Kate was back.
As soon as they drove into the city, nearly two hours away from Camp Willow Creek, she felt it hit.
Her breathing changed first, subtle at first, then not.
Sam glanced at her. "Kate?"
Kate didn't answer. Her fingers pressed harder against her leg, nails digging slightly into her skin. The streets felt tighter, louder, like everything was closing in at once.
Sam looked around briefly, unfamiliar with everything. "This is it?"
Kate gave a small nod, barely noticeable.
"Hey," Sam said, more serious now. "Talk to me."
Kate shook her head quickly. "I'm fine."
Sam didn't respond. She just looked at her for a second before focusing back on the road.
Kate shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable, but nothing worked. Her chest felt tight, her breaths uneven, like she couldn't get enough air in.
"I said I'm fine," she added, sharper this time.
Sam exhaled slowly. "Yeah. I can see that."
Kate turned toward the window, focusing on anything outside—cars passing, people walking, buildings she recognized too well.
It didn't help.
If anything, it made everything feel worse.
"So… what the hell happened?" Sam asked, like maybe this time Kate would actually answer.
Kate exhaled, eyes still on the window. "Ray nearly died because I'm a whore. That enough for you?"
Sam's grip tightened on the wheel. "Don't call yourself that."
Kate shrugged slightly. "Why not? It fits."
"Right. I'm staying here then."
Kate turned her head slightly, frowning. "What?"
Sam kept her eyes on the road. "I'm not leaving you here like this."
Kate let out a quiet breath, shaking her head. "You don't have to babysit me."
Sam's voice stayed calm. "Good. I'm not."
"Also, if you're really that slutty… I might need to beat up some angry girlfriends for you."
Kate blinked, caught off guard for a second.
Then a small, real smile slipped through.
"You'd do that for me?"
Sam shrugged slightly, eyes still on the road. "Someone has to keep you alive."
Kate let out a quiet huff, shaking her head. "You're insane."
Sam glanced at her briefly. "Runs in the family."
Kate leaned back again, the tension easing just a little.
It wasn't long before Kate saw it.
The hospital.
From a distance at first, just another building in the city. Then closer. Too familiar.
Her stomach tightened.
Sam followed her gaze. "That it?"
Kate nodded slightly, eyes fixed on it.
Sam slowed the car a bit. "You wanna go now?"
Kate didn't answer right away.
Her fingers curled slightly against her leg.
"…Yeah," she said quietly.
"Where are you staying?" Sam asked, glancing at the building.
Kate smirked slightly. "In the hospital. You think I'm gonna leave him alone?"
Sam frowned. "You've been there the whole time?"
Kate shrugged. "Pretty much."
Sam exhaled slowly. "Kate…"
Kate didn't look at her. "What?"
Sam shook her head. "Nothing."
"I only left for a month," Kate said, still watching the building. "I was supposed to come back after a few days, but… I decided to get into that therapy."
Sam glanced at her. "So you just left him there?"
Kate's jaw tightened. "He wasn't alone."
Sam's voice stayed careful. "That's not what I meant."
Kate exhaled slowly. "I know."
Sam nodded slightly, eyes back on the road. "You don't have to do this by yourself."
"I… he's in a coma."
Sam went quiet for a second. "Since when?"
Kate swallowed. "Since the crash."
Sam's grip tightened on the wheel. "And you've been here the whole time?"
Kate shook her head slightly. "Not the whole time."
Sam glanced at her. "Kate…"
Kate looked back at the hospital. "I thought he'd wake up."
Sam didn't answer right away. "And now?"
Kate's voice dropped. "I don't know."
"But I don't care how long it takes, I'm not gonna leave him there. It's all my fault…"
Sam shook her head immediately. "No, it's not."
Kate let out a sharp breath. "Yeah, it is."
Sam glanced at her, voice firmer now. "You don't get to take all of that on yourself."
Kate looked away. "Watch me."
Sam exhaled slowly. "Kate…"
"Maybe I should crash into a coma and kick his ass in a shared dream so he wakes up?"
Sam scoffed lightly. "Yeah, great plan. Let me know how that goes."
Kate let out a small breath. "I'm serious."
Sam glanced at her. "I know. That's the problem."
Kate looked back at the hospital. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
Sam shrugged slightly. "You wait."
Kate didn't like that answer.
But she didn't argue either.
"All of this feels like a dream… sometimes half of the things I say…"
Sam glanced at her briefly. "Yeah… I noticed."
Kate let out a quiet breath. "I don't even know what I'm saying half the time."
Sam shrugged slightly. "You never did."
Kate huffed, almost a laugh. "Shut up."
Sam smirked faintly. "Make me."
"Like what am I supposed to do? I can't just rewind time so this fucker pulls his dick out of me. And suddenly I didn't sleep with that counselor. Magic."
