"Tay?" came a voice from the corner. "You awake?" He lifted his aching head and recognized Nicole.

"Yeah," he said. "Nic, I have to ask you something very serious."

"What Tay?" she asked.

"What the hell am I doing in the hospital?"

"He doesn't remember anything about his accident!" Nicole cried to the doctor. "Why?"

"Nicole," Dr. Warner explained in a concerned voice, "your friend has been through a very traumatic experience. He may have temporarily blocked the incident from his mind. In which case the memory will come back in a matter of hours or days. So don't worry."

"So he's going to be okay?"

"He's a very lucky young man," the doctor said, nodding his head in agreement. "If you hadn't been there for him, he surely would have died." Nicole shuddered at the thought before entering the room again, followed by the doctor.

As the doctor introduced himself to Taylor and told him what had happened, Nicole began to realize something.

If he doesn't remember anything, then he must not remember my confession! she thought. That had been the hardest thing she had ever done in her life, explaining her feelings to him like that. And now he may never even remember them. So what is this? she wondered. A second chance? Am I supposed to rethink my decision? Or was I right to tell Taylor how I feel about him? Taylor's weak voice broke through her thoughts.

"So what's wrong with me?" he asked.

"Well," Dr. Warner began, "I have to tell you how lucky you were to have your friend Nicole with you when you got hurt. You could very well have died out there." He paused to let Taylor absorb the information. "Your fall resulted in a number of cuts and bruises to your face and neck, the areas that were exposed from your snowsuit. You also landed on your left wrist at a very fast speed, and it's very badly sprained. And you have a couple of broken ribs. That's what's causing you most of your pain. But these were the least serious of anything that could have happened, and you should be completely healed within six weeks."

Taylor's face turned a ghastly, pale shade as the doctor talked, and now he lifted the sheet to inspect his damage. His wrist was in a cast and his abdomen was completely bandaged. He touched his right hand to his face and felt the swelling and stitches.

"Why don't I remember anything?" Taylor asked in a small, shaking voice. The doctor explained what he had told Nicole earlier, and soon excused himself from the room. Nicole stood silently in the doorway, waiting on instruction from Taylor as to what she should do next.

"Nic," Taylor whispered, seeing her in the doorway. He turned and faced her, and she rushed forward to his side. He embraced her with his right arm and held her tightly for what seemed like hours. Cheek to cheek, she could feel tears rolling down her face, and it took her a while to realize that it was not only she who was crying. "You saved my life," he breathed, not letting go.

"I couldn't let you die Tay," she whispered. "You know that."

"How long were we out there?" he asked.

"About twelve hours," she said, breaking down again. He wiped at her tears with his fingertip, but they were coming so fast that he finally just stopped and held her.

"How cold was it?" he asked. "Freezing?" She nodded, unable to speak. "God Nic," he said. "YOU could have died too. Why didn't you just leave me there?"

Nicole mumbled something that he couldn't understand, but he got the next sentence perfectly. "Try to remember Tay," she choked. "And you'll know why."

Four hours after Walker Hanson arrived in West Virginia, Taylor was released from the hospital. The five arrived back in Tulsa early the next morning, and Taylor was sent to his room for much needed recuperation.

"Tay," she asked him, entering his room, "where is everyone?"

"Dad, Ike, Zac, and the little ones went to do some interviews in Oklahoma City," Taylor explained, "and mom's went shopping for the day after I convinced her that I'm okay." He smiled up at her from his place on the bottom bunk.

"You sure look better," she said, giving him a gentle hug. His ribs and arm were still hurt, but he was having a much easier time getting around. Plus, his face had almost completely healed.

"Thanks," he said, looking away from her. "Nic, I had a dream last night."

"About what?" she asked, picking up a discarded tambourine from the floor.

"The accident," he said. "I remembered everything." Nicole gasped and turned around quickly, sending the instrument clattering onto the floor.

"Everything?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

He nodded. "Everything."