She didn’t even stop to take a breath. Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Emma ran out the doors and down to where JC’s room was.

        She stopped immediately when she saw his family sitting in the waiting room. Some of them were crying, and they all looked sad.

        She shrieked, then covered her mouth. “No, not yet!” she screamed.

        Joey came out of JC’s room after hearing Emma’s screams. He put his arms around her shoulders to try and calm her down. “He’s not gone yet, Emma,” he said.

        “What are they doing in there, then?” Emma asked frantically.

        Joey just held her, knowing she could break down any minute. “They’re still trying to get his heart beat back.”

        Emma just cried more. “Do you know what that means?” she cried out. “He’s gonna die! If they can’t get his heart beat back, he’s dead.”

        Joey nodded, trying to hide his tears. He shook his head continuously. “No, he’s not going to die,” he said, over and over again.

        Emma saw the tears. “You’re scared too, aren’t you?”

        He nodded, and didn't say anything more, he just held her.

        It was almost an hour until the doctors came out from JC's room. Emma immidiately looked up with tears still in her eyes.

        “Well?” She waited for their response.

        “He's stable,” one of the doctors replied writing something down on a pad. “I'm glad someone was able to get a hold of you. It's weird that something bad happens to JC whenever you leave.” He patted her on the back then walked off with the other doctors.

        Emma looked at Joey. “I’m not leaving until he’s okay.” Her eyes challenged him to argue. But he didn’t. He simply smiled.
        Joey nodded. “You always had an effect on him.”

        “Thanks for calling me, Joey.”

        Joey just smiled. “Why don’t you go in and see him?”

        When Emma walked into the dark room, Emma thought for a second that this was the wrong room. The room was completely dark and a very things in the room had been moved around. But she knew she was in the right room when she glanced towards the bed. A still lifeless JC laid there, another machine set up beside him.

        “Oh, JC,” she whispered.

        Emma pulled up a chair and just watched him. She felt like his guardian angel, like somehow she could save his life. Now more than ever, Emma was determined. She remembered how it felt when she heard what Joey said when he called. It had scared her more than anything ever had. She knew from that moment on, she couldn't lose JC.

        “Don’t leave me,” she whispered softly, placing her hand on top of his. “Please.” She linked their fingers together.

        When he didn't answer or move, Emma sighed. “Oh JC, please just do this one thing for me. Stay alive. I need you in my life. I never knew before what love was until you came into my life.”

        Emma looked away from JC, and looked around the room. “I wish God could hear me.” She saw the many balloons in the room. “Just one miracle. That’s all we need.”

        She paced around the room, just talking to JC like he was listening. She told him of the plans she had for them once he woke up. How they would spend the rest of their life together, how they would get a house by the water, like they had always talked about doing.

        Emma stopped at his bedside. “You can’t leave, you can’t,” she said. “If you do, do you know how much that is going to hurt? It would kill me.”

        She began to pace again, this time she was talking to herself, trying to calm herself down. But no comforting words were any comfort at all.

        She looked back at him again. “I remember the day we met. I was walking home and I bumped into you on the street.” She laughed quietly. “You were hiding under a baseball cap and a pair of dark sunglasses. You thought I knew who you were, but I didn’t. I didn’t really care. I just cursed at you for not watching where you were going. You thought I was crazy for talking to you like that. You said it was my fault. But then we agreed to settle our differences by having a cup of coffee together.”

        She touched the silver bracelet on her left hand. “You gave me this on our first anniversary. That night was the first time you told me you loved me. Do you remember?”

        She choked back a sob. “Well, I remember. And I told you I loved you, too. I had waited a long time to tell you that. I remember we laughed and then we cried, and then we held each other the rest of the night. It well so good to finally know that you felt the same way I did. Everyone kept telling me that I was just a toy that you played with, that you were just leading me on. But you weren’t like that. You’re a good person.”

        She pressed a hand just over her heart. “You’ll always be here, in my heart. I’ll always love you, JC.”

        “I love you---” Emma turned around to say the words to him, but she stopped in her tracks when she realized something.

        He was awake.

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