riding{rollercoasters}

[Forte!]

Little, beautiful bubbles of light kept floating across his vision. And little snippets of conversation. Grace. Holding his hand. The smell of antiseptic and sickly sweet blood. Then everything had gone blissfully black and quiet. And he had become aware that he was in pain. His head throbbed an insistent pulse against his eyelids, little drums interrupted by flashes of light. But somehow it had been good to feel something, and to listen to what people said around him. He had gradually pieced out what had happened, and tried to remember how. He had fallen, that much he knew. For the first time in a long time, and riding Sundancer, the cantankerous thoroughbred that Grace had bought. As far as anyone could tell, he'd passed out, saved from death only by his Stetson, and hadn't woken until Grace had found him out there, with the horse still by his side and the reins broken.

Funny how he didn't remember any of that. Or what had happened afterwards. The doctor, one of those disembodied voices that floated in and out of his conciousness, had said that this happened sometimes with concussions. Rory could barely tell the difference between waking and sleeping for a long time, and he didn't know how long he'd been in the hospital. It felt like forever. Grace had gone back to take care of the horses, that much he knew, so he must have been here for at least a day. He could remember everything else, a small blessing, and was beginning to gain a grip on reality through the haze of painkillers and strange, dark dreams and the on-again off-again pain in his head and his arm and his knee. His knee was barely bruised, which was funny, because sometimes it hurt more than his broken arm or bruised and cut head.

Apparently, he'd fallen into a patch of bramble and hit his head on a rock. He was pocked all over by little scratches and bruises, from what he could tell, and extremely sore. But he would be okay. Still, the little empty patch of his memory was nagging at him, and he wondered how he'd gotten into this mess. What was he even out there for? How had he fallen? He was laying awake now, with his eyes closed to keep from being mauled by nurses asking him a thousand questions and making him wiggle his toes or count or recite the alphabet or remember what he'd eaten for lunch (which seemed like forever ago. but then again, the painkiller put sort of a haze on time.) He wished someone would come to visit him for once, instead of poking and prodding at him. He needed someone to talk to. Try and figure this out.

[FalconX]

Roxy McRae

The phrase, 'you never know what you have, till it's gone', rang in Roxy's mind ever since she had gotten the call that Rory was in the hospital. When he had first been put into the hospital, Roxy had been freaking out. She couldn't visit him yet. Her ranch was in some trouble and she didn't have the time. As much as she'd like to just drop everything she was doing and run to the hospital, she couldn't. She had been told after a while, that he was going to be fine. Groggy from the drugs, sore and cut up, and even a little bit of hazy memory at what had happened exactly, but otherwise, fine. He would heal and everything would be fine again. In truth, it had been a while since she'd seen her friend. It drove her insane, but the last time they'd spoken had been a bit rocky. She didn't even want to think about it.

She sighed, finally finished cleaning her cabin. She hated to clean honestly, but every once in awhile, she forced herself to do so. Biting her lip, she ran a hand through her hair briefly, scanning the room. It was the last thing she had to do before she could go down to the hospital. Her friend had been in the hospital for a day or so, visitors hadn't been accepted till today anyways. Nodding her head slightly, she grabbed the keys to her truck and practically ran out to the vehicle. She hopped in, sticking the keys in the ignition and driving out of the place where she'd parked quickly. In a couple minutes, she was on the road headed towards the hospital. Her slender fingers tapped on the steering wheel, impatient to be there already. She tried to understand what had happened, but she'd only heard snippets of the story. He'd fallen off a horse, but she didn't know how it had happened, he'd hit his head, what on, she didn't know. She gritted her teeth in frustration, she knew practically nothing in her mind.

Finally, she pulled the truck into a parking space. She withdrew the key and stuffed it into the pockets of her raggedy, faded blue jeans. Slamming the door shut, she hurried to the door of the hospital. Despite all her excitement, perhaps even a bit of dread, she slowed when she entered the large building. The smell of cleaners hit her, causing her to shudder. She hated hospitals. They reminded her of her mother, who had only die a few months or so ago. Roxy politely asked a nurse where Rory Calder's room was. They asked her how she knew him, she quietly stated they were friends and they led her to the room. She nodded as they spoke to her about how he was doing. She impatiently looked towards the closed door and finally they allowed her to enter the room. She bit her lip at the sight of Rory lying on the hospital bed. Walking up slowly, she sat down in a char next to the bed, leaning forward towards him. "You look pretty banged up there, Rory." She teased him softly, concern lacing her words.

