the baby’s small finger, realizing how real this moment was for him.  Sure, he and Johanna had only recently reconnected, but in having their son alive and well before him, it took his breath away.  “Johanna, he’s perfect.”
   
“That’s because he’s the best of both of us,” Johanna smiled proudly, “He might not have had the perfect day to enter this world, but he decided that he had to make the most of the situation.”
   
“He’s amazing,” Zack felt the baby reach for his finger while Johanna let out a soft sigh, “I mean to think what he braved to come into this world…what you both went through…”
   
“We weren’t alone,” Johanna confessed thinking about their son’s miraculous arrival, “Just when I thought that it was over for me--that I was going to die and our baby would go with me, an angel came and rescued us.  Zack, Blake saved us.”
   
“Blake,” Zack repeated in confusion, “Jo, are you saying that Blake…”
   
She nodded, “She was there when I was about to fall, but she pulled me up.  When I was in the full throes of labor, she really jumped to the plate and she’s a main reason why we are both here right now.  She helped bring this baby into this world and she was a real trooper.  I don’t know what we would’ve done without her.”
   
Zack stood in silence finding himself dumbfounded by the idea of Blake and Johanna in a moment like that.  While he and Blake had the history with one another, he could only imagine what she would be feeling in a moment like that helping Johanna bring his son into the world.
   
“She was wonderful,” Johanna added with a sigh before looking away, “and I can see why you love her.”
   
“Johanna,” he began sensing the hint of sadness in her tone.  Reaching out to touch her cheek gently, he urged her to meet his gaze, “while I’m always going to love Blake on some level and be grateful to her for what she did today with you and our son, the truth to the matter is that you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.  You’re the one that I love.”
   
“Zack, you don’t just have to say that because of our son,” Johanna’s eyes traveled to the baby she held protectively in her arms.
   
“I’m not,” Zack admitted honestly, “I’m saying that because it’s the truth.  Tonight when I thought I could lose you both, well it did something to me.  It made me realize that I’d wasted so many opportunities to do the right thing in my life.  I’d spent my time being this playboy--being the eternal bachelor and then reality came crashing down around me.  I couldn’t keep being the ladies man and having these ridiculous relationships without any real attachment.  Yes, when Blake and I were together it was special because she taught me so very much, but you, Johanna you are the woman that I want to grow old with--the woman that I want to raise my family with--the mother of my son and for that, I’m always going to love you,” he leaned in towards her kissing her tenderly as he opened his heart up to her at long last, “You’re everything to me.”
   
“Oh Zack,” she whimpered against his lips, feeling as if all her dreams were finally coming true right before her eyes.  As if not to be forgotten, their son let out a tiny whimper alerting them to his presence.
   
“I haven’t forgotten about you either, little man,” Zack smiled focusing on his son, “I love you very much.”
   
“Would you like to hold him,” Johanna questioned hopefully.
   
“Would I ever,” Zack nodded extending his arms out to reach for his son.  Carefully Johanna shifted their boy into his arm and in that first instant of holding his child, Zack found himself on top of the world realizing that life couldn’t get any better than this.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sounds of sirens pierced Shannon’s ears when she and Dave made their way to the airport.  The scene spoke volumes about the disaster that had taken place before their arrival.  As Shannon’s gazed over the wreckage before her, she felt her heart sink.  Things like this weren’t supposed to happen in a small town like Coral Valley.  People weren’t supposed to have their lives torn to pieces by something like this.  It just didn’t seem real.  Spotting Callaway and a few others she’d worked with up ahead, Shannon turned to Dave.
   
“I’m going to go see what they can tell me about what went down here,” Shannon informed him quickly.  Dave nodded in response before leaving to go speak with some of his officers on the matter.  Rushing over to Callaway, Shannon interrupted the conversation he was having with another fellow agent.
   
“What’s going on here,” Shannon questioned in confusion, “How did this happen?”
   
“We had a tip earlier in the day that there would be a possible terrorist attack just north of here,” Callaway informed her, “No one expected it to hit in Coral Valley.”
   
