Chapter Fifty Two- Sweet Silence

-Third Person-

Rupert dragged a reluctant Tom through the hospital's entrance up to the nurse's desk.

"Hello how may I help you?" One of the nurses asked, still flipping through paperwork behind the counter.

"We were wondering where Cassie..." Rupert trailed off coming up blank with Cassie's last name.

"Cassandra Dean" Tom mumbled to her.

"Yes where she is?" Rupert finished.

The nurse rolled her chair to the computer and clicked and typed before they got the answer "Room number 214"

"Thank you" Rupert said, and continued to drag Tom towards the elevator.

"Why am I here again?" Tom sighed leaning against the railing. "She is not going to want to see me"

"And how do you know that?" Rupert rolled his eyes. He was getting very annoyed with Tom on this little trip.

Tom just glared at him.

"She is not even awake yet, so calm down" Rupert said as the elevator door clicked open.

Tom sighed, dreading what was about to happen. He automatically recognized two people he did not want to see on any account. And rather sadly, one of them stood up already steam coming out of his red ears.

Rupert continued dragging Tom to the open waiting room.

"What are you doing here" Clayton growled advancing on Tom. He had already heard the whole story courtesy of Emma.

Rupert intervened. "Wow, Hello I'm Rupert you must be Clayton" Rupert stuck out his hand ready to shake Clayton's. He didn't want Clayton to ruin all of his hard work, by making Tom run away.

Clayton, still glaring at Tom, shook Rupert's hand "Hello" he greeted as politely as he could manage.

"Could we talk? The both of you" Rupert nodded to Carson as well.

Clayton sighed and walked to the opposite side of the waiting room, as did Carson.

Tom slouched into a chair, and closed his eyes. He had been in a mental hell lately.

"It's very nice to meet you" Carson immediately said reaching for Rupert's hand.

Rupert smiled "It's nice to meet you too, now I would really appreciate it if you just assumed that Tom doesn't exist" He said more directly in Clayton's direction.

"What if I don't?" Clayton asked standing up straighter and crossing his arms flexing them.

Rupert slouched back a little "Well there isn't that much I could do about it is there? But I know Cassie would be upset."

Clayton relaxed a little knowing Rupert was right, even though Tom deserved a little beating in Clayton's opinion, he wouldn't hurt him.

Rupert sighed "it might not look like it, but this is really hard for him" He nodded towards the tired looking Tom.

Dan was on the phone pacing back and forth in front of Cassie's bed, while Emma was sitting in the chair next to her, reading a book. She was secretly listening into the conversation though.

"How should I know?!" Dan said outraged, and frustrated.

Cassie stirred a little in her bed, being unnoticed by Emma or Dan who were both listening to the response. Or at least Emma was trying to.

"I don't know how the pictures got out Rob!" Dan almost shouted.

"What..." Cassie coughed "What pictures?" Her voice was weak and fragile, almost broken.

Emma looked at Cassie shocked.

Dan shook his head still pacing "That's not important" he disagreed with Rob, then he stopped dead in his tracks and hung the phone up. "Cassie!" he shouted running over to her side quickly.

"Where-what-why-what happened?" Cassie asked hurriedly. She couldn't form all of the questions she had in her mind into words.

"Hey, hey calm down" Emma hushed her. "Don't strain yourself"

"But-" Cassie objected. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"Dan go get her brothers" Emma said quickly.

Dan was still smiling widely. "Oh right!" He said leaving the room and rushing down the hall into the waiting room.

Dan panted and leaned on his knees, starring at an anxious Clayton "She- she's awake"

Clayton and Carson ran down the hallway in an instant.

Rupert smiled at Dan, and followed them.

Dan stayed behind and stared at Tom. His face was hard, almost painful. He took in deep breaths but didn't move from his seat.

Dan smiled at him though. He knew that he loved Cassie more than anyone could. He knew that Tom was just being stupid, and he knew that Tom hated having his pride in the way.

He sat down next to Tom, staying silent at first. "Are you going to see her?"

"I don't know" Tom replied softly.

"I bet she would like it" Dan told him, both of them starring ahead.

"She hates me" Tom replied quickly.

Dan shook his head, and laughed half heartedly "She doesn't hate you, just like you don't hate her"

"She told me she hated me, she screamed it" Tom said still staring blankly into the infinite space that separated him from Cassie.

"She was upset"

Tom slowly turned to face Dan "You should have seen her face. It was horrifying. Knowing that I made her say those words..."

Dan didn't respond.

"So when do I get released?" Cassie asked. Her voice was still weak, but she was more awake and ready to leave the hospital.

"Don't know Cas, it depends on what the doctor says" Carson replied, his hand resting softly on her cast.

She nodded, looking down.

Clayton rolled his eyes "You want me to go find the doctor don't you?"

Cassie smiled up at her big brother "I love you"

He laughed and turned to leave. "I'll go with you" Carson said following Clayton, he had been trying to get this nurse to go on a date with him...it wasn't going too well.

