AN: Thanks for all the responses I've already gotten!
As watershed شدہ تبصرہ at the end of the first chapter, about seeing Lisa being stronger than how I have written her; I feel that we don't truly know who the 'real' Lisa (or Hugh for that matter) are underneath the persona we see at events and such. [[Only posting here so everyone will understand why.]]

link -- link

Chapter Two

Four hours later …

The scene hadn't changed very much since Olivia left. Hugh's ankles were crossed slightly, and he had pushed his chair against Lisa's bed, his hand gripping hers. His eyes flickered between the doorway, the monitors on the other side of the bed, and the woman who's hand he held. He leaned against the bed, running his thumb along the inside of Lisa's palm. Shivering slightly at the thoughts racing through his mind, he shifted his weight towards the bed, his eyes trained on Lisa's still and peaceful expression.

“Lise,” his voice was just above a whisper, and his breath graced Lisa's skin gently, “Please don't leave me.” Hugh leaned forwards, even though he knew she couldn't hear him, his voice dropping even lower, “I need آپ here Lisa, and can't loose you.” His movements were discrete, since the mere fact that he was seated besides her, holding her hand; keeping a constant vigil at her side, could bring gossip columns back from the dead. Leaning forwards, he rested his chin on the بستر besides Lisa's pale face, and quietly inched himself forwards, allowing himself to place a gentle kiss on her neck. “Don't leave me, please.”

A knock at the door caused him to pull back suddenly, and Hugh returned his hands to his lap, his eyes turned onto the only thing that separated him and Lisa from the rest of the world.

“Hello?” A face poked in the door, and almost instantly, Hugh relaxed upon recognizing the woman staring back at him. She stepped inside, her plastic flip flops smacking lightly against the linoleum floors, making her way slowly towards the bed. “How is she?” Bonnie Edelstein turned her gaze from her daughter to Hugh as she waved her husband into the room.

“She's … stable.” Hugh's voice caught and he stood, moving to shake both Bonnie and Alvin Edelstein's hands, “They doctors کہا that they wanted to be notified when both of آپ arrived, just because آپ two are her parents … آپ know?” He shifted his weight, his hands still stuffed in his pockets, and awkwardly, he glanced back at Lisa, “I'm sorry, but I need to go … I need to talk to the rest of the cast, alert them that Lisa's here.”

“No,” Alvin interrupted, “You don't have to do that Hugh, آپ can call them and tell them anyways.” He brushed سے طرف کی both his wife and Hugh, picking up the chart at the foot of Lisa's بستر and glancing over it quietly. Muttering quietly at the notations on the charts, he looked up at his wife, his eyes haunted. “She wanted to do it Bonnie, it wasn't accidental.”

“Al ...”Bonnie's voice was barely above a whisper, “Don't … we don't know that.” She shook her head, not daring to believe that her youngest daughter would even think of attempting suicide, nevertheless actually try and go through with it.. “It could have … been a mistake, it could have been.”Faltering slightly, she sank into the chair that Hugh had vacated about five منٹ earlier, reaching for her daughter's hand, “Never would Lisa think of trying to kill herself … she just … wouldn't.”

“You don't know that Bonnie,” Hugh replied quietly, his eyes fixed on the floor, “I've done some incredibly reckless things myself when I've been depressed. I don't think I've ever tried to plan out my death, یا even thought of suicide, but it happens to everyone.” He went around the بستر to Lisa's other side and ran his hand along her arm gently. “I should have known...Lisa's always been there for me, I should have been there for her.” Swallowing, he held her hand loosely and rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand, “I hate myself for it too.”

“You can't blame yourself Hugh,” Alvin کہا quietly, moving to stand beside his wife, “Lisa's always been very private about her emotions.” He rested his hand on Bonnie's arm, “I just wish … she could have told you; she seems to value her friendship with آپ very much. It's almost as if she needs آپ in her life when she's lost.”

“I … I should thank her,” Hugh looked down at his and Lisa's hands again and closed his eyes, sighing deeply, “When she wakes up, I will.” He bent down slowly and kissed her cheek, not caring what Lisa's parents thought they were, and ran his fingers through her hair lovingly. “She's one of my best friends, and I can't loose her because I was too damn stupid to not be there for her.” Straightening up, he glanced over at where Bonnie and Alvin watched his intently, and he dropped his hand from Lisa's. “I'm so sorry آپ two, I should go … I'm not family ...”

