Sophia hadn't felt this nervous since her and Dean's very first date. She paced the living room of her apartment, checking her reflection every two laps, constantly smoothing down her skirt, fixing a stray hair, or fiddling with an earring.

The worst part was that she didn't even know what Dean had planned for the day. He had been all mysterious for the past week, only telling her that he wanted to take her somewhere today after he got off work and that she should wear something nice. No matter how hard Sophia tried to needle him for information, he was a vault.

Dean's shift finished at five and it wouldn't take long for him to get home, but even as it approached half past, Sophia wasn't too concerned. There was always a chance that he had a call that ran long and he would be a bit late. But as the clock ticked to six, nausea that came with dread was slowly building up in Sophia's stomach. She checked her phone every thirty seconds, but nothing.

She texted and called, but still nothing. She even debated calling Alicia, but didn't want to bother the team if they were in the middle of an emergency.

Sophia threw her phone down on the couch and then sat next to it, her head in her hands, sucking in air. "It's fine, it's fine, it's fine," she whispered to herself. "Everything is fine."

Her phone buzzed, and she barely had time to register that it wasn't Dean's cell before picking up. She was that desperate for news.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sophia? This is Scott Morse."

Sophia felt the blood drain from her face, and was grateful she was already sitting down. She knew the voice Scott was using. It was the one she herself used almost every day when talking to patients' families. "Hi, Scott." Her voice shook.

"Sophia, Dean's at Ronald Reagan right now. He was injured on the job."

Scott's voice faded into the background as Sophia felt the pit of horror and dread in her stomach expand exponentially. No. No. He couldn't be.

"...He's going to be alright, he's in surgery now."

Sophia clung to those words like a lifeline. He was going to be okay. He was going to be okay.

"Sophia?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Sophia said, snapping herself out of her mute panic. "Um, I'll be there, I'll be there soon."

"Drive carefully, Sophia."

She knew his last words were intentional. Sophia knew that if she let herself, her drive to the hospital would be nothing short of a Fast and Furious reenactment, which would likely end with her dying in a fireball crash. So after racing around her apartment and gathering her things, she forced herself to pause before getting into her car.

Sophia forcibly flicked the switch in her brain that put her into professional mode. Nurse Sophia Shelby knew how to not panic, even when Sophia didn't.

Even so, she didn't have that much memory of driving to the hospital, only of parking and rushing inside.

A stressed-looking Alicia was the first-person Sophia saw, and the paramedic immediately got up when Sophia came into view.

"Hey," Alicia said, grasping Sophia's hand. "He's going to be okay, okay? He's going to be okay."

Sophia gulped in air and nodded, trying to wipe some of the obvious panic and desperation off of her face. But she was dying for information. "What happened?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain even.

Alicia led her over to a couple of seats away from the rest of the group before answering. Sophia recognized most of the firefighters waiting although didn't necessarily know their names, but she did see both Scott and Carson.

"We were responding to a fire at a construction site," Alicia told her. "A couple of people were trapped inside, so a crew went in to get them. Dean was the last one out, and," she paused, studying Sophia's face, "you're sure you want to hear this?"

Sophia nodded. She had to hear this.

"Part of the structure collapsed. We had to dig him out."

Sophia's mouth went dry. "Injuries?"

"He was conscious when we got to him, but in and out on the way here. Concussion, leg was pretty torn up but not broken, and," Alicia took a breath, "a piece of rebar went right through his side."

Sophia gripped the arm of the chair.

"But it doesn't look like it hit anything important," Alicia continued. "That's what they're working on in surgery right now."

It seemed like his biggest risk at the moment was internal bleeding, although the head injury was worrisome, too. Sophia wiped her hands on her skirt, thankful for the information but now unsure of what exactly to do. She itched to do something, anything; she wasn't used to being in the middle of a crisis and just having to wait.

"You should eat." Carson dropped into the chair on Sophia's other side, holding out a paper plate with a piece of pizza on it.

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat, Sophia," Alicia advised her. "This is a marathon, not a sprint. And he's going to need you when he wakes up."

Her words forced some sense into her, and Sophia accepted the plate. "Thanks."

Carson bumped her shoulder. "We take care of our own."

Apparently, the firefighters weren't the only ones who lived by that. Word eventually spread that the firefighter in the hospital was Sophia's firefighter, and then there was an endless stream of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff coming to check in.

