UGH Okay, so I really shouldn't be starting a new story right now, but these plot bunnies won't get out of my head. This is a little AU to begin with, but I promise it will basically become Livvy inserting herself into the Night Shift. Just bare with me! Thank you guys, and I hope you enjoy this!

DR. DREW

I don't remember much, except how angry I was at my sister for being so late to pick me up from my shift at the dance studio. I hadn't been home since 6:00 that morning, and it was well past thirteen hours later when I finally closed the studio and was impatiently waiting for Avery to come get me.

My mind was racing with all of the things I needed to do that night before going to bed. Homework was number one on that list, but I also had to finish the chores around the house I had failed to do that morning and clean my room before the social worker came the next day.

Around 10:30 I opened the dance studio back up and waited inside. I was fuming. I thought Avery had forgotten about me and fell asleep. It wouldn't have been the first time. At 10:45 I called her cell from the office phone – no answer. I thought about calling my boyfriend to come give me a ride, but I didn't want to wake him up if he was sleeping. Taking care of me was not his job.

Within the next half hour, my world shifted. I heard a knock at the studio door, and quickly walked over, thinking it was Avery. It wasn't. It was my social worker, Nina.

"There's been an accident," she said. "We need to get to the hospital."

I panicked. So many bad things had happened in the past few years, I didn't know if I could handle anything else. I interrogated Nina the entire ride to the hospital, but she didn't say anything. She said that as far as she knew, both Avery and Brianna, who had apparently also been in the car, were still alive. Brianna was going to be okay, but it was touch and go with Avery.

Sometime between Nina getting the phone call, and us arriving at the hospital, my sister Avery died.

"Bri," I said, after Nina and one of the doctors gave me the news. I couldn't feel anything, but I knew I had to see Brianna. "I want to see Bri."

"Okay," Nina nodded, and the doctor took me up to see her.

She was hooked up to oxygen – and laying down in a hospital bed. She was scraped up, but nothing looked life threatening. Another doctor was sitting with her. I could hear her faintly crying.

"Hey, Bug," I whispered from the doorway, not trusting my own voice. Bri cried even harder, and tried to get off the bed, but the doctor pushed her down.

"I can come to you, buggy," I took a few short steps so I was sitting next to her on the bed. Nina waited by the door, and the doctor sat awkwardly beside us.

"She's gone, Livvy," Bri cried. I did what I could and held on to her. I couldn't say that everything would be okay, because I didn't know.

"I know," I whispered again. I didn't know what else to say.

"What's going to happen to us?" She asked, looking up at me with her big bug eyes. I sighed. Avery was our legal guardian ever since our mom died last year. Our dad had died in Iraq years earlier. Avery had kept us out of foster care, but not out of the state's watchful eye. Now, I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen, but I surely wasn't going to admit it to Brianna while she was hooked up to oxygen and in a hospital bed.

"We're going to be impossibly brave," I answered. "Just like we were when Dad died, and then with mom. We're going to put our brave faces on, and we're going to make it through this."

Brianna took a minute to compose herself, but started coughing again. I looked at the doctor in the room in panic, and he quickly pulled what looked like her inhaler out of his pocket. He encourage her with deep breaths, and I held her hand. I didn't know what had happened between them before I got here, but they clearly already established a relationship.

"Livvy?" Bri asked once she finally had her voice back.

"Yeah, bug?" I rubbed her back.

"This is Drew," Bri introduced. I smiled. Leave it to my little sister to change the subject at the drop of a hat. "He likes Narnia."

"I'm sure he does," I smirked at the doctor. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Drew."

"Please, just Drew," he held out his hand. "Your sister is a special girl."

"Us Matthews sisters are a unique breed," I teased. "It's late, Bri. You should try to get some sleep. I'll handle the rest."

"Are you gonna be Avery now?" Bri asked, hesitantly. I could tell she didn't want to upset me, but she also wasn't one to censor herself.

"I'm going to do my best," I promised. I could do that. I could promise that. "I have to talk to Nina now," I told her, pointing. "Go to bed."

Bri nodded, and laid back down. I prayed that she would get some sleep tonight, even if I wouldn't.

