Her dorm room phone rang at three minutes to three in the morning, and she groaned as the sound pierced through her sleep. She turned toward her nightstand and fumbled for the phone before hitting the jackpot. "H'llo?"

"Rory?"

That woke her up. His voice. His voice like she'd never heard it before. Weak, slightly trembling. Scared?

"Jess?" she asked, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

He hesitated for a moment. "I just..." his breath shook. "I needed to call you."

"Where are you?" she asked, remembering there was no phone in his hospital room.

"The front desk," he told her. "They're clearing out for the night. Not paying attention. How's school?"

"That's not the reason you called."

"So?"

"Why are you calling, Jess?"

"I need a reason?" He sounded offended. A little more like himself.

"At three in the morning, yes," she stated.

He paused. "It's stupid."

"Jess, you called me, now tell me."

"I had a nightmare," he told her quickly.

She wasn't expecting that one. "Oh. Are... are you alright?"

"Yeah," he replied, his voice still going fast. Yeah. I just needed to hear you."

"What was it?"

He didn't reply.

"Jess?"

"I have to go. Sorry, Rory. Goodnight."

"Jess-"

Click.

Too late.

She glared at the phone, pressed Star sixty-nine, and called him back.

"Uhm...St. James' General Hospital... How may I help you?"

"You can tell me about your nightmare, because you woke me up, and I'm not gonna go back to sleep because I'm worried."

"Rory..."
"Quell my worry. Please?"

"I..." he sighed. "I dreamt that it was you in that car, and not me..." she almost couldn't hear his voice. "I dreamt that you never woke up."

She was speechless.

"I just needed to hear you."

"I dream that you never wake up, too."

They were both silent.

His voice was still impossibly quiet. "I could listen to you breath all night."

She smiled. "Yours is putting me to sleep."

"Are you saying my breathing is boring?" he asked jokingly.

She laughed a little. "Not boring. Soothing. Relaxing." She yawned.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he whispered.

"Sokay. Tomorrow's Saturday. Although Paris never takes a break from waking up and shouting 'Good mooooorning Vietnam!'"

He chuckled, but coughed a little. "So this is when my drugs wear off."

She frowned. "Sleep, Jess."

"I don't want to hang up."

"I'll see you soon," she reassured him.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"What time?"

She laughed. "Jess."

"Humor me."

"2:04 pm," she replied.

"Promise?"

She nodded and yawned again. "Promise. Now limp back to your room and rest."

"Nah. I think I'm gonna download pornography onto the Nurses' computer."

"Jess!"

He laughed and coughed again. "Okay, okay, I'm going."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he repeated.

Neither hung up.

She laughed a little. "This is ridiculous."

He nodded. "It is."

"Did you get visitors today?" she asked.

"Yeah, I-" he heard random noise from her end. "What's that?"

Rory looked up as the door opened. "Paris is home."

"Ah," he nodded. "And how is her private tutoring going?"

"Jess


Paris rolled her eyes, knowing by the tone of Rory's voice that he'd said something derogatory. And she knew exactly what it had been about. Ever since he woke up from his coma a few days ago, Rory had been bringing him up to speed on her life, which meant bringing him up to speed on Paris' life as well. "Rory, why did you tell him about my personal life? And why do you waste your time on that Neanderthal?"

Jess heard. "Rory, kindly ask Paris why she wastes her time on a man who probably needs her to change his depends for him."

"Oh, my god," Rory muttered. "You both need to grow up."

"What?" Paris asked innocently. "He's a Neanderthal."

"I may be a Neanderthal, but I'm an articulate Neanderthal."

Rory giggled.

"And I date girls who don't need depends."

"Jess!"

"I love when you scold me," he joked. "You should do it more often. Kinda kinky... you crying out my name that way... makes me wanna do things to you."

"Oh, god," Rory blushed, thankful that her room was dark.

Paris watched Rory shift, listening to Jess on the other end.

"Jess, stop, you're making me want to do irrational things," Rory said quietly, blushing even more.

"Okay!" Paris cried, putting her hands in the air. "Don't need to hear this!"

Rory laughed nervously and turned a deeper shade of red.

"Tell her it's better than listening to her talk about her old grandpa of a man."

"I'm not telling her that!" Rory cried.

"Tell me what?" Paris asked. "What did that heathen say?"

"Tell her," Jess egged on. "Come on."

Rory laughed. "Paris is right. You are a heathen."

"Can't deny it," he said, laughing a little, and coughing.

"Jess, please go to bed." She watched as Paris hopped into her own bed, and turned over.

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Yeah."

"Goodnight," she said with a slight smile. "Give Hephaestus a kiss for me."

"Oh, I see how it is," Jess said, his tone faux bitter. "The bear gets a kiss but I don't."

"You'll get yours tomorrow," she reassured.

"I want one now."

"Well, that won't happen unless you find the secrets of teleportation in the next few seconds."

He sighed. "Alas, I'm not that quick."

"Then I will see you tomorrow."

"Still want a kiss."

She puckered her lips into the phone, eliciting a disgusted sound from her roommate.

Rory snickered. "I'm getting icky noises from Paris."

"Don't care."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Jess repeated. He stayed on the phone until she hung up, and then sat at the nurses' desk for a little while longer.