can't keep me in the dark

Calum hated fighting with Athena, he really did - and while it wasn't the first time they'd ever argued, it was certainly one of the worst times, bad enough for him to storm out of the house without a word to her. He'd gone to the studio where he'd planned to meet the guys and they'd spent hours there, each of them complaining while they tried to work, and he shook his head as he tried to focus eventually. He was still angry and he didn't plan to go home until he'd calmed down because he didn't want to make matters worse, not when Athena was the woman he'd asked to marry him and he didn't want to say something he would regret and drive her away. The moment the thought crossed his mind, though, he heard his phone ringing and, reaching over, he stared at it when he saw Athena's name flashing across his screen - and he noticed, then, that the other guys’ phones were ringing, too. Sighing, he swiped to answer, because, after leaving without a word, he didn't want to ignore her. “Hello?” he greeted, though, when he heard the unfamiliar voice on the other line, informing him that Athena had been in an accident, he felt his heart sinking in his chest. “What?” he managed out eventually, in shock, in disbelief, because he hadn't even known that she'd gone anywhere, “Is she - please tell me she's okay.” And he could feel tears burning his eyes as he was told she was taken in an ambulance already and, quickly, he stood up, promising to head to the hospital before he looked to the others. “I've - I've gotta go, it's, um, it's Athena, she, uh…” And his tears fell from his eyes, then. “She was in an accident, I've gotta go.” And, quickly, he turned to leave, only to pause when Michael spoke and he paused in shock, but nodded. “We should take one car, then.” And, then, he headed out quickly.

Michael ran a hand through his hair, stressed, because today had been awful already. His day had started out with an argument with Rae, and he hated it, he hated arguing with her, but there wasn't anything he could do to fix it just yet, not until things managed to calm down between them. They needed a little time to breathe, he knew that, and he hoped that, when he went home later, everything would be okay and right again. But, more than anything, he just wanted to fix things, because he was terrified of losing her after all the harsh things he'd said. Chewing on his lip with the thought, he leaned back in his seat, finding it difficult to really focus on writing for songs when his mind was so focused on his girlfriend. Reaching for his phone, he eyes the picture of her and him on the screen, his heart clenching at the sight, though his heart sped up when he saw her name pop up on the screen for a call. Although he was worried that it would be another argument, he answered it, just wanting to hear her voice, though a part of him was hopeful that she'd calmed down, and that he himself had, too. But when he asked, “Hello?” the voice on the other end wasn't Rae's and he tensed, sitting up straight. The voice on the other end explained the situation quickly - that Rae had been in an accident, a bad one, and that she and others were being rushed to the hospital as they spoke and Michael's heart clenched with the thought, because the man wasn't telling him how Rae had been when she'd been taken. “I'll be there as soon as possible,” he said quickly, standing to grab his jacket, his heart racing, his tears threatening to spill, because he didn't know what condition Rae was in, he didn't know if she was okay, he didn't know if she was alive and he hated it. Hearing Calum, though, he looked over in shock. “What? Rae - she was in an accident, too.” And, there was no way that it was just coincidence that they'd both been in accidents, they must have been together, and Michael hated himself for arguing with Rae because maybe she would have stayed home if they hadn't argued. “I've gotta get to the hospital, we need to go.”

When Makenzie woke up, she found herself alone and in pain, her brows furrowing as she stared up at the bright ceiling for a few moments, trying to register where she was but, more than anything, trying to figure out what had happened. And, the more the pain registered - a whine escaping her lips with the feeling, - the more she found herself struggling to focus on anything up until she realized that she couldn't remember anything, at all, not even her name. Panicking with the realization, she sat up quickly, nearly yelling out with the pain it caused, but she stared around in shock, struggling to process where she was. The noise of pain seemed to catch attention as a nurse and doctor rushed in to check on her, though, when she'd reacted with confusion and couldn't tell them her name, or answer questions they used to prompt her (”What's the last thing you remember?” To which she replied, nothing, and ”Do you remember the accident?” while receiving her answer of What accident?) they decided to run some tests - brain scans, they'd told her, to see how bad the damage was, to see if it was just amnesia or if there was something worse going on. Even so, Makenzie couldn't understand any of it, but they'd put in the order for the tests and told her they'd return for her in a few hours before setting up a morphine drip and leaving her alone in the room, still confused, still frightened, but at least the pain was dampening.

The last thing Lavinia remembered before the crash was staring at Luke's text messages - none from today - while she complained about the argument she'd had with Luke earlier that day, how it'd gotten so bad that Petunia had scurried off to hide. All she remembered about the accident itself was seeing somebody driving towards them, head-on, in their lane. She couldn't remember the crash itself, figuring she must have fallen unconscious on impact. What she woke up in the hospital, her fingers curled tightly around the hospital blanket covering her, she felt a panic rise in her, trying not to cry out with the pain she felt, but her tears watered nonetheless and she tried to bite them back, closing her eyes tightly. A doctor came in to check on her and, seeing her awake and in pain, his expression had softened before he explained that the damage she suffered required surgery - and, if surgery went well, then physical therapy as well. In that moment, all she wanted was Luke to be there, for the argument from earlier to have never happened, because she was terrified that she wouldn't survive surgery and the last thing she would have said to Luke was awful, and the last thing she'd heard from him was just as bad. Her eyes water with the thought and, after she was told that she'd be taken to surgery soon, she asked about her friends, but the doctor couldn't tell her anything - not only was it confidential, but they each had separate doctors, so he didn't know their conditions - before he left, and she felt her heart racing, aching with concern, though it was almost overshadowed by the pain she felt.

Ashton slammed the studio door behind him as he'd walked in that mid-morning, and his mood had gotten worse from that moment. He had let his anger get the better of him that morning, he knew it, god dammit, he did, but he couldn't stop himself. It was a rare occassion when he and Makenzie argued, and adrenaline coursed through his veins as voices were raised and doors were slammed and Ashton, could admit, he lost control a little bit. He had spent nearly every moment, when he wasn't needed to help write lyrics, beating at his drum kit with so much aggression that he shocked himself. Once Ashton had calmed down, he joined his band-mates, throwing himself down onto the couch and throwing his feet up onto the coffee table, cracking open a can of Coke, his thoughts easily drifting to Makenzie, guilt beginning to ebb and flow through him. When he asked her to marry him, when he said forever, fuck, he meant it. Ashton took a sip of his Coke, tapping his thumb against his phone to illuminate the screen. Smiling at his lockscreen, a photo of Makenzie from last year's Halloween party, Ashton ran his thumb fondly across the screen and decided he should start practicing his apology speech now, because she deserved everything extravagant. Ashton was pulled out of his thoughts when the phone in his hand began to vibrate, and MRS IRWIN ♥ remained imprinted at the top of the screen. Chuckling, Ashton shook his head, remembering when Makenzie changed her contact name to that the day after he'd proposed. Accepting the call, Ashton put his phone to his ear, his stomach flipping anxiously in case Makenzie was still angry at him. "Hello?" Ashton asked, voice meek, but when a voice greeted him that wasn't his fiance, Ashton paused, listening carefully, feeling a lump rise to his throat. "Is she okay?" Ashton's voice broke halfway through his sentence, but he blinked his tears away, running a hand through his hair as he tried to regain his composure. When he was told that Makenzie was being taken to the hospital, Ashton nodded. "I'll be there soon." Hanging up, Ashton rubbed at his eyes to try and rid himself of the tears, but they came anyway. "Guys," his voice was weak, cracked, tears running down his cheeks. "I need a ride." He cleared his throat. "Makenzie's been in an accident, and -" he processed then, Michael and Calum's words, and he paused. Obviously they'd all been together, they were just as close as the boys were. "Fuck."

Athena woke up to the sound of various beeping machines, obnoxiously begging for attention in the otherwise silent environment. When she opened her eyes, she winced at the bright ceiling staring back at her. Feeling anxiety begin to build up, Athena made an attempt to sit up, to support herself on her elbows, but a cry of pain left her mouth instead, and she fell back onto the pillows, a whimper leaving her lips when she realised: she had no idea where she was. She had no idea who she was. Forcing herself to sit up, ignoring the discomfort throughout her abdomen and chest, Athena used her fingers, curled tightly into the sheets of whatever she was laying on, to help herself up. Looking around, Athena blinked when she didn't realise, or remember, where she was, or how she got here. When a man, dressed in a white coat, accompanied by a nurse rushed into her room, she blinked, not even startled by the sudden invasion, not even remembering where she came from or where she ended up. When they began to ask questions - a name? She couldn't answer. What did she remember from that morning? She couldn't answer. Did she remember the accident she was involved in? ...What accident? Squeezing around the sheets for comfort, Athena was told she needed some additional tests, simple things, like an MRI to see if there was any long lasting damage to the brain or it was just a case of amnesia after an incredibly bad collision. When she was attached to pain relief, Athena was helped back against the pillows and she blinked, feeling tears sting in the back of her eyes. Was this really happening to her?

