"Hey Chris...Yeah...He woke up like ten minutes ago...yeah...Dr. Singh came in and they gave him more morphine so he's sleeping again...he's got tests and things scheduled for tomorrow....could you do me a favor? Could you tell everyone at work about it? I'm not sure I'm mentally prepared to talk to a bunch of people about this, especially people I don't really know that well...no, I'll talk with Kevin...okay, thank you Chris. Love yall too. Bye."

As soon as she hung up with Chris she dove right into calling Kevin. She knew if she waited too long between calls she would think about everything too much and start crying. When she's distracted, it makes it easier to cope.

"Hi Kevin, it's Rylee...yeah, hi. He's...Um doing as okay as he can right now. He woke up about half an hour ago for ten or so minutes talking to the doctor...they gave him more morphine so he's asleep again...he's got tests and things scheduled for tomorrow morning...who is it I should call?...Morgan from legal...okay...when should I contact her? Okay...thank you Kevin...Oh and I told Chris he could tell the cast and crew all this...If you want to too you can as well...Alrighty. Thanks Kevin, I'll call you when we've got more info... okay...mhm...buh-bye."

Rylee hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger, closing her eyes. She was sitting outside on a low brick wall off to the side of the emergency entrance. She had on a pair of blue jeans and another one of Sebastian's hoodies to fight away the chilly November air.

"Excuse me? Hi."

Rylee heard someone talking but didn't realize they were talking to her. She looked up and saw a woman, around her age, dressed in black leggings and a long red tunic tied at the waist with a belt. Her shoulder length blonde hair blew gently in the chilly wind as she stopped walking in front of Rylee.

"Are you alright?"

Rylee took in the woman's question for a moment, thinking of how she wanted to answer. Does she tell the truth to this stranger and tell her all about how her world is crumbling and her boyfriends practically broken in half inside the hospital walls behind them? Or does she take the polite route and say she's fine.

"I-I'm not sure." Was all Rylee could squeak out, trying her hardest to not start crying.

The woman sat down beside her hopping up the small distance to sit on the wall, pulling her hair to the side and out of the way when she got settled, "Yah know, it's okay to not be okay..."

That sentence was all Rylee needed to let some tears fall, "My boyfriend got hurt pretty badly at work. He's in the ICU. And he's....he's going to be okay, which I should be thankful for in and of itself, but his recovery is going to take a long time..."

"Ah. Well I'm glad he's going to be alright." She smiled at her, gently.

There was a silent moment between them where Rylee wiped away her loose tears.

"What brings you here?" As soon as she said it she realized how wildly inappropriate it was. It's not like this is some bar or a park or something... "Oh god, I'm so sorry. That was rude.."

"No, it's okay. I'm waiting for my girlfriend. She has her last round of maintenance chemo today. She's been in remission for a year now." The woman smiled.

"That's amazing, I'm happy to hear that." Rylee replied, glad to have a spark of positivity in her day.

The woman nodded. "Your boyfriend is in good hands here. This is where Kaitlin's been coming for the majority of her cancer treatments and everyone here is wonderful."

Rylee nodded in agreement, "They really are great. He's been treated so well. And they're good at making sure I don't lose my mind too," Rylee smiled.

"I'm sorry, I've been chattering on and never introduced myself. My name is Lindsay," she stated, offering out her hand.

"Rylee, nice to meet you." She shook her hand, smiling.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before...but I just can't put my finger on it." Lindsay said, studying Rylee's face for a moment.

"Hmm. I dunno," Rylee said nonchalantly, "I've had people tell me that a lot."

At that moment, Lindsays phone chimed with a message, "Speak of the devil," she waved her phone gently in the air to show the message was from Kaitlin, "she's all done. I've gotta head in. It was nice to meet you. And I hope everything goes well with your boyfriend."

"Thank you, tell Kaitlin I said congratulations."

"I will, thanks." Lindsay smiled in return as she hopped off the low brick wall and made her way towards the sliding doors and headed inside.

Rylee spent the next ten minutes calling a few more people and then decided to head inside to escape the slight chill.

She trekked back to Sebastian's room and saw that for the hour or so she was gone, he hadn't moved an inch. That morphine must do wonders. She sat down beside him, taking his splinted hand in hers and brushing along his knuckles with her thumb.

She let go of his hand briefly to reach into her duffel bag and pull out a book to read. As soon as she found it, she slipped her hand back into his, going back to brushing her thumb along his knuckles.

