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Killing time before my shift starts in like... 16 minutes... lol
Many of these are like half stories, telling only the tiniest portion of the story... lol... but I like them!
Crossovers with: One Tree Hill, Stargate: Atlantis, Supernatural, Eureka, and Gilmore Girls
1. Quiet
Ryan was in the middle of collecting the ripe vegetables from the garden when he heard a noise from the woods and froze, listening from his crouched down position as branches snapped and groans echoed against the trees. He sniffed the air, forcing himself not to gag on the strong scent of decay, and slowly shifted into a better position to peer through the overgrown plants in the garden.
He could just barely make out the basic human shape as it moved through the shadows created by the overgrown trees, shambling along and randomly bumping into things. As he watched, a piece of grey skin caught on a stray branch and half the flesh on the arm tore away, the creature never pausing in it's slow walk. Ryan focused purely on the creature, wanting to see where it was going before he moved, hoping to avoid drawing attention to the fact that there was actual life in the area. That was why he didn't notice the other sounds at first, at leats not until the bullet tore the creatures ear off and it spun, letting out a screech of rage.
Ryan covered his ears against the noise as he whipped his head around, spotting a man standing on top of an armored truck, putting his pistol back in it's belt holster before grabbing a shot gun and aiming. As the creature charged the truck, passing within feet of his position, Ryan moved, getting to his feet and taking off at a run towards the buildings. Behind him, he heard the creature let out an outraged screech and knew it was coming for him now. All in all, though, if he had to choose between the thing killing him or whatever the human in the truck might have in mind, he preferred the creature.
2. Rain
"I think it's going to rain today."
Ryan followed Brooke's gaze to the dark clouds, creeping over the hills surrounding their little valley, and nodded. "Looks like it. We better start getting the shutters closed and locked."
"I hate these storms," Brooke whispered as she and Ryan went to work, pulling down the metal shutters for their windows. The only kind of rain there was anymore were the acid storms that disolved all non sheltered biological material, leaving anywhere the storms passed a wasteland for the few weeks until the other chemicals in the clouds, the ones that scientists had meant to add, caused the rapid growth of plants.
"The keep saying the acids oughta stop falling soon," Ryan reminded her as he sealed the largest of the shutters.
"Damn it, I left my jacket by the river earlier," Brooke said.
"Go inside and finish locking up," Ryan told her. "I'll go get it."
"You sure?"
"It's not far, I'll be back in plenty of time," Ryan said, kissing her cheek before turning and jogging towards the river.
~~~
Five minutes later, the rain started falling and Brooke covered her ears as she heard Ryan yelling, knowing he'd been caught out in it. If she hadn't left her jacket by the river, he'd be safe inside, but instead her stupidity had killed him.
"Brooke!" Ryan yelled bursting into the house, soaking wet but looking more alive than he had in years. "It's rain," he said. "Real rain."
"Real...?" Brooke said, going to him and tentively touching his wet clothes, stunned when there was no accompanying burning pain. "Just rain?"
"Just rain," Ryan repeated, shaking his head and then upper half of his body and spraying it on her to emphasize his point.
"Hey!" Brooke protested, laughing.
"Come on," Ryan said, tossing her jacket on a chair and tugging her outside. Once out the door, Ryan lifted his face to the rain, opening his mouth to catch it. "It's just water!" he yelled.
Brooke joined him, staring in awe at the sight of just water falling on the valley. Maybe now things would get better.
3. Ashes To Ashes
Whatever happened, it was massive and sudden. Everything was fine when Ryan boarded the plane from Berkeley to Providence, intent on seeing Seth and convincing him to stop freaking out about the wedding. But by the time they got to providence, the captain announced they couldn't land, that something had happened and there was no response for Air Traffic Control. That they were going to attempt to land without guidance, and everyone need to belt in and get into the crash position.
When they landed, there was no one there. The entire airport was empty, covered in some sort of dust. It wasn't until a darkhaired woman found a pacemaker inside a pile of ash that they realized the ashes were all that was left of the people. Ryan had gathered the sobbing woman in his arms to try to comfort her, while other people talked about how this had to just be the one place, that if they went somewhere else, it would be different.
The captain asked everyone to reboard the plane for the night, that they could try to work things out in the morning, but some people argued and decided to get their cars from the lots and walk. Some of them stole rental cars, anything to escape the dust that was once humanity. Brooke, the darkhaired woman, said she wanted to go home, to North Carolina, but it was more important to stay together.
