A Semester Away

by remusslupinn

Olivia has always dreamed of moving to NYC to attend NYU. During her last year before college, she spends a semester away at one of the most prestigious private schools in NYC. But while living with a young host family in Rye, NY, her life becomes a little more complicated, and she learns that there may be another reason aside from school, that her heart belongs in New York.

25. Chaos & Change

Hello friends, this is just a warning that this chapter does contain content related to anxiety and its symptoms. Read on, if you feel comfortable to.

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It felt like the walls were closing in on him, even though his daughter's bedroom was quite large in size. His breaths seemed to be coming out just as quickly as Karen's. And Jesus, his heart had to be racing just as fast.

Because all the worst possible things were racing through his head. The awful possibilities of appendicitis.

Not his little girl. Please, no.

But he didn't even have time for those things to race through his head. What he needed was to not show what he was feeling, or thinking. Not right now, in a moment like this.

For once, he needed to pretend. Pretend to be calm.

At least all parents really did do that for their children's own good sometimes.

"Heyyy, hey, honey," he said calmly, before yanking her jacket off the hook on her door only somewhat chaotically. "Everything's going to be okay."

Karen just about screamed in response. Yeah. He remembered that pain. She had every right.

"What's wrong with me? Dad — what's wrong with me?" she sobbed.

He quickly approached the side of her bed and held up her jacket.

"Here, come on, let's get you up, honey. We're gonna put this on so you don't freeze," he said, lifting her slowly from her laying position.

She groaned loudly in pain, allowing him to quickly put on her jacket.

"I know, baby, I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he apologized.

He didn't bother to take time to zip it, he just didn't think the chilly winter air on her bare arms was going to feel good, even with such a high fever.

He saw her volleyball sweatpants draped on her bowl chair in the corner, and thought that would be an easy slip-on over her pajama shorts.

"One second, one second, honey," he said, speedily going to grab them.

He started to slip her sweats on, leg by leg, and carefully stood her up so he could pull them up completely. She let out another groan in pain.

"Alright. I'm sorry, K. Come here, I won't do anything else to make it hurt more," he assured her, leaning in.

He scooped her up, holding her upper back in one arm and her legs in the other. She wrapped an arm around his neck, sniffling as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Daddy, please tell me what's wrong with me," she sobbed again.

"Oh, sweetheart. You're going to be just fine, I promise," he assured her. "I think...your appendix is just...like daddy's was."

She looked at him worriedly, eyes widening as he walked as quickly as he could down the hall. "My appendix?"

"I think so, sweetie. Mell?!" he yelled, trying to locate her.

He heard her voice and keys jingling, so he figured she was on the phone near the entryway.

He carefully walked down the stairs, trying not to make it too bumpy for Karen. She still whimpered in pain, leaning her head against her dad's chest.

"Why is my appendix...so mad at me?" she sniffled. "Appendixes don't even — do anything, I learned it in...in Miss Zeagler's class —"

He chuckled internally. Only his daughter would take the opportunity to spew knowledge.

He nodded. "We're going to figure that out, okay? I promise, we'll get you all better."

"My heart. It's...it's beating so fast," she said worriedly.

"I know. Just try and take slow breaths, okay?" he said, nodding at her.

She nodded back, tears running down her cheeks.

He rounded the corner and carefully, but quickly, made his way to the back entryway, where Mellie was waving him along while on the phone.

She pointed to his pair of easier slip-on shoes that she'd laid out for him as she frantically ended her phone call and he nodded thankfully.

They were out the door in record time — about three minutes.

"They know we're coming," Mellie said, getting into the backseat.

"Okay — okay. Here, sweetie, mommy's going to sit with you, okay?" he asked, sitting her down as gently as he could into the backseat.

She cried in pain, as it appeared the pain just grew worse and worse by the minute.

"I know, honey. I know," Mellie said, looking down at her sadly, buckling her seatbelt for her.

"Fitz, are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Mellie asked.

"Yeah, I...I got it," he yelled.

Fitz raced around the car, trying to adjust his feet in the actual correct position in his shoes so he could drive.

He already felt absolutely freezing as he was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, and had prioritized Karen's outer clothing over his own. It appeared Mellie had too, as both were in comfy clothes they normally wore at night — not for the outdoors. Both had prioritized doing whatever it took to get Karen out of the house as quickly as possible.

"Are you both strapped in?" Fitz asked frantically, his hand shaking slightly as he pulled his seat belt over his lap.

"Yes," Mellie answered. "You're sure, Fitz?"

"Yes," he answered, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of their garage.

Now was not the time to freak out. He couldn't. If there was any sort of control he had, which was minimal, he forced himself to exert it now. Because he simply had no choice. This was his daughter. And it was his job to get her to the hospital safely as her father. He distracted himself with the road as Karen groaned in pain. His brain, unfortunately, remembered aspects of his own appendicitis. Probably not the greatest thing to be thinking about, but he couldn't help it. And it probably was, at least, a source of distraction.

His appendix had ruptured, because his mom hadn't caught it in time. And it hadn't taken very long in the grand scheme of things, which made matters worse. It took about a day, similar to Karen's situation. A day of what felt like a stomach ache, and some nausea among other things. A day of symptoms that resembled the flu. The flu could normally have symptoms that lasted a week, perhaps longer. Nobody ever suspected a day's worth of symptoms to be something as serious as this could be. But oh man, was he blaming himself, and only himself, for not noticing. For not putting the pieces together.

Based on the pain Karen was clearly feeling, he figured hers had already ruptured, or was about to. And that was dangerous. It left the door open to so many infections from the rupture, and even possible conditions afterward.

It's why he was driving about as fast as he could. Carefully, but fast.

Meanwhile, Mellie was calmly assuring their daughter in the back seat. Holding her, as Karen was leaning into her mother in pain.

"I know. I know, honey. It won't last forever. I promise. You won't be in pain soon, okay?" Mellie said quietly, hugging her tightly.

"But...what are they...gonna do...to make it stop?" Karen sobbed, looking at her mom worriedly. "What will they do...to me?"

"I can't know for sure until they check you out, baby. But they'll do what they need to in order to make you feel better, okay?" Mellie said calmly.

Karen took it in, and started to breathe faster in worry. "Daddy has a scar...on his tummy. Will that happen...to me...too?"

Karen was never one to like the doctor's office much. Then again, who really did. But she really

wasn't a fan of even her yearly check-ups. So thinking about what scary things may happen to her at the doctor's office probably wasn't exactly assuring in the eyes of an afraid child. But she was beginning to hyperventilate, and that never helped anything either. He knew from experience.

He looked in the rearview mirror and caught her eyes. "Hey, hey. Baby. Try and slow down your breaths, okay? Remember what we do?"

She cried, nodding at him.

"Good. Tell me what we do," he said, hoping to distract her.

"Take a break...take a breath," she recounted. She visibly was trying to calm herself down, he could see it.

"That's right, that's good," he nodded. "It will help if we slow our breaths, okay? Don't think about anything else. Just your breaths."

Karen inhaled deeply, as the tears ran down her face, and Mellie nodded.

"There you go. Good job, good job," she said, rubbing her back.

Oh, so much for a little girl to handle. Excruciating pain. Fever. Racing heart. Fear. And trying to calm down from all of it. That was a lot easier said than done, so he was proud she seemed to really get her breaths under control.

She was wheezing with every breath, but they did become less heavy, and they slowed down. That, at least, was good. But her whimpers of pain didn't stop. They just got worse as they neared the hospital.

He was scared. So fucking scared. And he saw the fear in Mellie's eyes too, in the rearview mirror. Fear neither of them would show to Karen, but the unfortunate truth was that it couldn't be helped.

It felt like a miracle when they finally pulled into the ER, parking in the nearest spot they could to the entrance.

Both he and Mellie quickly unbuckled their seat belts and he raced to their side of the car, opening the back door for them.

"Alright, here we go, K," Mellie said, gently helping her up.

She was still crying, groaning as moving just made things worse.

"You're okay. Come here, baby," he said, grabbing her hand as her breathing started quickening again.

"Dad...," she whimpered, looking at him with a strained face. He could see all the pain written across it.

And then her eyes rolled back, and her hand went limp in his.

His eyes went wide. "Karen? Kar—"

She collapsed right into his arms as both parents were trying to gently and quickly get her out of the car.

"Oh — fuck," Fitz said, gathering her in his arms.

Mellie gasped, taking note of her limp state as Fitz hauled her unconscious body up onto his shoulder as gently as he could. He rested her on one side, so her face naturally laid on his shoulder.

"Karen?" Mellie asked nervously.

"She's out — she just passed out," Fitz replied in fear, opening the door further for Mellie.

"Oh God," Mellie replied, getting out of the car. "Oh God."

"I got her, I got her, let's go," he said, panicked, pulling back to look at his daughter.

She at least looked peaceful now. Eyes closed, completely out cold on his shoulder. Her small body not able to handle all the pain.

At least she wasn't feeling pain currently.

Both he and Mellie were shivering by the time they reached the entrance to the building — both not wearing a coat of any kind. Karen was much more covered up, so even though she was passed out, she at least wouldn't wake up freezing, hopefully.

As soon as they got inside, Mellie ran up to the check-in desk, telling her that she'd called ahead about their daughter. She gave the details as Fitz sped walked with Karen in his arms not far behind.

The look on his face as he carried his unconscious daughter in his arms was one that the ER nurses and doctors had probably seen on hundreds and hundreds of parents throughout their careers.

Please help my child.

It was a whirlwind of activity around them. Paperwork was being dealt out. The nurses were nodding, some people were walking and running past them — all dealing with emergencies of their own.