[Forte!]

Every sound seemed deafening. That was the most annoying part. Every little blip of the machine that marked his pulse. Every voice. Every footstep as doctors and nurses whisked off to various tasks. He flinched involuntarily as the door of his room opened, his head was throbbing as he made an effort to open his eyes. But the lights were too bright, too flourescent, and grated against his throbbing head, and the forms he could make out were but dark shadows. He assumed that this was just another nurse, come to adjust his pain medication or change his pillow or whatever. So he closed his eyes again, moving his uninjured hand, his left, a little to indicate that he was, in fact, awake. He was surprised when the person sat down in the chair next to him, and even more when he could feel the breath gently on his cheek, and then the voice. For a second he was jerked off balance, but then he cracked his eyelids a little bit to confirm his suspicion. Now that her form was blocking most of the light, he realized who it was, and made an effort to smile.

"R-Roxy... hey..." he said, quietly, a little groggily. He would have turned his head towards her, to see her better, but they had his neck in a brace to keep him from jarring it again. Just in case he did anymore damage to it. Apparently it hadn't been too bad as concussions go, but it had been bad enough that it was still giving him killer headaches and he still couldn't remember what had happened. "Good to... see you... again..." He meant it, even though he was hardly aware of what he was saying. He tried to remember the last time he'd seen her, and when he did he instantly felt bad. He hadn't been a very good friend lately. He hoped she knew that he wasn't really angry at her. That he could never really be angry at her for something as stupid as that. And that he did care that her entire world had been yanked out from under her.

"...Yeah. I feel pretty... rough..." He said, pushing the thought away. He was suddenly aware that he was really thirsty, and that the bandage on his head itched. But that didn't matter. Roxy was here, and he was glad that she was, and he was happy. He was rapidly gaining conciousness, too, which was a good thing,and sounds weren't so heavy and bass and whispering anymore. He made another effort to smile, but again failed miserably and just ended up looking worn out. His face was pale and he seemed... small, meek, not his usual, bursting with energy and excitement self. To be honest, he felt just as washed out as he looked, like he really didn't want to do anything except lay there and sleep between whatever periods of wakefulness there were. "I'll be fine, though. Back in the saddle as soon as they let me out of here." That was probably true, too. The only benefit of his minor memory loss was that he wasn't scared to get back out there again.

[FalconX]

Roxy McRae

As she walked towards him, she noticed his hand move ever so slightly. It helped that she knew she wasn't waking him up. If she did, she'd honestly feel awful. He need his rest so that he could get better. She knew he'd tried to open his eyes, but noticed that he gave up in that attempt fairly quickly. Roxy sat down on the edge of the seat, leaning forward, looking at him. He had always been on the paler side, but now... She squeezed her eyes slightly, before opening them and studying him. He looked so helpless on the hospital bed. Wires hooking him up to the machine, the beeping emitted from the heart monitor a background noise as she looked at her friend. She spoke quietly, not wanting to scare him. Her face was near to his, so that she didn't have to speak louder and have everyone hear their conversation. She doubted Rory was getting any privacy right now. The white rooms, looking like a redecorated prison in her opinion. She saw his eyes open, then having him look at her, she gave him a smile. She bit back a wince when he tried to smile. She couldn't get over how fragile he looked lying there, bandaged up like he was.

His voice broke slightly when he greeted her. She'd told herself she wouldn't cry ever since she'd been told he'd had an accident and she was sticking to that. He was going to be fine. She repeated that thought over and over in her mind. He would be fine. Perfectly fine. He was just a little banged up right now, it would get better in a couple weeks or so. "Yeah, it's... great to see you." She responded quietly, her voice holding remorse for not having seen him again, before this had happened. "We really gotta get better at keeping in touch." She said, attempting to joke. Roxy felt extremely awkward in serious situations. Always trying to get away with teasing and joking to stop the sadness, guilt, or anything of that kind. She wanted Rory to be outside, with his horses, smiling, laughing and unable to stand still. This, him lying in that bed, it wasn't him. She closed her eyes briefly. Why was everything happening to the people she cared about?