“Terrorists,” Shannon’s eyes widened upon his words.  Her eyes lingered over to the remains of the airport before she shook her head, “but why?”
   
“Who the hell knows,” Agent Neilson shrugged taking a long look around the area, “those damn terrorists never seem to make any sense.  All they can think about is destruction for this reason or that…”
   
“Even so, what prompted this attack?  Why Coral Valley,” Shannon questioned in confusion thinking about the horrible disaster before her, “Why kill so many people?”
   
“Because it’s all a game to them,” Neilson clenched his fists at his side, “They don’t see just how wrong this is.”
   
“But are we sure this bombing can be linked to the terrorist threat,” Shannon questioned thinking about the various happenings in Coral Valley, “I mean is it possible that someone else other than a terrorist group planted the bomb at the airport?”
   
“At this point anything is possible, but we’re trying to keep our eyes open and our heads clear about this situation,” Callaway added with obvious dismay now that lines of tension spread over his face, “On top of all those who have been injured or killed from that explosion, we lost one of our own tonight.”
   
“One of our own?” Shannon gave him a strange look, “Who?”
   
“Agent Lawson.  I had him in there on a mission and now,” Callaway shook his head, “I don’t know how I’m going to break it to his family.”
   
“What was he working on,” Shannon asked curiously, “Did it have anything to do with the bombing situation?”
   
“No one knew anything about the airport being hit until seconds before the explosion.  A civilian located the bomb and tried to get airport security to evacuate, but it was too late,” Callaway sighed heavily, “Speaking of which, since you’re not on active duty Pryce, how would you feel about going over to the hospital and having a few words with him?”
   
“Considering the carnage that’s surrounding me, I’d much rather stay here and try to help out,” Shannon admitted hearing the sounds of a child crying in the distance.
   
“Alright,” Callaway nodded, “but once you’re finished here, I expect you to head on over to the hospital and touch base with the man who discovered the bomb.  He might be able to tell us more about what happened.”
   
“Does this man have a name?” Shannon questioned curiously.
   
“Yeah, it’s Houston.  Kyle Houston,” Callaway explained to her completely unaware of Shannon and Kyle’s chance meeting earlier in the week.  Suddenly she thought back to the way in which she’d caught him sneaking into the evidence room and in that moment she realized that perhaps the key to finding the answers she was seeking out were in investigating a man who’d already raised a red flag with her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you alright," Kyle questioned hugging Jade with his non-hurt arm.

"Yeah I am fine," she smiled, "What about you? How is the arm?"

"Hurts like hell," he lightly cringed feeling the pain in his arm spread. 

"I’m sorry," she replied.

"Hey, you have never hurt me…you did nothing to me. Except for the other day, but that’s a different story," he said getting her to laugh.

"I should go find Seth…I need to know if he is okay," Jade said as he let her go of her. 

"Alright, I have to go and find Russ and Avery…I have to make sure they’re alright as well," he sighed as she nodded.
   
"Okay," she smiled back at him, “Let me know when you find them.”

"Will do.  I’ll catch up with you later," he waved to her watching her walk down the hallway until she was out of sight.

He sighed lightly turning around and walking down the hallway. He craned his head peeking into each room quickly looking for Russell and Avery. Somewhat of a pressure overcame his body worrying that possibly Avery and Russell could be hurt. In a way he believed that most of this was his fault…if something ever happened to either of them he would feel horrible. Just the thought of possibly having a chance to save all those people if he just would have been able to stop that bomb earlier. He kept walking until something caught his attention, he stopped in his steps listening quietly.

"Heather Gibbons?" a man question.

"Sir, she has been taken to emergency room," a nurse calmingly said.

"Emergency? She’s pregnant!" the man growled.

"Yes I know, she is going in for an emergency c-section."

"Is the baby going to be okay?" he questioned with fear in his voice.

"We don’t know yet, listen…I will come and tell you when I hear anything okay? Mr.?" she wondered.

