Ok, I wrote this forever ago, I was VERY bored. It takes place when Jessica got her first liver, the one from Antonio.




Monday June 4th

8:30 pm

Clint and Dorian were sitting in the sunroom at the hospital. They were just sitting there holding hands and not saying much of anything at all. Clint had spent the entire day with Jessica. And all of last night had been spent trying to track down Antonio.

Dorian had been staring out the French doors of the sunroom when she felt Clint’s head hit her shoulder.

Ever so slowly she twisted her head around. She was very careful just in case he was sleeping. She knew how hard it had been for him to rest and didn’t want to wake him if he was. Sure enough, his eyes were closed and he was snoring lightly.

She wondered absently about the last time either of them had eaten, as she kissed his forehead and stroked his hair. She found she couldn’t recall what either of them had last had to eat. But it didn’t seem all that important. What was important right now was sleep.

She gently set her head on top of Clint’s, intent on catching a few winks, when Natalie and Viki burst through the doors. Surprised, Dorian shot upright, causing Clint’s head to fall off her shoulder, thus jolting him awake.

“Nash found Antonio!” shouted Natalie, positively ecstatic. “They just got here, he consented to the surgery and it’s going to happen within an hour.”

Clint was awake instantly and out the door in a flash. Dorian, Viki and Natalie were quick to follow.

“Paige,” said Clint “How long ‘till Jessie gets out of surgery and we know if she’ll pull through?”

“There is no way of knowing any of that at the moment. As for the surgery, depending on if there are any complications, it could take anywhere’s from three to six hours…”





10:30 pm.

They have been waiting outside the OR for two hours. Their eyes are sagging from want of sleep. But they won’t let them selves. Clint turns to Dorian, he knows she has her own familial troubles and he feels terrible that she’s here with him, when she should be sleeping. “Dorian,” he leans in to whisper to her, his voice slightly hoarse from lack of talking and sleep. “Dorian, you should go home. At least one of us should get some sleep.”

“Clint, I’m not going anywhere’s until we receive news on Jessica. You sir are stuck with me for the duration!”

He smiles tiredly, “Well at least try to get some sleep.”

She looks at him confused. He gestures to his shoulder, then pulls her closer so she can rest her head there.

Dorian sighs contentedly and closes her eyes. Clint smiles at her and kisses her hair, as she quickly falls asleep.




12:00 am.

Finally they all gave up and let sleep take over. They had all been awake so long that it hurt to keep their eyes open any longer. And of course as soon as they closed their eyes, sleep was quick to follow.

Clint’s head gently slid on top of Dorian’s. His snoring, though light, combined with the added weight of his head dropping on hers was enough to wake her.

Her eyes fluttered open just in time to see Michael McBain come through the doors to the waiting room.

“Clint.” She nudges him awake. “Clint wake up. Michael’s here.” She notices Viki and Natalie are still asleep. So she gets up and goes over to wake them.

Placing her hand on Viki’s shoulder she gently shakes her.

Viki wakes up screaming something about Jessica, her hands flailing everywhere. Dorian, unable to move away in time, was struck in the face, hard.

The force from the surprise blow to her face made Dorian stumble backwards. She tripped over a coffee table that was oh so inconveniently resting behind her, and went crashing to the ground.

Clint and Michael were at her side in an instant. It was quite clear she was unconscious, and from that horrible sound when she fell, something must have gotten broken.




12:30 am.

Once they had lifted Dorian to a stretcher, and other doctors had taken her to be examined, Michael was able to tell them all, the news they had been waiting to hear.

“Jessica is going to be fine. We got her out of the OR and into ICU. And hopefully soon we’ll be able to get her out of ICU. But not until we can be sure that this new liver will take.”

“How long until you know that, and in your opinion, will it?” Clint asked anxiously. Michael could tell Clint was torn over who’s bedside to be at.

“Clint I have EVERY reason to believe that Jessica will be fine. She’s already showing little signs of improvement”

“When can we see her?” asks Viki.

“Not for a while yet. But I’ll be sure to inform you as soon as it’s ok.” Said Michael.

“Ok. Michael, do you know where they took Dorian?” As Clint asks the question Viki and Natalie just roll their eyes. Clint sees them but chooses to ignore them.

“I believe they took her for x-rays. But I can go find out for sure if you’d like.”

“That would be great, thank-you Michael.”

“Then follow me…”






1:00 am.

Clint has been sitting in the room they readied for Dorian for about twenty minutes when they finally bring her in. He jumped up and went straight to her side. Seeing she was still unconscious, he asked the doctor. “Has she woken up at all?”

“No, but her CAT scans showed no signs of trauma to her brain. Other than a broken wrist and a rather large bump on her head, she’s fine. Although… it is a bit worrisome that she hasn’t woken up yet.”

“But you’re sure there’s nothing wrong with her head? There’s no way you missed anything?”

“No as far as brain damage goes, there was nothing on the CAT scan.”

“Ok, thank-you doctor.” Clint pulls a chair to her bedside and takes hold of her hand. “Dorian, sweetie, please wake up. Wake up for me darlin’. I don’t know how much more I can take. You’ve been my rock through all of this, and now… well now I fell pretty damn alone. I wish you would wake up.”

