Post by onyxfyrefly on Apr 27, 2013 9:39:05 GMT -5
Andy blindly groped for her phone in the early morning light. “Hello?” she mumbled.
“Andrea? It’s Sharon.”
Something about the tone of the older woman’s voice made all thoughts of sleep fly from her head. “Sharon…is everything okay?”
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with Keith, have you seen him?”
Rolling over, Andy realized that Keith was gone and his side of the bed was cold. She frowned for a moment then nodded to herself, there was only one place where he would be this early in the morning. “He’s probably surfing. Do you need me to get a message to him?”
Sharon sighed and it seemed like she was trying to pull herself together. “It’s Ryan…”
Covering her mouth to contain her gasp Andy listened, frozen in shock, as Sharon relayed her news. “Is there anything that I can do?” asked the young woman after finally finding her voice.
“Tell Keith and keep an eye on him, I don’t know how he’s going to react to this.”
“Of course. Please keep me updated.”
“I will.”
Ending the call Andy threw on some clothes and practically ran out of her apartment. Her mind was racing and as she drove she sent a prayer up to her mother, her angel, begging her to watch over Ryan and his family.
The beach wasn’t too crowded and Andy parked next to Keith’s car. Sitting on the hood she spied Keith among the waves. Despite her anxious state she couldn’t help but smile as she watched the blonde. He was truly in his element.
After about thirty minutes or so Keith headed towards shore and smiled when he spied Andy. “Good morning, love.” He kissed her quickly and she could taste the salt on his lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Sharon called this morning.”
“What is she up to now?”
“Nothing like that…it was about Ryan.”
“Ryan?” Keith frowned.
Turning her head, Andy met the confused blue eyes. “Keith…there’s been an accident.”
Keith sat down very quickly. “What kind of accident?”
“Ryan fell down the stairs and hit his head.”
The surfer let out a sigh of relief. “That’s all? From the way you were talking…”
“No,” Andy interrupted. “It’s a serious injury. He hit his head so hard that he cracked his skull and there was some type of hemorrhage. They had to induce him into a coma.”
Pushing his wet hair back Keith swallowed hard. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Right now your guess is as good as anyone’s. It could take days or even weeks for his brain to heal.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “There’s even the chance that he may never wake up.”
Keith fell silent and Andy waited patiently, allowing him to process this new information. When he finally spoke his voice was rough with emotion. “What can we do?”
“Sharon said to just go on with your lives. Don’t post anything on Facebook or Twitter though. Mari posted something on Ryan’s pages but all she said was that he was in the hospital. Until we find out what’s going to happen this needs to stay quiet, okay?”
Keith nodded and turned his gaze towards the waves. Andy tentatively took his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No…I…I think I’d like to be alone for awhile. Clear my head, you know?”
“Of course.” Andy stood and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Just be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
Andy watched him head back into the surf and sighed. She could feel his pain and prayed that he wouldn’t do something stupid.
Hours later Andy heard the front door to her apartment open and close. Twisting from her position on the couch her heart broke when she saw Keith. He was just standing there and looked lost.
She guided him to sit on the couch and he went without protest. She quickly brewed a cup of tea and added a healthy amount of whiskey before pressing the mug into Keith’s hands. He drank the substance slowly and Andy curled up on the couch next to him, she knew he would talk when he was ready.
Placing the mug on the table Keith finally turned towards Andy and her heart ached when she saw the pain reflected in his eyes. Wordlessly she pulled him into her arms, his head on her shoulder, as she rubbed slow circles on his back.
“Any news?”
Andy shook her head. “No.”
Keith sighed and closed his eyes. “What if he doesn’t wake up?”
“Hush. He’s going to be fine. Ryan’s tough and his head is nearly as hard as yours.”
Keith let out a halfhearted chuckle. “This is why I love you.” Andy didn’t comment and he took one of her hands in his own. “Because you understand. No one else gets it.”
Andy couldn’t find the words to reply. She simply held Keith closer and tried to give him as much comfort as she could. Letting her head rest against the back of the couch she realized that she missed this. Keith was so confident and so self sufficient that she often felt useless, both as his assistant and as his girlfriend. It was nice to know that he still needed her but she couldn’t help but wish that the circumstances were different.