"Dr. Hernandez, but just call me Diego," he replied leaning against the wall his fears consuming him in the moment he‘d been given the news on Heather.

Kyle gulped lightly pulling out his cell phone. He dialed the number listening to the ringing of the phone as he shut his eyes tightly. He grasped onto his arm as pain shot through it. 

"Hello?"

"Hey, it’s Kyle…You need to come to the hospital. It’s important, I’ll explain everything when you get here. I think you really need to be here right now."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hart paced around the waiting room hoping to hear some kind of word from Jenna.  So far there had been nothing.  He found himself surrounded by others in the very same position, and he strained to make sense of what had happened.  He’d heard rumors that the explosion had started with a faulty gas line, to that of their being a terrorist attack.  Though right now none of that was really relevant considering that he hadn’t heard any word on Jenna.  In the ambulance she’d been aware of things--she’d been awake for the beginning of the ride, but then half way to the hospital she’d slipped out of consciousness.  Looking down at his own hands he thought of the blood that now covered them--Jenna’s blood.  How he wished he’d never have to experience that--how he would’ve given anything to spare her the pain she was in.  Now, however all that was left was the waiting and that was the worst part.
   
“Hart,” he heard a voice call out to him.  Turning around, he noticed Cameron rushing towards him, looking concerned, “how is she?”
   
Hart hesitated not wanting to share anything with Cameron, but as he thought of Cameron saving Jenna’s life, he let out a reluctant sigh, “She’s in surgery right now.  That’s all I know.”
   
“They haven’t said anything more?  Nothing about her injuries,” Cameron questioned again.
   
“Nothing at all,” Hart surveyed the room around them, “this place is a zoo and I don’t think they’re prepared for any of this.”
   
“None of us were though I’ll have you know that I’ve already called in a few favors and I’m having a specialist brought in.  If Jenna needs anything more…” Cameron began.
   
“I appreciate what you’ve done thus far, but it won’t be necessary,” Hart politely declined Cameron’s offer thinking about the trouble the man had brought to Coral Valley.
   
“Look Hart, I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but Jenna is like family to me.  She’s one of the closest things to a sister I have with me at the moment and in saving her life…” Cameron hesitated flashing back to the moment he’d discovered Jenna, “I just don’t want to see anything more happen to her.”
   
“It won’t.  She’s in good hands,” another voice broke through the moment.  It was in that second that Hart felt his heart drop in horror.  Spinning around to see the face of the last person he’d wanted to encounter before him, he felt like he’d died and gone to hell right then and there.
   
“Hart,” Elizabeth Raines addressed him with a nod, “I just thought you should know that Jenna is stabilized.  There was some internal bleeding and we had to work on the gash that she had over her abdomen, but overall I think it‘s safe to say she‘s going to pull through.  They‘re taking her to recovery as we speak.  I trust you‘ve notified her family.”
   
“Her mother is on the way,” Hart nodded in response finding himself shell shocked to see his former lover before him having saved Jenna’s life.  The last time he’d encountered Beth, he’d prayed he’d never see her again, but now, well now he couldn’t help but be grateful for the work that she’d done to help Jenna.
   
“And you’re sure she’s going to pull through,” Cameron added breaking his moment of silence.
   
Beth nodded, “I have her stitched up and everything looks good so far.  She’s going to be out of it for a while, but luckily someone found her when they did.  Had she bleed anymore than she had, she might’ve not been so fortunate.
   
Hart took in Elizabeth’s words before straining to find the right words to say to her, “Beth…I don’t know what to say…”
   
“I was just doing my job.  Now if you’ll excuse me,” she began stepping aside to attend to another family in the waiting room.
   
“Well, then I guess that says it all,” Cameron offered up a thoughtful smile extending his hand out to Elizabeth.
   
“It was my pleasure,” she nodded in response, “now I really must be…”
   
“Wait, when can I see her,” Hart questioned further not wanting to be away from Jenna a moment longer.
   
“Soon,” Beth explained, her eyes traveling over Hart.
   
