Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Good to know people are enjoying it. I know the chapters are short, and I apologise for it.
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Larry opened his eyes with a start. For a moment he thought it was all a dream, but then he looked around to see nurses rushing past him. The usual bustle of a hospital waiting room. He ran a hand over his face and glanced at the clock. It was close to 5pm. Sam had been in the operating room for over an hour now. He sighed and leaned back against the seat. Something was digging into his side. He sat up and searched for him, before realising it was in his pocket. He put his hand inside it and extricated the small box that contained the engagement ring. He opened it and stared at the ring. "I really could use you now, Ally." He whispered to himself.
"That's a nice ring." A voice said. Larry looked up to see a young girl in front of the vending machine just beside him.
"Yeah." Was all he could manage. He watched as she put money into the machine and punched in a button. Nothing happened. He noticed her jaw clench.
"ARGH!" She let out loudly, slamming her fists against the machine, surprising Larry and everyone else in the near vicinity.
"Hey!" Larry exclaimed, getting over his shock. He pocketed the ring and got to his feet, before pulling out his wallet and taking out some change. He put it in the slot and punched in the same button the girl had pressed. A bag of Doritos came out of the chute. He handed them to her. "Here." He said.
"Thanks." She replied, embarrassed. She collapsed into the seat next to him.
"Bad day?" Larry asked.
"You have no idea." The girl replied.
"I think I do." Larry replied honestly. The girl looked up with a frown. "Larry." He introduced himself, holding out his hand.
"Damn the Larry's of the world." The girl muttered. Larry raised his eyebrows.
"Not all of them, surely?" He replied. The girl looked up at him again.
"I guess not." She said accepting his hand. "Maddie."
"Nice to meet you, Maddie." Larry said. "You want to talk about your bad day?"
"What are you?" Maddie asked. "A therapist?" Larry managed a smile. Why was she so familiar?
"No, but I'm a good listener." He said with a slight tilt of his head. Maddie paused a moment.
"My mum got hit by a car. They're operating now." Maddie explained, a lump forming in her throat. Larry nodded.
"I'm sorry." He said softly.
"What about you?" She asked.
"My son's in there." He said, indicating towards the ER terminal. "Car accident."
"Oh." Maddie said. "That sucks." Larry smiled again.
"Yeah." He replied.
"Sir?" A deep voice said. They both looked up to see a doctor standing over them.
"Is he okay?" Larry asked, immediately standing up.
"He's fine." The doctor said. "We're moving him to a private ward, you should be able to see him in a while."
"Thank you." Larry said, taking a deep breath. The relief that overcame him was immense. "Thank you." He repeated, shaking the doctors hand. The doctor left and Larry collapsed back down next to Maddie. She was staring at her feet.
"Your mum will be fine." He said encouragingly. Maddie nodded.
"I hope so." She replied. Then, in a bid to change the subject, "So are you planning on asking someone to marry you?" Larry gave her a half smile.
"I was going to. . .a long time ago." Larry said.
"So why do you still have the ring?" Maddie questioned.
"You ask too many questions." Larry said with a smile.
"My mum tells me that all the time." Maddie said, finally smiling. "So you still love her then?"
"Who?" Larry asked, feigning ignorance.
"The woman you were going to ask to marry you!" Maddie exclaimed. Larry hesitated.
"Yeah, I think I always will." He said softly.
"Wow, she must be special." Maddie commented.
"Yeah, she was." Larry said with a nod.
"Why?" Maddie asked. Larry gave her a sideways look.
"She just. . .was." Larry said.
"Wow, you sound exactly like my mum. She's still hung up over some guy that left her years ago." Maddie said. They didn't have time to continue their conversation as a nurse walked up to them.
"You're Sam's father?" She asked. Larry nodded and stood up. "He's still unconscious, but you can see him now." Larry looked down at Maddie.
"It's okay, you can go." Maddie said. Larry hesitated.
"You know what? Why don't you come with me. . .maybe you can meet Sam when he comes to." Larry said.
"What about my mum?" Maddie asked.
"I'll tell the nurse where you are in case they need to find you. I might need someone to break a vending machine for me." He added with a half smile.
"Yeah, okay. . .I guess."
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Review?
