One week.

One whole week he had been unconscious, or so the doctors had told him. When Reynie woke up he had never been so disoriented in his whole life. People were crying, kissing his face, saying they were so happy he was alive, while he was still just trying to figure out why he was in a hospital in the first place. Was he sick? Did he take a bad fall?

Then all too soon everything came back at once. The warehouse. McCracken with a gun. Reynie jumping to save Kate. And then the most excruciating pain flaring inside him, beforeeverything was swallowed with darkness.

"I was shot," Reynie stated in disbelief later the next day, propped up on the hospital bed so he could actually face his two visitors. Miss Perumal and her mother scooted closer to his bed, tears of joy running down their faces.

"Yes dear, you were, but you survived. It was a miracle, the doctor said. For a long time there it seemed like you…" Miss Perumal couldn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to. They all knew how close of a call it was. Instead, she leaned over and brushed back Reynie's brown hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Amma, it's alright. I'll be fine," he comforted softly, gently reaching out to hold her hand. There were still lots of wires and IV's attached to his arm, so he couldn't reach too far, but thankfully she was close enough to him that he didn't have to exert himself.

"I know, I know," said Miss Perumal, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "I just worry so much about you, Reynie. On that last mission, my worst fear almost came true, and I just couldn't bare to lose you. I love you too much—we both do," she added, looking over at her mother, who nodded emphatically.

"And I love you," Reynie responded with an affectionate smile. "And I'm sorry for scaring you, but I had to save Kate." He paused, wondering when she—along with Sticky and Constance—would come and visit him. He'd been awake for almost an entire day and still had yet to see any sign of them.

As if she read his mind (which Reynie sometimes believed she could do), Miss Perumal squeezed his hand and said, "Everyone else will be here today. The doctor's didn't let them in yesterday because they weren't legally family, and didn't want to overwhelm you."

"They are family though, legal or not," Reynie argued.

"I know," said Miss Perumal soothingly, "but we thought it best not to argue with the doctors."

Reynie supposed it was a moot point now, so he didn't dispute it any further. And true to Miss Perumal's word, later that afternoon the nurse came in followed by Sticky, Kate, and Constance, who all immediately rushed to his bedside.

"Reynie!" Constance was the first to speak, and the seven year old flung herself across his legs (the only part of him not bandaged or aching) before beginning to sob. "W-we thought you were—that you were g-gonna—" She then sat up to look at him, her bloodshot eyes and tear streaked face morphing into an expression of admonition. "Don't you ever scare us like that again, you dummy!" She then buried her face into his sheets and cried again.

Reynie had to hold back tears of his own as he reached as far as he could to gently pat her blonde head. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. He hadn't even thought about how his friends and family would handle the repercussions of his demise had he died, and felt guilty for having scared them all so bad. He honestly hadn't been thinking of anything other than save Kate in the moment that he jumped in front of McCracken's gun.

He looked over at Kate, thankful that he had accomplished at least that. She seemed different though—more subdued and withdrawn. She wouldn't even meet his eyes as she dropped into the chair by the foot of his bed.

"We're just really glad you're alright," Sticky said, smiling despite the unshed tears shining in his eyes. "The doctor said the bullet entered at an angle, pierced your thoracic wall and glanced off the manubrium of your sternum before the bullet shattered. Half of it bounced to the right, breaking two ribs and your clavicle, and the other shard tore through your trapezius muscle and infraspinatus fascia before—"

"If you're gonna speak at least speak english," said Consatnce, her voice muffled through the bed sheets.

Sticky sighed. "The point is, the odds that it missed your heart or any other vital organ at that close of a proximity are...very, very slim," Sticky continued. He paused to polish his glasses, though Reynie thought it was also so he could take a moment to collect himself. He finally put them back on, blinking furiously. "It's been a very long week," he said in a small voice.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Reynie said again, wishing he could offer some sort of comfort.

Sticky shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. The doctor predicts a full recovery, and it'll all be in the past soon. I think it might be a while before we get to go on another mission though," Sticky chuckled.

Reynie grinned, and soon he and Sticky began casually talking as though nothing life threatening had taken place at all. Constance eventually stopped crying and joined in, as did Kate on occasion, though every time she and Reynie made eye contact, she would quickly look the other way. Reynie was puzzled by her behaviour and wished to speak to her privately, but figured he would just have to wait until the opportunity presented itself.

Fortunately for him, that opportunity came sooner than expected.

Constance left to go to the bathroom, and Sticky left with the promise to return in a bit with real food that wasn't the strange jell-o they kept giving Reynie at every meal—which left Kate and Reynie all alone.