Luke had been quiet all day, upset at himself, at the harsh words he'd shouted at Lavinia before leaving for the studio that morning, all simmering in his head. Luke never let his anger get the better of him usually, and yet, the argument that morning was explosive. Petunia had ran to hide under the kitchen table, a glass was smashed and Luke had said things he was sure he could never forgive himself for. His only hope was that Lavinia could forgive him. Luke had headed into the vocal booth for some demos, and he'd put his heart and soul into the microphone until his throat was raw, and when he finally felt as if he'd let go of all that anger, all that hurt and bitterness, Luke took a seat beside Michael, running a hand through his curls and staying fucking silent, because the need for words wasn't one that need to be fufilled at that moment. Fishing his phone from the pocket of his jeans, Luke smiled down at his lockscreen - a photo of Lavinia and Petunia cuddling on the bed that he and Lavinia shared every night, Lavinia wearing Luke's hoodie and laughing into Petunia's fur. Exhaling, Luke wondered which way would be the best to apologise. Perhaps he should ask Ashton or Calum, after all, they were engaged. Still, Luke was pulled out of his thoughts when his phone began to ring - Barbie Girl ringing out across the studio, because of a certain Ashton Irwin and Michael Clifford's drunken antics. Luke didn't know why he hadn't bothered to change it back to Green Day. Accepting the call, Luke placed the receiver to his ear, excited to hear Lavinia's voice. "Baby?" Luke was soon cut across, however, when a man began to hurriedly explain to Luke that Lavinia had been in an accident, and Luke felt his heart drop to his stomach, chamber by chamber. Luke was told that she was okay, and which hospital Lavinia had been taken to, and looking to the conversation happening with his friends, he nodded. It was no coincidence the girls had been together, and in a way, Luke was glad that Lavinia wasn't alone. "Let's go." He spoke through tears, and the ones that remained unshed were stinging in the back of his eyes, but god dammit, he needed to see Lavinia now.

Rae woke up when she thought she wasn't going to. All she could remember was the oncoming vehicle, driving on the wrong side of the fucking road. Still, wincing in pain as she began to adjust to her surroundings, Rae blinked when she realised that she must of been in the hospital. Trying her hardest to sit up, Rae cried out, whimpering as she realised that she couldn't get very far. When Rae's body began to process the pain properly, all Rae wanted was Michael by her side, remembering every harsh word she'd told him that morning, every blatant lie about how she didn't love him and how she wish she'd never met him. Her words echoing in her head, Rae let a few tears escape, wishing now she could take it all back. When a Doctor entered the room, having must of her her cry in pain, he informed Rae that she'd need surgery, and it wouldn't be long before she was whisked away to reverse whatever damage had been caused. When the Doctor told her she'd need physiotherapy afterwards, Rae merely nodded, wishing and wanting for Michael to be by her side, because her fear was always dampened down when he was by her side; he made her invincible. Laying back down, Rae stared at the ceiling, tears rolling down her face.

Calum was still struggling to process the news that Athena had been in accident, his thoughts whirring on all the possibilities. Could it have been avoided if they hadn’t argued that day? Maybe she would have stayed in, maybe he would have, too, and they could have been at home, cuddling. What had caused the accident? How bad had it been? How bad was Athena - what condition was she in? The more he thought, the more he struggled to comprehend it, how things could go from perfect to awful to disastrous in such a short amount of time, in just the span of twenty-four hours. And, with that thought, the worst thought he could have possibly let slip through his mind managed to force its way to the forefront of his thoughts - he could have lost her, he could still lose her, and his heart broke with the thought. He was only pulled from his thoughts when he heard his friends and he hadn’t realized until then just how bad his tears had gotten, but he nodded slightly, realizing all of the girls must have been together. “I’ll drive,” he managed out eventually, clearing his throat before he headed out to his car first, quickly, desperate to see Athena, desperate to know whether she was okay or not. And, once they were all in the car, he drove off without another word, his focus ahead, unable to manage any further words.

Michael hadn’t thought, for a single moment, about anything other than Rae and his last words to her that morning, and his heart raced, clenching so painfully in his chest that he thought he would fall apart completely right then. The thought of losing her, of ever spending a day without her in his life, broke him in ways he hadn’t even known possible, and he couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if it actually happened. But, quickly, the moment that thought pushed its way into his mind, he forced it as far back into the recesses of his mind as he could possibly manage to force it to go, trying to tell himself that Rae had to be alive, she had to be okay. Hearing Ashton and Luke speak up, he stared with surprise - was it luck that the girls had all been together? Or would it have been better if they’d all just talked over the phone or met at one of their houses? Would Rae have been safer? Pushing the thought away, he nodded slightly. “Right, yeah, uh, let’s go,” he murmured, afraid of speaking too loudly because he knew his voice would break and reveal his inner turmoil and he knew his friends were already at their breaking points, too. He wanted to be strong for Rae, though, he needed to be, and he needed to get there as fast as possible. Blinking away tears, he swiped at those that managed to fall - even if it did no good, they were easily replaced by new ones, - before he rushed after Calum, buckling up once he was in Calum’s car.

Makenzie dropped her head to the pillow and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever, her body aching dully, though less prominent because of the medicine. Her brows furrowed as she tried to search her brain for any memory, any sense of who she was or what had happened, but she kept coming up blank and she hated it. She hated being this confused and feeling this lost. The more she thought, the more her head ached, and a part of her wondered if she was just imagining that from trying to think too hard. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore the way it sent a pain throughout her body, and she lifted her arms, noting the bruises, the cuts, figuring the accident must have been a bad one. Her eyes caught sight of a ring line on her left hand, though, and her brows furrowed as she brought her hand closer, wondering whether a ring really had been resting there - and, if it had, where was it? She figured the doctors might have taken it, but, suddenly, she felt oddly lonely and her fingers curled with her emotions while she rested her hands back down.

Lavinia had waited in the silence of the room, the only noise ringing in her ears being the beeping from the machines and her own occasional shaky breaths as she tried to calm down. It felt like forever had passed when somebody came in and, when she peered up, she’d hoped beyond hope that it was Luke, but instead, it was a few people there to take her off to surgery. She wanted to beg to wait just a little longer, hopeful that somebody had contacted Luke, that she’d get to see him and apologize for ever accusing him of anything so awful, that she loved him, just in case, but she couldn’t force the words out to beg for that chance. Swallowing thickly, her fingers curled tightly into the blanket before she was prepped for surgery and wheeled away and, when she was finally in the operating room, the last thing she thought about, before the anesthetic was injected and before she drifted into unconsciousness, was Luke and his eyes and how desperately she wanted to see him again.

Since Ashton had hung up the phone, he swore, his world was moving in slow motion. His heart pounded against his ribcage in a rhythm unusual to him, a rhythm that stood to serve it's own purpose instead of joining in with the lead of Makenzie's own heartbeat, and that's when Ashton realised that he could never live without her, and for God's sake, what was he thinking, storming out of the house like that? Running a hand through his hair once more, tears dampening his cheeks as his lower lip quivered slightly, Ashton only came back to reality, as twisted as it was, when Calum spoke, volunteering to drive. Ashton decided it was what was best, Calum was the most responsible and was most likely to keep a level head on his shoulders. Nodding, Ashton silently stood to his feet, and as the world spun around him, unknowing if his fiance was even alive, Ashton was quick to follow Calum out, climbing into the passenger seat, putting his belt on and ensuring it was tight - Makenzie needed him, and god dammit, he was going to be there. He trusted Calum's driving, of course he did, but he didn't trust anyone else's. Wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands, Ashton leaned his head against the window, closing his eyes to steady himself once more, not wanting to speak, knowing his voice would only waiver and words would be replaced with sobs. He wondered, if he had done things differently that morning, would the crash of happened? Closing his eyes, damp eyelashes resting against his cheeks, Ashton couldn't bare the thought and tried to place his anger at whoever started those god awful rumours in the first place.

Luke had never imagined that his life would be turned upside down like this, or even as fast as it had happened. A cruel twist of fate changed Luke's mind - this morning, he was wishing that Lavinia would just vanish into thin air, and fate had turned that against him by threatening to really take her away from him. Luke swallowed the lump that took a permanent residence in his throat with the thought, and more tears began to fall, no matter how much Luke tried to blink them away. Following the others to Calum's car, Luke climbed into the back seat with Michael, buckling his belt and leaning his head back against the head rest, his blonde curls now dishevelled from anxious hands tugging at them constantly since he'd shoved his phone back in his pocket. Staring out of the window as Calum began to drive, Luke stared at the passing scenery, and he wondered where the crash had taken place, what exactly had happened, and if Luke had been a little kinder that morning, with words of encouragement instead of words of distaste, could this whole thing have been prevented? Scrubbing a hand across his face, Luke exhaled anxiously and wiped at his tears, not wanting to break the tense silence, understanding his band-mates, his brothers were in a similar turmoil.

When Calum had parked outside the hospital, Ashton had opened his door before the car had even come to a complete halt. He was torn - half of him wanted to wait for the others, but the other half wanted to run through the parking lot and into the arms of the love of his life, hoping that something hadn't happened during the drive.

Athena's nurse had propped her bed up slightly, and all Athena could do was stare at the wall opposite, painted a dull, beige colour. It wasn't what she liked, Athena had always had an affinity for colour. Athena's focus was so entirely on the wall, she hadn't noticed that the excruciating pain had turned to a dull ache all over, thanks to the affect of the pain relief. Realising that the clock on the wall was ticking, Athena glanced to it with slight annoyance, and then her attention was directed to everything else: the drip of the pain relief, the beep of the heart monitor, the small scratches and forming bruises on her arms, a tattoo that she didn't know the meaning of, unknowing that it matched perfectly with her fiance's, and a ring line on her left hand. Furrowing her brows, Athena studied it. Odd. Athena had never considered herself the type for marriage, was there someone special, or was it just a piece of jewellery she wore every day? Frowning, Athena, for the life of her, couldn't remember. Where had it gone? Had it gone missing in the accident that the Doctor was talking about? And what was he called again? Frowning, Athena sunk down against her pillows once more, focusing her gaze on the window instead.

