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*Jay's POV*

"It's alright, Buddy." Someone was stroking my hair and I just kept my eyes closed, hoping it wouldn't stop.
"You can open your eyes, Jay. I know you're not asleep anymore." I opened my eyes and looked into my mother's.
"Mom." I held out my hand, but it went through her.
"You're not quite here yet, buddy." My mother took a step back and I looked around.
We were in my old room.
"You can have all of this. But..." My mother wiped my room away and now I was surrounded by memories I had made with Erin.
"...You won't see her again. Or your daughter. You got a beautiful little girl." I swallowed and tried to hold back the tears.
"You're telling me I shouldn't leave, do you?" I looked at my mom and she nodded.
For years I had wanted nothing more than to see my mother again, to take her in my arms, to be reunited with her.
"We'll meet again, one day, Jay. No go back. I can wait." My mother smiled at me with that warm smile she'd always given me when I was a kid.

*Erin's POV*

"Do you think he's gonna wake up?" I was standing by Jay's bed.
The doctors had managed to keep him alive with blood transfusions, but he had fallen into a kind of coma because his body just needed a break.
"Do you want an honest answer or a positive one?" Will was next to me. He had hardly left my side in the last few days, since I actually belonged in bed too, but I couldn't take my eyes off Jay.
"The realistic one." I looked at Jay's brother and was sure I didn't want the answer.
"He's not dead yet. But Erin, I don't know if he's fully coming back. I'm sure he would come back for you, but I have no idea if his body can do it. He lost so much blood as I have rarely seen." Just as he was finishing his sentence, he was called to a patient and had to leave.
"So guess then it's just the two of us. Or just me. I don't know if you're with me or looking from somewhere else. So, do you want reasons why you shouldn't leave me?" I looked out the window and didn't know if it made sense to talk here at all, or if Jay wanted to go in silence.
"You're reason enough." I burst into tears when I heard his voice.
"J..Jay." My voice had seldom trembled as it did now.
"You're back." I squeezed his hand and he gave me a wry smile, but somehow he looked happy.
"My mom told me to." He looked up and his smile widened.
I was a little confused because his mother was dead, he wasn't, so I didn't understand how he could have met her, but I've never been dead, or been almost dead, either, so that was probably a thing that would explain to me at some point.
"I'm glad she did." Tears were still running down my cheeks and Jay really looked at me for the first time since he woke up.
"You're so beautiful." Jay reached out hand and stroked my hair.

*Jay's POV*

"You're so beautiful." I know that I kept saying the same things over and over again but Erin didn't stop me and I was just so glad that I had her back.
"The last past days were hell." Erin took my hand between hers.
"Last past days? How long have I been gone?" My voice was raspy because I hadn't spoken in a little while.
"Six days." Erin started shaking when she said it and I was so incredibly sorry for doing this to her, even if it was kinda Bunny's fault.
"You want me to get Will or anyone? Are you in pain?" I noticed how slowly ideas came to Erin and she recovered from her shock.
"I just need you here with me for a second and maybe a water. My throat is a little dry." When I said that Erin got up immediately and I leaned back into the pillows.
She had no idea how close it was that I would have stayed with my mother, but I didn't want to tell her because I didn't want to scare her any more.
"Here." She handed me a glass of water and I took a sip.
"How are you?" I had noticed how pale Erin was and that she should actually be in bed herself.
"How am I?" She looked at me in shock.
"Yeah." I was a little confused.
"Well. I'm scared. Like almost terrified because I almost lost you. I'm mad. I'm confused. I have questions. I want answers and I really want to just sleep." I saw Erin having tears in his eyes again.
"Then go to sleep first. I won't go anywhere and then we can talk." Erin nodded and then sat down on a chair next to my bed, put her head on my arm and fell asleep after a few minutes.