Dana closed the door to Colt's room and followed Jesse towards the hospital cafeteria. Since Colt was sound asleep, they thought they'd grab a bite to eat. Then once they were full, they could check on Colt again before heading home for a quick shower and change, and then come back to sit with him for the rest of the night.

"I need to tell you something," Jesse said, once they got their dinner, and sat down at a table in a quiet corner.

She stuck a straw into her cup and raised an eyebrow at Jesse. "I figured you did. What was the thing you said Colt dropped when he collapsed?"

"Not about that," Jesse shook his head. "Well, not exactly. It was what I believe made him collapse. Yeah, he was in bad shape and needed surgery, but I think something set off a panic attack that led to the collapse."

Dana glared at him. "Don't you dare blame me for sleeping with Colt!"

Jesse sat back in shock. "You slept with Colt?!"

She winced and bit her lip. "You didn't know?"

"No! I didn't know! And I don't want to know. God, Dana! And why the hell would I blame you for something like that."

Dana's eyes teared up, "Because I blame myself. If we hadn't, maybe, he would be okay."

She sniffed and wiped her nose with a napkin.

He got up, went around the table, sat in the chair next to her and hugged her. "It wasn't your fault, Dana."

"Then why did he collapse? On the day we slept together? Within a couple hours of doing so?"

"Because he got a disturbing phone call," Jesse answered.

She looked at him in surprise. "A phone call? From who?"

Jesse sighed. "The nurse gave me all of Colt's personal items including his phone. She happened to mention that Colt had been at a store when he collapsed. The ambulance crew had told her, that the store had told them, that Colt had just gotten a phone call and he looked really upset afterward. So much so, one of the staff had asked him if he was okay as he seemed to be hyperventilating. Colt nodded, but then clutched his chest and collapsed."

Jesse took Dana's hand a squeezed it.

"Colt has always given me and my dad access to his phone, just in case someday something like this happened, and we needed to contact his office, his clients, or his friends to explain what happened. So, I looked at his phone to see who the phone call had been from."

Dana glared at him. "Would you just tell me already?"

"It was the warden of Colt's dad's jail. I called him to see what the phone call had been about. He told me that they executed Colt's dad that morning. That's why Colt collapsed, Dana. Not because of you. Because he was upset about his dad."

Tears slid down Dana's eyes. "Oh, my God. Poor Colt." She ran a hand over her face and then wiped the tears away. Her eyes widened and she grabbed Jesse's arm. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think. Colt's dad is your cousin too. I'm sorry about your cousin being executed, Jess. It must be hard for you as well."

Jesse gave Dana a small smile. "No. I didn't know Colt's dad at all. I didn't even know Colt until he moved here. His family are very distant relations to mine. I don't even think my dad or grandparents knew about them either until Child Protective Services were trying to find another home for Colt.

He'd already been through some close relatives, but apparently, his living with them didn't go very well. I don't know if that was on them or Colt. He was a really angry kid back then and I don't blame him for it after everything that he'd been through. I would have been a miserable kid too if I'd gone through what he did. But I don't know either if the rest of the family is any better than his dad. They could all be like him or they could be like us for all I know."

Dana nodded. "Thank you for telling me, Jess. I feel awful for Colt. But maybe now with the execution finally being over with and not in this impending "someday" holding mode, maybe, he'll finally be able to move on with his life."

"Yeah, I hope so."