~Ronnie~

I'm glad I was able to convince Mikey to go home for a shower and change of clothes. He was starting to smell musky. Not to mention the fact that he needed to get away for a bit to clear his head and get some fresh air. We all smell like the fucking hospital anyway, no matter how good we shower. I tried last night. Fucking smell just won't go away. With only a couple minutes before the clock marks 2 hours, Michael rushes back in. He took a shower and changed, but somehow he looks even more exhausted than before. He sits back in the chair to the left of Valentina. Within a few minutes, he's knocked out, his head and arms resting on Val's bed. I stand and walk up to the right of her.

"Mikey? You awake bud?"

When he doesn't respond. I know he's out cold. I gently brush my fingers over Val's face. There's barely any heat to her body. The tears I've been holding back since Mikey told me in the car, begin to silently fall down my face.

"Val? I don't know if you can hear me. I just... God this feels so stupid. Please just come back. I know I'm an asshole and I always mess things up. If not for me, for Alvin, Max, and Michael. Shit, for everyone else. Everyone loves you. Jacky hasn't been able to come in because it makes him too upset, seeing you like this. Zakk won't leave his house. I've never seen Rob so scared. And Mikey, he's in bad shape Val. He just sits here. This is the first time he's sleeping in three days. He needs you, Val. Fuck, I need you. I- I think I fell in love with you. I don't know when or how it happened. But I just do. I fucking love you, Valentina. I want to be able to do this right. I know I've asked for too many chances. Please. I can't lose you, Val. Come back."

I move to sit back down in my chair and wipe my face. Michael didn't budge the entire time. Honestly, I don't even care if he heard me. I just hope that Val is still in there somewhere and she heard me.

~Valentina~

I don't know where I am. All I really know is that it's cold and dark. I don't know how long I've been here. Time doesn't feel like a real thing. I was fairly certain I was alone until I heard someone calling my name. I kept walking until I came to a door. From under the crack, I can see a warm light on the other side. I want to open the door, I want to be where the light is. Every time my hand gets close to open it, I freeze. My heart starts beating faster and I feel like if I touch the knob, it's going to burn my hand. I've just been sitting in front of the door, uncertain of what to do. I can hear two separate people calling my name from beyond the door. The voices sound so familiar. I want to go through so bad but something is keeping me in the dark and cold.

"Val I'm going... ...I love you."

Michael? Where are you going? Everything in between was an incoherent mess. I love you too! Why can't I speak? I open my mouth but the words only play out in my mind. For a while there's nothing. Then, someone talking. The same incoherent speech. I can't make out what they're saying. Then for a brief moment, I hear Ronnie speaking.

"...I need you... ...fell in love with you... ...can't lose you..."

Ronnie? Where are you? You're not losing me! I'm still here! You love me? He loves me? Did I hear him correctly? It sounds like his voice is right outside the door. I stand and take a deep breath. My hand hesitates close to the knob. It feels so hot. I gather all my courage and grab the knob. It's not even warm. I turn and pull the door open. I'm met with a warm, blinding light. It feels like arms wrap around me, they pull me back and the door slams shut.

~Michael~

From my sleep I hear an annoying blaring, stirring me close to being awake. I mumble, still half asleep.

"Ron... Turn off the damn phone.."

Suddenly, I'm being shaken. The blaring is getting louder and it sounds like there's chaos around the room.

"Michael! Mikey, get up!"

I groan, not opening my eyes.

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"Sir, I need him to move!"

"I know! Fuck Michael!"

I'm dragged up from my seat and I'm fully awake. Ronnie pulls me to the end of the bed and I look around at the room. One of Val's machines is going crazy and there are at least 3 nurses and a doctor.

"What's going on?"

"Val's heart stopped.."

My blood runs cold in my veins and my own heart skips a beat. I grab onto Ronnie for support and he holds me up. I quietly listen to the hospital staff.

"Charge to 200!"

"Charged to 200!"

"Everyone clear!"

"Clear!"

They shock Val and I see her chest rise up and go back down. I look to the heart monitor and the line remains flat. Tears start streaming down my face. If Ronnie wasn't holding on to me, I would be on the floor.

"Charge to 300!"

"Charged to 300!"

"Everyone clear!"

"Clear!"