An hour or so passed of reading, nurse check ins, and accidentally dozing off in her chair occasionally. The hospital room phone rang and Rylee answered it quickly so it wouldn't disturb Sebastian.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Rylee?"

"Yes."

"Could you please come to the nurses station?"

"Um. Sure."

"Thank you, buh bye."

"Bye."

Rylee was confused but obliged. She stood up and left the room, arriving at the nurses station about two minutes later.

"Rylee?" A nurse there, her badge reading Rebecca, asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"These arrived here about half an hour ago. But because we are so careful with what comes through with VIP patients, everything needs approval before it goes into the hospital rooms."

"Ah. Makes sense."

Rebecca placed a small bouquet containing a variety of red, purple, and yellow flowers in a little glass vase on the counter between them.

Rylee plucked the little card out of the holder in the bouquet and read the message written there:

Wishing you a fast recovery and the peace needed to stay positive through this difficult time.

- Lindsay & Kaitlin

"Thank you so much, Rebecca." Rylee said, smiling as she picked up the beautiful flowers and walked back to Sebastian's room.

She was still looking down at the card as she walked into the room and set the flowers down on the table. She flipped the card over and noticed a phone number written on it and a small note underneath:

- in case you need someone to vent to who's got hospital expertise. ☺️

Rylee smiled at the message, Lindsay was so thoughtful and caring during their short time talking. And sending them flowers was such a kind gesture.

"Wow, I fall asleep for like five minutes and...you've already got a new boyfriend sending you flowers?"

Rylee looked up from the card in her hand to see Sebastian looking at her, though still just through one eye, a small smile on his lips, causing her to smile in return.

"Well, yah see, you've actually been asleep for like five hours...what else was I to do? I had to go find a new suitor...men were lined up down the block."

Sebastian laughed heartily at her joke, but it died down quickly when his face scrunched in pain for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" Rylee said, sitting down in the chair beside him to take his splinted hand back in hers.

"Okay I guess." Sebastian would've shrugged if he could.

"1 - 10?"

"Mmm like a three."

"Well that's good. That morphine must be pretty legit." She commented as she lightly drug her fingers through Sebastian's hair.

"Mhmm" Sebastian responded quietly, "who are those from?" His good eye looking over at the bouquet on the table.

"Two women named Lindsay and Kaitlin."

"Who?"

"I went out a few hours ago to call a few people and I met Lindsay outside. Her girlfriend, Kaitlin, was finishing up chemo today. She's been in remission."

"That's good to hear. Good for them." Sebastian smiled.

"I had briefly mentioned you and your situation. And she took the time to sit and talk with me. It was nice."

"Did you mention who I was?" Sebastian asked, looking a little worried.

"No, I told her my first name, but didn't mention yours. Didn't want to draw up any unwarranted attention."

"Look at you...already a pro at celebrity question dodging." Sebastian smirked.

"Learned from the best." Rylee smiled lightly in return. "So..."

"Hmm?"

"How are you...like...really?"

Sebastian paused for a minute, his face contorting slightly with his thoughts.

"Um. I think I'm honestly still in shock? Like this all still isn't real...The company always makes it..." he had to keep pausing to try to take a deep breath, "... a huge deal to double...triple, quadruple...check their...equipment...the fact that anything...would be faulty is just..."

He paused again, trying to catch his breath from how much he said at once.

"Shh shh relax. Try to take slow breaths. And it'll be hard, but maybe, less words," Rylee smirked.

"Ha ha. Funny." Sebastian pretended to laugh, but his face became stoic quickly. He took a few more moments to breathe in the oxygen the cannula was bringing him, closing his good eye while he did so.

"I'm...scared." Was all Sebastian said before he stopped himself. A single tear fell out of his right eye.

Rylee put her hand on Sebastian's good leg and squeezed lightly, "Oh baby, I know. You're allowed to be scared. It's a scary situation. But you're in amazing hands. Dr. Singh has been incredible and your nurses have not only been doting on you hand and foot but they've been helping me cope too."

Rylee leaned forward to run her hands through Sebastian's tousled hair, putting her hand on his right cheek for a moment after.

"I know you've only been awake for like an hour total of the last two days, but everyone has been so wonderful. And so has all your cast and crew...and Chris especially. He's hurdled the moon to do whatever he can for you."

"No matter what happens, you've got the most beautiful, loving support system, right by your side."

He nodded carefully, though it caused a twinge of pain in his jaw to do so. Her words seemed to help ease Sebastian's mind and calm him a bit. He leaned back into the mattress, and they settled into a comfortable silence.