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Threatening a friend with a bed pan, was not high on the list of things that Zac thought he would have ever done in his life time. He did, however, consider it justified, since she was actively –hurting- herself trying to help him when he’d already landed himself in the hospital.

“I’ll do it!” He warned.. “I’ll… I will text Lucas and get him over here to drag you out! You can’t keep HURTING yourself! Look I am, patched together already! I’m glad you’re free but I don’t want you –back- in here!” He was honestly just threatening her right now with the ‘call nurse’ button. Because it wasn’t particularly heavy…or gross, though it did still make a disturbing ‘pulling’ sensation that didn’t quite get covered by medication.

"Ohhhh Yes I would, Deacon too!" He said putting on his most serious face. "And you hurt when you do it! You got hurt enough when we were in there, and when that...thing tried to burn your lungs out, and, with every person you healed already! It can't be good for you! It just...it cant be good for you."

He let his arm drop, for now, but still scowled.

"Look, I don't like it here either, I don't.. like how I feel I just...but I don't want you hurt more either. Even if its 'temporary' ok? I'm at least on...creepy medications that...." He glanced at the walls and narrowed his eyes before glancing back. "Well.... looks like the walls are sliding ok?"

“If it WERE showing, would you admit it?” He started to fold his own arms; a bad habit when there were things stuck into your hands, pulled a face and settled them again.

“I just don’t want to find out it’s… it’s leading up to you having a, a heart attack or something awful.” His expression really was one of heavy anxiety.
“I just… I hate the idea of knowing you’re in pain because of me, even if you’re doing it …to be …kind and nice and good and everything else you are”

"You can't blame us for wanting to protect you," a soft drawl answered from the doorway, "since you're so willing to take so much on yourself." Deacon walked into the room with an expression between reserved and concerned, blue eyes turning from his girlfriend to the teen in bed. He inclined his head respectfully. "Hey, Zac. I'm Deacon -- and Avery, thanks to Luca." His smile was faint but earnest. "Sorry to meet like this, but I couldn't not come when Autumn and Nico -- "

The other male's name was barely said before he pushed past the blond, his expression completely and openly between panic and worry. "Zac? Jesus, Zac, what the ********?" The younger Reis crossed the room in long strides, hurried and tense, a far cry from how gently he took the teen's hand. His fingers traced over the other's knuckles and wrist, careful of the machines and the wires attached, green eyes borderline frantic turning over the teen that looked too small and pale against the hospital bed.

"...Autumn, this is Nicolau, Lucas' little brother." The slight and dry clip in his voice suggested he was not impressed with the younger man's manners. "Nico, this is Autumn."

The dark-haired young man turned his head to look at the woman, his wide eyes indicating he likely hadn't even seen her - and possibly not even Deacon, in his rush to get to the bed. "You're -- the one that went missing?" Nico swallowed hard, looking to Zac and then back to Autumn. "It's -- it's nice to meet the reason we're here." He offered a smile, but it was weak and had a slight tremble. "I mean -- Lucas -- how bad he reacted to it all -- " Words failed him, his eyes inexorably drawn back to Zac, voice softening, "Hey. Hi. How are you?"

Deacon exhaled slowly through his nose, moving to Autumn's side and leaning down to press a kiss against her brow, squeezing her shoulder in apology for the other's scattered behavior.

She had started to feel better, and the misery came crashing back in. Still leaning against Deacon, Autumn could not meet Nico's eyes. She carried a sort of lopsided, off smile, and shrugged.

"Yeah. That's me. Crown reigning ******** of Ashdown," and there was no humor in her laugh, when she finally did look at Nico. Autumn was healthy, certainly, but she was tired. Tired and sad. But not just physically, it was getting to her core- her very being. Everyone she met, she wasn't just Autumn anymore. She was Autumn, that girl from Other Ashdown. Autumn, the girl who'd nearly gotten killed by the burning man. Autumn, the girl who couldn't do a damn thing to save any of her friends.

"You don't ever get to tell him, but I think Lucas is right." She admitted, sighing against Deacon. "After... after all this mess. I don't think Other Ashdown is a good place. I don't think magic is good." She gestured to Zac, miserable.

