Fran was surprised when I walked back through the door, but I needed something to take my mind off everything that had happened.
"How did it go?" she asked once she finally had a minute, "Did you make up and make out?"
"God!" I laughed, dumping the dough I was making onto the counter, "Seriously? No, we just talked."
"Well, that's disappointing," she said, mostly to herself, disappearing off through the back again, causing me to shake my head in amusement.
"Sorry."
The bell above the door sounded and I quickly washed my hands and turned, seeing Maddie approaching the counter.
"Mrs C," I said quietly, "What are you doing here?"
"He's fine," she said, knowing that I was thinking that something bad had happened to him, "He asked me to come find you and ask you if you'd come back and see him again."
I sighed, resting my hands on the counter, "I want to Maddie, really I do but...seeing him lying there, restrained. I don't think I can see it again."
"I know it's hard," she agreed, "But he's comfortable with you. More comfortable than he is with me right now."
"Okay," I murmured, knowing that she wasn't going to stop pestering me until I agreed to come see him again, "I finish at six. Will I be able to get there in time before visiting hours end?"
"I'll tell the desk to let you in." she mumbled, squeezing my hand, "Thank you. Can I have a coffee to go?"
"Of course."
**
Night fell quickly when I got to the hospital and like Maddie said, the woman at the desk allowed me into the room.
My smile fell when I saw him again, hands toying with the buttons on my shirt.
"Tay?" he croaked, "Taylor, are you crying?"
"No," I sniffled, glancing up to see him staring at me, "Maybe."
"Don't cry," he whispered, "C'mere."
I reluctantly moved over to sit on his bed and he gave me an encouraging nod so I gently moved so I could lay my head partly on his shoulder, "I don't want you to die, Nick."
"I'm not going anywhere."
I shook my head, "You might. Especially if you keep doing what you're doing." I then propped myself up on my elbow so he could look into my eyes, "Can you promise me you're going to try and get clean?"
He chewed on his lip, looking out the window then down at me, "I've tried. Baby, you know that."
"I do," I whispered, placing my hand on his cheek, "And I know that you struggled but listen. Nick, you ran into traffic because you were high."
"No," he groaned, "Taylor, no! I told you, I wasn't high!"
I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut, "Okay, okay. Let's not get into that now. We'll just focus on getting you better."
He nodded and closed his eyes, hand tightening around my own, "I don't want you to go. It's so lonely and boring."
Smiling slightly, I lay my head back down, "I have to go. They won't let me stay."
"They don't have to know you're here. Hide under the bed."
"Nick,"
I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was coming up for seven fifteen and as if on cue, a nurse came in and said that visiting times for those who aren't family, ended at seven thirty.
I had barely been here half an hour but the journey took a fair amount of time and I got distracted by a dog.
We lay in silence for the next ten minutes, basically just enjoying being close to each other again and we both looked up when the door opened for a second time.
I was going to complain that I still had five minutes left but it was just Maddie and Travis.
"Sorry to interrupt," the man said awkwardly but I waved him off, finally getting down from the bed.
"It's okay, I'm just leaving anyway." I turned and leant down to kiss Nick's cheek but he turned his head at the last second so I got his lips instead.
A sly smirk crossed his face as I hastily pulled away, a blush spreading across my face, "Can't believe you still fall for that."
I gave his shoulder a light punch before ducking past the two adults, Maddie mouthing a silent thank you as I passed.
I heard Nick clear his throat and turned to him, a small smile on my face, "I'll come back and see you tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting."
**
It was during my shift that I got a phonecall from Maddie.
Nick had fled from the hospital and she was wondering if I had seen him.
After telling her no, I hung up and immediately went to dial his number, only to remember seconds later that he no longer had a phone.
Dammit. Nick, why the hell would you leave?
"Fran?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think that I could maybe go for my lunch right now?" I called, "Nick...he's left the hospital."
"Already?" she asked, "Wouldn't think they'd let him out so soon."
"He didn't get discharged. He just left." I explained.
"Are you going to go look for him? Taylor, maybe he just doesn't want to be found."
"No," I shook my head, "No. We...he said he'd try and get clean."
"How many times has he said that?" she asked softly, appearing beside me rubbing her arm.
"I know," I whispered, pushing my hair from my face, "I should've known he'd do this."
"Come here, sweetie," she cooed, wrapping her arms around me as she began rubbing my back, "It'll be okay."
**
I had a headache by the time I finally finished and Fran wasn't feeling too hot either.
She had a high temperature so I had sent her to the back room to maybe take a nap or something.
"I'm leaving now," I said quietly, picking up my bag, "Do you want me to take you home?"
"No," she breathed, pushing herself up, "I'm...I'm fine."
I inspected her closely, eyes zoning in on a random patch of blood that was on her sleeve, "Fran? What is that?"
Glancing down, she cursed and rolled up her sleeve.
"Oh my god. Is that...that's bite marks! Did someone bite you? How the hell did I not see that?" I gaped, crossing the room to look closer at it.
She sighed, giving it a prod, "It was last night. I was walking from my car to my apartment. This guy came out of nowhere and bit me."
"Why didn't you call the police? Or better yet, an ambulance?"
"I was going to go to the hospital but when I ran into the building, he started banging on the door." she whispered.
"You need to go to the hospital," I instructed, "That looks infected and it's probably why you're running a temperature. Come on, I'll take you."
She agreed and I helped her walk back through the shop to the front door.
"Go get in your car and I'll lock up." I encouraged, watching as she stumbled down the sidewalk.
My phone rang as I pulled the shutter down and after glancing at it, I answered, "Hey Maddie. I'm kinda in the middle of something right now."
"Taylor? Tay, it's me." Nick said urgently, "Listen to me, where are you?"
"Nick? What do you mean where am I? I've just left work." I told him, pulling the final shutter down, "Why?"
"You need to come to my house. Now."
"What? Nick, you're not making any sense." after making sure that everything was indeed locked up, I turned to Fran's car, only to see that it was no longer there, "What the...?"
"What?" Nick said urgently, "What's happening?"
"Fran," I murmured, "I was supposed to drive her to the hospital but it looks as if she's gone herself."
"Why?" he asked, "Why were you taking her there?"
I shook my head, "No, it's okay. I'm just going to start heading home. Maybe I'll swing by your place later. Okay?"
"No, Tay, I need you to come now." he pleaded, "Babe, please."
"Why?" I mumbled, trying to tell myself that the word babe didn't still send shivers down my spine, "Why could you possibly need me to come over?"
"It's dangerous."
I rolled my eyes and told him that I'd be there later and hung up, I promise, I'd go round later. Now, though, I had to call Fran and make sure that she was okay.
She picked up after a couple rings and I let out a sigh of relief, "Thank god. Where are you?"
She sighed, "I'm at the hospital. I decided to take myself there. I didn't want to drag you all the way down here for nothing."
"Nothing?" I gasped, "Fran, you were bitten by a man!"
"And I'm going to get it checked out. Right now so stop worrying and I'll call you later tonight when I get home."
"Okay," I muttered, finally beginning my journey home, "I'll talk to you later."
"You will," she promised, "Bye Tay."
"Bye." I responded and hung up. I was more and eager to get home now. There was a bubble bath with my name on it.