Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Veronica Mars. Make if I click my heels together three times though, I might…
The hospital waiting room is stark and white and had the cotton of Veronica's shirt not been stained with blood, she would have blended right in. She doesn't move, she's barely breathing, and her eyes are transfixed on an unimportant tile on the shiny floor. Furtively she glances towards the end of the hallway where he father stands, chatting with one of Logan's orderlies. He looks grim, and she goes back to staring at the floor.
"He's not gonna die, y'know." Veronica whips around and gapes in shock as Lilly sits in the chair beside her, blood trickling out of the garish wound on her head. There is a smile on her face, and a giggle in her tone. Veronica blinks two, three, four times, but each time she opens her eyes, Lilly is there. "Trying to get rid of me that easy?" She asks, tilting her head slightly. It is a typical Lilly move, but looks strange now. The excess of blood has matted down her hair, and it doesn't bounce as it should. Veronica can't help blinking again.
"Why are you here?" She asks, but she has already trained her gaze to the ground again. Lilly's presence can only mean one thing, despite her protests.
"That is an interesting question, Veronica Mars." Lilly responds, grimacing as she tries to take the blood out of her hair. "With an interesting answer. He's not gonna die. I've been there, remember? This isn't what it feels like." Veronica breathes an involuntary sigh of relief, immediately chastising herself for listening to a hallucination.
"I can't lose him." Her voice is small, the words low, and they seem to evaporate into thin air. Beside her, Lilly nods, a grim line set on her lips.
"You won't." Disbelief shines through her eyes and she closes them as they fill with tears. Looking up at her, Veronica tries to smile, but it is a losing battle.
"I didn't want to lose you either." The statement is simple. The directness of it catches Lilly off guard, but after a moment, she smiles.
"I'll always be here, Veronica." She smiles again, and it is so heart breakingly genuine, that V's breath catches.
"Veronica." His voice is low in her ear, and she jumps, startled. She glances around frantically, tears once again welling up in her eyes. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" His voice is kind, and cups her cheek lovingly. Veronica turns away, nodding, but her heart is breaking. It was only a dream.
"I'm fine, Dad." Her tone is curt, and she glances up at him apologetically. His sighs, smiling at her, and, taking the seat Lilly had recently inhabited, takes her hand in his. "There isn't good news, is there?" He smiles wanly, bringing her towards him and kissing the top of her head.
"The doctor says that he's in very critical condition." Very critical condition. The words keep repeating in her mind. Very critical condition. She stifles a sob and, turning her head glances up at him.
"What does that mean, Dad? Is he…is he gonna die?" Her voice breaks, and finally, the tears which had threatened, fall. For a moment she cries noiselessly into his chest.
"If he stabilizes, it'll be all because of you." Sniffling, she looks up at him, the question in her eyes.
"What?" She asks, confusion written all over her face. Keith squeezes her hand, a skeleton of a smile tipping his lips.
"Logan is lucky you were with him." He responds, and a batch of goose bumps line Veronica's arms. If I hadn't been with him, he wouldn't have been shot! She screams inwardly, but only nods at her father. "Had you panicked or melted down, we never would have gotten to him in time." His words are meant to be reassuring, but all Veronica feels is cold.
"Can I…can I see him?" It takes her a few times to get the words out. Her voice is scratchy.
"It isn't normal protocol." Keith responds, and she nods, turning from him. A few tears flow down her cheeks, but she wipes them away. "But a girl on the nurses staff owned me a favor." She turns back to face him, her heart in her eyes, and catapults herself into his arms. "Whenever you're ready." She breathes a sigh of shuddering relief, sobs wracking her thin frame once again.
"Can I go now? Please?" Her tone is urgent, and he nods. Standing shakily she begins to walk down the hallway. She doesn't look back once.
A/N: I know, it's not filled with detective!Veronica, it's filled with sad, simpery Veronica, but the girl needs to break sometime. And now is a good time. I'm not exactly sure how to play out the rest, but it'll come to me. I hope you guys liked this, I loved writing it. Especially the Lilly bits.