Coming Back to You ✔

52. August

"Dean, you've been here for days."

"I'm fine."

"I know you're fine, but you're starting to go crazy."

"I said I'm fine."

"Okay, you're starting to drive me crazy!"

Sophia and Dean stared at each other, and Sophia couldn't help the slight upwards quirk of her mouth at their squabbling. It felt, just a little bit, like normal.

"Just, go out and get some air," Sophia told him. "Go get a bagel or something. And bring me back one."

"You're not supposed to eat those yet."

Sophia leaned forward, ignoring the twinge in her side as she exerted herself more than she had since she got to the hospital. "Dean, I know you," she reminded him gently. "And I know you're going stir crazy in here. I'm perfectly fine, okay? Go take a walk, breathe some sort of fresh air, and get something other than hospital food to eat. It'll probably do us both good."

He frowned, but Sophia could see his resolve weakening. "You'll text me if anything changes?"

She nodded.

He squeezed her hand. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"I know." She watched him leave, shaking her head after him.

It's not that she didn't want him there. Hell, having him with her was a dream come true. But she was also more than capable of taking care of herself for a little while, and after all she put him through, the last thing Sophia wanted to do was add more misery to his plate.

Dean needn't have worried though. Sophia wasn't devoid of visitors for long.

She rolled her eyes when she heard the knock on the door, preparing herself to chastise Dean for taking all of a five-minute break, when Blake came into view. The words died on the tip of her tongue as she stared at her friend.

"Hi," Sophia finally said.

"You've just been cleared for more visitors," Blake told her. "Is it, uh, is it okay if I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

Blake sat in Dean's empty seat. "So, this is weird," he finally said.

With as straight a face as she could manage, Sophia held out her hand. "Hi," she said. "I'm Sophia Shelby, I'm a nurse in the Emergency Department of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and I moved to New York a few months ago because I was being threatened by my serial killer ex-boyfriend."

The tension broke, and Blake broke into a laugh. He took her hand and shook it, shaking his head. "You know, when I figured there was something up with you," he said, still laughing, "that was definitely not my first guess."

"I'd be concerned about you if it was," Sophia pointed out.

"Fair enough. Although, you being an E.D. nurse makes a lot of things about you make a whole lot more sense. Those compressions were not the compressions of a high school lifeguard."

"I know." Sophia's expression dropped slightly. "I am sorry for lying to you," she told him. "And if it helps, I really did work as a lifeguard when I was in high school."

"You know, in terms of excuses for lying, I'd say yours is a good one," Blake pointed out.

"I suppose it is."