Julie could only stare at the doctor a moment, trying to absorb what he just said.

Taking a deep breath, she looked the doctor straight in the eye and said in an unshakable, hard voice, "I want to see him."

The doctor shook his head, "He's in ICU right now and I don't think that would be a good idea, he really needs his rest and -- "

"I don't care. . . I want to see him," said Julie, feeling her body begin to tremble. As she was about to demand to see Carlos again, Julie felt Trent put his hands on her shoulders to restrain her.

"Please doctor, we need to see him . . . for just a few minutes at least," said Trent.

The doctor finally consented, but warned that that because Carlos was unable to breathe on his own, they hooked him up to a respirator. There was also a heart monitor and carious IV's.

Julie could only nod and Trent thanked the doctor. When they reached the room, Julie tried to steal herself for what she would see, but even that didn't prepare her. Carlos's face was deathly pale with dark circles under his eyes. The tube protruding from Carlos's mouth seemed unnatural and foreign to her.

With tears flowing down her cheeks, Julie stepped closer to the bed. Carefully, so as to not disturb any of the IV's, she picked up Carlos's hand. By this time, Trent had gone out in the hallway, but was close enough so he was there if she needed him.

Julie sat in the chair by the bed still holding Carlos's hand. She had heard that people in comas could still hear when spoken to. Taking a deep breath, Julie started talking.

"I guess this is your way of getting out of our date tonight, huh?" she asked, trying to smile, but failed. "You have become so much a part of my life since I came back. In this past year, I have come to love and respect you more than when we were younger. I . . . I can't imagine life without you. . . " Before she could continue, Trent came into the room and cleared his throat.

"It's time to go Julie," he said quietly.

"I don't want to leave him Trent . . . I can't."

"I know, but we were lucky to have this time now, let's not push it."

Julie knew Trent was right. She slowly got up and placed Carlos's hand back on the bed. With one more glance over her shoulder at Carlos, Julie left the room with Trent.

Once out in the hall, Julie turned to Trent. "He has to pull through Trent. He can't die . . . I won't lose him . . . I love him too much,"

Trent could only hold her a moment while he though of his best friend in that room, fighting for his life.

"Carlos is a fighter Julie, he'll get through this," Trent said with a strong conviction. "I'll take you home."

"I don't want to be alone right now Trent."

"Where do you want me to take you?"

"My mom." Julie's parents knew she was back with Carlos and although they haven't said anything against it, only her mother was accepting of it.

After the episode with Michael, Julie had a long talk with her mom. Her mother admitted that although her father was against the relationship, her mother actually liked and approved of Carlos.

"I'll wait here for you," said Trent as Julie climbed out of the little blue 'vette.

She was glad when her mother answered the door, over the years her relationship with her father had become strained.

When Ellen opened the door and saw her daughter standing there on the stoop, she knew something was wrong: Julie's eyes were red and puffy, her face was pale and she just looked generally disheveled.

"My God Julianna, what happened?" she asked as she led Julie into the living room.

Sitting on the couch, Julie took a deep breath, "Carlos was shot today."

At the shocked expression on her mother's face, Julie continued on, "He's alive, but barely. They have him on a respirator and a heart monitor. . . and he’s in a coma. . . they only give him a 40 percent chance of pulling through," Julie could hear her voice shaking.

"Oh Julie, I'm so sorry. DO you know how it happened?"

Julie nodded, "He took a bullet for a hostage in a bank robbery today."

Ellen shook her head and held her daughter. Before she could respond, Ellen heard the front door open and close. Julie heard it too and knew it was her father.

"What is going on here?" asked Edward Lawrence when he walked into the living room and saw his daughter in tears. "I just saw that Trent Malloy in sitting out front," he added with disgust in his voice.

"I know you won't care, but Carlos was shot today saving someone else's life," snapped Julie. And before her father could make any kind of reply, Julie said, "And before you make some sarcastic remark about how he is no good for me and he deserves what he gets, let me tell you something, I don't want to hear it." And with that, Julie slammed out of the house and practically ran to the car.

"Are you okay?" asked Trent as Julie collapsed into the car and slammed the door shut.

"Just get me away from here Trent, please."

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