The thought would not really sink into Lily's mind until much later on, until after the dust settled and she was more relaxed and calm, but she did, however briefly, wonder why the hell she ever expected her life to be anything remotely close to resembling normally. Especially after the past, nine? Ten? Months she had been through. She should have known better, really, to think that they were able to go back to before, back to simpler things. But those were thoughts for another time, another day, and ones that were not currently in the forefront of her mind.

What was on her mind, however, was getting to the hospital as quickly as possible while juggling phone calls, digging out any necessary information, and attempting to get herself organized and as pulled together as she could before getting there. And calming herself down, too, from the flurry of emotions she was feeling at the moment. It was a lot of worry and fear, some annoyance (which she would feel guilty about, admittedly), and an overwhelming concern for Rory. T

heir relationship was a strange one, admittedly. They were only a few years apart in age and they were more “best friends forever” than aunt and nephew. On top of that Lily, somehow, had seen Rory as a son – though she would never use that word, really, and she didn't realize she saw him that way – more than she saw him as her nephew. Out of the Wests, they were easily the closest. And probably the most well-adjusted, for that matter, which … was actually frightening, as much as Lily joked about them beign the sanest of the Wests. They had a bond and personalities that were quite unlike anyone else in their family and they'd grown to rely on one another over the years.

Anything at all happening to Rory was a knife to the stomach and Lily did not take well to it at all. He was, in a way, her world and had been for years, and Lily felt responsible to and for him. No, she could not control what had apparently happened, but the feelings of guilt crept up on her, anyway. Someone had to feel them – a part of her mind wondered if his parents even would, but she somehow doubted it would affect them too much. It was more likely they'd be angry with him, belittle over it, and that was why Lily had made the decision not to mention it to them.

Yet. She would not mention it to them yet. Maybe it made her a bad sister, a bad aunt, but the last thing she wanted for Rory was more stress and pressure. His parents? Well, they would just add it in spades. It would add drama later on, of course, and there would be a fight …. but for now, Lily shoved it from her mind.

Instead, she slipped inside of the hospital and into the cold, sterile, environment that she hated and avoided as much as possible. But she was here, she was on auto-pilot as soon as she had asked the information desk to direct her and , her feet were moving faster than her brain while she navigated the hallways and elevators. The closer her approach became, the faster her heart thumped in her chest, and she had to swallow away the lump in her throat.

Her pace slowed as she approached a room, the nurse giving her a quizzical look. “He can't have visi--”

“I'm his aunt,” Lily responded, her voice firm and she brushed past the woman. It was a conversation that she'd gone through with teachers and employers and, hell, officers when Rory was a little younger and they'd always given her the same slightly confused, a little disbelieving, and then guilty look that the nurse was giving her right now. Lily never bothered to explain further or try to clarify. “I was called.”

“You're –?”

“Lillian. West.” Lily turned around, brow slightly raised. “Any other questions? Because I'd like to know what happened.”

Luckily, this was one of the times the nurse let it go and went to fetch the doctor on duty.

With a sigh, Lily curled herself into the chair beside his bed, laughed gently, and shook her head. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”