Dr. Drew followed me out, and instead of talking to Nina, I spoke to him first.

"How is she, really?" I asked him. He sighed.

"She's fine. Physically, she has a few scrapes and a broken wrist, but other than that…" he trailed, glancing at Nina. They were hiding something.

"What? What else is there?" I demanded.

"Tell her," Nina allowed. Dr. Drew nodded.

"There's a spot of Pneumonia on Brianna's lung," he explained. "It's not something we would usually worry about-"

"But she has Cystic Fibrosis," I interrupted. "So it's a big deal."

"It's a blessing in disguise, Liv," Nina pointed out. "It means they can admit Brianna. She has a bed, she has a way to get food, and she has people who care about her."

"But she's still sick, and she might get sicker," I argued. "How is that a good thing?"

"We're going to treat it, and we're going to treat it aggressively," Dr. Drew stepped back into the conversation. "Hopefully, we can beat this."

"Isn't this how old people die, though? They go to the hospital, get Pneumonia, and they don't make it?" My grandfather died that way, if I remembered correctly.

"Yes," Dr. Drew hesitated, "But, despite Brianna's suppressed immune system, she still has better odds than elderly patients, especially since we caught this so early."

"She'll be here, she'll be taken care of, and you can come visit whenever you want," Nina offered.

"Why can't I just stay here with her?" I argued. "She's in a private room, there are cots, I won't get in the way."

"Liv, you can't stay here," Nina sighed. "I'm sorry."

"So where are you taking me?" I had never been in foster care before. Avery had made sure of that.

"Tonight, a temporary group home. You'll still be in San Antonio, and you can get some sleep. I'll come by in the morning so we can go home and pack up some stuff for you and Bri. You can come back and visit for a little while, and then hopefully I'll have somewhere else for you to go."

"Nina," I began, taking a deep breath. "My older sister just died," It felt strange saying that out loud. "It's already almost 1:00 in the morning. Please, I'm begging you to just pull a cot in here, and let me stay with Brianna. If you want to put me in a foster home or a group home tomorrow, fine, I'll go, but please. Let me stay with her tonight," I begged. The tears started falling down my face and I couldn't stop them. Nina cared. I knew she cared. I just needed her to be human instead of my social worker.

"If you don't mind me stepping in," Dr. Drew interrupted again. "It really would be no problem. She can sleep in one of the other beds. I can come check on both of them in a few hours, and then again when my shift ends. It's not a big deal at all," he offered. I looked up at Nina with my best puppy dog eyes. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine, but I am coming back in the morning," Nina warned. I nodded, relieved. "I have other cases I need to deal with tonight. Are you good here?" She asked, looking between Dr. Drew and me. I nodded.

"Thank you so much, Nina," I hugged her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Liv. Try to get some sleep tonight. Text me if you need anything," she whispered, quickly thanking Dr. Drew again before walking off.

"Alright, kiddo, let's get you settled in," he said, leading me quietly back into the room.

"Don't you have other patients to worry about?" I asked him quietly, not wanting to wake up Bri who was passed out and snoring.

"Probably," he shrugged, writing something down on a piece of paper.

"Why do you care? I mean, those other patients need you more than we do. We're just squatters for the night. A nurse could do all of this," I continued.

"You guys are cool," Dr. Drew smirked. "I guess I'm getting attached."

"Don't," I warned him. "Because if you get attached, then she's going to get attached. We're going to have to leave. You can't hurt her like that."

"Liv, right?" He asked, I nodded. He handed me the piece of paper. It had a number written on it. "This is my cellphone number. Call it, and I'll come running. I'm not going anywhere. You have my word."

"Pinky promise," I said before I could stop myself.

"What?" He asked, taken aback.

"If you're going to get attached to the Matthews sisters than you need to learn our language. A pinky promise is the most sacred of all promises and can never ever be broken," I explained, pushing my pinky closer to him. "If you mean what you say in that you're not going anywhere, you'll pinky promise."

"Fine," he linked his pinky with mine.

"It looks like I'll be seeing you around, Dr. Drew," I smirked. He shook his head.

"Just call me Drew, Liv," he smiled. "Seriously, call if you need anything."

"Will do," I nodded. "But you better answer."