Matteo was the one who thought to bring her coffee. "May sends her love," he said as he sat down beside her. "How are you holding up?"

Sophia accepted the hot drink gratefully. "I'm doing okay," she said. She had been at the hospital for just under an hour and had gradually come down from the edge of a full-blown panic attack. Learning that the best trauma surgeon in the hospital was currently operating on Dean certainly helped. "I just want to know what's going on."

Matteo didn't say anything. He had no news, so there wasn't anything he could say.

Fortunately, Sophia and Dean's crew didn't have to wait much longer. Just over an hour after Sophia arrived, Dr. Grace Martinez, Dean's surgeon, came out and met with Scott. Everyone had their eyes trained on the two of them, but both were pure professionals and gave away nothing. Sophia's heart pounded in her chest, her palms growing sweaty. He had to be okay. He had to.

Scott gave a nod and Dr. Martinez left. Dean's captain turned to the group of anxious onlookers. Beside her, Alicia gave Sophia's hand an encouraging squeeze.

"He's out of surgery," Scott said, "and stable. He's doing well."

A collective breath of relief lifted from the group, and Sophia's shoulders slumped in relief. Grace wouldn't bullshit them, and Sophia trusted her. If she said Dean was doing well, then he was doing well.

"Dr. Martinez said you can go see him," Scott said, looking at Sophia.

Sophia got up on shaky legs and with an encouraging smile from Alicia, followed Scott to Dean's room. But her hand froze when she reached for the handle.

"I know you're used to being in charge, here," Scott said.

Sophia turned around to look at him. "You mean the hospital?"

He nodded. "So I imagine that being thrust from that role into that of the worrying loved one isn't an easy transition. But you're who Dean needs right now. Not because you're a nurse, but because he loves you, and you love him. Right now, that's enough. No medical knowledge required."

Sophia took a deep breath and nodded. "You've been in this situation a lot, haven't you?" she asked.

Scott chuckled. "I've had my fair share of hospital visits, and stays, over my career. It doesn't get easier, exactly, but I am more used to it."

"I really hope I don't have enough chances to get used to it."

"Hawthorne's good," Scott said. "Fortunately, he keeps himself out of serious trouble for the most part. But this is part of your relationship with him, Sophia."

Sophia looked him in the eye. Her mind flashed back to the conversation she had had with Dean the day of the power outage. "I know," she said. And she pushed open the door.

Despite what Scott had said about her not needing to be a nurse right now, Sophia's eyes immediately went to the screen with Dean's vitals. Tension lifted. They were normal.

But then her eyes were drawn to Dean, his injuries coming into focus as she approached his bed. She couldn't see much, but his leg was heavily bandaged and scrapes littered his face and arms. But he was alive. He was going to be okay.

"I never really can believe it until I see them," Scott said. His own eyes were trained on Dean, concern creasing his brow. "But he looks okay."

Sophia sank into the chair next to Dean's bed. "Yeah, he does." A realization dawned on her. "Shit, his mom?"

"She was in Seattle," Scott told her. "But she's on her way."

Sophia nodded, glad that Sandy already knew and would be here soon.

Scott put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to go let everyone else know that he's doing well," he said. "And then most of us are probably going to head home, clean up a bit. It's been a long day."

Sophia nodded again. "Thank you, Scott."

"Just do me a favor, text me if anything changes."

"Of course."

"Hang in there, Sophia."

"Wait, one more thing."

Scott turned back around.

"Alicia told me that he was the last one out. He had someone with him?"

Scott nodded.

"What happened to that person?"

"Injured," Scott said. "But alive. From what I understand, he'll be fine."

Sophia nodded and watched the fire captain leave the hospital room. She shifted in her chair as the door swung closed, leaving her alone with Dean, the steady beeping on his monitor her only source of comfort. She gently picked up one of his hands and then held it between her own.

"You're going to be okay," she whispered. "Oh, thank God, you're going to be okay."

She stayed like that, his hand in hers, by herself for so long that she lost track of time. Exhaustion pressed at the edges of her brain so that eventually she had to put her head down on his bed, closing her eyes but refusing to let sleep overtake her.

Sophia's head jerked up as she felt Dean's fingers flex slightly. She shifted from her chair to sit on the edge of his bed as his eyelids fluttered.

"Soph, Sophia," he muttered.

"I'm right here, Dean," she said, her voice catching. He wasn't fully awake, but it was a good sign that the anesthesia was beginning to wear off. "I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere. Ever."