These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

04.

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.