An exhausted Riley returned to Will after feeling lucky finding Kala and Sun together. After appearing in the car the two occupied, she was able to ask them for help. She was grateful Sun was now out of prison and free because now what needed to be done to help Will, whatever that was, would be easier. She still needed to reach the others but every time she left she felt guilty leaving Will alone.
After her friend had dropped them off from the boat they placed Will on a stretcher and then transported him to an empty house. It was owned by another one of Riley's few trusted friends who told her to stay as long as she wanted and needed.
"I will try to come by at least three times a week to drop off food and supplies," she told her, " but if I can't it will be once a week for sure. It should be safe here but don't come out if you can. If you do let it be at night."
"Thank you so much, Tess," Riley answered her, relief present in her voice, "I could never have done this alone."
"What is a blood sister for," Tess said back with a smile. "This is the least I can do for all the things you have done for me since childhood. Just take care of him." She pointed at the sleeping Will.
"I shall. Good bye." Riley waved as her friend moved toward the door and exited out.
It was three weeks ago since that encounter and like clockwork, Tess came by to drop off food and other necessities as promised. The only thing she couldn't do was give her any drugs except for the ones sold over the counter. At the time, Riley was alright with what she had and assured Tess she was fine.
But now she was starting to run low and every time Will looked like he was going to stir awake she panicked.
"Riley," said a voice from behind her
"What is it? What's wrong?" Asked another
Riley, who was sitting on the floor holding vigil for Will now turned around to see the faces of Capheus and Nomi. She let out a sigh of relief and stood up and approached them, an expression of worry on her face.
"I'm scared," she told them, "my supply of drugs are running low and I am afraid that if he wakes up..."
"What is it that you need?" It was Nomi asking the question
"I can get if for you," Capheus added.
"Riley?" It was a new voice now. The voice of Lito speaking her name. She looked up at him and he moved closer to her and hugged her.
Nomi, Capheus, and Riley walked over to where Will lay. Each has felt his absence as a sense of loss. Each felt incomplete and also guilty that it was him that seemed to make the ultimate sacrifice for all of them. They knew with him asleep they would be safe and out of harms way from Whispers but also knew they needed him to wake up for them to be whole again. He could not stay asleep forever.
"Have you been here the whole time?" asked Nomi.
"It's been three weeks," Riley answered.
"I'm sorry I haven't helped you as I should have," Capheus was saying now apologetically. "I should have done better."
"No, no." Riley shook her head and gently placed her hand on his arm. "No, Capheus. It isn't that at all. There really is nothing to do but just watch him sleep. That is what I do all day."
"We are all sorry we haven't been around to help you," Nomi chimed in. She looked down at Will, a sense of wonder on her face. "How can he eat if he is sleeping?"
"When Will wakes, sort of, he can eat then. For the first couple of nights it was at the same time until he brought up the fact that it could be dangerous so now I get him up at various times during the day and night. Sometimes he only has an hour or so, others three, so he can eat quickly and walk around. We get to spend time together...until he senses Whispers fighting to be let in. After that I have to put him under again It was fine for a while. I had the drugs to put in the syringe to put him under. I didn't know it would go so quickly." Riley said the last sentence so quietly it was almost in a whisper. A tear started to stream down her face.
"Oh honey." Nomi moved over to her and gave her a second hug. "What is it that you need?" Nomi pulled back and held her at arms length, looking at her closely.
"That's just it," Riley told all of them, turning her head to each one at a time, "I don't know. If I run out we are all in danger. We are all at risk. Will will not do any of this for nothing."
"We'll figure it out. Don't worry. We are in this together, you know." Nomi now told her.
"When was the last time you slept, Riley? Really slept?" It was now Lito doing the asking, a voice of paternal concern. When she did not answer him he went on pointing a finger at her. "We will take turns. You sleep."
Riley looked over to Will with a loving expression on her tired face. "He stirs in his sleep you know," she was telling them now. "Sometimes he even talks. It worries me that he is dreaming. What if Whispers can get in when he dreams? What if Whispers figures out a way to enter in Will's dreams to get to us? I can't stand not knowing what to do and how to help him. How to help us. If I run out and put us all in danger it will be my fault. My fault not Will's." Riley's voice trailed as she swallowed hard, the rush of emotion overcoming her, overwhelming her.
"Rest now, Riley." It was the gentle voice of Kala who had just arrived with Sun. They were all there now, helping her. Riley, with a sense of safety she hadn't felt in a long time just nodded. She turned toward another door that led to the bedroom she never used and walked in and closed the door behind her. The rest looked after her, the reality of the danger bound to loom resting on them. Wolfgang, the only one missing, now appeared standing behind Kala, his hand resting against her back, looking on with the rest