When she looked up at Tate through flooded eyes, she saw that his eyes were pooling with tears too, “I hope that you are right, Fallon, because I need her too, and want all of that. I don’t want to be alone.”

“No matter what you won’t be, Tate, we love you, and always will.”

“Thank you, Fallon that means a lot to me.”

“You mean the world to us, and you know what would make me even a little happier?”

Tate looked away from Audrey and said, “What?”

“For you to go home and at least take a shower, Tate. I can still see her blood on you and it hurts me every time. Go get some clean clothes, clean up, take a nap, eat something. Please. She’ll need you be strong when she wakes up, please, Tate.”

Tate looked back down at Audrey, and didn’t say anything as a tear rolled down his cheek and onto the floor. It broke Fallon’s heart to see him like this and for a minute she thought he was going to ignore her, but he nodded before looking down at her, “Okay. You’ll stay with her?”

“Yeah, if I’m not here, mom will be,” Fallon answered. Tate nodded again and she felt his hand start to shake against her shoulder. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear something.”

“They should be coming in soon for rounds,” he informed her.

She nodded, “I know, and I’ll call you if they come before you get back.”

“I’ll be back quick. Okay?”

“Take your time, Tate, she’ll be here when you get back,” Fallon promised even though it wasn’t something she could promise. And with one look at Tate, she knew he knew that too, but he nodded, and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on Audrey’s forehead. He cupped her face and kissed her temple softly before turning and squeezing Fallon’s shoulder again.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“We’ll be here,” she said as she watched him leave. He paused twice and she didn’t think he was going to go, but finally he disappeared down the hall, leaving Fallon with her baby sister. Fallon felt proud of herself for getting Tate to leave. He needed to go home, breathe, and clean up. As much as they both wanted to stay close to Audrey, they needed to take care of themselves too. As soon as he got back, she would go and clean up, check on Aiden. She had to; Audrey would kill her if she didn’t.

With a sad smile on her face, she leaned against her sister’s hands, and cried until she fell asleep.

It seemed as soon as she fell asleep, Lucas was there, shaking her to wake up.

“Baby, Elli, Shea, and Piper are here.”

“Oh,” Fallon said sitting up and looking behind her to see Nora in the doorway.

“I don’t want people seeing her like this,” Nora said, “So just go out there with them.”

“That’s fine momma, I agree,” Fallon said as she got up and made her way out of the room with Lucas. He wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her in close to kiss her temple.

“How’s my beautiful wife?” he whispered against her temple.

“She’s better now that she’s with her hunky husband.”

Lucas gave her a smoldering grin before they reached the waiting room and Elli attacked her. Fallon hugged her friend tightly with her eyes closed. When they parted Elli had tears in her eyes as she said, “How’s she doing?”

Fallon shook her head, “Still not good, the swelling still hasn’t gone down but the good thing is it hasn’t gone up either. They changed her meds at, I think, 3am, so they are hoping for a change by the next MRI.”

“Oh goodness, I am praying like crazy Fallon, I am. This is insane. That son of a bitch,” Elli said anger filling her eyes as she looked up at Shea and then back down to Fallon, “This isn’t right.”

“We’re so sorry about this all, Fallon. We brought flowers and breakfast for you and your family,” Shea said, his hands full of things while Elli still wouldn’t let Fallon go.

“Thanks so much Shea, Elli, y’all are the best,” she gushed and then she saw Piper, “Piper, thank you, for coming.”

Piper nodded, looking small as she asked, “How are you? How’s Tate?”

“I’m making it,” she said as Lucas’ hand rested against the small of her back, “And Tate is trying. He is having a really hard time.”

“I bet,” Elli said sadly, “after everything he went through, it isn’t fair he has to go through this. I’m so sorry, Fallon.”

Fallon nodded as Piper said, “Have y’all gotten anymore news?”

Fallon shook her head, “The only thing they have been able to tell us is that the baby is okay, but nothing about the swelling.”

“Baby?” Piper asked.

“She’s pregnant?” Elli asked, shocked.

“Yeah, six weeks,” Fallon said, “she just found out yesterday.”

“Oh my God, poor Tate, your family must be a mess, how is Aiden?” Elli asked. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as Piper braced herself against her knees, looking shocked and sick at the same time.

What was that about?

“He doesn’t know,” Fallon said slowly, “Are you okay Piper?”

Piper looked up and nodded, “Yeah, excuse me.”

They all watched as she made her way to the bathroom before turning back to each other as Elli asked, “Who has Aiden, do you need me to go get him?”