After an additional two hours of incessant worrying, somehow, Paloma's heavy eyes finally fluttered to a close once her anxiety eventually forced her into a light slumber. Her head sat perched on Ava's shoulder who, in contrast, remained alert and unsettled.

Although the wait was extensive and unwavering, she didn't mind going it alone. She was relieved that the brunette could retreat into the safety of her dreams to escape their harsh reality because she desperately needed it.

Ava's eyes danced around the—now vacant—room. The quiet was nearly unbearable, the only sound that could be heard was the occasional soft sighs Paloma would emit. She would then accompany the exhale by furrowing deeper into Ava's shoulder.

The woman smiled and wrapped her arm around Paloma, pulling her closer as she settled her gaze on the plain white tile the waiting room had to offer.

For a moment, she followed Paloma's lead by closing her eyes, granting herself a minute to rest but the moment was short-lived once she heard approaching footsteps. She glanced at the light-blue scrubs that kissed the top of a pair of gray crocs. A feminine voice disrupted the quiet.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

Ava's eyes fluttered open before returning to its original overly-alert state. She sat up and examined the woman's dirty-blonde hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her pristine teeth peeked behind her timid smile.

"Are you Ms. Sullivan?"

Ava shook her head and tenderly awakened the writer in question. Paloma grunted softly in response, her eyes struggling against the fluorescent lights. Nevertheless, once she recognized her surroundings, her frantic demeanor returned.

She cleared her throat to chase away the ruggedness in her voice. "Can I see her?"

"You can."

The women immediately rose to their feet before stopping in their tracks once the blonde held out her hands in attempts to keep them stationary.

"But I need to go over a few things with you first."

Paloma wore a testy expression but allowed her to proceed anyhow.

"Dr. Clyde got caught up in assisting another patient so he sent me to give an update, I'm nurse Warner. I have some pleasant news, actually. Your sister has graduated from her comatose state and is now in the minimally conscious state."

Paloma coursed her fingers through her dark hair, her mouth agape. "Did she say anything?"

"Not this time but further progress doesn't seem to be too far behind. Some patients that seem present aren't all there but that wasn't the case with your sister. Recently—though it's only occurred on occasion—she's been opening her eyes and tracking people as well as objects visually. It may not sound like much but this is an astounding development considering she's gained some consciousness within the six hour period those with diffuse axonal injuries are alotted."

A broad smile instantly made its way onto Paloma's lips, her widened eyes followed the gesture.

"So, the injury's not severe. She'll be okay?" the mahogany-haired woman pressed. She shrieked when the nurse granted her a nod.

"Her injury has been officially diagnosed as moderate."

It wasn't until Ava engaged Paloma in a tight hug that the brunette released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The desperateness the gesture held told Paloma that she wasn't the only one that feared greatly for the girl's life.

She instinctively returned the bone-crushing affection and allowed herself to revel in the elongated embrace, taking in the other woman's intoxicatingly familiar scent that brought her an even greater sense of peace. A feeling that she hadn't anticipated would come to fruition for at least another lifetime.

"Also, a couple other things," came nurse Warner's gentle interruption.

The statement finally yanked the women back to reality and reminded them of the situation at hand. It was Paloma who pulled away, disentangling herself from Ava and putting the desperate clasp to an abrupt end. Ava cleared her throat in response, both of them returning their gaze to the blonde in attempts to chase away the sudden discomfort that settled in the air.

"There's no telling when she'll regain full consciousness but based on her process thus far we're hoping that it'll be really soon and we figured you wouldn't wanna miss that."

Paloma glanced at Ava before looking back to the nurse. "You were right. Lead us to her."

"Unfortunately, your sister remains in the ICU which is a restricted area that only members of the family are allowed in." The blonde winced once the women's elated expressions faltered. "I'm sorry but the second she gets transferred you'll both be allowed to see her."

Ava let out a defeated sigh before finally meeting Paloma's gaze. "Give her a kiss for me."

The brunette shot her a disappointed glance and followed the nurse out of the waiting room and down the hall. They stepped onto a nearby elevator, Paloma looked on silently as the woman pressed the silver button, causing the doors to shut immediately.

"We always try to warn people when their loved ones suffer a critical injury as your sister did. Many families find it quite difficult and rather alarming when they first see their family member heavily injured and unable to fend for themselves."

