Paging Dr. Vulcano

Chapter 16

"What do you mean you just found him?" Faith asked the remaining three as she stood in the waiting room of the hospital with them. The hospital staff wasn't letting anyone up to Sal's room unless the visitors were family. "You guys have over 60 people on set each time you film a freaking punishment and not one person saw what happened to him?!"

"No none of us saw anything" all three of them replied with their heads hung low.

"Ma'am, you've been asked to go up to his room. I'm sorry, I wasn't told that you were his fianceé" the receptionist told Faith.

"Thank you. Guys," Faith looked at the three Jokers "I'll let you know what's happening". Faith couldn't figure out why she was allowed up to see Sal, they weren't engaged. She finally found the room where the nurse said he would be. Once she got to the door she was hugged by Sal's mom, even though this was the first time she was meeting her.

"Oh Faith, it's so good to finally meet you. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I just knew that Sal would want you here so I lied about you two being engaged."

Right after Sal's mom finished hugging her, Faith noticed Sal's dad sitting in the corner. Faith had met him before on set when they used him in the punishment where Sal had to catch the chickens. Faith could see the tears in his eyes as he watched his son lay there motionless.

Sal was hooked up to all kinds of monitors, Faith noticed the endotracheal tube, which she knew meant he had to be in a coma and at risk for not breathing on his own. All she could think to herself was "How on earth did this happen?". Sal had bruises on his face and his left arm was in a cast. She noticed Sal's external injuries, and could only wonder what was worse internally.

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Several hours later, Faith was the only one still by Sal's side. His parents had both left, after the doctor had been in to update everyone on what they knew. According to the doctor, Sal had most likely been knocked out somehow. He then must have fallen onto his left arm, breaking it on what seemed to be wood. When he fell the wood must have broken, because he had wood pieces embedded in other areas too. He had several broken ribs as his unconscious body rolled to where he was found down the hill. His ribs had bruised several internal organs and the doctor said they would only know how he would respond if he woke up. He was in a medically induced coma to allow his body to recover. He had been in a coma for two days now and his body wasn't responding the way the doctors would have wanted. They had decided that allowing his body to wake up on its own was the best option, which landed them here, about three hours since the doctor took out the ET tube.

Faith sat there completely hopeless, thinking the worst. All she wanted to do was tell him she loved him. She sat there holding his hand as she talked to him

"Hey Champ, you've got to try for me. I can't lose you like this, Sal. There's so many things we still need to do. You've got to propose to me, I've got to marry you, and We have to have that family of ours. Come on, Mister, just wake up for me". Faith poured her heart out and cried laying her head on his shoulder, the only part of him that seemed to not be injured. She laid there still holding his hand as she felt him move next to her. He managed to squeeze her hand as Faith looked up at him.

"Sal? Baby come on you can do it. Squeeze my hand again if you can hear me" she asked him. A few seconds later, she felt him squeeze her hand.

"There you go! Ok, now just open your eyes sweetheart."

She then heard a barely audible "Love?" as he barely opened his eyes. Faith showered his face in kisses, not minding the bruised skin.

"Ouch, careful Love" Sal said as faith showed no restraint in letting him know she was happy he woke up.