On the fifth morning after the accident Dana was feeling slightly better and she was sitting talking to Alice, not caring whether she was heard or not.  Sharon was getting them some breakfast when one of the nurses showed Lenore Piezecki into the room.

“Oh my god” She gasped and she made her way over to the bed, stopping to hug Dana quickly

“I came as quickly as I could, I was stuck up in Canada with little reception” Lenore explained

Dana nodded and filled Lenore in on what the doctors had said initially and that they were encouraged with her initial progress.  They were all simply waiting for Alice to wake up to know the extent of her injuries.

Three hours later Lenore was restless and Dana thought she was simply bored.  She knew enough about Alice’s relationship with her mother to conclude that Lenore didn’t find the anxious mother role particularly easy or endearing.  It wasn’t that she didn’t care, more that she didn’t know how to.

“You know I’m not going to leave anytime soon. If you want to get your stuff organised and settled I’ll give you a call if she makes any improvement.” Dana said.

Lenore took this opportunity to escape and told Dana she’d be at Alice’s apartment if she needed her.

Shane and Bette had arrived in the time that Lenore and Dana had been sitting with Alice and shortly after she left Dana went out to the waiting area to get a glass of water to find them in friendly conversation with her mother.

“Hey Dane, howz she doing?” Shane asked in her usual lazy tone

“Same. I’m just getting some water.”

“And you?” Bette asked

“Good actually, just worried. It’s been 5 days. That’s bad right?”

“There isn’t any way of knowing I don’t think. These things just take time to heal.” Sharon replied

Dana smiled weakly and returned to room 4.  The three visitors remained where they were, not wanting to leave but respecting the time that Dana needed alone with Alice.

At 6 o’clock that evening they finally had the breakthrough they’d all been praying for.  Dana was sitting, holding Alice’s hand gently as she recalled some of their favourite memories when Alice’s hand gave an ever so gentle squeeze. Dana stood and stared at Alice’s face looking for any sign of consciousness returning to no avail. Thinking that she’d maybe dreamt it she sat down and returned to her story. Half an hour later she did it again but stronger this time and she went on to shift her whole arm slightly and moved her head.  Dana pressed the buzzer and watched Alice intently as the expressions on her face showed her fight to regain consciousness.  Jane, the nurse who had been on duty the first night, came into the room.