Day 29…

With having been spotted, Bass was once more convinced that climbing the lattice and sneaking in was a very bad idea. He'd gone a few days without showing up, nervously waiting for news of Miles. He had no way of contacting Charlie without drawing attention to himself—as far as her family knew, he'd just been skulking around his place and hadn't been back over the past month.

The third day after they shared the night, Charlie finally showed up. He could tell from the way that she'd carried himself that she was nervous, a little hurt even. She didn't address what had happened between them, instead telling him that Hal had proclaimed to anyone that would listen that he knew what he saw and that he'd prove he wasn't crazy.

That confirmed his suspicions that making an attempt to get in again would only result in getting caught. There was more to it now than his own safety. If her family found out that Charlie had been not only aware of his presence, but had helped to conceal it, she could very well find herself banished as well. She didn't deserve that.

Eventually, Bass had gotten tired of her nervousness—she'd never been nervous around him, even when she'd had reasons to be. He'd asked if she was okay, and she'd confessed then that she hadn't known what to expect from him after that night. Although she'd figured he'd be absent, she was concerned that it had as much to do with what they'd done than one senile old man.

Bass had simply kissed her in response and that had been that. There'd been no discussion over it. He didn't know what to say about it. Maybe this was just their way of grieving or holding on. Maybe it was more. He didn't want to risk screwing anything up by saying it and for some reason; she was willing to allow it.

She'd come faithfully every day since to tell him that there'd been no change. Sometimes they had sex while she was there. At other times, they just talked. She couldn't always stay for very long, but when she could, she'd stay for hours.

Charlie now lounged on his mattress, propping herself up on one elbow and watching with appreciation as he went to grab a canteen. He took a drink before handing it down to her. It was now June and his loft was hot as hell. That they'd just had rough enough sex to have moved the mattress several feet away from its original location was not helping them beat the heat at all.

"So, I was thinking," she said as she raised the water to her lips and drank greedily. "Right after supper, Grandpa goes on rounds to check on a few patients. Mom's been going with him lately. If we were quick about it, I could probably sneak you in. You'd have to hide out in my room before Mom goes to bed, but…"

She let him fill in the blanks. He flopped down onto the mattress next to her and took the canteen back, drinking deeply and finishing it off. "How would I get out again unseen?" he asked.

"You just have to go before it gets light."

He thought about this for a while. "Do you realize how pissed they'd be at you if they found out?"

"Like they wouldn't be otherwise," she said as she gestured to their nude forms. "You don't have to. It was just a thought."

He shook his head. "No. That's not it."

Bass didn't know how to explain how her suggestion had affected him, so he showed her instead, beginning slowly, tenderly pulling her into his arms. It was a lot to risk for him and he was moved by it in ways he couldn't describe with words.

That night, Charlie got him inside easily enough. Of course, she hadn't mentioned that he'd basically been waiting alone in her room from the moment Rachel and Gene returned. It was customary for her to sit with her mother in Miles' room for a bit before going to bed, so she couldn't exactly change that pattern now. Already, her family was curious where she went during the day.

Much later, Charlie came into the room. This particular evening wasn't following their usual pattern. Her mother and grandfather were still up; their muffled voices could be heard arguing in the next room. When Gene came to the door, Bass barely had time to scramble under the bed.

What he overheard left him feeling shattered. It had been a month and there'd been no change. They'd been working his muscles, trying to keep them from atrophy, but it was clear to the doctor that if Miles didn't wake up soon, he wouldn't at all.

Miles was wasting away and without the benefit of pre-blackout care his body would start to shut down. The fact was that even if he woke up now, in all likelihood, he wouldn't be the same and would never leave that bed.

Bass listened as Gene told Charlie that it was time to let Miles go. And then, the doctor went on that Charlie needed to talk to her mother and get her to see to reason. She argued with him for some time before finally agreeing to work on her in the morning. There was no hope and Miles was barely alive as it was.

When he heard the door close, Bass came out from under the bed, but didn't rise. He sat huddled on the floor as it all came crashing down around him. Miles may still be breathing, but he was already gone. Rachel had been right all along; he'd succeeded in getting him killed.

Rachel did not leave Miles' room that night. Bass and Charlie remained sitting there next to the bed, eventually falling asleep together. When Charlie went to check to make sure things were clear, she found her family awake together in the kitchen. She would have to do no convincing. Gene had managed to get through his daughter's stubbornness. They'd agreed to give it a few more days and then would let her father do what he had to do.

Charlie went back to her room to tell Bass that he would not be leaving anytime soon. Maybe it was mean to be; if they were to countdown the days until they lost him, they'd do it together. She did her best to sneak food up to him and found excuses to seclude herself so that there'd be some break in the monotony of waiting up there alone.

Day 3

They would give it this last night. If Miles didn't wake up by dawn, a decision would be made. Rachel hadn't slept in days and so, Gene had finally taken the choice from her. He'd sedated her and with Charlie's help as put her to bed.

When Charlie was sure that Gene was asleep and her mother still down for the count,, she lead Bass into Miles' room one last time. He wasn't there to watch and wait; he was there to say goodbye. She would have her chance in the morning before Gene gave him an overdose of painkillers to help him let go. She squeezed his shoulder as he sank into the chair and quietly left—he'd want privacy for this and this time, she would not listen.

