Sara Scofield didn't only speak, she acted, and so, the morning that followed, even if she had barely slept 3 hours, ached everywhere and that the faint smell of tear gaz still pricked her nose, she rose at dawn, started the coffee and slipped her freshly washed scrubs into her bag.

Michael was up twenty minutes after she left his side, he rubbed his eyes, lacking sleep too and analysed Sara's beaming renewed energy and determination.

"So you're really going to work ?" Michael asked incredulous.

Sara glanced at him between grabbing her car keys and sipping her hot coffee.

She stopped next to him and embraced him. "Yeah, you fell for me as a doctor, it was my mother's dream, it was my salvation after you left...and I need this.." she mumbled against him and Michael pressed her to him, kissing the top of her head.

"You're amazing, I wish I was half as good as you, professionally." He said as they backed and their eyes locked.

Sara snorted. "You're way better than me, so bright and intelligent, you manage concepts that literally made my head ache." Sara smiled softly.

"But you put your feelings into your work, you're dedicated." Michael let out admiringly and Sara nodded self consciously.

"You know it's the reason you question and doubt yourself at times ? because you're intense, you're into it, you're willed and you're true to your vocation." Sara shook her head.

"I don't know what is it that you want Scofield but even the board doesn't compliment me like that." She quipped.

Both looked at each other and the amusement was left aside to reveal their truthful feelings.

"I'll get there as soon as visitations start okay ? maybe feeling you around, Faith would be okay ?"

"Let's hope so, see you later." Sara whispered, knowing, before diving in the sea that this covid-19 wasn't the warm and smooth mediteranean but more the harsh torrent and bone icing Atlantic, she'd get no rest, and Michael was dreaming thinking he could see her during her shift.

But she was ready, she would fight, she would do her best to save lives, it was her identity, she hadn't stopped following that dream after her mother's death, hadn't stopped after her first morphine collapse, hadn't stopped after Fox River, hadn't after Michael's "death" and wouldn't stop now, never. No matter what happened.

Sara unlocked her car and determinedly opened the driver door and as she bent to put her bag down, her eyes lingered a little too long on the passenger seat, where Faith's baby seat was buckled.

Her fingers instinctively touched the soft material of the baby seat.

"No, I don't care if one of us has to ride in the back occasionally, but most times, it's either you or me alone with both the kids or only Faith, and there's no way those only Faith rides will be done with her crying in a backseat, her baby seat is going right here, so we can always have her under our eyes and she does never feel alone."

She recalled Michael's adament statement a few weeks after Faith's birth.

Sara recalled all the times she drove Faith to the daycare and back, and her shattered heart broke as her sore eyes filled with tears. She gently took Ephy, a little bear Michael had insisted on always keeping in the car to distrect her in case she fussed.

Sara held the soft fabric furr in her hands and inhaled Faith's beloved baby scent, the tears dropped down her cheeks as she pressed Ephy against her heart.

Wiping her tears and composing herself, she put the toy back in the baby seat and started the car, adjusted the rear mirror and buckled her belt.

She could do this, for Faith.

...

Michael had spent most of the day with Mike, absent mindly doing some telework for a while too, it was only a little after 3 pm that he left for the hospital, taking the metro and using that time to ressource himself and check on the overwhelming world hapenings.

He was mostly avoiding putting on the news in front of Mike now, it was toxic, so he'd just take 5 minutes whenever he could to update himself of the pandemic's evolution on his phone.

He arrived nearly at 4 pm and was planning to spend a good couple of hours with Faith, as he wore his equipements, changing his outside masks and gloves.

Faith was her usual motionless figure, he spoke to her, reassuring her and mainly telling her how extraordinary her mom was, a true hero in his eyes.

Her Dr. had came in, and she, with great caution announced to Michael that there seemed to be hope in Faith's case, her lungs were already begining to heal and if she kept evolving in that direction, they could soon, take her off the machines, with the hope that she makes it.

Michael's heart had warmed with hope and he nervously smiled, thanking the doctor and closing his eyes in half relief, maybe soon, this nightmare, this ordeal would be over.
...

Sara quickly washed her hands up to her elbows, as her long day of work finally ended. She had forgotten how exhausting it could be, but at the same time was glad to be back to work, she had a purpose leading her, she had goals and milestones to reach. The day went pretty good, she didn't lose a single life. It was a good day in this traumatic period.