The Co-Pilot suggested that if he could get one of the smaller planes fueled up, he could check out other airports and even take Brooke to North Carolina. Ryan asked him to wait a day, that he needed to check on his brother and be sure, then he'd go with them. Brooke followed Ryan out, saying that if he was comign with her, she was going with him.
Seth and Summer's apartment was how Ryan expected it to be, a complete mess, but most of it seemed dust free. In the bedroom though, they found the bed covered in it, and Ryan leaned against the doorframe, tears streaming down his face. Brooke put a hand on his back and rested her cheek against his shoulder, trying to offer silent comfort.
They tried to radio any decent sized airport they could on the way down, but got nothing. When Charlotte also remained silent, the pilot asked if there were any roads wide enough to land the plane on in brooke's home town, and she managed to guide him to the highway. All the cars along it were filled with the same dust, and after a long hike to the residential areas, they found the same dust everywhere. So they turned around and went back to the plane.
In Providence, the captain reported the same thing when he'd taken another plane north a ways. Everyone but them was seemingly gone, turned to dust and ashes. It didn't make sense that people and their clothes had burned away, but other material had survived undamaged, including the bed under Seth and Summer's remains, but that was what had seemingly happened.
"What now?" Brooke whispered.
"There had to have been other planes in the air," Ryan said. "Dozens, maybe even hundreds. Other people had to have survived. And what about military in underground facilities? There have to be other people out there."
"So we have to find them," Brooke said.
"This could be just the US." The co-pilot said.
"You really think people only turned to dust in the US?" Ryan asked. "It's been almost two weeks, where's the foriegn aid? Where are the investigators from our allies, trying to figure out what happened? We'd have seen something if it was just the US."
4. Advice Not Taken
Ryan had thought Sandy was being paranoid when he'd said there was something happening to people who showed up at the government protests across the country.
That was why he still went and clapped along with the rest as the speakers made their points.
That was why, even though he'd seen a handful of soldiers around the edges of the crowd, he hadn't expected the tear gas and flash bangs going off in the middle of the crowd.
That was why he hadn't been ready for the crush of people trying to escape and he'd fallen to the ground, getting trambled on by the stampede.
That was why he was rounded up along with a few dozen other attendees, and tossed into jail cells that were packed full, standing room only.
That was why, three days later, he was shipped to a federal facility in the middle of nowhere.
It was a huge place, a former military base, and the 'terror mongers', as they were being labelled, were packed in tightly, up to ten people per bunk room, even though there were only 4 beds available. Ryan got luck, he only had 6 people to share with. His roommates were a pair of former soldiers who'd tried to resign when they'd figured out what was happening and been arrested instead, a pair of brothers who seemed to know almost as much about military operations as the soldiers, a former sheriff who had tried to stop troops from taking over an advanced research lab in Oregon, and an author who'd been arrested for questioning why a journalist friend of his had vanished the same night she'd spoken out against the government in an article.
"We never should have let this guy in on it," one of the soldiers, Sheppard, told the other one, Lorne. "Give a man like that ultimate power and it corrupts absolutely."
"What power?" the younger of the brothers, Sam, asked.
"I don't think we can get in any worse shape than we are now," Sheppard said, shrugging. "There's a device, it at least used to be in this base. It can be used to travel to other planets. Even other galaxies if you've got enough power for it. We've gotten a lot of advanced tech from other worlds, and now the president has gone a little power hungry."
"A little?" Ryan spoke up. "I attended a rally at a college campus known for being liberal. There was no violence on our part, not obscenities, no threats against anyone. It was just tor aise awareness about the situation in this country. They tossed tear gas and flash bangs into the crowd, started a stampede of people trying to get away. And then, I got tossed in a standing room only cell, despite having broken ribs. That was a month ago, and I still haven't been seen by a doctor. I'm pretty sure the guy is suspending all the rights in this country." He paused and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure we're all dead men anyway."
"I'm with him," the author, Jess, said. "They're gonna kill us."
"I can't believe that," Jack, the sheriff, said. "My daughter got snatched up, too, and I can't beleive that she's going to die, too."
"Did she actively do anything?" Sheppard asked. "Anything that they might consider criminal?"