"Yeah, I imagine." She replied slowly. The corners of her lips tilted up slightly when he tried to smile again. He didn't succeed, once again, but he was putting in an effort to look happy. She could see the exhaustion on his face. Was he really the one person who could never stand still for more than a few minutes at a time? She remembered exactly how she'd met him and every time after that. They were friends, in fact, over all the people she counted as friends, he was at the top. He was her best friend. A true grin lit up her face at his next words. "I believe that." She said. She reached out with one hand, lightly clasping his hand, still convincing herself it wasn't that serious of an energy. Trying to take his words to heart. "You owe me a trail ride." She teased. "I haven't even been to your ranch yet, ya know. And you call me your best friend." Roxy smiled at him, somewhat calmer.

[Forte!]

Rory could sense her concern, it was so overpowering. He felt almost bad for making her worry so much, he really was fine. The only reason he was still here was because of the concussion. Otherwise they would have let him go by now, and were going to as soon as they got the results from... some test. He had forgotten which. To be honest, he had probably been asleep for whatever it was. This pain medication was making him really tired. Or something. Maybe it was just that he wanted to get away from all of this sound and light and his throbbing head. He chuckled at her comment about keeping in touch. "Yeah. Sorry about that..." he said, "I promise I'll bother you much more after this." It was a sincere promise, too. Every time he saw her, he made a mental note that he ought to do this more often. She was one of the few people whose company he actually enjoyed, and she was, after all, his best friend. He really hadn't been too great of a friend up to this point, and he silently resolved to be a better one after this. He was lucky to be alive. Or at least he thought so. And that meant something.

"Yeah. I don't know why, either. I feel like I've slept 23 hours out of 24, to be honest." Kind of funny sleep, too. Pain medication gave you the weirdest dreams... The kind that seemed so real until they floated away like a feather upon waking and left you grasping at whatever you could remember about them. When she grinned, he couldn't help but smile back, twisting as far as he could to get a better look at her. He remembered the last time he had seen her. It had seemed like she'd never smile again. He knew that feeling, too, and was glad that she'd realized how much she had to live for and why that mattered. And that sometimes you have to accept what is given you with grace and just try to bear it, and maybe allow someone else to share it sometimes. He was surprised at how much he wanted to be that someone for her. He squeezed her hand gently, still smiling his tired smile, the motion all reassurance and affection that swelled in his heart for her.

He laughed quietly at her next comment. "I do? Alright. I promise I'll take one with you as soon as they tell me I can get back on a horse." He assumed that would be as soon as they took the cast off his arm. "Say, do you want to sign my cast?" he joked lightly, remembering how it used to be done back in grade school, with the bright, colorful casts crammed full of signatures. His own was white, stark. Just like the walls of this room. He hated hospitals. Even though he could hardly think about that at this point. "You haven't? Oh. Wow. Sorry," he said, at her next comment, "you should come over for dinner some time. Or something." He seemed genuinely sorry, even though he was jesting just a little bit. He looked around the room with a sigh. He seemed to be feeling a lot better now that he had woken up all the way, and now that the light had faded from excruciating to just mildly painful. "I wish they would let me out of here already. Honestly, I don't think I have brain damage or anything."

[FalconX]

Roxy McRae

Roxy chuckled at his words, her brown eyes lighting up slightly, the somber look that her face had once held breaking away slowly. "I'll hold you to that promise." She replied casually. Roxy was happy that they were still able to talk so easily, despite the gaps in time that they hadn't seen each other. A lot had been happening lately. It would feel good to have someone on her side, in a since. Someone to help her with things, that she could talk to about practically anything, yet still have fun with. You had to have the right valance of seriousness and humor in a friendship. At least, that was Roxy's opinion on the matter. Though she didn't enjoy having to be serious, she was comforted by the fact that Rory was around and would listen to her if she needed someone to talk to. And she hoped, truly hoped, that he knew she was always there for him to talk to, there to confide in, for one reason or another. "It's my fault too. I could've called, dropped by, or something." She admitted with a small shrug of her shoulders, a smile lingering on her lips. Her nerves finally settling down, he was still himself, tired, but still Rory. She leaned back slightly in the seat, so she was able to be situated more comfortably as she talked to him.