“Thank you,” Hart began again thinking about all that had happened on a day like today.  While he had hoped to be safe in Los Angeles with Jenna, it seemed that things were getting better now that Jenna was in good hands.  He was about to take a moment to relax when he heard someone burst through the waiting room doors.
   
“You have to help her,” Wayne’s voice declared as Hart spun around to find him carrying a girl in his arms, “She’s been hurt by the explosion and she needs a doctor.”
   
“Sammy,” Beth’s jaw dropped in horror seeing her daughter huddled up in Wayne’s arms, “Oh my God.  What happened to my baby girl?”
   
“We were out on a walk having dinner at The Mill when the explosion happened.  There was just so much blood…,” Wayne continued to explain to Beth, who was now clearly shaken by her daughter’s arrival.  “I tried the best I could but…”
   
“Can we get some help here,” Hart shouted down the hallway to one of the people down the hall.  Within a matter of seconds someone rushed up with a stretcher.
   
“Get her into emergency stat,” Elizabeth explained watching Hart help Wayne get Sam onto the stretcher.  “Please hurry.  She’s my daughter.”
   
“Yes Dr. Raines,” the nurse nodded wheeling Sam away as Beth watched in horror.
   
“This can’t be happening.  She’s too young to have something like this happen to her.  She can’t be…” her voice trembled with fear.
   
“She’ll be okay Beth,” Hart reached out to her trying to find a way to comfort her after all she’d done for Jenna.  While he’d only vaguely remembered the girl’s face, he couldn’t help but feel for Beth.  To have someone you love in such turmoil was enough to drive anyone over the edge.
   
“I can’t lose her.  I can’t lose my baby,” she pleaded with him before trying to rush forward after Sam, “I need to help her.”
   
“Beth you need to calm down,” Hart stopped her knowing full well that the hospital wouldn’t allow her to work on her daughter even if she wasn’t in such an emotional state.
   
“But Hart…” she began to plead with him.
   
“She’ll be okay.  You know yourself that this is one of the top of the line hospitals in the area.  She’s in good hands,” Hart continued casting a glance over in Wayne’s direction only to discover that Cameron had stepped beside him and was now trying to talk him down.  “Beth, listen to me.  Right now you need to get a hold of yourself and call Travis.  He needs to know that she’s here.”
   
“No,” she shook her head in refusal to listen to his request, “he doesn’t want anything to do with us--to do with her.  Yes, he’s tried to be there for Sam, but she won’t hear of it.  After the divorce, she felt like he abandoned us and she won’t…”
   
“Beth, you need to call him.  You need to push your feelings about what happened with the two of you aside and let him know what’s going on with his daughter,” Hart continued to remind her, “He can’t be kept in the dark about what’s going on with his little girl.  He has a right to know.”
   
“You’re right,” she nodded thinking about this words, “I need to tell him.”
   
“Exactly.  Why don’t you go to your office and call him--let him know what’s happening and I’ll go check in on her?  I’ll see where she is and I’ll let you know,” Hart suggested watching the terror spill across her features.
   
“Okay,” she took in a slow breath, her eyes straining to say something more, but instead she let out a strained smile, “and Hart--thank you…for being here for me…for Sam.”
   
“It’s my pleasure,” he nodded in confession turning to leave before she reached for his arm in an afterthought.
   
“Wait Hart,” she started with obvious reluctance, “you can’t leave just yet.”
   
“Beth, I’m just going to see where they’ve taken her and…” Hart started to remind her watching the color drain from her face.
   
“I realize that, but if anything should happen to her--if she doesn’t make it, then you need to know…” she paused, tears burning in her eyes.
   
“Know what?” Hart questioned in confusion, “Beth, what is it?”
   
“Hart, I hate to do this now, but this can’t wait.  I should’ve said something years ago, but now, well now I’m so sorry…” she began to break down before him.  Her tears fell from her face as her lower lip trembled with emotion, “About Sam…she’s…she’s…”
   
“She’s what,” Hart questioned as Cameron took a step towards him to give him an update on Wayne.
   
