Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Forty

❝future (pronounced 'fjuːtʃə or fyoo-cher), noun
a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing; time regarded as still to come.❞

Ryan was holding Hunter's hand, a strange throwback to the near twenty years ago that they first walked the halls of a hospital together, looking for their daughter. Elle was faring well, according to Drew. She was talking, even allowing Drew to hug her, and she was still waking up out of shock and fear, but was easier to calm down. Today was Elle's last day in the hospital, and they'd be staying in the hotel together.

She glanced up at him, his blue eyes catching hers, and he said softly, "Do you think she's really gonna be okay?"

"She's so much stronger than we think," she said, leaning up and kissing him. He'd aged gracefully, his smile the same as ever despite some grey hairs. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "She'll be okay, I'm sure of it."

"I know." He looked over her head, at the hospital room, and said, "Let's go in."

They walked in together, and Drew and Elle both looked up from the book they were looking at together. Elle got out of the bed and hugged her parents, who both hugged her tightly. "Ma! Pa!"

"It's so good to see you, darling," said Hunter gently, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm doing better," she said, going to the little sink beside her bed and taking a cup, filling it with water and sitting back down. "We're finding out if I'm in remission today."

"That's fantastic, sweetheart!" said Ryan.

Drew looked exhausted, but smiled, hugging Hunter anyway. He sat back down on Elle's bed, and Elle smiled at Ryan slightly. "It's so good to see you both. I've missed you."

"How has everything been?"

Her smile faded. "I dunno. Better and worse. The decision is being made tomorrow, and I have to go in for the verdict. I gave my evidence outside court, just here. He's being charged with-"

"One charge of murder and eighty-three charges of rape," mumbled Drew, his hands shaking slightly as he fixed Elle's overbed table, arranging her lunch carefully for her. Elle didn't look up. "That's all they could really discern, but there was almost certainly more uncomfirmed ones."

Hunter was tense, and Ryan sighed, kissing Elle's temple. "Well, there's nothing we can do but wait."

She nodded, then reached up, stroking Drew's cheek. "I'm not too hungry, love, if you want to eat it instead."

"No, no, no, you need all the energy you can get." He took the spoon and fer her a spoonful of the beef stew that she'd gotten, and she took a piece of garlic bread into her hands, tearing it and stuffing it into her mouth with the stew. Ryan forced herself not to smile. Elle was clearly capable of feeding herself, but it seemed that she just needed a little time to be cared for as much as he did for her.

"Seriously, eat some," she said through her mouthful of food, and attempted to shove some garlic bread into his mouth. "It's good."

"Then you eat it," he argued, pushing her hand away, but she adamantly pressed it against his lips until he rolled his eyes and ate it with a chuckle. "You're right, it's good."

"Have you had lunch?" asked Elle of her parents, and they nodded.

"We got to the hotel, and they had good food there." Hunter smiled, then gestured to Drew. "Drew, bud, do you mind coming with me for a moment? Just gotta find the restroom."

"Uh, yeah, sure," he said, putting the spoon down. "Ellie-"

"My arms aren't broken, babe, I'll be okay," she said with a smile. "Go on."