Seventy nine - Dylan O'Brien (completed)

T h r e e

Hands laden with food, our regular Starbucks orders, the Star Wars movies and their prequels, I walked up to the front desk, smiling welcomingly at the nurse I'd seen yesterday.

"He's awake so you can go straight in dear," she inclined her head towards his rooms and I thanked her quickly before scuttling off.

The door was already cracked open, his familiar brown hair visible through the small crack in the doorway, nudging it open with the toe slightly, I poked my head through the gap.

The creaking sound the door emitted as it inched forward, alerted him of my presence and he smiled seeing a slightly familiar face I assume as he glanced up, "Lola, you actually came?" His voice carried surprise and a hint of happiness that I'd genuinely came back to see him.

I mean why wouldn't I return to his side? He was my everything but of course, he didn't know that.

"Of course I did, I'm a woman of my word Mr O'Brien," I bowed jokingly, causing him to laugh, his entire body shook as he chuckled, something he hadn't done in a while. Genuinely laugh, a real one that is, "Besides I need to introduce you to the brilliance of certain things," I sat slowly down on the side of the bed as I had yesterday, making sure he was comfortable with it again first and began unpacking my bags.

"Okay what you brought me Lo," he rubbed his hands together excitedly but I was too distracted by what he'd called me.

"Lo?" I raised an eyebrow curiously, "We're on nicknames now huh?"

"I- I don't know are we? That one just sort of," he made a tumbling motion with his hands. Telling me he hadn't meant to call me it but it just happened.

"No, no we can. It's just, you've always called me Lo, I was just wondering if you came up with that now or-"

"It just came to me naturally..." Dylan's voice wavered off, "Maybe everything will come to me that way,"

"Maybe, but until then let's not get your hopes up and let me introduce you to the amazing world of Star Wars by George Lucas," I was almost squealing with excitement, my own nerdy brain running away with me as I set up my laptop on his wheeled hospital table.

I quickly laid out the various snacks and things I had bought him too, knowing he hated hospital food and would much rather eat chicken of any kind, "Do I like Star Wars?" He asked, talking through a mouthful of chicken as the iconic opening credits began rolling.

"We'll find out I guess," I whispered, knowing I couldn't be the one to tell him about himself now. He might not like the same things he used to now.

He could be a completely different Dylan this time.

"Lola can I speak to you a second?" A nurse called me from the doorway and I crept out of the room, careful not to disturb Dylan who was paying close attention to the opening scenes.

Following her to a side room I frowned, worry beginning to creep up on me as I was met with the various doctors who'd cared for Dylan and carried out his emergency surgeries when the accident happened last week, "What is this? What's wrong?"

"Well, this might be hard to accept but-" the surgeon and psychologist shared a look, as if they wanted to say this properly.

"Please just give it to me straight, no sugar coating, no simplifications,"

The doctor paused, exhaling deeply before stepping toward to meet me, "I'm afraid if Mr O'Brien doesn't recover his memories within seventy nine hours, it's unlikely he ever will. The trauma of the accident has suppressed them in a way I've never seen before, at first I thought it would only be short term but it's been over a week and now, I'm afraid it's long term Lola,"

I froze as I digested this new information, I had seventy nine hours before I lost my Dylan. For good, "You're...you're wrong. No, you're wrong and I'll prove it," I shook my head, the tears finally escaping and flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably as I ran all the way back to Dylan's room, pausing outside the door.

"Seventy nine hours...three days, that's all I've got," I whispered.