Trigger warnings: Mentions of injury, depression/suicide, violence, sexual assault, abuse

"Remington has sepsis," a doctor told Andy, who had been sitting in the waiting room for more than two hours, getting increasingly worried to the point of previously stepping outside and calling Abigail in an attempt to prevent a panic attack. "We think this was caused by peritonitis, which is when the stomach lining becomes infected. It's clear Remington took multiple blows to his stomach so it isn't surprising. He's very lucky that you brought him in when you did. Going untreated for sepsis for more than a few hours can lead to septic shock and that can be deadly."

Andy tried not to let his mind wonder to what Remington would look if he were dead, as it had been for the past two hours. 

"He's also contracted multiple sexually transmitted infections, but the antibiotics he's on now will sort those out in no time. He'll need to stay in hospital for at least three weeks while the sepsis is treated, and will be tube fed until he's able to eat without throwing it back up." 

"Okay." 

"Would you like to see him? He's awake now." 

"Please." 

"No problem. Right this way. Can I ask your relation to Remington?" 

Andy hesitated. He couldn't say husband because it wasn't technically true, so instead, he said, "boyfriend," and hoped Remington wouldn't mind. 

"In that case, I need to ask whether you've engaged in sexual intercourse with him recently?" 

"No. Never." 

"Alright. That makes things easier for you. Well, here's his room. He shouldn't be in anymore pain, but if he seems to be, please call in a doctor." 

Andy nodded, said he would, and opened the door. Remington was lying in the bed with his head propped up on two pillows, a tube in his nose and an IV in his wrist. He looked up at Andy and spoke. "I thought it was a dream." 

Sitting down beside the bed, Andy tried not to stare. He'd never seen someone in so much pain as he had those hours ago with Remington in his car. He almost couldn't believe that all it took for the pain to vanish were some chemicals. "Good thing it wasn't," he said. "They said you could have died if you weren't treated when you were." 

"I know." 

"How do you feel now?" 

"Weird." 

"Yeah, I'm not surprised." 

"Andy, where did you go?" 

He looked at his hands and sighed. "I, uh...listen, do you really want to know? I mean, you've just had, like, the worst month of your life, don't you want to just talk about happy things now?" 

"I thought something had happened to you." 

Andy could hear the hurt in his voice. "I know." 

"They didn't even say anything, they just took me. And I didn't know where you were and I wasn't allowed my phone and then they said our marriage was terminated and I thought you were dead." 

"I know. I know. I'm sorry. It's my fault." 

"What did you do?" There were tears in his eyes. "What did you do, Andy? Why did you leave me? They made me marry someone else. He...he works for you. He made me do all these things. And you said nothing would happen to me after our wedding and I just started believing it, and then-and then you left. Where did you go?" He sniffled. He didn't want Andy to see him cry. "He did all these things to me, and you said-you said they'd never happen to me, but they did. And I went to your office for-for help, and he was there, and...why would you hire someone like that?" 

"I'm so sorry." 

"I had to have sex with him, Andy, every day. Every day. And it hurt so bad and he wouldn't stop, and I couldn't sleep, and where were you? Where were you?" 

"I was here." 

Remington lifted his gaze to meet Andy's. 

"I was here. Not this room, but here. This hospital. I'm sorry. I couldn't leave. They wouldn't let me. Suicide watch and all." 

Oh my God. 

"The night I didn't come home. I was here. They brought me here. Because I called...I called my therapist while I was at work telling her I was gonna...uh, kill myself, and she called an ambulance, and they brought me here. And she made me stay in the mental health ward so I wouldn't do it again, and then I found out that they'd terminated our marriage and she signed a form so I could leave. I was trying to find you since I got home, but everything lead to dead ends." 

"You....suicide?" 

"I know you read the article online. It's okay. I don't mind. It's public, anyway. You've not done anything wrong. I'm sorry. I know I should have come home and I should have just not done it, but..." 

"It's not your fault," Remington said, confidently. "It's not your fault. Suicide isn't your fault." 

"I'm the reason they took you. I'm the cause for all this." 

"Yes, but I don't blame you. You can't help your mental health." He studied Andy's face, his furrowed brows and wet eyes. "I'm sorry you felt so sad." 

Andy swallowed. His voice had stopped working. He shook his head. 

"You saved me," Remington said now, words soft again. "Thank you." 

"Don't thank me." 

"Did you mean it?" 

"Mean what?" 

"I'm your boy?" 

Andy let himself smile. "I'm not a liar, Remington." He wiped his eyes. "I'll fire Gregory first thing tomorrow, he'll lose the rights to the marriage, they'll terminate it. Then you marry me for the second time before they try and ship you off to another abusive cunt, and you'll be safe." 

"Okay." 

"Unless you don't want to marry me again?" 

"I do." He smiled. "Only 'cause you don't hurt me. Not for any other reason." 

"Sure, whatever you wanna believe." 

"Is this you proposing?" 

"Yes. One sec." Andy got off the chair and knelt by the bed, took one of his rings off and held it up. "Remington Leith, will you marry me so that no one ever beats you up ever again?"

I'm supposed to hate you, dammit. "Wait, can I have that ring instead?" He pointed to Andy's second finger, and Andy laughed but obliged, pulled Gergory's ring off and slid his on. 

"There," he said. "That's much better." 

"Thank you." 

"No." 

Remington shook his head and looked at the ring on his finger, smiled at it. "You owe me lots of dresses." 

"Yes, I think I do."