Part 17

They finally arrived in Sacramento in the late afternoon, hitting even more rush hour traffic going into the city. Eventually they made it to the hospital Chris had specified in a text and Maine parked in one of the closer lots, guiding Carolina inside, who was suddenly nervous and barely able to think straight.

Walking up to reception, which was thankfully not very busy, Carolina tapped the tiled counter and managed to get the attention of the nurse behind the computer. "Can I help you?" she asked, a young girl who couldn't have been more than twenty years old.

"I'm here to see a patient, he was brought in this morning, Sean?"

"Last name?"

"Duggan."

The girl typed a few things into the computer and nodded. "Can I see some ID?"

Carolina reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, handing her driver's license to her. She took it and typed a few more things, finally nodding. "Okay, Carolina, you're listed on here as his emergency contact. Go to the elevators over there—" she pointed to her right towards a bank of elevators, "and go to floor 4. He's in room 467."

"Thank you," Carolina said, taking back her ID. Maine put his arm around Carolina's shoulders and walked with her over to the elevators, hitting the button. She leaned against his chest and let out a worried sigh.

"Are you okay?" Maine asked quietly as the elevator doors opened. They stepped inside and she hit the button for the fourth floor, nodding.

"I'll be fine in a minute. I just need to see him."

Maine grunted and leaned against the railing. "Idiot."

"We don't know what happened." Carolina shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't his fault."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay? Are you going to call North?"

Maine shook his head as the elevator shuddered to a stop. "Let's go." He left first, with Carolina trailing behind him.

Room 467 was to the left of the expansive hospital floor, according to the helpful signs everywhere, and they finally found it by following the trail of York's voice arguing with someone.

"I told you, I don't want any pain meds! I'm fine and I just want to go home!"

"York, just take the fucking pills—"

"No!"

"Sean, you're going to be in a lot of pain in the next hour if you don't take at least one of the drugs."

"I'm fine, just get me my phone so I can call—"

"York."

The fighting stopped as Maine stepped into the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, glaring down at York, who was lying in the hospital bed in a blue paper gown, his right leg bound up in a splint going up to his thigh. Carolina ducked into the room past Maine's side and watched York's face go from pale horror to flushed relief, locking eyes with her.

"Lina!"

"Oh my god, York, are you okay?!" She leaned over to give him a tight hug, ignoring his pained whimpers in response.

"The doctor is being a pain my ass," he grumbled.

"Dude, he's trying to help you," his friend Chris commented from a chair in the corner as he flipped through a sports magazine.

"But I don't want to be all drugged up!"

"If you refuse to accept treatment then I can't force you, but I highly suggest getting a morphine shot in the next half an hour."

Carolina glanced over at the doctor she hadn't noticed standing on the other side of the bed. He was older, likely in his forties, with a full head of black hair peppered with gray streaks. He was wearing a pair of thin-framed glasses and managed to look fairly imposing, even as Maine came over to stand next to him so he could glare down at York.

York swallowed roughly. "Uh, Lina, what's he doing here?"

"Maine drove me. It's a long story." She held out her hand to shake the doctor's hand. "I'm Carolina. Feel free to just drug him up as you see fit."

"I may do that," he replied with a smile.

"Hey, you can't take orders from her! What kind of doctor are you?"

"The kind that wants his patients to get better," the man replied, looking back at York. "By the way, if you need anything, my name is Doctor Bellman."

"Whatever," York muttered.

Another doctor ducked into the room. "Hey, Delta, we got a situation over in 415, get over there!" He disappeared and Doctor Bellman, apparently nicknamed Delta, nodded at them.

"Well, I guess I have to go. I'll check on you in half an hour and see if you're begging me for that morphine yet, Sean." He left the room and Chris followed, saying something about needing a break from babysitting duty. Carolina pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down to hold York's hand. Maine continued standing silently.

"You're freaking me out, man," York said to Maine, who cracked a small smile. "Uh, thanks for driving Lina?"

Maine nodded. "Do you want some water?" he asked, looking pointedly at Carolina.

"No thanks."

"Hey, what about me?"

"I didn't ask you." Maine turned and left the room so they could have some privacy. York looked over at Carolina, who looked exhausted.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching up with his free hand to stroke her cheek. "Thanks for coming."

"How stupid are you?" she blurted out, swatting his hand away.

"What?!"

"What happened? Were you messing around on the site? Is your leg going to be okay? Are—"

"Shh, babe, shh," York soothed. "It was just an accident. They happen. Someone didn't secure a couple of beams tightly enough and they fell. One hit me in the leg and I went down with it, and all I remember after that is a lot of pain. Doctor says I was lucky and it only shattered some of my ankle, but that it'll heal pretty quickly. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Carolina sniffed back tears she hadn't realized had formed. "That wasn't a phone call I needed to ever get," she said.