Sara had discussed with Elsa, one of the most competant doctor of her unit in her opinion, and Elsa seemed to be positive, saying that the cases seemed to reach a peak and would probably only go down from now on.

Sara had noticed herself that the conditions were different, they were still overriden by the pandemic but today seemed so different than the chaos and total massacre she had experienced in the early days of the pandemic.

Things were still bad but they seemed..in control. Beds weren't lacking anymore nor was equipements not because they were delivered by the leaders but because the medical units had adapted, they seemed more experienced, as if days and weeks of chaos had taught them how to deal with whatever was aboard. Sara wasn't mistaken, she still saw the exhaustion and dark circles in every of the hospital worker, but perseverance was what was keeping them going, that and maybe...faith.

" ?" She was broken out of her reverie and dries her hands while clean paper.

"Yeah ?" Sara replied her coleague, , a small height african american and strong willed member of their unit.

"I think there's one more patient you would like to see before leaving." suggested with a resolute smile and Sara's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

Could it be that..Faith ?

" ." Bailey nodded and Sara took a sharp intake of breath, she nodded, and put a new pair of gloves on before leaving for a new mission.

...

As the clock reached 6 pm quicker than ever, Michael had decided to move towards the cafeteria and get some coffee, for, the lack of sleep was getting to him.

It was to his great surprise that when turning a corridor he saw Sara, addossed against a wall, seemingly trying to cope against a heavy emotional wave he had difficulty to identify, was she sad or happy ?

"Sara?" Michael called out softly and she looked at him startled and chuckling with tears in her eyes.

"Hey.." She greeted.

"Hi, are you..okay ?" He asked and Sara took a deep breath and nodded.

"Uh yeah, yeah. I just..there's a patient that came with this thing weeks earlier, she was eight months pregnant. There were a lot of contradictions at that time, still are...but she was my patient. And it was my call, so I opted for respirator, no chloroquine and a C-section. Others argued that it would be too dangerous for the baby or that the mother's arterial pression could drop and lead her to death, I kept my stand. And today...she woke up and I just saw her hold her baby for the first time and her husband thanked me while literally weeping and I...I just, this is why I do this job. I..god, I saved her." Michael listened to her emotional tirade and smiled fondly, he loved her.

He would have hugged, kissed, embraced her right there but precautions kept them from even touching.

"I am glad, you're a great doctor Sara, I believe in you, I get it that you had a good day ?" he asked.

"Exhausting, but worth it." Sara sighed.

"Are you done ? I was going to grab us some coffee and we can leave together." Michael offered.

"Sure, actually you go get your coffee, I am going to check on Faith first, and then take a power shower and we can leave."

"Yeah, okay...they said there was some change in Faith's condition." Michael hopefully informed.

Sara inahled sharply and nodded. "I know, I saw her reports myself this morning...let's keep our fingers crossed." Sara admitted in a small voice.

"I'll be quick, just saying a little hi." Sara promised on a hurried tone.

Michael smiled fondly, there was no universe in which he'd rip Sara from spending time with their baby daughter. "Take your time." He affectionally whispered watching her turn on her heels and leave.

...

They met on the parking lot, Sara's freshly washed hair now lose and wet, she looked beautiful, was all Michael could think.

"Here," Michael handed her a fond of his coffee cup and Sara smiled gratefuly.

"Why, thank you." She gulped the coffee down in less than a minute and threw the cup in a nearby bin rummaging in her bag and throwing him the car keys.

Michael caught them with a chuckle.

"You're driving, my feet are killing me I am sprawling in the backseats like they're some hotel bed." She quipped.

"You're sitting straight with a belt, ." Michael reprimanded on a tease.

"It's Scofield!" She threw back showing her badge that was clipsed to her bag.

Sara sat in the back with a groan. "How's Mike, poor baby, must feel so alone." Sara yawned.

"No, don't worry, I spent plenty of time with him and made him dinner, he just has to heat it. We'll be home by then anyway." Michael promised.

"Hm..I don't know what he must be thinking with all this." Sara chewed on her bottom lip.

"He's smarter and wiser than we think, I am so proud of him Sara, he'll be okay." Sara sighed nodding briefly as he passed the first and left the parking lot.

"Hey, try to not fall asleep.." Michael quipped and Sara raised her brows throwing him a fake annoying look through the rear mirror.

...

When Michael and Sara went home, they made the efforts of sitting together and having dinner with Mike. They had, behind their baby's worry, neglected their older child and decided to be more present for Mike.

Mike however, seemed thoughful and played with his fork and food.