Calum’s fingers were curled so tightly around the wheel that his knuckles had turned pale - and, compared to his tan skin, it showed how stressed and concerned he was, how much he was freaking out with the thought of Athena in any kind of danger. Even despite their difficulties, even despite the argument they’d had that morning, she was everything he wanted in life, everything he needed, and he knew that, if he lost her, he wouldn’t be the same. She was meant to become Mrs. Hood, and he never wanted anybody else in that place - and, with that thought, he’d pulled up to the parking lot.

When Calum parked the car, Michael was quick to exit, and, although he wanted to be there for his friends, he needed to get to Rae, he needed to see her and see that she was okay, his heart racing with anxiety with the thought that she could be gone and he didn’t get to say goodbye. As he rushed into the hospital, he nearly skidded to a stop at the reception, breathless. “My girlfriend and some friends were involved in an accident - we were told they were brought here,” he quickly explained, causing the nurse to blink.

“We?” the nurse asked with confusion, but she peered up when another man - Calum, - came rushing in as well. “Oh, um, okay, I can check on them. What are their names?” She pulled up her computer to check the logs while she waited.

Calum took a deep breath after he’d rushed in, running his hands through his hair frantically until he heard the nurses question and he peered back, making sure that Luke and Ashton were on their way before he leaned against the reception counter, frowning. “There’s my fiancee, Athena Poole,” he informed quickly, “But there’s also Rae Evans, Lavinia Rush, and Makenzie Solis. We were told they were all brought here.”

Michael nodded his agreement, his heart clenching as he watched the nurse, waiting with panicked, nervous thoughts rushing through his mind and his fingers curled around the counter despite himself. “Please just tell us they’re okay,” he pleaded quietly, his voice so quiet that he wasn’t even sure the nurse had heard him, but it didn’t matter - his tears were threatening to break surface again and he chewed harshly on his lip.

“Okay, it looks like Rae Evans and Lavinia Rush were just taken back for surgery,” the nurse explained gently, peering up at the others, watching them for a moment.

Michael felt his heart sink into his chest with the words, because what if the surgery went wrong? “What’s Rae in surgery for?” he asked quickly, “When will she be out?” And, more than anything, he wanted to ask whether she would be okay or not, but he couldn’t get the words past his lips, too terrified of what the answer might be. The thought that Rae could slip out of his life so quickly, so easily, it tore him apart, and he just wanted to see her.

“It doesn’t specify,” the nurse told him gently, offering a small, sympathetic smile, “She should be out in a few hours - both of the girls who went for surgery should be. I can take you to their rooms where you can wait, if you’d like.”

Michael nodded with the mention of it, chewing harshly on his lip still. “Please,” he begged quietly.

“What about Athena?” Calum asked quickly, because the nurse hadn’t spoken a word about Athena - or about Makenzie, he realized. “Is Athena okay? Where is she?” And, he was desperate at this point, needing to know what happened to Makenzie, needing to know if she was alive, just needing to know that he still had her, because he needed her, she was his everything, in every single way, and he couldn’t bare the thought of her not being there.

The nurse nodded and peered over the records once more. “Athena Poole and Makenzie Solis are currently in their rooms, waiting to be taken for further tests,” she explained as she watched him, “It looks like MRI scan requests were put in for them. You may have to ask the doctors about that, but it could be because of anything caused by a head injury. I can take you to their rooms as well.”

Calum stared at her for a few moments, tense and uncertain, wondering what was going on, but he nodded slowly, trying to prepare himself. “Thank you,” he murmured.

The nurse nodded and took note of the room numbers before she motioned. “Follow me,” she informed before she led the way.

Makenzie shifted uncomfortably on the bed, though she wasn’t sure she would feel comfortable in a hospital anyways. Despite that she didn’t have any memories, she felt unnerved being there and not knowing when she could leave - but, it didn’t help that, alongside all of that, she also didn’t have her memories, and she was left in an unfamiliar place with far too many questions that nobody seemed to be answering yet. Chewing anxiously on her lip, she shifted to sit up, cringing slightly from the movement, but she breathed through it, and she peered around a bit, looking for anything that could distract her, but there wasn’t really anything in the room to keep her or her mind occupied, and she pouted with the thought, but tried not to think about it too much.

Getting out of the car as it parked, Luke waited for Calum, because he couldn't quite trust himself to be alone right now. Biting his lip, Luke walked with Calum to the hospital, nearly skidding to a stop at the reception desk, leaning against it with Michael and Calum, eager to know anything, his heart racing in his chest with anxiety, because god dammit, he wanted, no, he needed to know that Lavinia was safe. Hearing Calum speak Lavinia's name, Luke felt tears burn in the back of his eyes, and he ducked his head, scrubbing at his face to try and regain his composure. "Please, any information would be something." And Luke sounded so meek, in a large contrast to his usually confident exterior.

Ashton followed Michael quickly, deciding Luke and Calum could catch up and they'd understand the need, the desperation that was present. Ashton rested a hand on Michael's shoulder as he caught up, catching his own breath, listening to Michael's words and nodding along, looking expectingly at the nurse, blinking with her confusion, what the hell was she waiting for? Moving away so Ashton didn't lose his temper, he still listened carefully, folding his arms anxiously over his chest, just wanting to know if Makenzie was okay.

When the nurse explained that Lavinia had been taken to surgery, Luke felt his heartbeat increase, and he made sure to focus on his breathing, positive his panic would trigger off something larger than he could control. What if Lavinia didn't pull through, and what if his last words to her were something as cruel as what Luke had said? Swallowing with the thought, Luke exhaled a shaky breath, resting his head against his arm on the reception desk, listening to Michael's questions. "And can I see Lavinia once she's out?" Luke asked, voice strained with tears. When the nurse said there were no specifications, Luke tugged at his hair in frustration, but nodded with her offer to take them to their rooms. "Yes, please."

Ashton frowned, stepping forward. "What about Makenzie?" Ashton sounded bitter, but he knew his fear was consuming him, and Ashton, with his usually kind and empathetic exterior, couldn't help the burst of frustration that broke forth. "Is she okay?" Ashton's voice broke with his tears, and he didn't bother to fight them back. Allowing the nurse to speak, Ashton felt his frustration grow, but nodded. "Please." He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I need to see Makenzie."

Luke followed the nurse as she began to lead the way, and when she lead him to a cubicle, the name LAVINIA RUSH written on a piece of paper on the door, Luke nodded, saying his goodbyes to his friends and stepping his, seeing Lavinia's bed empty. Sitting in the armchair beside the bed, Luke buried his face into his hands, finally letting out his sobs, terrified at the idea of losing the woman he loved.

When Ashton was taken to Makenzie's room, he hesitated outside for a moment, before knocking the door. He didn't know what to expect. Not waiting for an answer, in case Makenzie was sleeping, Ashton pushed open the door, and seeing Makenzie sitting up, Ashton felt relief flood through him. "Kenzie," he smiled, his voice full of relief and hope as he sat on the edge of the bed, twisting his engagement ring, a habit he had when he was anxious. "Thank god, I got the call and I -" he swallowed hard, studying Makenzie for any external injuries. "How're you feeling, baby? God, I love you so much, I was so scared." Ashton felt his lower lip tremble. "I thought I was gonna lose you, Kenz..."

Athena studied her tattoo, adoring the design, wondering what the signficance of it was. Resting against her pillows, Athena's gaze drifted back to the tan line of the ring that was once on her finger, trying her hardest to think, but thinking just hurt her head even more. "Huh..."

When the nurse finally led them to the rooms, Calum followed quickly behind, desperate to see Athena, and he chewed hard on his lip, his anxieties getting the better of him with each passing moment, with each step they took, and he wondered what state Athena was in and he tried his hardest to be optimistic, to convince himself that she was okay, that, if something had happened, he would have already been told when he first mentioned her name to the nurse. After all, it would have already been put on her hospital record if something had happened to her, right? If her injuries were so severe that he lost her - he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind, because the moment the thought slipped through the cracks in his mind, tears began falling down his face again and he swallowed hard, trying to breathe through it, trying to calm down as much as he could. The last thing he wanted was to walk into the room Athena was in and for her to see how torn up he was about everything - about the fact that she’d gotten into an accident after they’d argued, that he had been mentally running over that argument ever since he got the call, terrified that it was the last conversation that he’d had with her, that he wouldn’t have gotten to tell her how much he loved her and how sorry he was for everything he said, if he had lost her. When they finally reached the room that had ATHENA POOLE on the slip of paper, he didn’t hesitate to knock gently, though he watched the others continue to walk before he made his way into the room. When he saw Athena, though, he froze, his heart swelling with relief. “Oh, my God,” he breathed out quietly in relief, scrubbing at his face to try to get rid of the tears that had fallen in the hall during the walk here, and he quickly made his way over to the bed, taking her in, his eyes running over her features, desperate to make sure that she was okay. “God, I was so worried, terrified that… That you were gone, that I’d lost you, especially after everything this morning and, dammit, baby, I’m so sorry for that whole argument, for everything I said, I didn’t mean a word of it.” Moving over, he sat on the edge of the bed beside her, chewing on his lip as he took her hand in his, noticing the engagement ring that matched his own gone - he figured the hospital had probably taken it and put it with her personal things; he’d have to ask about that when the doctor came in. But, still, he squeezed her hand gently, running his thumb over her hand before he lifted his gaze to her, chewing hard on his lip, anxious, and he tried to blink back the tears that threatened to fall again. “I love you, Athena - God, I love you so much, and I’m so sorry that I’m such an idiot, because I should have said that before I left this morning and maybe none of this would have happened.”

