The sound of beeping was the first thing that aroused Logan from his dreamless sleep. He groaned, feeling as if he had been restrained by a wet blanket. The worst of it all was his throat; it burned like nothing ever had before. He had been complaining about a sore throat the last few weeks, but this was nothing like anything he had felt in his life. Even breathing hurt. Blinking his eyes open, though even that was a struggle. It felt like tape was over them, and he had to fight to open them. He looked around, noticing from the pale pastel walls and the powerful scent of disinfectant that he wasn't in his dorm anymore. "Hey baby," looking to his right, he saw Quinn sitting at his bedside. The book she had been reading now closed and placed on the little end table in his room. "How are you feeling?"
"Wha..!" he tried asking what happened to him, but the moment he tried to speak, the burning got to him, and he started to couch. Reacting quickly, Quinn was at his side in an instant. A pink plastic cup with a straw in her hands as she placed it in front of him. She held out the straw, and weakly he could lift his head enough to take a long drink. Somehow even swallowing cold water, although much needed, hurt too. "What…happened?" he coughed out, voice coming out raspy and rough.
She set the cup on the table and took the hand that didn't have the IV in hers. "You're at the hospital," she brushed a few stray hairs out of his eyes, fingers brushing over his now thankfully cool skin. "You had a bad fever and got rushed over. The doctors removed your tonsils, but you have an infection, so you'll be hospitalized for a few days."

He kind of remembers his ride in the ambulance. His head had been killing him, and all the flashing lights and sirens did not help. He can sort of remember Michael and Chase being there too, but he can't say for certain. The one thing he does remember is that Quinn had stayed with him the entire lunch hour. She rubbed his head, helping him get comfortable enough to fall asleep. He felt somewhat okay when she was there. After she had left and he took a nap. He vaguely recalled going in and out of consciousness; his fever had worsened. His body ached, and he was dripping with sweat; he had wanted to shower, but moving took too much energy. Instead, he had laid there, clenching Quinn's forgotten sweater for comfort. "How long…?" he gulped, trying to get the words out, but it hurt too much.

She shushed him, cupping his cheek. "You've been here since last night; they operated on you immediately." She couldn't express how happy she was that he woke up. As a woman of science, she understood medicine very well. Having one's tonsils removed was easy, and most people could go home the same day as the surgery. However, he had a bad infection from not getting checked out sooner. Thankfully no complications arose and he would be cleared to go home in a few days. "When Dean Rivers got the call that you were out of surgery, I had Coco drive me up so I could be with you." She had been waiting all morning with him. He had his own private room, so she didn't have to worry about anyone else being in the room besides a few nurses that would come to check on him every now and then. The sun was starting to set, and she knew that visiting hours would be ending soon, but she didn't care. Just knowing he was awake now was a relief.
Logan smiled; he still felt like he had been hit by a car, but knowing that she had been there with him, even in his unconscious state, she made him feel better. He squeezed her hand, giving her a silent thanks for staying by his side. He motioned for more water, and she brought the cup and straw to his lips again. He could get used to this kind of treatment.

Cupping his cheek once more, her thumb ran over his supple but chiseled cheek. She could feel his pulse, see though his eyes were cloudy from exhaustion, there was life in them. She had been terrified out of her mind since last night when he got wheeled out into the ambulance. Seeing him awake made her want to cry in relief. That would be for later, though. Right now, her focus was on making him better. "I'll be right back. I promised I would call the nurses once you woke up." She leaned forward to kiss his forehead and whispered words of affection into his ear before she left the room. She also had promised to let their friends know once he woke up.

He felt lonely in his extensive private hospital suite when she left the room. His bed was in the middle of the place, a big tv directly in front of him with a view of the ocean outside his window. He saw the sun was setting, and night was setting in, which meant Quinn had been with him all day. If he recalled, today was still a school day, meaning she had ditched to be with him. That thought made his chest feel warm, and the heart monitor beeping picked up for a moment before he steadied himself. He would have to remember that thing, or else it would give him away. He sighed, hands twitching to do something, but his body felt too tired to move or really do much of anything. Looking around the room some more, he saw there were already big baskets of flowers on his two bedside tables, and in the corner was a gift basket with what looked like a new laptop and the latest handheld gaming console that wasn't even released to the market yet. He already knew his dad had sent the basket; it was his trademark move to send something whenever he was hurt or sick. It was something he had grown up with his father doing since he was little. He'd be shooting a new movie in some other country, and if Logan were home sick in bed, he would send him something to help make him feel better.

Knock Knock

Turning his head to the side, he expected it to be the doctor to check in on him and hopefully give him good news. He knows Quinn said he could go home in a few days, but he would rather it be sooner rather than later. He was not a fan of hospitals. To his surprise, it was his father and his butler, Chauncy standing in the doorway to his hospital room. "How you doing, Logan?" He tried sitting up and greeting his father, but a sharp pain ran through his throat the moment he tried. "Hey," Malcolm was at his son's bedside in an instant. Chauncy walked around to the other side, handing the half-empty cup of water to the young man he had helped raise.

