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Amy bit her lip as she stood in the doorway of the hospital room. Tentatively, she raised her head from its slightly bowed position to eye the wounded blond man in the bed. From this vantage point, she could hardly believe it was him...

As the redhead stepped further into the room, she noticed that Adam's eyes were closed. He appeared to be asleep...

She felt tears welling up behind her eyelids and tried desperately to hold them back. As terrified and horrified as she'd been to learn he had been shot, she was still upset, hurt and angry that the Canadian had broken up with her.

Amy took a few more steps closer until she was at the tall blond man's bedside. She made certain to keep herself silent as she treaded across the floor and as she stood nearby him. The only sound issuing from her was her soft, nearly inaudible breathing.

Adam's eyes suddenly opened, and she opened her mouth, taking a deep and quick breth. He'd been awake afer all, only resting with his eyes closed... And now, she had nowhere to hide from him. She didn't want to do or say anything to upset him now, here - but she wasn't sure how she was going to hold back if he made a comment about their relationship. Or, rather, their past relationship, as, she didn't need to remind herself of the cold, callous way he'd fractured her heart...

"Angel..." His voice was soft but strong.

Amy's heart began to thud in her chest at that single word. He was calling her by that sweet term of endearment with which he'd dubbed her. She found that odd, all things considered.

She gazed down at him questioningly, and, without even thinking, she found herself reaching out to him. However, she stopped herself, resting her hand on the tray attached to one side of his hospital bed.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Honestly?" he asked. "Like shit..." He grinned as he looked up into her face, but then the smile waned as he realized she was obviously not in a humorous mood.

The redhead bit her lip, wincing a bit but furious with herself because of how hurt she was feeling. She'd thought that, once she saw Adam this way, she would feel none of the anger and personal heartbreak with which she'd been plagued for the last twenty-four or so hours...

...How wrong she'd been...

Instead of responding, she turned her head away, refusing to look at him. She couldn't help it and felt the tears welling up again.

Damn it... She didn't want to cry in front of him. She didn't want to let him see her cry and be so vulnerable...

Amy closed her eyes when she suddenly felt Adam's hand on hers.

"I'm sorry, Ames..." he spoke softly. "So very sorry..."

She bit her lip but kept her eyes shut. She was feeling so horrible.

"I never meant...I didn't want to hurt you...I was only trying to protect you..."

The redhead finally opened her eyes to stare down into his, an incredulous look on her face. She was totally oblivious to the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

"'Protect' me? You were trying to protect me??"

The blond man nodded weakly.

"From that maniac Levesque...Ames...Angel, I...I never wanted to break up with you - or hurt you in any way..."

"And yet, you did..." she said cynically. She sniffled, her nose now running along with the tears.

Adam winced.

"I hated doing it, but I thought it would be best for you..." he explained.

"Best for me?" she echoed. "Damn you, Adam Copeland! You never asked me what I thought was best for me!" The redhead gestured angrily as she spoke. "I went through hell! And then I went through even worse after you pulled this stupid stunt!" This time, she gestured to him laying in the bed. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Adam glanced down and away from her a moment as he pondered that one.

"I wasn't thinking..." he admitted. Then, as he shifted his gaze back to her, "But I know that I love you...And if you'll have me, I'd love to have you back..."

Amy swallowed hard, a half-choked sob nearly escaping her as she met his green eyes. My God, but she would have to think about that one...