Karen's was, indeed, an emergency that needed immediate attention because of the many possibilities of further infection, so, fortunately, the nurses were quick to take them to an exam room.

Karen was out through all of it. Which, may have been a good thing, because Fitz and Mellie were a collective ball of worry and stress as they waited impatiently for the doctor to enter their exam room.

He had laid Karen down on the padded table, bending her knees so that her legs were somewhat elevated. Both him and Mellie held on to her, waiting for both her to wake up, and for the doctor to come in.

She awoke first.

Her eyes flickered open and it was like the pain hit her like a steel wall all over again.

She immediately grimaced and clutched at her stomach.

"Hey, sweet girl. You're okay. You're alright," Fitz assured her, rubbing her legs as she laid there.

She looked a little confused — probably wondering how she had gone from being in the car to being on a padded table in a doctor's office.

She started sitting up, looking at both of her parents with worry.

"Woah, woah, hey, take it easy, honey. Let's wait before we sit —"

She sat up suddenly and leaned over, emptying the contents of her stomach all over the floor.

Mellie gasped, looking down at the floor between both her and Fitz.

Thankfully the floor bore the brunt of it, rather than Fitz or Mellie, though that wasn't their first concern at all.

"Ohhh — shit. Okay. Okay, honey, here, let's lay back down," Fitz said, rubbing her back and laying her back down.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," she mumbled in pain. "I couldn't — I didn't know that was going to happen."

"That's okay, sweetheart, it happens," Mellie assured her, grabbing her a tissue. "Here, do you want to wipe your mouth?"

Karen nodded gratefully and wiped her mouth, still clutching at her stomach in pain.

"That was...so gross," she murmured, as the tears began to flow again. "What...happened? I feel...so dizzy."

Mellie threw away the tissue and squeezed her hand. "You fainted, honey. But you're okay. The doctor will be here any minute to help."

And thank God — the door opened.

"Apologies for the wait — I got here as quickly as I could," the doctor said, nodding at Fitz and Mellie.

"Hi Shelly," Mellie greeted.

"Hi there, Mellie," she said, nodding sympathetically at her. "And Fitz, it's good to see you again."

Fitz cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes. You too, Shelly."

"I'm so sorry it has to be under these circumstances, though. I hear miss Karen is having some appendicitis symptoms," the doctor said empathetically, looking at Karen.

"Yes, for about...26 hours now," Mellie nodded. "We should have...caught this sooner."

"You caught it very fast in comparison to many other cases, believe me. It's hard to catch, as you know. The symptoms are textbook flu symptoms. Which ones has Karen been experiencing?" the doctor asked.

"Really bad abdominal pain, fever, racing heart. She passed out when we got here and...was just sick," Fitz said, gesturing to the floor.

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry you're not feeling well, Karen," the doctor said, stepping her way around to the front of the padded table. "I'm doctor Bauer and I promise, we'll find out what's going on, okay?"

"Okay," Karen whimpered, wiping her tear-soaked face.

"Your parents are going to fill out some paperwork while I check some things out," she said gently. "Give me one moment, I'm going to have someone come in and clean things up and I'll be right there. Okay?"

Karen nodded, trying to put on a brave face. Doctor Bauer did indeed have someone come in and clean up the floor, thank goodness. And from there, it was clear the doctor wanted to get things done as fast as she could to offer Karen some much-needed relief.

Karen's face grew anxious as the doctor began to put on a clean pair of rubber gloves.

Fitz and Mellie did have to take care of the standard paperwork, but each was keeping a close eye on their daughter to make sure she was alright.

They could tell by her facial expressions that she was both nervous and in so much pain — only now, she had to actually be attentive as the doctor applied pressure to, and felt around her abdomen. Feeling for muscle stiffness, narrowing in on the specific location of pain.

But unfortunately, quick physical exams — while very informative — weren't enough to take next steps.

She explained to Fitz and Mellie that she would do a brief blood test to analyze Karen's white blood cell count, which would detail the extent and presence of infection. She also explained that she was going to do an ultrasound in order to confirm that this was, indeed, her appendix before they could go further. The next step was very likely going to be an appendectomy, so proof was needed before they jumped right into the Operating Room.

Doctor Bauer left the room, only for a nurse to come back and take Karen's blood. At that point, Fitz and Mellie had finished with the paperwork detailing all of their information, including important details about Karen's medical history. So, they were able to be at her side when they took blood.

That was also not a very pleasant experience for her.

"You don't have to look," Mellie said, squeezing her free hand.

Karen nodded squeezing her eyes shut during the process.

When Doctor Bauer came back, she brought equipment for an ultrasound and explained to Karen as she prepped her.

"What we're going to do now is what's called an ultrasound," Doctor Bauer said to Karen. "It will show us what's going on in there so we can have full confidence in what's going to be best for you, because everyone is different."

Karen nodded, looking to her parents who were standing on either side of her, each holding onto one of her hands.

"We're going to put this gel on your tummy, and then with this, here, we'll be able to see what's going on in there. Okay? It won't hurt at all, I promise," doctor Bauer said.

Karen nodded, tears streaming down her face.

She had held it together pretty well since they'd been in the exam room, that was for sure. She hadn't made so much as a peep; she'd just held her abdomen in pain and cried silently. The sniffles were the only audible sound. She was a little trooper, that was for sure.

She did start to panic, though, when they were able to confirm with an ultrasound that appendicitis was the problem. They were all pretty sure beforehand; it wasn't a surprise to either Fitz or Mellie at this point. But now that they had the confirmation they needed, things moved forward.

And they moved quickly.

Karen started to breathe fast as it was made clear to her what was going to happen next. Surgery.

She was given antibiotics for infection, and prepped for an appendectomy.

Fitz and Mellie tried to keep her mind off of it as best they could, promising her everything would be okay. She wouldn't remember much of this, and when she woke up, they'd be with her. Her pain wouldn't be nearly as bad, and this would all be over with.

"They're going to do what they did to you," Karen whimpered, looking up at her dad. "They're going to cut it out. It will leave a mark, like...like your mark."

"It will," Fitz nodded honestly. "But you know what? You won't have to worry about this ever again. This will make it all better. Just like dad was all better afterward, too."

Karen's look wasn't exactly an assuring one, but they didn't have much more time for them to make her feel completely ready for something like this. Things had to move as quickly as possible, so they had to take her to an OR, and they all had to say their goodbyes.

"Okay, hey. Hey, everything's going to be okay, baby. We'll see you soon, okay?" Fitz asked, kissing her hand a couple times.

Karen was crying harder now, looking at her parents uncertainly. It was not a fun look to see on your child's face. One that seemed to say "why are you letting them do this to me?" She was young, and she was afraid of the doctors, to begin with. She'd realize later that this was what needed to happen, but for now, the fear was very understandable.

"Daddy and I will see you soon, okay?" Mellie said, squeezing Karen's hand.

"Okay," she sniffled.

"We love you. We love you so much," Fitz said.

"So much," Mellie agreed.

"Love you," Karen cried, wiping her face.

"We'll take good care of her. We'll keep you updated," Doctor Bauer assured Fitz and Mellie, as they started rolling Karen's bed away.

Fitz and Mellie nodded, having to let go now. They reluctantly let go of Karen's hands, giving her encouraging thumbs-up as she was brought away. That would likely be one the last things she'd remember, because she'd be given anesthesia and from there would be out, and wouldn't remember anything.

Fitz and Mellie were left there in the hallway of the hospital, unsure of what was going to happen now. It was a comfort that she was in the best of hands now, and the problem was going to be dealt with. But it was also a very scary situation.

When an appendix ruptured, it leaked dangerous bacteria into the abdomen. On top of the infection that is likely already there — the infection that caused the inflammation in the first place — it can lead to much more infection. Much more dangerous infection. It could be fatal in some cases.

They couldn't be sure of all of the potential damage until surgery, so there was a lot that was unknown as of now. All they knew was that there was sign of an infection beforehand, which had caused the blockage, and the swelling of her appendix.

It was a lot. Being uncertain about how an extremely serious surgery would go for your child wasn't an assuring feeling. And now that there weren't any distractions — no driving here, no paperwork, no comforting Karen — both of them were left there alone having to deal with it all at once. Both were now met with silence for the first time tonight, grappling with things internally.

It was too much. Too much for both of them. Mellie was good at outwardly displaying calmness, even when it wasn't what she felt inside. She had that down pat. But now she was able to let her guard down. Now, it all hit her at once, not having to put on a show for anyone. And her tears came.

As for Fitz, he didn't even try to stop thinking. Normally he would at least attempt to pull himself out of it. Get out of his own head and distract himself with other things. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He couldn't help what happened either way. But this time, his brain felt overloaded. He drowned in fear and worry, and he didn't even bother to pull himself out of it as the awful possibilities flashed through his mind.

His breathing started to become uneven, and he squeezed his eyes shut in defeat. He slowly sank down to the floor, putting his hands up to his head.

The one thing he had felt all this time, was his heart racing. He swore it had been racing since he realized the problem in Karen's bedroom. He had just been able to focus on other things since then. But not now.

Impossibly, it actually seemed to race faster.

He was so dizzy now, so thank God he was about to sit down. But Mellie noticed him sinking down to the floor through her nervous tears.

"Oh — no, no, no. Fitz. Hey," Mellie said, trying to catch his arm. But he pulled away, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees. He covered his face as the breathing turned into wheezing. Similar to what Karen had almost started to do nervously in the car, only on a much worse scale.

He barely felt Mellie sit down next to him. His skin tingled and felt numb, but he knew she had sat down.

"Fitzgerald," Mellie said, her voice sounding muffled in his ears.

He didn't care. He let himself feel it all. He felt like he deserved it anyway. He should have known. He should have caught this. And if he would have, this wouldn't be nearly as serious as it was now. The faster it's caught, the better.

