The hospital corridor had become its own strange world.
Time no longer moved in hours or minutes for Zane. It moved in nurse rotations, doctor visits, and the occasional update that never seemed to contain enough information to ease the crushing weight sitting on his chest. The fluorescent lights overhead never dimmed. The polished tile floor never changed. The muted sounds of hospital life continued endlessly around him, as though the building itself existed outside the normal rules of the world.
Zane sat alone in one of the plastic chairs lining the wall, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands folded tightly together in his lap.
He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.
He couldn't remember the last time he had showered.
Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he had changed clothes.
Everything after Ashlee’s phone call had happened in a blur. He remembered racing back to his condo. Remembered throwing random belongings into a duffel bag. Remembered fumbling through his phone with shaking hands while ordering an Uber.
Then came the airport. The frantic search for the next available flight. The hours spent trapped inside an airplane seat while his imagination tortured him with every possible outcome.
Every minute in the air had felt like an eternity, feeling like every delay was personal.
Every second that separated him from Pittsburgh felt unbearable.
And now he was here. Waiting.
Still waiting.
The doctors had repeatedly told him to go home. The nurses had encouraged him to get some sleep. They told him to shower. Change his clothes. Eat something substantial.
Take care of himself.
Zane had nodded every time they said it. Then he stayed exactly where he was because he didn’t know what “taking care of himself” even meant at this point. He wouldn’t be sleeping. He couldn’t wash off what he felt. A change of clothes wouldn’t mean a change of circumstance.
So he remained planted in the same chair, day bleeding into night and back again, watching strangers pass through the corridor while his life sat suspended in uncertainty.
His phone had buzzed constantly for the first day.
Texts. Calls. Messages from teammates. Coaches. Marie. Tyson. People checking on him. People asking questions.
People trying to help. Eventually the sound became unbearable. Irritating. Like a fly that just wouldn’t stay swatted away.
He stopped answering. Then, he descended into no longer reading them. Finally, he powered the phone off altogether and shoved it into his pocket.
Silence felt easier. Everything felt easier than trying to explain what was happening inside his head.
The worst part wasn't even the fear anymore. It was the numbness. At some point he had cried himself dry. The tears simply stopped coming.
Now he just felt heavy and detached. The exhaustion creating an outer shell along his skin.
More than once he had pinched himself, hoping the sharp sting of pain would somehow snap him awake. The first time had been in the airport. The second time had been beside the hospital vending machines. The third had happened sometime during the night when he sat alone in the waiting area staring at a blank television screen.
Every time the result had been the same. Just the same nightmare waiting for him.
Zane slowly adjusted himself in the chair and lifted his head. The hospital had entered one of its quieter periods. The emergency room rush had apparently subsided for the moment. A nurse pushed a cart down the hallway. A doctor walked briskly around a corner while reviewing a tablet. Someone laughed softly several doors away.
The sounds blended together into a distant hum. For the first time all day, nobody seemed to notice him. And for once, he was grateful.
He exhaled slowly and rubbed his palms together. "I fucking hate being here."
The words slipped out quietly. No one heard them. The statement lingered in the empty space in front of him.
His eyes drifted toward the floor. Forty-eight hours ago his biggest concern had been football. Transfer portal decisions. Recruiting pitches. The possibility of playing in the Big Ten or SEC.
His entire life had revolved around one enormous decision. Now none of it felt important.
Now he sat alone in a hospital corridor wondering whether the most important person in his life was about to leave him too. The thought settled heavily in his chest. His grandfather was gone. His father had seemingly disappeared when everyone needed him the most.
Now his grandmother lay behind a set of hospital doors while doctors monitored her condition. The ache inside him intensified.
"Everybody keeps leaving me."
Slowly, he powered the phone back on, the screen illuminated immediately. Notifications flooded across the display. Dozens of them. He ignored every single one.
His thumb moved deliberately through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. For a moment, he simply stared at it. His heartbeat quickened. His throat tightened. The hospital corridor suddenly felt much quieter than before.
He pressed the call button. The phone rang. Each ring felt impossibly long to the point he almost hung up.
Then the line connected.
A familiar voice answered. Zane closed his eyes. For a second he couldn't speak. His breath caught somewhere in his chest.
All the words he had rehearsed vanished. All the explanations disappeared. He swallowed hard. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded smaller than he intended.
"Hey."
Silence greeted him for a moment from the other side. Zane squeezed the phone tighter.
"I know this is a lot to ask."
"Can you come to Pittsburgh?"
His voice wavered.
"I need you."
And for the first time since arriving at the hospital, Zane stopped trying to carry the weight of the world entirely on his own.
