"Well, you were brought in Thursday morning and it's Wednesday afternoon now, so..." Howie smiled at her.

"A week?" She looked at them incredulously. "You guys have been here almost a whole week?"

"Well, off and on." Brian said. "We took shifts, none of us wanted to leave you alone after..."

"I know Brian, I know. Thank you guys. Now you got me crying again! I love all of you!"

They came over and enveloped her in a group hug, all crying.

She pulled AJ close to her and whispered in his ear. "I know what you did for me, us, back there AJ. It was so brave of you." She looked at him fondly. "Stupid, but brave!"

He blushed.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see AJ McLean blush!" she laughed.

"Aw shucks ma'am, it was nothin'" he grinned back at her and tipped his leopard spotted hat.

"Well, good afternoon!" the doctor called out cheerfully as he entered the room. "Nice to see you awake, finally!"

Brian gave her a final hug. "We'll just be outside, okay?"

She nodded and hugged him back.

"So how are you feeling?" asked the doctor.

"I'd like to know about my friends, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter. How are they?" she questioned.

"Well, there are some things we need to go over regarding your condition first..."

"It can wait." she said flatly. "What about Kevin and Nick?"

"But your..." the doctor protested.

"I said, it can wait!" She sat up and looked him in the eye. "Tell me now or I rip these tubes out, search the place and find out for myself how they are!"

"Okay." he said, finally. "You win."

The doctor looked down at his notes. "Kevin Richardson arrived in the ER with two severe bullet wounds to the shoulder and chest. Surgery was performed to close the severed artery in the chest and to close the wounds. He is now in serious, but stable, condition."

"He's alive?" she said to herself, and then, outloud. "He's alive!"

The joy in her heart was a feeling she could never describe, it was beyond happiness, it was pure bliss. If he had lived this long, he would pull through. She was sure of it!

"May I see him?" she asked.

"Of course, however, you realize that, because of the trauma he's been through, the surgery and the medication that he may not know that you are there or who you are. But talk to him, he can hear you, and that will help bring him around. Now, about your other friend..." he searched his notes.

"Nick." she prompted.

"Oh, yes." he read from the notes again.

"Nick Carter arrived in the ER DOA..."