"Slow it down, Fitz. Slow it down," Mellie nodded gently, resting her hand on his arm.

He heard her distant voice as he panted, hiding his face from the world. The thumping of his heart echoing throughout his body.

Mellie had dealt with so many of his attacks throughout their marriage, so this was not nearly anything new. Although, it had been a while since she'd seen one firsthand. Unfortunately, Olivia had borne the brunt of all his attacks recently.

He wished she was here. He wanted to feel her touch. Hear her voice. But that wasn't an option. Instead, he faintly heard Mellie's voice trying to pull him out of it.

And this attack was bad. Much worse than his recent ones had been.

"You know what to do, Fitzgerald. You can do it."

His pants grew shaky and he clutched his empty fists against his forehead.

Pull it the fuck together.

He actively tried to calm down. Slow his breaths, as he had successfully advised with Karen. Following his own dad's advice, as he always attempted to. Take a break, take a breath. A slow breath, to try and break the cycle of unsteady wheezing and panting.

Even his active effort didn't always work. These things were beyond his control most of the time. But he finally did start to calm down.

He started to regain feeling in his fingers and he opened his eyes, feeling a little less dizzy.

"I should have...known. I should...have fucking known," he said quietly, taking deep breaths.

"Shhh," Mellie shook her head. "One thing at a time. Breathe."

She was right. She really was. He nodded in agreement and worked at it. Pulled himself together.

"Sorry. Sorry," he said quietly, shaking his head.

"Don't apologize," she replied. "And do not beat yourself up about this. I'm the one who should have...realized. I should have known."

She wasn't crying anymore. She'd pulled herself together, too. But he could see the shame all over her face.

"No," he shook his head. "You're not the one who...who felt exactly what she was feeling. I went through this...same fucking thing. And I...didn't see it. I fucking...didn't think anything of it."

"And I've seen it, Fitz," she said, looking at him sadly. "I've seen the common signs...hundreds of times. And I didn't put it together. The flu is going around her school and...I let that sway me. This is my fault. All my fault."

"It's not," he shook his head. "You know it's...difficult to diagnose this. Specifically with...kids. They don't know how to...describe it. It looks like the flu in...every single possible way, like Shelly said. This is not — your fault."

Mellie shook her head, sighing disappointedly. "It feels like it is."

He nodded, looking into the distance at the boring hallway wall. "Yeah. It feels like it...for me, too."

"An agreement between us? That's interesting, isn't it," Mellie noted.

He scoffed, but gave her a brief chuckle. "Yes. Very rare."

She took a deep breath, looking over at him.

"She's going to be okay."

He nodded back, swallowing nervously. "Yeah. I hope so. I...I think so, too."

"She...will be. She has to be. She's strong."

"I know she is," he agreed. "She's put up one hell of a fight."

"She has. The pain must be...unbearable. Passing out — that's not a common symptom," Mellie said. "My assumption is that was...merely pain-related. She was fighting so hard."

"Yeah. The pain is...excruciating. I passed out too, actually. When it got bad enough," he replied. "Luckily for my mother, we were already...inside the hospital when I went down, because she definitely couldn't have carried my 12-year-old self."

"I guess we're lucky our daughter is ten and...very light."

"Yes," he agreed, scratching his head.

"Oh, dear. Is medical attention needed over here?" a worried voice said.

"Probably," Fitz sighed, looking up at the woman who had just stopped to look down at them worriedly.

He was...mostly kidding.

"Oh, my goodness, Mellie?" she asked.

"Oh, hi Liz," Mellie greeted, trying to give her apparent coworker a faint smile.

"What are you two doing here? Are you both alright?" Liz asked.

"Our daughter was just taken in for surgery. An appendectomy," Mellie said solemnly. "We're just a little...shaken up. And my husband..."

"Just...freaked out on the floor of the ER wing, yes," Fitz nodded tiredly. "Nice to meet you. Fitz."

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. And I'm so sorry I'm meeting you under these circumstances," she said, reaching down and shaking his hand.

His hand was still shaking as he greeted the nurse.

Great, now you look like even more of a whackjob.

He cleared his throat, nodding awkwardly as he pulled his unsteady hand back.

"Very unfortunate circumstances," he agreed quietly.

She seemed to study him, and analyzing things.

He forced himself to appear as normal as possible, even though he was sure he didn't look remotely normal after all of that. He sure felt like crap afterward, so he could only assume he usually looked the part too.

"This is Liz North, she's a doctor here," Mellie said.

"Oh, that's awesome," Fitz nodded.

"What about you, Liz? Why are you here?" Mellie asked worriedly.

"It's my dad. He...fell, in the middle of the night trying to get to the bathroom. And unfortunately, he broke his wrist," Liz said.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Mellie replied, giving her an encouraging look.

"That's awful. How is he doing?" Fitz asked.

"He's okay. He's insisting that he's fine and it's just a 'scratch'," Liz said, shaking her head. "He's pretty tough."

"I hope all goes well with his recovery," Fitz nodded.

"Yes, many well wishes to your dad," Mellie agreed.

"And to your daughter, too," Liz said. "Well, I won't keep you, I know you're probably stressed out. I just wanted to make sure you were both alright."

"Thank you, Liz," Mellie nodded gratefully.

"Thank you," Fitz echoed.

She nodded politely and left them to themselves again. Fitz was finally truly getting a handle on himself as he let out a big sigh.

"I'm going to go call my mom," Fitz said quietly, getting up. "Or...at least text her, if she's asleep."

"Okay. Are you sure you're alright?" Mellie asked. "That was...that was a really bad one, Fitz."

"Yeah. I'm fine," he nodded, clearing his throat. "Well. As...fine as I can be, I guess."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Okay. Well, I'm going to call my mom and Harmony, too. Just...take it easy, though, Fitz."

He nodded, before heading toward the waiting room to have a little more privacy. He was going to reach out to his mom, that was for sure. But he also was desperate to talk to Olivia, too.

He found a quieter spot near the vending machines and took out his phone, dialing his mom's number.

She picked up after a few rings, answering worriedly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom," Fitz answered. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Hi, son. That's alright. Is everything okay? It's late," she said.

"Yeah, I know, I apologize about that. I just uh...I just wanted to call you; it's important. It's K, she...she was having these symptoms that we thought were flu symptoms and it turns out they were...far from it. It was her appendix, just like...like mine. So she's in surgery right now."

Jean gasped.

"What? Oh my God. Oh...oh dear. Is she okay? How was she holding up before surgery? Have you heard any updates?" Jean asked.

Fitz shook his head, hearing her worries rapid-fire questions.

"No. No updates yet. But...she was brave. She was fighting off a lot of pain. A lot of pain. I know just how much. So I know...she's going to be just fine. Because she's strong."

"Well, I know that's true. Just like her daddy," Jean replied.

He sighed. "Her daddy's hands are still shaking. Not sure if strong is the best word to describe me right now."

Jean sighed sadly. "Did you have one, son?"

"Yeah. But that is the least of my concerns right now."

"Well, maybe not, but it's no surprise, my boy. Your daughter just went into emergency surgery. This is one of the most stressful situations out there, you most definitely get a pass," Jean replied.

"No. I don't, mom. Because it's my fucking fault she's even in the position she's in," he sighed, putting his hand to his head.

But he instantly regretted blowing up at his sweet mother. He shook his head, clutching his hair. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to...I'm sorry mom."

"Fitzgerald. You don't have to apologize for your language, and you don't get to insinuate that you're not strong. What happened to you tonight and what happens to you every so often — it isn't a display of weakness. What you deal with on top of being a human being enduring this...well, terrible world, makes you strong. You are the strongest person I know. So don't ever suggest otherwise because of something you're forced to deal with and can't control."

Fitz nodded in surprise, not expecting to hear all that right now. "Um...well. Thank you..."

"And last of all, you do not get to blame yourself for this. You know more than anyone how the symptoms present themselves. Especially in little kids. You know that. Now, I'm on my way. You sit tight."

It sounded as if she'd knocked something over in an attempt to get up and get ready.

"What? Mom, no. I just thought you should know, I didn't mean for you to get up and come here. It's...past one in the morning."

"I could care less what time it is — my granddaughter is in surgery. I'll be there as fast as I can."

Fair enough.

"Yeah. Right. Um...okay, just let me know when you're here and I'll come walk you in," he nodded.

"Will do, I'll see you soon. Now you call me if there are any updates, okay?"

"Yes. I will," he nodded.

"Okay. Bye, son."

"Bye, mom," he replied, hanging up the phone.

He quickly pulled his phone away, looking down at it as he got ready to call Olivia now.

He wasn't sure whether she would pick up either, figuring she would also be asleep. He just wanted to try, because he knew she would want to know."

It took her a few rings as well, but she answered with a sleepy voice.

"Baby?"

"Hey, Livvie. I'm so sorry to wake you. I just...I'm sorry. I just...needed to hear your voice, and...I needed to tell you what's going on."

"What time is it? What's...what's wrong?" she asked, yawning.

"It's Karen," Fitz said quietly. "We're at the hospital right now because...well, she has appendicitis, and is...in surgery."

The phone was silent for a moment as Olivia tiredly took in this important information.

"Wait. What? Like...like exactly what you had? She's in the...oh my God. Is she okay? What're the doctors saying?"

All the women in his life with these rapid-fire questions. He really couldn't blame them though.

"I don't have any updates yet, she just recently went into surgery. She was...in a lot of pain, but she won't be anymore. I'm just...so happy she won't be anymore."

"Oh my God. Oh my God," Olivia said nervously. "So...when she had the flu..."

"...It wasn't really the flu," Fitz nodded in agreement.

