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Wyatt has a blast, enjoying every minute spent with Katie. He watches her intently with everything, loving her laughter, and seeing her having fun. As the crowd begins to disperse, he heaves a weary sigh, grinning down at her. “Oh, I suppose we should probably go before we both get into trouble.” He gives her cheek a playful brush with the back of his hand. “Come on, my damsel, let’s get you back in one piece.”

He helps her back into the jeep, and the drive back is peaceful, the darkness surrounding them. Wyatt offers small talk about the evening, recalling some of the fun events, but avoiding talk of the band. Something still bothered him about that. Not only had it been a shock, but Jason was still supposed to be careful about being alone in public, let alone up front and center.

Once back at the hospital, Wyatt helps Katie get settled, and gives her a kiss on the head. “Good night, Katie. Thanks for a fun time.” He hates to leave her alone, but he’s tired himself, and knows he has to get up early in the morning. Backing out of the room, he throws her a smile and a wink, then turns and disappears.


Jason yawns and widens his eyes as he drives back to town, trying to stay awake. He hadn’t felt this good, or this exhausted in a long time. The evening was still reeling through his mind. He’d been right…he’d gotten a taste of it, and loved it. Now what would he do? What could he do?

Pulling into a gas station, he makes a quick stop to grab a bottle of pop. He could feel his sugar getting low on top of his tiredness, and he wasn’t about to have an episode tonight. As he gets back out on the road, he grimaces at himself. Katie. She’d suggested watching a movie tonight, but by the time he got back to the hospital, it would be midnight. She’d probably be asleep already. What was he supposed to tell her? He’d had such an exciting time with the band that it was hard to hold it in, yet if he told her about it, he knew she’d encourage him to take the next step, and he just wasn’t convinced it was possible.

By the time he pulls into the hospital parking lot, his body has shifted gears from the pop, and he’s now running on adrenaline and caffeine – not a great combination when he was trying to act normal. He throws on an old t-shirt, and runs his hands through his hair in an attempt to lose the gel. Switching out his cowboy boots for his laced work boots, he finally makes his way inside.
Making his way to Katie’s room, he slows his pace as he reaches the door. Cracking it, he sees a light on, and hears the tv going. She was still up. For once, he almost wished she hadn’t been. But he pasts a natural look on his face and knocks before entering. He offers a sheepish smile. “Hey, Hero. Sorry I didn’t get back sooner. I expected you to be asleep.” Only as he’s halfway across the room does he remember that he forgot one thing – his guitar is with Phil.