mrmarchmadness (mrmarchmadness) wrote in onceuponadream, @ 2013-08-05 00:04:00 |
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Dylan didn't know what to do. There were spots. Purple spots on Elliot's legs. PURPLE FUCKING SPOTS. He must have called Olivia nineteen times. He really hated how much she traveled for her job and right now all it did was irritate him even more. He didn't know what to do. Or what it was. Could it be an allergic reaction? He had been on antibiotics for strep throat for almost a week already. Allergic reactions didn't take that long to happen. He ran a hand through his hair dialing a number he knew by heart but hadn't used much lately. It was nearly two in the morning but he knew he had to call. He felt a pang of disappointment when her voicemail recording started. He sighed and left a message after the beep. "Aalis its Dylan. It's Elliot. He's…there's some kind of rash or blisters or whatever the doctors decide they want to call the purple fucking spots all over his legs and up to his back. I don't know what they are but his legs are a little swollen. The doctors are checking him over now. But I wanted you to know. Elliot and I are at the hospital. Where we spent thirty-seven fucking minutes in the waiting room before they took us back. We're in room 212." The fear, the anger, the desperation in his voice when leaving that voicemail was not the Dylan who usually called Aalis. This was a side of Dylan that hadn't been around since his mother died. All he could think about was that nothing could happen to Elliot. The nurses kept trying to tell him to relax. That it would be okay. And every time they tried to give him assurances the urge to punch them in their fucking face grew another size. It could be something simple. It could be nothing at all. But it was nothing he was knowledgeable about and the only thing his brain could bring up was worst case scenarios. The painkillers had finally kicked in and Elliot had drifted off to sleep almost immediately once the pain subsided. That made Dylan feel a little bit better at least. He had been sitting in the chair just talking to Elliot until he fell asleep. The chair was pushed up right next to the bed so he was as close to Elliot as he could get. Despite his best efforts, sleep was pulling at him. His eyelids were heavy and feeling heavier each time he blinked until they finally shut. Aalis hadn’t heard her cellphone ringing when she and Dex were in the nightclub that night and then on the way back to her apartment she’d been too distracted flirting with him to even pay attention to the beeps alerting her to the fact that she had a voicemail waiting. She finally noticed the beeps as they were heading up towards the door and she handed Dex her keys as she dug through her purse to find her phone and see what someone was calling her about so late. The way things had been going lately it would either be her mom with some new reason why she needed to move back home or one of her friends calling her to gush about some new detail in their relationship. She frowned a little in confusion when she saw that it was Dylan who’d called, they hadn’t talked a lot lately outside of work and there wasn’t anything to do with Tea Time that would have him calling her after 2 am as far as she knew. She pushed the button to check her voicemail and her frown changed from one of confusion to a look of fear and concern. She’d never heard him sound like that, so frightened and even if it hadn’t been about Elliot that alone would have made her go to the hospital to be with him. Despite how weird things had been between them lately. Dylan was still her friend. One of her best friends actually. She gave Dex an apologetic smile as she told him she had to go to the hospital, that something was wrong with Elliot and she just needed to be there, at least until they knew what it was. And then she was gone after giving him a quick kiss, hoping that this would be one of those times when she didn’t get lost or distracted by anything on her way up there. As she pulled into the hospital parking lot in her old beat up car, she was repeating the room number Dylan had given her in the voicemail so that she wouldn’t forget it. She finally made it to the room and stopped in the doorway, watching Elliot sleep in that hospital bed and feeling like her heart was going to break at the sight of it. At those spots on his skin where he’d kicked off the blankets. And then she saw Dylan sitting there in that chair asleep and she couldn’t stop herself from moving over to him and shaking his shoulder gently. “Dylan. Dylan wake up.” Dylan hadn't been asleep for long. At least it didn't feel like he'd been sleeping long. But when he heard his name and felt someone he nearly jumped out of his skin. When Dylan opened his mouth to greet Aalis he was cut off by a yawn. Even though he was exhausted he was still plenty aware to notice how Aalis was dressed. "I hope I didn't ruin your night," he finally said when he was done yawning. "I just figured you would want to know." And I needed you to be here he thought to himself. He just felt better now that she was here. She had been in his life for quite some time now and he had gotten used to her always