“She’s your daughter,” Elizabeth blurted out revealing the one secret that Hart never imagined he’d face in his lifetime--let alone at a time like this with Cameron Stone taking in every second of it right along with him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You know we are kind of behind on things here,” Zack announced watching his son curl into him, “We still haven’t picked out a name for this little one.”
   
“I guess we never really thought he’d be here so soon, huh,” Johanna couldn’t help but smile while she watched Zack with their son in his arms.
   
“Not really, but since he didn’t leave us room to plan, well I think we should really get thinking about what we want our son to be called.  I mean we can’t call him baby boy forever,” Zack half smiled watching his son’s bottom lip curl in a pout.  Within a matter of seconds, the baby began to cry, “Well he certainly has a good set of lungs on him.”
   
“He gets that from his father,” Johanna explained with a soft smile, “though I think he’s hungry and he’s letting us know.”
   
“Another little man who gets lead around by his stomach, eh,” Zack teased with another tiny smile.
   
“Yet another trait he gets from his father,” she joked in response holding her arms out for Zack to return their son to her.  After he’d placed the baby in her arms, they both heard the sounds of people in the hallway.  Clearly the hospital was still on high alert after the bombing despite the moment of serenity that Zack and Johanna had shared with their child.
   
“I have to get out there,” Zack admitted thinking of his duty as a doctor.  “I still haven’t heard anything on Ken or Caitlin and with everyone that’s been hurt…”
   
“I know,” she nodded in complete understanding, “they need you to help them.  “You’re a good man Zack and an excellent doctor.”
   
“I just hope it can be enough,” Zack replied with obvious apprehension thinking about what was waiting outside Johanna’s hospital room.  While he knew he had his work cut out ahead of him, he just prayed that he’d be able to save some lives and find out what was going on with his sister in the process.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


“Ria, you have to help me,” Jade cried out seeing her friend before her, “Seth was brought in earlier and I need to find him.”
   
“Jade, this place is a mess right now,” Ria began motioning for one of the patients to be wheeled into a room before her.  “I can’t really talk.”
   
“I understand that Ria, but it’s Seth.  He was at the airport and…” Jade pleaded with her, “Ria, if he’s been hurt…”
   
Ria looked over at Jade before letting out a sigh, “I’ll see what I can do in a minute, okay?”
   
“Thank you so much,” Jade began when the doors to the hospital flew open.
   
“We’ve got another one,” the EMT explained as Ria rushed up to the new arrival.
   
“What do we have here?” Ria questioned looking to the patient before her.
   
“Multiple burns--fractures to his ribs and his leg,” the EMT explained, “He has been in and out of it since he was pulled out of the fire.”
   
“Okay, then get him into room one,” Ria explained noticing Jade approaching from down the hallway.  She was about to speak up, but instead Jade let out a gasp.
   
“Gabe, oh my God,” Jade rushed over to his side just in time to witness him coming to once again, “Gabe, can you hear me?”
   
“Jade…” Gabe muttered in a raspy tone, under his breath.  While he’d been feeling better when he’d been pulled out of the fire, his body was no burning up and he was feeling aches in places he hadn’t known existed.
   
“Gabe, it’s going to be alright,” Jade started bringing her fingers through his singed hair.  Her eyes drifted back to Ria, “You have to help him.”
   
“I will Jade,” Ria nodded before Jade turned to Gabe once again.
   
“You’re in good hands now,” Jade tried to assure him while fighting the urge to cringe at just how bad he looked before her.
   