Michael’s eyes swept across each name tag they passed, following the nurse closely, desperately searching for Rae’s room, his anxiety making it almost hard to focus, but he tried his best to push past it, just wanting to see Rae, needing to see her. As they finally got to the room that had RAE EVANS on the tag, he wasted no time, heading inside quickly, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she was already inside, but his heart sank in his chest when he came into the empty room and he chewed on his lip, ducking his head. Making his way further into the room, he swallowed hard as he sank down into a seat by the empty hospital bed and, leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and scrubbed his hands across his face, trying to hold it together, but the silence of the room was breaking him. The longer he was alone in the silence, the more he worried about Rae and the possibility that he wouldn’t see her again, that he could lose her while she was in surgery, and the very thought of it caused a sob to break forth past his lips and, ducking his head into his hands, he felt his tears falling, slipping down his face, and his shoulders shook as the sobs racked his body. After everything they’d been through, he couldn’t lose Rae and the fact that everything was crashing down around him and Rae wasn’t there with him, that he didn’t even know whether she was okay or not, it was breaking him all the more, tearing down everything around him. After all the awful things they’d said to each other that morning, the hot tempers, the slamming doors and raised voices, all he wanted, all he needed, was to see Rae again, to know that she was okay, to know that she was safe and alive and still a part of his life, that this world still had her in it, because the thought of her being gone broke him in ways he didn’t even know he could be broken.

Makenzie had still been racking her brain for any hint of a memory when she’d heard a knock at the door. Straightening, she peered over at the door when it opened, pausing as a man walked in - a man she didn’t recognize, but, then, she didn’t recognize anybody, as far as she knew. But, he seemed to know her, and, upon noticing the relief in his voice, the hope hidden there, she wondered who this man was, how he knew her, what they were supposed to mean to each other. When he sat on the edge of the bed, her attention dropped to his hand when she noticed him fiddling, twisting a ring, and, almost on instinct, she toyed with the skin of her finger where the ring line was before she lifted her gaze back to him, pausing when he called her baby, when he said he loved her, when he commented on losing her. Something within her ached, making her feel guilty for not remembering this man who seemed to care deeply for her and, after a moment, she dropped her gaze, clearing her throat. “I, uh… I’m sorry,” she murmured eventually, chewing on her lip before she peered up at him, unsure and worried. “I don’t… I don’t remember you, I guess? I’d say know, but you seem to know me… I don’t even know myself, so I just… I’m sorry, I don’t really know how to explain this, because they said I have amnesia, but they don’t seem to know yet how bad it is or whether there are more problems, so I don’t… Know what to do here.” And, after admitting it, she could feel a slight fear building within her, causing her eyes to water a bit, but she quickly swiped at them. “I really am sorry that I don’t remember you, I mean it.”

Athena rested against her pillows, still staring at the indentention of a ring on her ring finger, but when she heard a knock on the door of her cubicle, she lifted her gaze, blinking in surprise as a man, definitely not a medical professional stepped in. When he breathed out in relief, Athena's brows furrowed, tilting her head slightly as she took in the sight of him. He was beautiful, she could admit that much, but she didn't recognise him from anywhere. By the way he called her baby, Athena frowned - he must of been someone special to her, and she couldn't remember a damn thing about him, and with that thought, guilt passed through her chest in an anxious wave. When he sat beside her, she shifted away, removing her hand from his. "I - I'm sorry?" Athena frowned, studying him carefully, pulling her hand away. "I - who are you?" She asked, clearly a little afraid of his behaviour, shifting away a little more. "You gotta have the wrong room, sir."

The silence seemed to bounce off the walls in Lavinia's cubicle, and Luke could hear his own anxious heartbeat. His head was in his hands, elbows rested on his knees, tears - despite various attempts - unable to come to a halt. His worst fear had almost been realised today, and fuck, Luke was unsure of what he would do if Lavinia didn't make it and his last words to her were I hate you, leave me alone. Luke had stormed out of the house right after the last syllable left his mouth, and he wondered, as the crash happened, were those the words that ran through Lavinia's mind? With that thought, Luke tried to hold back a sob, but it burst forth, and he sniffled, running a hand through his hair to push it from his face - it was too fucking long, he needed a haircut, but god dammit, he knew Lavinia loved his long hair and he loved her so much. Feeling the tears sting in the back of his eyes, Luke leaned back in the chair, his body trembling from shock, staring at the clock on the wall. Hearing voices approach the room though, Luke perked up, looking to the door.

Rae felt herself regain conscious as the affect of the anaesthetic began to wear off. Feeling the cold of the recovery room, Rae tugged at her blanket weakly, whimpering as the light above her shone in her face. Seeing a nurse fill out paperwork at the end of her bed, Rae tried to speak but couldn't bring herself to, not having much energy. When the nurse noticed she was awake, Rae was informed she'd be taken back to her cubicle. Rae waited with baited breath, wondering if Michael had been told yet, just wanting to see her boyfriend and apologise for every harsh word, every slammed door, every raised voice, every accusation she'd thrown at him. Feeling tears stream down her cheeks with her thoughts, Rae sniffled and tried to get comfortable as her pain relief was switched on she felt her bed begin to get wheeled back to the trauma ward.

When Makenzie had begin to speak, Ashton lifted his gaze to look at her, his heart aching with how meek her voice was, how quietly she murmured, chewing on her lip, clearly worried about something. But when Makenzie had told him that she didn't remember who he was, Ashton felt his heart sink to his feet, tears welling up in his eyes. "Y - You don't -" Ashton took a deep breath, quickly wiping his eyes so he could rid himself of the tears, not wanting to worry her. "Okay... well, uh," Ashton nodded with her apology though. "There's no need to apologise, Kenzie. This isn't your fault." If anything, Ashton felt like it was his fault, because the love of his life, the woman he was meant to marry, didn't remember him. Didn't remember the love between them. Didn't remember that they'd been together for years and the day she agreed to marry him had been the highlight of Ashton's life. "I'm Ashton Irwin." Ashton introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you. Again." He chuckled, although it was humourless, empty. "I'm twenty four, you're twenty two, and you're my fiance. We've been together since you were seventeen, and I was nineteen." He ducked his head with that, his tears falling. "And you're the love of my life."

Calum watched when Athena’s brows furrowed and her head tilted, but he chewed on his lip nervously when he saw her frown, worried that it meant that she was still angry at him, that concern growing when she shifted away from him and removed her hand from his. If she was still angry at him, could he really blame her? After everything he’d said, after leaving without a goodbye, he was sure that he probably deserved that anger, but he was determined to make everything right again, to make up for every cruel thing he’d said to her. When she began to speak, though, and she asked who he was, he could feel his heart sinking, breaking, almost shattering, and he stared at her in mild shock, unsure of what to do or say, especially when she shifted away from him more and looked frightened of him. “I…” he started, unsure of how to explain, of what he could possibly say to her, and he could feel his eyes burning with tears, though he chewed on his lip to try to force them back, swallowing thickly as he ducked his head, trying to gather himself, because he didn’t want to make things worse for her. Clearing his throat, he took a few moments to calm himself before he lifted his gaze back to her, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t have the wrong room,” he told her quietly, his teary eyes running over her features as he took her in, examining her, before he shifted a bit, retracting his hand to avoid making her even more anxious than she already seemed to be. “I’m Calum Hood,” he explained gently, trying to be as gentle as possible in what he had to tell her, in what he had to explain, because he didn’t want to startle or frighten her, but he wanted her to know the truth, and he wondered just how terrified she was without her memories. His heart ached with the thought that she didn’t remember him, though - that she didn’t remember what they were, what they meant to each other, that she was the one person he always wanted in his life, even when he said things that made it seem otherwise, but, worst of all, that she couldn’t remember the argument that had started this all, because how was he supposed to explain that and explain how fucking sorry he was? “You’re Athena Poole. You’re my fiancee.” His eyes ran over her features for a few moments. “I’m 23, you’re 22, but, um… We started dating just after your 17th birthday and we’ve been together ever since.” He chewed on his lip for a moment, then, but settled his gaze on hers, wanting her to know that he was telling her the truth, but his tears spilled over again. “And you’re the best thing in my life, Athena. I love you with everything in me, you’re my soulmate, and I just… Even if you can’t remember, I want you to know that, okay? Because you deserve to know it and I just… I can’t lose you, Athena, I can’t…”

When Lavinia woke in the recovery room, her vision blurry at first as she slowly became more aware as the anesthetic left her body, she peered around weakly, a part of her hoping to see Luke, hoping that she’d already been taken back to her cubicle and that he would have been there, but she realized too quickly that she wasn’t in her cubicle and that there was the chance that Luke hadn’t even been informed that she was there, that she’d been hurt. And, for a moment, she thought of the possibility that he could have been informed and just hadn’t shown up - after all the cruel things they’d yelled at each other that morning, she couldn’t be sure what to expect, - but she tried to quickly force that thought from her mind despite the fact that it already caused tears to force their way past her eyes and down her cheeks. When a nurse walked in to check on her and saw that she was awake, she set up the pain relief before dealing with the sheet of paper at the end of her bed, soon getting help to cart Lavinia back to her cubicle, and Lavinia anxiously lifted her hand to swipe at her tears and she closed her eyes, almost afraid of opening her eyes again, terrified that, if she did, she’d open them in an empty room, and she wasn’t sure she could bare it.