being there. He leaned back, straining to reach the other chair and quietly slid it forward. He patted the seat, so that Aalis could sit down next to him. Whatever weirdness they had going on since March didn't matter. He didn't care who she may or may not be dating. He didn't care about anything but Elliot right now. And the fact that she was here. Sitting with him. “Thank you for coming,” Dylan finally said, his hand reaching out to take her hand that was resting on the arm of the chair. It was still scary and he was still freaking out but it definitely helped to have one of his closest friends sitting there with him. Aalis just shook her head at his comment as she reached back to pull out the pins holding her hair out of her face. “I didn’t get your message until I got home from the club,” she told him, choosing to omit the fact that Dex had been with her still when she’d gotten it and was possibly still waiting for her at her apartment. It just didn’t seem important right now. “Are you kidding? I’d never forgive myself for not being here. Or you for not telling me” she told him quietly, looking back at Elliot as she spoke. “I’m glad you called. Do they know anything about what it is?” she asked leaning over to adjust the blankets over him and kiss Elliot’s cheek like she did when he was at home and she checked on him. She sat down in the chair he grabbed her and curled her feet up underneath her like she always did, not realizing that it shifted her towards Dylan in his chair until after she was already comfortable. Then she thought it would just be too noticeable for her to move and the problems they’d been having the last month didn’t matter anymore. She didn’t realized she’d spaced out until she felt Dylan taking her hand and then she just squeezed his fingers gently as she turned to face him and realized what he must have said. “Did you really doubt that I would? I love Elliot as much as you do. And you sounded like you needed me.” He chuckled quietly to himself when she said she’d never have been able to forgive him. “Don’t I know it,” he murmured, keeping his eyes on Elliot. Dylan knew she’d have been angry with him if he wouldn’t have called her. But that wasn’t the reason he called her. He wanted her, he needed her there. “There’s two things it could be. At least that they think. I don’t know the doctor was only in here for a few minutes.” Another thing that annoyed Dylan. Sure it was the middle of the night but why wasn’t there more doctors? Unless there was some crazy emergency that he just couldn’t see. This floor was rather quiet at least. Watching her adjusting his blankets and fussing over him brought a smile to his lips. Something that had been absent the last few hours. Dylan shrugged his shoulders. But truly he never doubted it. Part of him was so exhausted that he didn’t have the energy to respond with a teasing remark to lighten the mood. “I guess not,” he finally said. Dylan turned his head, just watching her for a moment before nodding. “I am pretty sure I was starting to lose my mind. May have gotten on the bad side of a few nurses...” he admitted. Even with Aalis there he’d have probably gotten into the same trouble but her presence just calmed some of the anxiety in him. Aaliis couldn’t help but smile when she heard that chuckle, even here in the hospital it affected her that way. “You haven’t seen me holding a real grudge Dylan March. Not yet anyway,” she told him, only half serious. His words brought a concerned frown to her face as she looked back and forth between him and Elliot, torn about who to give her attention to before finally deciding on Dylan. Elliot was asleep right now and Dylan could give her information. “So what are they thinking?” she asked him. “I just want to know what we’re looking at. I mean what you’re looking at,” she said a little embarrassed at her slip of the tongue. It was easy sometimes for her to forget that she didn’t really have an official say or position when it came to Elliot with how involved she’d gotten in helping to take care of him. “Oh Dylan,” she said that confession about feeling like he was starting to lose his mind and getting on the bad sides of the nurse doing more to tell her how worried he was than his tone of voice or anything else he could have said to her. Acting on impulse she leaned over to give him a hug, resting her head on his shoulder as she tried to think of the right words to say to him, “I’m sorry I didn’t hear my phone ring earlier” she finally whispered, hating that he’d been here trying to deal with the nurses and Elliot without anybody to help him. It amused Dylan to be able to think of Aalis being able to hold and sustain a grudge. He didn’t honestly think that she would be able hold a real grudge about anything. Her slip of the tongue didn’t register until she brought attention to it. She was here with him, wasn’t she? Then it was what they’re looking at. He rattled off the names for her but it was just jargon. He knew nothing of what i meant. The doctor had given him percentages and facts about both but he was waiting for blood tests to know definitively. “its been...I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before,” Dylan admitted. Maybe it would turn out