Soda drove into the parking lot of the wing of St. John's hospital which had been added just five years prior, pulling right in between the lines of a space. He then turned to Steve, who sat in the passenger seat of the truck he'd bought upon being promoted back in '75, having noticed his best friend had barely said two words during the ride over. "So do you want to hang out here till nine or head inside?"

Steve unbuckled his seatbelt, fiddling with the air vents that were in front of him as he answered. "We can stay here. It's only twenty minutes."

Soda took the key from the ignition, watching at Steve fidgeted a lot more than usual. "Okay. I swear I ain't tryin' to hover or anything, but you've been awfully quiet for a while now. Since we got in the truck and even at breakfast."

"Yeah. I guess I got tired of talking so much. You've sure listened to enough since yesterday."

"I'll listen as much as you need or want."

"I know."

Soda tried to be comfortable with the silence that then descended between them, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel as he decided on the best way to fill it. "Buddy, I wonder if-"

"I'm allowed to stop, Soda. I don't have to keep talking about anything if I don't want to. I'm almost thirty years old now. I'm not a kid anymore, and I don't need you to treat me like one!"

Soda didn't have time to reply before Steve slid out of the truck, hearing the slam of the door as his friend stalked away. Getting out of the truck himself, Soda followed behind Steve, who was heading toward the side of the hospital building. "Steve, where are you going? Come on, I wasn't even about to say you have to talk. Would you get back here and let me finish?"

Steve didn't heed Soda's words, his feet taking him to an area close to the rear of the building, where he could see the main entrance of the hospital, as well as that of the emergency room. He stared at the doors he'd gone through with his dad almost eleven years ago, mesmerized by the memory that felt like a ghost.

Soda briefly hesitated, stopping a few feet behind Steve. "I'm not tryin' to treat you like a kid. I was just going to say that I wonder if you should also go and do somethin' else today too. To help you stay calm and okay. And get your mind somewhere that ain't painful. Whatever you want, all right? Even if it's just takin' a walk."

Steve watched as an ambulance pulled up in front of the emergency room doors, paramedics then rolling a person on a stretcher inside. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It didn't even matter what you were saying, I still shouldn't have done that. I guess I'm feeling pretty insecure, not that that's an excuse."

Soda took this as his cue to step closer, his hands gripping both of Steve's shoulders. "It's okay. All I really care about is knowin' you hear me. If it helps, when I said you were quiet, I just meant that I noticed a change. Maybe I'm hyper alert right now, but that means somethin' a lot of the time."

Steve kept his eyes forward, still focused on the spot that had become a symbol of 'before' and 'after,' the ER a dividing line that split his life in two. "Yeah, it does. But I'm also pretty tired. The burst of energy wore off."

"And left what in its place?"

"It's hard to say. Reflection. Weakness. Doubt."

Soda followed Steve's gaze to the other sections of the hospital campus, easily picking up on where his best friend's mind had likely gone in the past few minutes. "It must be hard not to think about that every time you come here."

"I actually didn't last night. My mind didn't have space for it. A lot like when you got shot. I couldn't think about anything or anybody else. The rest of my world just stopped."

"I've sure felt like that before. Too many times." Soda's eyes shifted from the emergency room doors, moving up to the windows of the hospital's higher floors, several memories having left an indellible mark on him as well. "But you know what always comes after that feeling when we find out everything will be okay?"

"Relief?"

"Well, yeah. But I meant life starts movin' again. Whatever comes next, the world keeps on turnin'."

"Relax, Son. I don't need anything right now. They've been taking really good care of me."

Steve's eyes searched the CCU cubicle Nicholas had been transferred to early that morning, finding a water pitcher on a wheeled cart near the foot of the bed. He scrambled up from his chair to grab it, pouring some water into a small plastic cup, then handing it over to his dad. "Take this. I know you must need to be taking in a lot of fluids. I don't want you to get dehydrated."

Nicholas took a sip of the water, mostly to satisfy his son. "I won't. Now, tell me about your night. Did you and Liv get some sleep?"

Steve avoided Nicholas' gaze as he sat back down, hoping his expression wouldn't give him away. "Yeah. Enough. Not much else to be said about that. So, um, do you need me to go by your house and pick up some stuff? I know you'll probably be here a while."

"Audrey is bringing me a bag as soon as she comes today." Nicholas held the cup of water out to Steve. "Can you please set this on the table, Son? It hurts if I stretch too far."

Steve took the cup, putting it on the wooden table to the right of Nicholas' bedside, his own chair next to it. "Are you in a lot of pain? If you are, I can get a nurse to give you something to help."

"I'm getting medicine in my IV already. I suppose that's why I'm just a little bit sore right now."

