A/N My information on what happens when someone has experienced a car accident is not accurate, so do not take any of the following for granted. I googled as best as I could, but it's still pretty unrealistic. Please read with this in mind :) thanks!

Beep....beep...beep...

I open my eyes slowly. Small strands of light shine through the closed window blinds. The faint light illuminated on the many screens of the medical machinery allow me to see the room. I blink a few times to clear the hazy scene before me. I feel a slight twinge of annoyance at the incessant beeping and buzzing of the machines.

It takes a few minutes before I remember what has happened. If I am in a hospital, that means the car accident did occur. I struggle through my memories as I try to recall the accident. It is more difficult than I expect as I sluggishly continue my efforts to remember. My brain feels so heavy and dull. It must be the drugs. There is an abundant amount of machinery around me, more than i have seen in my life. All these wires are connected to me, pumping poison into my body.

I have the urge to rip the tubes out of me. It is dulling me down. I cannot think or function! I try to lift my right arm to rip off one of the tubes on my left. However, I must have been severely drained that I couldn't lift it up. Yet, my left arm is perfectly fine as I rip the tubes. Immediately an even more annoying beeping occurs.

"Basta!" Someone fumbles out of the couch across from me and rushes over. How strange, I was sure nobody was in here but me. He must have been lying down.

The man grips both of my wrists tightly but tenderly to prevent me from touching the tubes. I stare at his face before I recognize him. "D-dad?" My voice croaks out. Immediately, I shut my mouth and yank my wrists away. However, the tug barely does anything for he moves only a centimeter. My weak strength saddens me. I don't miss the slight flicker of hurt in his eyes when I try to back away.

"Vivianna, mio tesorina," he whispers sadly as he kisses my forehead. His eyes water briefly before he composes himself in the cold way I've seen before. His abrupt change doesn't surprise me much, but seeing his sudden slip of emotion does. Since when was he so easily readable?

It has probably been five years since I have last seen him. The years have not been kind to him. He seems to have aged ten years than five with his graying hair and deep frown lines. His tired appearance makes me wonder about his health. Don't forget what he did. I try to cut off my sympathy for him.

I'm conflicted as he stands there. This is not the the reunion I expected. I did not even want a reunion with him if I could. I expected him to be furious or disappointed with me, murderous even. In his brief lapse of collectedness, all I saw was the worry and love of a normal parent. I'm not saying he never loved me, but after what I have done to him, to the family, I would never expect to see it.

"I-," he begins to say before someone knocks on the door.

"Good morning Vivianna. My name is Dr. Brennan," a slim, tall woman dressed in a white coat. "If you could close your eyes for a few minutes, I will turn on the lights."

"Huh? Who?" I briefly ask before remembering that she's talking to me. Bright light hits my eyelids and I slowly open my eyes as they adjust. I stare at Dr. Brennan once more. Her short, brown hair frames her face softly, eccentuating her delicate features. I would estimate she is in her mid-thirties, but as soon as she smiles, she appears younger. I like her instantly.

"Oh, Mr. Ricca," Dr. Brennan spots him by my bedside. Her face pales slightly before she nods. "I didn't know you were still here. The nurse was just about to contact you. I can let you have a few minutes with Vivianna if you would like."

"I was just about to leave. I'll return later," He nods briskly as he leaves without a goodbye. Don't feel sad, don't feel sad...I think reptitively.

"Please call me Shay. I go by Shay." I tell her.

"Alright, Shay it is." Dr. Brennan approaches me and checks the machinery around me briefly. "So, the nurse has just notified me of your awakening. You must have a lot of questions to ask me. I'll try to answer all of them. This here is Nurse Moretti," She points to the nurse who has just entered. The nurse is younger but has a hard look to her eyes. My skin crawls uncomfortably as she stares at me with blank expression."If you need anything at all, you can let her know." Nurse Moretti gives me a thin smile, which fails to warm me. Dr. Brennan smiles as she brings a computer over and sits besides me.

