Brooke came back down from the ICU crying.

AJ jumped up. “What’s the matter? What happened?”

Brooke sat down next to Denise again and told them what she had found out.  “She’s lying up there strapped to so many machines. She looks like a broken doll just lying there.” Brooke started crying again.

“Can we see her?” Lucas asked.

“No. I spoke to the nurse who told me that the doctor said no one could see her until the morning. She told me to go home and get some sleep because there was nothing else we could do for now.”

Brooke slumped into the chair, paused for a minute and then starting speaking again. “I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to leave her here all by herself. What is she wakes up and no one’s here?” Brooke broke down sobbing again and Lucas went to sit with her.

Denise spoke up and suggested that everyone go home. “The doctor said he doesn’t think she’s going to wake up right away. We should go home and get some sleep so we can be back here early in case she does.”

Everyone but Brooke and AJ agreed. Neither one of them wanted to leave her and nothing anyone had to say was going to change their minds. 

AJ looked at his mother, thanked her and told her and the guys to go home. Denise asked him again to go home and he said, “No, I don’t care if I have to sleep in my truck, I’m not leaving her here by herself.”

Denise and Lucas gave in knowing there was nothing else they could do and asked Brooke or AJ to call them if there was any change in her condition.  After they left, Brooke and AJ settled into what would surely be a long night.

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Alissa couldn’t move or open her eyes. She wanted to scream out for someone to help but couldn’t get her voice to work. The nurse in the room with her saw the machines start to beep and her body start to contort and called the doctor in. He gave her something to calm her and her body reacted to the medication by becoming still again. All Alissa could think of as she faded back away was that she hoped she was somewhere safe.