"Sorry about the stress, by the way. To all of you. That's why I'm trying to make up for this s**t. None of you deserve it."

"It's okay," Nico said with that trembling smile, squeezing Zac's hand and continuing to gently rub over his knuckles, "if I wasn't so afraid of you falling apart from that duct tape, I'd crawl into bed with you. Just -- don't worry. You don't have to tell me anything, I'm just -- " He drew in a wavering breath and let it out slowly, trying to center himself. " -- scared for you."

Autumn's words made the dark-haired man turn his head to look at her again, surprised. "What? Why are you a ******** up?" He paused, glancing to Deacon before adding, "Look, Luca didn't tell us anything, he's -- he's kinda notorious for that. All I knew when we got here was his Princess was missing. I'm -- I'm sorry." The words were a little halting and awkward - he really had no idea what was going on, and she looked fine! - turning his gaze back to Zac.

"Neither of you are failures," Deacon cut in smoothly, adjusting his stance so he could encircle Autumn with both arms, holding her wholly against himself. "You're both dealing with partial information and half-truths and making the best of it. No one is dead," blue eyes flickered briefly to Zac in apology for his choice of words there, "and despite all this horrific going ons, you're still here. You're still alive. You're still fighting." He dipped his head and kissed the top of Autumn's hair, briefly. "You cannot be upset with yourselves for fighting what you believe is right."

More quietly to Autumn, he murmured softly, "You fought for Luca to not give up, to not give in to what was happening to him. I'm going to remind you of that and tell you to do the same." Another soft kiss was pressed to the shell of her ear. "Neither of you are wrong. You're doing the best you can, which is more than I can say for most."

Nico hesitated, looking between the three, clearly at a loss. "All I can say is, don't ever tell Luca he's right. Sibling One-oh-One." He managed a small smile before he leaned down, kissing Zac's brow softly. He righted himself suddenly, a confused look on his face before he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. The confusion only deepened. "'Don't freak out,'" he read out loud, "from Luca. What does -- "

"It means don't scream like a girl," a tired, rough voice said from the doorway. Lucas looked between the four, clearly lacking sleep and rest, his long jacket hiding his tail, the hood he wore casting shadows over already dark eyes. The red orbs didn't blink as they rested upon Nico, who had gone very suddenly pale. "The kid's in bed hurt and I hear you talking s**t about me? Typical maninho." He cracked a smile, the dimple of fangs visible on his bottom lip.

“So uh… Nico… you remember that pinch thing I did?” Zac said sheepishly. “Consider the …apparently still slightly fuzzier countenance to be one more thing related to that same sort of ‘what the heck is going on with this town’ nonsense.” Zac said trying to make sure that poor Nico didn’t earn himself a hospital bed too.

“Sorry, I’m just… frustrated, mostly with myself I think.” He admitted and squeezed Nico’s hand again.

“Lucas, are you alright? I mean, you came downstairs after I did… and I still don’t know how they, dealt with the rest of, I don’t even know…” He shook his head and sighed softly.

“…and Maybe we should fill these two in more. I think that, after what happened at the Job faire. We should really let them know so they can be, a little safer maybe.” ”

"I really want to bribe the nurses into telling me the weirdest looking visitor they've had here, so far. I bet you'd get some damn good drinking stories," she quipped back, finding comfort in Lucas starting to return to the amiable guy she'd met in the park months ago. There was more weight on his shoulders, but they weren't flipping s**t about the full moon anymore. Weren't working themselves up the wall about the enemy. The fear was still there, as it always would be... but for now, it was a calm. A time just to relax, and breathe after everything that'd happened.

"Will you text me later, Lucas? I feel like... we need time to chat. Now that you're not full moon PMSing and I'm not overthinking everything." It was... a peace offering, of sorts. She'd fallen in line with him in the college, and followed him without question. But there was still so much to catch up on. Still so much they needed to share, and she DID need to tell him that he was starting to sound more and more right. About magic, and all of it.

But it didn't mean she was going to stop trying.

"Will you let me up, babe?" She asked Deacon gently, not wanting to seem ungrateful but not wanting to leave Zac in the hospital longer than necessary. Particularly now that he'd acquiesced, and was finally ******** ready to let her help him.