Olivia sighed. "Oh my God. Thank you for telling me. Thank you, I just...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Fitz. How are you doing with all of this? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Fitz nodded.

"How have you been...I mean, have you handled it alright?" she asked worriedly. "That's...just not a good situation at all."

"Yeah, I...I kind of lost my shit if that's what you're asking," he nodded. "Managed to keep it together and distract myself until after Karen was in surgery, which was...a positive, I guess."

Olivia sighed. "Baby. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't...I'm just so sorry."

"It's okay, Livvie. I don't care about that, I just...I just need updates. I just need her to be okay."

"She'll be okay. She'll...pull through. She's such a strong girl," Olivia said shakily.

He could tell she was scared, herself, but trying to reassure him. He understood, and he was thankful.

"Thanks, Liv," he said quietly. "That's what we've been saying, too. She's strong."

"Is there...is there anything I can do? How can I help?" she asked.

He exhaled, adjusting his phone against his ear as he leaned against the wall.

"You could just...stay on the phone with me for a minute," he said. "I just want to...be here with you."

"I can do that," Olivia said.

"I'm here, Fitz. Always."

---

All he could do was pace. Pace the halls and the waiting room, trying not to get in anyone's way. Trying to keep calm.

He and Mellie had had multiple cups of coffee so far, to help them stay awake. Not that they would be able to sleep anyway, but it was still the middle of the night and their bodies weren't used to that.

He texted Olivia throughout, trying to be somewhat discrete because he was with Mellie the whole time, and eventually, her mom and sister, too, because they lived so close and were able to wake up and head right there. They were just as worried about their little K.

But it served as a distraction for him, texting Olivia. And it made him feel better. So he really didn't care about much else, because it wasn't a good night. And anything to help — he'd take it.

There was no way Olivia would be going back to sleep — she'd said as much. At least until she had more information. She was nervous and just wanted updates now, so he promised he would give her every crumb of news he received.

It was agonizing. The nerves and the caffeine raced through everyone's systems as they waited for any update. Any bit of news.

It took a little over an hour for Karen's surgery to be complete. But it felt so much longer than that.

Everyone waited and waited for the surgeon to come out and talk to them. And finally, it happened.

And finally, they could all breathe a little easier.

Because Karen's surgery had gone well, and they had been able to prevent further infection from the rupturing of her appendix.

It felt like a physical weight had been lifted from Fitz's shoulders.

She was going to be okay.

They couldn't see her yet, though, because she was in the recovery room. She would be there for a while, all depending on how quickly she woke up from the anesthesia and how she felt afterward. But she would be carefully monitored by nurses for any post-surgery complications, so she would be in good hands.

The doctors were quick to assure both Fitz and Mellie, who clearly were highly blaming themselves for everything. They were assured that this was in no way anyone's fault. It was very common, and nobody, no matter what, assumed the worst like this, when faced with normal, basic flu-like symptoms.

Both were still upset with themselves, no doubt. Both having their own reasons for blaming themselves. But hearing assurance from surgeons didn't hurt the situation. Hopefully, they could take steps to forgive themselves at some point.

Afterward, he, of course, had to call his mom and give her the good news. She was still on her way, but more than halfway there.

He was desperate to call Olivia, too, but he was sitting with Mellie and her family, and calling her with them wouldn't be as normal as calling his mother in front of them.

So, he rapidly tried to text her as he sat next to Mellie, while her mom and sister were on the other side of her, chatting amongst themselves.

He clearly wasn't hiding it very well, as Mellie seemed to know what was up.

He was talking with Mellie at the same time, and his phone was blowing up.

She nodded toward his phone quietly. "Just go, Fitz."

He shook his head. "Sorry. I'm just...I've just been trying to..."

"Keep her updated. I know. I know she loves her. And I know Karen loves her too. So go. Update her."

Fitz studied Mellie confusedly, but saw nothing but genuine eyes looking back at him.

He nodded, flashing her a genuine look back, and took a quick break from all the family time to go update the one woman he desperately wanted to talk to.

And he told her the good news.

"Oh thank God. Thank God," Olivia said gratefully. "Thank you for calling to tell me, I've just been...sitting here in the dark, waiting. I know you're probably busy there, so...seriously, baby, thank you for calling me."

"Of course. I was actually...um, encouraged to call you. By Mellie. Which...I wasn't expecting."

"Wait...really?"

"Yeah. I was trying to find the right time to come and call you because Mellie's sister and mom are here. But she's seen me fidgeting with my phone I guess, and...told me to just go update you. So...here I am."

"Well...thank you, Mellie?" Olivia said surprisedly.

"Yeah. I'll uh...I'll take it, though," he said.

"Me too. I just wish...I could be there. In person. To be there for K, and...for you," she said sadly.

He sighed. "I know. I wish that more than anything. And I know K would love it too. I'm just..."

"No, no, baby, I know. Lots of family there, it's not my place at all. I just miss her and wish she knew I was thinking of her," Olivia replied.

Fitz nodded, his heart sinking at the thought that she felt helpless. Sitting there in the dark, alone, waiting for updates but knowing she couldn't be there for real.

Fitz shook his head. "I'll...I'll figure something out, okay? I will. I promise. In the meantime, do you think you can try and get some more sleep?"

"Maybe. I've been wide awake since you first called. But now...I feel so much better. I'll try," Olivia replied.

"Okay, baby. Any more updates and I'll let you know. I'll be in touch, okay?" Fitz said.

"Okay," Olivia said. "Thank you for keeping me in the loop. It means a lot to me."

"Of course. I love you, try and get some sleep."

"I will. I love you too," she said.

"Night, Livvie."

"Night."

He hung up, heading back to the waiting room where Mellie and his in-laws were still chatting.

It wasn't fair Olivia wasn't here. Everyone else close to Karen that loved her was here, or would be here at some point. Olivia was no different. But obviously, he didn't think anyone else would see it as he did.

He didn't care. He'd told Olivia he'd figure something out, and he would.

Mellie gave him a subtle nod as he sat back down next to her, joining in on their conversation. Trying to pass the time until Karen was out of the recovery room and back in a room of her own where they could finally see her.

Jean finally texted him that she was there, so Fitz excused himself again to go meet her by the door.

They hugged for a long time upon first seeing each other. Jean stood on her tiptoes and patted his back affectionately as he held his tiny mother in an embrace.

"How are you doing, son?" Jean asked.

"Good. Better now that...she's alright. I just want to see her," he replied.

"Good. I'm so glad she's alright, too," Jean nodded.

She pulled away, looking at him, concerned.

"My boy, you must be freezing in this," Jean said.

He looked down at his gym shorts and T-shirt and shrugged. "I didn't have time to change."

Jean shook her head, rubbing his arm. "Well, we'll just have to drink some coffee to warm you up then."

"Yeah, I think I'm on my third cup now," he chuckled. "Come on, we'll go get you some too."

"Alright then," Jean nodded, taking his arm.

He led her to the waiting area with everyone else, and she was quick to show her support with lots of hugs.

He went and got her a cup of coffee how she liked it and brought it back to her. And thus began the next round of waiting.

Thankfully, by that point, they didn't need to wait that much longer until Karen was out of the recovery room.

They were all quick to make their way to her room, where she would have to stay for at least one night, according to the nurses.

They'd also let everyone know that she was still a bit sleepy, but had already been asking for her mom and dad.

Mellie opened the door to her room and she and Fitz went in first by themselves, as not to overwhelm her with everyone that was there in support of her.

She was sleepy and had just gotten out of surgery, after all. Plus, it was after three in the morning.

Her eyes were closed as they entered the room. Her hair all pulled back into one French braid from the night before, with a few baby curls not cooperating. Her little hands on top of the covers, resting there peacefully.

She was so much more peaceful. The pain had been decreased drastically. And that brought peace to her parents, too.

"K?" Mellie asked quietly, as she and Fitz made their way to her bed.

She stirred, opening her eyes slowly at the sound of her mother's voice.

A soft smile spread across her cute face, and she looked at them with tired eyes.

"Mommy. Daddy."

"Hi there, sweet girl," Fitz said, grabbing her hand.

"Is it still night time?" Karen asked, looking around.

They both nodded back.

"It feels like...it's been forever. I barely remember anything past...before they took me away from you. They said they were going to count down from ten...I tried to count with them. But I must not have done a very good job, because I only remember getting to eight," she wondered aloud.

They both laughed and nodded.

"That's how anesthesia works. It makes you go to sleep really fast," Mellie nodded. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"My stomach feels...kind of sore. But it is so much better than before," Karen whispered, squeezing both of their hands.

"That's so good to hear," Fitz said, sitting down beside her. "We're so glad you're feeling better."

"And we're so sorry this happened. We wish we would have understood what this was sooner, honey," Mellie nodded.

Karen nodded back. "That's okay, mom. It's only my appendix's fault. It must have been pretty mad."

Fitz and Mellie chuckled, and Karen smiled at them both.

"Dad. Can I see your scar again? The nurses say mine is bandaged up, so I can't see it," she said, looking up at him.

He chuckled and nodded, lifting up his shirt a little bit to show her part of the scar that remained on the right side of his body.

"We will be scar twins, daddy," Karen noted.

"That's very true," he laughed. "I guess both our appendixes must have been pretty mad, huh?"

"Yeah. Must have been," she nodded seriously.

"Well, we're so happy that you won't have to go through anything like this ever again. And you wanna know what?" Mellie asked, leaning in.

"Hmm?"

"There are a couple more people here to see you. Do you want them to come say hi before you rest a bit more?" Mellie asked.

Karen's smile grew large and she nodded eagerly, probably wondering who had come to see her.

"Okay. I'll be right back," Mellie smiled.

