A/N: Hey guys, so another one-shot. Figured I could upload something because I just...haven't. (Great reason, huh?) But I'm trying out a good amount of genres on here and focusing one for say like this one is focused on the hurt/comfort genre. I hope to do a few more of these one-shots in the future, and this one has a dash of Merome in it. Hope you enjoy!

Silence. The only thing that could be heard in the lonely room Mitch sat in. The white and gray walls were caving in on him, as Mitch sat in those unforgiveable plastic chairs. He never thought this would happen; no one did.

Jerome was known as the reckless bacca he was, and loves going to the extreme. The dare devil of his friends, yet knows his boundaries. Mitch thought that Jerome this time had passed it by twenty steps ahead the forbidden line.

It was all because of the most recent survival games he and Jerome did. They had three verses two that game, a very rare event in your regular hunger deens. Mitch had taken out the one with the least armor in a breeze leaving Jerome and he with the more prepared ones under pvp and armor. Jerome and Mitch caught a quick look at each other's eyes with a knowing look.

The fight was taking place pretty close to the edge of the dome, giving the benj and bacca duo a great advantage, as they could corner their opponents. They had smashed that plan many times and have achieved, but something was different this time. One of their opponents was a hacker, having a "speedy" advantage.

It all went down how every battle like this would. The hacker's teammate took a few steps back and the hacker went to work. He smacked Mitch and Jerome once a round with an iron sword like a tennis match, not giving the two a chance to swing. While Mitch had slid across the grass, Jerome had slammed his head against the dome, a block's corner colliding with Jerome's head. And the two best friends were out of the game.

Mitch expected a fine Jerome to walk out the revive lobby. But instead, Jerome came back beat up as he was in the competition. Something had gone wrong with the revive machine, and Jerome was rushed to the hospital immediately.

Jerome was said to have brain damage and a few abrasions on his arms and legs that recently were sown together already. What did worry Mitch to some extent was that fact that Jerome would have some memory loss in the process. Yes, Jerome would soon enough be up and about again, but what would he come back to consciousness with? Would he forget the fact that he was indeed reckless? Would he forget his friends? Would he forget…Mitch? And Emma…Mitch hadn't thought about that till now. What would his girlfriend think?

"There's no way I can keep this from her," Mitch mutters, as he turns to look at Jerome, "I have to tell her."

Mitch then takes out his phone, and pulls up his contacts list. He stared at the options under Emma's name: Call and SMS. His eyes first land on the call option, but shuddered not wanting her to hear the fear and worry in his voice. So he shakily tapped the 'SMS' button and started to type. As he continued with typing the text, Mitch's heart started beating faster, so much so he'd thought he himself would pass out. Finally, he pressed 'Send', and waited…

Emma: How did this happen?!

Mitch released the breath that he unknowingly held, but in-took one again when typing the reply.

Mitch: It was another survival games round and he hit his head. He should be fine though. It's not the first time he's hurt his head. There's nothing to be afraid of.

Emma: Ok…is he at the one closest to the school?

Mitch: yeah

Emma: Thx, be there in 5

And he shut the device off. Even though his small talk with Emma was over for now, his own thoughts still haunt him. Unlike all the other hospital visits with Jerome, this one seemed…different. This time there was more tension, worries, poured emotion that filled the Benja's mind. He just couldn't believe that this trip would be taken this far. Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, making his neck hair stand at attention.

"Come in," Mitch shakily responds, and Emma walks in…

"Hey Mitch," she softly greets me, closing the door behind her as her eyes are kept on Jerome and I, "How is Jerome?"

"He's under stable condition," I try to reply as chill as possible, "The anesthesia still has him sleeping but other than that not much since I got here. I got to see him only like ten minutes before he went into surgery."

"Ok," she sighs, "I can stay here if you want to get something to eat. I'll update you, as time goes on, if you want."

"Nah," Mitch waves his hand at Emma in a dismissive way, "I had like a snack bar on the way here so…yeah."

"You sure you don't even need fresh air?" Emma asks out of concern, making Mitch sigh. Not that Mitch was used to Emma's concern already, but he felt like he can't just leave his best friend's side. Not at a time like this..

"Fine; but only for ten minutes."

