Something In Between: Sequel to On The Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 49

"Hey, Sarah," I said as I pulled myself from Billy's side and tried to dry my tears. "I'm glad you're here."

"Of course, I'm here; I'm his wife." A snap to her voice made it clear that she wasn't glad I was there.

"I'm going to update Mary," I added with a sympathetic nod to Billy.

Their conversation started before the door shut behind me, and I couldn't help but catch it.

"Seriously, I fly halfway across the country to find you in bed with your ex?" Sarah shot.

"Oh, fuck off, Sarah, that's so far from what you walked in on. And I think you flew halfway across the country because I was in an accident. I'm fine, by the way, although I should tell the doctor that I recently started to have a real pain in the ass."

"Billy, what am I supposed to think? You're here all wrapped up in her blubbering. What is she, a child? Shit, Viv seems to be stronger than her, and she's three!"

"Shut the hell up, Sarah. Don't talk about Lil that way. Just because you have no feelings doesn't mean no one does. I won't apologize for Lil. Why don't you just go away? You've fulfilled your tabloid need to show up at my bedside."

"Screw you, Billy. Just because I'm not a crying child doesn't mean I haven't been just as panicked."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Billy's voice was so cold that it sent a shiver through me. I had never heard him speak to anyone in that manner, let alone someone he loved.

I aimlessly gazed up and down the hallway, wishing I had paid attention to the path here instead of the doctor's shiny shoes.

"Excuse me," I started at a nearby nurse's station. "Can you point me back toward Tim Denning's room?"

She scrolled through something on her screen. "Oh, you know what? I have to go that way; let me walk with you."

"Thank you; I was distracted on the way here." I gratefully smiled.

"And all the hallways look the same," she offered back.

We walked in comfortable silence. I kept thinking that if I needed a doctor, I'd want it to be this woman. It felt easy to be near her.

"Here you go," she said when we arrived. "T. Denning; have a good night." As quickly as she had appeared, she was gone.

"Hey," I smiled as I entered the room. "He's good and making jokes at Tim's expense."

"Really?" Tim perked up immediately.

"Yep, a nasty bump on his head and some bruised ribs, but he's going to be fine," I elaborated.

"See, was it so hard to give an update without a bunch of acronyms? Lil, you should be a doctor," Mary exclaimed.

"Yeah, that would work out great except when I had to see or smell blood," I shrugged. "Sarah is in with him now, but Mary, I know Billy wants to see you."

"I bet he does." There was a tone in Mary's voice that I somehow connected to the strain between Billy and Sarah. "I'll be back soon."

"How many types of Jell-O do you think they have? I bet I could eat like forty cups. I hope they have green; it's my favorite," Tim was back to his babbling self at the news of Billy.

"Whose favorite Jell-O is green? That's like saying your favorite color is tan. Everyone knows yellow is the best Jell-O," I argued.

"What? No, Tess, tiebreaker," Tim called.

"Sorry guys, you're both wrong. First, Jell-O has flavors, not just colors; green is lime, yellow is lemon, and the best flavor, grape, is purple," Tess confidently explained.

"What kind of monster are you, and what have you done with my wife?" Tim exclaimed.

"Wow, Tim, I'm so sorry about your upcoming divorce," I offered.

"Seriously, guys, not funny," Tess shot.

"Sorry, babe, we're just playing." Tim pulled her closer to his bedside.

"So, speaking of strained relationships, uh, Billy and Sarah seem to..." I didn't know how to finish.

"Be struggling," Tess offered.

"Oh, let's call a spade a spade; those two hate each other right now," Tim added.

"What is going on there? I mean, neither of them is nice to the other. I've never seen Billy treat anyone as coolly as he treated her just now. Don't get me wrong, she was a bitch too, but he's usually still somewhat gentlemanly.

"Yeah, they've found some things that they disagree on lately," Tess was still trying to be even with her comments.

"Yeah, like all the things that have ever existed. I'm pretty sure Billy tried to argue the world was flat last week just to not agree with her." Tim's comments were not as kind.

"So, are they..."

"Nope," Tim answered before I finished. "I asked last week. Billy said it was just a phase, and they'd figure it out when she was back from the movie she's shooting."

"Huh, Sam and I got divorced, and we never hit a ruthlessly rude to each other phase. He was the one that showed up at my office this morning and told me about Billy. If it weren't for him, I'd probably still be a puddle on my office floor."

"Really? Aw, that's so sweet. I always liked Sam, even though he was a bit of a..." Tess let her words drop out.

"Pancake; a plain dry pancake," Tim finished.

"Tim, he wasn't that bad," I argued.

"Yeah, that was like his best descriptor; 'Sam- not that bad,'" Tim teased.

"Ugh, I can't believe I flew all the way here to get mocked." I shook my head.

"Oh, Lil, you love me. Don't deny it," Tim continued to tease.

"I came for Billy," I shot.

"Ouch, that stings," Tim flopped back on the bed in fake pain.

"And you. I honestly couldn't imagine losing any of you. It was the worst six hours of my life not knowing you were all okay," I admitted.

"I'm sorry, Lil," the teasing dropped from Tim's voice.

"It's okay; Billy put me back together again like he always does."

"I'm sure you pulled him together just as much," Tess offered. "I know you being here did wonders for Mary and me."

"And me, Lilipop." Tim stretched his hand out to me, and I clung to it.

"I love you," I whispered.