The Assistant || Ashton Irwin

2.3

I sat with Luke in the waiting room and finally turned my phone back on. Instantly my messages and voicemail were fully with Megan's voice and text messages. Suddenly my phone started to ring in my hand.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Seriously! Three days and no messages to say you're safe or Ashton is! What is wrong with you!" Megan shouted at me. I flinched at her tone.

"Megs calm down, stress isn't good for you" I said in an attempt to calm here down.

"You don't think I know that! Jesus Ali" she said letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Sorry, I didn't think Megs" I said quietly.

"It's ok. How is he? And you?" she asked.

"He's ok, he's awake, he's really tired and in and out of sleep but he's awake" I told her, "how are you?"

"Oh that's great Ali. Tell him I said hey" she said, "Sure I'm fine, just pregnant"

I laughed with her and chatted a few more minutes before I hung up. I turned my phone back off and slide it back into my pocket. I took a cup of tea Luke offered me and sipped it slowly. All the exhaustion hit me all at once and I felt like I could sleep for a month. The caffeine in the tea was keeping me ticking over until Anne appeared again. She smiled and took a seat beside me.

"He's asking for you in there. He had a sleep and they have him propped up in the bed now" she said and I nodded, standing up and heading towards the main ICU doors. I had come accustom to the place now. The main doors lead up a corridor to the right was the main ward and to the left were the private rooms. Ashton's room was the very last room on the corridor. The usual hospital smell wasn't as strong down here as it was everywhere else, here it smelt more clean, a faint smell of bleach clearner always filled my nose once I went through the doors. I looked into Ashton's room to make sure there were no nurses or doctors in with him. Ashton was sitting up in the bed, the headboard and pillows holding him up. He was watching the monitors closely and looking at all the wires and cables and where the connected.

"You were always so nosey" I joked stepping into the room. He turned to me and smiled. Even under the oxygen mask I could see his famous grin. I took my seat and his hand reached for mine. I held on and he laced his fingers with mine.

"I missed you" he said, rubbing his thumb across my hand.

"I was just outside you idiot" I giggled.

"Not like that, when, when you went away, I missed you so much. I couldn't sleep, eat, I couldn't live without you and now you're here and I just can't believe it" he said, as he talked his breath became shallow as he took off his oxygen mask.

"Hey put that back on" I said and he did as I said.

"Ash I missed you too. So much you wouldn't believe. I know what I said that night hurt you, but it hurt me too because it was all a lie. I always loved you, I never stopped. I'm here and that's all that matters, it hurt way too much to be without you. And I don't care how long it takes but we'll work this all out"

He kept his eyes focused on me as I talk, nodding at certain points. His eyes began to flutter, but he jolted awake suddenly.

"Can you give me my glasses case" he asked under his mask and I nodded and reached behind me to grab it. I handed it to him and with a shaky hand he opened it and took a small navy coloured pouch.

I gave him a confused look as he empty the pouch into his hand and I saw my rings in his hand, the harsh hospital light making them shine slightly.

He took my hand in his and slipped my rings onto my finger with a smile.

"We never did get divorced" he said as his eyes began to close again.