She nodded slightly. It wouldn't surprise her if he had slept that much. Perhaps it was a bit of an exaggeration, but there was the distinct possibility that he was right on the dot about it. She made a mental note to get around to talking to his sister again about everything. Maybe she could remember exactly what happened. She tilted her head, then again, maybe his sister didn't even know exactly what had happened exactly. She bit her lip, slightly exasperated that she didn't know moment by moment what had happened to Rory. She couldn't bear the thought of anything ever happening to Rory. And yet, something had. She could only be thankful that nothing was permanent. This time... What if something else happened? What would she do if, once again, she lost someone she cared so much about? A light pressure on her hand, caused her to snap out of her gloomy thoughts. She glanced down at their hands. Both clasping the other. She smiled softly, looking back at Rory's tired visage.

Laughter faded away in the white room. Engulfed by the silence, apart from the beeping of the machines. "Yeah, ya do. I just decided." She grinned at him cheekily, mirth evident in her brown eyes. "Good, I can hardly wait for that. And I'm sure you can't wait either." She chuckled, knowing he probably hated the fact he was required to stay in bed for so long. She raised an eyebrow at his question, lips twitching to keep in her laughter. "Feeling a bit nostalgic for the past years, Rory?" She teased, smiling in good humor. She hadn't signed someone's cast in more than just a couple years. She tried to think of when it had been. Fifth grade maybe? She shrugged it off, shaking her heard, a smile still visible. "Nope. Never. You don't have to apologize though." She said, laughing. "Yeah, maybe sometime... First you gotta focus on getting better." Roxy responded non-comittaly. She honestly didn't mind that she'd never been to his ranch. She just wanted to see him more, spend more time with him. Fixing him with a stern look, she raised both eyebrows. "Rory Calder, the last thing I want is for you to get out of here to soon and then wind up having to come back." Mischievousness sparkled in her eyes as she looked at him.

[Forte!]

"Aw, shucks. Here I go again, letting my mouth run away from me," he joked lightly at her comment. He was glad for it, however. Glad that she felt the same way he did about how little time they had spent together. Because he really did like her. More than he wanted to admit. "You could've, could you?" he said, attempting to cock an eyebrow with mixed results, barely able to hold back a laugh at how silly he looked in his mind's eye. "For future reference, you can drop by whenever you want. Honest. We Texans are used to that kinda stuff." That was true. Even though back home it was always quite a walk to get from one place to another. He pulled himself up a little bit as she sat back, sitting up as much as the neck brace would allow. He wished they would just take the stupid thing off. He wasn't exactly drone to tossing around violently enough to reinjure himself, after all. And the bandage around his head still itched. "They had to shave off part of my hair, ya know," he said solemnly, remembering. "I bet it looks pretty funny. Like I got attacked by a weed whacker." ...Well, maybe not so bad as that. He had no idea what he looked like at this point, seeing as there was no mirror in this room.

He noticed how worried she was, biting her lip. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, concerned. Was it something he said? He nearly chuckled at his own cliche'd thought. He realized, somewhere at the back of his brain, that she must not know anything about what had happened. Neither did he. That little blank patch was bothering him to no end. Normally, he wouldn't have even taken Sundancer out to where Grace had found him. Normally, he wouldn't have taken any horse out there, not even the ones he trusted with his life. Especially not the jumpy buckskin. The footing was bad, the brambles and stones thick and high. It wasn't even a pleasant place to look at, much less ride. Too easily a horse or human could lose their footing. Too easily something like this could happen, something that he would normally avoid at all costs. So why had he ridden out there that day? Or had he been dragged? He wished that he knew, it would make him feel so much better. Right now, he felt as if something was wrong fundamentally. If it had been his choice... well... He didn't know what was wrong with him.

He grinned at her comment, snapping out of his trance. "Fine, fine. I owe ya one. And you're right about me being just as excited as you are," he said, glad that she was still playing with him and teasing him even though he was hurt and sick. It reassured him that nothing at all had changed, and that was usually a good thing. He burst out laughing at her face when he asked her to sign his cast, but it faded fast into silence and he lifted his hand from hers to touch his head, which reminded him sharply that he was, in fact, still hurt. He was tired of this stupid endless headache. "Maybe a little bit," he said, but more quietly this time, rubbing his temple absently before letting his hand fall once again, reaching out to grasp hers. "Alright, alright, I will," he said with a sigh to her comment. "But I'm tired of being cooped up in this little room with nothing to eat except jello." He made a face. He hated jello. He chuckled at her sudden fake-seriousness. "Ok. OK. But, honestly! It's not as if I'll be doing anything particularly dangerous in my state." He said with a chuckle.

