The Intern - SEQUEL to The Mentor

Time Will Tell

Rey's POV

I have started sleeping at the apartment again and then stopping by the hospital every day after work and staying until visiting hours are over. Most of the time I'm here I spend sitting next to him on the bed and drawing or watching tv, but the entire time I'm at home, all I can think about is him so there's really no point in me going home other than to sleep and take care of Zori. Thankfully, Finn, Poe, Rose, and Gwen have been rotating between staying with me because I haven't completely relaxed about staying by myself in the apartment.

I sit next to Ben this evening on his bed after I took some time to trim up his hair earlier to make him a little more presentable especially since guests can come to visit since we're not in the ICU anymore. Unfortunately, they still won't let me shave his face because some of the medications he's on act as blood thinners.

While I sit here with my arm against his, I'm working on a drawing of us that is based on a photograph that I took on our spring break trip with Gwen and Hux. His smile is huge and his cheeks are wrinkled up around his dimples and I lean in kissing his cheek.

A knock on the door draws my attention away from my sketchbook, and I close up my sketchbook as a man walks in carrying a small bouquet of flowers in a vase. He's fairly tall, maybe a little bit shorter than Ben, his skin is a rich dark color, and he wears black dress pants with a blue striped shirt.

"Hi, can I help you?" I ask as I swing myself off the bed and walk towards him.

"Rey right?" He smiles and shakes my hand. "I'm Nick. I work with Ben."

"Oh! You're Nick," I immediately remember the flowers that Finn said were dropped off for me last week.

"These are for you," he says and hands me the flowers with a smile. They're beautiful yellow daisies with baby's breath.

"You're sweet, thank you." I smell them quickly and then set them in the vase up on the tv stand. "You want to sit?" I offer him the chair and sit back on the foot of Ben's hospital bed making sure to avoid his feet.

"So you work with Ben?" I ask him as he settles in the armchair across from me.

"Yeah, our cubicles are right next to each other and we've worked on quite a few projects together already."

"Huh, he has never mentioned you," I raise my eyebrow. "Or at least never by name."

Nick shifts in his seat and readjusts his sleeves. "I mean he's a quiet dude which I'm sure you know, but we've definitely become friends over the last few months."

"Well," I smile at him, "A friend of Ben's is a friend of mine."

"So how are you doing?" Nick changes the subject and his dark blue eyes that contrast his dark skin pierce into me.

"I've been better," I sigh and look over at Ben. "I miss him, he's my best friend and life is pretty lonely without him. It's nice to be able to sit close to him but it's not the same when he isn't awake."

"Well, I'll gladly offer my services and keep you company if you're every lonely," he offers with a smile.

"She's good without your services but thanks," Poe says as he walks into the room. He walks around the bed, sits right next to me, and puts his arm behind me possessively. "You're the one that brought her flowers last week right?"

"Yep that was me, good to see you again," Nick says politely.

"I see you brought more flowers today too."

"Just trying to be nice," Nick shrugs and Poe narrows his eyes.

"Rey, ready to go grab dinner?" Poe asks me.