"It's the middle of the night and people are here to see me?" Karen asked.

"Of course. It's you!" Fitz said, squeezing her hand.

"You are so worth it!" Mellie agreed, opening the door.

Karen laid there happily as Mellie waved them in. Her two grandmas and her auntie Harmony came in with encouraging smiles, and Karen grew even happier.

Fitz kissed his daughter's hand and got up from where he was sitting, allowing her grandmas and aunt to come join her near her bed.

Karen received lots of attention as they were all so happy to see her doing well and out of surgery. She even got a few treats to save for later, and a new stuffed animal. The hospital treatment wasn't all bad for miss K.

However, it was still late, and Karen was still tired, so she was encouraged to get some more rest.

Harmony and Maggie didn't live far at all, so after a little more visiting, they returned home, promising to be back within the next day to visit more properly. For now, they were just so glad that Karen was okay.

Jean however, lived a ways away, so she stayed at the hospital for now. She and Fitz and Mellie had all talked about that, and decided she should just stay at their house that weekend so she could be closer to all of them.

So, as family members left and Karen slipped off into sleep with her grandma next to her, Fitz and Mellie went to go get coffee refills.

"You sure you need another cup of coffee?" Mellie asked with a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged. "It's only cup number...four."

"Mmhm. That's my point, Fitz," she laughed.

And he laughed, too.

"Nah, really, I'm fine," he said. "Not like I'll actually be doing much sleeping tonight anyway. How are...you doing?"

"I'm okay. Happier now that...she's alright and seems more like herself. Just still a little shaken, and mad at myself," she shrugged.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Me too. Sounds like we better...I don't know, spike our coffee at this point."

She laughed again and shook her head. "Very tempting, actually."

He cleared his throat as they made their way quietly to the coffee station. Things between them the past days had been so much different. So much had happened. Sad things. Crazy things. Mostly negative things.

But things between the two of them hadn't been so negative. Not like normal. It seemed some good had come of the last couple days, actually.

And what Mellie said next confirmed that even more.

"We...we were a team today," Mellie said. "Or...yesterday, I'm losing track of the days, I don't know."

He chuckled and nodded, but didn't want to get ahead of himself. So he waited to see if she expanded on anything else. And she did.

"I've been...so worried about being a team for her. It scares me, that we may not be. That we may not be the team she needs. And this whole time I thought...no matter what happened between you and I behind closed doors...we could always show up and be a team in front of her. I really thought that. Until...two nights ago. When she...said what she said."

He set his cup down and nodded, giving her his full attention now at the coffee station. Thankfully, nobody else was really around. It was just the two of them, having a pretty damn important conversation.

At a hospital coffee station.

"You were right. It hit me hard. Really hard, and I wasn't expecting that at all. I wish I would have listened more to you when she said what she said to you, and...I'm sorry about that. I thought...I thought it was ridiculous that she'd say that. I thought we were...a good enough team to where...there was no reason she'd ever say that, or think that way. So it's been a rude awakening for me recently. But...that's no excuse. So I truly apologize for doubting you. And...for not being there for you when you felt what I feel now."

He nodded, swallowing hard and meeting her eyes. "Thanks for that, Mell. I appreciate it more than you know."

She sighed, filling up her coffee cup, and then reaching for his. He gratefully gave it to her.

"We were a team today," she said again. "We have been a better team for her these past two days than we ever have been in our marriage. And that's not...that's not how it's supposed to be. If...we can be a good team when we're practically separated in our own home and going through...all this crazy shit, then being a team when we're apart doesn't scare me. Because...I know that no matter what, you and I will always prioritize her. I know that in my heart. And...that's not going to be affected by whether we're...living together or not...married or not. I...I think I know that now."

Holy shit.

Fitz nodded along, unsure of what to say next. He stood there awkwardly, but celebrating internally at everything she just said. This was what he'd been waiting for. He'd been waiting and hoping, blindly, that she would begin to understand things from his point of view. And it felt like she just admitted that she had. Or at least, had begun to.

"...I realize I've been getting on you unfairly for your natural quiet tendencies but...I really would appreciate it if you said something," Mellie said quietly.

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Uh...right — sorry. Sorry. Yes. That was...that was just a lot and I was...processing."

"It was...a lot," she agreed, seeming almost surprised at it, herself.

"So...what are you saying, then?" he asked her.

She turned, leaning against the counter. She shrugged, glancing up at him.

"I'm saying that I understand. I understand what you are saying," Mellie answered. "I get what...you're talking about."

"Okay..." Fitz nodded along.

"She deserves...the best. Tonight scared the hell out of me. I kept thinking...what if something truly bad happened, and..." she stopped, swallowing hard.

He could tell she may cry. But she held it together.

"And the last thing she had been thinking about was...how uncertain she was about her parents, and...how much they fought, or something," Mellie said quietly. "That just...that scared me. God, she just deserves the world, our girl. And...maybe you're right. Maybe this isn't the best," Mellie said."

Holy shit again.

"I want it to be. And I want you to be wrong, Fitz. I think you know how much I'd like this to work, and for you to...be so wrong. But I just...don't know if you're wrong anymore. You've done things that are wrong. That's for sure. But...the things you talk about...maybe not. Maybe...I'm the one that's wrong."

He turned to her, leaning against the counter too. He gave her a genuine nod.

"Okay," he nodded.

She nodded awkwardly back, not meeting his eyes.

"Okay."

"Okay," he cleared his throat, grabbing his coffee. "Alright."

"Another...agreement between us, it seems. Kind of," Mellie pointed out.

"Yeah. Things are just...getting out of hand now," Fitz said, taking a sip of his coffee.

She started to laugh, looking at him with a smile.

Well, this was definitely new. He honestly wasn't sure what the hell to say back. He felt like he'd said everything he'd needed to say already, truly. So he stood there and took it all in — everything she'd just said.

And he smiled back briefly, but quickly saw someone approaching from their right.

It was the woman that had talked to them right after Karen had been taken into surgery. Liz, if he remembered correctly. He'd been a little...sidetracked at that point.

"Hi, Liz," Mellie greeted.

"Hi there, I hope I'm not interrupting. I'm so glad to see some happier faces over here!" Liz said.

"No worries at all. Yes, we're feeling a little better now," Mellie nodded.

"Definitely," Fitz agreed.

"Good, good. How's she doing?" Liz asked.

"She's doing well. She's sitting with her grandma now. Resting," Mellie nodded.

"That's so wonderful to hear," Liz nodded.

"Yes. How about your dad?" Fitz asked.

"He's better. He's got a cast on now, and he's on some pain medication. We're actually...able to leave here pretty soon, so I think we will," Liz nodded.

"Oh that's great news," Fitz replied with a smile.

"Yes, that is," Mellie nodded. "I'm so glad he's doing better!"

"Thank you, yes, me too. And I'm so glad your daughter is as well!" Liz said.

Fitz nodded at both and then turned to Mellie. "Speaking of, I'm going to go check on her and then...I'm going to head home — grab a change of clothes I think. You want me to grab you something?"

"Sure, Fitz, thank you. Something warm!" Mellie nodded gratefully.

"For sure. Alright," he said. "It was nice to talk to you again, Liz. I'm glad your dad's doing better."

"Oh, thank you, it was nice to talk to you again as well!" Liz nodded politely.

He smiled at both women, feeling a little awkward as he left them there as they continued to talk. It was Mellie's colleague, so he wondered if he should have been a little bit more attentive to Mellie.

But then he remembered. Their marriage was nobody else's business. The world didn't need to see their fake bullshit.

And as of recently, apparently, Mellie didn't think so either.

He was still trying to grasp that one. He couldn't wait to tell Olivia, too. To update her on this amazing step. But he wanted to do so in person, and didn't want to wake her up either, so he'd just have to wait a bit.

He headed back to Karen's room and saw that Karen was asleep again, and his mother had nodded off sitting next to Karen, holding her hand.

He smiled, seeing them, and left the room quietly as not to wake them up.

He made sure he had his phone and keys in his pocket, before heading toward the exit of that wing of the hospital.

Part of him wanted to call Olivia again, but he refrained because he figured, or at least hoped, she was sleeping now. He'd already woken her up once so he didn't want to do it again, at least for a while.

Making was his way to the car was just as cold as it was earlier when they'd arrived. He ended up running, yet again, because it was freezing and he was in shorts and a T-shirt. His drive home, though, was much calmer than their drive there.

He listened to music, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

Hank was excited when Fitz entered the back door, probably wondering what the hell was going on after his owners left in the middle of the night.

"Hey, bud. Hey," he chuckled, leaning down to scratch his ears. "Sorry, Hank. We had to get your favorite girl to the hospital. I'm sure you'd understand our reasoning for leaving you if you knew what I was saying."

Hank moved closer to him, snuggling up to his legs.

Fitz smiled, patting his back. "Don't worry. K is okay. She's okay."

He gave Hank some attention and a treat, planning to let him out before he left for the hospital again.

In the meantime, he actually went and took the quickest shower he could, because after hours of feeling sweaty and nervous, he felt gross. He changed into some warmer clothes and brushed his teeth, and then packed a bag filled with things for everyone.

A warmer outfit for Mellie. Hopefully she didn't mind his outfit-choosing skills. He grabbed some clothes for Karen just in case, although wasn't sure if or when she'd need them. Grabbed all of the toiletries they may need, and finally, grabbed Karen's phone and iPad, and her favorite stuffed animal.

He let Hank out to the bathroom because he wasn't sure when someone would be back to the house, and then headed out after he felt he had everything they may need for now. The hospital wasn't far, so it wouldn't be a big deal to come back anyway.

When he got back, he happened to catch Mellie near the coffee station again, filling up a cup of water for herself.

