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The all too familiar pain from years again hit me as I stood there, my eyes focused on everything around but at the same time not. I could feel my breathing come out shallow gasps as my lungs attempted to get enough oxygen to keep me from fainting.
I could hear Will conversing on the phone before he hung up before he turned to face me and tried to get me to talk to him. He let out a loud swear before he gripped my shoulders with his hands and tried to shake me out of whatever reverie I had lapsed into.
My mind drifted to Nancy. Nancy who was always there for me. Nancy who took care of me, looked after me and was the only parent figure I had come to know of in the past three years. Nancy who I had fought with yesterday yet had still made sure I had a good hearty breakfast this morning.
I couldn't lose her. I couldn't lose someone else like this. I felt my body closing in on itself, my defense mechanism to keep out the unwanted pain that was rushing through me and I tried desperately to remain on my feet as I tried to process what was important right now.
I heard the all too familiar voice of Dylan Rush drift into my conscious mind but all I could think of was Nancy. I should've talked to her this morning. I should've heard what she had to say. I should've gone out when she called for me before she had left. I should've done a lot of things. Maybe it would have changed everything.
I heard a distinct scuffle and turned around to see Will and Douglas facing one another, Douglas had Will's collar in his hand, pulling him towards him, as they glared at each other.
I couldn't even begin to dwell on what they were saying as I wondered about when Douglas had arrived.
I instinctively tried to get my phone from my pockets to contact Nancy or whoever had her phone right now before I realised I had dropped it and Will had it now.
As I took a cautious step forward, Will and Douglas broke apart and Douglas came rushing forward, his arms reaching out to steady me if I needed it. "Are you okay, Krystal? What happened?" His eyes searched my body for any sign of distress or any injuries. "Did Will do something?"
Before I could shake my head to disagree, Will stepped forward. He cast a dirty look at his cousin before explaining, "That's what I was trying to tell Dylan before you manhandled me. Her aunt's in the hospital right now." Then Will looked at me. "We need to get to LA General now."
"I need my phone," I said after shaking my head in disagreement. "I need to know what happened."
I could feel everyone in the room's eyes on me. Dylan where he stood protectively by the piano, Will who watched me with a form of worry as if he was expecting me to fall at any moment and Douglas, his brows creased together, his eyes gleaned with concern and anxiety.
His eyes watched me minutely, taking in my entire person in one glance before it settled on my face again. At another time I would've been happy with the amount of attention he was paying me right now, but at this moment I was just focused on knowing what happened to Nancy.
"Exactly," Will replied as he handed me my phone. "I already talked to the hospital. They said she had fainted at work and was rushed there. They checked her phone and you were on speed dial so they called you. They said she's still unconscious for now and that she will wake up soon."
I nodded as I stared stony phone again. "Thanks, Will." I turned to face Douglas. "Can I take the day off, my-"
"You don't even need to ask," Douglas cuts me off. "We're all going with you."
I started to shake my head. "You don't need t-"
Douglas was already walking away. "You need to get there fast and last time I checked you don't own a car, so yes, we're going with you. Besides, this way you'll still be watching me."
I knew that he was saying the last part to ease my guilt but I still felt bad about him going along with me to visit Nancy.
"Hurry up, Krystal," Douglas said as I watched him walk out the door. I rushed after him, still feeling apprehensive about it all.
When Douglas, Will and I arrived at LA General, the nurse directed us to where they held the A&E patients. Dylan had opted out of the trip, claiming that his presence at the hospital would just cause an uproar and would not help anyone at all. Instead he had relayed his wishes for Nancy's speedy recovery.
Will and Douglas walked on either sides of me, acting like bodyguards and I knew they still thought I would fall over at any time.
I didn't miss the appreciative look the nurse that directed us had given them both, and I especially didn't miss the way her eyes had wandered over Douglas' body with an almost predatory gaze. I pushed any thoughts concerning that matter aside as I tried to look for Nancy out of the many residents of the hospital.
While I was still searching for her, I came across a man who had severe bleeding from his head, a hit and run patient and a guy around my age coughing up bloody as the doctors and nurses ran around to tend to him.
If anything by the time we'd reached Nancy I was mulling over scenarios that had my stomach twisted within itself. I tried to stay calm as a medical student directed me to the bed to the far east wing of the ward where I saw Nancy talking to a doctor.
With no hesitation, I dashed forward, ignoring the calls Douglas or Will had for me. Nancy was okay. Or at least as okay as I could have happened given the situation.
She wasn't bleeding from the head, or run over or even coughing up blood. If anything, Nancy looked normal, like she had been just last night, the only difference being that she was in a hospital ward right now and talking rather animatedly with a doctor.