All of a sudden the machines Dorian’s hooked up to start to beep faster and seemingly to no particular rhythm. Doctors and nurses rush in and Clint get pushed out of the room.



1:30 am.

Paige comes out of Dorian’s room with an almost sickly look to her, her face is so pale.

Clint jumps up, “Oh god no, did she… no, no, no, please don’t say that she…” He turns white as a sheet, unable to say the words.

“I’m so sorry Clint… she… she lapsed into a come. It looks like there was more damage done than we originally thought. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh god.” Clint stumbles back a little, reaching for a chair. Just as Viki comes ‘round the corner he asks, ”What are the chances she’ll make it out of the coma?”

Viki’s hand flies to her mouth and she inhales sharply. Clint glances over at her, the look on his face a mix of pain and anger when he sees her. Her looks away, he has to. Turning back to Paige he asks her, “Can I go sit with her?”

“Yes, of course Clint. And to your first question, I have no answer; your guess is as good as mine. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.”

“No, it’s ok, I understand. Would you do one thing for me though? Please?”

“Anything.” Came her reply, along with a sympathetic smile a nod of her head, reaffirming her statement.

“Will you call her girls for me? I just want to sit with her. All of the numbers are programmed into her cell if you don’t know them.”

“Sure Clint. Now go talk to her, tell her how you feel. She can probably hear you. It might help. Both of you.”



2:15 am.

Clint has just fallen asleep holding her hand. After about twenty minutes of incessant talking, he’d run out of things to say. Blair and Starr burst through the door, jolting Clint awake. He mumbles under his breath “Can’t a man get more then ten minutes of uninterrupted sleep in this damned hospital?!”

Blair and Starr each sit on one side of the bed. They have many questions that Clint just isn’t up to answering. So he leaves under the pretense of looking for a good cup of coffee. In the hall he runs into Adrianna.

“Clint! Do you know where my mother is?”

He motions to the door just to his left and says, “Blair and Starr are in there with her as well.”

Seeing how upset he is, she finds it in her to give him a hug, and then she’s gone in a flash.




Friday June 8th

12:00 pm.

Clint comes back to Dorian’s bedside after a not so long visit with Jessica. “Hey there beautiful. Just came back from Jessie’s room. She’s doing great, she’s already getting most of her color back! And she’s even sitting up. … Wish I could say the same for you.” Clint notices not for the first time just how pale she looks. He sighs and takes her hand as he sits.

“Darlin’, I sure wish you would wake up for me. Or at least let me know you can hear me.” He keeps looking at her. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you. You know,” a thoughtful looks comes on his face. “I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to realize it. But Dorian, I love you. And I would be so much more than happy to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I wish you would let me know if you can hear me…”

All of a sudden he thinks he sees her eyes flutter a little and he tries not to get too excited. “Dorian if you can hear me baby, I want you to squeeze my hand and open your eyes. Ok?! Please, I know you can hear me, just show me!”

Slowly her fingers curl around his hand and he jumps up as her eyes start to flutter open.

“Dorian! You’re awake!” he presses the call button beside her bed.

“Clint.” She murmurs, her voice hoarse and weak. She tries to smile but lacks the strength to do much more than grimace.

“How do you feel darlin’?” he asks, while looking to see if a doctor or nurse is on their way. He presses the button again when he sees no one.

“I, I he-heard you say… you, you lo-loved me!” her smile gets a little bigger and her voice slightly stronger with each word. “I, I want you t-to know… I lo-love you too. I have for a long time. Very long time.” She coughs a little so he passes her some water. After sipping the water she continues, “In fact, Clint Buchanan, I am madly in love with you, and I too,” she pauses for another sip of water. “would love to spend the rest of my life showing you how much. You’re the reason I came back. You were my ‘unfinished business’ so to speak.”

“Well someone seems to be getting stronger fast!”

“I’m a Cramer. It’s what I do.”

“Well I’m glad, so glad in fact, that I have a little something for you.” He roots around in his pockets for a minute until his fingers close around it. “I took the liberty of popping out for a minute or two the other day while Cassie was with you and Natalie was with Jessie.” Pulling it out, Dorian sees a rather small velvet covered box.

She breathes in sharply.

“Dorian Cramer, you are the most beautiful, intelligent, interesting and infuriating woman I’ve ever met. And I love you o much because of it. Would you give me the great pleasure of agreeing to be my wife?” He opens the box to reveal a beautiful two-karat diamond set in a dainty white gold band that has little diamonds all around the band.

She smiles sweetly and holds out her hand saying “I would love nothing more.” As their family watches from the door Clint slips on the ring and kisses her.

I love this line. SO. DORIAN. Clint was so sweet with her and I loved the way that she wouldn't leave his side. She has stuck by him through a lot of family trauma and been his rock through all of it. On the show, Clint has told Dorian that he is falling in love with her. "What will it take" for Dorian to do the same? I enjoyed reading your story and I think I like your short stories most of all. It's like getting a quick fix in between them showing Dorian and Clint on the show. I appreciate you taking the time to write it. And I especially loved the ending with the ring :rolleyes: hearts1.gif