"She hit a couple guys trying to get to me," Jack said.
"Here's hopping she bluffed and claimed that she's not anti-government, she was just scared and wanted her dad," Jess said. "Might save her for a while at least."
"That helps," Jack said. "Zoe's pretty smart."
"I wish I'd thought of that," Dean, the older of the brothers, commented. "Me and Sammy are pretty good at lying through our teeth."
"Oh, that's reassuring," Jess commented.
5. Refugee
Ryan was near the back of the last group of survivors to pass through the Stargate to Atlantis, and he was so weak he could barely walk. As he stepped into the bright and shining city, filled with people who were hurrying to help other survivors, he clearly heard Kirsten's voice, whispering in his ear.
"You can stop fighting now."
Ryan let his eyes slid closed and heard the yells for help as he legs gave out and he crashed to the floor as he finally stopped.
~~~
"Severe malnutrition, severe dehydration, multiple untreated injuries, including one on his leg that I amy have to amputate if I can't get the infection under control within the next few days. It's a miracle he made it this far," a female voice was saying when Ryan started to wake up. He could feel a mattress, firm but still more comfortable than the driver's seat of the rover he'd been living in since it all went down.
"Right now, what we need to know is if he's going to live," a male voice said.
"You sure as hell better not be suggesting we cut off his rations if he won't," a second male voice said, sounding like he was speaking through clenched teeth.
"He'll live," the woman said. "But he'll need quarters relatively close to the mess hall, for the sake of his leg. Even if I can save it, he's going to have a lot of pain in it, possibly for the rest of his life."
"We've already fuilled up the closest ones," the second male voice said. "But there's a couple near transporters still available, I'll assign him to one of them so he can get around the city easier."
"Thank you, Colonel Sheppard," the female voice said.
A moment later, Ryan heard someone moving beside the bed and slowly blinked up his eyes to see a pretty redhead checking the machines monitoring his vitals. "So I'm gonna live?" he whispered, voice scratchy.
The woman looked down, startled, then smiled. "Yes, you are. I'm Dr. Keller, can you tell me your name?"
"Ryan Atwood."
"How long were you out there alone, Ryan?" Dr. Keller asked.
"A couple weeks. I ran out of supplies and was surrounded. I couldn't restock."
"That's what I heard from the search team that found you," Dr. Keller said. "You are one lucky guy that you survived this."
"How many total?"
"We had about 150 here on Atlantis already, and then 500 SGC personal, and about 200 civilians the search teams found. So about 850 people total."
"6 billion reduced to 850?" Ryan asked.
"There's other peoples, technically not human, but closely related to us, in both galaxies, so we're not a dying species. But... yes, 850 Earth survivors."
"There wouldn't happen to be anyone named Cohen, would there?"
"I can check. Friends?"
"Relatives. My adoptive family. Kirsten's dead, but... Sandy and Seth were in Providence, so maybe..."
"I'll check for you," Dr. Keller said. "Right now, you need to rest. I'll wake you in a few hours to try a little food."
Ryan nodded sluggishly as he drifted off, hoping that someone he loved was still alive.
~~~
When he woke again, it was to the sound of two familiar voices talking softly. He slowly opened his eyes, letting out a breath of relief when he saw Kaitlin on one side of the bed and Sandy on the other. "You're alive," he whispered.
"Hey, kid," Sandy said, smiling widely as he stood to ran a hand over Ryan's hair. "It's so good to see you."
"Seth didn't make it," Kaitlin said bluntly as she picked up Ryan's hand. "Neither did my mom. But Me and Sandy were found by the same team, so we've been sticking together.
"Kirsten didn't..." Ryan said, shaking his head. "They got her."
"Not your fault," Sandy said firmly. "You hear me? It wasn't your fault."
"The doctor, she said... she said there's only 850 of us left."
"Yeah, but I've met some cute alien boys, so I think the gene pool is safe," Kaitlin said.
"Focus on getting better, Ryan," Sandy said. "Then we can talk about everything that's happened."
"Stay a while?" Ryan asked. "Both of you?"
"I've got nowhere better to be," Kaitlin said, settling back into her chair, still holding Ryan's hand tightly in her own.
"Nowhere I'd rather be," Sandy agreed as he pulled his chair up closer to the head of Ryan's bed. "Go back to sleep, we'll be here when you wake up again.