"Mike ? baby, is your plate cold ?" Sara gently asked.

"Need more sauce little man ?" Michael spoke after a bite.

Mike shook his head slowly.

"Water ?" Sara tried.

Mike denied again.

"Mike..is something wrong ?" Michael asked with concern.

Mike timidly looked up to meet his parents eyes.

"You both don't have to treat me like a baby..you can tell me.." he said in a tiny voice.

Sara frowned and dropped her own fork.

"Tell you what ?" she asked.

Mike looked at Michael with teary eyes.

"That Faith's going to die..."

Michael stopped chewing on his food and he and Sara shared an anguished look.

"Mike.." Michael said shifting from his chair to his son's side, he knelt beside him and held his hand. "Who told you that ?" he asked horrified.

"I just know dad, I am not dumb. I see your faces and I know about this thing, I know Faith was very sick when she was born.." Mike spoke miserably.

Sara had joined them, standing beside Mike, a hand on his shoulder.

"This doesn't mean that she will die Mike, doctors don't know, I don't know, no ones knows...she can fight and survive, there's hope."

"Don't lie to me mom, I see you sad all the time. I know what's going on, you don't need to lie to protect me.." Mike was almost tearing up and something broke in Sara's chest.

"Mike...we're not. We're not lying, your mom is sad because she's worried, but that doesn't mean anyone is dying.." Michael reassured raking through Mike's hair.

"Will you both hate me if she dies ?" A tear fell down Mike's cheek.

"No. No..why would you think that ?" Sara asked indigned turning Mike's head to look at her.

"I am so sorry mom...I know dad was so careful and I ruined it all. I should have looked after her better, I shouldn't have let her come to your room and hurt herself. She got sick because of me, it's all because of me.." Mike wept and Sara shuddered trying to keep her own tears in.

"Oh Mike..this isn't your fault. This is no one's fault sweet boy.." Sara consoled him wiping his tears, she realised, right in that moment that it wasn't her fault either. She realised seeing it on Mike how the twisted sense of guilt played with her too, and right in that moment, a weight shifted from her heart.

"It's no one's fault, I love you, and dad loves you, and Faith's not dying Mike." Sara assured.

Michael closed his eyes and sighed, before pulling Mike against him.

"Come here..." he gently asked and Mike held him back tightly, crying against his dad.

"I know you love your sister, you've always been so responsible with her Mike, don't you dare think it's your fault. We're here for you, we're your parents and we'll always love you, even when we're broken...didn't mom love you after she lost me ?" Michael asked and Mike composed himself, wiping his cheeks and gulping a sob.

"She did." He agreed and Michael shared a look with Sara's tearful eyes.

"Did she ever let you feel she blamed you for my death ? Did she ever resent you by making you feel I died to protect you ?" Michael asked again.

"No.." Mike agreed

"So ? No one will blame you or stop loving you if Faith dies okay ? But that's an if, she is strong and daddy secretly knows inside that she will make it. She still had to steal more food from your plates, undo your legos, steal your toys, tear your books, jump and undo your bed, be your annoying pain in the ass sister.." Michael quipped making Mike laugh slightly.

Sara smiled too, tearfully, rubbing Mike's back.

"I promise I'll never complain, I just want her to be okay.." Mike sniffed.

"We all do Mike, and if she doesn't, we'll still love you as before...if not even more considering you would be our only child left.." Sara pressed her lips together and Michael blinked and looked at her, then at Mike. She understood and swallowed her tears, cupping Mike's cheek.

"I am not sad sweet boy, I've gotten back to work and there's slight progress on Faith's state. We can't precipitate things, but if her lungs heal well, we should take her off the respirator in some days, and hope she'll make it." Sara explained, initially not wanting to give Mike fake hope but now wanting total transparence with him.

"Just some more days ?" Mike asked a little hopeful and Michael's heart constricted in his chest. It sounded way too familiar with 'one more day, Sara'. And he felt awful to ask that of his son, Mike sounded like he just wanted resolution at this point, any kind of it.

"Jus a few days Mike, I promise." He kissed the boy's head.

"Why don't we watch your birthday videos after dinner Mikey ? That way you can see Faith." Sara proposed, her son's own cheering up idea coming back to her mind.

Mike chuckled. "She's a clown in it she has cake all over her face."

Michael and Sara both smiled, glad they had reassured their son, even a little bit.

...

I am really sorry for the technical mistake, thanks to BrooklyninRosewood for notifying me.