Schoolbus Graveyard Ships+More

Ticking time bomb

(This may include fast pass spoilers, if you dont wanna read that wait a few weeks ig)

Aidens pov:

     We sit in the hospital waiting room after Tyler took a skidded off a cliff in the phantom dimension, causing him to seize in real life. Ashlyn's been 'in the bathroom' since we got here, and I know it's because she can't face Taylor; she won't.

     I text Ash asking if she's okay, if she'd like to meet me (alone) at the vending machines near the restrooms. It takes about fifteen minutes before she replies no, and that she's coming back to the waiting room.

     I sit in a chair waiting for her, and soon she joins me, sitting directly next to me. She doesn't look at me, her head's facing the floor, and by this point I know damn well why.
     "Ash, there's nothing you could've done" I whisper, just loud enough for only her to hear me as I hold out my hand for her. She takes it and squeezes. She thinks for a long second, then replies with,
    "Im sorry." I feel a pit in my stomach form with the way she says it, it's a gut-wrenching feeling- the feeling of knowing she'll always blame herself for this; even though she did the best she could've.

The situation was absolutley impossible.

     "You did nothing wrong, Ash. Nobody blames you."

     "Taylor's gonna hate me." She covers her mouth with her hand, resting her elbow on her knee, hunched over in her seat. I hear her choke out a sob.

     Not knowing what to do, I look away, my grip on her free hand still tight, rubbing her knuckle with my thumb as a means to soothe her.

     Once she's finished, she rests her head gently on my shoulder, not saying a word.

     "I think.." I start, feeling awkward for breaking the scilence, "I think you're really brave, Ash." She sighs, leaning into me more, as she wraps both arms around the one of mine perched on the armrest.

     "Thanks." She smiles the best she can, looking tired; yet I knew how much it really meant to her. But it made me think; for how long was she holding that in? How couldn't I tell? She was a ticking time bomb.