"Oh. Okay." Steve's hands sought out Nicholas', his fingers wrapping tight around his dad's in a desperation that pleaded for something to do to ease his suffering. "What about your job? Do I need to call the store?"

"Audrey said she would this morning." Nicholas settled into his pillow, his eyes closing as his body reminded him how worn out it still felt less than twelve hours post-surgery. "You can just sit and be here with me, Son. That's all I need. It's all I even want."

Steve watched Nicholas' chest move up and down with each breath he took. Laying his head on the edge of the mattress, he whispered a prayer for his dad, trying to be okay with realizing this was the most he could do for the time being as the world continued to turn despite their brush with tragedy and the start of an uncharted path back to normalcy.

Soda stepped out of Nicholas' room, quietly closing the door as a nurse was inside taking note of his vitals. Going through the doors that separated the CCU from the rest of the hospital, Soda went back toward the closest waiting room, only to look in and find that Steve wasn't there. He ventured farther down the hallway, looking around each corner until he spotted his best friend on the floor of a vending area, knees tucked under his chin as he gazed out a tall window. "Hey, I've been lookin' for you. Nurse kicked me out of the room 'cause visiting time's over till 1:00. Your dad's still sleepin' anyway though."

Steve leaned his head on the wall, lifting his wrist to glance at the watch that told him it was just past 11:00. "Good. He needs that more than anything else."

Soda slipped some coins into the vending machine, which then dispensed two bags of potato chips. He handed one to Steve as he joined him on the floor, looking out the window to see a courtyard and fountain closely resembling the scene outside the windows of the main hospital. "So, I'm thinkin' we should head back to my place. It probably ain't the best idea to stay here all the time, especially when-"

"I don't give a damn if you think it's not the best idea. I should be here. He's my dad, Soda. I can't just leave and go live my life like everything's perfectly fine. It's not fine! Nothing is okay, and you can't convince me it is!"

Soda held back his response at first, watching Steve's face and seeing the emotions dance across his expression, every clue there reminding him how tired his friend had to be. "I won't try, Stevie. 'Cause I know you don't feel all right. I understand, and it's okay that you're hurtin'."

Steve felt a heaviness in his eyelids, the gentle way Soda was talking to him making him wish he hadn't snapped at his best friend twice in less than three hours time. "I don't know what it's worth coming from me, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking my pain out on you."

Soda put his arm around Steve's shoulders just as the other man hid his face in his lap. "Buddy, your dad is sleepin'. I saw him too, you know. I think he looks like he's doin' pretty good. You've only had a few hours of sleep, and that ain't enough. Nowhere close. So let's leave for a bit, and you can sleep at my place. Or I can drive you home."

"My car's there. I can drive myself home."

"Yeah, but... I just would rather you didn't, all right? You're exhausted, Stevie, and I don't want you fallin' asleep at the wheel. There ain't a whole lot I can do to help right now, so please let me make sure you're safe."

Steve turned his head so that he could see Soda, the concern on his friend's face extinguishing any protests he could even think about making. "Okay. I won't drive till I've slept. It's pretty hard to argue when you put it like that."

Soda reached for both his own and Steve's bag of chips, opening each one. "That was basically my plan, buddy."

Steve took his bag back from Soda, then resumed gazing out the window as he ate. "You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"Us. How we can always calm each other down. I know you must be really tired too though, so I'll try to quit snapping at you. I'll do better, Soda, I swear."

"I can handle it. I know it ain't personal, and it only happens 'cause we're comfortable lettin' one another see how things truly are. We don't gotta hide anything ever."

"Yeah. That's funny too. Unusual. Rare. Beautiful."

Soda saw Steve's eyelids droop shut, his head leaning against the window. He then nudged his friend's shoulder. "All right, buddy. When you're fallin' asleep here, it's definitely time to go."

Steve felt Soda help him to his feet, his body easily obeying as he walked with his best friend, creating a memory that would be hazy, but one he'd never forget nonetheless.

"Hey, Liv. Come on in. Steve's fast asleep on the couch."

Olivia followed Soda inside, looking toward the living room to see her husband beneath a blanket, his breathing steady but almost silent. She felt the urge to touch him, deciding against it, as she didn't want to disturb the rest he sorely needed. "I didn't wake up until almost 10:00 myself. How was Nicholas doing this morning?"

Soda pulled a chair out for Olivia before taking a seat at the kitchen table himself. "He seemed okay. Just healin' like he's supposed to be. He's obviously not up and around yet. I'm not sure when he'll be able to get out of bed."

