AN: Thought that I could write a quick one-shot for somebody other than Ezria.
Spencer's arm was in a sling but she was feeling better. She'd been discharged, but she hadn't left the hospital just yet. About an hour ago, her mom had come back to make sure she had everything she needed before heading to Washington D.C. for a few days, and when she was headed out the door, she said something funny. She turned and braced herself against the doorway, leaning her head just barely against the metal frame, and she looked at Spencer long and hard.
"Has anyone talked to you about Toby?"
His name shot straight into Spencer's heart, sending ice all the way through her fingers and toes. The look that was on her mom's face made it very clear that there was plenty to be worried about.
"No," Spencer said, the word falling from her lips in hushed disbelief. "Is something wrong?"
Mrs. Hastings walked back into the room and reached out for Spencer's arm, taking her by the elbow, and urging her to take a seat. She took in a heavy sigh and Spencer waited as patiently as she could for the news to hit her like a ton of bricks. The Hastings weren't known for their compassion or their sense of empathy. It was really a miracle that her mother had actually taken the time to walk back over to her and sit down.
"Mom…" Spencer said, the catch in her voice causing a few tears to creep forth. "Is everything okay? He and Yvonne were headed out of town last night. I – I saw him just before they left. Everything was fine. What's going on."
"He and Yvonne were in an accident," Mrs. Hastings said, her mouth parting immediately, ready to speak again. Spencer's face had paled so much that blue veins could be made out through her skin. "He's in critical condition, but he should make it," she added.
Spencer's hand shot up to her mouth, and when her fingers touched her lips, she gave her head the slightest shake of disbelief. This couldn't be happening.
"What about Yvonne," she asked, closing her eyes. "Please tell me she's okay."
Spencer sat in quiet darkness until she was able to open her eyes and meet those of her mother sitting before her. Veronica gave a watery shake of the head signaling that no, the same could not be said for Yvonne. She reached out and brushed some of Spencer's hair away from her face, tucking a few strands behind her ear, and then brought her daughter's head forward to meet her lips, leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I love you, Spencer," she said. "You will always be my daughter, and nothing can change that. If I had lost you last night," she trailed of. "I honestly don't know what I would have done." She pulled away just slightly and looked at her watch. "Will you be okay this weekend? I wish I could stay."
"Aria's going to stay with me," Spencer said, clearing her throat.
"Stay out of trouble for a little while, okay?"
"Alright," Spencer said absently.
Veronica stood up and, without looking back, walked out the door, leaving Spencer alone on the bed with her thoughts and concerns. Again, they were never very good at expressing their feelings.
She stayed there for some time until she gathered the energy to stand up and walk out of the room herself. Instead of going out to the parking lot and calling Aria for a ride, she went to the desk and asked after Toby Cavanaugh.
Now, standing outside his room, it occurred to her that she might be the last person he would want to see. It also occurred to her that she might not want to see what was on the other side of that door. How bad was he? How critical were his conditions? She was aware of the fact that she was standing in the ICU, but she was not aware of what injuries might qualify for ICU treatment. All of this was swirling around in her brain and she could feel herself getting light headed. She eased back and went to take a seat along the wall, when out of nowhere an arm reached out and took her elbow.
She turned and was faced with a familiar set of eyes and a smile that belonged to an old friend.
"Wren," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was brought in to work on a specific case," he said, easing her back up to full height. "Are you okay?"
She didn't say anything, too overwhelmed by the doorway and his presence. Too caught off guard by the whole day to know quite what to think.
"Have you been in to see him yet?" Wren asked.
"No," she said. "Are you…are you his doctor?"
"I am actually. I heard you were here as well, I actually just went down to say hello, see if anyone had talked to you about Toby yet…but they said you'd already checked out."
"I couldn't leave without seeing him, but now I'm thinking that might not be a good idea," she said.
"It would be good for him," Wren tried, easing her forward, still keeping a strong hold on her arm. "He's had a few visitors, but no one has been able to stay very long."
"His parents? Do they know?"
"They do." Wren tried to read her, tried to see if she was up for entering the room or if it was going to be too much too soon. "He's alone right now, and I think it would do him well to see you. He's sleeping pretty heavily right now due to the medicine he's on, but it'd still be good to see him. Talk to him for a little."
Spencer nodded vigorously and Wren led her closer to the door, taking the handle and pushing it open a bit. "There's nothing to be afraid of," Wren said. "All he needs right now is a friend, and to know that he's not alone."
It seemed to take forever for them to walk through the doorway, but when they did, Spencer was immediately relieved. He was there, in one piece, laying on the bed in what appeared to be a state of extreme peace. Of course, she knew he was feeling anything but.
Wren walked Spencer over to the side of Toby's bed and pulled a chair up for her.
"Hi," she said, putting her good hand into his and giving him a squeeze.
Wren cleared his throat. He had already moved over to the door and was on his way out. "I'm going to let you have a minute. I'll be back shortly, and then it'll probably be a good time for you to head home and get some rest yourself." He gave Spencer a slight nod before backing out and closing the door behind him.
"I'm glad you're okay," Spencer whispered."I'm so sorry to hear about Yvonne." She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier."
She imagined what she'd be feeling if things had gone differently...if it had been him instead of Yvonne.
"I'll always be here," she said, even though she knew he wasn't awake to hear her. She didn't mean for the words to hold as much weight as they did, but once she'd said it, she realized that she meant it. She meant it with every fiber of her being.
She cleared her throat. "I was shot last night. I...I thought I might die, and there was only one thing I could think about. The whole time." She stopped talking for a moment, just long enough to memorize his face and how it had changed since they first met.
"You wanna know the last thing I thought of?" She continued to push her hands through his hair, rubbing her thump over his brow, letting the darkness seep into their skin and the quiet of the hospital comfort them both. She leaned her head down so that she was pressing her forehead to his and took in a deep breath.
"You," she said. "I thought of you."
AN: It's not long, but it's different. Let me know what you thought. Review :D