"Hey. Mell. I've got your clothes here if you want to change," he said, gesturing to the duffel bag on his shoulder.

"Oh, hey. Okay. Thanks," she nodded, taking a sip of water.

He started heading back toward Karen's room, thinking she would follow, but she stopped him.

"Hey, just a minute, Fitz," she said, waving him back.

He slowed to a stop and turned, awaiting what she said.

"Hm?"

"Before, when...Karen had just gone into surgery. You...had an attack."

He paused but nodded slowly. "Yeah. Um...yeah. Just...kind of a stressful situation, I guess."

"Right, I understand. I'm not surprised, but...I hadn't seen you have one in a long time. I thought maybe things had been better. But then...this one seemed particularly bad."

He sighed. "Yeah. I...I guess, yeah. I have had them recently, though. They just haven't happened around you."

She nodded solemnly. "Oh. I'm...sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, it's...whatever, it happens. Why are you asking about this now?"

She pulled out a business card from her pocket and handed it to him. "Because I know you've always had trouble with your meds and you don't take them. And based on what I saw tonight...you really should. I didn't know it had gotten this bad, Fitz."

He flipped the business card over in his hands, seeing "Doctor Elizabeth North" on it.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Is this...Liz, who I met tonight?"

"Mhm," Mellie nodded. "She's a psychiatrist."

He grew nervous, fiddling with the card in his hands.

"Were you...talking to her about me, after I left for the house?" he asked quietly, feeling a little bit self-conscious.

"No, no. Not for long. She just...she knew right away, Fitz," Mellie replied. "She sees it every day, and deals with it as home with her son, who also has anxiety. It probably didn't help that she met you right after..."

"I freaked out, yeah," he nodded.

"That's not how I would have worded it," Mellie said. "Look, she's really good, Fitz. And...after seeing you tonight, and knowing you've had trouble with medication in the past, I just asked for her card for you. That's all. You don't have to call if you don't want to. I just thought it couldn't hurt."

He nodded, pulling out his wallet to put the card inside. He could tell Mellie felt bad. About many things. And she meant well with this. And Olivia was probably going to kick his ass if he didn't start looking into finding medication that worked for him, anyway. This could be a good thing.

"Thank you, Mell. Thanks. That was thoughtful of you," he nodded.

She nodded awkwardly back. "You're welcome. The fact that we ran into Liz here at the same time is maybe...a sign? A sign you'll have better luck this time around."

"Well. I would definitely take some luck in that regard," he chuckled. "I'll give her a call. Not...for a while though. I'd rather focus on K for now."

"Yes, yes," Mellie nodded, gesturing toward the hallway. "Should we go check on her?"

"Yes."

He adjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder as they made their way to Karen's room.

He checked his phone again, just seeing if perhaps Olivia had woken up and texted him. She hadn't.

"So...did you update her?" Mellie asked quietly.

He looked up at Mellie as they neared Karen's room, putting his phone away. Man, apparently he was really obvious when checking his phone.

"Uh...yes. Yeah, I did," Fitz replied. "She was...really scared. She was forcing herself to stay up and wait for updates until I encouraged her to finally go back to sleep."

Mellie nodded awkwardly, opening the door to Karen's room.

His mom was still resting peacefully next to Karen, who was also sleeping. Keeping her company.

But while they were on the subject, he was going to take a shot at fulfilling his promise to Olivia. He spoke quietly though, as not to wake up the sleeping beauties in the room.

"You know, I actually wanted to...talk to you about this. I'm not sure she's even getting sleep. And she would never, never ask to be here. But...I'm asking you now. If you'd feel comfortable...if she was. If not, that's okay, and I respect and understand that. But I do want to ask you," he whispered, looking down at Mellie.

Mellie looked at him uncertainly. She furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Fitz, I asked if you'd updated her not...to invite her here," she whispered.

"No, I know. I know. I would never invite her here. It's not my place to do that, not without...knowing how you'd feel about it. And I know it isn't fair to you, I know that. I only wanted to ask, because you know how important she is to Karen, and...vice versa. That's all," he whispered.

Mellie looked stressed, shaking her head.

"Hey, okay. It's not fair of me, I know. It's not fair. It's okay," he whispered.

Mellie sighed. "I'm...sorry. I just wasn't expecting to...think Olivia might...come here."

"I know," Fitz nodded. "I know."

"Did you...say...Olivia?" Karen asked groggily, looking at her parents sleepily.

They both looked at their daughter in surprise and awe.

Good lord, that child heard everything.

But she also awaited them eagerly, after hearing her favorite Olivia's name. Somehow.

There was no doubt her hopes were up now. And despite Mellie's extremely uncertain feelings about it, she nodded at Karen.

"That's right, honey. She's...she's going to come and see you. She's...so glad you're okay," Mellie said.

Fitz's eyes widened, looking at Mellie in surprise as Jean awoke from the chatter as well.

But Karen gasped excitedly.

And then clutched her side in pain.

"Oh. Oh. Ow. That hurt," she admitted. "But...I am so excited. I haven't seen Olivia...in so long. I am so excited!"

That happiness and excitement just couldn't be denied. Couldn't be ignored. Especially not after she'd just had to go through literally days of pain.

"She's so excited too," Fitz nodded, smiling.

He caught his mother's eyes, who it appeared was trying to follow the conversation after being asleep for part of it, and was now just catching up.

He could see the wonder in her eyes, though.

"Why don't you get some rest, okay, baby? We didn't mean to wake you," Mellie suggested. "Or you, Jean! Sorry about that."

"That's quite alright," Jean smiled.

"Okay, mom. But will you and dad stay in here with me and grandma anyway? And...and wake me up if Olivia comes?" Karen asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course, K," Fitz nodded. "Here, I have something that might help you sleep a little better."

He dug through the duffel bag, pulling out the famous mister Sunshine.

She smiled and reached out to him. "Oh, daddy! Oh my gosh, thank you. You went home! Oh...wait. Yeah. You are in different clothes."

"I am," he chuckled. "I got your phone and iPad too, in case you wanted to talk to Casey. But for now, you need to get some rest first, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, taking her bear happily. "Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Mom's going to go change her clothes too, but she'll be back."

"Mmkay," Karen murmured.

Fitz handed Mellie the duffel bag and she nodded thankfully.

"I packed a couple things, I hope what I grabbed is all okay. You may have to dig through it, we've all got some things in there," Fitz said.

"Okay. Thanks," Mellie nodded.

When Mellie left, and Karen turned over, attempting to get some sleep again, his mother looked at him curiously.

He looked back, feeling as though they were having a conversation without words. He knew what she was looking at him like that for, or at least figured he knew. But he didn't say anything, obviously. Not with Karen trying to sleep again.

He looked away from her eyes, smiling down briefly at the ground. His eyes flickered back up to his mom, who was smiling to herself, too. She leaned back comfortably in her chair and closed her eyes again.

Somehow, that sent a wave of comfort through him. He wasn't sure if they were on the same page there or not, but it felt like it.

Eventually, Mellie came back after having changed, and they all spent time in Karen's room to try and get some form of sleep.

And Fitz went to sleep happy, knowing that Karen was okay. And, knowing that when he awoke, depending on the time, he was going to give Olivia a call. He wanted to let her sleep through the rest of the night, and he knew he probably should get some sleep himself.

It was shitty sleep, but it was still sleep.

---

He woke up around six in the morning, seeing that his mother was just waking up as well. Karen and Mellie were still asleep, although he knew it would be time for Karen's pain medication soon, so she'd have to wake up in a bit.

And upon looking at his phone, he saw he had a text from Olivia as well.

Olivia: Hey you. I couldn't sleep any longer, but I did get a few more hours. How is everything going? How is K? I'm thinking of her!

He smiled, immediately texting back.

Fitz: Hey you. Can I give you a call?

She started texting back not long after he texted her.

Olivia: Yes, please!

He got up quietly from his chair, seeing his mom open her eyes tiredly at him. She smiled, giving him a wave. He waved and smiled back, and left the room quietly.

Dialing her number, he headed toward the waiting area again as not to wake anyone up in the hallways.

It didn't ring for long.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Livvie. Good morning," he said sweetly.

"Hi, baby. Good morning back, how is everything?"

"Everything is good. Karen's still asleep; she's slept pretty well since after her surgery. Although, she did have a tough time falling asleep after we told her you were coming to visit her."

It was quiet on the other end for a moment, before she spoke up.

"Wait...what?" Olivia asked.

"What do you say?" he asked with a smile. "You ready to see her again?"

"You're not...are you serious?!" Olivia asked.

"Absolutely serious," he nodded.

"I can see her? I can...baby, for real?" Olivia asked excitedly.

"For real," he nodded. "I'll have an Uber come get you, okay? Whenever you're ready just let me know. She is so excited to see you. And so am I, by the way."

He could practically hear her smile on the other end.

"Oh my God. Baby. I'm so...oh my goodness. What about...Mellie, she's...she's really okay with this?" Olivia asked.

"I can't tell you that it was her idea, or...that she wanted it to happen. But she knows how much Karen loves you and...vice versa. Making Karen happy right now is...important to her. And you are important to Karen. So. You are welcome here."

"Oh, wow. Wow. That...means so much to me. Tell her thank you so much for me, Fitz. I know how hard and...probably awkward it is, and may be. But it just means the world to me. Will she be there? Can I...thank her in person?"

"I'm not sure what she'll do. Regardless, I will pass it along," he nodded. "She and I have had...some good chats recently, baby. I...I want to tell you about them in person, and I can't wait. So just text me when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay. Okay," she nodded. "I'll get ready fast. Thank you so much again, and...I'll see you soon?"