that this was not a big deal. But he couldn’t take that chance. Dylan shook his head at her apology. “No apology needed. You’re here now. Tthat’s what matters.” And he meant every word. Aalis had been hoping that whatever it was they thought Elliot was suffering from would be something she’d at least heard of but neither of the diseases he mentioned sounded at all familiar to her. And she was certain that it showed on her face but she filed the names away in her mind to look up information on later if the doctor didn’t explain anything more about it. She smiled at him and sat back up, squeezing his hand again gently. “I know you haven’t. But we’ll figure it out. I’ll stay as long as you need me to” she told him, looking towards the door when she thought she heard someone walking past. She turned back to him, taking in the exhaustion on her friends face. “When was the last time you slept? Really slept? Not just dozed like when I came in tonight” If it hadn’t been for him not being able to use his cell phone in here...he would have been searching for it. He had already gotten yelled at a few times. He didn’t understand that rule. Either way he wasn’t leaving Elliot’s side to check either. He was happy hearing that she was in no rush to leave. Dylan wasn’t in any rush to be without her company either. He was just emotionally and physically exhausted. And it was nice to not be alone. “I just wish they’d come back. I’m giving it half an hour and then I’m finding them.” Dylan shrugged his shoulders. With Elliot not feeling well he had been sleeping in with Dylan and Elliot was a moving sleeper. He had taken several shots to the kidneys over the last week. As horrible as it was going to sound, he got the best sleep when Elliot slept in his own bed. “Elliot has been sick and sleeping in with me. I’m pretty sure I have bruises to prove it,” he told her. “Do you want me to go see if I can find anybody? That way you can stay with Elliot?” Aalis asked, half certain that her reluctance to leave the room was pretty obvious to him but she thought it might help Dylan relax some. And getting answers would help her too. If it had been anyone else, she probably wouldn’t have come because she hated hospitals. They’d always made her uncomfortable, but more so with all of the injuries she’d sustained the last few years, the last few months even. Some of them obviously treated by a doctor even though she couldn’t remember going. “I’ll take your word for it. I’ve seen how he tosses and turns when he’s asleep. And gotten kicked a few times myself when he’s fallen asleep at my apartment. Why didn’t you call me Dylan? I’d have come over to help. Especially with Olivia out of town. You could have gotten a good nights sleep while I took care of Elliot. We’ve done that before when he’s been sick,” she asked, annoyance obvious in her voice as she turned so that she was sitting facing him. It wasn’t the most comfortable position because of the chair, and it pulled her hand from his which bothered her more than the discomfort her position caused. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be annoyed at you. I’m just...I don’t like it when he’s sick,” she said, knowing that it wasn’t a good explanation but it was the only way she could think of to phrase it in a way that made it make any sense. It had to be weird how much it frightened her that Elliot was in the hospital didn’t it? He was Dylan’s little brother, not hers. Dylan shook his head. Part of him was not ready for her to move from this spot. And another part was not ready to hassle the nurses just yet. It was almost an hour since since the doctor had been with them. He knew tests took time. He was trying to be patient. He really was. He knew exactly what it meant for Aalis to be here. From past experience he was plenty aware of how uncomfortable hospitals made her feel. It didn’t matter if she was bleeding and needed stitches, she always refused. Dylan never allowed her to refuse though. If she needed to go to the hospital he used any underhanded means necessary. He wasn’t above kidnapping. But despite all of her apprehension of hospitals...here she was. Sitting next to him. There wasn’t any real explanation for that. He didn’t know why he didn’t call. At least...other than it was torture being in the same room. It took him awhile to realize it was jealousy. And when he did...was he supposed to tell Aalis? Upset her if she was happy? No. No that wouldn’t be right. “Because it was too hard. Too hard to be around you when I didn’t have to be,” he blurted out. “You’re dating the musician or the coffee house guy. And you’re happy. It was just easier for me.” It was out there before he could stop it. When his brain caught up he felt like an idiot. Aalis had opened her mouth to ask Dylan what he meant but before she could get the first word out he was continuing and she sat there for a minute trying to process what he’d said before giving a short brittle laugh at herself and shaking her head. “It hasn’t been easy for me being around you either. Knowing that you’re dating whatever her name is. I keep expecting to find myself spitting in her drink or something when she comes in to Tea Time. But she makes you happy so I can’t really