"There's no way that it's not going there."
Whose to say moving across the country for a job and a best friend is a stupid decision? Oh, right, everyone she knew back home.
But where he was, that just had to be home. She just wasn't sure if she'd e...
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˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
Jackson was alone in the hospital room. Catherine and Ophelia stopped by after spending a few hours at Joe's, getting dinner and a few drinks to take the edge off, then to the hotel Catherine had got for the two of them since they both brought their luggage to the hospital.
April had left to grab takeout for her and Jackson. Everyone came and went into the room, checking for any updates or just to check in in general.
Derek left flowers. Haley came with a signed poster, and Cristina came in most frequently, silent as she checked all of Blair's vitals, the dressing around her incision, and then leaving again.
Jackson held her hand with both of him, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke to a God neither he nor Blair really believed in.
When she used to be asked if she was religious, she used to tell people, "Well, I'm Filipino, and therefore I've been baptized Catholic..." but she wasn't practicing.
He spoke out loud and in his head over and over, pleading that if he was ever going to ask God for just one thing, it would be for Blair to open her damn eyes already.
"Jackson," April called from the door, out of breathe and holding a bag of takeout. "I think you'll want to come out here and see this."
He shook his head. Nothing April could show him would be more important than not leaving Blair's side.
"Jackson," she pleaded, holding a hand out for him.
He stood up, letting April hold his hand and lead him out of the room and to the bridge catwalk that connected the wings of the hospital. He could hear muffled singing, and they stood on the bridge, looking out of the large windows that showed the front of the hospital. The sight almost brought him to tears as he grabbed the railing and looked out with a wavering smile.
Family members, students, faculty, survivors, stood in a crowd in the parking lot. They were all holding a candle. He could make out Haley at the front, holding a sign.
"They're singing Pacific College's alma mater," Meredith, who was already standing on the catwalk with the mother of another professor, told Jackson as she nudged his shoulder in an attempt to provide comfort.
He looked down at April and gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you," he whispered.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
Blair could feel the sensation of someone's thumb running across the backside of her hand as she felt like she was waking up from the longest nap of her life. Her head felt fuzzy, like she was still a bit sleepy, like she could maybe totally throw up now, and like her throat was sandpaper.
