*Ashley’s POV*

“Ok. So what’s up? We’re all ears, right honey?” I squeezed Krystal’s hand and she nodded to Brennan. CC got up and left the room, phone in hand.

“Ok. I have watched you two beat yourselves up about whose fault it was for Krystal being here again.” I looked at Krystal and she dropped her head down so I nudged her and smiled. He continued, “It was neither. It was an accident that happened here, just after your operation.” He gestured towards each of us as he spoke the next part. “It wasn’t because you took your drip out, and it wasn’t because you upset Krystal and she was on her own for a period of time.” Krystal looked relieved. “Often, the jostling of moving the patient around after the operation is enough to tear even the smallest gap in any sutures or closures we had to perform and can set the internal bleeding in motion; which sends the patient into a downward spiral over minutes, hours, or days depending upon the rate of blood loss. I mean technically, everything happened that way for a reason. If you didn’t take that drip out, there wouldn’t have been the urgency to find you and bring you back here. If you were to have kept the drip in and stayed at home, everything would have seemed fine because the bleed was a slow progressing one, you would have gone to sleep as normal but you would have passed in the night.”

Those words hurt. I knew she was safe, but just the thought of not having her around... It felt as though Brennan was stabbing me with searing hot daggers.

“I must be real lucky then.” Aw, she even looked cute when she was trying to work things out! “So... Lemmie get this straight. I technically was clinically dead four times and could have died another two?”

“Yeah, you are one very very lucky girl, Krystal. And you are loved by so many. So please, don’t let anyone hurt you.” Was Dr Brennan attached to Krystal? There was like a weird connection. I didn’t think doctors got attached to their patients; maybe it’s just me being silly. “Look after her Ashley. Please.” He got up and left.

“Did that seem a little off to you?” I asked Krystal.

“No, he’s just being nice Ash. Don’t start getting all paranoid on me” she started to laugh.

Oh jeez. I was, I was getting all protective boyfriend-ey. That’s a point... We’ve both expressed our feelings, but we’re not actually together... Yet.

“Um- Krystal?”

“Yes, Mashley?”

“Mashley?!? What kind of a name is that!”

“Your nickname. And you love it.”

“I- but-“

She was laughing so badly. Mashley... The hell? Where did she get that nickname from? She’s so bloody random!

“Ok, Mash, what was it you were gunna say?”

“Oh, uh. Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” I didn’t want to seem too forward so I decided against asking her.

“No, c’mon pleeeeease tell me?” I got up and slid under the sheet so I was sitting under it with her.

“Nope, it really doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Well, I know that’s a lie. C’mon, tell me!”

“Um, I don’t know...”

“If you loved me you would.”

“Oh, that’s harsh!”

“Yeah, I know” She poked her tongue out and me and scrunched her nose up as she did it.

“Aww!”

“Aw? What’s aw?” she went a very deep shade of red.

“Your nose... You scrunch it up... It was cute!”

“Oh shut up.”

“Make me!”

Oh, she made me alright. It kind of surprised me actually. She sat up and before I knew it she lifted her leg over me and straddled me.

“Woah, Krystal, what are y-“ I couldn’t finish my sentence because her lips pressed against mine. They were so soft and hot on mine and I soon found myself getting lost in the moment; running my fingers over her face, the curves at her cheekbones, the racy pulse in her throat, the tender skin at the back of her neck... It took every ounce of control I had to touch her gently, so I wouldn’t hurt her. I knew she was still quite fragile, but it became almost impossible as it got more intense.

When she raised her arms and wrapped them around my neck, sighing into my mouth, I had to suppress a gasp and for a moment I had to hold myself very still or we would have been on the floor. Her hands on me were so gentle, but there was no mistaking their encouragement.

Her lips murmured against mine, whispering my name, her body was so soft and strong in my arms. I followed the arch of her back with my hands, feeling the curve of it under her hospital gown, and I could not stop myself then. I pulled her so tightly against me that it made her let out a moan and I released her, she dismounted me and Krystal sank back into the cushions as I propped myself over her. Her hair had come out of its ponytail and it spread out unbound over the pillows.

A flush of red spread over her face and down to the neckline of her gown, staining her pale skin. The hot press of our bodies against each other was bewildering, like nothing I had ever experienced before. I kissed her again and again, each time harder, more passionately, savouring the feel of her lips under mine, the taste of her mouth, until the intensity of it became painful to bare anymore.

I let my eyes trail down from her lips, to her neck, then falling to her collarbone. I began to kiss her neck which made her let out beautiful sounds. I bit her really gently but it made her moan more intensely than before. This made me smile against her neck as I kiss it some more and then I bit down again, this time a little harder. Her moan was stifled by something. I look up to find that she is pressing a pillow against her face, as if she was purposely trying to stay quiet. I moved the pillow away from her and she gazed into my eyes. She looked so shy and innocent. She was still breathing quick and shallow breaths. I smile at her and she can just about muster up a little smile at the corner of her perfect lips.

“Woah! What the fuck?”

I have never moved so quickly in my life. I jumped off of Krystal, standing to face CC standing in the doorway.

“Dude! What are you doing back here?”

“I could ask you two the same thing!”

Krystal managed to pipe up. “CC, please don’t tell anyone about this.”

“About what? You two fucking? Or you two being together!?”

“No! CC, we didn’t uh- ‘fuck’ we were just, kissing and...” She got all shy again. “I uh- I’m sorry. I’m not that kind of person... It’s just with Ash I feel like... Like I’m actually alive for once.”

I couldn’t help myself and smiled.

“Ok, so you two didn’t do it. But what’s going on with you two? Are you- together?”

“I don’t know...” She looked up at me with her beautiful browny green eyes “Are we?”

“Well I want to be, Krystal. I love you, but it’s up to you. I know that I haven’t exactly had a great track record with women but-”

“Ash, I’ve already told you I don’t care about that! I care about you and how you act now. As long as you don’t implement the things old Ash used to do, then it’s all forgotten. But can we, uh. Can we not go public with this? I don’t think the others need us springing our relationship on them just yet...”

“Sure.” I nodded, I understood where she was coming from, I needed to wait until she was ready. I couldn’t be selfish. No matter how much I wanted to make her mine and proudly shout it to the world.

“CC? Can you keep this on the down low please?”she practically pleaded at him.

“For you, of course I can.” He walked over to her and hugged her.

“Thank you.”

“Y’know you’re like a sister to me.” I saw Krystal get a little teary eyed and he nudged her. “Oi, don’t cry babycakes. Big brothers are supposed to make you happy, not make you cry!”

“It’s because I’m happy” She laughed as she cried.

CC turned to me. “Don’t worry about what Andy said about you hurting her. It’s clear that you won’t, you like her too much”

“You’re wrong... I don't like her... I love her.” I winked at him and we all laughed, then CC’s phone started buzzing.

“Aha, right, let’s get you to one of the visiting rooms. Everyone’s here. I called them over because they all wanted to come say hi now that you’re awake again, and being a two person visitation room, that won’t be possible in here.”

CC and I walked either side of Krystal ready and waiting just in case she needed some help. She was so stubborn. She refused to sit in the wheelchair, but she was actually walking surprisingly well. Wow. She’s getting better. We’ll be outta here in no time. And this time, for good.