“Guy…you have to call him…” Gabe reached out to her handing her something as he was being wheeled away, “Jade please…”
   
Jade watched in horror seeing Gabe disappear behind a curtain before Ria followed suit.  While Jade wasn’t quite sure what Gabe had given her, she lowered her eyes to the trinket he dropped into her palm.  Seeing a handwritten number on the charred card before her, she just hoped that she would be able to do what Gabe had requested.  Clearly he wanted her to contact the man he loved.  As her heart went out to him, she searched for a phone hoping that she could honor his request.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mindy opened her eyes, feeling a slight ache in her limbs as she shifted on her bed.  Only this wasn’t her bed and she certainly wasn’t in her room.  She had a warm body beneath her and something told her that they weren’t in a bed either for that matter.  Tilting her eyes up, she turned to see Guy sleeping beneath her.  He had his arm wrapped around her, keeping her safely tucked against him.      Unable to contain the smile that swept over her lips, Mindy placed her hand out over the center of his chest.  His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath her touch and with her eyes traveling over his features, she wondered just how long they’d been asleep with one another.  Sure, she’d been exhausted when they’d come home from her mother’s party, but now, well now she felt as if she’d had one of the best sleeps she’d had in a long time.  Oddly enough she felt as if she owed that to Guy.  Smiling again, she watched him start to snore lightly.
   
“I guess I wasn’t the only exhausted one,” she noted hearing his snoring grow louder with the moment.  She lay her head against him listening to his heartbeat again.  Closing her eyes she thought of all the times she’d wanted something just like this to happen for her--how she’d hoped they could always be this close.  Unfortunately fate had given them other plans when he’d moved on with his life, but deep down Mindy had always been left wondering.
   
“Were we really that bad,” she questioned tilting her head up towards him once again, “I mean I know that you love Gabe, but was what we had together really that insignificant in your life?”
   
Guy remained silent while he slept and Mindy let out a soft groan.
   
“I’ll bet you thought it was,” she shook her head before reaching out to bring her fingers through his dark hair tentatively, “but for me, well it was everything you know.  I’ve never loved anyone like I loved you.  You were it for me Guy Morrison.  Even now I have to wonder if I’ll ever find something that makes me feel that way again.  I mean sure I told myself that I was over you, but how can you ever really get over your first real love?”
   
She paused feeling the silence surround her once again.  Her gaze dropped down to his lips remembering how it had felt to have him kissing her--to be sharing her life with him and in that instant she felt an emptiness inside of her.  How she wished she could change things--that she could fix the situation and make him see that she could give him everything that he needed.  Well, almost everything that was.
   
“How I love you,” she mouthed touching the side of his face, feeling her own heart tug with emotion when the phone rang.  Nearly leaping out of his arms in surprise, she felt him stir beneath her.
   
“Mmm..what time is it,” Guy questioned with a soft groan.
   
“I’m not sure, but the phone,” she motioned to his cell phone, her eyes glaring over at it for disrupting her moment of reflection.  Ah, just as well, she thought to herself realizing that she was just inflicting torture upon herself anyways.  Moving off of him, she slid over to the opposite end of the sofa, “You should probably answer that.”
   
“Yeah probably,” he nodded in a lazy tone, stretching his arm out to retrieve the cell phone.  Bringing it up to his ear he answered it what a yawn.
   
“Oh Mindy, what are you thinking,” she silently cursed herself--hating that she couldn’t seem to let go of what would never be with them.  While she understood that Guy had to follow his heart, she wished like hell that there would’ve been a way that he could’ve been able to do that as she did the same with hers.  If only her heart hadn’t lead her astray like it did.  If only…
   
“He what,” Guy’s eyes widened in horror beckoning her from her thoughts.  She watched him spring up off of the couch to seek out the television remote.  In the blink of an eye, he had the television on and the news report was telling the tale of what had taken place at the airport.  Mindy watched in horror, a sick feeling building in the pit of her stomach while the story unfolded before her.  Turning her eyes to Guy once again, she watched the color drain from his face.
   
“Guy what is it,” she questioned rising to her feet when he nearly dropped his cell phone.
   
“It’s Gabe.  He was in that and now…” Guy shook his head, “I just don’t know what’s going to happen to him.  He’s been taken to the hospital and…”
   
“Say no more,” Mindy cut him off abruptly, “I’ll go get the car.”
   
