paper rings (l.h.)

8

The Doctor found Luke and I before my Aunts got here.

He woke me up when the Doctor showed up, I had slept on his arm for at least half an hour while we waited. I looked up at Luke once I came to, then at the Doctor. I jumped onto my feet before he began:

"Broke her hip, it's a pretty textbook fall," the Doctor says to me as Luke stands mere inches behind us. Not too close, but close enough to where I knew he was there. "We'll fix it up and she'll be back to her normal routine like no time."

"Oh dear god," I nearly collapse when I hear that she's still around, and she will be around long enough to watch me be given away at the altar, long enough for me to ask more questions about her past and my Grandfather. I hug the Doctor once I hear the news, and once he and his entourage of students have left waiting area I walk back to where Luke sits. "A broken hip."

"Huh," Luke smiles, looking over at me when he realizes how we dodged a bullet. Had I not have been there, would she have fallen just to never be found? "I'm glad she's alright."

"I'm going to go see her," I bring myself to my feet, grabbing my items off of the seat beside me.

"No," he grabs my hand before I am able to walk too far away. "Visiting hours are 6 AM to 10 PM. They won't let you in."

"What? How do you know that?" I frown when I realize that he's probably right. "Even if I'm family?"

"They'll wait until she stabilizes," he explains as he carefully releases my hand, I look down at my feet as he explains: "but when your parents get here... they might. I don't know."

He pauses between sentences, taking a deep breath as he adjusts himself in his seat. I slowly sit beside him, helplessly dropping my shoulders and glancing at my phone just in case someone reaches out. No one does.

Luke licks his lips as he plays with the rings on his fingers, I watch his long digits as they twist and turn each silver ring he had collected. "My Dad died here two years ago. I took him to the ER every night for two months."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I look over at him, watching his jaw clench and release as he speaks. His eyes aren't as playful as they were when I first met him the other day. "I'm so sorry."

"It is what it is," he turns to me. "I'm not trying to belittle everything. It's a good sign they haven't come by yet, I have learned. Means they have nothing to tell you, at least not yet. They're still working on her..."

Luke's rambling does make me feel better, and if I wasn't paying much attention I'd have missed the release of tension from my jaw. I was still worried, nauseous, one moment away from yet another panic attack. But I didn't feel as alone as I usually did.

I found my head resting on Luke's shoulder when my Aunt and her booming voice began to funnel in, my eyes swollen and glossed over as the night turned to morning. Luke's soft snores had somehow rocked me to sleep, my arms crossed over my chest. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Mary?"

I flutter my eyes opened to expect the Doctor, who had finally come to tell me that she never made it past the ER. The new morning sun flooded in through the glass double doors from the ambulance dock, and the windows between each nurses' station. I felt my eyes widen when I see her kind eyes fonding down at me. "Hi, honey," she continues.

"Mama," I let out a breath of relief as I bring myself out of my seat, wrapping my arms around her. It had been months since I've seen her, and somehow I was her 20-something daughter holding onto her like a child. I couldn't help but let out a gentle sob into her arms, and I felt her hand gently rub my back as I took in a whiff of cigarettes and whatever Fabreeze spray she had sitting around her car. "They haven't said anything," I step back, straightening my clothes out as I try to collect myself. "Is Aunt Kim here yet?"

"We drove in together, they're getting you two breakfast now," she looks down at the stranger who had somehow become intermixed with my family, who look up at the two of us with red-rimmed, sleepy eyes and a sort of confused expression across his soft features.

"This is my friend, Luke," I introduce him, watching how he brings himself onto his feet. His long limbs take their time to adjust to the morning, and he snaps into consciousness with my Mom standing directly over him. "He kind of did most of everything. I was too much of a mess to think clearly."

He goes to open his mouth, somehow counterpoint whatever praise I'd give him for saving me and my Grandmother the evening before. My Mother instead engulfs him in the same hug that she gave me, as if she was one of her own. As if she hadn't seen him for months, she holds him tight.

"Thank you for watching over her," she says, muffled into his shoulder. I barely hear it, but I watch how his smile grows and his eyes flutter closed.

"You should go home," I look up at him as my Mom releases him from her embrace. "Get some sleep. We've got it from here."

"I just happened to be there, I didn't do much really," he shrugs, watching how my Mom turns to greet the rest of my family that plows through the doors. On the other side of the waiting room, she leaves us alone. "I can stay. If you need me to."

"I don't," I look up at him. "Not right now. You should sleep," I reach up to cup his cheek in my hand. I watch how he gently leans into it, closing his eyes slowly when his skin meets my fingertips. "I'm sorry last night ended so abruptly. I'm sorry you had to be there at all."

"I'm not," he looks down at me, placing his hand over mine. His fingers slowly take mine off of his face, holding it to his chest. His blue eyes reflect the early morning sunshine as they sparkle down at me, and somehow I find myself enchanted by them. I had been since he first showed up at the shop, and last night solidified it all. I can't remember the last time I fell for someone so quickly. "No one should go through that alone."

I pause, glancing over his shoulder to see my Mom holding off my family for awhile. Not that they're really paying much attention to us, anyway. Not that I blame them. "Did you? Is that why you stayed?"

He smiles gently, running his thumbs across my knuckles. His smile is melancholy, and I felt my apology fall out of my mouth before I got the chance to think about what exactly I was apologizing for. "Sorry, if that was-"

"It's alright," he looks down at my hand, gently releasing it from both of his hands to be held in just one. I felt comfortable holding his hand, so much so that I didn't notice that more and more people glanced in our direction. The hospital grew busier with each passing moment, it was nearly 6:30 AM. I was too immersed into his words and the situation at hand to notice. I watch as a shy grin fell across his face, as if he wasn't sure whether or not he should. "You should keep in touch. When you're ready."

"Okay," I nod, looking down at his sneakers. "I will."

I step forward to wrap my arms around his neck, his around my body. I burrowed my face into his neck, his strong embrace holding onto me until I let go. He still smelled of cologne from our date the morning before.

"Bye, Mary," Luke waves, turning around before exiting the hospital doors, and in the parking lot I watch as groups of teenagers stop and stare, nurses and security guards alike. I simply scoffed, grabbing my things off of the seat behind me and made my way towards my loved ones.