Endless || Jonah Marais ✓

♪ THIRTY-SIX ♪

Aurora sits next to Zach with her legs curled up to her chest and her bandaged head resting on her knees. She fights to keep her eyes open, not wanting to give in to the drowsy medication the doctor had given her. Jonah stands a few feet away, the phone pressed to his ear as he talks to Daniel.

Aurora is currently supposed to be in a hospital bed, but she managed to convince the doctor that took care of her wound, Dr. Rogers, to allow her to stay in the waiting room with her friends with the promise of not leaving the hospital for the next twenty-four hours. Dr. Rogers confirmed her assumptions in which she does, in fact, have a concussion and assured her that the pain should go away within a handful of hours, but warned her that symptoms such as memory issues or confusion could be present and make themselves known for anywhere between days and months. The doctor was also kind enough to give her an update on Carmen's condition, informing her that the younger girl is currently resting in the Intensive Care Unit.

"Daniel, Corbyn, Jack, and Callie booked tickets for the next flight out here. Their plane should land around six," Jonah informs the group, reclaiming his seat on the opposite side of Aurora. "And don't worry about Snuffles. Logan is watching all of the pets while we're here."

"More of your Hollywood friends are coming?" Casey asks, barely glancing up from her phone. "Terrific."

Aurora childishly sticks her tongue out, her drugged mind too sluggish to form a coherent thought, let alone any sort of retort.

Laila prevents another argument from breaking out by walking through the hospital doors with two trays of Starbucks drinks. Aurora perks up, accidentally hitting her head on the wall and wincing as she does so.

"I love you," Aurora says, hugging the warm cup to her chest.

No one is sure if she's talking to Laila or the hot coffee, so the girl merely smiles and continues to pass out the drinks.

"Hey, Casey," Jonah begins, choosing his words carefully as she looks up and perks an eyebrow. "Can I borrow your car later to pick up our friends from the airport?"

"May I," Aurora corrects, giggling at the exasperated sigh that leaves his lips.

"Absolutely not," Casey answers, ignoring the reprimanding look Laila shoots in her direction.

"You can borrow mine," Cole offers, fishing his car keys out of his pocket. Readjusting the ice pack he's holding over his newly blacked eye, he them across the aisle to Jonah, not yet willing to get any closer. "It's the black Tahoe parked a few spaces away from Casey."

"Thank you," Jonah says, albeit begrudgingly.

Aurora looks over to check on Zach and watches as he finally moves to take the first drink of his coffee, placing her hand over the straw before it can reach his lips. He shoots her a questioning look, protesting as she moves the cup out of his grasp.

"You should take a nap," she suggests.

"You need to more than I do," he argues. "You're concussed."

"I'll sleep if you sleep."

"Deal."

Aurora grins triumphantly and moves both of their coffee cups to the ground. As Zach stretches his legs out, she tucks her arm around his to ensure he won't back out of the deal and rests her head on his shoulder, allowing the medicine to finally do its job.

××××

"If Aurora wakes up, please tell her I went to the airport," Jonah tells Laila, stretching his legs and aching back as he stands up for the first time in hours.