“Thanks,” was all Guy could say while he prayed that the tragedy in vivid color on the television set wouldn’t take the man he loved away from him forever.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brant paced around the hallway knowing that this wasn’t going to get any easier.  When he’d pulled Avery out of the wreckage, she’d looked like she’d taken a serious beating.  Since that instant he kept replaying all the events in his mind leading up to this moment in time.  It didn’t seem right for her to be in there and him to be out here.  She had a baby to think about--a future ahead of her and now… 

Brant moved around the waiting room thinking about Avery and her life.  While she’d married Russell, Brant had never stopped loving her.  Even now he said a prayer with each breath he took that she would pull through--that nothing would happen to her or the child she’d fought so hard to have in her life.  Of course there was still the issue of locating Russell in the chaos.  While that hadn’t been important to Brant at the time, he knew that if Avery pulled through she would be bound to ask about her husband.  Running his fingers through his hair, Brant realized he wouldn’t be able to provide her with the answers.  That in itself had him very on edge.
   
“Barbara,” Brant began seeing one of the nurse’s pass by him, “Any word on Avery?”
   
“Brant, right now all hell is breaking loose,” Barbara reminded him with a slight frown, “I’m sure when there is news someone will tell you.”
   
“What about Russell Denton?  Has anyone seen him around here,” he questioned catching a scathing look from her, “Never mind,  I know it’s busy.”
   
“That it is, but I’m sure eventually he’ll pop up somewhere considering his wife was in the explosion,” Barbara noted watching a shadow cross over Brant’s features.
   
“He was there as well from what I gather,” Brant added thinking aloud.
   
“Then you’d better hope that when we find him, it’s not down in the morgue,” Barbara commented before rushing off to help another patient.
   
When she left Brant thought about her words.  While Brant had always wanted to win Avery’s heart, this wasn’t how he’d wanted it.  He wanted her to be his fair and square and if by some slim chance of fate the explosion had taken Russell from her life…well, he just wasn’t going to think about that at the moment.  All that mattered was making sure that Avery was alright.
   
“Brant,” Blake cried out rushing over towards him.
   
“Blake,” he spun around to face his sister feeling her throw her arms around him in an exaggerated embrace.
   
“Thank heaven you’re alright.  When you vanished like that I was afraid that you’d gone back into the airport--that you’d ran off in search of Avery and…” she paused noting the expression on his face, “You did, didn’t you?”
   
“I couldn’t let her die,” Brant informed her his words weighted down with emotion, “I just couldn’t bear that.”
   
“And I couldn’t bear losing you,” she reminded him hugging him once again, “Brant, if you would’ve gotten yourself killed…”
   
“I didn’t,” he replied hugging her in response, “I’m okay Blake and so are you.  That’s what matters.”
   
“But what about Kenny?  Has anyone seen him around here?  Could he have…” Blake started, but before her words could be completed the doors just beyond where they were standing were thrust open.  Turning towards the source of the sound, Blake’s eyes widened in horror as she recognized the woman on the stretcher before her.  It was Caitlin and Ken was at her side, pleading desperately for someone to help her.
   
“Kenny,” Blake called out to him watching the look of sheer panic that overtook her brother.  She took a step forward ready to investigate what had happened to Caitlin when Zack entered the hallway as well.
   
“What do we have here,” Zack questioned, already having changed into his doctor’s uniform.  Once his eyes fell upon the patient before him, his heart leapt up into his chest, “Caitlin.”
   
“Zack, you have to get them to help her.  You have to save her,” Ken began to plead with him, his voice desperate as Dean rushed over to the scene.
   
“What do we have here,” he asked the paramedics taking it all in.  He looked to Zack, seeing that he too was in a state of shock.  Reaching out to him, he touched Zack’s arm supportively, “I’ve got this Vaughn.  Zack, do you hear me?”
   
Zack merely nodded before his eyes shifted to Dean’s, “Please don’t let her die.”
   
“I’ll do everything I can for her,” Dean replied disappearing with Caitlin and the other’s behind the doors to the O.R. while Ken and Zack watched in horror praying that they wouldn’t lose the one woman who meant so very much in both of their lives.

...to be continued...