The End
Many of these are like half stories, telling only the tiniest portion of the story... lol... but I like them!
Crossovers with: One Tree Hill, Stargate: Atlantis, Supernatural, Eureka, and Gilmore Girls
1. Quiet
Ryan was in the middle of collecting the ripe vegetables from the garden when he heard a noise from the woods and froze, listening from his crouched down position as branches snapped and groans echoed against the trees. He sniffed the air, forcing himself not to gag on the strong scent of decay, and slowly shifted into a better position to peer through the overgrown plants in the garden.
He could just barely make out the basic human shape as it moved through the shadows created by the overgrown trees, shambling along and randomly bumping into things. As he watched, a piece of grey skin caught on a stray branch and half the flesh on the arm tore away, the creature never pausing in it's slow walk. Ryan focused purely on the creature, wanting to see where it was going before he moved, hoping to avoid drawing attention to the fact that there was actual life in the area. That was why he didn't notice the other sounds at first, at leats not until the bullet tore the creatures ear off and it spun, letting out a screech of rage.
Ryan covered his ears against the noise as he whipped his head around, spotting a man standing on top of an armored truck, putting his pistol back in it's belt holster before grabbing a shot gun and aiming. As the creature charged the truck, passing within feet of his position, Ryan moved, getting to his feet and taking off at a run towards the buildings. Behind him, he heard the creature let out an outraged screech and knew it was coming for him now. All in all, though, if he had to choose between the thing killing him or whatever the human in the truck might have in mind, he preferred the creature.
2. Rain
"I think it's going to rain today."
Ryan followed Brooke's gaze to the dark clouds, creeping over the hills surrounding their little valley, and nodded. "Looks like it. We better start getting the shutters closed and locked."
"I hate these storms," Brooke whispered as she and Ryan went to work, pulling down the metal shutters for their windows. The only kind of rain there was anymore were the acid storms that disolved all non sheltered biological material, leaving anywhere the storms passed a wasteland for the few weeks until the other chemicals in the clouds, the ones that scientists had meant to add, caused the rapid growth of plants.
"The keep saying the acids oughta stop falling soon," Ryan reminded her as he sealed the largest of the shutters.
"Damn it, I left my jacket by the river earlier," Brooke said.
"Go inside and finish locking up," Ryan told her. "I'll go get it."
"You sure?"
"It's not far, I'll be back in plenty of time," Ryan said, kissing her cheek before turning and jogging towards the river.
~~~
Five minutes later, the rain started falling and Brooke covered her ears as she heard Ryan yelling, knowing he'd been caught out in it. If she hadn't left her jacket by the river, he'd be safe inside, but instead her stupidity had killed him.
"Brooke!" Ryan yelled bursting into the house, soaking wet but looking more alive than he had in years. "It's rain," he said. "Real rain."
"Real...?" Brooke said, going to him and tentively touching his wet clothes, stunned when there was no accompanying burning pain. "Just rain?"
"Just rain," Ryan repeated, shaking his head and then upper half of his body and spraying it on her to emphasize his point.
"Hey!" Brooke protested, laughing.
"Come on," Ryan said, tossing her jacket on a chair and tugging her outside. Once out the door, Ryan lifted his face to the rain, opening his mouth to catch it. "It's just water!" he yelled.
Brooke joined him, staring in awe at the sight of just water falling on the valley. Maybe now things would get better.
3. Ashes To Ashes
Whatever happened, it was massive and sudden. Everything was fine when Ryan boarded the plane from Berkeley to Providence, intent on seeing Seth and convincing him to stop freaking out about the wedding. But by the time they got to providence, the captain announced they couldn't land, that something had happened and there was no response for Air Traffic Control. That they were going to attempt to land without guidance, and everyone need to belt in and get into the crash position.
When they landed, there was no one there. The entire airport was empty, covered in some sort of dust. It wasn't until a darkhaired woman found a pacemaker inside a pile of ash that they realized the ashes were all that was left of the people. Ryan had gathered the sobbing woman in his arms to try to comfort her, while other people talked about how this had to just be the one place, that if they went somewhere else, it would be different.
The captain asked everyone to reboard the plane for the night, that they could try to work things out in the morning, but some people argued and decided to get their cars from the lots and walk. Some of them stole rental cars, anything to escape the dust that was once humanity. Brooke, the darkhaired woman, said she wanted to go home, to North Carolina, but it was more important to stay together.