Sam's jaw tightened. "Kate…"
Kate shook her head, frustrated. "No, seriously—what, I just pretend it didn't happen?"
Sam exhaled through her nose. "No. You just… stop talking like it's all on you."
Kate let out a bitter huff. "It is on me."
Sam glanced at her, sharper this time. "No. It's not."
"Just—" Kate exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "You've been circling this place for ten minutes. Just park already."
Sam glanced at her, then at the hospital again. "I was waiting for you to say something."
Kate shook her head. "I said enough."
Sam held her gaze for a second, then nodded. "Alright."
She pulled into the parking lot, the car finally slowing to a stop.
Neither of them moved right away.
Then Kate took a deep breath and opened the door. She stepped out, the air hitting her a little colder than expected. Without waiting, she pulled a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and took a long drag.
Sam got out on the other side, watching her. "You picked a great place to start that."
Kate exhaled slowly, smoke drifting into the air. "Yeah, well."
Sam shut the door, walking around the car. "You're really staying here?"
Kate didn't look at her. "I told you."
Sam stopped a few steps away. "Alright."
Kate took another drag, eyes fixed on the hospital.
She didn't move toward it.
Not yet.
"I'm just gonna walk around and ask if anyone's willing to rent an apartment or a room. Hotels are expensive," Sam said.
Kate glanced at her. "You're serious?"
Sam shrugged. "Yeah."
Kate took another drag. "You could just go back."
Sam shook her head. "Not happening."
Kate looked at her for a second, then away again. "Suit yourself."
Sam crossed her arms lightly. "You're stuck with me for a bit."
Kate exhaled smoke, a faint smirk returning. "Lucky me."
"Alright… since I got into therapy, I feel like a different person. I really need to think through everything I do from now on. I'm done being stupid for the year."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "For the year?"
Kate shrugged, taking another drag. "Let's not aim too high."
Sam let out a quiet huff. "Yeah, that sounds more like you."
Kate smirked faintly, eyes still on the hospital. "Progress."
Sam nodded slightly. "I'll take it."
"Whatever happens… I'm gonna make Ray wake up."
Sam looked at her for a second, then shook her head slightly. "You don't control that."
Kate didn't look away from the hospital. "Watch me."
Sam let out a quiet breath. "You're stubborn as hell."
Kate took one last drag, then flicked the cigarette away. "Yeah."
Sam glanced around the parking lot, then back at the street. "Alright. I'm gonna go look for a place."
Kate nodded once. "Yeah."
Sam hesitated for a second. "You'll be here?"
Kate's eyes stayed on the hospital. "Where else would I be?"
Sam gave a small nod. "Okay."
Kate didn't look at her.
She just stood there—
facing the hospital.
Kate decided she wasn't going to be stupid.
Not this time.
But there was one thing she had promised Ray.
She was going to make sure every doctor in that building was doing something.
Anything.
She started walking toward the hospital entrance, slow at first, like her body was still catching up to the decision.
Sam watched her go. "Hey."
Kate stopped, just slightly, but didn't turn around.
Sam shifted her weight. "Don't start a war in there."
Kate let out a quiet breath. "No promises."
Sam almost smiled. "Yeah. Figures."
Kate didn't say anything else.
She just kept walking.
And this time—
she didn't stop.
As soon as the door opened, Kate stepped inside.
"You better have been working on a fucking solution!"
Henry looked up, caught off guard for a second. "Kate—"
Kate didn't slow down. "Don't 'Kate' me. What's changed?"
Henry straightened slightly, trying to keep his tone even. "You just walked in—"
"I've been gone a month," she cut in. "That's more than enough time."
Henry exhaled, glancing around briefly before looking back at her. "We're doing everything we can."
Kate let out a sharp breath. "That's not an answer."
Henry's jaw tightened. "It's the only one I've got."
Julia stepped out of Ray's room and looked straight at them. "Kate?"
Kate didn't slow down. "I'm not asking for much. Just tell me something changed."
Henry sighed. "Nothing changed."
Julia glanced at him, then back at Kate. "Come on. Go see him."
Kate didn't say anything.
She just walked past them and pushed the door open.
And when she saw him, all her toughness disappeared.
Kate stopped in the doorway.
For a second, she didn't move at all.
Ray looked… smaller. Not in size, but in presence. Quiet. Still. Like everything that made him him had just… paused.
The machines filled the silence for him.
Kate stepped inside slowly, the door closing behind her.
She didn't say anything.
Didn't need to.
Her eyes stayed on him as she walked closer, every step heavier than the last.
When she finally reached the bed, her hand hovered for a moment—
then rested lightly against his arm.
Warm.
Still here.
Kate swallowed.
"…Hey," she said quietly.