The Reagen family filled the waiting room. Erin was sat on the chairs, her arms wrapped tightly around her daughter. Danny was sat next to Linda, his knee bouncing in barely contained frustration. Linda was rubbing circles on his back, keeping him from leaping from his chair and racing down the hall to his brother. Frank was stood staring out the windows, his co worker and dear friend Garrett was stood leaning against a wall next to him. Silently showing Frank that he was there for him. Henry meanwhile was pacing the small walkway.

At the sound of a door opening at the end of the hall they all stood up, staring hopefully at the doctor in blue scrubs approaching them. Frank moved to the front "Commissioner.." the doctor started

"Frank please" frank answered in response. This wasn't the time to stand on ceremony. The doctor nodded "Frank, jamie has multiple injuries. Several broken ribs, a broken cheek bone, concussion. He has a severly bruised neck which will give him some bother but he will fine" Frank felt the breath he didn't even realise he had been holding let go, the tension in his tall frame relaxed. Around him his family were hugging each other in relief. "He'll need to stay in for a few days whilst we get his pain management under control and monitor the concussion but all being well he'll be out of here by the weekend"

"Can we see him?" Danny asked

"Of course. He's still unconcious but should wake up soon I would think, this way" the doctor indicated for the family to follow him down the hall.

Frank and his family all filed through the door, he was sure there was usually hospital policy on the number of visitors allowed in but at this time he didn't care. He approached the bed and mentally gasped at the sight that greeted him. His boy lay still against the pillows, his face a mess of bruises, his blonde hair still streaked with the last vestiges of dried blood that nothing short of a proper hair wash would remove. Moving his eyes down his boys body he saw jamie chest rising and falling gently. The bruises on his neck a telling sign about what had occurred. His body was bruised, it seemed there were more bruises than unmarred flesh.

Almost as if he sensed their presence jamie began to stir. His eyes fluttered and he coughed, opening his eyes in a panic not knowing where he was he flailed on the bed. The whites of his eyes wild in the dimmed light of the room. Danny ran over reaching over to hold his brothers arms down on the bed "hey, hey hey, jamie it's ok. You're in hospital" as jamie calmed and his eyes focused he looked at his big brother "danny" he rasped. He reached up to his neck and rubbed around the soreness. "How you feeling kid" danny asked sitting back in the chair as Frank came around the other side and rested his hand on jamies.

"Yeah, I'm ok. A bit sore you know"

Danny rolled his eyes " a BIT sore, jamie you've been hung like a pig in a butchers, beaten to a pulp a strangled and you're a BIT sore" jamie laughed and instantly regretted it as he coughed and groaned at the pain that erupted "Ok, a lot sore"

Frank sat and looked at his boys and for not the first time he was relieved that all was ok and his family were still together. Thoughts of Joe clearly hung at the forefront of his mind but as jamie lay there his hand enveloped by franks and the smiles that all came his direction frank allowed himself to smile.