[FalconX]

Roxy McRae

She rolled her eyes slightly, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Roxy was always surprised at how easy it was to talk to Rory. It wasn't like they saw each other very much, though she hoped that would change soon. Every time she talked with him, she became shocked at how everything was so simple, how they could have fun with each other but still be able to have the flip side of that. After being friends with him for this long, she thought she would've stopped being surprised at all. Turns out, she still was. All the time. She grinned at him as he tried to lift his eyebrow, laughing out loud, happy that he was able to tease and joke around with her, regardless of the situation they were forced in together. Counting this experience, they had gone through three meetings together that weren't the most pleasant. How they still managed to be best friends was honestly beyond Roxy's comprehension. "Good. You can probably expect me to show up a lot more now. Probably more than you want to see me." She responded in jest. Roxy raised an eyebrow at his comment, seeing as it was a tad random. She couldn't help but look for the spot. Shrugging slightly when she saw it. "Not that bad. Definitely not as bad I'd look." She said with a lopsided grin on her lips.

Roxy was slightly surprised at his inquiry, causing her to stare at him blankly. Forcing herself to stop from biting her lip again. She hated that being lost in her own thoughts, however gloomy they were, she had caused him to worry about her. She was here because she'd been concerned about him, this couldn't get flipped around. He'd already been an amazing friend to her. Comforting her when her mother had died. She wasn't going to be crying on his shoulder again any time soon. She hated to feel weak and that was exactly how she'd felt when she'd shown Rory her weakness. That's what crying was to her, if she was doing it that is. If someone else was, she wanted to cheer them up, make it all better for them. Yet she despised herself when she cried. It made her feel pathetic. She wasn't going to get into anything like that again, no matter how good of a friend Rory was, he shouldn't feel obligated to do that for her all the time. Still, she wouldn't lie and say it was nothing. "I was just thinking that I didn't know what had happened... The call I got that you were in the hospital, it was so vague. Made me worry more than if I had known everything..." She stated quietly, her voice barely audible. "I don't want to lose you. You mean a lot to me." She gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah. And good. Couldn't have my best friend not be excited about spending time with me." She responded, her lips quivering as she tried to give him a bright smile in return for his happier look. Good grief. She hated herself for the fact that she was crying so much these days. It didn't used to be like this. She was the tomboy, the one who never cried, always stood up for others. This crying wasn't her. She shook her head, coffee brown curls falling out from behind her ear and covering part of her face. She glanced back up and offered him a real smile. She wanted to enjoy her time here. Not get overly emotional. A grin lit up her face when he laughed, a full laugh, not the quiet ones like previously. She felt him move his hand out of hers and oddly felt disappointed. She frowned when he rubbed his head and said something quiet. "Yeah, me too." She whispered, not wanting to cause his headache to get worse. Her eyes lit up when he reached for her hand again, she lightly wrapped her long fingers around his hand, glancing around the room curiously. "Jello?" She asked, trying to suppress her laughter. "Okay, for your sake, I hope you get out of here soon." She smiled at his response to her light, teasing lecture about his health. "Yeah, but I'm sure you'd settle for some rest in your own bed and a good meal." She said, a crooked grin on her lips.

[Forte!]

He chuckled at her next comment. "That's fine by me. I've missed you, you know," he said with a grin. He really had. He wished that he wasn't so stupid as to think that she was still angry with him about last time. He'd acted like an idiot. And he was sorry for that. He noticed her look out of the corner of his eye. "Heh. Sorry about that. Painkillers, y'know..." he felt as if he were separated from his own body at some points. "But thanks for reassuring me, anyway." He chuckled quietly, slumping back down into the bed, no longer making an effort to sit up too far, but still looking at her to the best of his ability. Which was kind of difficult, at the moment. He felt suddenly tired again, as if he might just drop off into the blissful darkness again. But he didn't, he merely closed his eyes again and sighed. He was tired of being stuck here and tired of feeling so helpless and weak all of the time. Like he needed to be taken care of or something. He wished, in a sad, vacant sort of way, that his dad would come and visit for once. It would make Grace feel so much better about coming to live here. Realizing that he had been nearly dropping off, Rory yanked himself back into the present and opened his eyes again, a little frown tracing his lips.