He sat and stared at his brother for a while, unable to get past how frail he looked in that bed now. He'd lost so much weight over the past weeks. Gene was right about one thing—their efforts to keep him nourished were failing. In another world, they could keep him alive indefinitely. They could do brain scans and see if Miles was still in there somewhere. But now, they couldn't do anything more than watch him turn to skin and bone.

"God, I'm so sorry, Miles," he sobbed. He's said those words so many times since this had happened, but he'd been holding onto a small sliver of hope that they'd be heard up until now. His eyes were red and brimming as he tried to get it all out. "I should have listened to you—about everything. I don't know how I always get everything so wrong.

"I was so stupid, thinking we could just track those assholes and put them down. Like we could save the day again. I just—I just wanted to do something—make up for all the bullshit by doing something decent.

"I hated just sitting around and I thought this would be something worthwhile, since I couldn't figure out how to move on. We should have kept going, like you said. If I'd have kept my trap shut, we'd have had our weekend of drinking and you'd be married and… I'm just so sorry.

He began to apologize for anything and everything he could think of. There were so many wrongs, so many past regrets over the years. He initially hadn't known where to start, but once he had, he didn't know where to stop. He apologized for things that hadn't even been his fault.

"I wish we'd have talked about all this more. We never did—we just tried to pretend all those years didn't happen. But, you were right… You were right about me when I wanted to go east, and you were right that day on the road…"

"Of course I was right, dick. I always am…"

The voice was so quiet that Bass was convinced he'd imagined it. He looked up, having buried his head in his hands and saw Miles there; his eyes open in small slits. "God, you're an over- emotional fuck," he rasped, thus confirming the impossible. Bass wasn't hearing things. He'd actually spoken.

His jaw dropped. Eyes wide, he swiped at them with the back of his hand "Miles?"

"You were expecting someone else?"

Bass lets out a laugh. Right now he didn't give a damn where he was or that he wasn't supposed to be here. "Shit. Shit!"

"Always had a way with words, asshole."

Before he could move to go get someone, Charlie came into the room. "Have you lost your mind? Grandpa's gonna hear you. He'll shoot first and ask questions later."

"At this point, I could care less," Bass said as he willed his body into motion. He yanked her into the room and shoved her towards the bed so she could see for herself.

"Hey Charlie," Miles said. "Wait, why's Gene gonna shoot him? You know, besides the fact that he's a dick and all."

"Miles?" She burst into tears as she sank to her knees next to the bed.

"First whiny boy here, and now you? What is it with you people?" he asked. He tried to chuckle at his own joke, but it hurt. He let out a groan and closed his eyes for a second, as if he was trying to force his body to not hurt.

"Bass, can you… I've gotta…"

"Fuck it, I'll wake him myself."

They heard him go down the hall. Obviously, Gene had overheard them after all and had been prepared for Bass' intrusion. "Put the damn gun down and get your ass in there, you crabby old bastard. He's awake."

Bass and Charlie stood in the corner of the room while Gene did his job. As he was being examined, Miles asked for Rachel, only to be told that in all likelihood she'd be down for hours yet. Gene still couldn't believe that Miles had woken so abruptly. Other than a splitting headache and being as weak as a newborn kitten, he seemed to be in fairly good shape, all things considered. The road to recovery would be a long one, but seeing him talking and alert, it no longer seemed impossible.

First things always being first, Gene determined that if he was up to it, they needed to get something in his patient's stomach. After demanding a brief explanation of why and how Bass was there and listening to Charlie defend his presence with all the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cups, the old man went downstairs to prepare some broth.

They both turned back to Miles, who'd been watching them in the low light of the lamp that flickered across the room. "No way… The two of you are fucking?"

"Miles…" Bass began calmly, holding his hands up, as if somehow that would distract from the bald truth of it.

"Don't even try to deny it. I know you—I know that lost little puppy dog look you always get when you think you've met 'The One.' And it's practically written all over your face—and it's kind of pathetic." He threw his eyes heavenward. "I died. I died and I woke up in hell didn't I?"

"Wait, 'The One?' What the hell is he talking about?" Charlie suddenly asked, looking at Bass. With either her mother or Gene up at all times, they'd spent the past several days in each other's pockets, and yet they still hadn't talked about it.

Bass' facial expression started off as embarrassed and then shifted to apologetic before finally settling on a look of pure terror—all in a matter of seconds. How Charlie could ever have thought he was an empty mask was now beyond her. The changes were subtle, but they were there indeed.

"I—um. I… You know, I'll leave the two of you to talk. I'm just gonna go see if I can wake your mom up—so she can go ahead and shoot me and…"

"Sit down, ass hat," Miles snaps weakly. "I've just been in a coma for a month. Can you at least let me make it a few hours before one of you tries to kill the other?"

After seeing Miles eat his broth, all the while complaining that it was whiskey-free, Bass and Charlie left him to get some rest. Just talking for a little while and eating had tired him out. Bass headed down the hall to leave, but flight was abruptly ended when Charlie pulled him into her room.

"You know that they'll figure this out—whatever this is if they find me here, right?" The sun was beginning to rise and if he stayed much longer, there'd be no leaving this room without being discovered.

"Yeah, he's gonna have nothing to do but gossip for weeks to come. I'm pretty sure it'll be common knowledge by the end of the day. And what do you mean 'whatever this is?' Didn't you hear Miles? 'The One,' remember," she teased.

Bass gave it up then. "You most certainly are," he told her with all the seriousness he could muster as he shrugged out of his shirt. If he was going to be shot for this by the same time tomorrow, he be damned if he didn't first get to find out just how much her bed could squeak…