Sipping the rest of the water in the cup, he cleared his throat. "What are you…doing here?" He gasped out, his voice still raspy, but it was getting somewhat easier to talk now. Which was a good thing because he didn't know how much longer he could go not speaking. "I thought…movie in…Spain." He coughed, saying the words hurt, but it felt good to get them out.
Malcolm let out a breathless laugh. "Actually, it was because of your girlfriend." He pulled out his cell phone; on the screen, you could see he had a voicemail notification with Quinn's name on it. He had given his girlfriend's number to his father during the break when she came to spend a week at his home in Beverly Hills. "She asked me if I had been informed that my son was suffering from a case of tonsillitis, and if I did know, why was I not hurrying my butt over to him. That she didn't care if I was some hotshot producer who could spend billions, none of it could buy me a degree in being a good father if I would rather film movies than be at my son's side in the hospital." He put his phone away, leaning forward to fold his hands together in his lap. He smiled at his son, looking him over and feeling relieved to see that he was okay. "I made Chauncy go over the speed limit to get me to the private jet."
"It was both exhilarating and terrifying." The butler described his experience of speeding a car in a foreign country while listening to the voicemail of an angry teenage girl yelling at his boss.
Malcolm chuckled; his old friend and butler always did manage to make him laugh. "By the way, your little girlfriend is a real spitfire. You picked a good one."

Logan laughed himself; it hurt, but he didn't stop smiling. "I know."

"Hey baby, I brought the doctor with me, and she said…" Quinn had returned to the door, the doctor in tow with her, but she halted when she saw her boyfriend's father, and butler was in the room too. "Mr. Reese, Chauncy," she didn't know why but whenever she saw the two together, she felt like she had to curtsy.
Malcolm Reese waved at the girl, giving her a large grin. "Good to see you again, Quinn. Also, good to hear from you." He chuckled, seeing her embarrassed complex. On the bed, his son also tried to laugh, but a broken cough came out of him instead.
She bit her lips together, remembering the heated voicemail she had left the older man. "I'm sorry about that, by the way." Her cheeks were a little flushed, now in the same room as the billionaire she scolded over the phone. She had been waiting all day and felt so angry that he could only be bothered to send a gift basket when his son was in the hospital after having surgery. She was glad he had come, but now she felt like she couldn't look him in the eye.
"Don't be," he waved her off, motioning for her and the doctor to come in. He watched the young girl come around the bed to stand by his son's side. Instantly, Logan overturned his hand, palm up and asking for her to hold his. She responded by intertwining their fingers without a moment of hesitation. "Besides, I think this'll be a really funny story to tell in the future." He said with a knowing smile on his face.

Quinn and Logan looked at each other in confusion, not really sure what that smile was all about.

"Mr. Reese, it seems you have a lot of people who care about you." The doctor spoke up as she called for a nurse to come in as well. She walked to the end of the bed and grabbed the boy's chart. "Your surgery was a success, and thankfully, the antibiotics are working well to eliminate the infection in your throat. I would say you should be good to home in about 2-3 days." She placed the chart back, looking at the young man who seemed to be fighting to stay away. Not surprisingly, most of her patients who had the surgery and procured he had usually slept it off.
A nurse came into the room, bringing a carton of fresh water to fill up the empty cup. Only Chauncy intervened, taking the carton to fill up the water himself, and handed it to the young man he served along with his father. Both the doctor and nurse looked at each other in bewilderment, but neither said anything. "Anyway, I'm going to continue the antibiotics after you've been discharged but be sure to check in with your physician if your throat starts hurting again. The soreness will be there for a few days, but if you have trouble swallowing, get it checked out immediately." She looked at the teen boy, who seemed to be nodding along but was more likely fighting to stay awake than paying attention. "The good thing is, by tomorrow, you'll find it easier to speak, and you'll be able to eat all the ice cream you want." That bit of news always managed to bring a smile onto people's faces. Bidding the group farewell, she told the boy to rest up and that she would be back to check on him in an hour.

Leaving the room with the nurse, the two giggled.
"Was that an actual butler in the room?"
"I think so."

They laughed down the hall; this was a strange encounter they would be sure to tell the other nurses and doctors.

"Looks like you'll be stuck here for a few days, buddy." Malcolm put a comforting hand on his son's arm, rubbing it up and down in a comforting motion. Sighing to himself, he looked around the room. He was taking in the depressing four walls that would be his son's home for the next few days. "How about I get them to install a new tv in here? I mean, what even is that thing?" He stood up, Chauncy and him standing at the end of Logan's bed. The butler still held the carton of water in his hands, and Mr. Reese took a quick whiff of the liquid and scoffed. "And what is this, tap water? No, we'll have fresh spring water shipped out, and I'll get a chef to deliver all your meals personally." He was already whipping out his cell phone to make the call to ensure his son's stay would be in total comfort.