"How is Pearl? Is she okay? What happened? Where am I?" I ask, but my voice comes out raspy and sickly. I clear my throat and repeat the questions.

Dr. Brennan appears surprised at my voice. Nurse Moretti offers me a small cup of lukewarm water, which tastes wonderfully as it quenches my throat.

"Pearl is recovering and fine. We have actually just discharged her. She is a fierce little thing." She chuckles before continuing, "She has been stubbornly waiting for you to wake up. However, unfortunately visiting hours are strictly for family only for you."

"Her injuries?"

"She suffered no severe injury if that is what you are asking. Don't worry, she is fine. We need to discuss you right now if you don't mind." She asserts with a kind tone.

"We are at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the ICU. We transferred you from the ER after your surgery and you were stabilized. You were in a medically induced coma; we used Diprovan to induce you. You were scheduled to wake up soon, so we have been watching you carefully. It has been two weeks since you have been in the coma. You suffered a moderate head injury, and we have been measuring your intracranial pressure. Your ICP pressure has decreased to normal levels in a short amount of time. We considered using an endotracheal tube to assist your breathing, but you were breathing regularly and normally."

I try to pay attention and listen to her intently. Yet, the words completely slip past my mind and I forget what she is describing to me. All I care is that Pearl is fine.

Dr. Brennan must have realized that for she stops explaining and says, "I will inform you more on the details perhaps when you have regained full awareness."

"I have to ask some questions as part of standard procedures. We need to examine you for additional injuries." Dr. Brennan grabs her clipboard.

Soon, I find myself tested in a long string of tests and answering tons of questions, of which I realize I do not have answers to some of the questions. They test my eye and verbal response, assigning me a score. (I think it was a surprise to the nurses and doctors that my verbal response is normal despite my injury to my frontal lobe). My motor response test has been rescheduled until everything is healed properly.

Besides my brain injury, I also experienced neck, spinal cord, back, facial, and internal injuries. The whiplash has made my neck strain, though my medication has dulled all the pain. Dr. Brennan reassures me that my neck injury will heal right back because of my young age.

I know it is terribly awful of me, but I zone out. Even if I pay attention, I doubt I will fully comprehend Dr. Brennan since her medical jargon tends to confuse me. Yet, I did understand that I have fractured ribs, scrapes, scars, and lacerations. Oh, and I also fractured my right wrist, right hip, and right ankle. Fortunately, my hip and ankle were simple fractures, but my wrist was a compound fracture.

I have lost some feeling in my right hand and arm. My fractured wrist limits my wrist mobility. They said because of the impact to the passenger's side, my right arm was "lucky" that it only lost some feeling. At least, that is how I heard it. Dr. Brennan sounded optimistic when she said that they had the best doctors and rehabilitation therapists that could restore most of my finger mobility and feeling.

I have multiple scars from the shattered glasses of the windows and windshield. Some are barely noticeable, while others are quite unattractive. The scars look worse than they are right now from what Dr. Brennan said. I should hope so because right now my right side of my body is bandaged I now sport a two inch scar running along my jawline. It's only a straight line, so it does not look as badass as I had hoped. My longest scar was caused by a chunk of glass embedded in my right side; I assume I will be waving farewell to bikinis for a while. I love bikini season though...

"Vivianna?" Someone calls my name repeatedly. "Shay?"

"Yes?" I snap back into reality.

"As I was saying, we need you to answer these questions." Dr. Brennan says.

"Oh yes I forgot. Who was in the car that hit us?"

"The driver was a college student. He had high levels of alcohol in his system at the time of the crash."

"Is he in jail?"

"He's arrested for DUI. This was his second offense, and since he is twenty-one years of age, he has been suspended for one year."

"Basically, I'm stuck in a hospital with a broken body because of a drunk college boy? He only gets a one year suspension?" I begin to feel angry. "I can't move or feel my right fingers or arm sometimes because of a college boy? What is he going to do? Come and say sorry? Sorry will not heal me. Is he going to hold responsibility for driving while drunk? This is his second offense! If he has done it before twice, he wil do it again!" My voice rises into a shout. I huff out of breath after my outburst, which actually felt nice.