***
Bianca sat in front of Katie's vanity mirror, squinting slightly against the brightness of the lights that framed it. The bulbs cast a warm glow across the room, illuminating every detail of her face and making her reflection appear far more polished than it ever did in the cheap mirror hanging in her own dorm room. The lighting seemed almost professionally designed, highlighting the smoothness of her skin and catching the natural shine in her dark hair. She leaned forward slightly, studying herself with a level of scrutiny that probably bordered on ridiculous.
Her fingers disappeared into her hair, combing through the thick black strands from root to tip. The silky texture slid effortlessly through her fingertips, drawing a small smile from her.
If there was one thing she had inherited from her parents without complaint, it was her hair. Bianca often joked that her Greek family had given her enough stress to last several lifetimes, but they had at least compensated by passing down some exceptional genetics.
Her mother was constantly offering unsolicited advice, her father never seemed capable of relaxing, and family gatherings usually evolved into debates loud enough to shake the walls. Still, as she admired the healthy shine reflected in the mirror, she had to admit they had done something right.
She leaned even closer toward the glass, narrowing her eyes as she inspected her eyebrows. They were nearly perfect, but a few tiny stray hairs had appeared along the edges. To anyone else, they were practically invisible. To Bianca, they stood out immediately.
"Do you have any tweezers?" she called toward the bathroom without turning around.
For several seconds there was no answer beyond the sound of drawers opening and closing.
Then came Katie's voice.
"Hold on."
Bianca could hear her rummaging through what sounded like every drawer in existence.
"Where the fuck did they run off to?"
The frustration in Katie's voice made Bianca laugh quietly to herself.
The sound felt refreshing.
Normal.
For the first time in what felt like forever, things between them felt almost familiar again. The heaviness that had settled over Katie's life during the past several weeks hadn't vanished, but it wasn't dominating every moment either. Tonight felt different. Lighter.
Katie had been the one to suggest they go out.
Not to some massive party to get blackout drunk, or to chase some chaotic college experience. Instead, she had found a small hole-in-the-wall bar where they could simply relax for a few hours and enjoy each other's company. As Katie had put it earlier that afternoon, college didn't have to revolve around drugs, alcohol, and boys. The statement had surprised Bianca coming from her, but it also made her hopeful.
The fact that Katie had even wanted to leave her dorm room voluntarily felt like progress.
The only boy currently involved in the evening's plans was Darius, whom they had both texted and practically demanded show up later.
A few moments later, Katie emerged from the bathroom holding a pair of tweezers above her head like a championship trophy.
"Found them."
Bianca laughed outright. "You're actually a queen."
Katie grinned and crossed the room before handing them over.
Once Bianca accepted them, Katie paused behind her and studied her reflection through the mirror.
Her expression immediately shifted into disbelief.
"You literally have nothing to tweeze."
Bianca rolled her eyes and leaned toward the mirror again.
"I disagree."
"You are hallucinating."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Bianca carefully angled her face.
"See? Right there."
Katie stared.
"Should I get a magnifying glass or something? Bitch, there is nothing there."
Bianca pointed.
"Right there."
"Congratulations, your conquest to becoming part-dolphina has finally been realized."
Bianca broke into laughter. Katie shook her head dramatically.
"You're ridiculous."
"Thank you for the gas-up though."
"I'm not gassing you up. I'm telling the truth."
Before Bianca could respond, she felt Katie's arms suddenly wrap around her shoulders from behind.
The unexpected embrace caught her completely off guard.
Katie squeezed her tightly and rested her chin against the top of Bianca's head.
"You're gorgeous," she declared. "Beautiful, actually."
Bianca froze for a second. Katie continued before she could respond.
"And I'm really glad you're in my life."
The words settled heavily between them. Bianca stared at their reflection in the mirror. For a moment she didn't know what to say.
Katie had always been affectionate in her own way, but this felt different. More sincere. More vulnerable. Eventually, a warm smile spread across Bianca's face.
She lifted one hand and rested it over Katie's forearm.
"That was unexpected." Katie laughed softly. "But thank you."
Her voice softened.
"I appreciate that."
Katie simply shrugged, though the smile never left her face. When Bianca met her eyes through the mirror, she could see something she hadn't seen in a long time.
Relief - not complete healing or happiness, per se - but relief.
Katie looked down at her. "I know things aren't fixed, but today feels lighter. Like, there’s not a mountain sitting on my chest today.”
Bianca listened. Katie's smile softened.
"I don’t know, I feel a little more like myself today."
Bianca turned her head enough to look directly at her. There wasn't really a response for something like that. So, she simply nodded.
Katie nodded back. The understanding between them was enough. A moment later, Katie's eyes shifted toward the vanity.
"Your phone."
Bianca looked down. The screen was lighting up repeatedly against the tabletop. She frowned.
The caller ID wasn't immediately visible from where she sat.
Katie motioned toward it.
"You're ringing."
Bianca reached forward and picked up the phone. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the screen. Without another thought, she accepted the call and lifted it to her ear.