"Deal," she nods her response. Mitch takes one more glance at his best friend before leaving the room without another word. Emma could only sit so long until she got up from another chair beside Mitch's chair after only a minute. And she looked at Jerome…the machines…the beeping noises driving her crazy, yet she somehow kept it under control.

No one knew how she did it, as this wasn't Emma's first emotion twisting sight. A random stranger would say she was emotionless with her expression, but to other that knew her, she was just best at staying strong and keeping the group or even just one person holding their head above the water. But one day, she knew she herself would need saving, and Emma feared that day might be today.

She had been through much with that bacca. Emma had also a few times entered into a survival games competition with the close duo, and knew the feel. The challenging, competition feel got to her sometimes, and Jerome would have to snap her out of it. They'd keep each other in check, had each other's back, much like how Jerome was also with Mitch. Emma smiled with that thought filling her mind.

I mean, she knew this wasn't the end, at all. This was just took…a longer waiting process. So just for the time being, Emma thought, I just have to wade it out.

"This will soon be all forgotten," Emma now quietly speaks to herself, "Everything will soon be back to normal. He'll soon be back to winning the hunger games," she continues, with a small happy chuckle and a small smile forming, "And we three will get back into the swing of things…"

"We sure will," a voice replies, surprising Emma by a little bit, as her left hand had somehow landed under her neck area.

"Jerome? You're awake," Emma smile gets a bit bigger.

"I have been," Jerome side smiles back a bit weakly, "I just…wanted to hear everything you had to say. I haven't heard from you in almost a week. What happened?"

"That's not important, Jerome," Emma sighs, "I just want to spend time with you now."

"But it's important to me," Jerome gently pushes. Emma's eyes shoot downward for a few seconds before looking back into Jerome's concerned and curious eyes.

"I was busy with family, my older brother had to leave for a war. Herobrine was at it again, and Notch needed everyone he can get on board. It was hard for me, Jerome. And it still is…"

"Oh…I'm sorry I asked…bu-"

"Don't worry about it," Emma softly grins back at the bacca, calming him down, "Oh, thought I should say. Mitch had gone out to get some fresh air, but," and Emma looks at her phone, "I'm sure he'll be back in 3…2…1…"

And a knock on the room's door was heard.

"Come in," Jerome and Emma simultaneously say, making them both chuckle at the same time.

"Jerome, you're up!" Mitch breaks out into an ear-to-ear grin, "How are you feeling, dood?"

"Head still hurts, but I should be back to normal in no time," Jerome returns Mitch the same smile Mitch has, "Nice to see ya, homie."

"Right back at you, biggums," Mitch replies, as he and Jerome fist bump. And Emma's phone buzzes.

"…I have to go," Emma reluctantly says, her vision shifting from Jerome to Mitch, "My parents need me back at the house."

"Oh…"

"I'll be here tomorrow though," Emma tried to lift Jerome's spirits, "Hopefully around the same time, as when I got here."

"Ok, I'll see you later, Emma."

"Bye, Jerome…bye Mitch."

All Jerome and Mitch could do was wave, as she opened the door and left.

"Hey Jerome, maybe you should get some more rest," Mitch suggests, making Jerome give him an 'are you serious?' expression.

"Dood, I just woke up from a terrifying hibernation. I'm not just gonna go back and sleep again. Are you nuts?"

"Alright then," Mitch sighs in defeat, "I'll be here until dinner time, then sadly, I would have to go too."

"Ok," was all Jerome had to say before the two were drawn into a comfortable silence. They sat like that for the next two hours, smiling and chuckling at each other every once in a while, knowing what the other was most likely thinking.

It was something that Jerome liked and didn't like at the same time. Trips to the hospital were a pain to even just sit in a bed and do nothing. But that one thing he was happy for, was the fact that his friends would stand by him the whole way…

~~~Epilogue~~~

After that week, as thought and talked of, Jerome did get better, but it didn't end well for Emma brother as he died in that war. Even though Jerome still had physical scars, Emma's emotional ones left a mark on her more. Might it just be time for Jerome to now help Emma heal her scars?

A/N: Thanks guys for reading this, if you have read this far :P You can also know that I have a secret story in the making called "Minecraftia's End?" It's a whole new story so if you want to see a sneak peak, let me know in dat review section and I'll post it as a "chapter 2" on here, and I hope to see you guys in another story!

~Emily HSMC