Paloma granted her a quick nod and swallowed thickly. As much as she longed to be with her little sister, now that it finally came time to see the girl, there seemed to be a sudden lack of oxygen in the enclosed space. It was as though the anticipation alone was consuming the air entirely, leaving her with nothing but desperate lungs.

"Although it's virtually impossible to emotionally prepare for something like this, at the very least we urge families to brace themselves for what they're about to see."

Paloma merely fixed her eyes to the double doors, pleading with them to open. As if she had supernatural powers, the elevator answered her silent pleas.

It only took a few moments for the women to arrive at their destination. Paloma took in a sharp breath, she could hear the constant beeps emitted by various machines, all of which were probably working to keep her sister alive.

"No matter what you see, I want to remind you that she's on the road to recovery."

It wasn't until Paloma pried her eyes open that she realized she had closed them at all. A paleness crept its way onto her features, chasing away the color from her cheeks. With slouched shoulders, she averted her gaze, the sight suddenly becoming too much to bear.

She figured the nurse would be right, seeing Quinn in a defenseless state after something so horrifying would be difficult but still, nothing could've prepared the brunette for the terrifying reality that awaited only twenty feet away.

Paloma could feel her senses becoming overloaded. Between the various tubes extending from the redhead's fair skin, the unbearable quiet of the night, and the eerie stillness that was about her sister, it took everything in Paloma not to turn around and search for the strength to offer the girl the much-needed support only she could give her because, at that moment, she wasn't sure she had it.

She instantly missed Ava's reassuring presence. She always envied the other writer's ability to maintain her calm demeanor and focus on the situation at hand, no matter how difficult. The brunette extended her fingers at her sides, ridding the nerves from her digits. She then clenched her teeth in determination, not allowing the sight to paralyze her any further.

"She can hear you," came the nurse's soft words. "If you'd like to say something."

Paloma pulled up a nearby chair and sank down in it next to the girl's bedside. Not knowing what to do with them, she clasped her hands together and rested them in her lap. Her eyes settled on the machine that continued to produce the only other sound in the room. Paloma was jealous of the noise as it offered more of a response than she ever could.

She frowned at the blue and white neck brace that roughly strained against the bottom Quinn's chin, however, the slumbering girl didn't seem too phased by the invasive equipment.

Because she lacked the fortitude to speak, she opted for something that didn't require a mouthful of shaky words. Her silk-like lips came into contact with the teenager's scraped forehead. Paloma fluttered her eyes closed and lingered, pouring sincerity into the affection as if the act would awaken the girl and free her from each and every ailment that cruelly stricken her body.

Eventually, Paloma pulled away and observed the thin bandage that stretched from the top left of Quinn's eyebrow, skipping over her eye, then picked back up at the corner of her nose. A plethora of small, red cuts and scrapes tarnished the remainder of her delicate skin.

The oldest Sullivan narrowed her eyes once she realized something was missing. "What happened to her glasses?"

Nurse Warner shrugged her shoulders. "I'm pretty sure they got knocked off in the crash. Unfortunately, I don't think they could be salvaged. The car was totaled."

Paloma returned her gaze to the teenager. Despite Quinn's motionless state, her cheeks still maintained their distinct rosy tint. Paloma marveled at the natural color and gingerly glided her finger over the skin.

The expression was short-lived once the woman noticed the small, clear tube that protruded from the teenager's skull. The shaved patch of hair contrasted vastly with the thick, red strands that surrounded the area. Paloma motioned towards the tube and voiced her concern, her eyes still fixed on Quinn.

"What's that?"

"It's an intraventricular catheter. It monitors the pressure in her brain. Rising pressure can cause further damage so we've been keeping an eye on that." The nurse took in a small breath and motioned towards the door. "I'm gonna give you two some time alone. Dr. Clyde should be back soon, but I'll be right down the hall if you need anything."

The quiet pitter patter of her descending footsteps eventually disappeared, leaving the Sullivans behind. At first, Paloma feared the privacy, she simply didn't know what course of action to take next, or if one could be taken at all.

The thin breathing tubes that traveled from Quinn's nose back to the neighboring machine proved the girl's serious condition but the steady beeps emitted by the heart monitor reminded Paloma that her sister was okay and the simple fact alone gave her all the courage she needed.