bring myself to hate her,” she said, her voice trailing off at the end. It was strange, she was jealous but she still couldn’t help but almost like her because she made Dylan happy. And she wanted that for him, even if it hurt to see him with someone else. “I started spending more time with Travis because everything was so weird with you when I got back from that trip with Dex. And then Travis and I were dating but I was still going out with Dex too and it just seems like every day things got weirder with you and I just made a mess out of everything because I couldn’t bring myself to ask you to take me to that stupid wedding in the first place when I really wanted you too,” she said, looking away from him as she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes. Sometimes she felt like she was constantly on the verge of tears around Dylan these days. Not because he was mean to her, she could never accuse him of that. But because everything was just so not what she was used to with him. They didn’t tease each other and flirt the way they always had but she’d never suspected until tonight that there might have been anything actually behind it on Dylan’s side. Aalis wiped her eyes with her hand as she felt the first of the tears escape her as she realized how stupid the whole thing must sound when said out loud. She looked at her hand and saw the makeup smeared on it and cursed quietly as she looked in her purse for a tissue to wipe the makeup off her face with, knowing she was using it as a reason to avoid looking at Dylan, afraid of what she’d see on his face after her admission. "You hate her?" Dylan asked, staring over at her. "If it makes you feel any better I am not the biggest fan of either guy." He hated admitting it out loud. He sounded like a jealous child. Dylan was confused as to why she didn't like Hannah. She was nice, funny and there didn't seem to be anything about her that was complicated. The image of Aalis spitting in someone's drink at Tea Time mildly amused him but he didn't know why she would have anything against the girl he was dating. Especially when she seemed to be dating two guys. Dylan remembered stopping in the convenience store and seeing Aalis on nearly every cover of the many different magazines sitting on the shelf. Before Aalis has even returned home he had seen plenty of pictures of the two of them. If Dylan were being truthful with himself, he always kind of assumed that Aalis would have asked him to go with her to the wedding. They've been friends forever or at least it felt like that. And maybe he was a little annoyed (and a little jealous) that she didn't. She could see why she would want to bring Dexter. He was a famous musician in a famous band and he was the owner of a cafe that served tea and desserts. She caught his attention when she told him that she really wanted him to go to the wedding but couldn't ask him. In that moment Dylan didn't know what came over him. He slid out his chair kneeling in front of Aalis. He hated seeing her so upset. "Why? Why couldn't you?" he asked, handing her tissues. She never seemed like she had a problem talking to him about anything in the time that he had known her so he didn't know why she would now. "I actually thought you would have asked me," Dylan admitted. He wasn't the kind of person to invite themselves along. He figured if she wanted him there, she would have asked. “I don’t hate her Dylan. It’s just that a part of me wishes I could but like I said she makes you happy so I can’t. And Elliot seems to like her,” Aalis admitted, unable to hide a little smile at Dylan saying he wasn’t a fan of either of the guys. “It makes me feel a little bit better, knowing that you don’t really like either of them any more than I do her.” She could sort of understand why he didn’t like Dex. A part of her had known that the press would probably hear about their trip but she hadn’t expected it to be publicized the way it had been. To be mentioned in so many magazines and for the photographs to be published the way they had been. Or for any of the captions and headlines that they’d put with it. Dylan not liking Travis though, that was harder for her to wrap her mind around. Travis was just a nice guy and he was easy to just hang out with, and things with him had just kind of evolved gradually to whatever they were. Dylan’s sudden movement from his chair, pulled Aalis’ attention back to him and she took the tissues from his hand, wiping her eyes as she tried to come up with an answer to his question that wouldn’t sound completely stupid. She crumpled up the tissues in her hand after wiping her eyes to try to get rid of some of the mess and then her answer was coming out in a rush. “Hayden was in trouble again and I didn’t know if Olivia was going to be in town or away that weekend so I didn’t know if she’d be able to watch Elliot. And I was just scared you’d say no because you just wouldn’t want to go,” she said, biting down on her tongue to stop herself from saying anything more. Dylan didn’t need to know that she’d found herself wishing all weekend that she’d taken the chance and asked him, especially with the mixup at the hotel. When she’d gone with that guy from the band was more hurt than