Michael could feel his anxieties getting the better of him the longer he waited, the more time passed, and he anxiously ran his hands through his hair, occasionally tugging, scrubbing at his face, his tears still falling, leaving his cheeks almost soaked, and he could taste the salt on his lips, but all he wanted was for his lips to form the apologies he so badly wanted to tell Rae. But he knew he could only do that if she pulled through and the very thought of that reminded him that he might not get the chance to hold her again, to breathe her in, to taste her lips instead of the salt on his own, or to apologize to her. And thinking about all of that just made more rounds of tears rack his body because the last words either of them had said to each other were full of hatred and anger, and he wished he could take them all back, that he could make everything right again, that it was him who’d been in a car accident and not her, that he could take her place with any and all of this. But, with all of that, he found himself wishing that whoever had started those rumors that had forced the argument to happen would suffer a horrible fate, because maybe this could have all been avoided if those rumors, those awful lies, had never circled around to Rae. His shoulders quivering, shaking with his tears, he ducked his head, only to get distracted by the sound of somebody approaching and he lifted his gaze just in time to see the door open, his heart racing when he saw Rae getting brought in. “Rae,” he murmured almost breathlessly, his voice cracking, but he didn’t get in the way as the doctors got her into the hospital bed and set everything back up. The moment they were gone, though, he quickly moved to her side, taking her hand gently into his hand, his eyes watering once more. “Hey, baby, how are you feeling?” he asked in a quiet murmur, chewing on his lip, “I’m so sorry about this morning. God, I thought I was going to lose you and I just - when I got the call, all I could think about was everything I said before and I swear I didn’t mean a word of any of it, Rae, truly. I love you, with everything in me - I always have and I always will and I’m so, so sorry that I let you think even for a moment that I didn’t.”

Makenzie lifted her gaze to peer up at Ashton when she heard him start to speak, though seeing the tears in his eyes made the guilt in the pit of her stomach grow and, sniffling, she swiped at her eyes with slight frustration, almost angry at herself for forgetting. And, the more Ashton explained everything, the worse she felt, because how in the world could she forget somebody that she’d apparently been with for five years? Somebody who she was apparently engaged to? Somebody who seemed to truly believe that she was the love of his life? It wasn’t fair and she swallowed thickly, ducking her head slightly as she chewed harsher on her lip, wringing her hands nervously, anxiously, and she wished that whatever had happened to cause her amnesia hadn’t happened at all. “It’s nice to meet you, Ashton,” she managed eventually, clearing her throat before she lifted her gaze to him, her eyes running over his features, and she wished more than anything that she could fix her memories, force them back, because the thought of hurting this man pained her, even though she couldn’t quite understand why. “I’m sorry, I - I really don’t know what to say… I don’t… I don’t know how to make any of this better, but I wish I could, I really do.”

When the man sat beside her told Athena he didn't have the wrong room, she blinked in surprise, studying him for a long moment, something about him so frighteningly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Seeing him on the brink of tears, Athena frowned, reaching for his hand to comfort him, because it wasn't in Athena's nature to allow anyone to be upset. "Oh," she spoke quietly, meekly, and when he introduced himself as Calum, Athena tried to think of anyone named Calum she knew of - she was in school with a Calum, but he was a blond haired brat who always pulled Athena's hair. Listening intently as Calum spoke, she paused as he said she was his fiancee - she was engaged to this man? Retracting her hand once more, Athena placed her hands on her lap, ducking her head when no realisation came to her. She'd been with this man for five years, five whole years, and she remembered nothing, not a single moment. She couldn't imagine the pain he must of been feeling at that moment, and with the thought, Athena's heart dropped with guilt. When he told her he loved her, Athena studied him, and seeing his tears spill over, Athena wished, more than anything, she could remember him and the love she had for him. When Calum claimed she was his soulmate, she shifted, but nodded. "I -" she paused for a moment. "I'm sorry. I don't remember you." Her voice cracked with that, her own tears spilling over. "But it's nice to meet you, I think."

Luke lifted his head from his hands as heard footsteps approaching the cubicle. When the door opened, and Lavinia was brought in, Luke exhaled a sigh of relief, but paused when he saw that her eyes were closed. Stepping back to let the nurses do what they needed, Luke watched closely, and at the sight of Lavinia, the love of his life, his soulmate, his very reason for existing, bruised and pale, Luke felt more tears slip down his cheeks. Once the nurses left the room, barely acknowledging Luke, he stepped towards the bed, gently taking Lavinia's hand within his own. "Baby?" He almost cringed at how meek he sounded, but as his voice broke, as his tears began to fall, not even showing a sign of slowing down, he sniffled, gently resting his forehead against her knuckles, his shoulders shaking with his sobs. "I'm so fucking sorry, Lavinia. I'm so damn sorry." His voice was barely above a murmur. "I - I was in the studio when I got the call, and I was so scared, baby, I thought I was going to lose you and the last words you heard from me were the worst ones I ever could say to you." Luke's voice trembled with the thought, glad that fate had other plans. "I didn't mean them, not at all, I love you, Lavinia, nobody else, you're my soulmate." Luke tried to calm his sobs, but he almost couldn't control himself. "Don't ever think, for a second, that I don't love you, gorgeous girl." He pressed a kiss to her hand. "Because I do. So much. I'd be nothing without you."

Rae squirmed slightly, in discomfort, as she was placed on her bed, her pain relief set back up. Once the covers were pulled over her, Rae kept her eyes closed to focus on keeping herself calm, but when she heard footsteps approach her bed, when she felt a hand take hers, she swore she could recognise that touch from anywhere. "Mikey," she whimpered, opening her eyes and looking to him. Feeling tears come to her eyes, Rae felt them slip down her cheeks as she studied him. Pulling her hand from his to cup his cheek, Rae studied her boyfriend, sighing out. "Please, don't, Michael, it's forgiven, okay? I should never of believed stupid rumours, I was an idiot, I'm sorry." Her voice broke, her thumb running gently over his cheek. "I love you so much, Michael, I was so scared." Her gaze met his. "I was so fucking terrified that I was going to die and my last words to you were that I hate you, because I don't hate you, Michael, I could never, I love you so much, I -" She sniffled.

Ashton quickly swiped at his face with the back of his hand, wanting to rid himself of the tears so he didn't put Makenzie through anything more than what she had already suffered. Hearing her sniffle, and seeing her wipe at her own eyes, Ashton gently took her hand in his own to comfort her, because what else could he do? He couldn't kiss her. Couldn't hug her. He didn't want her to feel pressured. "Hey, hey..." He spoke softly, brushing his thumb aling her knuckles gently. "It's okay. We'll be okay, you will be okay, Kenzie." He told gently, truly believing it, even if fear and blame moved through him in a way that Ashton hated, but accepted, because if he hadn't argued with her that morning, perhaps she wouldn't of left the house. "Listen to me," Ashton instructed gently. "I'm gonna be right here if you need me, okay?" His hazel eyes met hers, and he knew, he knew, he had to be strong for the both of them. "It's gonna be scary, baby, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you, even if you don't remember me." Ashton exhaled quietly with that, shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. "If you have any questions, ask, I'll answer best as I can." He offered a weak smile. "Got a lot of stories to tell, photos on my phone to prove it, too." He chuckled.

Calum’s eyes ran over Athena’s features, his expression softening when he felt her hand take his own, and he felt his heart swelling with the contact. When she’d pulled her hand back, though, he watched her, his heart aching when she ducked her head, but he cleared his throat and nodded slightly. Seeing her shifting, he quickly lifted his hand to swipe at the tears that had shed from his eyes and he cleared his throat, not wanting to worry her, not wanting to cause her any more stress or problems than necessary, but he knew it may be unavoidable with her having no memories. When he heard her apologize, when he registered the crack in her voice, and when he lifted his gaze and saw the tears spilling from her eyes, his heart twisted and broke in every way possible, a pain shooting through him that he’d never known existed, because the last thing he ever wanted was for Athena to be upset. “Hey, look at me,” he murmured gently, reaching his hands out to cup her face as gently as he could, not wanting to startle her, but not wanting to take her hand when she kept pulling away. He offered a weak smile, running his thumbs under her eyes to try to gently wipe away her tears, being sure to be as gentle as humanly possible, because the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her in any way, ever. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Athena,” he whispered quietly, chewing on his lip as he examined her, “You did nothing wrong, you hear me? I know you’re scared - terrified, probably, - and that’s okay, I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through this, because, dammit, you’re the love of my life, you’re everything to me, and I don’t want you to go through this alone. I’m gonna be right here for you, and we’re gonna get through this together, yeah?” Again, he offered a weak smile, despite the tears forming in his eyes again and the crack in his voice. “So, um, how about I try to fill in the holes, yeah? Anything you wanna know? Anything at all?”

Lavinia had still been so terrified of opening her eyes that, up until she’d felt Luke’s hand in her own - a feeling she knew so well, as if every atom in her could react to his touch by memory, - and, when she felt the contact, she blinked her eyes open with mild surprise, her heart swelling with surprise and relief, her tears turning from worried to relieved, and she chewed on her lip when she heard his meek voice, his broken voice, and her heart ached when she saw his tears. “Luke,” she whispered quietly, squeezing his hand to get his attention when he’d rested his forehead against her knuckles. “Oi, stop that, you don’t have to apologize.” Reaching over with her free hand, she ran her fingers through his hair gently, only barely able to do it with the IVs, but she tried to blink away her own tears. “I’m sorry for ever thinking that those rumors could be true, Luke,” she murmured, “I’m sorry I wouldn’t just… Drop it and walk away and leave it alone, that I kept pressing it, pressing you, that I said such… Horrible things to you.” She chewed on her lip, then, swallowing hard. “I didn’t mean a word of it, I swear.” Feeling him kiss her hand, she squeezed his hand gently in response, her eyes scanning over his features. “I love you, Luke, and I’m so, so sorry for saying otherwise.”