A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Good to know people are enjoying it. I know the chapters are short, and I apologise for it.
* * * * *
Larry opened his eyes with a start. For a moment he thought it was all a dream, but then he looked around to see nurses rushing past him. The usual bustle of a hospital waiting room. He ran a hand over his face and glanced at the clock. It was close to 5pm. Sam had been in the operating room for over an hour now. He sighed and leaned back against the seat. Something was digging into his side. He sat up and searched for him, before realising it was in his pocket. He put his hand inside it and extricated the small box that contained the engagement ring. He opened it and stared at the ring. "I really could use you now, Ally." He whispered to himself.
"That's a nice ring." A voice said. Larry looked up to see a young girl in front of the vending machine just beside him.
"Yeah." Was all he could manage. He watched as she put money into the machine and punched in a button. Nothing happened. He noticed her jaw clench.
"ARGH!" She let out loudly, slamming her fists against the machine, surprising Larry and everyone else in the near vicinity.
"Hey!" Larry exclaimed, getting over his shock. He pocketed the ring and got to his feet, before pulling out his wallet and taking out some change. He put it in the slot and punched in the same button the girl had pressed. A bag of Doritos came out of the chute. He handed them to her. "Here." He said.
"Thanks." She replied, embarrassed. She collapsed into the seat next to him.
"Bad day?" Larry asked.
"You have no idea." The girl replied.
"I think I do." Larry replied honestly. The girl looked up with a frown. "Larry." He introduced himself, holding out his hand.
"Damn the Larry's of the world." The girl muttered. Larry raised his eyebrows.
"Not all of them, surely?" He replied. The girl looked up at him again.
"I guess not." She said accepting his hand. "Maddie."
"Nice to meet you, Maddie." Larry said. "You want to talk about your bad day?"
"What are you?" Maddie asked. "A therapist?" Larry managed a smile. Why was she so familiar?
"No, but I'm a good listener." He said with a slight tilt of his head. Maddie paused a moment.
"My mum got hit by a car. They're operating now." Maddie explained, a lump forming in her throat. Larry nodded.
"I'm sorry." He said softly.
"What about you?" She asked.
"My son's in there." He said, indicating towards the ER terminal. "Car accident."
"Oh." Maddie said. "That sucks." Larry smiled again.
"Yeah." He replied.
"Sir?" A deep voice said. They both looked up to see a doctor standing over them.
"Is he okay?" Larry asked, immediately standing up.
"He's fine." The doctor said. "We're moving him to a private ward, you should be able to see him in a while."
"Thank you." Larry said, taking a deep breath. The relief that overcame him was immense. "Thank you." He repeated, shaking the doctors hand. The doctor left and Larry collapsed back down next to Maddie. She was staring at her feet.
"Your mum will be fine." He said encouragingly. Maddie nodded.
"I hope so." She replied. Then, in a bid to change the subject, "So are you planning on asking someone to marry you?" Larry gave her a half smile.
"I was going to. . .a long time ago." Larry said.
"So why do you still have the ring?" Maddie questioned.
"You ask too many questions." Larry said with a smile.
"My mum tells me that all the time." Maddie said, finally smiling. "So you still love her then?"
"Who?" Larry asked, feigning ignorance.
"The woman you were going to ask to marry you!" Maddie exclaimed. Larry hesitated.
"Yeah, I think I always will." He said softly.
"Wow, she must be special." Maddie commented.
"Yeah, she was." Larry said with a nod.
"Why?" Maddie asked. Larry gave her a sideways look.
"She just. . .was." Larry said.
"Wow, you sound exactly like my mum. She's still hung up over some guy that left her years ago." Maddie said. They didn't have time to continue their conversation as a nurse walked up to them.
"You're Sam's father?" She asked. Larry nodded and stood up. "He's still unconscious, but you can see him now." Larry looked down at Maddie.
"It's okay, you can go." Maddie said. Larry hesitated.
"You know what? Why don't you come with me. . .maybe you can meet Sam when he comes to." Larry said.
"What about my mum?" Maddie asked.
"I'll tell the nurse where you are in case they need to find you. I might need someone to break a vending machine for me." He added with a half smile.
"Yeah, okay. . .I guess."
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Review?