He continued to look over at her with concern as she seemed to be mulling something over. And then she spoke, and he made a pathetic attempt to nod, something that was impossible with the neck brace on. "Geez. I can't imagine what I would have done if I'd been in your place," he said quietly. "But I'm afraid it was vague because nobody really knows exactly what happened. Grace found me in the middle of nowhere, and neither of us know what I was doing there or how I got there or... anything... I wish I could remember." There was a note of anger in this last, as if he were frustrated with himself for being unable to recall anything about how he had ended up here. "Don't worry, though. I'm fine, and that's all that matters right now." He had decided to believe that, for the present. That he would just have to keep on going and be okay with the fact that he didn't know something about himself. Besides, the doctor had said that there was a chance that he'd remember later, anyway, especially if his head needed more time to heal. They'd been really concerned about the headaches, too. Rory wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but it bothered him all the same.

"Of course not," he said with a grin. "You think I'd ever turn down a chance to be with you? You obviously don't know how amazing you are." But the way he said it was slightly dreamy, as if the medication was getting to him again. He noticed her lips quivering, and gave her a curious glance, but didn't press the subject. He realized, suddenly, that the last time she'd been in a hospital had been when her mother died, and he instantly felt bad about being here. But he knew that telling her that would just make her want to hide how she really felt from him. That annoyed him a little bit, but he understood it in a way that made him endure her silence with patience. She would say what she needed to say when she needed to say it. Or at least he hoped that she would. It wasn't good to keep all this bottled up, he knew from experience. He shot her an appreciative glance when she lowered her voice. "...Sorry... My head hurts..." he said quietly, his free hand shaking a little bit. It was hurting worse now. "Yeah... jello..." he said, but he wasn't really looking at her anymore, more like over her shoulder. Oh... his head hurt... More than it'd hurt before... His face blanched white again, and he was obliged to close his eyes, not knowing what to do about the pain that seemed knitted into his brain.

[FalconX]

Roxy McRae

Roxy grinned in reply to his comment. "I really feel the love." She said sarcastically, chuckling at his grin. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen him in so long. It was sad how well they got along, well, it was sad only if they didn't get together more often than their recent track record. She shrugged nonchalantly at his apology. "I expected you to be a little groggy and look a bit messed up when I came." Roxy admitted easily, not really minding everything to much now. She was just glad he was okay. Her eyes widened when she realized how that could have sounded. "Oh my word, I am so sorry... I didn't mean it like that..." She blinked rapidly and offered Rory a sheepish smile, running a hand through her dark hair, fingers getting snagged slightly by a few tangled curls. She watched her friend sloud down, emitting a tired sigh and closing his eyes. She frowned at this. "You shouldn't try to be sitting up to talk to me. I don't mind you laying down while I talk." She stated bluntly. She briefly wondered if she should leave, he looked really tired, like he needed to go back to sleep. Keeping him from sleeping was the last thing she wanted to do. He needed to sleep if he was going to recover, right? Honestly, Roxy knew nothing about this sort of thing. She was never very adept when it came to injuries.

She raised an eyebrow at his response to her ridiculous musings. If he'd been in her place? Meaning... she would've been the one in the hospital. As awful as it may have sounded, it was nice to hear someone would've worried about her if she had winded up in the hospital. Even though her sister was in town, Roxy highly doubted Ava would show up at a hospital if her sister was admitted there. Their father definitely wouldn't come, he was still a shell of a man since his wife died. Roxy had a few friends, but how much would they really care? Enough to worry and rush to the hospital? She smiled lightly at Rory, feeling oddly happier. He cared enough. She nodded her head sullenly at his explanation, not even trying to figure anything out. "Being out there on an unpredictable horse just doesn't sound like you..." She started off, contemplating the situation with a critical eye. She looked back at Rory at his next comment, smiling. "Yeah, that's all that matters. But I can't help but being curious." She replied honestly. Everything would work out. Even if Rory never fully learned exactly what had happened. He wouldn't have any long lasting side effects, which was a big relief to Roxy. He was going to be fine. She kept having to remind herself of that. No matter how many times she said it, part of her mind refused to accept it. Maybe after her was out of the hospital and didn't look so... breakable, she would accept it.