"Babe, I'm sorry. Really."

"I know."

"But hey!" She looked up at York, who was smiling. "Now we get to see each other sooner than we thought! I'm obviously not going back to work anytime soon. Good thing I was saving most of my paychecks, huh?"

"How long will it take for your ankle to heal?"

"Doc was filling me in on all that but I was pretty doped up earlier, so I don't remember." York shrugged, picking at a stray piece of dust on his hospital gown. "I think I can get out of here later tonight though. Though I don't know which I'd prefer, staying here or having Maine drive us home." He shuddered.

"He's really sweet once you get to know him. Besides, he and North are going through a…rough patch right now, and I think he could really use a friend."

"If you haven't noticed, the guy hates me."

"He'll come around."

York leaned back against his pillow, closing his eyes. "I think I need a nap."

"How's the leg feeling?"

"Painful."

"Do you want me to track down Doctor Bellman for you?"

"…Maybe."

"I'll be right back." She stood up and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead before leaving. As she closed the door behind her, she looked up to see Maine leaning against the wall just outside.

"How is he?" Maine asked.

"He'll be fine, don't worry."

"I wasn't."

"You know, I bet you two could be good friends if either of you just tried."

"I'm not with North anymore. Why does matter?"

Carolina rolled her eyes. "Come on, North will take you back in a heartbeat if you two would just talk."

"Did we not finish this discussion in the car?"

"Fine, avoid it, whatever. But we're not done."

Maine shrugged and pushed himself away from the wall, walking down the hallway. Carolina went over to the nurses' station around the corner and smiled at the attendant behind the counter.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Doctor Bellman?"

The man nodded. "Delta? He's around somewhere. I'll page him. I'm guessing your boyfriend needs some morphine?"

She nodded. "Did he warn you or something?"

"Nah, we've just been taking bets on how long it would be until he caved. That boy is stubborn."

"Oh, trust me, I know."

"Anyway, I'll have the doctor stop by as soon as possible."

"Thank you." She went back to York's room and pushed open the door. He was fast asleep, half-covered by a thin blanket. His hands were clenched at his sides, one of them opening and closing slightly, his fingers flexing in his sleep. She sat down in the chair beside the bed and leaned back, wanting to fall asleep but knowing she couldn't in such an uncomfortable chair. A few minutes passed and she closed her eyes, slowing her breathing.

"Leave her alone!"

Carolina sat up, feeling slightly disoriented after having apparently passed out for a minute. "What? York, are you—"

York shifted in his sleep, pulling his arm up to his chest, the various tubes and wires connected to it losing their slack. "Don't, David," he mumbled. She watched his face twist in pain as she stood up. "You promised!"

"York!"

His eyes flew open and he stared up at Carolina, sheer panic written across his face. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she reached out to hold her palm to his cheek. Finally he relaxed, the panic being replaced by an embarrassed smile.

"Was I talking in my sleep or something?" he asked. "You look freaked out."

"No, you were just…moving a lot, that's all. I was worried."

"Sorry, babe. I'll try to stay still. I just hate being cooped up in here."

"We'll be going home soon, I promise."

Doctor Bellman chose that moment to stick his head in the door. "You awake?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He came inside holding a small needle filled with clear liquid. "Is your leg hurting yet?"

"Yeah." York sounded embarrassed but held his head high as the doctor came over to his bedside, sticking the needle into the tube attached to the back of his hand.

"There, that'll hit you really soon. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?"

"You can tell me why you're nicknamed Delta," York said, grinning.

Doctor Bellman smiled. "It's an old med school nickname that somehow caught on. I was always very analytical and refused to do anything that wasn't protocol. Eventually I learned that's not always the case, and I lightened up over the years. But since I've been at this hospital since my residency, the name stuck and I can't seem to get away from it. It's kind of comforting though, in a way."

"Do you know when I can leave?" he asked. His words were beginning to slur slightly as the morphine kicked in.

"You can leave in the morning. We're going to put a cast on your leg later tonight and then keep you overnight for observation."

"But I wanna go home…"

"You can go home tomorrow. I'm sure your girlfriend here won't mind staying the evening."

Carolina nodded. "Can I maybe get a better chair or something in here, so I can get some sleep?"

"We actually have roll-away cots, I can bring one in. What about your friend? The, uh, large fellow." Doctor Bellman gestured a hand high in the air, attempting to indicate Maine's height.

"I'll ask if he wants to stay here, or maybe get a hotel room somewhere."

"There's actually a motel up the road where a lot of families of patients stay. It's cheap and a little run-down, but better than a lot of others at the edge of town."