"Absolutely. See you soon, Liv. I love you."

"I love you. Bye."

"Bye."

The smile on his face couldn't be removed after that.

He got back right as Karen was needing to be woken up for medicine and a little breakfast. She could have a normal diet — it just needed to be easy on her stomach. So, she was having some apple sauce and some plain toast for now, as she wasn't all that hungry.

They made sure she had a good amount of water as soon as she woke, too, as staying hydrated was important.

Fitz did quietly inform Mellie of the updated Olivia plans while Karen was eating and laughing with her beloved grandma Jean.

"Mom. Dad. I have to go to the bathroom," Karen said. "Am...am I allowed to walk around?"

Fitz and Mellie both got up immediately.

"Yes, honey, as long as you feel up to it, you can. You just can't be too active yet. Do you need help getting up?" Mellie asked.

"Maybe," Karen nodded, pushing her covers back.

"Here, I'll keep your apple sauce safe until you're back," Jean offered, reaching for her tray.

"Thanks, grandma," Karen giggled, handing it over.

Jean smiled, touching Karen's nose affectionately.

"Here, K," Fitz said, turning her gently in bed, and lifting her up sideways in his arms. "You want me to walk you there?"

"No, it's okay. I got this," Karen nodded.

"Absolutely you do," Fitz smiled.

He set her down on her feet and Mellie took her other hand. She didn't need their help. She did, indeed, have it covered.

It was likely a little bit painful; he remembered it was mostly just unpleasant to begin with. She'd just had surgery yesterday after all. But she made it to the bathroom no problem, holding both her parents' hands.

"Alright. You want mom to go in with you, or are you good?" Fitz asked.

"I'm good," Karen nodded.

"Okay. I'll be out here if you need, honey," Mellie said.

"Mmkay. Thanks, mom."

When she was done, Mellie walked her back to bed and then Karen reached her arms up, waiting for her dad to lift her back into bed.

He got her settled back down in bed, ready to finish her apple sauce. She was pretty happy, especially considering the last days' events. She was almost back to her normal self, it seemed. She'd be even happier when Olivia was there.

Olivia texted Fitz not long after, letting him know she was ready so he could have an Uber pick her up.

Before Olivia came, though, he did have a chat with Mellie. Mellie gave Karen a goodbye kiss on the cheek, assuring her she'd be back in a little while. Then, she pulled Fitz aside out in the hallway.

"I'm going to go home and take a shower. I assume...she'll be here soon," Mellie said.

"Uh...yeah. Yeah. Soon," he nodded. "I understand if you don't want to...be here."

"I...don't," Mellie answered honestly. "Sorry. I truly don't even want her here, Fitz."

He sighed, nodding. "I know that."

"But...Karen does. And...I don't think we've done a good job doing what's best for Karen lately. Or...I haven't," Mellie admitted quietly.

Fitz said nothing, but nodded at her.

"She wants me to thank you, you know. She understands how hard this must be for you and she is so grateful you gave permission. She misses Karen a lot."

Mellie nodded, but didn't say anything back.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Here."

He dug in his pocket and handed her the keys to his Jag, which she nodded thankfully for.

"Thanks. I'll see you later," Mellie said. "Please text me if...I need to come back, or if Karen needs anything."

"I will. See you."

She nodded at him and headed out, bundling up for the chilly weather outside.

He, on the other hand, went back to Karen's room until Olivia got there.

"Is mom going to take her shower now?" Karen asked, looking up from her conversation with her grandma.

"She is. And she's going to go let your pup out. But guess what?" he asked, trying to distract her from the fact that Mellie wouldn't be here while Olivia was. He hoped that was either seen as a coincidence in her 10-year-old brain, or that she didn't even think about it.

"What?"

"Olivia will be here so soon," he smiled.

Karen's smile grew larger. "Really?!"

"Really," he nodded.

"She's been waiting so patiently for that news," Jean laughed, eyeing Fitz.

"Well, Olivia has been waiting so patiently to see you," he nodded, feeling a vibration in his pocket. "Oh, and I bet that's her."

It was, indeed, a text from Olivia that she was there, so he bid an excited Karen goodbye so he could go meet her.

She walked toward him outside, immediately smiling at the sight of him. He smiled back, noticing she had flowers and a gift bag in her hand.

"Hi you," she greeted.

"Hi," he replied back, immediately pulling her in for a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you."

"You too," she sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "How are you doing?"

He exhaled, resting his chin on her head. "I'm okay. I wasn't for a while. But I'm better now that she's okay, and...seeing you only makes it better."

"I can relate," she nodded.

She stood there, leaning into his chest. Relishing in their hug. It wasn't a very long hug — not there at the hospital. But it was still a nice hug, nonetheless.

And he finally got what he could have used about two nights ago. A hug from the woman he loved. Even when things sucked, hugging her always seemed to provide a light. Something good.

But they couldn't stand there all day. Karen awaited.

"You want to go see her?" he whispered.

"Yes. Yes," Olivia nodded immediately. "I went and picked up a few things for her before my Uber came, I hope that's alright?"

"Of course! That was so sweet of you, thank you, baby. She will love you even more," he chuckled. "She is so excited to see you, Liv."

"Me too!" Olivia said, walking close to him as they entered the building.

As they neared her room, he slipped his finger into her hand and she squeezed back, looking up at him with a smile.

He brought her hand up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the top of it, before letting go hesitantly. Not the smartest idea to walk in holding hands.

He separated himself from her so they weren't walking so closely, and then opened the door for her to enter first.

Olivia gasped, seeing Karen propped up in bed and Jean still sitting by her side.

Karen got so excited. "Olivia! Oh my gosh! Olivia!"

"Hi miss K!" Olivia exclaimed, coming into the room excitedly. "And hi Jean, it's so good to see you again!"

"Hello, darling! It's so good to see you again too! Come on over here and give me a hug," Jean said, standing up and waving her over.

Fitz watched with a smile as Olivia happily hugged his mother, and then leaned down and hugged Karen too.

Karen closed her eyes and smiled, resting her head on Olivia's shoulder as they hugged.

"Oh, honey. It's so good to see you. I missed you so much!" Olivia said.

"I missed you so much, too," Karen nodded. "It feels like it's been forever since I got to see you."

"It has felt like forever. I'm so sorry about that, I've just been...so busy," Olivia said.

Fitz looked down at the ground sadly, wishing she hadn't had to lie. That wasn't the truth. Unfortunately, there hadn't really been another time for them to see each other. He thanked the heavens they were seeing each other now.

When he looked up again, his mother was, again, glancing his way. She gave him an encouraging smile before looking away again. There she was again being...well, her. Talking without words, and he was left wondering what she was internally saying.

"That's okay. I know you are busy and doing awesome stuff at school," Karen nodded.

Olivia giggled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before pulling back. "Why thank you, K, I know you are doing just the same. So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. It does, but just not like before. I guess my appendix is like my daddy's," Karen shrugged. "Or...was like daddy's. They took it right out, you know."

"I did know. Was that scary?" Olivia asked, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the bed across from Jean.

"A little. I was scared before they took it out and scared to leave my mom and dad. But...then I barely remembered anything, and when I woke up, everything felt better. So now I know why they had to do it," Karen nodded thoughtfully.

Olivia giggled and Fitz and Jean also laughed. Oh how rational, for a 10-year-old.

"That's right," Olivia nodded. "Sometimes things like that feel scary, but really they're the best thing for you."

"Mhm," Karen agreed. "Plus. Me and my dad are scar twins now. Have you seen dad's scar?"

"I have," Olivia nodded. She then paused, quickly recovering. "At...the beach."

Oh God, Fitz wished he wasn't a blusher. But he very much was blushing now, so he looked down at the floor again, scratching his head and hoping to God he didn't look suspicious. But he knew he did. He was so awkward in general, and now he was practically incriminating himself to his mother, mostly, since Karen and Olivia kept right on talking.

He might as well have said, "actually, mom, she's seen my scar because she regularly sees me naked."

His mother was, of course, one of the few people that would know his scar wasn't just visible to the everyday person walking by him on the street. Part of it could be seen when he was shirtless, yes, but he usually had to pull down the waistband of his pants at least a bit in order to see it in its entirety. Oh well. The beach was plausible.

"I don't really want to have a scar, but...at least it will look sort of cool," Karen shrugged.

"That's right. It will look cool, you've got to think of the positives," Olivia laughed. "Plus, you know what else?"

"Hm?"

"When you look at it, you can always remember how strong you were these past couple days. I've heard how painful appendicitis is, so you're pretty strong for having to deal with it!" Olivia said, patting her arm.

"Thank you," Karen giggled.

"You are very welcome. Here, you want to see what I brought you?" Olivia asked.

Karen nodded excitedly. "Okay!"

"Well, these are for you, first of all. They're beautiful, just like you," Olivia said, handing her the flowers which were wrapped up in clear plastic wrap.

Karen smiled. "I wondered if these were for me!" she said, admiring them in her hands. "Thank you, Olivia!"

"You are so welcome!"

"Olivia's right, they are almost as beautiful as you!" Jean nodded.

"Maybe I'll have mom grab a vase from home so you can put them by your bed, how's that sound," Fitz asked.

"Yes! I would like that!" Karen nodded.

"Alright," he chuckled.

"And then, I just brought you a few things in here, too," Olivia nodded, setting the gift bag on her bed.

Karen excitedly opened the gift, pulling out a stuffed panda bear.

Her eyes lit up. "A panda! Just like I was for Halloween!"

"Yes! I know they're now your second favorite animal," Olivia nodded importantly.

"Yes they are! Second after dogs," she giggled, admiring her panda. "Thank you!"