"Probably soon. Moving around will be part of helping him recover from the surgery." Olivia stole a glance at Steve, noticing how his hand was clutching the blankets that lay over him. "I can't believe I kept sleeping for so long after he left our bed. I would've thought I'd sense that he was gone."

"Aw, you were tired too. That's all."

Olivia's eyes moved back to Soda, able to understand why Steve always spoke so highly of his best friend. "How's he been today? I was so worried last night. I've never seen Steve look so distraught."

"He's been..." Soda trailed off as he also looked at Steve, remembering how his friend's anxiety had erupted in reflective contemplation and bouts of irritability, leaving him worn out and contrite, "about like I'd expect, I guess. Just tryin' to figure stuff out and see straight. I'd say he's less emotional that yesterday. Probably 'cause he's gotten to see Nicholas is going to be all right. I think it's hard for him not bein' able to do a lot too, you know? Things are mostly just waitin' and watchin' right now, and Steve's one who always wants to help. When he can't, it's enough to drive him crazy."

Steve looked over the edge of the cliff, the drop so massive that the ground below couldn't be seen. "Take my hand, Dad! Please!"

Nicholas' fingers clung to the cliff, his feet dangling between him and certain death as he grasped his son's hand.

Steve grabbed Nicholas' other hand and started to pull him up, using all his weight to pull his dad to safety. "I've got you! Please hold on!"

Nicholas felt his body begin to ascend the cliff's edge, only for his hands to slip from Steve's grip and send him hurtling toward the ground below.

"No! Dad!"

Olivia was the first to reach Steve's side as he tossed and turned about, his fists clutching the blanket even tighter than they had been.

"Dad! I need you! Please don't die!"

Soda approached next, kneeling down beside Steve as Olivia was stroking his cheek. "Hey, wake up, Stevie. It's just a dream. Your dad's okay."

Olivia laid her forehead against Steve's as he struggled to pull himself out of the nightmare. "Come on, sweetie. I'm here, and Soda's here. Everything's fine. Please open your eyes."

Soda touched Steve's shoulder, rubbing it as he watched his friend start to relax. "That's it, buddy. You can keep sleepin'. Me and Liv are right beside you. Nothin' in that dream can hurt you either."

Olivia slowly drew her hand away from Steve's cheek, her husband's head sinking back onto the pillow Soda had given him. "I wonder if he had nightmares last night."

"Maybe. He didn't mention it though." Soda couldn't resist the urge to tuck the blanket more securely around Steve, their years as roommates ingrained in him. "But he doesn't always remember the dreams. Which is probably a good thing."

Olivia took a short moment to brush her lips against Steve's forehead, then followed Soda back over to the table. "I had nightmares after my appendectomy, but I just always woke up during them. That was enough to help me calm down, even if I didn't fall back asleep right away."

"Yeah. It can help to open your eyes and see the dream ain't real. I had nightmares a lot after the robbery, and they woke me up too. I think Steve's had them for so long that he's had to learn to sleep through them. Though I'm pretty sure this one today was real different from the rest. So, um, I know you've probably got a lot on your mind right now, but can I ask you somethin' about Mallory?"

"I'm sure I don't have any more on my mind than you do. What's up?"

"Well, I guess I'm just wonderin'... has Mallory mentioned anything about me lately?"

"Oh. Maybe a time or two." Olivia smiled as she thought of the many times her best friend of nine years had talked about Soda just recently. "Or ten. She talks about you a lot."

"I'm not pressin' for details here, but is it good stuff?"

"As if Mallory has anything bad to say about her Sodapop. She wouldn't be spending her energy to talk if she didn't love you."

"I know she loves me. But I also know she really wants to be married. I hope I'm not just disappointin' her."

"You aren't. Trust me."

"Well, anyway, I wanted to know if you'd help me pick out a ring for her soon. Maybe this weekend? I'd just kind of like a lady's eye for this, you know?"

"Of course! I'd love to!"

Soda couldn't help but grin at Olivia's enthusiasm, seeing how genuine it truly was. "I probably still won't propose right away 'cause I want everybody to be able to enjoy that with us. So I'd like to wait till Nicholas has healed some more. Once he does, I'll take Mallory out and pop the question."

"And she'll say yes."

"Yeah." Soda looked over at Steve again, part of him wishing his friend was awake so he could share what he'd come to realize. "I hope so."

"Are you kidding? Mallory is head over heels for you, Soda. No one on the planet loves you more than she does. Well, except maybe my husband. If he were awake right now, I'm sure he'd object to the 'maybe.'"

"He definitely would. Steve ain't shy about that at all."

"Which I find endearing. In any case, Mallory will say yes when you propose, and then I'll get my turn to be maid-of-honor."