They shock her again. Her chest rises and falls. I hold my breath. Please Val, please. We all watch, no one making a sound. There's a small rise on the monitor and then her heart starts beating normally again.

~Ronnie~

When the lines on Valentina's heart monitor go back to normal, everyone in the room breathes out. I pull Michael into a hug. I've started crying in relief right along with him. The doctor checks everything else with Val to make sure nothing is wrong, as the nurses clean up the mess. As they exit the room, Michael thanks every single one of them. After the doctor is finished, he comes over to stand by us. Michael shakes his hand.

"Thank you Dr. Colnik!"

The doctor nods with a grim look on his face.

"Don't thank me yet. Michael, Ronnie. We're not out of the woods yet. It's not normal for her heart to suddenly stop like that. It's not good. It's going on the fourth day since she was taken out of surgery and she still hasn't woken up yet."

Michael stares past the doctor to Val's small body in the bed. I meet the doctor's gaze.

"What are you saying, Doctor?"

"Well. It's a tricky subject. I gave her 5 days to wake up. If she doesn't wake up after that, she could very well be in a coma due to her injuries."

"You're saying she won't wake up?"

"I'm saying it is a possibility and you guys should consider your options."

I frown at the doctor. Options? He doesn't mean... I know this is LA and they probably need the bed space but fuck. We're not giving up on her after only a week! Michael begins getting agitated. He stops watching Val and turns his attention towards the doctor.

"This is my little sister."

"I know Sir, I'm just trying to explain..."

"Explain what?! How you want me to give up on her after only 5 days?! I have another sister! It would kill her! I can't believe... What kind of Doctor are you?! You're supposed to give people hope and do everything you can to help patients get better! And yet you're standing here, telling me to consider options that aren't even options for me! At all! You know what?! Fuck you and your options!"

I tug Michael back away from the Doctor as a couple nurses look into the room. He must get yelled at a lot because he seems unfazed.

"Dr. Colnik, do you need me to call?"

"No, thank you. That won't be necessary. Michael is just upset and stressed. Correct?"

The nurse nods and leaves as Michael glares at him.

~Michael~

"Fuck off."

I'm gonna say something else but Ronnie stops me. However, I'm too angry to listen.

"Michael... Calm down..."

"No. He's a dick. Do you have family? Do you have siblings? Do you have anyone that you care about?"

Dr. Colnik is about to respond when I spot movement from the corner of my eye. A quiet, hoarse voice speaks up from behind us.

"Michael Orlando. Is that any way to talk to the Doctor that saved your sister's life?"

Ronnie and I exchange wide-eyed looks as the Doctor spins around, just as shocked and surprised as we are.

"Miss. Emerson? You're awake! I'll be right back with some equipment and a nurse!"

The Doctor rushes out of the room as Ronnie and I rush to either side of Valentina's bed. She looks at both of us and smiles. Her eyes linger on Ronnie for a bit as if there's something she wants to say. She looks so frail in the hospital bed. Val reaches a shaky hand up to my face and wipes away a few tears. I never even realized that I was crying.

"Don't cry. Where'd you go earlier? I heard you say that you were going somewhere and that you loved me."

"You heard what I said?!"

"Only bits and pieces, same with Ronnie."

I look up at Ronnie with a happy smile on my face. Ronnie is staring down at Val with a strange mix of emotions written across his face. Val reaches over and gently places her hand on top of Ronnie's. Ronnie moves to hold her hand.

"Where's my hug, big brother?"

I lean down and softly hug her. She's still injured and weak so I can't exactly hug her with the excitement that I really want to.

"You all scared us so much."

"Who all knows?"

"Us, Max, Chipmunk, ETF, Jacky, my band, and Michael's band."

Val nods. She looks around at all the machines and her eyes trail down the iv to the needle in her hand. She frowns.

"Damn. I hate these things."

I smile down at her and Dr. Colnik comes back in with a nurse.

"Hello Miss. Emerson. I'm Dr. Colnik. I know you've just woken up but we're gonna take you down for some testing right away. If you, gentlemen, would wait in the visitor's lobby."

I'm about to protest but Val pats the top of my hand and smiles.

"I'll be fine. Go let everyone know that I'm back. I love you."

"I love you too."