The Co-Pilot suggested that if he could get one of the smaller planes fueled up, he could check out other airports and even take Brooke to North Carolina. Ryan asked him to wait a day, that he needed to check on his brother and be sure, then he'd go with them. Brooke followed Ryan out, saying that if he was comign with her, she was going with him.
Seth and Summer's apartment was how Ryan expected it to be, a complete mess, but most of it seemed dust free. In the bedroom though, they found the bed covered in it, and Ryan leaned against the doorframe, tears streaming down his face. Brooke put a hand on his back and rested her cheek against his shoulder, trying to offer silent comfort.
They tried to radio any decent sized airport they could on the way down, but got nothing. When Charlotte also remained silent, the pilot asked if there were any roads wide enough to land the plane on in brooke's home town, and she managed to guide him to the highway. All the cars along it were filled with the same dust, and after a long hike to the residential areas, they found the same dust everywhere. So they turned around and went back to the plane.
In Providence, the captain reported the same thing when he'd taken another plane north a ways. Everyone but them was seemingly gone, turned to dust and ashes. It didn't make sense that people and their clothes had burned away, but other material had survived undamaged, including the bed under Seth and Summer's remains, but that was what had seemingly happened.
"What now?" Brooke whispered.
"There had to have been other planes in the air," Ryan said. "Dozens, maybe even hundreds. Other people had to have survived. And what about military in underground facilities? There have to be other people out there."
"So we have to find them," Brooke said.
"This could be just the US." The co-pilot said.
"You really think people only turned to dust in the US?" Ryan asked. "It's been almost two weeks, where's the foriegn aid? Where are the investigators from our allies, trying to figure out what happened? We'd have seen something if it was just the US."
4. Advice Not Taken
Ryan had thought Sandy was being paranoid when he'd said there was something happening to people who showed up at the government protests across the country.
That was why he still went and clapped along with the rest as the speakers made their points.
That was why, even though he'd seen a handful of soldiers around the edges of the crowd, he hadn't expected the tear gas and flash bangs going off in the middle of the crowd.
That was why he hadn't been ready for the crush of people trying to escape and he'd fallen to the ground, getting trambled on by the stampede.
That was why he was rounded up along with a few dozen other attendees, and tossed into jail cells that were packed full, standing room only.
That was why, three days later, he was shipped to a federal facility in the middle of nowhere.
It was a huge place, a former military base, and the 'terror mongers', as they were being labelled, were packed in tightly, up to ten people per bunk room, even though there were only 4 beds available. Ryan got luck, he only had 6 people to share with. His roommates were a pair of former soldiers who'd tried to resign when they'd figured out what was happening and been arrested instead, a pair of brothers who seemed to know almost as much about military operations as the soldiers, a former sheriff who had tried to stop troops from taking over an advanced research lab in Oregon, and an author who'd been arrested for questioning why a journalist friend of his had vanished the same night she'd spoken out against the government in an article.
"We never should have let this guy in on it," one of the soldiers, Sheppard, told the other one, Lorne. "Give a man like that ultimate power and it corrupts absolutely."
"What power?" the younger of the brothers, Sam, asked.
"I don't think we can get in any worse shape than we are now," Sheppard said, shrugging. "There's a device, it at least used to be in this base. It can be used to travel to other planets. Even other galaxies if you've got enough power for it. We've gotten a lot of advanced tech from other worlds, and now the president has gone a little power hungry."
"A little?" Ryan spoke up. "I attended a rally at a college campus known for being liberal. There was no violence on our part, not obscenities, no threats against anyone. It was just tor aise awareness about the situation in this country. They tossed tear gas and flash bangs into the crowd, started a stampede of people trying to get away. And then, I got tossed in a standing room only cell, despite having broken ribs. That was a month ago, and I still haven't been seen by a doctor. I'm pretty sure the guy is suspending all the rights in this country." He paused and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure we're all dead men anyway."
"I'm with him," the author, Jess, said. "They're gonna kill us."
"I can't believe that," Jack, the sheriff, said. "My daughter got snatched up, too, and I can't beleive that she's going to die, too."
"Did she actively do anything?" Sheppard asked. "Anything that they might consider criminal?"
