Breathe. {Rydellington AU}

21

Rydel still hadn't been able to see Ellington.

Her mom had promised she would be able to see him Friday afternoon, but she couldn't wait that long.

They had been texting, but it just wasn't the same.

She needed to see him, to hear his voice, to feel his arms wrapped tightly around her.

But Rydel was scared he wouldn't be able to hold her protectively like that for a while. From the text messages she got, he wasn't in the best condition, and he didn't seem to be getting better.

She sighed, got up from where she was laying on her bed, and walked down the stairs briskly.

Her mother had not gotten home from work yet and had promised her a ride when she did, which would be around 5.

"Riker?" She called.

"Yeah?" She hear his voice come from the kitchen.

Riker was sitting at the kitchen table, his glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. He was busy reading a book quietly, a habit he had acquired since his hours had been cut in half at his job.

"Could you drive me to the hospital?"

His head snapped up to look at her. "Why?! Are you okay?!" He asked in alarm.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Mom promised me I could visit Ellington, but I can't wait much longer." She explained. Riker sighed and nodded, then closed his book reluctantly.

"I'll be glad when you get your license this summer." He teased jokingly. Rydel smiled at his joke. He grabbed his keys and lead her out to the ancient car, got in, and drove off with her.

Rydel pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened the messaging app.

Rydel: Hey, I'm on my way :)

She waited for a response.

El is typing...

Rydel glared slightly at her phone, as if she could send some silent message to him that he was taking too long.

El: Okay, see you then.

She smiled, satisfied, and put her phone away.

Riker pulled into the parking lot. "Should I stay, or do you want me to pick you up later?"

"I'll text you to pick me up later." She decided.

"Okay. Bye Delly." He waved at her with a smile, and she swung the door shut. Rydel walked up to the hospital as calmly as she could manage, not wanting to look like a maniac.

She strided confidently up to the front desk. "I'm here to see Ellington Ratliff." She told the nurse. The nurse pointed at a clipboard with a sign-in sheet attached to it, then handed Rydel a sticker that authorized her as a visitor. She gave Rydel the room number and sent her off.

Rydel found the elevator quickly and punched the button labelled with the number 2. The elevator rose two floors, then the doors slides open slowly. She stepped out and hurried down the hall, mumbling the room number to herself.

234...

235...

236...

237. She stopped outside the door, which was just slightly cracked open. Rydel knocked on the frame.

"Come in." She heard a familiar voice invite her in. Rydel opened the door.

Ellington was sitting up in his bed. An IV was running fluid into his arm, and a heart monitor that had been attached to him was beeping slowly, but thankfully steadily. He had his normal nose cannula flowing extra oxygen to him as usual, though he had told her earlier in the week while they were texting that they had cranked up the amount that he was receiving.

Whether that was good or bad, she wasn't sure.

It was all Rydel could do to keep herself from running over to him. She hugged him as tightly as she could, keeping aware of the monitor line and IV tube that was sensitive to movement.

"Hi Rydel." He greeted happily, sounding relieved that he could finally see her.

"Hi El. How are you feeling? Is the food okay? Are they treating you well? Where's your mom?" She peppered him with questions.

"I'm feeling good, food's fine, could be better. They're treating me great, and my mom's at work, though she's been trying to get shifts off to keep an eye on me." Ellington answered calmly, not at all seeming fazed by her rapid-fire interrogation.

"I'm just glad you're okay." She admitted to him.

"I am too." He agreed.

"Listen, Rydel, since I passed that assumption for how long I had left, apparently I'm at higher risk."

Rydel's heart dropped.

"My heart's only swelled bigger. It's only getting worse." He told her.

"Wh-What?" She stammered, not being able to wrap her mind around it.

That explained the monitor.

How terrifying, it was, that at any moment his heart could just quit.

It left her mind petrified with fear that at any moment she could lose him.

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I'm estimating about 2 chapters left, plus the epilogue to go with it. Then the book will be done, and you will be faced with the challenge of moving on.
May the odds be ever in your favor.