Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Rory regained consciousness at the early hours of the day and the first faces he sees aren't those he had expected, nevertheless, he is happy to see Phoebe at the side of his bed with her hand in his. She's resting her head on the side of the bed and she seems to be sleeping.

On the other side of the room is a long resting chair and on it is Jack, Keenan and his father Henry, each preoccupied with their own assignments. Jack is wearing white long sleeves and brown trousers, his eyes are fixed on his wife as his right fingers roll the ring on the left ring finger, Keenan who's wearing a red T-shirt and a blue Jean seems to be watching something on his laptop which is currently sitting on his laps. Henry's head is resting backwards on the seat as he looks like he is lost in deep thought and from the look on each men's face, none seems to have had a good sleep in hours.

Keenan's eyes lift slowly from the screen of his laptop and his eyes sweep across the room to where Rory is and they land on his and they widen in surprise and relief.

"Rory!" he calls out, waking Phoebe up, Henry out of his thoughts and making Jack look at him.

The three get up from their seats in haste and approach his bed. Phoebe takes Rory's hand into hers even more and kisses it softly.

"Son." comes the happy and relieved voice of his father and he looks up to see him staring at him. His green eyes although happy still hopes a great deal of pain, sadness and anguish and he also realises after silently looking at everyone that they all hold the same look on their faces.

"We thought you were never going to wake up," Phoebe admits and a tear rolls down her cheeks. Rory's hand drops from hers to her cheeks and wipe the tears away, then he smiles at her.

"I am now and all of you still look like shit!" he teases, but he still holds a displeased look on his face. "Whatever the doctor says doesn't matter right now, because I'm so happy to be able to see every one of you here." He tells them even if they weren't all, Taylor and Reign would need to be here for a complete house for him. "Are mom and Jennifer here?" he asks, raising a brow when he sees they are nowhere in the room.

"Your mom left a while ago, she would be here any minute," answers Henry with an edgy tone.

Rory senses the heat in the room and he knows well that something must have gone down. "You two fought didn't you?"

For the past four years, they've barely spent an hour together without falling out with each other.

Henry nod and sighs, "Your mom was furious and she blamed Taylor for what happened to you, I think she still does."

At her name, the memories rush back to him, Taylor had thrown him out and ignored every attempt he's made to reach her. Yesterday he remembers the rain and his raging heart and he blinks rapidly staring at them. "It's bad, isn't it? "

"Your heart is damaged beyond repair or medication, you might not make it through the next twenty-four hours if a heart donor isn't found." Keenan tells him, "we have been making contact with everyone we know..."

The rest words Keenan says after twenty-four hours fall on deaf ears. He's got twenty-four hours left? How is he going to see Taylor again if he dies in the hospital? He has to see Taylor, he just can't die without seeing her and telling her he was sorry, he needed to see Taylor and Reign and tell them just how much he loves them even if that'll mean he'll die immediately after.

Everyone he had not been at peace with for a while came into his mind before he finally lost consciousness yesterday and he feared he'd never get to make up with them. Now he's been given another chance and he doesn't plan on taking it for granted.

"My last hours then?" he jokingly says, with a wide grin.

"Don't you dare say that!" Keenan scolds with a hard look, "what part of 'don't do anything crazy' didn't you understand?" he exclaims in frustration, not meaning to raise his voice but being unable to help it.

"The part that involved not seeing Taylor," he counters with a sheepish grin, still not bothered with Keenan's outburst.

"Was she worth it?" Jack asks with a sceptical look.

Without a moment to think, "Yes, she was, every bit of it." he replies happily, only feeling sad as he might not still get Taylor's forgiveness before dying.

He looks up at Keenan and he was hurt, and angry and he knows he needed to talk to him. "Can I talk to Keenan, alone?" he asks the rest of them in the room and they nod. Phoebe gets up, kissing his head before leaving, Jack nods at him, and Henry pats his shoulder before leaving the room to Rory and Keenan.

As the door closes, Keenan's hands ball into a fist, "I'm so mad at you right now, I would have fucking beaten your stupid ass up with those corny jokes you kept making if you weren't on the sickbed" Keenan who seems to be fuming with anger says with certainty, walking away from his bed and running a shaky hand through his hair.

"You can now, just think of me as healthy and ruthless." he chuckles and Keenan glares at him.

Keenan can't possibly understand why he can feel okay and make jokes about this, how can he be so cool when he's dying on the inside? "You might die, don't you get that?"

His laughter fade from his mouth, "I have been dead these past four years, Keenan, I was never really living." he points out to him, "and I don't want you blaming yourself, you did the best you could."

He holds his finger up, silencing Rory's attempt to talk him out of his guilt, "Don't tell me that." he shakes his head, "I could have done more, made her see reason, made her realise just how much she needed you. This was the only thing I had to do and I couldn't even do it right." he bites down on his lips as a painful tear runs down his face.

Rory grows weak at the sight of his best friends shedding the first tear he'd seen in years. Keenan has never been one that let his emotions show too much for the fear of the reaction of those around, he would rather keep a calm and composed face even though he's breaking on the inside and by so doing, many people have hurt him terribly without even realising it. Rory on the other hand has always been what you call the soft one in their friendship because he never could handle his emotions, so he'd either drink, smoke, cry or do something terrible. He'd cry about almost everything that hurt him and Keenan would console him and now seeing Keenan's walls break down, he doesn't know how to console him.

"Come here, buddy." he beckons to him with his hand and Keenan reluctantly walks to his side and seats down. "I have never seen you cry before, Keenan," he confesses, with a bewildered look coming to his face.

"Questo perché stavo facendo i miei doveri di maturato, stupido moccioso. (That's because I was doing my duties as the matured one, you stupid brat.)" he mumbles to himself in Italian, but still loud enough for Rory to hear.

Rory rolls his eye, but still smile, "Mi dispiace di essere uno stupido moccioso (I'm sorry for being a stupid brat,) I don't know what to do now."

"You can start by not dying, can you do that?"

He nods, and a small smile forms at the corner of Keenan's mouth, "I love you."

"I know you do," he replies, and Rory's hand ruffles his hair.

"Why did God have to make you a man?" he teases with his sense of humour Keenan always refer to as ridiculous.

Keenan slaps his hand away from his hair, Rory always finds a way to ruin a good moment. "So a man whore like you would never have a chance." and Keenan gives him the usual reply.