Michael could feel his heart ache and twist when he heard Rae whimper and saw the tears falling down her cheeks, and, when he felt her hand lift to his cheek, he lifted his hand to rest it over hers, leaning into her touch as he felt his tears still slipping down his own cheeks. “Baby, you’re not an idiot, and you have nothing to apologize for, ever,” he whispered quietly, chewing hard on his lip as he examined her. “You saw a bunch of lies and probably heard some, too, and it’s not your fault for believing them - none of this is your fault.” He made sure to really try to drive that home for her, so that she understood, so that she knew that it was okay, but his heart still ached desperately with the fact that, maybe, just maybe, this whole thing could have been avoided, and she’d be okay. “I love you, too, sweetheart, more than anything in this world. I wouldn’t…” His voice cracked and he trembled and cleared his throat before he leaned down to kiss her forehead gently. “I wouldn’t survive without you in my life, Rae. You’re the best part of me, you make me a better man than I could have ever even hoped to be without you, and I want you to know that, always - I want you to know that you have my heart in your hands, even when we’re arguing, even when I say such stupid, awful shit that you don’t deserve to hear, especially when it’s not even true. I could never, ever hate you, and I never want you to leave my life, you hear me?” Shifting a bit, he turned his head a bit to kiss the palm of her head. “And, if I ever say anything so awful again, just kick my ass and lock me in the basement until my head gets put back on right, okay? I’d deserve it.”

Makenzie lifted her gaze when she felt the pressure against her hand, surprised with how comforting it was to feel Ashton’s hand in her own, even when she couldn’t remember him. But, then, she supposed that contact like that was supposed to be comforting when it came from most people, so maybe it was just natural to feel comforted. It was only when she felt his thumb brushing along her knuckles that she felt her shoulders untense, though, and she hadn’t even realized how tense she’d been until that moment. “How can you be so sure?” she asked quietly, because she didn’t understand how it was possible to believe that they’d be okay when she had no memory. What if she changed? What if she ended up not being the same Makenzie that Ashton seemed to know so well and love? She eyed him, her gaze holding his when his eyes met hers and she listened to his instructions before ducking her head. “What if it’s too much, though?” she asked suddenly, her voice softer than when she’d asked the previous question, and a part of her was terrified that she’d have to go through it all alone, if things ended up going wrong. And, she lifted her gaze, then, examining him as she listened to his later words, her heart aching a bit when she saw his slumped shoulders and his weak smile. “Can you tell me about us?” she asked eventually, wanting to know, needing to know about the both of them, about their relationship, because she wanted to understand what brought them together, how they’d lasted the past five years together.

Athena studied Calum for a long moment, and yet, the longer that moment went on, the more Athena was comforted by Calum being there at all. And it was strange. She had no recollection of the man, but when he swiped at his tears, when he cleared his throat, when he showed his vulnerability, Athena couldn't help the guilt that ran through her veins. But when Calum pushed back his own sadness, his own hurt, and reached to cup her face within his hands, warm and inviting, Athena blinked slowly, leaning into his touch as her lower lip trembled, her eyes closing as Calum gently wiped away her ters with the pads of his thumbs. "Calum, five years... what if this whole thing changes me? Who I am? What if I don't become that person you fell in love with, the person you asked to marry you." Athena asked meekly, lifting her gaze to his as he spoke, and when she heard the crack in his voice, she frowned, reaching, as if on instinct, to run her fingers through his hair, but still, looking to him, looking at him, nothing came to her mind, and she frowned, frustrated with the fact he remembered her, knew everything about her, and she knew nothing of him. "Tell me about us."

Luke shifted the chair he occupied closer to Lavinia's bed as he held onto her hand, almost desperately, needing her to know that Luke loved her more than life itself, that to him, she put the stars in the sky and made the sun shine, she turned the Earth on its axis and she was the one who controlled the tides, the moon was weak in comparison. When Lavinia spoke though, Luke felt relief wash through him and he let out a sob. "Oh my god, Lavinia." He sniffled, lifting his forehead from her knuckles. When Lavinia continued to speak, Luke felt his lower lip tremble, and feeling her fingers run through his tousled curls, Luke leaned into her touch, being careful of the IV line. "If I hadn't of pushed you, Lavinia, this never would of happened, of course I have to apologise. I could of lost you today, baby." Luke let out a shuddered exhale of breath, trying to calm his anxiety. "Babe, those rumours were convincing, but they're not true, I love you more than anything else, you -" Luke took a deep breath. "You're my soulmate, Lavinia." He promised, reaching to kiss her cheek."I know you didn't, sweetheart, it's over, okay? It's behind us. I love you, Lavinia, and nothing could ever change that. We're gonna focus on being stronger than ever and getting you better." Luke promised, reaching to kiss her lips.

Rae sighed out with the familiar, comforting feeling of Michael leaning into her touch, her breathing laboured as she tried to calm herself down. She was alive, Michael was with her, that's what mattered the most. But when she saw Michael's tears, Rae gently swiped her thumb under his eyes to catch any stray tears. When Michael spoke, Rae listened, because the man beside her meant more to her than she could ever explain. "I shouldn't of believed those rumours, Michael, I know you'd never - and I still insisted on fighting with you." Rae blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry, Michael." And when Michael reassured Rae that he loved her, Rae heard the crack in his voice and felt her heart sink down, hating to see Michael so anxious, so distressed - she'd seen him through anxiety before, and this time, she was the cause of it. When he pressed a kiss to her forehead though, Rae nuzzled into him for a moment, their foreheads pressed together. "I know," Rae reassured quietly. "But you need to know that you bring out the best in me, Michael, you always have. You have my heart too, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with it." She promised. "I won't leave your life if you don't leave mine." Rae promised, her own voice cracking with that. When he kissed the palm of her hand, Rae offered a weak smile, and she nodded. "It's cold in the basement, baby."

Ashton watched Makenzie carefully, noticing how she seemed to relax under his touch, and Ashton made sure he wasn't being too overwhelming, even though all he wanted to do was scoop Makenzie into his arms and protect her with everything he had in him, and despite every atom in Ashton's body screaming at him to do just that, he knew it would only make it worst, and he didn't want to scare, or upset, Makenzie further. When she untensed, Ashton gently offered her hand a squeeze, continuing to run his thumb over her knuckles in soothing motions. "Because I've never been so sure of anything in my life." Ashton murmured gently. "I've always had my faith in you, Kenz, in us. A car accident isn't going to change that. I'm going to be with you throughout this, I promise." Ashton gently lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles, setting her hand back down gently, keeping his hold on her. "Too much of you is never enough, even with no memory at all." Ashton promised, and God, did he mean it. But when Makenzie asked to know more about them as a couple, Ashton smiled, and nodded. "Alright. We met at a county fair. I'd actually been stood up, so I was taking my frustration out by knocking over empty bottles. I won this huge bear, and then you walked by. I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, so I chased you, offered it to you. You said you'd only take it if you got my name and number." He laughed, remembering the night so clearly. "The bear is still in our house." Ashton smiled fondly. "We went from there, and we got together pretty fast." Ashton nodded. "Our families get along amazingly, and so do our friends. On our second anniversary, I asked you to move in. On our third, I asked you to marry me." Ashton grinned. "God, when you said yes? Best day of my life."

Calum felt his heart squeeze sadly when he saw Athena’s lower lip tremble, and he swore that seeing her in this state was one of the most painful experiences he’d ever faced, because he didn’t know how to help her, he didn’t know how to make any of this better. Moreover, he was still blaming himself for all of this, and he’d never seen Athena so scared, so anxious, and it made his heart squeeze all the more. “Athena, no matter what happens, you are who I want to spend my life with,” he murmured gently, “Whether this whole thing changes who you are or not, I want you, I want this, I want us - I always have and I always will. And, there’s no guarantee that you’ll change; for all we know, it could end up being us, our relationship, that changes, and it could very well change for the better. We could be stronger than ever before, especially with us facing this. If we can get through this, baby, we can get through anything. And, I believe with all my heart that we can get through it.” He offered a small smile, watching her, and he listened quietly to her request before nodding slowly. “Well, we met on the beach - you were with your family, and I was with my friends. My friends and I were being a bit obnoxious and we’d accidentally kicked some dirt around and it got in your food.” He made a face. “I made a pretty… Awful attempt at apologizing, but then I offered to make it up to all of you by taking you all to this great diner I knew. We all had a great time and the more time I spent with you, the more I knew that you were the one, so halfway through the meal, I asked you on a real date.” He grinned slightly with the memory. “You agreed and we went out that weekend. Halfway through that meal, I asked you to be my girlfriend.” He chuckled. “A year into our relationship, we cooked dinner at my house one night and just… Having you there, seeing you moving around the kitchen so naturally… Well, obviously, I asked you to move in - I couldn’t stop myself - and you did.” He grinned with the memory, loving the thought of it, loving being able to share the memories with her, even if she couldn’t remember. “And, about a year and a half ago, I asked you to marry me, thanks to Duke, our dog, being a little wingman, and you said yes. I swear, Athena, I’ve never been happier in my life.”

