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*Later that week*

Adam sighed wearily as he sat back up against the couch. He was damn exhausted... And yet, he couldn't sleep. That was his big problem - being tired but unable to sleep. Since he'd been back home, he'd had nothing but restless, sleepless nights. He'd get, on average, about three or four hours of sleep at most.

The blond man shifted slightly, moving only his legs, which had begun to feel numb due to the fact that Branny had decided to make them his bed. Gently, he shooed the tiny poodle off - which wasn't easy thanks to the hard, ungiving neckbrace - and shook the feeling back into his limbs.

He'd regained his voice a couple of days earlier. Now that he was able to issue cranky complaints left and right, he was sure Amy had to be sick of it - and probably wishing he still had laryngitis.

How he wished he could be in the bedroom, laying there with the redhead in his arms. He also found himself actually envious, as his girlfriend was lucky enough to be nestled in that nice big, cozy bed. He was beginning to despise his living room couch. Oh, sure, it was comfortable - but not when he was required to sleep on it sitting up for six solid weeks.

Adam somehow managed to get more comfortable - enough so that he was finally beginning to drift off a bit. Branny had jumped up on the arm of the couch, deeming that a better place to sleep. The tall blond man was finally starting to go under - not much, just the beginnings of a very light sleep.

*

Amy tossed and turned restlessly, nearly maddened to the point of screaming.

She couldn't sleep. She threw off the blankets and sat bolt upright in the bed. Damn it, she just could not sleep without him here with her... Over the course of the last few days, since she and Adam had returned hom from his surgery in Atlanta, she must have gotten a grand total of six hours of sleep. It just wasn't the same, lying in this bed without him. Just knowing he was only a couple of rooms away and couldn't be here with her - well, that just about killed her.

The redhead thought furiously for a few seconds, then rose from the bed. Her mind was made up.

Amy made her way slowly, quietly to the doorway as she turned back for a beat at the sound of Luger whimpering softly, the labrador having been sleeping at the foot of the bed. She sighed and left the bedroom.

The redhead held her breath, tiptoeing all the way to the living room. Although she hadn't been living here too long, she knew the house well enough by now to maneuver in the dark.

She could just make out his tall form as she stood in the doorway. He was sitting up on the couch, as he'd been instructed - as *she'd* had to do herself during the first six weeks following her own neck surgery. He had a blanket swathed over his body, and she could see Branny at his right shoulder on the arm of the couch. The tiny dog raised his head as she inched closer, silently as she could manage, and wagged his tail.

Trying her best to remain super quiet, Amy moved slowly over to the other side of the couch. She sensed Adam was asleep, and she didn't want to disturb him. Lord knew, the blond man hadn't slept much in the last week or more.

She curled up into a fetal position on the opposite end, reaching for the very edge of the blanket. It felt so much better to be close to him. Even if he couldn't hold her in his arms and lay next to her, it still felt good to be physically near to him. She began to feel choked up... And she didn't want to cry again, especially not in front of him - plus the fact that she didn't want to waken him. One thing the man deserved after all he'd been through and was *still* enduring was a decent night's sleep.

Damn it... Tears had started trickling down her face, despite her will to not give them life. But once they started, she was stupidly, horribly unable to stop them - to say nothing of the sobs she felt coming.

She cried softly for at least a full minute before he spoke. And here, she'd thought he was asleep.

"Ames... Don't do that..."

The redhead swallowed hard, hating herself for disturbing him. She took a soft, gasping breath and tried to control her emotions.

"I-I'm sorry, Adam... I can't help it." Another small sob escaped her. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"You didn't," he informed her in a soft voice. "I've been awake the entire time."

She raised a hand to her face, wiping at the tears. In the darkness, she gazed up at him from where she lay.

"You can't sleep, either?"

"'Either?'" he asked. "Baby, *you* can't sleep?"

"Not a wink." She pulled herself closer to him and shook her head as their eyes met in the dark. "I can't sleep without you."

The blond man felt his heartstrings tugging, and he couldn't help but smile. He held one arm out to her, and the redhead bit her lip, the emotion welling up inside and nearly overwhelming her. Then, wordlessly, she slid closer still and laid her head on his lap. He stroked her long hair tenderly, and before they knew it, they were both asleep.