angry. For the last four years Aalis, Hayden and him had been best friends. She didn’t even really know Dexter. He had nothing against the guy other than he had been monopolizing Aalis’ time as of late. He hadn’t realized that he wanted to be with Aalis. Their routine, their friendship had been easy and comfortable. Neither one of them really dated so there was nothing to disrupt it. But when he thought she was going out with Dexter he had been jealous. Olivia called him out on it in true sibling fashion. He hadn’t hearing it and knowing that she was right. Before he could work up the nerve to tell Aalis, it seemed like she was going out with someone else. The way he acted hadn’t been done to hurt her. It just appeared that the world was telling him that he missed his chance. The timing wasn’t right. And if she was happy, he wasn’t going to be the one to ruin that. So Dylan did the only thing he could do. He distanced himself. “Why wouldn’t I want to go?” he asked. Dylan didn’t really know how she could think that. They were friends. Best friends. “Of course I would have went. And I would have found a babysitter for Elliot. I would have worked it out. You know I would have if you asked me.” Aalis just sat there staring at Dylan for a minute when he told her that trying to come up with a response, with a reason that would make sense to either one of them. To both of them. The truth of the matter was - she’d been scared to ask Dylan to go with her. Scared that he’d say no but a part of her had been even more scared that he’d say yes. She liked him, had from the moment they met as a friend at least but over the years it had changed. She wanted to be with him and if they’d gone to the wedding together it would have been impossible for her to hide that from him and she knew it. “I know. I was just scared to ask. And when I said on that post that I didn’t have a date, Dex offered to go with me. And I...made a mistake,” she said her voice trailing off as she finished. “I wish I could take it back but I can’t. It would have been better going with you. Mom and dad wouldn’t have been so surprised by that,” she said, looking away from him for a few seconds before looking back at him, forcing herself to meet his gaze and realizing that he didn’t seem to be upset with her, not really. Maybe hurt but not upset. “I would have enjoyed it more,” she told him after just looking at him for another minute. Sitting there, staring at Elliot, he couldn't help but yawning. His emotions had been cranked up to eleven. He'd been through the ringer tonight and he was just drained. It had been a long day and an even longer night. He didn't want to rehash the past right now. And he didn't want to place blame on anyone. He was too tired for any of that. Honestly there was so much swirling around in his head that he just didn't have it in him to talk anymore. Or dance around the subject. "I like you Aalis. And maybe I figured it out too late. I don't know," he murmured, shaking his head. "All I know is this is why I didn't want to say anything. Why I didn't say anything," he confessed. Everything had gotten screwed up and stupid and he thought dating someone else would fix everything. It was to the point where he didn't even know what had happened the last few months. Or how they ended up here. Every decision he'd made, he thought he was making the right choice. But now, everything was all muddled and confused. Aalis looked back at Elliot, sleeping in the hospital bed and then back at Dylan, realizing how tired he really was. The fact that he’d been asleep when she got there should have clued her in to that but somehow it hadn’t really dawned on her until then how tired he must be. And even exhausted he was still one of the best looking men she’d ever seen. She leaned over and gave him a soft, lingering kiss on the lips before sitting back in her chair and placing her hand in his. “It’s not too late,” she told him quietly. “We just need to figure out what we both want. And for me - it’s this. You, Elliot - I like you Dylan,” she said shrugging one shoulder. That kiss, that was the first thing that made sense in forever. Hearing her say that. It brought a small smile to his face despite the situation he was in. And the fact that Elliot was lying in the bed. He was trying to just remain on the thinking positive thoughts as he'd been trying to focus on. "Its you Aalis. I'm fairly certain its always been you," he murmured. Dylan tugged her over towards him, pulling her into the chair with him. He rested their feet on her now empty chair. "Everything else? Tomorrow," he said, settling into the chair. He didn't care about anything else. Right now he just wanted to stay in this moment. Aalis let Dylan pull her into the chair with him, smiling a little as she settled in beside him as close as she could. It wasn’t the most comfortable position in the world because these chairs hadn’t been designed for two people to stretch out in but she didn’t want to move away from him. Dylan made it comfortable somehow. “Tomorrow,” she agreed as she shifted so that she could put her head on Dylan’s shoulder. She didn’t want to move from where she was or worry about anything or anyone other than the people in this room. |