Lavinia could feel her eyes water as she listened to Luke, but she swallowed her tears back, blinking them away, and shook her head slightly. “No, no, I pushed just as bad, Luke,” she reminded quietly as she examined him for a few moments. “I wouldn’t let it go, and I knew better, I knew you’d never do that to me, but I just… I believed it when I shouldn’t have and I’m so, so sorry, Luke.” Her fingers still running through his hair, she chewed on her lip for a few moments. “But, you didn’t lose me. I’m right here, I’m okay.” And, she was determined to make sure that she didn’t worry Luke after this; she’d put herself in this situation, she’d believed those rumors, she’d gone off with her friends to complain. “I love you, too, Luke. I really do, and I swear I won’t believe rumors like that again.” She meant it, too; from now on, if a rumor came up that worried her, she’d bring it up to Luke and take his word for it, because she knew that she should have known better. Hearing his words, she offered a small smile as she returned his kiss for a moment, murmuring over his lips, “I’ll be okay, really.”

Michael felt his tears slowing when he felt Rae swiping his tears away - all because he didn’t want Rae to worry, he didn’t want to upset her in any way and make things worse for her. She was going through enough; she could have died in that accident, she’d just gotten out of surgery, and, God, it’d all happened after all those cruel things he’d said to her. He couldn’t imagine what she was fully going through, and he hated that he was such a huge influence on this awful day; he wanted to make everything better for her. “No, baby,” he murmured quietly, “The people who spread those rumors, they went through a lot of trouble to make them believable. None of that is on you, I swear. I should have stayed, I shouldn’t have gotten angry, I should have just tried to prove that they were all lies, rather than saying such awful things.” Anxiously, he chewed on his lip, trying to bite back his tears, and he reached up to swipe away Rae’s tears gently, hating hearing the way her voice cracked, and wanting to be there for her, wanting to be better for her. “I’d do anything for you, baby, even sleep in the basement, regardless of how cold it is.” Offering a weak grin, he leaned to press a gentle kiss to her lips, just wanting her to know how much he loved her. “I’ll never leave your life, sweetheart, I promise.”

Makenzie leaned back on the bed, resting against the pillows, surprised with how… Comforting it was, to have Ashton holding her hand, to feel his humb over her knuckles, and she chewed on her lip as she listened to him quietly. How Ashton could have so much faith was beyond her, but she wanted to follow his lead, she wanted to have that kind of faith and she wondered if she’d had the same kind of faith when she’d had her memory. “What if I change without my memories, though?” she asked quietly, “What if I end up not being the same Makenzie?” Her brows furrowed and she chewed on her lip in concern but, when Ashton began speaking about when they’d met, she peered over at him, watching him closely, listening intently to everything he said, and watching every detail of his expressions and listening to the changes in his tone, taking it all in. “What are we like together? Or… What were we like together?” she asked with curiosity, arching a brow as she examined him before she shifted a bit on the bed. “You said you have photos on your phone - can I see them?”

Athena listened carefully to Calum's words, making sure she paid him nothing but her full attention, trying her hardest to absorb every piece of information she could. "What if it breaks us instead?" Athena asked, looking to the handsome Maori boy, trying to decipher him in a way that she could only dream of. She knew nothing of him, and yet, looking to him, she knew she was safe, and loved, and Athena felt an unfamiliar warmth flood through her entire existence. "That's a big if." Athena murmured, amazed that Calum was even holding onto hope the way he was. Fingers curling around the thin hospital blanket as she listened to the story of how the two came to be, Athena felt the corners of her mouth tugging up to a smile, although she couldn't help but feel so incredibly jealous, because Calum seemed to happy to relive those memories, memories that Athena couldn't recall. "So, we share a house, we're gonna get married, and we have a dog." Athena listed off, ducking her head a little, amazed at the thought and so excited to relive it, if fate permitted. "Were we really, like, you know..." Athena shrugged, unsure of how to articulate her words. "Like, were we that so in love couple?"

Luke saw Lavinia's eyes water, and gently he reached his hands to cup her cheeks, running the pads of his thumbs under her eyes to catch any straying tears. "You have nothing to apologise for." Luke murmured softly, giving Lavinia a sweet eskimo kiss, being gentle with his movements. "You deseerved to get mad, you deserved to not let it go." He promised, relishing in the feeling of Lavinia's fingers in his hair, because it meant she was alive, and it was a habit that was so wonderfully her, Luke couldn't help but thank every star in the sky that she was okay. "Thank God you are okay." Luke smiled weakly. "I could listen to you tell me you love me all day. I could tell you I love you all day, too." Luke promised, pressing another kiss to her lips as Lavinia returned his initial kiss. "I know you will be," Luke murmured softly. "Because I'll make sure of it." Luke promised - meaning every word. He would go to the ends of the Earth to get whatever Lavinia needed during her recovery, and Luke swore to himself that he'd take time away from the studio to take her on vacation when she was better, wanting to do anything he could to make up for the fight. "I love you. How are you feeling?" Luke asked with worry.

Rae studied Michael for a long moment, looking for any signs of upset that spoke beyond tears. He had always been such an emotional person - something Rae loved the most about him - but when he knew people would worry, he had a tendency to hide. Listening to Michael speak, Rae relished in the sound of his voice, because it had brought her so much comfort over the course of their relationship, she was sure she could listen to him talk and never get tired of hearing his voice. "Mikey," Rae murmured. "It's behind us now, I promise." And she meant it. "What's done is done." Seeing Michael anxiously chew on his lip, Rae shifted so she could lean forward, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek. "I wouldn't want you to sleep in the basement." Rae smiled against his skin, her forehead resting against his temple. "The bed would be too cold without you." Hearing his promise though, Rae sighed happily, burying her face into Michael's neck, wanting - needing - his comfort, the familiar scent and warmth so incredibly inviting.

As Makenzie leaned back, Ashton used his free hand to pull her blanket up further to ensure that she was warm and comfortable, standing to reach over, Ashton tucked the blanket in a little, resisting every urge he had to lean down and kiss the woman he was destined to be with, the woman he was going to marry. "Then I'll get the chance to fall in love with you all over again." Ashton smiled when he heard Makenzie's concerns. "The first time was incredible, and I'd relive it every day if I could." He promised. "So don't you worry about a thing, Kenzie. I know if we work together, we can get through this. It's the way we've always done things, and it always works out." Ashton promised, using his free hand to brush Makenzie's hair from her face, his touch gentle and careful, not wanting to startle her, or hurt her. Listening to Makenzie's questions, Ashton grinned. "God, we were amazing." Ashton kept his hazel eyes firmly on Makenzie, studying her for any signs of distress. "Inseperable, and so in love." Ashton sighed happily, like a love drunk teenager. "We sleep facing each other cause I can't stand to take my eyes off you for more than a moment, you've always been the most beautiful woman I've ever met. We cook together on Sundays, always. That's our day." Ashton smiled. "We have a studio in the house and you like to play my drums sometimes, and you're great at it." Ashton grinned with the thought. "We were untouchable, Kenz. And I know we can be that way again, and I know we're like that now." Ashton promised. But hearing Makenzie ask to see photos, Ashton grinned, nodding as he pulled his phone from his pocket and going straight to his camera roll, wanting to show her every photo he could. Handing her the device, Ashton leaned to swipe through their photos. "This was at your cousin's wedding," Ashton pointed to a beautiful photo of the two kissing on the beach - Ashton dressed in a black suit, and Makenzie in a dress. Swiping again, Ashton laughed. "This is when you decided to paint me up as a clown for our next door neighbour's kids birthday." In the photo, Ashton wore an over exaggerated red nose, with clown make up and silly clothes, and Makenzie stood with her arms around his neck, laughing. Swiping once more, Ashton paused and smiled at the photo of the both of them sat by a fire pit - Makenzie in Ashton's lap, a blanket over the both of them, Ashton's face buried into Makenzie's neck. "And this was from our engagement party." Ashton bit his lip, trying to contain his happiness. "Michael stole my phone to take this." Ashton explained, looking to Makenzie for any kind of reaction.

Calum’s expression softened as he watched her, listening as she spoke, and he shook his head, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “That won’t happen,” he assured her quietly, “It would never happen. We’re stronger than this, than anything, we always have been.” He smiled slightly as he watched her, hoping to assure her in any way that he could, because the last thing he wanted was for her to worry about something like this - especially when he was so certain that they could get through it, he knew they could get through it. His thumb ran over her knuckles gently, wanting to comfort her, wanting her to know that he was there and that nothing would drive him away from her, that nothing would break them apart. “Yeah, we were,” he told her, smiling slightly as he watched her, taking her in, “In so many ways. I’m pretty sure we made everybody sick with how in love we were, we never really hid it or held back - but we were perfect. We had our ups and downs, like any couple would, but we always got through it, together.” He took her in for a few moments, his eyes scanning over her features for any reaction or any sign of pain or anything that seemed off. “That’s how I know we’ll get through this, Athena - because we can get through anything together.”

Lavinia’s eyes closed over when she felt Luke’s hands against her cheeks, and she breathed out quietly as she listened to him. She was still angry at herself for listening to those rumors, for questioning Luke about it, for basically accusing him when she should have known better, but she tried not to think about it, at least for now. As Luke continued to speak, she couldn’t help but laugh weakly, sniffling as she opened her eyes, watching him. “You’re such a sap,” she murmured teasingly, though she felt beyond lucky to have somebody as amazing as Luke as hers - even in the moments where she clearly didn’t deserve him. As Luke made his promise, her expression softened, and she shifted, leaning to kiss his cheek gently. “You don’t have to worry about me.” Her eyes ran over his features, she swore that she belonged with him, beside him, and she was lucky that he was still here after everything. “I love you, too.” Hearing the concern in his voice, she shook her head slightly. “I’m okay, really. Hurts a little, but the medicine helps. I’m okay.”