Paloma gently took Quinn's hand into her own, her thumb gingerly stroking her bruised knuckles. The contact instantly reminded her of when the teenager had been a much younger and affectionate child who'd constantly beg her older sister to hold her hand wherever they went. But after a few years—like many children—the girl finally outgrew the phase, deeming the gesture 'too babyish' the day she entered the third grade.

Paloma hadn't anticipated how much she'd miss the simple act of affection until it had vanished into thin air. But now that their hands were interlaced once more, she was convinced that she'd never be able to let Quinn go in fear that this time would truly be the last.

The tip of her fingers grazed over the rough cross that remained branded on Quinn's wrist. She brought her lips to the reddened area and planted a delicate kiss on the rough skin as if the gesture alone had the power to take back what their uncle had done.

She smiled, hoping to chase off the tightness in her throat but even with her unconscious state, Paloma was nearly certain the redhead would be able to tell it was strained and entirely fear driven.

"Hey...it's me." The words came out in the form of a mere wisp and she wondered if Quinn had been able to hear her at all. But that didn't stop her from pressing on.

"Guess what?" came her sudden inquiry. "I found Siberia. She was at some convince store scaring off this guy's customers. I whistled for her and she came right to me, she was so happy and I was too. And when I talked about you, told her that she'd get to see you soon—" she laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, you should've seen her. I mean, that dog was waggin' her tail so hard I thought it was gonna fall off."

Her laughter trailed off, instead, the quiet beeps of the monitor filled the still air.

"My point is, she's okay—Siberia. And so are you." She settled her gaze on their interwoven fingers, the corners of her lips tugged slightly in an upwards motion.

"I had to get someone to take me to go get her, you know? Guess who I called?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Yeah, Ava of all people. I know what you're thinking but I had no one else to turn to and she was there...like always. As a matter of fact, she's in the waiting room right now. She's been in there all night, waiting around...just to see you. And soon, once you wake up, everyone else will be here too."

Paloma squeezed the teenager's hand tighter, her expression transforming into one filled with great hope. "The nurse said that earlier, you opened your eyes. Do you think that maybe you could do that again, kiddo?"

She studied the gentle rise and fall of the girl's chest, her eyelashes continued to kiss the top of her cheeks, her lips still pressed together in silence.

The woman lowered her gaze, her teeth tearing into her bottom lip. "...I think you were right," she suddenly declared. "Mom and dad, somehow, someway, even after what happened, they probably ended up together. Maybe, even now, they have each other, maybe we'll see them again and eventually, we'll all be together...just like before. Maybe they were right about everything and maybe you were too but—"

She bit the inside of her cheek as she searched for the right words. "If that's true then, they don't need you because they have each other. They're not alone, or scared, or just gone but I will be because I need you. Probably more than they ever have or...more than you know."

Deep down, for the last four consecutive years, Paloma had always wished that she was granted the opportunity to talk to their parents again prior to the tragic accident, even if it was just one more time. But now—for the first time—she figured maybe it was for the best that she didn't because if the unbearably painful twinge in her felt anything like it did now, she was certain that she simply wouldn't have had the strength to bear it. She didn't have it then and she certainly didn't have it now.

"And I know that's selfish because I've always needed you a hell of a lot more than you've ever needed but—" she let out a bitter laugh. "I don't care...because it's true. I need you."

It wasn't until her vision blurred in its entirety that Paloma realized she had been crying. She wet her pink lips and took in an unsteady breath in hopes to keep the sniffles at bay. She then used her free hand to shield her cries but despite her efforts she failed miserably.

The melancholy feeling crept up on her like a coarse vine does an aged tree. She hadn't anticipated the sudden dramatic pull of emotion but it made its presence known nonetheless.

Her muffled sobs came to an abrupt stop once she felt fingers that weren't her own gently clasp her hand back. The brunette immediately ridded her face of any tears long enough to see a pair of moon-sized, nut-brown eyes staring straight back up at her.

Paloma held her breath and listened carefully for the soft voice that could remedy it all.

"...Plum?"

There was no update last week but I'm hoping this one made up for that. Drop a few comments and let me know how you're liking the story so far. Thanks for reading! 🤗