Howie jumped out of the driver's seat of his car and ran across the parking lot to the entrance to the hospital's emergency room. He ran inside and looked around frantically for Nick. Finally he spotted him down the hall, pacing nervously. Nick looked up from the floor as Howie jogged up to him, an anxious look on his face.
"Nick. What's going on?" Howie asked, a little breathlessly.
"The doctor's still in examining her. They were worried she might have a concussion from hitting her head when she fell. But she's gonna be okay. She stopped him before he could do any real damage." Nick told him quietly.
Howie sighed and sank into a nearby chair, resting his head in his hands as he gathered himself. He took deep breaths as the tension that had been building since Nick phoned released itself in the form of tears of relief. Relief that he wasn't going to lose Rhiannon before they'd even begun their lives together. He looked up when he felt Nick's hand on his shoulder. A doctor stood in front of them, still holding Rhiannon's chart.
"Mr. Dorough?" She asked. Howie nodded, the lump in his throat making it impossible for him to speak. "Rhiannon is going to be fine. She has a slight concussion and some bruising, but that's about all. She was very lucky this time." She informed him. "She's asking for you. You can go ahead and see her. I just need to write a prescription for some pain killers for the headache she's going to have, but as soon as that's done you can take her home."
"Thank you." Howie finally managed to choke out.
"It's the third cubicle on the left." The doctor smiled reassuringly, then walked over to the nurses station.
"Go ahead, D. I'll wait here for you." Nick said, sitting down for the first time since he and Rhiannon had arrived at the hospital.
Howie got to his feet shakily and slowly started down the hallway. When he reached the cubicle he peeked through the curtain before going in. Rhiannon lay on the bed, pale, except where ugly purple bruises were forming. A new bandage had been applied to cover the stitches on her forehead. Howie took as deep breath as tears sprang to his eyes once again. Sufficiently calmed, he drew the curtain aside and stepped into the cubicle.
At the sound, Rhiannon opened her eyes. "Howard." She whispered as he pulled the curtain shut behind him.
"Shh." Howie said softly as he stepped over to the bed and gently drew her into his arms. "It's okay, baby." He kissed her forehead softly as she broke down in tears, clinging to him tightly.
"I'm sorry." She cried softly.
"Shh. Baby, it's okay. It's over now." Howie whispered, his voice soft and soothing. "You did what you had to do. If you hadn't he would have." He stroked her hair gently, cautious of the bump she had from hitting her head. "And we need you. Shane needs you and I need you."
Before either of them could say anything more, the doctor was there, holding Rhiannon's prescription. "Alright, Rhiannon. You're out of here, girl. Here's a prescription for some painkillers. Take one if the headache gets bad. You should feel better in a few days."
Howie took the prescription and placed it in his pocket. "Thanks." The doctor smiled and excused herself, leaving Howie and Rhiannon alone. Howie carefully helped Rhiannon out of the bed, keeping a supporting arm around her waist in case she got dizzy. They left the cubicle and walked slowly down the hall to where Nick was still sitting. He jumped to his feet, walked over to meet them and wrapped Rhiannon in a gentle hug.
Rhiannon smiled at him. "I'm okay, Nicky." She said wearily. "And this is not your fault, so stop thinking it is. It's my own fault. I was stubborn. I knew I should wait until you guys could come with me, but I didn't. This is not your fault."
"She's right Nick. You know you couldn't have said anything to change her mind." Howie reminded him. "She's the most stubborn person I know, outside of you." He grinned. "Now let's get out of here. Kevin's gonna be worried."