Michael smiled slightly as he watched her, listening intently to her, though he nodded slightly in response. “Yeah… Yeah, you’re right,” he murmured quietly as he took her in, “Considering what you’ve been through, yeah, it’d be best not to dwell too much on it now.” He’d nearly lost her, after all, and he knew he wouldn’t have survived losing her, ever. The fact that she was here now, that she was alive, made it obvious that he shouldn’t let what happened that morning change anything between them, and dwelling on it, thinking too much about it, would likely stress both of them out, and neither of them needed that after everything - but Rae definitely didn’t need added stress when she’d been involved in such an awful wreck. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like, how scared she must have been, how much pain she must have been in, and he hoped that she would be okay after all of this. “I can’t wait for us to get back home, where we can just spend hours cuddling.” Where they could relax, where he could know that she was absolutely safe, in every way possible. When he felt her burying her face against him, he held her close, rubbing her back gently. “I love you, Rae,” he murmured quietly, gently, “More than anything.”

Makenzie watched Ashton, relaxing a bit when he tucked her in, and she smiled as she watched him, listening to everything he said, swearing that everything he said felt so real, made it easy to believe it all, and she wondered if she’d ever been aware of how lucky she was - because even now, without her memories, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. “It does sound like we were amazing,” she said quietly as she watched him, though she wished she could remember any of that, that she could remember what it was like to be as in love as Ashton said they were. Shifting a bit, she watched as he showed her each photo, listening to everything he said about each one. She’d smiled at the wedding photo, laughed at the clown photo, and nearly cried at the engagement photo, overwhelmed with it all - they really did seem so happy, so in love, and she swallowed, wiping at her eyes a bit. “I wish I could remember,” she told him quietly, taking a shaky breath to try to calm down, to try to fight back everything brewing inside of her, “Thank you for showing me all of those. Really.”

Athena listened carefully to Calum's words, but she made sure to commit them to memory, because she was so certain that they'd get her through even the hardest of times. "I'm scared." Athena whispered, her voice barely audible over the various beeps of the machines that surrounded her bed. "But... if you're certain, then I am, too." She nodded, needing, craving Calum's guidance. Looking to the faded impression of a ring on her ring finger, Athena swallowed, leaning back against her pillows and returning a squeeze to Calum's hand, his skin clammy from nerves. Feeling his thumb run over her knuckles, Athena shifted to get comfortable. "I can't wait to explore it all, Calum." Athena whispered. And his confidence in their survival was something that Athena found almost inspirational.

Luke's blue eyes studied Lavinia carefully as she promised him that he didn't have to worry about her, and Luke shook his head. It was his job to worry about her - not something he felt forced to do, but something he was compelled to do, because he always wanted to ensure Lavinia's safety and happiness, because the thought of her not being truly happy tore him up inside in a way he couldn't quite explain. Luke exhaled with relief that she was okay, that she was right there beside him and lucky with her injuries. "We have to make a promise right here, Lavinia." Luke spoke softly. "We can't get so caught up in these shitty rumours again. Look where it's gotten us..." He nodded towards her, wrapped up in the sheets of the hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machinery that made Luke feel nervous, as if he'd blink and Lavinia would disappear from his life forever. God, he couldn't bear the thought. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Luke leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to Lavinia's lips once more, just needing the comfort. "You'll be high as a kite when you're let home." He murmured over her lips teasingly.

Rae exhaled as she felt Michael rub at her back, and Rae took a long moment to commit the moment, the feeling and the warmth of his hands, to memory. It had been an eye opener, really, just how quickly life could be taken away, and knowing that if hers had been stolen, Michael would be left alone, killed her. Trying to blink the tears away, Rae exhaled a shaky breath as the tears began to fall, faster as Michael told her that he loved her. "I love you too, Michael." She pulled back a little, flinching as she did. "I can't wait to get home either," She admitted quietly. "Can we bring Moose and South to cuddle, too?" She toyed with her lower lip, gripping to Michael as if her life depended on it; because really, to Rae, it did. It had been a close call today. She'd been an idiot to fall for those rumours. "Oh, God, Michael."

Ashton smiled softly as Makenzie wiped at her eyes, and gently taking her hand, Ashton pressed a kiss to her palm. "Hey," He spoke softly, ensuring that he wouldn't startle her in the state she was in. "Maybe you'll get your memories back," Ashton suggested, pressing his forehead to the side of her head, his eyes flicking down to his phone screen, the photo of their engagement party still immortalised on the screen. "Until then, if you want to..." Ashton listened as she took a shaky breath, and he was certain his heart would break in his chest, because the woman he loved so fucking much was in a state of mind that caused her nothing but distress. "We can make new memories. I'd walk to the end of the world for you, Makenzie, and I'd recreate every single thing you've missed if it made those tears evaporate." Ashton promised quietly, making a mental note to ask the boys if they'd be up for it. "How're you feeling?" Ashton asked softly, shifting as he pulled away, pressing a sweet kiss to her temple. "It's at your pace, Kenzie. Tell me what to do."

Calum felt his heart ache when he heard Athena’s words, and he gave her hand another gentle squeeze, his thumb running over her hand gently. “I know you’re scared, love,” he whispered, “And I’m so sorry that this happened to you. But we’ll get through it - together, just like we get through everything else together, just like we always have.” Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, trying to be as careful as he could, not wanting to make things even harder for her, because he knew he was still just a stranger to her. But, he wanted her to know that, through everything, he would always be there for her, to help her with anything and everything she needed. Still, hearing her words, he offered a small smile. “Neither can I,” he promised as he took her in, his eyes running over her features, “Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Lavinia watched Luke as she listened to him, and she offered a small nod in response to his suggestion. “Yeah, okay,” she murmured quietly, figuring it was probably for the best - though, she wasn’t sure either of them could wholly ignore the rumors. They were always so awful and they also took such big tolls on the both of them, wearing them down. But, she wanted to try, in hopes that it would make things easier for Luke, because she didn’t want to put him through all of this again. She made a face, though, at his teasing, and pouted slightly. “I’m not gonna like that at all,” she whined quietly.

Michael smiled sadly as he watched Rae, his heart breaking at the sight of her tears, and he reached to wipe them away gently, listening to her, though he was so relieved to hear that she loved him too, that she loved him still. He knew that his world, his life, wouldn’t be the same without Rae, and he swore he was going to be the best man he could possibly be for her, because she deserved it. “Yeah, of course they can come cuddle with us,” he promised with a nod, leaning to kiss the side of her head. “Whatever you wanna do, we’ll do it. Whatever helps you feel better, whatever makes you feel safer, whatever gives you even an ounce of happiness, we’re gonna do it, alright?” He reached his hand up to run his fingers through her hair. “I promise.”

Makenzie took a breath, as shaky as it was, and tried to calm down, tried to listen to Ashton and his calming voice, trying to not get too worked up by everything, no matter how confused and lost she felt. “Would we really be able to do that?” she asked quietly, cautious, because she wasn’t sure - she didn’t want to put Ashton through that if it upset him, and she was worried it wouldn’t help either of them through this, but a huge part of her just… Wanted any memories she could get with him, even new ones. She watched him for a moment but shook her head slightly in thought. “Overwhelmed,” she murmured, sniffling quietly, “Confused. Lost. Scared. I just… I hate this… I hate it so much…”

Athena exhaled her anxiety as Calum pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she wondered just how many kisses he'd given her, how many times he'd held her hand and told her that he loved her, because she couldn't remember a single instance - and Athena felt that it just wasn't fair. With his promise that everything was going to be okay though, Athena nodded, smiling weakly. "I hope so..." She murmured, shifting once more to get comfortable, wincing as she did, her body sore. "Is it okay if I sleep?" Athena asked, her eyes - although heavy - kept going to her empty ring finger, her heart aching, as if it knew something was meant to be there.

Luke laughed with Lavinia's whining, her pout so adorable that Luke could feel his heart beat just that little bit faster. "You're going to love it, you'll feel like you're on cloud nine." Luke carried on teasing, gently pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose, before moving to her forehead, wanting to comfort her in a way that only he could. Studying Lavinia as he held onto her hand, Luke ran his thumb along the back of her hand, exhaling his worries away. She was alive, and that was all that mattered, no matter what any stupid fucking rumours had to say. "At least, when we get home, you can have a more comfortable bed." Luke murmured, gently pressing a kiss to Lavinia's cheek. "But you need to rest, baby." Luke smiled softly. "It'll help your recovery."

Rae nodded with Michael's words, her eyes fluttering closed as Michael's fingers ran through her hair, and she nodded again. "Okay..." She murmured, leaning back into the bed, her eyes heavy and body bruised and her heart longing to go home. Gently taking Michael's hand into her own, Rae let the silence of the moment soothe her, and she let her eyes close. "I'm so tired, Mikey." Rae admitted quietly, head aching and eyes heavy, and she offered Michael's hand a squeeze. "Can I just sleep?" She asked. "Or ask a Doctor if I can be discharged?"

Ashton smiled softly with Makenzie's question, and he nodded. "Of course we'll be able to do that." Ashton promised quietly. "I'll do everything I can to make it perfect, right down to the last detail." Ashton winked playfully, pressing a sweet kiss to the back of her bruised hand, the sight of her black and blue skin enough to make Ashton feel nauseas, disappointed in himself that he couldn't protect Makenzie, that he couldn't prevent any of this - but as she sniffled, Ashton nodded, trying to ignore the feeling of the lump in his own throat. "I know, I know..." Ashton spoke softly, gentle and caring. "But I promise, everything's going to be okay. I won't let anything else happen, okay? I'm here."