"L A B E L S"

Episode 92

Hours ticked by and the hospital was becoming quieter even though more people were filling the halls. 

Everything had finally come to a boil and there was no longer time for anything else but waiting. 

Everything was silent; everyone was still, hoping for that moment when she would come back to her life.

To most people waiting was the simplest thing in the world but to Scarlett, waiting seemed like the hardest thing she had ever had to do.

She was sitting in the hospital's waiting room with her back arched over as her eyes, tired from crying, hid in the palms of her hands. She suddenly hears a voice talking above her and looks up to find Nick standing above her with two cups of coffee in his hands. He holds out the one cup out to her. 

"I thought you could use the caffeine." She gratefully takes the cup of coffee and stands up to face him. "Any word?" Nick asks softly while the cup of coffee in his hands feels heavier than a steel plate.

She shakes her head. "No."

He lowers his head and whispers softly. "She should have told us."

She looks at him for a moment in silence before another familiar face walks through the door with a not to familiar worried expression. "Hey." Scarlett says briefly before Taylor's arms quickly wrap around her and pull away with a concerned expression.

"How is she?"

Scarlett shrugs and looks at Taylor with those same exhausted eyes. "We haven't heard anything yet, she's still unconscious and the doctors say there's not much they can do until she comes to."

Taylor nods and begins moving her hand in small circles on Scarlett's back before scanning the room. "Where's Joe?" Scarlett looks over at Nick as he shrugs, completely unconcerned. Taylor gives them both a disapproving look. "Neither of you told him?" She quickly pulls out her phone after seeing there blank expression and hits speed dial.

~~~

"So, what's the deal with you and Scar? Have you talked to her lately?" Joe asks while sitting across from Jake at the coffee house like he had been for the past hour.

Jake nods and continues arranging cups off to the side. "Yeah, I think we're moving in the right direction. She agreed to work towards friendship."

"That's great, man. At least she's willing to move past it, I know Mia is still torn up about the whole thing but maybe if Scarlett's willing to work things out with you, she'd be willing to do the same with Mia." He takes a sip of his coffee and sees his phone vibrate beside him on the counter. He reaches over and tilts the screen so he can read the caller id and gives it a curious expression before answering. "Hey, Taylor. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"Sitting at the coffee shop with Jake, why?"

"You both should probably come on down to the hospital." Her voice was calm but the word hospital broke down any attempt at making the call a carefree one.

Joe's eyes widen in worry as he sits up straighter in his chair. "Hospital? Taylor, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Jake looks at Joe with concern after hearing the word hospital and sets down the cup in his hand.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine...it's Dani."

~~~

Blurting out bad news was probably among one of the worst things you can do. Without warning or any time to prepare can make even the worst things more horrible do to the fact that the preparation time was less than the time it takes to close a door in someone's face. But warning or no warning; bad news is still bad news and one way or another...it's going to get out.