Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
SMOTHER YOUR GRIEF ──────
AS SOON AS RUBY STEPS OUT OF THE ELEVATOR, SHE SPOTS THE SIBLINGS STANDING IN THE WAITING ROOM. She immediately pockets her phone and hands her laptop off to Cara, who takes them silently, standing off to the side of the waiting room.
Shiv meets her first, eyes red from tears and cheeks flushed from the exertion. Ruby hugs her, patting her back reassuringly as she looks over her shoulder at the rest of the family laying in wait. Her eyes roam over Tom, who's got the decency to look worried, though Ruby can't imagine it runs all that deep.
She sees Roman, but he's skittish and obviously nervous, so there's no chance of eye contact. Connor gives her a brief smile, and Willa does, too, but Willa looks uncomfortable to be there, and Ruby's never been close with Connor, so it doesn't mean much for either of them to comfort each other.
When her eyes land on Kendall, he's already looking at her, and she unintentionally squeezes Shiv a little tighter when she sees the despondent, desolate look in his eyes.
Clearing her throat, Ruby looks away and pulls out of the hug, keeping her hands on Shiv's shoulders. "What happened?"
"They think he had a stroke," Shiv says, voice shaky and vulnerable in a way she hates to show. "They just moved him in here." She gestures over her shoulder at the glass doors that show the room where only Marcia is sitting. Ruby can't decide if that was because the kids didn't want to see their father in such a state, or because they couldn't. In the end, it's kind of the same thing, so she doesn't bother to differentiate.
She hums, nodding slowly. "I'm sure he's going to be fine, especially if he's already in his own room. Nothing to worry about,"
She steps back from Shiv, waving a hand as if dismissing the jumbled mess of emotions all of the Roy children were experiencing. Her eyes meet Kendall's again, and she pointedly looks towards the hallway before looking back at him. "Kendall, can I talk to you really quick?"
She gestures vaguely, but he nods and she turns on her heel, leading them down the hall a bit further from Logan's room. When they stop, she turns to face him again, face softening when she sees that haunted look in his eyes expand in the quiet hall.
"Kendall," Ruby shakes her head, eyeing her friend pitifully. "What happened?"
He seems to flounder for a moment, not even stuttering out unintelligible words or noises. He clicks his mouth shut audibly and shifts, eyeing Ruby. "So– like– where were you?"
"What?"
"You weren't at the office," He cocks his hip, hands falling to squeeze at his waist in an attempt to feel like he's not floating outside of his body anymore. "I looked for you, after I got the– the call. And you weren't there."
