I entered the room. The room was silent, except the beep of some machines. Brian blended into the white, stiff blankets that covered him. The cuts and bruises looked even more garish in faint hospital light. I sat down in a chair beside him.

"Hey Brian. It's me Lauren. I'm so glad your okay. You just don't understand. Anyway, enough of this sappy talk. Do you know what's the craziest thing in the whole world? You have to keep it a secret Brian. Of course you're not gonna tell. This is you I'm talking to. Anyway, I still love Nick. Seeing all that pain in his eyes, Brian, it just made me want to die. Which is another reason I'm glad your gonna be okay. I would have hurt so much is you left us and went to heaven. I know God wants his angel back, but He can't have you yet Brian.

What would I do without you? I'd probably go insane. I know, I know I should be telling you how thankful I am that you will be alright, but you always want to know what I'm thinking. Which you usually know anyway. Alright. I better go. I know AJ is about to die out in the hallway. You know how impatient he gets. Bye Brian." I gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek and left the room.

~*~Nick's Point Of View~*~

'Damn It,' I thought to myself, as I rounded the corner to go back to Brian's room. 'Did I leave that blanket in his room. I hope Lauren doesn't mind if I go in there for a second.'

I stopped from opening the door as I heard Lauren talking to Brian.

" -Still love Nick. Seeing all that pain in his eyes, Brian, it just made me want to die." Lauren told Brian softly. I stood, listening- or eavesdropping- to her talk to Brian. 'She still loves me?' I thought. 'After all I did to her? No. I'm hearing things. You are a dork Carter.'

"-AJ is about to die out in the hallway. You know how impatient he gets." I laughed silently to myself as she said good bye. She was still the same person I had left. She walked out and almost collided with me. "Sorry…Nick." She said. She didn't even look at me when she said it. She just kept walking down the hallway.

I leaned against the wall, and let out a breath. 'That's the girl that still loves me?' I asked myself.

'Duh. She still had your ring on didn't she?' the other side of my head fought back. 'No she didn't' I thought back. 'Go look and see for yourself stupid.' The somewhat rational side said.

I began to walk down the hallway. I was determined now. "The blanket!" I said aloud, mentally smacking myself.

~*~Lauren's Point of View~*~

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nick come back in room. It was awkward being around him again, now that the tension and worry had worn off. He placed a folded blanket beside me. I felt his eyes on me. He was staring at the ring on my left hand. The ring he had given me. The ring I still believed held everything I needed. Nick.

I bit my lip and met his stare. We locked eyes for a couple minutes until I glanced away. 'I can't be with him any more. We already decided that it was better if we weren't. He already hurt you too much.'

I tried to stand up, but before I could, Nick placed his hand on my arm. I jerked my arm away like he had stung me. I saw the sadness that I had caused once again to come into his eyes.

I shook my head slightly and said, "I'm sorry."

He stood too, and placed his hands on my shoulders. He shook his head, as if he knew what I was thinking about. "Listen to me, Laur," he started off, but Allie ran over to us, and smiled sweetly at both of us.

"Lauren, I need you over here, right now," she was pulling on my arm, her eyes wide with fear, shock, and excitement. I tried to talk with her with my eyes, but she just keep nodding her head in the other direction, pulling on my arm.

"Ow Al. Sorry," I told Nick one last time.

I left him standing there, looking defeated, torn, and that bright pain shooting through his eyes again. "What's the big deal, Al?" I screeched, once she had pulled me into the hall.

She clutched my hands and let out a little scream. "I…I just…" she trailed off again and screamed happily.

"Spit it out Allie." I declared, crossing my arms over my chest.

"AJ just showed me this ring, and he said he was gonna, he was gonna, ask me to…MARRY HIM!"

We screamed, and jumped up and down. "Oh my God Al! That is SO great!" We grinned idiotically at each other, until a Nurse came down the hall, and looked at us like we were from Mars.

"And I want you to be my maid of honor." She started twirling around and humming the 'Thong Song'.

"Sure! Now lets go back in, before that nurse kills us."