She winces briefly at my anger.

"And when can I see Pearl? She's almost like family! Let her in." I just want to see her face.

"I will be back," Dr. Brennan finally nods. I am surprised at her complaincy. However, I have a feeling that she's only doing everything I say because of my family's influence.

"Thank God! SHAYYYYY DARLINNGGGG!" Pearl shouts. She tries to run in, but she's on crutches, which makes an adorably hilarious sight. Pearl barely makes five feet tall so she's tiny and easily missed. Yet, her neon pink cast and crutches forces others to give her attention. I didn't even know they had pink crutches. She immediately begins to cry as she sees the extend of my injuries.

I cannot help but laugh at her pink attire too. I wonder why she didn't dye her hair pink than wine. I easily feel better now that she's here.

"You being injured is not funny!" She folds her arms and frowns.

"It's okay. I'm okay." I reach up to pat her, but fail to remember that my right arm is different now. I try to cover it up quickly and switch arms to pat her. She doesn't notice my hesitation.

"It's all my fault!" She wails.

"No, it isn't. How could it be?" I scold her. "Stop."

"Fine..." she sighs. Then, she leans in. "Did the police and the doctors question you about the accident?"

"Yes and no? When I woke up, they might have. I don't remember. Dr. Brennan just told me about the driver who hit us."

"THAT SON OF A BITCH IS GOING TO PAY! WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THAT DUDE, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HIM A BEATING." Pearl stands up from her seat, but forgets her crutches. She flails her arms as she tumbles backward into the chair. It would have had more of an impact had she managed to stay standing.

I laugh really hard, not really caring that my ribs hurt at each laugh. "I guess I should warn him to flee from the terrible Pearl Mancini!"

"Yes ma'am," She tries to hug me without hurting me. Then, she whispers softly, "Did you see your father yet? He totally barged into the hospital all mafia-like with a group of guards. I think I saw your brothers too!"

My blood runs cold. "First of all, do not ever say the m-word. Second, do not mention my family every again. Third, all three of my brothers? How do you know..you know what nevermind."

"Whoa," Pearl leans back and trembles. "I was-"

"Sorry Pearl," I realize how cold and abrupt I was. "I really am sorry that somehow you're in my mess."

"You've been saying sorry a lot." She smiles, "and you're like my sister. I'll always have your back, so don't you dare cut me out of your life again. I can handle myself just fine. I did Krav Maga for five years, so I can handle myself just fine."

"Krav Maga?" I say rather impressed.

"I'm pretty good at it." She says proudly as she pretends to punch imaginary opponents. "But really, you have two big, bad guards stationed outside your room. They just stand there and stare at people. It's quite intimidating. Your father has been visiting you almost everyday."

"I don't want to talk about him. Just because he rushes to visit me doesn't mean it's because he cares for me." He might just be worried that if I died, he would never know where the key is. And, I could have been delusional when I first woke up.

"Give the old man some credit." She pleads.

"What do you know about him that I don't?" I say tiredly.

"Skyler and I have done some more digging," she looks unashamed. "Your father isn't all that bad..with the exception of the m-word."

"I don't want talk about this anymore, so how are you?'

"Don't you like my latest style. Pink crutches!" She tries to model with them goofingly. "Oh, and Skyler is waiting outside. Do you want me to bring him in?"

"Duh! Why didn't he just come in?"

"Well, Dr. Brennan said you only asked for me..." she trails off. "And do remember my warning, you're going to be in for a surprise when you see him. I'm still not sure if it's a good or bad surprise."

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A/N

And...I end there.

I tried to leave the medical stuff less so it's not that boring.

THanks for reading and I would say this chapter isn't as strong as I would liked. Sorry to disappoint.

Thanks again :)

Comment, CRITIQUES PLEASE, and vote if you liked <3