Right by your side

Hospital

Stef stayed the night at the hospital. Jude wanted to himself but he wasn't allowed too. They just said that he could visit her tomorrow.
It was only Lena, Brandon, Mariana and Jude at the house. It wasn't empty but it felt empty. Callie and Stef were one piece each to this puzzle which made up family. Which made up love.
Brandon didn't sleep that night. How could he. Things between him and Callie were over but that didn't mean he didn't care. Because he did. You could have seen it in his eyes as he looked at her in the hospital bed. Like he tried so hard to hold back tears.
Before he knew it morning had broken. Which terrified him. He had to see Callie today.

They all sat at the kitchen table. Not a word was spoken other than "good morning" and "how'd you sleep?"
It was this loud emptiness.
"So we're going to see Callie today." Lena began.
"Good. It's been one night and I miss her already." Mariana said.
"Yeah. The place isn't the same without her isn't it" Lena replied.
Brandon raised his eyes as he stared Into his cereal. His expression saying 'you got that right'
"So how long is she gonna be in hospital for?" Mariana asked as she bit on a piece of toast.
"Um, just a few weeks. It didn't cause any damage to any major organs so she'll be fine." Lena responded calmly.
She noticed Jude looking down at the table.
"She's gonna be ok. Ok?" Lena smiled.

When they got to the hospital they found Stef sitting in one of the waiting room chairs. You could tell she had hardly slept. With her poor posture and her dark under eyes. She looked like hell.
"Hey Hun." Lena said sitting down next to her. "You look..nice." She smiled.
"Don't get me started." Stef shook her head.
"Where's Callie?" Brandon asked.
"She's in with a doc now. We can go in after they're done." Stef mumbled.
Lena looked at her. "Honey. You need sleep. You've been here all night. Go home. Get some rest."
"I can't leave Callie."
"She'll understand. And besides we're all here."
She looked over at her wife and kissed her cheek.
"Yeah." She yawned.

Not long after Stef left the doctor walked out of the room.
"Oh, come on guys." Lena said standing up.
They all walked over to Callie's Room and opened the door.
"Hey." She said as they entered the room.
She looked better. She even sounded better. She now has colour to her face and a shine in her eyes.
"Hey, sweaty." Lena said as she touched her shoulder.
A smile stretched across Jude's face as he reached over to her. She threaded her fingers through his hair as she too smiled.
"God, why couldn't you have a nice view" Mariana began. "All I see is dirt."
She turned towards Callie. "You deserve a good view, you know after being shot and all."
Callie smiled.
"I couldn't care less about the view."
She looked over at Brandon, who was slumped in the door frame. Black long sleeve shirt and his hair undone with dark curls falling over his face.
He smiled at her with that little smile he always did. The one with no teeth just a slight curve of the lips.
She smiled back and their stare was broken off by Mariana again.
"Please don't tell me you have to eat that?" She said disgustingly holding the lid to a hospital meal. That consisted of sloppy potato mash and peas with some beef and gravy. It may of sounded good. But it certainly didn't look it.
"Yeah. I prefer not to eat...that."
"I'll go get you some food." Lena said standing up.
"Oh no. It's fine really."
"Callie, if you really don't want to eat is rather you be temped by crisps and chocolate than sloppy mash." She smiled. "I'll be right back. Do you guys want anything too?mariana? Jude?"
"Uh, yeah... I'll just come with you." Jude replied.
Just as they were about to step out of the door Mariana spoke.
"Wait. Wait for me. I gotta pee."
As she left the room there was only one person left. Brandon.
He was still resting against the wall in front of Callie. Arms crossed.
He undid his arms and got off the wall.
"So how do you feel?" He knew it was a stupid question and yet he asked it anyway. It was more of an ice breaker.
He sat in the chair next to the bed.
"Like I just go shot." She said back quickly then smiled.
He smiled to then looked down. "Sorry. Dumb question."
"No. It's cool. It's just when you almost die things just seem weird."
"Yeah. So did you have one of those bright light, meeting an angel experiences?" He asked sarcastically.
She looked away and laughed a little. Ignoring the fact that it sent pains through her chest.
"No." She looked over at him. "But I did have like a dream thing."
"You did? Uh, what was it about?"
He leant back in his chair and crossed his arms again.
"It was a memory. Of when we first met."
"At the kitchen table?" He smiled.
"Yeah. It was weird. You know. Seeing that again."
"Yeah I bet."
"But as for the dying part. No" she swallowed and licked her dry lips.
"Yeah well. I knew that if you were going to die it would be something dangerous." He exaggerated the word 'dangerous'.
She looked over at him. Her mouth turning in a smirk.
"You've been thinking about how I'll die ?" She asked with a grin. "Are you waiting for me to die?" She giggled. "Because I'm not dead, if you can't tell."
He looked into her eyes and let out a small laugh.
"No of coarse not." He smiled then looked down "If you died I would loose my goddam mind."
He hadn't even realised what he had said. His smile turned into a serious look as he looked up at her.
She was now just staring at him. A little in shock of what he had just said.
Their eyes locked and past on present just fell away.
Just as Callie's lips curled into a smirk the door opened and Lena walked in followed by Jude and Mariana. They both looked away and Brandon stood up immediately.
Here you all, cal."
Lena said as she handed her a packet of BBQ chips and what smelt like hot chocolate.
"Thank you." She said.
She didn't know why but her eyes were forced to look at him again.
They did and when they caught his it was like they never separated.

It was time to go and as they were leaving the room Brandon was last out.
He shut the door behind him and jay as he was about to walked off he looked at her one more time.
Then his figure faded away into nothing.