Cassie turned to look at the trio standing there starring at her, then she realized what was wrong with this picture "Why are you guys here?!" She half shouted "Your suppose to be filming!"

"Cassie calm down!" Emma commanded, almost trying to hold Cassie in place for she was practically bouncing up and down on the bed.

"We took a couple of days off, it's not a big deal" Rupert said.

"But- But-"

"Just breathe, you need to stay calm, stress is bad for your recovery" Emma explained.

Cassie nodded and calmed down, the heart rate monitor slowing.

"Why?" Rupert asked suddenly.

"Why what?" Cassie asked, still regulating her breathing.

"Why did you get on a bloody Ferris wheel?!" he said as if it was an obvious question.

She looked down, fiddling with the bed sheets. She was embarrassed about her recent accident. From the moment she realized what had happened, she knew that she could either tell them the lie she came up with, or the truth.

"I...I-" Cassie began, panicking.

"You don't have to tell us now" Emma reassured, glaring at Rupert.

Cassie nodded.

"You should get some rest" Emma smiled.

Cassie nodded again, causing her curls to fall into her face.

Emma stood up and pushed Rupert out the door. She smiled back at Cassie and turned the lights off, closing the door behind her.

Within the next twenty four hours, nothing had changed.

Cassie had woken up again, conversed with the doctor who would be releasing her the next day. She felt better, still in pain but better. Dan, Rupert, Emma, Clayton, and Carson spent the day with her, considering that the actors had a plane ride that left at midnight.

She had no idea that Tom had been right through walls...

Tom on the other hand had spent most of the time not moving, debating mentally whether he should see her or not. On the one hand, he yearned for her touch, her smile; he yearned to see her, to breathe the same air as her. On the other hand, he did not want to show himself to her, he did not want the awkward silence to fill the air between them like he knew it would, and more importantly than anything he did not want to see her broken, hurt, and bandaged.

No one had disturbed him. Clayton and Carson did exactly what Rupert had said, they pretended that Tom didn't exist. He was just a body in a corner, never moving, never speaking, just breathing in and out thoughtfully.

It wasn't until it was around seven and all five of them went to eat, that Tom had made his decision.

He walked slowly down the hall way that seemed to never end.

Cassie was sitting in her bed, reading one of her multiple books...she enjoyed having this alone time, but she missed her friends, who she knew she wouldn't be seeing for awhile.

Someone knocked two rasps on the door, she looked up. Had they already finished eating? The door handle turned slowly, hesitantly.

Tom's head became visible in the small space between the door and the hallway.

Cassie held in a gasp, her mouth a little ajar.

He spoke softly, staring into her beautiful eyes. "Can I... come in?"

She nodded slowly, setting her book on her side table, and pulled her hair behind her ear, sitting up straighter.

He approached slowly, letting the door click closed behind him. He scanned over her body, glancing at the cast covering her graceful leg, the bruises and scrapes covering her once flawless skin, before he sat down next to her.

They continued to look at each other, not saying a word.

He looked different to her. His hair had been re-dyed, obviously, but that wasn't what struck her...it was his eyes. They were deep endless pits of sadness. Weakness crept into them; he had dark rings circling his eyes, intensifying the blue that seemed to look directly into her soul.

He could tell that she was weak. Just by the way she was handling this. Cassie wouldn't want to see him, she would be furious, and scream at him; maybe even start to cry...or at least he thought that she would.

He broke eye contact and stared at her hand. He wanted for anything just to hold her, to try and make the pain go away, but he knew he couldn't, she was just too fragile. So he would settle with her hand.

He slid his hand under hers. She laced their fingers together as he placed the back of her hand to his lips, holding her hand in place there, with his warm lips pressed to them.

She wanted to hug him. She wanted to pretend that what upset her was silly, that it didn't matter and that she was just being stupid. That she was just confused and they both got caught up in the heat of the moment. But she couldn't.

He wanted to break down his barriers. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, he wanted everything to be perfect again, and he wanted her to be his. But he couldn't make his voice work. He just couldn't.

So they stared, and stared at each other...never saying a word.

She leaned back a little. She didn't want to fall asleep, she didn't want him to leave her again, she knew he would though, something would just snap in him and he would leave in an instant. Her eyes wouldn't comply and stay open. No, they slowly closed...she forced them back open, but they closed again.

His eyes clinched together, knowing that she had fallen asleep, her hand going limp in his.

He held her warm hand to his cheek, memorizing the way her skin felt against his. He didn't realize tears were falling until he let go over her hand and saw the salty substance shinning in the florescent lights above.

He reached for the chain around his neck and broke it, letting the gold ring fall to his waiting hand.

With shaky hands he slid the ring onto her finger, silently. He stood up brushing some of her curls away from her angelic face. He placed a soft sweet kiss to her forehead and fled the room not taking a glance back.

Once the door was shut he took a deep breath. Tom flipped his hood up over his head and walked down the hallway, not stopping to see the looks Emma, Dan, and Rupert gave him.

He just walked out of the hospital... He just left.