Break

Chapter 11

Shayne stays by Courtney's side, at least one arm wrapped tightly around her, all day. He refuses to leave her side to buy himself lunch when hers arrives, and the nurses largely stay away, not asking him to leave between the morning and afternoon visiting times. Their afternoon shift nurse, however, is one they've seen many times before, and when he reluctantly steps in to do observations a while after lunch time and Shayne's stomach rumbles obviously, the nurse raises an eyebrow.

"You're refusing to leave the room to buy yourself food?" he guesses, looking towards Shayne, who simply shrugs lightly.

"Okay. If you have cash on you, I can get someone to go down and get something from the café for you? Any allergies?" he offers.

"I- you don't have to it's-" Shayne answers, awkwardly.

"You might not be our patient, but you still need to eat. It's nothing, someone will just grab something for you as well when they go down to get something for themselves, okay?" he reinforces, Shayne reluctantly nodding.

"Okay. No allergies, just whatever sandwich is fine," he tells them, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a $20 note to hand to the nurse.

"Good boy. Look after yourself, too, please?" Courtney tells Shayne, teasing turning to pleading after the nurse steps out again. Shayne nods gently, before shifting to lean his head on her shoulder.

"I know I should. I just- I'm still scared and angry and upset and worried about you and I just want to protect you," he tells her, "The thought of having to leave today is already killing me."

"Don't talk about it. I just- I just want to spend an afternoon hanging out with you, okay? We can- can you get my Switch, or something, and we can play a game together? Everything sucks and I don't feel safe but- I just want to feel normal and okay at least while you're here and I am protected," she replies, insistent. Shayne grimaces, but he reluctantly unwraps himself from around her, although keeps one hand gripped in her own, and reaches for her Switch from the drawers beside the desk.

They hold off the panic until 7:30pm. Shayne eats a chicken and avocado sandwich from the hospital café for dinner, the nurses delivering it to him just as Courtney's own hospital dinner arrives. They don't go back to the Switch after dinner, but they talk lightly about bits and pieces of nothingness as they hold each other tightly lying down in the bed, Courtney's fingers running softly through Shayne's hair as he traces gentle patterns across her back.

"I don't know what I'm going to do tonight," Courtney mumbles, at a lull in their conversation. She feels Shayne press a kiss to her shoulder.

"I don't either," Shayne answers, softly, his arms tightening pointedly around her.

"No, you do. You're going to go and you're going to talk to Damien, okay?" Courtney reminds him, her tone returning in force and certainty. Shayne sighs.

"Yeah, but I- I know you're going to struggle tonight, and I know I'm going to as well knowing that and not being here. I just- you mean so much to me, Courtney," he replies, tone turning muffled as he buries his face against her shoulder.

"I know, love. I just wish I could- I just want to be able to get out of here and go home and sleep in my bed with you beside me and the cats and-" she cuts herself off in a small sob, before continuing, "I don't know when I get out of here but I want you to be at home with me when I do."

"I'll be there," he confirms, sniffling and falling into silence again as he keeps his face hidden tightly against her to avoid any chance of seeing a clock. Courtney isn't so able – she tries, truly, but her eyes keep drifting to the clock on the wall, watching the minute hand slowly tick forward. She manages to look away, for a while, but when she glances back to see it's already 7:50pm, she feels panic flood into her mind.