"I hear you're a hero," Graham said casually, grinning at Ruby from where he stood in the doorway to her hospital room.

Ruby shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Not... really," she managed to get out, still a little hoarse.

The burning in her throat had gotten much better over the last day or so, but with the relief of one problem inevitably came the onset of another. The coughing fits were bad enough, but the things Ruby hacked up afterward were pretty damn disgusting. Soot build up was definitely not on her list of good things to contend with.

Graham pushed off the door frame and sauntered into the room, his boots scuffing the floor a little with each step he made toward Ruby. "Oh, come on. Give yourself a little credit. You were the first on the scene. I'm told you saved the mayor herself," he teased.

Ruby rolled her eyes again. "You were... there... idiot."

"Yeah, you're right. I saw it with my own eyes. City Hall lit up like a Christmas tree, and you came running out of there carrying Regina Mills like she was an innocent little child. It was quite a sight," Graham said, plopping down into the empty chair beside Ruby's bed and propping his feet up on the edge of the bed.

Ruby swatted playfully at his legs and pushed his feet aside. "Did you... just come here... to pick on me... or was there," she paused to cough lightly, "a point to this visit?"

Graham smiled. "I'm just doing my friendly duties. Coming to check up on you," he replied. "How are you feeling?" he asked, a little more serious.

"Eh, better," Ruby rasped with the shrug of a shoulder. "Itching to get back to work though."

"I'll bet. Emma said you were pretty antsy when she stopped by yesterday. It's only been a day-and-a-half, you know. You should enjoy this time off."

"I'll have time off... when I'm dead."

Graham shook his head. "You take this job way too seriously for you own good, you know that, Lucas?"

"Maybe."

"Anyway," Graham said, after a moment had passed, "I also came by to tell you that the mayor is starting to scare the sheriff. And me, for that matter."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"She's stopped by the station every day since the accident. Sometimes twice a day, just to ask how you're doing," Graham answered. At the look on Ruby's face, he said, "Oh, I know. We're just as confused as you are. I mean, we all know Regina isn't the type to openly show concern for anyone, but she's been pretty worried about you, it would seem. She won't let up."

Ruby frowned. "It's probably just because she feels guilty or something."

Graham shook his head. "I don't think so. She seemed genuinely concerned. Maybe not, but... I don't know. There was something different about her when she showed up the morning after the fire. She seemed pretty rattled by the whole thing," he said.

"Huh," is all Ruby said as she leaned her head back against her pillow and focused her vision on Graham's feet, where they'd snuck back up onto the edge of the bed.

"Well, I guess I should get back to work. It's getting close to noon and I'm sure Leroy will have had plenty of drinks at the diner by now," Graham said, slowly rising from his chair. He leaned over Ruby and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "You take care of yourself, okay? There's no need to be in a rush to get back to work. The sheriff and I have been doing just fine without you."

"Liar," Ruby teased, smirking. "And I'm due to be released tomorrow, so... you best watch out."

Graham just rolled his eyes and chuckled as he walked away.