one missed call

ninety - six

ben quietly tiptoes into the room and replaces the vase of wilted flowers on the bedside table with fresh tulips.

"hey jones... you're looking a little better today." he pauses and glances at the door. "i can't stay very long. i have a dinner with anna and her parents in a while and i snuck in here—right under nurse jacky's nose. she's probably gonna skin me alive later when she sees me leaving. anyways, i dropped by your house today to check up on rita. she hasn't been doing very well. she misses you just like the rest of us. kale answered the door, however, and he was kinda pissed. he was working out in your basement that he apparently turned into his personal gym. i think he's overworking himself. it's not healthy—but i guess all the jones siblings aren't at the moment."

he stared at her unmoving body and sighed. "when're you going to wake up? there's so much that will change when you do. your parents need an anchor to permanently decide to stay together. rita will stop crying herself senseless for hours. you'll be able to tell kale to take a break and actually enjoy his sport. and me, jones. i'm scared about a lot of things. meeting anna's parents and climbing the next step in my relationship. then there's school where it's basically turned into a riot against people like mellany ever since that michaelson kid punched her in the face. guess he's like the mockingjay in some way. i don't even know which college to choose yet and i'm afraid i'll choose the wrong one. i need you here, north—but it feels selfish of me to say when you're the one most in need given the situation."

he shut his eyes and rubbed his temple. "i'm sorry i never noticed your problem. i was so caught up with my own that i didn't stop and think maybe you had some of your own."

ben stood up and then bent over the bed to kiss her forehead. "have a good time wherever your mind is wandering now."

he leaned away to leave when something grabbed his hand.

blinking eyes stared up at him, emotionless.