"Hello?"
***
Marie sat alone at one of the many empty countertops that lined the campus café, her fingers loosely wrapped around a ceramic mug that had long since lost any trace of warmth. A small spoon rotated lazily through the latte inside, creating slow ripples across the pale surface before settling again. The afternoon rush had come and gone hours earlier, leaving the café caught in that strange lull between busy periods when the only sounds came from the low hum of refrigerators and the occasional hiss of an espresso machine somewhere behind the counter.
Her shift had ended a long time ago.
Still, she remained seated.
Her eyes drifted toward the large windows overlooking campus, watching students move between buildings bundled in winter coats and knit hats. Most of them looked stressed, burdened beneath backpacks and stacks of books as final exams loomed over the semester's final days. Normally, Marie would have been right there with them, scrambling to finish assignments or studying for upcoming tests.
Instead, she found herself staring blankly through the glass.
It had been a few days since that walk home with Zane after the team’s season-ending loss. Days since the phone call that had sent him racing back to Pittsburgh. Too many days since his world had seemingly been turned upside down all over again.
His communication hadn't stopped entirely.
There had been a few texts. A few check-ins. Short messages letting her know he was still above ground. She mentally checked herself that this was a poor choice of words to be thinking.
He was doing as alright as someone could be under the circumstances.
She couldn't blame him for being distant.
After everything she had learned about his life, she honestly didn't know how anyone would function normally after something like this. The murder of his grandfather had already reshaped him once. Now his grandmother - the one person who had remained steady throughout all of it - was in a hospital bed.
What exactly was she supposed to expect from him?
A part of her desperately wanted more. More updates. More conversations. More certainty about where they stood.
But every time those thoughts surfaced, guilt followed immediately behind them.
The situation wasn't about her. It wasn't even close.
Still, sitting helplessly hundreds of miles away left her feeling restless in a way she wasn't accustomed to.
Useless.
She frowned at the word as it formed in her head.
No.
That wasn't quite right.
What could she realistically do? Fly to Pittsburgh uninvited? Call him every hour demanding updates? None of that would help.
And yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she should be doing something.
Anything.
Her coursework certainly wasn't providing a distraction. Most of her exams that semester had been take-home essays that she had finished days earlier. The final assignments sat submitted and graded. For the first time all semester, she actually had free time.
Unfortunately, free time left room for thinking.
And thinking had become the problem.
The sensation of a hand settling gently onto her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.
Marie looked up.
"Hey."
Standing beside her was Alexis.
The sight immediately softened Marie's expression.
Alexis had been one of the first people she'd met when she started working at the café. A year older than her and deep into the Nursing program at Syracuse, Alexis had trained her during her first semester behind the counter. She had shown Marie everything from operating the espresso machines to handling the impossible customers who treated their morning coffee like a life-or-death emergency.
She had also taught her every shortcut worth knowing.
Today, Alexis wore her blonde hair hanging just above her shoulders. Bright pink hoop earrings swung gently as she tilted her head, while flashy eyeshadow framed curious eyes that immediately landed on the untouched latte in front of Marie.
"You want a top-up?" Alexis asked, nodding toward the mug.
Marie looked down. The spoon stopped moving.
For the first time she realized she had been stirring the same drink for nearly fifteen minutes.
A small laugh escaped her.
"I probably need to leave here, honestly."
Alexis smiled.
"Yeah?"
Marie nodded as she finally pushed the mug away.
"I think so."
The response earned an understanding look, but Alexis didn't move right away. Instead, her expression shifted slightly as she took a longer look at Marie.
Her brows furrowed.
"Everything okay?"
The question landed harder than Marie expected.
For a moment, she considered brushing it off with some joke. Instead, she stood and stepped forward.
Before Alexis could react, Marie wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
Alexis immediately returned it. The embrace lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough.
Marie exhaled slowly.
"Everything's okay," she said quietly. "I'm just a little stressed."
Alexis rubbed her back reassuringly.
"Exam week's almost over."
Marie smiled despite herself.
"If only that was what I was worried about."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Alexis laughed.
The two separated, and Marie grabbed her coat from the back of her chair.
"Get some rest, babes - you look like you need it" Alexis said.
"You take care of yourself."
With one final smile, Marie headed toward the exit.
The warmth of the café vanished the moment she pushed through the front doors.
Cold air hit her like a wall.
She immediately dug both hands into the pockets of her coat and shivered as winter wind swept across campus. Students hurried past her with heads down and shoulders hunched against the weather while clouds hung low overhead, threatening snow.
Marie had only made it a few steps down the sidewalk when she felt a vibration against her side.
Her phone. She stopped walking and pulled it from her pocket.
The caller ID illuminated the screen. Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
For a brief moment she simply stared at the name before pressing accept and lifting the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she said.