Lily and Clara spent the next few hours talking—nothing too serious, just small things. Random memories, dumb jokes, a bit of gossip. It felt... normal. Something Clara hadn't felt in a while.
When the door opened, both of them turned.
"Clara," Nathaniel's voice came from the doorway.
"Hm?" Clara looked up, surprised for a second before smiling faintly. "Hey."
He stepped inside, looking tired but calm. His sleeves were rolled up, tie a little loose, like he'd come straight from work.
"You look better," he said, walking closer.
"I am better. The doctor said I was only dosed a little, so it just made me faint and tired—nothing serious," Clara said with a small laugh.
"I'm good too, in case you didn't know," Lily said, giving Nathaniel a side-eye.
"I know," he said, smiling. "But you're not the one lying in a hospital bed, Lily."
"Oh please, save your excuses," Lily said, waving him off as she stood and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Clara asked.
"To get a coffee. You won't be lonely—you've got Nathaniel with you," she said over her shoulder before slipping out of the room.
Nathaniel watched her leave, then turned back to Clara with a faint smile. "She's got perfect timing, doesn't she?"
Clara chuckled softly. "Yeah... she really does."
Nathaniel nodded slowly, though there was something unreadable in his eyes—relief, maybe, but also something heavier. He pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed, the soft scrape of the legs filling the quiet room.
"Still," he said after a moment, "it shouldn't have happened at all."
Clara looked at him, noticing the tension in his jaw. "I know," she said quietly. "But I'm fine now, really."
She was fine—just caught off guard. Next time, she wouldn't be this lax.
"Fine?" He gave a small, humorless laugh. "You were drugged, Clara. At your own event. By someone you used to trust."
That stung. Clara dropped her gaze, fingers brushing the blanket. "You think I don't know that?" she murmured.
He didn't need to remind her who had done it.
Nathaniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I just—" He stopped himself. "When I saw you collapse, I thought…" He trailed off, shaking his head.
Clara looked up, meeting his eyes. "I didn't mean to worry you."
"That's not something you get to apologize for," he said softly.
There was a beat of silence. Then the door clicked open again. Lily slipped back inside, holding two cups of coffee.
"Did I interrupt something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Clara said quickly.
"Yes," Nathaniel said at the same time.
Lily smirked. "Right. I'll pretend I didn't hear that." She handed Clara a cup and sat down again. "So, what's the plan now? You're not exactly safe if Laura's walking free."
Clara frowned, stirring her coffee even though it didn't need it. "We can't accuse her without proof. The police already let her go. Whoever helped her knows how to cover their tracks."
"Well, we can't do anything about it right now," Nathaniel said, standing up and grabbing Clara's coat from the chair. "But first, let's get you out of here. The doctor said you can be discharged today, and you need to rest."
"You make it sound like I was diagnosed with anemia or something," she said, as Lily helped her off the bed.
"No, but you fainted, and that's close enough—just without the fatigue," Nathaniel said, holding the door open for them.
"He's not wrong," Lily shrugged.
Clara let out a resigned sigh as they walked out together. The hospital smell clung to her, sharp and sterile, and she hoped she wouldn't have to come back anytime soon.
Hospitals were bad news. Always bad news.
_________
When they got home, Nathaniel unlocked the door, and the moment it opened, Clara froze.
Sitting on the couch, legs crossed and a calm smile on her lips, was Laura.
"Clara," she said sweetly, standing up. "You're back. I was so worried about you."
"Oh Fuck no!!!"