At first it was silent, and Reynie used the moment to take a good look at her. Her blonde ponytail was limper than usual, and she lacked the normal enthusiasm that always exuded from her whenever she walked into a room. Deep shadows hung under her eyes, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were from little sleep or bruised from crying so hard. He tried to swallow down the guilty feeling rising up in him again and cleared his throat. She finally looked up at him, her eyes clouded with tears.

"I'm not contagious, y'know," he joked, gesturing at the large space between the bed and where she was seated in the chair.

Kate opened her mouth to respond, then abruptly closed it, her chin quivering.

Reynie had never seen Kate so distraught before, and frankly, it scared him.

"Kate?" he tried again. "I'm...I'm sorry if—"

Before he could blink, Kate had dashed across the room and launched herself into his arms. It was the gentlest hug he had ever received from her, and though the pressure against his chest was a bit uncomfortable, he said nothing. Instead, he returned her embrace as best as he could and held her as she sobbed into his neck, her tears hot against his skin.

"Don't be sorry," she finally whispered, her shoulders still shaking. "I should be the one who's sorry."

"You? But...why?" Reynie asked. Was she sorry that he'd saved her? Did she think all of this was somehow her fault?

"If I had been more aware of what was happening around me...if I hadn't stopped and been so stupid...if I had just turned around and saw him there—" she stopped to lean back and wipe her nose before finally looking him in the eye, "—you wouldn't have gotten hurt. You wouldn't have nearly died trying to save me. Why would you do that? Why would you do that, Reynie?" she repeated, her voice breaking on his name.

Reynie blinked, realizing she did think this was all her fault. He stared back into her piercing blue eyes, so close that he could see each individual tear as it clung to her eyelashes, and tried to wrap his head around the guilt she must've been carrying around all week. Finally he gripped her shoulder as tight as he could without upsetting the pulse oximeter on his finger.

"Kate." He said her name as forcefully as he could. "Do you really think I would just stand there and let you die? I had to do something! You wouldn't have been able to hear me yell with all the commotion going on so I just...jumped. And I'd do it a million times over if it meant keeping you alive."

Kate closed her eyes tightly, yet tears still escaped out the corners and ran down her cheek. On impulse, Reynie used his other hand to gently brush them away. Her eyes snapped open again at his gentle touch, so Reynie continued to speak. "Besides, I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I didn't at least try. The world needs Kate Wetherall more than they need Reynie Muldoon."

Kate jerked back so hard it was as though she'd been electrified. Reynie jumped at her quick movement and winced as it agitated his broken bones. "What—?"

"Don't ever say that again!" Kate scolded fiercely, yet despite the harshness of her tone her face began to crumple with emotion again, though it was clear she was making an effort to calm herself down. "How can you think…? Reynie, don't you realize how important you are to everyone? To the Society? To me?"

She had leaned in closer again, and brought up a hand to touch the side of his face in a very gentle, affectionate, un-Kate-like way. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Reynie couldn't help the blush that rose to his cheeks. "Reynie, I've been doing a lot of thinking and...I don't want to live in a world without you in it."

Reynie's mouth grew dry. It wasn't often that Kate was ever emotional, much less over him. He didn't know how to respond, so he said the first thing that came to his mind:

"I don't want to live in a world without you in it, either."

Even though he said it without thinking, he was surprised at how true the statement was. He meant what he said earlier when he told Kate he would sacrifice himself again and again as long as it meant she lived. And he'd do the same for Sticky, Constance, Mr. Benedict, and everyone else he loved, too.

"So please don't think this is your fault, alright?" Reynie continued. He waited until she nodded before speaking more. "Because I know for a fact that if our roles had been reversed you would've done the exact same thing, though if that were the case it probably would've been mhfmfgh—"

He was abruptly cut off by Kate suddenly grabbing the collar of his hospital gown and kissing him solidly on the mouth.

Reynie froze, his eyes as wide as they could go. But just as quick as it happened it was over. Kate leaned back, her face tinged with pink, and offered him a small smile. "I'm just...really glad you're alive," she said quietly.

There was a long silence as Reynie tried to remember how to speak. "I, uh, me too."

Kate grinned, and for a second Reynie saw the familiar spark that made Kate Kate alight in her eyes again, but all too soon it dimmed. She let go of his collar and straightened up, yet didn't move from her spot on the side of his bed.

That is, until Constance burst through the door, followed by Mr. Benedict and Milligan, who had still yet to see Reynie since he'd awakened.

As the others began talking and fussing over him, Kate quietly retreated back to her chair across the room, leaving Reynie with yet another life stopping experience to process on his own.

A/N: The suspense...! Next chapter coming soon~! Please R&R ;)