She was talking so animatedly that she hadn't notice me rushing towards her, until I was standing beside her and had pulled her into a crushing hug.
"I-" she stopped talking as she must've realised it was me, before she hugged me back. "Krystal."
After minutes of telling myself that she was alright and was in my arms, hugging me back, warm and safe, I pulled away from here, tears had started falling again and I tried to wipe them away.
Douglas and Will had reached us by then.
The doctor turned to face me, "you must be Krystal."
I nodded, not questioning how he knew that as I asked him the questioning that had been plaguing my mind since I heard the news. "What happened?"
He consulted the chart in his hand. "It seems like the underlying root of her fainting spell was stress," he replied as her cast a hesitant look at Nancy.
Stress? And here I was adding to it or even being the main factor by fighting with her yesterday over a matter that seemed so trivial now.
I didn't even bother listening to the doctor as I turned to face Nancy.
Her auburn brown hair had seen better days and she wore a tried expression. I noticed her complexion was paler than normal, her lips were dry as if she hadn't had a drink of water in days. Her eyes were sunken and her face seemed thinner and more haggard than before.
How had I not noticed the way her health had taken a bad turn in the past few days?
The doctor left after giving the run down of Nancy's condition to tend to another patient.
"I'll be back home before you know it," Nancy stated as she saw my expression. She smiled at me but I knew it pain was hidden beneath it, pain and suffering. "They just said they need me here tonight for observation. I should be sleeping in my bed again tomorrow."
I couldn't help it. Her smile was the last straw and I could feel tears staining my cheeks again. "Nancy, I... I'm sorry about everything. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you yesterday. I shouldn't have..."
Nancy pulled me into a hug again. I buried my face into her shoulders. "It's okay honey," I could hear her voice break and coming out hoarse and if she too was holding back tears and struggling. "I know you wouldn't like the idea of strangers at the memorial, but I thought it was the best thing. I should've let you think about it instead of forcing you to decided already." She rubbed my back reassuringly.
"You were right," I said. "You were right. Mom and I dad would've wanted their close friends at the memorial." I still hadn't fully warmed up to the idea, but on the way here, I had thought about the trivial fight the night before and had decided that it was he right thing to do. Nancy was always right. She had spent the last three years making a good effort raising me and she still hadn't failed me to date. "You and Mr Burns can go over the invitation list and decide."
Nancy pulled away, her eyes gazing into mine seriously. "Are you sure you're okay with it? They were your parents do you should decide."
I nodded. "I'm sure," I smiled at her to reassure her. "Just make sure that there's not too many."
Nancy smiled at the idea. "I will."
After some time of talking with Nancy, Douglas said he had to go meet up with Georgia who had called to tell him she was seriously contemplating on killing her brother. He went over and gave Nancy a hug which caught me off-guard a little bit before he nodded at Will. After an awkward goodbye to me, he started walking away.
Nancy gave me a look to tell me to see him off, one I would've ignored if she wasn't lying in a hospital bed. But since she was, I started towards Douglas who had just turned the corner to wards the exit.
"Douglas!" I called out although I knew my voice could be lost with the chaotic atmosphere of the emergency room. "Wait up." I called out again as I turned the corner and saw him almost to the sliding doors.
Surprisingly, he heard me and turned around. Shock lined his face as he came to a standstill.
I caught up to him soon enough and tried to smile like I wasn't dying from the short sprint to catch up to him.
"Everything okay?" Douglas asked before he cast a glance behind me as if looking for a sign that held the answer.
I nodded. "I just wanted to say thanks for everything." I didn't know what specifically I was thanking him for, the car the way his presence had calmed me down earlier or the way he'd almost pummeled Will for thinking he'd hurt me.
He nodded. "It's fine."
"I just wanted to make sure it was okay if I stayed with her for-"
He was already nodding, cutting me off. "Of course it's alright," he said. "Don't come back until Nancy has properly healed. And that's an order. In exchange, just let me know if you need anything." He watched me with an unreadable expression. "Anything at all," he seemed to add as an afterthought.
"Uhm... Thanks for the offer, but I don't think-"
"I mean it. Let me know."
I nodded although I had no notions on following through with that. "Thanks again. I just wanted to tell you that."
He nodded, again his face remained unreadable.
"So I'll head back now," I began when no one said anything for a while and it started getting awkward. "I... "
He nodded. "I'll see you around, Krystal."
I turned around and started to walk back, my mind racing with how nice Douglas was being.
"Krystal?" I heard him call out, my legs stopped instantly before I turned around to face him again.
He wore a ghost of a smile as he said, "I'm always here for you. I hope you know that."
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