Will's phone buzzed and lit up his bedside table. His eyes flashed open, and he turned over to see who could possibly be calling him at this time of the night. Natalie. He immediately flicked on the lamp and stumbled to answer her call. He could hear her crying on the other end of the line, and his heart felt like it had dropped through the floor.

"Natalie? Are you okay?"
"Will...I...no. I'm not okay."
"What's going on?"
"My patient—the little boy..."
"Natalie..."
"It was all my fault. I didn't do my job. I was entrusted with a sweet, innocent life and I screwed up! Truthfully, I don't know what even happened. All of the sudden I was standing over my patient—someone's child—trying to force his heart to beat! Explain that to me, Will! I should've done something more!"

She began to cry even harder, and Will was at a loss for words. How would he handle such a delicate situation? How would he convince her that it wasn't her fault? He had never seen her like this before. For the first time since he knew her, she actually reached out for help with something very personal to her.

"Do you need me to...do I need to come over?"
She spoke softly, her voice cracking as she tried to catch her breath. "Please."


Will left his room and ran out into the cold Chicago night. He didn't even bother grabbing his keys or a coat. He just ran as fast as he possibly could. His lungs were burning and his throat was tightening as he struggled to inhale the cold air, but what hurt more was knowing that his best friend was crying alone in her apartment—blaming herself for something she had no control over. She did her very best to try and save him, and now, he had to help her realize that.

Once he reached her doorstep, he felt both fear and relief. Scared that she would continue to blame herself, but relieved that he could be there for her if she did. Relieved that he could be there at all, and that she would even call him, of all the people she could call.

He already knew where she kept her spare key, so he grabbed it and gently twisted the lock. He entered quietly and was immediately confronted by muffled cries in the other room. Again, his heart shattered into pieces. He crossed over into her bedroom and sees her sitting upright on the bed, in her pajamas, makeup still on her face, but this time, it was smeared down to her jawbone. She sat there in the darkness, her face dimly lit by the lamp on the bedside table. She knew that he was standing there, but she did not turn to face him. Nervous, but determined, Will walked slowly towards her and took a spot beside her feet. Her knees were pulled up and she buried her face into them. She did not want to look up. Part of her was scared of how he would react when he saw her up close—torn apart at the seams and bleeding from her heart. Vulnerable. /br /Without second thought, he placed his hand on the back of her head as she began to sob uncontrollably. He gently ran his hand down her braid and back up again, twisting the end around his fingers. She did not try to push him away or tell him that she was okay, because in all honesty, she knew better than to try to lie to him. He always saw right through her smile, because deep down, he knew there was something hiding behind it.

"What if I would've..."
"Nat...you did all that you could—"

Before he could even muster out another word, she pulled him in and was crying over his shoulder. She grabbed Will and held him with every tired muscle in her body—and he did the same. He held her as though he'd never be able to do it again. It was then that he realized—he was touching her like he never had before. Running his hand down her neck, holding onto her hips, pressing his chest into hers. He squeezed her body into his and felt her tremble as she tore herself apart.

They stayed like that for what seemed like eternity, and neither of them minded. Natalie knew she could always count on him to come, even at 3a.m, she just never knew it would end up like this. She did not want him to see her this way, but she had no choice. Staying alone all night to face this alone was not an option. He was in her arms, and she was in his. It felt comfortable and right. He held her close to try and take the pain away—or at least give her a reason to forget, if only for a moment. It worked. He kept telling her, "it'll be alright" and "this is not your fault," and before he knew it, she had fallen asleep on his shoulder with dry tears stuck to her face.

This is the moment Will knew—he truly loved her. Not only for her breathtaking beauty, her sharp mind, or her fast-paced way of working, but for her ability to make him feel so alive. She made him feel loved, even if she didn't know it. He didn't ever tell her, though, out of fear that she might start running from him.

Once Will knew that she was sound asleep, he held her by the small of her back and the back of her neck and gently laid her down on the pillow and covered her up. His shirt sleeve, which had absorbed all of Natalie's tears, felt cold against his skin. He loved every second of it. A piece of her was stuck to him...and it felt just like home.


Instead of quietly sneaking out and going back to his apartment, Will decided to stay awake at her bedside until the morning sun crept into the window, just in case her fears awoke her within the rest of the early morning. She didn't deserve to have to face the darkness alone. That had already happened far too many times. To Will's surprise, Natalie was able to make it through the rest of the morning. He sat awake beside her all morning long, being as careful as he could not to touch her. He wasn't sure if she'd mind.

Will hadn't slept in over 36 hours due to long shifts and sleepless nights. He didn't care at all about himself. Making sure that Natalie felt comfortable enough to sleep was motivation for him to keep pushing He was looking across the room and out of the icy window when he heard her start to stir. Still seated beside her in the creaky wooden chair, he watched as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and opened them up. Those big, breathtaking brown eyes that he never had the privilege of looking in to. Her coffee-colored eyes met his in the middle of the morning sun, and a look of surprise swept across her face.

"Will...did you stay there all morning long?"
"Maybe..."

A beautiful, bright smile spread across her face. Without being able to hide it, he mirrored her reaction. That was what he had been waiting for—a drop of happiness to peek through her sadness. A sweet smile stretched itself across his skin too. He swore to himself that when she smiled, it lit up the entire room. Today, that theory was confirmed. Her smile equaled a thousand sunrises. It was brighter than the stars and stronger than he ever could have ever fathomed. He never thought something as simple as a smile could make him feel this.

He really loved her, and he hoped she knew that.