"She hit a couple guys trying to get to me," Jack said.
"Here's hopping she bluffed and claimed that she's not anti-government, she was just scared and wanted her dad," Jess said. "Might save her for a while at least."
"That helps," Jack said. "Zoe's pretty smart."
"I wish I'd thought of that," Dean, the older of the brothers, commented. "Me and Sammy are pretty good at lying through our teeth."
"Oh, that's reassuring," Jess commented.
5. Refugee
Ryan was near the back of the last group of survivors to pass through the Stargate to Atlantis, and he was so weak he could barely walk. As he stepped into the bright and shining city, filled with people who were hurrying to help other survivors, he clearly heard Kirsten's voice, whispering in his ear.
"You can stop fighting now."
Ryan let his eyes slid closed and heard the yells for help as he legs gave out and he crashed to the floor as he finally stopped.
~~~
"Severe malnutrition, severe dehydration, multiple untreated injuries, including one on his leg that I amy have to amputate if I can't get the infection under control within the next few days. It's a miracle he made it this far," a female voice was saying when Ryan started to wake up. He could feel a mattress, firm but still more comfortable than the driver's seat of the rover he'd been living in since it all went down.
"Right now, what we need to know is if he's going to live," a male voice said.
"You sure as hell better not be suggesting we cut off his rations if he won't," a second male voice said, sounding like he was speaking through clenched teeth.
"He'll live," the woman said. "But he'll need quarters relatively close to the mess hall, for the sake of his leg. Even if I can save it, he's going to have a lot of pain in it, possibly for the rest of his life."
"We've already fuilled up the closest ones," the second male voice said. "But there's a couple near transporters still available, I'll assign him to one of them so he can get around the city easier."
"Thank you, Colonel Sheppard," the female voice said.
A moment later, Ryan heard someone moving beside the bed and slowly blinked up his eyes to see a pretty redhead checking the machines monitoring his vitals. "So I'm gonna live?" he whispered, voice scratchy.
The woman looked down, startled, then smiled. "Yes, you are. I'm Dr. Keller, can you tell me your name?"
"Ryan Atwood."
"How long were you out there alone, Ryan?" Dr. Keller asked.
"A couple weeks. I ran out of supplies and was surrounded. I couldn't restock."
"That's what I heard from the search team that found you," Dr. Keller said. "You are one lucky guy that you survived this."
"How many total?"
"We had about 150 here on Atlantis already, and then 500 SGC personal, and about 200 civilians the search teams found. So about 850 people total."
"6 billion reduced to 850?" Ryan asked.
"There's other peoples, technically not human, but closely related to us, in both galaxies, so we're not a dying species. But... yes, 850 Earth survivors."
"There wouldn't happen to be anyone named Cohen, would there?"
"I can check. Friends?"
"Relatives. My adoptive family. Kirsten's dead, but... Sandy and Seth were in Providence, so maybe..."
"I'll check for you," Dr. Keller said. "Right now, you need to rest. I'll wake you in a few hours to try a little food."
Ryan nodded sluggishly as he drifted off, hoping that someone he loved was still alive.
~~~
When he woke again, it was to the sound of two familiar voices talking softly. He slowly opened his eyes, letting out a breath of relief when he saw Kaitlin on one side of the bed and Sandy on the other. "You're alive," he whispered.
"Hey, kid," Sandy said, smiling widely as he stood to ran a hand over Ryan's hair. "It's so good to see you."
"Seth didn't make it," Kaitlin said bluntly as she picked up Ryan's hand. "Neither did my mom. But Me and Sandy were found by the same team, so we've been sticking together.
"Kirsten didn't..." Ryan said, shaking his head. "They got her."
"Not your fault," Sandy said firmly. "You hear me? It wasn't your fault."
"The doctor, she said... she said there's only 850 of us left."
"Yeah, but I've met some cute alien boys, so I think the gene pool is safe," Kaitlin said.
"Focus on getting better, Ryan," Sandy said. "Then we can talk about everything that's happened."
"Stay a while?" Ryan asked. "Both of you?"
"I've got nowhere better to be," Kaitlin said, settling back into her chair, still holding Ryan's hand tightly in her own.
"Nowhere I'd rather be," Sandy agreed as he pulled his chair up closer to the head of Ryan's bed. "Go back to sleep, we'll be here when you wake up again.
The End