~.: Tim's POV :.~
I was just about to head back to my designated room when I walked past Lexie's open bedroom door and overheard soft sobbing coming from somewhere inside the room. Frowning with concern, I bit my lip cautiously before taking a deep breath to steady myself and then entering the bedroom.
"Lex..?" I murmured softly, glancing about the room only to see that the door leading to her balcony was wide open and there was Lexie, standing out in the cold breeze as the brilliant lighting of the sunset outside illuminated her skin. She didn't move or give any notification that she had heard me walk in or call out her name so I crossed the bedroom floor and made way over to stand beside her on her balcony.
"You okay...?" I asked worriedly as she sniffles and turns to look at me when I place a timid hand on one of hers that grips the balcony's railing, "I uh... I heard you crying and I thought you were hurt.." I felt my heart racing erratically as I realized just how weird I must sound right now. I mean, who does that? Walks into someone else's open bedroom when they hear crying- I must sound like a total creep...
Lexie cuts off my thoughts when she pushes her hair out of her face and throws her arms around me, "I.. it's okay. I'm okay," she murmured in between hiccups as I tentatively placed my hands on her hips, "Th-thank you for checking on me.. I feel like such a burden to everyone..." She whines softly, raising one of her sleeved arms to wipe at her tears again while I tilt my head slightly at her.
"You're not a burden to anyone, Lexie," I murmured gently, rubbing her back as another sob racked her body, "I'm always here for you if you ever need anything..." I found myself telling her despite the prickling anxiety that was building up in my chest. The only other person I've ever been this close to was Addyson... I quietly thought, my heart aching at the memory of my former girlfriend who died before Lexie even joined the team. As I'm lost in my thoughts, Lexie shakily raises her head to look up at me with those red rimmed sapphire-colored eyes of hers.
"My brother would have liked you..." She whispered so softly I almost hadn't heard her, "I wish you could have met him... If only he were still here..." She closed her eyes as thought it were painful to even dwell on the memory of his death and I frowned softly in sympathy.
"I know what it's like to lose a family member or someone close to you..." I murmured in response, reaching a hand out to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her left ear, "Addyson... the love of my life- I lost her recently and I'm actually struggling to cope with the fact that I won't wake up to her sleeping beside me every morning..." I can't stop myself as I start to unveil just how bad I've been hurting.
"I'm sorry..." Lexie whispered, squeezing my right hand gently in reassurance and comfort as my voice suddenly refuses to be used anymore, "Maybe Addyson and my brother are watching us right now.." She murmured quietly, turning her head to glance up at the steadily darkening sky. I smile gently at the comforting thought and nod in agreement before glancing up at the sky as well, taking in a long sigh as I did so.
I miss you so much, Addy...
~.: De's POV :.~
Dick and I approached as the sounds of Wally's and Lukas's raised voices reached the hallway we were just leaving. This stupid building is so huge and there's so many hallways I swear I think we got turned around at least twice, I thought in irritation as I strode toward the nurse who's currently blocking the doorway that leads to Aria's hospital room.
"Are you two immediate family members of Aria Michelle Grayson?" The flustered and agitated nurse demands as I approached, Dick at my side, "Because if I have to deal with another person insanely claiming to be her fiancé or husband and what ever else they wanna call it, I will call our administrator,"
Dick nods in understanding, "I'm actually Aria's older brother and current legal guardian," The nurse nods slightly then moves aside just a tad.
"Name?" She inquired, pulling out a clipboard that looks like it might have important documents clipped on its surface as I sighed impatiently, crossing my arms over my chest while trying to peer past her shoulder to see if Aria was thrashing about due to how much she was crying and whimpering from within the room.
"Richard John Grayson," Dick replies, his gaze level and his voice devoid of any stress over the irritating situation. Why are hospitals like this? It doesn't normally take this long to visit patients, does it? I wondered confusedly, tapping my foot on the ground to keep myself from mouthing off to the nurse. The woman nods at Dick as she taps the clipboard as though she were double checking to verify that what he was saying was legit, then she motions to me with her pen.
"And who is this young lady to you both? If she is only a friend, then I'm afraid she can't come in," she sighs, running a tired hand through her graying hair.
"This is Deanne," Dick answers, wrapping an arm around my waist as I try to get a better look over the nurses shoulder when Aria screams Wally's name and an incoherent sentence I can't quite make sense of, "She's my girlfriend and a close family friend."
The nurse gives another nod, writing this info on her clipboard before motioning for us to go ahead and enter the room while Wally let's out an agitated huff that Lukas mimics while the nurse closes the door after us.
"That took an unnecessarily long amount of time just for us to get in this stupid room," I mumbled irritably, moving my hair out of my face as I approached Aria's infirmary bed, Dick chuckling softly in amusement.
"I completely agree. I mean, they wouldn't even let Wally in," he cackled quietly so as not to disturb Aria who's still deep in her troublesome slumber. At the sight of her tossing and turning, feverishly crying out in a soft pained voice, Dick frowns in concern and takes a seat beside the hospital bed, stormy blue eyes dark with worry, "I don't understand why she's in this much distress. I thought she only sprained something not anything like this..." He murmured softly under his breath as I rubbed his back in reassurance.
"I'm sure she'll be okay soon..." I whispered, sitting down beside him and leaning my head on his shoulder in an attempt to sooth him, "We just have to wait for her to pull through." He doesn't respond, just nods silently before glancing at my hand on his shoulder and placing his own hand over it in an attempt to let me know that he was grateful that I was here with him.
"I hope you're right..." he murmured softly, keeping his gaze on his sister as she cries out again in anguish.
"We're here for you, Aria, everything will be okay," I find myself saying as I snuggle against Dick's side for comfort, "Please wake up soon..."
~.: To Be Continued :.~
