Wren

I rouse from a difficult sleep, blinking my eyes against the light that's assaulting me. I groan a little, moving my body but pain shoots through me. I grimace at the feeling, my leg and torso fighting back against the movement.

"Wren?" I hear my name called, but the sound makes my head ache.

"Shhhh..." I say, waving my hand at nothing in particular. I hear a deep chuckle and my brain places it quickly.

"Hux?" I ask, my voice hoarse and throat sore.

"Yeah, baby. I'm right here. Open your eyes for me." He pleads and I try to listen, blinking my dry eyes but they disobey against the light.

"It's so bright." I murmur pathetically.

"Just a second, baby." He says. I hear the scrape of a chair and the flutter of blinds and I'm draped in beautiful darkness. I force my eyes open in time to watch Huxley circle my bed, back to me, gripping my hand gently and leaning over me. His eyes trace my face as a soft expression takes over and I try to smile at him.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"Sore." I say and all of a sudden my memories come flooding back to me. I gasp, the sharp inhale causing a blinding pain through my abdomen. I cry out a little, my hand going to my side where the pain is flashing through.

"Be careful, baby. You have broken ribs." He says gently with an apologetic smile.

"The diner, there was an explosion." I say and he nods, cupping my cheek.

"I know." He says.

"Jim! Oh my God is Jim ok? He was in the kitchen when it happened." I say and Huxley's eyes turn sad as he shakes his head.

"Jim..." He starts, his voice cracking as he clears his throat. "Jim didn't make it, baby." He says quietly and my heart falls at his words. I let out a tortured cry, shaking my head as I refuse to believe his words.

"No, Hux. Don't say that. You're lying!" I yell at him, but the tears gathering in his eyes tell me he's not.

"I wish I was, sweet girl. His injuries were too much. We tried..." He chokes again, pressing my hand to his mouth and kissing it firmly. "Russ and I tried to save him, baby. I swear. We tried." He says and a tear tracks down his face.

I feel the moisture spill from my own eyes and I reach up to wipe his tears away as harsh cries ripple through me. He tilts his head down to tuck his face in my neck and we cry together for a long time. I wrap my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his hair. It's then I notice a bandage on his arm.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I ask, pointing to the injury and he nods, wiping the tears from his face.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, little bird." He says with a pathetic attempt at a smile.

"But what happened?" I ask.

"He burned it. When he ran in to the diner to save you." Liv says as she walks in through the door. My eyes swivel to Huxley and he looks away.

"You ran into a burning building to get me?" I ask and he looks at me incredulously before he leans down close to my face, looking deep in my eyes.

"I would risk my life every single day to keep you safe, Wren. Because without you, there is no me." He says gripping my hand and holding it to his chest, just above his heart. My heart patters hard in my chest as I absorb his words.

"How are you feeling, babe?" Liv asks, sitting on my bed next to me and threading her fingers with mine.

"Jim..." I say, a choked sound slipping from me as Liv's eyes fill with tears.

"I know. We're all devestated." She says as I try to stop the flow of tears.

"Brenda. Oh my god I have to see her." I say and Huxley shakes his head.

"Not right now, baby. You're gonna need to stay here for awhile longer." He says, sitting down on the other side of me.

"Why? I can't miss the funeral, Huxley. I have to be there." I say firmly and he gives me a sad look.

"The funeral was yesterday, Wren. You've been unconcious for days." He says sadly. It's then that I look at him, really look at him. Dark circles under his eyes, rumpled clothes. I look across the room and see a fold out couch with messy hospital bedding before looking back at him.

"Have you been here this whole time?" I ask and he nods.

"I didn't leave you for a single moment." He says and I nearly cry again, reaching out to hold his hand.

"I hear someone finally decided she had enough beauty sleep!" A woman says, entering my room.

"That's the doctor, baby." Huxley murmurs in my ear, sensing my nerves. I nod while he and Liv stand, giving the doctor space to do her exam.

"Well, everything looks normal. We'll want to see how you do over the next day or so and then you can go home, provided you have someone to stay with you. You'll be pretty immobile with that broken leg." She says and Huxley steps forward.

"I'll be with her." He says firmly. I go to argue but he gives me a firm look that has me closing my mouth.

"Excellent. Well, we'll get you some food and someone to cover your dressing so you can shower and I'll be back to see you in the morning to hopefully sign your discharge paperwork." She says cheerfully, patting my arm before leaving the room.

"Huxley. You don't have to stay with me. I'll be fine on my own." I say and he huffs.

"I didn't realize you had gotten your medical degree at some point." He says haughtily and I scowl at him.

"She has to say that as a way to cover her ass." I say and Huxley shakes his head.

"I'm not leaving you alone. Not after what you've gone through." He says firmly and I sigh, knowing there is no arguing with him.

"I'm going to go get you some decent food. The stuff here sucks. Trust me, we've eaten plenty of it the last few days." Liv says, standing and kissing my cheek before flouncing out of the room.

Huxley takes a seat next to me and reaches for my hand. I sigh and look up at him, pain radiating from my body and my soul.

"Do they know what happened? What caused it?" I ask quietly and Huxley sighs.

"Gas leak. The colder weather made the pipe crack. When Jim lit the stove it exploded." He says sadly.

"It was my fault. I should have known..." I say and he shakes his head, tightening his grip on my hand.

"It was not your fault. You just had an inspection done for your insurance and there was nothing wrong. It was an old building, sweetheart. There was no way to know it happened. I've already been in contact with your insurance company. I'll handle everything, all you need to do is focus on getting better. Oh," He adds, leaning in closer and lowering his voice. "And if anyone asks, I'm your husband." He whispers conspiratorily and I laugh a little, despite the sharp pain in my side.

"How long did you wait to tell them that? Two minutes?" I ask and he chuckles, a warm smile splashing across his face.

"More like two seconds. I nearly had to tackle a paramedic to get into the ambulance with you." He says and I laugh again, holding my side to brace against the pain. His expression saddens when he sees the movement and I pull his hand up to rub it against my face.

"Thank you, Huxley. For saving me." I say and he sighs, leaning forward to press his forehead against mine.

"I will always save you. Protect you. Because even if you're not ready to admit it, the fact is that you're mine. I thought I'd lost you, Wren. It was the worst feeling in the world. I can't go through it again. It'll kill me." He says quietly. I sigh sadly, pulling him closer and tucking my face into his neck.

"Well, apparently you'll be living with me so you'll be able to protect me even from myself." I say cheekily and he huffs out a laugh.

"Yep, sure will. Good luck getting me to leave." He says teasingly and I smile up at him, the pain in my chest dissipating just a little at the thought of having Huxley so close.

I'm not sure I'll ever want him to leave.