When Mason came home from the hospital last night, he didn't expect to fall asleep that easily, especially not without Alina by his side. But he did, and it was a very long sleep.
It was around 11 a.m. when he woke up. He checked his phone to see a message from Ben, asking if he could come over. Mason texted back with a yes.
Everyone was aware of the situation with Alina, but no one really dared talk to Mason about it. He's been very distant and quiet about it all, not going on social media or talking on the phone with his friends. It was all a distraction to him, but he could really use a friend right now, and Ben is that friend.
He decided to get a shower, just like Alina had told him to do. It wasn't a long one; he put on a comfortable outfit and let his hair dry. He walked down the stairs just in time to open the door for Ben, who had rung the doorbell.
It's the first time in a month they see each other. Mason opened the door, and Ben embraced him with a warm brotherly hug.
"You good, bro?" Ben asked
"All good, come in," Mason said, letting him in.
They walked over to the couch in the living room. "You look tired, bro," Ben chuckled slightly.
"Probably because I slept long," Mason said with a tired smile.
"How is she?" Ben asked.
"Good", Mason nodded, "she's having the surgery tomorrow," he added.
"That's good; I'd love to see her, but maybe it's best after the surgery, so she doesn't get too overwhelmed," Ben said.
Mason looked at him and nodded. "You can come whenever you want," he assured him.
"Are you coming back to training if surgery goes well?" Ben asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, maybe... she'll be able to go home the day after, and her parents are here, so I'm pretty sure they're not going to allow me to miss training," Mason slightly chuckled.
"Maybe it's a good thing; clear your head a bit," Ben said, a bit hesitant, not wanting it to come out the wrong way.
"Yeah, maybe," Mason said, looking down at his feet.
"You going back to the hospital now?" Ben asked
"No, a bit later," Mason replied.
"Alright. I think I have to go now tho," Ben said, taking a look at his watch. "I'm going out for lunch," Ben said with a shy smile, Mason instantly knew who he was on about.
"No way, you're still going out with that girl?" Mason asked shocked.
"Don't act surprised," Ben rolled his eyes.
"No, I am surprised; you're known for being with a different girl every week," Mason laughed.
"Naah, you're getting it wrong, mate," Ben said, trying to convince himself that Mason wasn't saying the truth.
They talked a bit more near the door, but then Ben left and Mason went straight to the kitchen to eat something. He hadn't been eating that much either; it was probably because of the lack of sleep and loss of appetite.
He made himself a simple sandwich and poured some water for himself, eating his food while watching videos on YouTube.
———
"Tell them I'm sleeping," Alina whispered annoyedly to her mom, who was on the phone with relatives.
Her mom rolled her eyes and left the room, leaving Alina alone for a moment. She felt at peace for once; the past week has been intense, and she hasn't had some time for herself at all.
Being stuck in this hospital room made her crazy. She feels trapped and so small in the room. The days go by slower and slower every day; sometimes she doesn't even remember if she's gone to sleep, and she's so hungry. She hasn't been able to eat much because of her sore throat.
"Your dad is getting food; want anything?" her mom appeared again, with the phone in her ear.
"No," Alina answered bluntly.
"Alina, you need to eat something," her mom said.
"I'm not hungry, as I've told you a thousand times," she sighed.
"It's the last meal before surgery."
"Mom, I don't want to eat; I can't stand food right now," Alina said, raising her voice at her mom.
"Get her a vanilla milkshake," she heard her mom whisper before hanging up the phone.
"Wanna tell me what's going on?" she sat on the bed.
"Can you leave me alone, mom? I need some space right now," Alina admitted.
"Is something going on? Did something happen with Mase?" She asked concerned.
"It has nothing to do with him; I'm just tired, and I want to be alone for some time, please."
"Honey-"
"Mom, please leave before I start yelling at you; I'm tired and I need peace and quiet; I'm suffocating with everyone being in this room 24/7; I can't anymore." She started to get emotional, close to breaking down in tears even.
Her mom looked at her, understanding. She placed a kiss on Alina's forehead before walking up to the door. "Tell me if you need anything," she said before leaving the room and shutting the door after her.
Alina let out a deep breath and wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. She leaned back and just laid there, thinking about everything that was worrying her.
———
It was later in the afternoon, and Mason had gone for a run and managed to relax a bit before deciding to leave the house to go to the hospital.
Before going to the hospital, he went over to Alina's apartment to get her some new clothes for when she leaves the hospital. He also got her favorite snacks from her pantry, just in case she wanted to eat something before midnight.
Once he had arrived at the hospital, he found Peter and Lisa sitting outside the room. "Is everything ok?" Mason asked instantly, worried.
Lisa stood up, calming him down. "She just wanted some alone time," she explained.
"How long?" he asked.
"It's been 2 hours; maybe she'll feel better seeing you," Peter said.
Mason nodded. He opened the door to the room, finding her sitting there, watching TV.
"Hello, beautiful," Mason walked in. "Hey, Mase," she smiled, watching him shut the door and walk up to her.
"I bought you some clothes for after the surgery and snacks," he smiled as he took a seat on the bed.
"Thank you," she leaned in to kiss him on the lips.
"Is everything ok?" he softly asked as he put the bag, with clothes and snacks in it, down.
She nodded with a weak smile. "Can you lay down next to me...I could use a cuddle," she said with a weak smile.
Mason smiled and didn't hesitate for a second. He took his jacket off as Alina made some space for him to lay down.
He carefully laid down next to her, putting his arm under her neck so she could almost use it as a pillow.
She turned around and put her arm around his waist, cuddling into him. "I'm sorry about all of this," she whispered.
"What are you sorry about?" he asked, looking down at her.
"Instead of enjoying the few days off and doing something fun, you're stuck here, having to deal with me," she sighed.
"When are you going to stop apologizing for something you can't control?" Mason asked, pulling her closer to him.
"You're my priority, remember? I don't care about anything else," he assured her, and placed a kiss on top of her head.
"I love you," she looked up at him with a smile on her face.
"I love you," he smiled back.