"Mhm. I thought he or she could keep your other bear company. Which it looks like he is...right here?" Olivia smiled, picking up her yellow bear laying next to her.

"Oh, yeah. Dad grabbed him for me at home," Karen nodded, smiling. "Mr. Sunshine and my panda will be the best of friends."

"Well that sounds great, you'll have to let me know what you name your panda," Olivia nodded.

"Okay, I will," Karen nodded, seeing if there was anything else left in the bag.

There was.

Karen gasped. "Skittles!"

Fitz chuckled, seeing that it was her favorite kind of Skittles specifically. Jean was also smiling at the larger bag of Skittles, knowing they were her granddaughter's favorite.

"Well, Olivia just knows all the best gifts, doesn't she!" Jean exclaimed with a smile.

"Yes!" Karen nodded.

"You may have to save them, I'm not sure if Skittles are the best thing for you to be eating while you recover, but, I knew it would be a fun treat to look forward to," Olivia said.

"Yes! Thank you so much, Olivia. These are my favorite ones ever," Karen said, opening her arms for a hug.

"You're welcome. I know they are!" Olivia said, hugging her back.

"That was pretty nice of Olivia," Fitz said with a smile, watching the scene from afar. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning against the opposite wall.

"Indeed! So very sweet!" Jean exclaimed.

"Anything for miss K," Olivia said, holding her hand.

"You are the best," Karen said happily.

"You are," Olivia said, touching her nose lightly.

After the terrible past days everyone had had, the lighthearted moment was so great to be a part of. And it lasted a good while.

Olivia stayed for about two hours, before Karen started to get sleepy again, anyway. All of their sleep schedules were a little out of whack, so it was understandable. And the last thing Olivia wanted to do was overstay her welcome. She was so grateful she'd gotten to come in the first place.

Olivia called an Uber and before she left, Karen thanked her endlessly for the wonderful gifts and for coming to see her. And sadly, Olivia then had to say goodbye officially to Karen and to Jean.

She looked as though she was about to say goodbye to Fitz, too, but he still wanted to talk with her.

"I'll uh...I'll walk you out, I know the way back to the entrance is a little confusing," Fitz said.

"Oh, okay, thanks so much!" Olivia nodded.

He nodded and told his mother and Karen he'd be back in a minute.

The second they were outside in the hallway, he could see she was so happy. So happy after having seen Karen again. And that happiness was contagious, because he was happy they'd gotten to see each other, too. It had been too long.

"Thank you so much for this. And...please thank Mellie for me if you haven't already. I wish...I wish I could thank her myself," Olivia said.

"I know," he nodded. "I think she just thought it would be best if she wasn't here. She was awkward about it, which I do completely understand."

"Yes, I completely do too," Olivia nodded. "That last thing I would want to do is make her even more uncomfortable here...after your guys' daughter just had surgery. It's not my place and I really didn't want to ruffle any feathers. I'm just...very grateful, that's all. Because I just love Karen like...like family."

"I know you do, baby," he nodded, grabbing her hand. "And I love you so much for that. And I hope you know by now how much you mean to her. She loves you like family, too."

Olivia nodded gratefully, smiling and squeezing his hand.

"So...before you go, I did want to tell you something. About a conversation Mellie and I had earlier," he said, as they neared the entrance.

"Oh, yes, right," Olivia replied. "Good? Or...or bad?"

"Good. Really...really good. In fact, I'm having a hard time processing it and...I'm still wondering if it was real," he said, pulling her to the side of the entrance so they could talk.

"Oh?" Olivia said excitedly.

"Yeah. Um...well like I told you before, she's been a little different these past few days since Karen said what she said to us both — remember, what I texted you about."

"Yep," Olivia nodded along.

"She's been sad, and...thinking things through, I think. I started to actually feel bad for her, because she just...well, she was going through exactly what I went through. I know how it feels. It's shitty, so I've been understanding, even though she wasn't...eager to talk about it."

Olivia nodded along, listening intently.

"And earlier, she brought up the fact that...she's not necessarily afraid of us not being a good team for Karen anymore if we're...separated. Because Lord knows we've been going through a lot these past few days and...yet, we managed to be a better team than we ever have been as a 'happy, married couple'. Which, you know, isn't...normal. And she knew that. She...admitted things earlier, Liv. She was honest, and open, and...knew that she'd been wrong on things. And...Mellie doesn't do that ever — unless she really means it. Mellie loves being right."

Olivia didn't even know what to think, or say. She had a surprised smile on her face, looking at Fitz in awe.

"I'm not...I'm not saying we're going to be divorced tomorrow. I don't know what else lies ahead for us. But...I know for sure that that was a step forward. A big step. She has never admitted those things. Ever. So in a way...all of this happening with Karen...it kind of showed her some things, I think. Things...she needed to see. Life is too short. Karen deserves the best. And...us together, is not it."

"She admitted that?" Olivia asked, unable to believe it.

"Pretty damn much," Fitz said, cracking a smile. "I'm serious, Liv. It was big. And I couldn't...I mean, I didn't even know what to say. That was the last thing I expected to hear after this...shit show of a weekend."

"Seriously. This is...huge, Fitz. I wasn't expecting to hear that either!" she admitted quietly. "It feels a little surreal?"

"I know," he nodded, smiling.

"Oh my God," Olivia said. "Wow. Just...I don't even know what to say, baby. That's amazing. So amazing. Who knew...something good could come of...like you said, a shit show."

"I know," he agreed happily. "Oh! And...and I got this doctor's card. A um...a psychiatrist, that Mellie knows, and I just met this weekend. I got her card, and...I think I'll call her, when this is all over. When...Karen comes home and everything. I will."

Olivia gasped, looking up at him. "Fitz, really?"

"Really," he nodded. "I will."

"Oh, baby," she noted, slipping her hand into his discretely. "Fitz, that's so great. Seriously, I'm so happy for you. That is just...the best news. All of this is so good to hear!"

"Yeah," he chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I think we deserve some good, after all this."

"Absolutely," Olivia nodded. "Oh, baby. That all makes me so happy."

She held his hand happily, absorbing all the good news.

"Me too," he nodded.

"Even the psychiatrist part?" she asked, giving him a look.

He chuckled. "Yes. Even that part. Mostly...because of you. But I do know you, as well as most of the other women in my life, are right. It's time. Something out there will work for me, and I just have to...put in the effort to find it."

"I wish it wasn't such a hard process for you. But I know we'll find it. And I'll be here every step of the way," she said, looking up at him.

"I know you will," he said. "Thank you for being you."

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"I'm so happy we all got to see you today. I'm sure my mom was ecstatic, too."

Olivia laughed. "She's such a sweetheart, I was ecstatic to see her, too. And of course, it wasn't bad getting to see you either."

"Oh, yeah, that was a plus. It was...nice to see you, I guess," he teased, acting nonchalant about it.

She laughed, shaking her head. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, giving her a crooked smile.

She sighed, looking out the windows. "Well. I'll let you get back to K and your mom so they're not wondering where you are. I think...that might be my Uber, anyway."

He looked outside and nodded. "Okay. Here, I'll walk you out."

They headed outside and finally hugged one last time on the sidewalk, saying goodbye.

"Bye you," he said, kissing her cheek and then internally saying "fuck it" before kissing her lips.

"Mm," she replied, pecking his lips another time. "Bye, my smiley."

"I love you," he said again, eyes flickering between her lips and her pretty eyes. "Text me when you're home."

"I will. I love you too," she whispered, kissing his lips one last time. "Keep me updated on everything."

"I will," he nodded, opening the back door of the Uber for her.

She gave him a cute wave and he smiled, closing the door gently behind her. He waved through the window and watched them drive away, still with that smile covering his face. The smile she always caused.

The reason he was her "smiley."

The smile immediately faded when his eyes finally started wandering elsewhere, and they landed on Mellie, walking toward him from the parking lot.

Well, that was awkward.

He wondered how much of that she'd seen.

He nodded in her direction, waiting for her to reach him before heading back in.

He cleared his throat as she grew close enough. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied.

"How was...your shower?" he asked, scratching his head.

He internally cursed himself for such an odd question, but it was the first thing he could think to say.

"Uh...it was good," Mellie nodded, barely meeting his eyes. "I wasn't sure...how long...you know."

"Uh, right. Yeah. She...just left," he nodded.

"Yeah, I mean...I figured that was her. Hope you're not kissing anyone else in hospital parking lots," Mellie said.

Oh...yikes.

He looked at her uncertainly. "Uh...right. Yeah."

"I'm — sorry. That was...sorry," she sighed. "That was unfair of me, and I don't need to be unfair."

"Actually, you've been anything but unfair today," Fitz nodded. "Like I said before, I really appreciate what you did today. For K, especially. But...for me and Liv, too. It meant...so much. She really wished she could have thanked you in person. The last thing she wanted was to upset you or make you uncomfortable, but if she knew you were here just before she left, she probably would have tried to say thanks."

Mellie raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms as she looked around. "Brave woman."

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. Maybe. But more importantly...she just wants things between us to be okay. She wants you and me to...get through this together, just as much as we do. No matter what you may think about her...she never wanted to hurt anybody, and I know she desperately wishes she hadn't. She's...one of the kindest people out there, Mellie."

Mellie took a deep sigh, looking at him.

And what she did and said next, kind of shocked Fitz. But it turned out to be another positive thing to make up for this awful start to a weekend.

She nodded.

"Yeah," she sighed quietly. "I know."

---

Hope you all enjoyed. I know I left you all on a bit of a cliff hanger last chapter. I appreciate everyone's patience since then!

I am so grateful for everyone who is along for the ride and enjoying this story. I know things have moved slowly, but things are really developing now, which is great news for Olitz!

Stay safe everyone, and read on.

~T