“You can't,” Bonnie insisted, “You belong here just as much as we do – you're Lisa's best friend and mean as much to us as she does. It's not up for an argument either, and I can't read Lisa's mind, but I know she would want آپ to be here just as much as I do.” She glanced down quickly, then back at Hugh, “You're the only one who can give her strength to go on, even if she doesn't know that you're here سے طرف کی her side.”

“You don't know that ...” Hugh began to protest, “And it's for the exact reasons آپ said, آپ can't read Lisa's mind and tell me what she wants.” His eyes flashed with anger and he straightened up, looking Bonnie in the eyes, “I don't want to be here because I know, in some way, it's one hundred percent my fault that Lisa is here, and I can't guilt myself anymore than I already have.”

“Hugh,” Alvin interrupted, stopping his wife before she could protest, “It's not a matter of what Lisa would want, it's a matter of what Bonnie and I want. We both want آپ to be here, we know how much آپ mean to Lisa and we're focusing on that aspect.” He straightened up as well, as if daring Hugh to challenge him, “If آپ ask me, nothing would make Lisa happier if she knew that آپ sat with her.”

“I … I don't know,” Hugh rocked back and forth on his feet, “I don't want to feel lie I'm intruding on آپ guys, I mean, آپ are family and I'm just her friend.” Glancing at the chair besides the window, he dragged It over to the bedside, dropping into it quietly. He avoided the curious looks he was getting from both Lisa's parents and reached for Lisa's hand again, holding it loosely in his own.

“Hugh … if آپ mind me asking, what exactly is going on with آپ and Lisa right now?” Bonnie asked quietly, slightly embarrassed, “I mean … are آپ two … together?”

“What?” Hugh looked up, even though he wasn't surprised سے طرف کی the nature of the question, “Oh … no … Lisa and I aren't … together.” He glanced down again, embarrassed at his quick reply, and rubbed his thumb along Lisa's palm, dropping his voice below a whisper; “I love her though, and it scares me.”

“What was that Hugh?” Alvin looked up, having heard Hugh mumble something quietly under his breath. He shifted his weight on his feet, not wanting to pry into his daughter's best friend's personal life.

“I … nothing,” Hugh replied, standing, “Would آپ guys like anything to eat یا drink?” He stuffed his hands in his pocket and pulled out a few crumpled bills, “I haven't eaten since the early afternoon and could use some dinner. Anything I can pick up for either of آپ at the cafeteria?”

“Coffee and a turkey sandwich,” Alvin dug into his own pockets and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, which he passed to Hugh. “If they have it, and it's on us too.” He didn't bother to try to take the bill back when Hugh insisted that he was fine, and looked over to where Bonnie was sitting quietly, watching their daughter silently. “Maybe a coffee and ترکاریاں, سلاد for Bonnie as well?”

“Okay,” Hugh gave a nod and headed from the room, his mind racing. He took a back way, through a stairwell, and up to the سب, سب سے اوپر floor, where the cafeteria was located.

- - run to آپ - -

“He obviously cares about her,” Alvin had taken Hugh's seat, and looked across Lisa at his wife, “At least مزید than he's willing to admit to us.” He sat, legs crossed, and continued to read over the medical charts again. “I don't know if آپ can read eyes the way I can, but I've never seen another one of Lisa's boyfriends look at her the way Hugh does.” Hiding a smile, he set aside the charts, “He would make her very happy, آپ know.”

“Of course I do,” Bonnie couldn't resist hiding her own smile,” Lisa deserves a wonderful man like Hugh to be with her.” She turned on her gaze on her daughter, “I'm sure Lisa knows how happy he could make her too.”

“Did آپ happen to notice … is he still wearing a wedding ring?” Alvin paused, suddenly feeling as if he and Bonnie were gossipers, instead of Lisa's parents. “Because I know that Lisa mentioned that he was having problems with his wife, at least when we invited her ہوم for her winter vacation time this past winter, she کہا that she'd rather be there with him.” He shifted his weight in the chair, watching his wife and youngest daughter silently, his thoughts on the most important relationship that Lisa deserved.