“Andrea? It’s Sharon.”
Something about the tone of the older woman’s voice made all thoughts of sleep fly from her head. “Sharon…is everything okay?”
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with Keith, have you seen him?”
Rolling over, Andy realized that Keith was gone and his side of the bed was cold. She frowned for a moment then nodded to herself, there was only one place where he would be this early in the morning. “He’s probably surfing. Do you need me to get a message to him?”
Sharon sighed and it seemed like she was trying to pull herself together. “It’s Ryan…”
Covering her mouth to contain her gasp Andy listened, frozen in shock, as Sharon relayed her news. “Is there anything that I can do?” asked the young woman after finally finding her voice.
“Tell Keith and keep an eye on him, I don’t know how he’s going to react to this.”
“Of course. Please keep me updated.”
“I will.”
Ending the call Andy threw on some clothes and practically ran out of her apartment. Her mind was racing and as she drove she sent a prayer up to her mother, her angel, begging her to watch over Ryan and his family.
The beach wasn’t too crowded and Andy parked next to Keith’s car. Sitting on the hood she spied Keith among the waves. Despite her anxious state she couldn’t help but smile as she watched the blonde. He was truly in his element.
After about thirty minutes or so Keith headed towards shore and smiled when he spied Andy. “Good morning, love.” He kissed her quickly and she could taste the salt on his lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Sharon called this morning.”
“What is she up to now?”
“Nothing like that…it was about Ryan.”
“Ryan?” Keith frowned.
Turning her head, Andy met the confused blue eyes. “Keith…there’s been an accident.”
Keith sat down very quickly. “What kind of accident?”
“Ryan fell down the stairs and hit his head.”
The surfer let out a sigh of relief. “That’s all? From the way you were talking…”
“No,” Andy interrupted. “It’s a serious injury. He hit his head so hard that he cracked his skull and there was some type of hemorrhage. They had to induce him into a coma.”
Pushing his wet hair back Keith swallowed hard. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Right now your guess is as good as anyone’s. It could take days or even weeks for his brain to heal.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “There’s even the chance that he may never wake up.”
Keith fell silent and Andy waited patiently, allowing him to process this new information. When he finally spoke his voice was rough with emotion. “What can we do?”
“Sharon said to just go on with your lives. Don’t post anything on Facebook or Twitter though. Mari posted something on Ryan’s pages but all she said was that he was in the hospital. Until we find out what’s going to happen this needs to stay quiet, okay?”
Keith nodded and turned his gaze towards the waves. Andy tentatively took his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No…I…I think I’d like to be alone for awhile. Clear my head, you know?”
“Of course.” Andy stood and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Just be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
Andy watched him head back into the surf and sighed. She could feel his pain and prayed that he wouldn’t do something stupid.
Hours later Andy heard the front door to her apartment open and close. Twisting from her position on the couch her heart broke when she saw Keith. He was just standing there and looked lost.
She guided him to sit on the couch and he went without protest. She quickly brewed a cup of tea and added a healthy amount of whiskey before pressing the mug into Keith’s hands. He drank the substance slowly and Andy curled up on the couch next to him, she knew he would talk when he was ready.
Placing the mug on the table Keith finally turned towards Andy and her heart ached when she saw the pain reflected in his eyes. Wordlessly she pulled him into her arms, his head on her shoulder, as she rubbed slow circles on his back.
“Any news?”
Andy shook her head. “No.”
Keith sighed and closed his eyes. “What if he doesn’t wake up?”
“Hush. He’s going to be fine. Ryan’s tough and his head is nearly as hard as yours.”
Keith let out a halfhearted chuckle. “This is why I love you.” Andy didn’t comment and he took one of her hands in his own. “Because you understand. No one else gets it.”
Andy couldn’t find the words to reply. She simply held Keith closer and tried to give him as much comfort as she could. Letting her head rest against the back of the couch she realized that she missed this. Keith was so confident and so self sufficient that she often felt useless, both as his assistant and as his girlfriend. It was nice to know that he still needed her but she couldn’t help but wish that the circumstances were different.