Morning came without anyone really noticing it arrive.
The hospital lights shifted from artificial night to artificial day, that pale in-between glow that made time feel suspended. Some people were asleep in chairs, necks bent at uncomfortable angles. Others were half-awake, phones forgotten in their hands. A few had never slept at all.
Lia was one of them.
She sat exactly where she had been hours earlier, back against the wall, eyes open, posture calm. Jay had dozed off beside her at some point, head tilted toward Lia's shoulder without either of them acknowledging it. Kairav stood near the window, watching the city wake up as if he were guarding something invisible.
Angelo returned from getting coffee for the third time, pausing when he saw them.
"He's stable," he said quietly. "Vitals are clean. No internal bleeding. Recovery's better than expected."
Jay stirred at the word "stable," straightening up instantly. "Discharge?"
"Not yet," Angelo replied. "But soon."
That was all Lia needed to hear.
By mid-morning, the doctors confirmed it. A small miracle, they called it. A body strong enough to survive trauma. A mind stubborn enough to wake up and joke through pain.
Hunter's management team hovered anxiously, but even they couldn't argue with the results.
When Lia stepped back into the room, Hunter was awake again—more alert this time, eyes following her movements.
"So," he said hoarsely, "am I allowed to leave this place or do they plan to keep me as a museum exhibit?"
She crossed her arms. "You're not allowed to sneeze without permission."
He laughed, then winced. "Worth it."
A nurse checked his monitors one last time and smiled. "If you promise to rest, no flying, no touring, and no 'surprise visits,' you can be discharged by noon."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Define 'surprise.'"
The nurse gave him a look. "Define 'obedient.'"
She left.
Hunter exhaled slowly, then looked at Lia.
"You staying?"
"Obviously."
His expression softened. "Good."
When the news spread, the hallway woke up all over again.
Keifer nearly dropped his phone. "Wait—he's actually leaving?"
"Already?" Drew asked.
"That's insane," Rory muttered.
Jay clapped once. "Okay, no crowding him. He's not a concert."
"Speak for yourself," Felix said. "I'd buy tickets."
By the time Hunter was wheeled out, wearing a hoodie pulled low over his face, the entire group was lined along the corridor. He lifted a hand weakly in greeting.
"Wow," he said, eyes flicking over them. "Did I miss a reunion?"
Eren grinned. "You caused one."
Hunter's gaze stopped on Jay. "You look familiar."
Jay smirked. "You're just dramatic."
His eyes narrowed playfully. "I like her."
Lia snorted. "No."
The discharge paperwork was signed quickly. Management arranged a private exit. The press never got close enough to see more than a shadow.
Outside, sunlight hit them all at once.
Hunter paused, breathing in like it was the first time he'd tasted air.
"Okay," he said. "I hate hospitals."
Jay nodded. "Valid."
Lia placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. "You're going home."
He leaned into it briefly. "Yeah."
As they helped him into the car, he looked back at the group. "Thanks. All of you."
No one made a joke.
They watched until the car disappeared down the road.
Only then did the tension finally snap.
Mayo let out a long breath. "I think I aged five years."
Kit laughed shakily. "I'm never complaining about exams again."
Jay stretched her arms overhead. "Breakfast?"
Angelo shook his head. "Sleep."
Lia glanced at the empty road one last time, then turned back to them.
"Let's go home."
And for the first time since the call shattered the night
They did.