"Dad," Logan croaked out, halting his father and their butler from doing anything else. Curly locks bounced as he shook his head back and forth. "I'm fine," he took a deep breath, trying to gather his strength to say more but found that it was harder to say more than two words at a time.
Malcolm looked at his son with a confused expression. "But son…?"
Logan shook his head again, not letting his dad get a word in. "I have…everything I need…right here." He looked at Quinn, smiling brightly, when he saw her staring down at him. The love shining in her beautiful brown eyes was enough to make him feel more like himself. If he had her with him, staying by his side through this time, he had everything he would ever need.

If Chauncy were one to express emotions, he would be there hanging with his mouth wide open, but instead, he opted to give a wide eye expression to his boss instead. "Well, would you look at that," Malcolm said incredulously, arms proudly folded over his chest as he watched his son and girlfriend make eyes at each other. They seemed to forget that they weren't the only ones in the room.
Malcolm worked a lot when his son was growing up and missed out on many moments the boy had gone through. He often sent presents and gifts to compensate for his lack of attention and involvement in the boy's life. Sadly, that had led him to being rather spoiled. He didn't grow up with the same luxuries his son had; he had worked hard every day to get where he was in life. Seeing his son become lazy and spoiled bothered him, but he knew he had no one to blame but himself. He hadn't been sure what to do with the boy once he graduated high school and went to college, but his worries slowly disappeared when his son sent a certain message one day. It all started when he got an email from Logan, talking in great detail about a girl he had really liked, and they kissed. They had started dating in secret, telling only their parents. He hadn't thought much of the relationship, figuring it was a teen romance that would be over and done within a matter of time.

How wrong he was.

Soon he noticed that his son's credit card wasn't being used as much, and he made no more outlandish purchases except for a weird order of coffee supplies. He stopped getting phone calls from the dean about his son's misbehavior, and dare he say; it seemed like his son had become more mature. He didn't doubt it was due to the good influence of the young girl who had stolen his heart.

He noticed his son's phone bill had gone way up during summer break. Usually, he would have scolded the young man and taken away his call privileges, but when he heard the late-night chats, giggles, and how his son seemed to never stop smiling on the call, he found he couldn't do that. When the young girl finally came to visit them, he saw firsthand just how in love his son really was. He noticed in the first few emails his son sent about the relationship that he had switched from like to love rather quickly. He had to admit he had been worried the girl was taking advantage of his son, only wanting him for his money, and that would leave the boy with a broken heart. Only his fears disappeared when she came to stay for the week and insisted they cook a meal together one night. The security cameras in his kitchen caught the moments of them cooking homemade pasta together, a mini food fight breaking out in between a few too many kissing sessions, in his opinion. He had also been very concerned when she started pouring test tubes of red liquids into the food, but his son seemed not to be bothered by it.
It was a wonderful sight, something he didn't feel worthy of viewing after missing out on so much, but he was so happy that he got the chance to witness his son falling in love. He smiled proudly, chuckling when his son, the macho man as he so described himself, put on a pouty face and patted the side of the bed. Soon young giggles filled the room as he watched Logan move over to make room for Quinn to sit on the bed with him. Without missing a beat, his son rested his head below her shoulder as she played with the tips of his hair. The two seemed so content and happy together, whispering sweet nothings to one another. It didn't take the two long to get comfortable in each other's embrace, and within a few short moments, they seemed to fall asleep.

"Can you believe it, Chauncy?" Malcolm returned to his original seat, adjusting the blanket to cover both his son and his girlfriend in the hospital bed.
Said butler had brought the chair Quinn had been using over to sit beside his boss. "I am as astonished as you are, sir." He had seen Logan from the time he was a young babe. The boy was both theoretically and quite literally born with a golden spoon in his mouth. They had the pictures to prove it. He had always imagined the young man would continue to be spoiled and selfish into adulthood. However, it seems he was wrong.

The two let the young teens sleep, only minor twitches coming from either. They seemed perfectly content being in each other's arms. "Excuse me," the nurse from earlier had come back in. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. You'll have to come back tomorrow." She stepped forward to wake up the young girl but was stopped by the magazine Chauncy had been reading being pressed against her stomach.
Reaching into his wallet, Malcolm pulled out five one-hundred-dollar bills. "How about we let the kids rest up a bit more." He gave a knowing look. He knew better than anyone else that there was only so much money could do, but it certainly came in handy from time to time.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, the young nurse pocketed the money and hastily walked out of the room. "Stay as long as you like."

When it got to be too late, then he would wake up the kids, but for now, he would let them be together. However, he had a good idea that the girl would return tomorrow to keep his son company. It was a little silly, but he felt somewhat jealous of his son's relationship. He had tried to find this type of love, but it always seemed beyond his reach. Not for Logan, though. He could say without a doubt that his son had found the woman that he was going to marry. He didn't have any doubt about that. He also didn't have any doubt that it would be a very big and expensive wedding. That is just who his son is; he didn't see that changing anytime soon. Perhaps it was time to get him to start learning more about the business industry so that when he was ready, he could take over and pay for the wedding they both deserved