A/N- Alright, continuing….please read the author's note at the bottom.

AMPOV

"C-Coma?" I asked.

My father nodded solemnly. "He's got seven broken vertebrae, massive internal lacerations, bleeding….et cetera et cetera."

I looked over at him again: he was so peaceful looking. If it weren't for the tubes, and the bruises, and the stupid beeping heart monitor, he could be sleeping. My eyes watered up as I realized once again that I had been the one to cause all of this. I was tempted to call to him. But I knew nothing would happen if I did. I sunk into the uncomfortable pillow and sighed; you could hear the gush of tears behind the sigh. I felt my Dad's cool hand on mine. He was looking down at me, a small smile playing on his lips, but I could see the rush of emotions behind it, hiding in his darkening ocher eyes.

"Everything is going to be okay," He promised. "Things are gonna get better. You'll heal, as will he. Hell, the doctors even said he may wake up as early as this afternoon."

"Patrick?" Someone called from the door.

He looked back quickly and then back down at me. "I'll be back, alright?" I nodded, and he kissed my forehead before standing and walking to the door, his shadow casting over Anthony's body. He closed the door behind him, leaving me all alone in the silence of the hospital room. I turned my head, not without pain, to look over at him; I swear, his lips twitched. Flopping back onto the uncomfortable pillows, I groaned quietly at the pain in my….well, everything. I stared up at the ceiling for I don't know how long, counting the black flecks in the white ceiling tiles. The door opened; I looked over. It was Bella. God, seeing her made a rush of guilt swell behind my bruised ribcage.

"Hi." Bella whispered, sitting on the stool between our beds. She looked over at Anthony, her long, white hand reaching out to caress his face.

"My beautiful baby boy." She said. "He looks peaceful, doesn't he? Edward can see what he's thinking, but he won't tell me. Just something a mother doesn't need to see, he says." She shook her head. "How are you feeling?"

I shifted a little bit. "I…I'm okay." I hesitated with guilt.

She smiled. "You know, you don't have to feel guilty." She whispered.

My head snapped in her direction, causing a throbbing pain to start in my right temple. "What?" I asked.

"Anthony's uncle, Jasper, he reads emotions. They were all in here with you two for a while. He said that guilt was radiating off of you in waves. And I want you to know that you shouldn't feel guilty about this. It isn't your fault."

"But it is!" I protested. "It really is! I should never have gotten with Anthony. If I hadn't, he wouldn't be laying over there on his deathbed!" My voice went from an arguing, acidic snarl to a hushing, quiet whisper. "I've ruined our lives." My head fell into my bruised hand.

She was very quiet for what seemed like a long time. But then I felt her dry, cool hands on mine, her slim fingers under my chin, lifting my head up, and she said "I know that you don't regret being with him. And really? I'd never seen him so happy, so alive, before he was with you. You make him so happy. And the reason you are both in the hospital right now may be because you had a problem with someone who was severely mentally disturbed. But I also know that he would have gladly died back there just to ensure that you went on. He loves you, Ann Marie."

I had stopped breathing. "Jason…what happened to him?" Fear encased me at the possibility that the man who almost killed me could still be out there.

"He's gone. We took care of him and burnt the warehouse to the ground. Well, that part was left to Emmett and Jasper. After we got there, Edward and I were busy getting you two here. Carlisle came with us, but your dad stayed behind. I don't think I've ever seen someone be so eager to rip into someone else. Literally. Except for, maybe…" She trailed off, remembering something.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

There was silence, but then there was a disturbance in the next bed over; Anthony's annoying heart monitor started to make a shrill, alarming ringing noise, and his legs began to stir beneath the covers. I sat up as far as I could, and Bella whipped around.

"Edward! Carlisle! Everyone!" She yelled out.

Almost immediately the room was filled with vampires, all crowding around the shaking bed and blocking my view of what was going on: was he dying? Or was he waking up? I couldn't tell. My hands gripped the metal safety bars on the sides of my own bed in frustration as I called out in little quips of "Hey!" and "I can't see. What's going on?" surrounded by endless babbling and worried chatter. And then, as soon as it had all started, it was over. The room was quiet. Everyone stopped moving, and the circle opened so that I could finally see the results of the momentary chaos.

Anthony was awake; his head was rolling around on his pillow, his clear green eyes blinking. His heart monitor stopped screeching, and Bella was automatically holding and cradling him, kissing his face and holding his head in her lap.

"Whaa?" He asked confusedly. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, baby." I said, smiling.

