Rayna and Deacon have just arrived in Nashville. They are in the car, on their way to the hospital. They are sitting in the back seat, grasping each other's hands firmly. Rayna sighs and rests her head on Deacon's shoulder. He brings his other hand up to stroke her hair softly. She buries her face in his neck as he holds her close. He can feel moisture on his skin and he knows that she is crying.
"How are you doing with all of this?" she asks him, her words muffled by his neck.
Deacon looks at her and she lifts her head to look up at him briefly. He can tell that she is genuinely concerned about him and how he is handling the situation. It is nice to know that they are able to grow closer in a situation like this, rather than let it tear them apart. Deacon knows that it is because of their mutual love and respect for each other. He knows that what they have for each other is true love. He is sure of it and he has been sure of it since the beginning. This hardship reaffirms it in his mind.
"I'm worried about her, Ray. I've never been so worried before," he replies honestly.
Rayna squeezes his hand tightly, letting him know that she is there for him too.
"Me too," she says quietly. "But I'm glad you're here."
Deacon leans down and kisses her softly. He lets his lips linger on hers, keeping her close. She smiles slightly into the kiss. His presence calms her greatly. Their mutual concern for each other gives both of them the strength to cope with everything that is going on.
"Ray, we'll make it through this. Maddie will pull through. When she gets better, we will stay home for a while and spend time with her," he tells her.
He looks confident but she wonders if he is just acting confident for her benefit. Regardless, the words are comforting. She wants them all to spend time together. She wants them to be a family.
"I hope so, Deacon. I really do," she responds.
When they arrive at the hospital, Rayna and Deacon rush out of the car and to the front desk.
"We're here to see Maddie Conrad, what room is she in?" Rayna asks hurriedly.
The nurse recognizes exactly whom she is talking to and gives Rayna a small smile.
"She is in room 207, Miss Jaymes. Just go down that hall right over there," she says pointing to the right.
Rayna nods at her in response.
"Thank you," she says quickly, before grabbing Deacon's hand and hurrying down the hall in the direction that the nurse had pointed to.
They find the room without much difficulty and walk in without hesitation. Maddie is sitting up in the bed. She still looks sick but Rayna is relieved to see that she is conscious. Rayna lets out a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding in and smiles at her daughter lovingly.
"Mom! Deacon! I'm so glad you're here. I was so scared," Maddie says at the sight of them.
Rayna walks over to her daughter's bedside and gives her a hug. Deacon follows closely behind Rayna and reaches out to squeeze Maddie's shoulder tightly. Sensing his hesitation, Maddie reaches her arms out to him and pulls him into a hug. Deacon smiles at the gesture. It is the first hug that they have shared as father and daughter.
"We're here now, baby. You're gonna be okay," Rayna tells her.
Deacon's heart swells with emotion at the sight of Rayna acting motherly toward their daughter. It is a new feeling for him. He has always seen Rayna act motherly towards the girls but now that he knows the truth it is more meaningful to him. They are parents together. Maddie is the product of their love for each other.
The moment is broken up when Teddy enters the room. Teddy looks down when he sees them all interacting like a family. He is clearly upset by the fact that Deacon is at Maddie's bedside. Teddy clears his throat loudly, causing Rayna to jump in surprise since she had not heard him enter the room.
"Teddy," she greets.
She can tell that his old fears about Deacon replacing him are running through his mind.
"Rayna," he replies, pulling himself together and removing his emotions from his face. "I was getting some coffee. Did you two just arrive?"
Rayna nods.
"We came as soon as we could," she replies.
Teddy sees Deacon rubbing Rayna's back lovingly and is hit with a wave of jealousy. He hates Deacon. He hates that Rayna always loved Deacon more than she ever loved him. He hates that they are together now, acting like a happy family. He pushes his feelings to the side, attempting to act civil towards his ex-wife and her lover.
"That's good. Maddie was asking about you all night," he tells her.
Deacon remains silent but continues to keep contact with Rayna so that she doesn't feel alone.
"Have the doctors said anything?" Rayna asks.
Teddy shakes his head.
"They want to run a few tests first. They have some ideas but nothing concrete," he responds.
Rayna nods in understanding. Teddy looks around, feeling uncomfortable.
"I think I'm gonna go see if I can find anything out. Do you want me to grab anything from the vending machine for you?" he asks, wanting to escape but appear in control at the same time.
"No but thank you," Rayna answers.
Teddy turns to leave immediately after hearing her response. Rayna turns back to her daughter who has remained oddly silent.
"Is something wrong, Maddie?" Rayna asks.
Maddie hesitates.
"No… I've just missed you. Dad isn't good at this kind of stuff," she replies.
Rayna knows exactly what she means. Teddy is a great father but he is horrible during emergencies.
"I've missed you too, Maddie," Rayna tells her, reaching out to grab her hand.
Deacon watches the exchange. He wants to cheer them up.
"You know what I was thinking? When you're released from the hospital we should go get some ice cream together, if you're feeling up to it. You, me, and your mother," he suggests.
Maddie and Rayna both smile at him. His heart gushes with pride. These two beautiful girls are his. He feels extremely lucky. He is glad that his suggestion has made them happy for the moment.
"That sounds great! I want to go right now," Maddie replies enthusiastically.
Deacon and Rayna laugh lightly.
"I think you need a little bit more rest first," Rayna tells her.
Maddie seems to take the advice to heart because she falls asleep twenty minutes later. Rayna and Deacon watch their daughter as she sleeps.
"She's beautiful, Ray. Just like you," Deacon says quietly, trying not to wake Maddie.
Rayna smiles at him.
"She looks a lot like you too. Every time I look at her, I see you," Rayna admits.
Deacon kisses Rayna lovingly. Sitting here together, with their daughter, is an amazing feeling, even given the present circumstances. When he pulls back from her, Deacon yawns, clearly exhausted. Rayna laughs softly.
"Why don't you close your eyes and get some rest too? I know you're exhausted," she suggests.
Deacon shakes his head.
"I want to be awake so I can help you," he replies.
"Deacon, you've already helped me so much. Get some sleep. I'll wake you if I need something," she says.
Rayna kisses Deacon softly.
"Seriously, Deacon. You look dead tired," she adds firmly.
"Okay fine," he responds.
Five minutes later, Deacon is sleeping soundly, leaning against Rayna. She watches him, admiring his handsome face. For the millionth time today, she realizes just how lucky she is to have him with her.