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The constable’s face turned a funny shade of red before he exploded. “Get out! Don’t ever let me catch you in some debacle like this again, or you’ll both fry!”

Ignoring the man, they both walked out of the conference room the hospital had allowed them to use. They were silent, both lost in their own thoughts as they walked back to the waiting room in hopes that Ace had received some news on Pepper’s condition.

Nearing an E.R. cubicle, they heard, “I got my daughter to check on. Hurry the hell up, or I’m leaving!’

“Shit.”

“That’s your dad?” James asked, laughing.

“The one and only.”

James walked with Nick. As he pulled back the curtain his father’s voice had come from, he admonished, “Dad, let ‘em do their job.” Knowing full-well, it wasn’t going to work.

“They’re pissing around. They’ve had plenty of time to stitch me together,” he complained.

“Dad, I need you to let them do this. I can’t worry about you and Pepper both,” he said, his dad’s eyes softening at his words. “Please.”

“Boy,” Jake wagged a finger at him. “Fine. You come back in ten minutes to get me, though. Whether they’re done or not.”

“Fine, Dad. Just sit s

till.”

They continued on their way to the waiting room.

“He’s quite the character,” James commented.

“He’s set in his ways,” Nick corrected.

When they came upon their destination, he saw Ace sitting against the far wall, holding his head in his hands looking defeated.

Opening the door, Nick rushed to his cousin. “Ace?”

The man stood. Nick had always admired him for his strength and courage, the ability to work in any environment and come out on top. So to see tears in his eyes threatened his own control.

“What happened?” he asked hoarsely.

Ace pulled him in by the shoulders for a hug tighter than they’d ever shared. “She’ll be okay,” he croaked, his voice full of emotion.

Fear. Relief. Overwhelming love.

Nick couldn’t describe the elation he felt as he asked, “Is she awake? Can we see her?”

As Ace pulled away, he knew there was bad news. “Her heart rate is low.” James stepped forward then. “They can’t find anything physically wrong with her, so the prognosis is that it’s psychological. Her body is taking the proper time she needs to heal.” His eyes darted between them. “Mentally. She’s in a bad way, guys.”

“Do they think she’ll have amnesia again?” James’ voice cracked that time.

Nick couldn’t imagine what the man must be feeling. Knowing his sister barely remembered him once, only to possibly go through it again, wouldn’t be easy to accept for anyone.

“We have to wait,” was all Ace could say.

And they did.

For three weeks, they waited, they watched, and they worried.

For the first time Nick could remember, he prayed daily. For Pepper to wake up, for her to remember them. For her to move forward into the life she deserved.

He fucking prayed until he lost faith.