His head turned in his mother's lap, and he saw me, but his reaction was not what I'd expected nor what I'd hoped. His eyes went sort of flat, and he didn't smile. His brow furrowed. Maybe he was just surprised to see me? I wasn't sure why, but that hope seemed a little bleak.

"How do you feel, son?" Edward asked. "You're a little banged up."

"I can tell." Anthony responded, looking down at his two cast legs and noticing the brace on his back. "How badly?"

Carlisle smiled. "You don't need to know the full extent, but you'll be just fine after some physical therapy."

He grimaced.

LATER, ANPOV

Hospital food sucks. I don't mean to whine, considering that I shouldn't even be alive right now, but man. The only edible thing on the tray that the nurse brought me is the pre-packaged chocolate pudding, which is a pain to open when you can't really move your back. But when I finally got it, I licked the aluminum seal clean in victory. It tasted off; I turned the seal over. Damn. Sugar free.

I leaned back onto the thin down pillows gently, looking at Ann Marie. She had fallen asleep about an hour before, so easily. About as easily as she'd laid down on that mattress and let that monster--

My train of thought was broken at the sound of the door opening; I winced, thinking it was the trauma specialist, come to draw more fluids from my back to see if the swelling around my spine had gone down. But luckily it was my dad. He looked more tired than usual, the circles under his eyes darker. He had one of his hands behind his back, and I smelled a familiar combination of salt, potatoes, beef…He held up the McDonald's bag, shaking it a bit.

"Who's the best?" He asked, setting it down on the little tray that extended over my lap. I grabbed it up quickly.

"You!" I said eagerly.

He smiled as I tore into the fast food; usually, he didn't like for me to eat this stuff around him because of the smell, but I guess he was dealing with it because I was nearly crippled.

"What's the story?" I asked between wolfing bites.

"Story?"

"The story." I repeated. "About why we're in the hospital. Because I see that arrangement over by Ann Marie is from Will Foster. He went to school with us, and he had a giant crush on her, like everyone else." I growled, rolling my eyes.

He chuckled. "You were in a car accident involving a drunk driver coming home together from prom." He said. "And I can get rid of the flowers if you want. But there will be many more to come for both of you. Visiting hours start in fifteen minutes."

I thought. "No. Just burn the card. Daises are her favorite."

He stood and slipped the card into his pocket. "From an anonymous well-wisher."

Our first group of visitors showed up about twenty minutes later; the team, and Coach Anderson. Chad was pleasantly absent. Miles held a large card that read on the inside "Heal Up Soon, Captain!". Peter, Kyle, Paul, and Ryan all managed to squeeze onto my bed, balanced carefully on the edge. Luke handed me a small box with terrible wrapping; inside, there was a brand new ball….bright pink. Adam and Tyler stood between the two beds, and Coach stood beside me. Chase and Brian both carried a rather large arrangement; one of pink roses, another of lilies.

"They're for Ann Marie." Brian said. "We felt kind of crappy not bringing her anything."

"My God, look at yourself man! Your all jacked up!" Peter pointed out.

"What was the accident like?" Tyler asked.

They all stared right at me, waiting to hear some brutal horror story about an accident that never even happened.

"Well…" I hesitated, thinking. "I don't really remember anything. We were driving home, and then, poof. Nothing."

They were all silent for a second; I crossed my fingers, hoping they didn't call my seriously incriminating bluff.

"…That's intense." Miles finally said. They all agreed in unison, expressing concerns about whether I was going to be playing college ball next year. I told them that as soon as I was out of rehab I would be right back out onto the field. The rest of the time we just talked about what I had missed at graduation, from Rita Warner's boring fifteen minute valedictorian speech to Chad slipping on the stairs and the video getting posted on YouTube. But then the nurse announced that there were other visitors who wanted to see us, and that if they wanted to come back tomorrow that was "just fine."

Next in was the entire art club, who brought in a full scale easel for Ann Marie, who woke when she heard the mob approach. Her time was my time to rest, the conversation not worth listening to. Ann Marie sounded happy that they had come to see her.

Later and last of all were a bunch of teachers, who came baring cards and a pictures from graduation and our diplomas. Mrs. Willows gave me a play-by-play of graduation and expressed how sad she was that I'd missed it. But after everyone had gone, it was dark outside, and I was exhausted. A petite nurse shot some more pain meds into my IV, and within minutes, I was out cold again.

A/N- We're nearing the end. I'm thinking two or three more chapters.

But what's more important is that I've been trying to get facts in line for a threequel . I'm thinking the end of college, marriage, new house, and then some marital problems with a little vampire drama. I need to know what you think. You can post you opinion as a comment, or you can take the poll on my profile.

Thanks for being so good to me, giving me the kick in the butt when I needed it.