"Sounds great, I'll let him know."

"All right, I've got other people to check on, but let me know if he needs anything." The doctor looked back at York, who was already asleep, his head lolled to the side. Carolina nodded and he left, partially shutting the door behind him.

(break)

"What's the plan?" Maine asked, staring into the vending machine. It was late; he hadn't checked a clock in a while, but last time he had it was nearly midnight. Carolina had gone with York to get his cast put on a couple hours earlier, and he'd stayed out of the way, reading magazines and trying to chat up any cute male nurses and doctors scurrying around.

Carolina shrugged. "I'm going to stay the night with York. You're welcome to stay here, or the doctor mentioned a motel down the road, if you prefer that."

"I'll sleep in the car." Maine turned away from the machine, realizing there was nothing he could really eat in it.

"You barely fit in that thing to drive, how will you sleep in it?"

"I'll manage."

"Maine, come on. Let me pay for a room for the night."

"It's fine. Stay with York. I'll figure something out."

"Maine."

He looked down at Carolina, who was glaring up at him, hands on her hips. For such a tiny girl, she was surprisingly headstrong. "Carolina."

"Look, I really appreciate the ride—"

"As you've said already."

"—but I feel terrible just leaving you hanging around like this. Why don't you want to get a room?"

Maine shrugged. "Don't like sleeping alone these days."

Carolina's look of frustration melted away to understanding. "It's been a rough week for you, hasn't it?"

He shrugged again. "I'll be fine."

"Do you want to sleep in the room with me and York?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Probably wouldn't fit."

"We'll make it work. Come on, let's go ask for another cot. Maybe they have an extra-long one."

Maine stretched his arms up over his head, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Don't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother. If anything, I'm the bother, since I made you drive me so far."

"You're a friend."

Carolina smiled up at him. "Thanks, Maine. You're a really sweet guy, you know that?"

He grunted in response, the outpouring of affection reminding him a little too much of him. "We should sleep," he replied, walking ahead of her towards the nurses' station.

(break)

York slowly awoke the next morning as sunlight was hitting his face and chest, warming him better than the blanket had during the night. He hadn't gotten much consistent sleep anyway, with all the stupid nurses stopping in every hour to check his vitals and pain levels. Eventually he'd slept right through a couple of the checkups, getting some much-needed rest.

He sat up and reached behind him with his free arm to adjust his pillow, glancing around. Carolina was lying on a small cot on the right side of his bed, a thin blanket draped over her legs, and she was using her coat as a makeshift blanket for her upper body. Over near the doorway was another cot, barely holding Maine as he dozed lightly, lying on his back with his arms behind his head.

"Carolina?" York said quietly, reaching over to nudge her shoulder. She stirred and cracked open an eye, smiling up at him.

"Oh good, you're awake!"

"Did you both sleep here all night?"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah. Barely, anyway. Kept waking up when the nurses would come in."

"Yeah, you're telling me." York tried to shift his leg and let out a pained whine. "I can't wait to get home and get some uninterrupted sleep."

Maine sat up on his cot and let out a massive yawn, scratching the back of his head. "Can we go home yet?" he asked gruffly, looking over at them.

"If the doctor says I can, then yes," York replied. "Sorry you had to stay all night, man."

"S'okay. How's the ankle?"

"Hurts. How's your hand?"

Maine grinned and clenched his fingers into a fist against the bandage. "Probably hurts less."

"Fuck you."

"No thanks."

"Am I interrupting?" Doctor Bellman stuck his head in the door, frowning at Maine, who at least had the decency to act slightly sheepish. "I just wanted to let you know you're scheduled to get out of here at noon."

"Yes!" York high-fived Carolina. "Oh man, I can't wait."

"We just need to take you for a quick x-ray to make sure everything's setting correctly in the cast. So, if you don't mind, we'll leave your friends behind for just a little while longer."

"But if they don't dance, then they're no friends of mine," York cracked.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Maybe I can get you out sooner than noon. Let's go." He grabbed a wheelchair from the hallway and rolled it inside, sitting it next to the bed. Maine came over and pushed Doctor Bellman out of the way, putting his hands underneath York's shoulders to help him sit up.

"Dude, I can get up," York huffed.

Maine growled and lifted York up from the bed, pivoting so he would land in the chair that the doctor had positioned next to them. He settled York into the chair and helped set his feet carefully on the pedals, taking extra care with the cast.

"Thank you," the doctor said. Maine nodded a reply and sat down on the now-vacant bed, leaning back against the pillows. York scowled at him as he was wheeled out of the room and out of view.

"He's fun to piss off," Maine said, chuckling lightly. Carolina reached over and smacked him on the arm, grinning.