A smile broke out on her lips and she laughed, brown eyes lighting up happily. "Mhmmm, sure." She replied, clearly not believing a word he was saying, but still happy he had said it. Even if he had been joking around with her. She noticed his change of voice at the end, giving him one worried look. She looked around the hospital, slightly nervous and depressed at being within its white, barren walls. She smiled at him slightly when he apologized again. "I don't mind Rory, it's fine. Stop apologizing." She responded, her voice light, but still on the quieter side, not wanting to make his headache worse. Her eyes widened when he responded quietly, his eyes no longer looking at her. "Rory?" She asked hesitantly, getting scared when his face turned white again and he closed his eyes. "You're gonna be fine..." She murmured, lighting tracing the back of his hand with her thumb, unsure of what to do in this situation. Should she get the nurse? Was he really going to be okay? This entire thing was shaking her nerves and she honestly wasn't sure if she could handle it without doing something stupid. Again she contemplated just leaving. She scooted the chair forward, so she'd be closer. She put her one elbow on the bed, propping her head up, her other hand still loosely holding his.

[Forte!]

He chuckled quietly. "Yeah, sure ya do," he replied, easily. He had forgotten how easy it was to talk to her most of the time. Unless she was upset. She tended to shut down. He chuckled at her next comment, "Thanks. Thanks a lot." he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He couldn't help but look over when she apologized, even though he was making an effort to stay still. Unfortunately, it wasn't really in his nature. "Freudian slip, eh?" he said with a laugh quivering at the edge of his voice. He listened to her suggestion, and was, in fact, attempting to follow it. But it was so good to see her. And right now all he could see was the ceiling and the backs of his eyelids. Neither of which were very interesting. "Alright. But if I fall asleep again, I blame you." he murmured, looking up at the ceiling. He mused for a moment, before finally remembering something he'd meant to say to her. "Look. I'm really sorry about this. The last few times I've seen you haven't been too great. Next time, we're going to have fun. Even if I have to force you." That had sounded a lot better in his head. But whatever. At least he'd gotten it off of his chest. He hoped to keep this promise, too. Meaning he'd have to get to her before the wedding that she was forcing him to go to.

Rory wasn't a huge fan of most weddings. He liked the sort that were held in someone's back yard. The ones where you didn't have to go anywhere for the after party, and where some of the stiff formality about the whole thing had been dissipated. As a direct result, he wasn't too thrilled about being dragged along. Especially if his arm was still going to be in a cast, which he hoped that it wasn't (he'd never been able to get a straight answer out of the doctor about when they were going to take it off.) Plus he didn't really know anybody who was going to be there. He'd met Z (actually, he didn't like Z. He didn't like anybody who'd kiss a girl right before finding out that his girlfriend was pregnant), and he'd seen Vivian once. Rory felt himself drifting off, snagged by his little reverie, but Roxy's voice snapped him back into reality. "You're right. It doesn't. It's been bothering me a lot..." he murmured, opening his eyes again in an attempt to keep himself from sinking into dreamland. "I know," he said in response to her next comment, giving her another tired little grin, "just don't worry too much, ok? You have your own life to think about, and you shouldn't be wasting your time thinking about your poor best friend wasting away in the hospital unable to move his head or arm. Much to his annoyance."

"No, seriously," he murmured, in response to her sarcastic reply. He had meant it, after all. Even if he joked around a lot, he was capable of being serious. He attempted to grin at her next comment. "Yeah... I do... apologize too much..." he wanted to look over at her again. But the lights were too bright, and the way they glanced off the ceiling only made his head hurt worse, so he kept his eyes shut. "'m alright..." he murmured, trying to reassure her. He vaguely heard the worry in her voice, even though at this point he wasn't really exactly sure what she had said. He knew she was worried. He could feel the weight of her elbow on the bed next to him, and was aware that she said something. And that she was still holding his hand, the same way that Grace had when she first came and she thought he was still asleep. And he was happy that she was there, even though it upset him that she was so worried because of him. Why did he have to go out and get in some stupid mess every time things seemed better? "...I think... I might go back to sleep." he murmured, "thank you... for coming. You made me... happier... than you know." And he could feel the darkness closing in on him once more, and this time didn't try to fight it. His hand went limp in hers as he sank back off into blissful silence.