You woke up easily when you heard soft crying on your left. You sat up in the uncomfortable chair you had been sleeping in, rubbing your eyes in hope that it will help them adjust. You looked over and saw Rose furiously wiping at her cheeks as tears fell down them.
"Rose?" You whispered.
She immediately stopped, looking over at you and sniffling. "You're here. You stayed with me."
You stood up from the chair. "Of course I did. What made you think I wouldn't?"
"I... I yelled at you... I was angry at you..." A stray tear splashed onto her cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please don't be upset with me. Please forgive me."
"Oh, Rose." You took a cautious step forward, afraid to push it too far. "Of course I forgive you. I'm not upset with you, and I know you didn't mean it."
She sniffed again. "Can I hug you?"
You smiled, leaning over and gently placing your arms around her shoulders. "Always."
She pulled away to look around the dark room. "Is Ethan not here?"
You shook your head. "No. I told him to go home. I'm the only one here. I thought it would help."
She nodded. "It does. Thank you."
"What's wrong? Why were you crying?"
She sniffed. "Nightmare. I have them a lot. Almost every night."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head. "Okay. That's fine. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"Thank you." She looked around the dark room. "What time is it?"
You glanced at your phone, blinking at the harsh light flooding your vision. "Almost 6 in the morning."
Rose sighed. "Time to wake up, I guess. I think Ethan will be here soon, anyways- the hospital visiting hours are going to start."
You nodded. "Yeah, you're right."
There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Bruno made his way into the room. He smiled at the both of you. "Good morning, you two. How was your sleep?"
"Fine." Rose said.
"Not long enough." You said with a smile.
Dr. Bruno let out a short laugh. "I understand the feeling. Well, Rose is going to be busy with me for a while this morning- I have to ask her a few questions and run a couple tests. Do you think you could go on a walk?"
You nodded. "Yes. Whatever you need."
Rose was shaking her head. "No. Don't leave me."
You carefully took her hand into yours. "It'll be okay, Rose. You're safe with the doctor. I'll be right here when it's over, okay?" She hesitated, but nodded, and you leaned down to kiss her hair. "It'll be okay, Rose." You repeated. "I'll be back soon." You smiled at her, letting go of her hand, then walked out of the room. You quietly made your way to the waiting room, where you saw Ethan waiting somewhat impatiently. You giggled, and his head shot up, hearing you. He quickly stood up and walked over, enveloping you in a hug.
"Good morning, Ethan." You said with a smile.
"Good morning, babe." He kissed your cheek before pulling away. "How did you sleep?"
You shrugged. "Fine, I guess." He pulled you towards the chairs, and you sat next to him, laying your head on his shoulder. You sighed. "I missed you."
He kissed your hair. "I missed you, too. Let's just stay like this for a while."
You did, enjoying each other's presence for as long as you could.
