Title: WC - Wake Up (2)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Warnings: N/A

A/N: Written for impromptu50. I think this is my favorite of the four.

Summary: The coma ends. Where waking up is hard. A second sequel to 'Coma'.

Everything was white.

JD tried to move his eyes, but they felt stuck. He blinked once, twice, but the whiteness persisted.

A deep rumbling sounded to his right. It struck an odd chord in him - something between comforting and scary. He tried to turn his head. No luck.

A warm weight wrapped around his hand.

JD closed his eyes and let himself be engulfed by the blackness once more.

The next time JD's eyes opened the whiteness was gone, replaced by a constant stream of shifting grays. A word registered in his mind - shadows - but like the shapes on the ceiling the word quickly melted away.

A lighter figure separated itself from the other shadows. It leaned over him. JD was afraid, but at the same time not. Its shape was familiar.

He was tired. He closed his eyes.

JD tried to take a breath, but found he couldn't. The muscles in his neck constricted in panic and he began to cough around the plastic tubing in his throat. A voice spoke calmly above his head.

"Don't fight it. Let it breath for you."

JD tried to make sense of the words but it was difficult with the warning sirens going off in his head. Finally, exhausted, he relaxed and gave up his struggle. You win, plastic menace.

The cool sensation of air trickling into his lungs was a welcome relief. He allowed himself to relax further into the softness of his bed. A set of fingers gently brushed the hair off his damp forehead. JD tried to lean into the touch but his head was too heavy. He desperately wanted to open his eyes, to see who was taking care of him. But not just now. He was tired again, and he needed to rest.

"What do you think?"

Dr. Cox managed to lift his eyes away from JD's slack face. Carla stared back, her brown eyes filled with concern and closely guarded hope. "I don't know," he said softly. "He was out for almost three weeks. His chances of recovery are -"

He chanced a glance up at Carla. Her expression dared him to say something negative.

"He has a chance," Dr. Cox concluded.

He looked back down at the young man. His face was slightly flushed, but was beginning to cool now that he had settled down. Dr. Cox smoothed the loose bangs away from JD's forehead. He knew the kid hated having them droop like that.

"So that's it?" Carla asked, her voice resigned. Dr. Cox looked up at her. Carla's tough exterior wilted a bit under his gaze. "Isn't there anything else we can do?" she asked, her voice small in the large white room.

Dr. Cox looked at her across JD's still form. "Recovery is in his hands now." He nodded to JD and pulled his hand away from the kid's face. "It's up to him how fast he wants to take this."

Carla nodded and bit her lip. With a slight nod, she left the room.

Dr. Cox followed close behind her.

"But he's awake. And that's something."

A/N2: He lives! Okay, this is the end. The REAL end. On to bigger and better things.

PS - Feedback appreciated!

PPS - Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Y'all rock.