"Excuse me, Ms. Bloom?" Nurse Harris asked, as she gently tapped the young woman asleep next to Adam.
"Hmm? Oh, good evening Nurse Harris. Please call me Ella."
"Ella, on the contrary, it's morning already. I didn't want to wake you, in truth, he hasn't slept since he got here."
"Thank you. I'm sure you could have gotten in a lot of trouble with the doctors..."
"Please, child, none of them have been here as long as I have and no one messes with Betsy Harris."
Ella laughed as Adam shifted beside her when she rose from the bed and headed for the door.
"Oh don't leave, sweetie. He's happy when you're here, you know. He needs to relax and you're putting him at ease."
"Thank you, m'am."
"It's nothing, dear. Just don't let Dr. Jacobs or Dr. Schwartz catch you sitting on the bed, they'll flip. If anyone gives you any problems, you let me know," she smiled and closed the door.

About two hours later, Adam began to stir and his eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Ella?" he called weakly.
"Good morning, sleepy head," she smiled as she sat at his bedside.  
"Hey," he trailed sleepily.
"Your mom called. She wanted to know how you were."
"Oh great."
"Ryan told her everything and spent almost three hours convincing her she didn't need to fly in. She said your dad would call back."
"Much better, dad's a little calmer."
"Did you have a nice rest there?"
"Yeah. What time is it?"
"It's almost noon. You slept a long time, it was good for you. How are you feeling?"
"Better," he glanced at his hands, folded neatly in his lap. "Elle, I'm really sorry..."
"Adam, please don't start that again. You're okay now and that's all that matters," she stood up from her chair and moved beside him.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just stretching out, my body's not used to staying in one place so long. Why?"
"I just...I mean I..."
"What's wrong? Do you feel sick, or feel blood rising? What?" she asked nervously.
"No, no," he assured her. "I just don't want you to leave."
She took his hand in her hands and rubbed the sides with her thumb.
"I'm not going anywhere, Adam. I promise."
"Thanks."
"Thanks for the blueberry jello. It's my favorite color," he laughed.
"It was nothing."
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh, I have a little surprise for you," she smiled. "Come in!"
Through the door appeared Jesse, Ryan, Mickey, and James.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Adam asked cheerily, but still weakly.
"Other than the sky?" James laughed.
"These balloons," Mickey smiled as he pulled inside the hundred something balloon that he placed in the corner of the room.
"These flowers from some friends," James placed the cart of flowers in the corner.
  "And, some fruit and candy from fans, but I guess they're for when you get better," Jesse shrugged.
"And this!" Ryan lifted a box of assorted juices and flavored waters and a box of different baby food into the room.
"Great, I'm in preschool again," Adam's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Hey, you'll be back to normal food in no time. You have to take it easy until then."
"The joy."
"Nurse Harris checked in with me and told us we should be making arrangements for his discharge. It'll be a week at the earliest."
"Hey, Ella? Can I talk to you outside?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, sure, I'll be right back, guys."

"What's up, Jess?"
"Well, I spoke to Octone..."
"And?"
"They won't fly him home, it's too risky. They won't pay for care for him," Jesse shook his head.
"So what are we going to do?"
"We're going to look for a place nearby your house and we'll pitch in taking care of him, I guess. What else can we do?"
"Jesse, you know you guys can stay with me. You don't even have to ask. I can take care of him too, you know."
"They postponed the tour, so it's not that big of a deal anymore, but you, you have a job! Elle, you have a life without us in it."
"I wanted to talk to you all about that."
"What did you do?"
"Work, the boss was going to tell me soon anyway. I'm getting promoted, to consultant. That means I can work from home, Jess. It works out."
"They said that if we found a friend that would let us stay with them, they'd pay the bills. Everything: electric, water, groceries..."
"You'll stay by me. I want to help."
"Are you sure, Elle?"
"Yeah. I'm positive."