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"I’ve never been in one to for anyone else" I lean back and stretch s out in front of me I still have the sa sand in my pockets "But I’ve been admitted to them a lot"

"Do you ether, waiting for my answer

"Just stuff" Conner stuff God, he put me in the hospital so many times And now Tristan’s in here because Conner stabbed him and Conner’s in here because Tristan beat hi is such a mess

I just need to know if he’s okay

Just let hiuard at one of the doors near where Conner is being treated for injuries Although one good thing came out of it I just wish he wasn’t at this hospital, but the next closest one is over an hour away, so there wasn’t much of a choice

"Quinton Carter?" a nurse asks as she exits through the swinging doors we aren’t allowed to go behind yet She’s wearing bright green scrubs with kittens on the, about ain, I see to most people to have a five-year-old son

"Um" Nova stands up and crosses the rooet coffee"

"Who are you?" the nurse asks, eyeing Nova over kind of rudely

"Nova Reed," Nova replies, glancing at h the papers on her clipboard "Well, Quinton’s the only one listed as faive updates to anyone other than family"

"Oh, co Mason in his ar their pajamas, their hair ruffled, and Jax looks as exhausted as I feel "Can’t you bend the rules for once?"

Her glossy lips twitch as if she’s trying not to sainst the rules Sorry"

"Oh, come on Can’t you at least tell us if he’s okay?" He tries to dazzle her with a sets a bit flustered "Cute scrubs by the way"

"Would you knock that off?" she says, nearly fanning herself "I’ in to hier Jax stares at her, the ape at him because I’ve never seen this side of hi to say"

"What does thatto be okay?"

She nods "He should o back to see hier at Jax "And no more updates to non-family members"

Relief washes over me so potently that I nearly collapse to the floor Moments later, tears cascade frouilt, partly My worry, fk yes The fear of loss The fear of losing someone important

I can’t lose him

Never

Ever

Ever

Never do I want to lose this

These feelings

I can’t even begin to describe the like this before

Overwhel to my knees on the concrete pavement just outside the doors Then I cry my heart out For myself For Tristan For all the pain I’ve ever felt For my past And my future because I have one now With each tear shed, I lose a part of myself But it’s not a bad loss Not at all By the ti backwards

Noforwards

With hiroom and sit down in one of the chairs with Mason on my lap and Jax and Nova at my side Quinton eventually returns with coffees, and we sip the caffeine while ait

Finally, hours later, Clara pushes through the swinging doors She shoots Jax a dirty but flirtatious look before she addresses us "He’s awake and can have visitors," she says then she looks at me "But he asked if he could see Avery first"

I have no clue how she knoho I alance over at Mason playing with Legos in the corner of the rooo

"Go see hi, I follow Clara across the rooh the doors

"He’s stable," she says as she leads me down the florescent-lit hallway "But ood for hi stressful," I tell her as we stop in the doorway "Just thank you…" I trail off as I catch sight of Tristan

The bed he’s lying in is elevated so he’s sitting up and looking right at the door, right at me His skin is pallid, he has dark circles under his eyes, and there’s an IV tube connected to the back of his hand along with a heartHe smiles when he seesout of surgery

But I can’t help myself

I smile back

"Hey," I say as I tentatively enter the roorows "Hey, yourself" His happiness falters when I get closer and he studies ?"