After they danced a few more songs, Catherine's right side was throbbing. She did her best not to let it show how badly it hurt.

Matt turned around to play another song and Catherine immediately starting rubbing her side. She knew it hurt because Matt had his hand there while they were dancing, causing the fabric to rub against her burn, but she didn't want to tell him. She didn't want him to worry that he hurt her.

Matt looked her over, reading every twitch and gentle motion. "You alright?"

"Um...yeah, I'm fine," Cath lied.

Matt saw through her immediately. "Let's sit down."

"Okay," Catherine sighed. "I'm alright, really." She sat down beside Matt, wincing slightly.

"We can't lie to each other, Cath," he sighed. "The truth is the only thing we can hold onto."

"My side's just bothering me a bit...a lot actually."

"Is it just because I know about it or should we go home?" Matt asked with worry.

"You've had your hand on my side the entire time we've been dancing. That just...aggravated it a bit," Cath shrugged.

Matt's eyes widened in horror. "I hurt you?"

Catherine immediately wished that she could take back her words. "No," she said quickly.

"I did," Matt said to himself in a trance. "I hurt you and I didn't even notice."

"Babe," Catherine said, moving his chin toward her. "Look at me. I'm alright. I'll always be alright as long as you're here."

Matt frowned. This had happened before, this conversation, this feeling that someone had been injured for his sake. "Cath, you should have told me."

"We were having a good time. Pain aside, tonight has been amazing. I wasn't going to ruin that."

"I love you, Catherine," Matt moaned. "Have I said that today?"

Catherine smiled. "Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again. I love you too," she replied, kissing him gently. She put and hand to her side as she rested her head on his shoulder. The pain was killing her.

"Cath," Matt whispered as she moaned softly, "Cath, tell me if your okay...You're worrying me."

"My side just kinda really hurts right now," Catherine replied, trying to keep her face from twisting in pain.

Matt's brow furrowed as he slowly rose to his feet. "We're taking you to the doctor's."

"Matt, I appreciate the concern, but it's fine. I've been before. Each time I get the same answer. It's just as a result of my accident. It'll go away," Catherine assured.

Matt shook his head. "Cath, your burn is on your ribs. You're holding lower. It might be something else."

"You didn't see how big the scar is, did you? It covers a pretty wide area."

Matt shrugged. "I saw enough, Cath. What if your appendix is bad or something?"

"You really want me to go?" Catherine sighed.

"It would serve to ease my troubled mind."

"Fine, I'll go."

"Thank you." Matt sighed in relief.

Catherine let him take her to the hospital. The entire time, she wondered why he was so concerned. She assured him that it was nothing. "Perhaps he doesn't know exactly how bad my accident was," Catherine thought.

Matt anxiously pulled his hoodie over his head. He didn't like hospitals, he never had. But there was something about room thirteen across the hall that was making his heart twist in his chest.

"Are you alright?" Catherine asked, noticing how tense her boyfriend was.

"I hate hospitals," Matt replied, loosening his collar.

"Come sit next to me," Cath said, patting the bed beside her.

A strange high pitched whining started in the back of Matt's ears, a throbbing in the back of his neck. "What?" He mumbled hoarsely, his eyes fixed on the door across the hall.

"Matt, you aren't okay. What's wrong?" Catherine asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Matt shivered as a chill ran up his spine, "Could you sit in the chair maybe? Seeing you in that bed I-" His stomach churned in knots and faint sparklers floated across his eyes as he nervously stumbled backward into a chair. "God, it's hot in here."

Catherine sat in the chair next to Matt. "Babe, you feel really warm."

"I'm fine," he mumbled. "This room's just small, feels like it's closing in."

"Why don't you wait outside?" Cath suggested.

"I can't protect you from outside," he snarled in a momentary relapse of frustration. "I can't do anything."

Catherine smiled. "Matt, I'm going to be fine. Don't worry about me. You do whatever you need to do for you."

"I need you," Matt grumbled in defeat, "to not get hurt, Mel."

"Mel," Catherine thought. It was killing her that Matt didn't remember somebody so important to him. Even more so than the pain that lingered in her side.

"Mel," Matt repeated slowly. "Did I say Mel?"

"No, you said Cath," she lied.

Matt bit his lip, he could have sworn...

He pointed across the hall, rising to his full height shakily. "I've been in that room before."

"Matt, sit back down," Catherine pleaded. "Please."

"Why?" He asked slowly, his eyes searching hers frantically with confusion. "Cath, what-" He stepped to the side as a doctor entered the room.

The doctor sat down and talked to Catherine in a hushed voice, saying things that Matt couldn't hear.

Catherine nodded a couple of times, and then shook the doctor's hand before he departed.

Matt had made his way nearly to the doorframe, his finger trailing against the handle as he walked steadily in a trance toward room number thirteen.

There was something there, he knew it. Something about the sobs he heard at night, the names in his head.

"Matt, come back," Catherine called, searching her mind frantically for anything to quickly get his attention. "I-I'm pregnant."

Matt's attention snapped back to Cath and he turned around, not leaving the door frame, but rather, leaning against the wall cautiously as he attempted to steady his breathing. "Hm?" He hummed with glazed eyes.

"You didn't hear me?" Cath questioned. "I said 'I'm pregnant'," she repeated nonchalantly, picking up her phone. "It's nearly twelve thirty. I wonder if Mariah's still awake."

Matt looked from Catherine to room thirteen as the color drained from his face. With it, comprehension of things he wished he hadn't sought to remember. "Oh my God," he whispered. He sunk to the floor pulling his legs to his chest, unable to let the air flow into his lungs. Breathing when it did come, ragged and painful.

"Matt? What's wrong?" Catherine asked, her concern growing.

Matt pulled his head into his knees and shook violently. "She- she-" He burst into tears, griping tightly each hand to the other till his fingers dug so far into his flesh he started to bleed.

Catherine moved over to her boyfriend and knelt down. "I know," she said softly. "Come on, let's get you home."

He grabbed her shirt and pulled her close to him. "You can't be. We never- I can't lose you too. I lost- I lost-" He tried to speak but only gasps of air came out.

Catherine wrapped her arms around Matt's shoulders and cradled his head to her chest. "Hey," she said comfortingly. "It's alright. Everything's going to be fine. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Matt attempted to steady his hand and looked at her heartbrokenly. "Caleb. We have to tell Caleb."

"About what?"

His eyes stared blankly into her own as he gently moved a hand to her stomach.

"Caleb and I never...I'm not pregnant. I'll explain later. For now, we need to get you home," Catherine said softly, helping Matt to a standing position.

"Y-y-you're not?" He gaped, still trembling at the knees.

"No," Catherine laughed slightly. She wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled his arm around her shoulders. "Come on," she whispered.

"I gotta go somewhere first," Matt mumbled, fighting his way towards the room next door. "I gotta see if she's in there. A friend of mine, I think? There used to be flowers in there. I put flowers in there..."

Catherine grabbed his hand. "Matt, look, I need you to trust me. We just need to get out of here, okay? I just need you to trust me and don't go in there. Please," Catherine begged with pleading eyes.

"Catherine," he sighed shakily, putting her hand to his cheek and pressing his forehead to hers. "Cath, I have to know. What Josh won't tell me...the secrets he keeps...I need to sleep knowing my life is my own, knowing I did everything I-I could."

"I'll tell you later. I know everything. Please, just come home with me now."

Matt frowned at her. "Why don't you want me to go?" He asked slowly, pulling away, his voice filled with distrust.

"Because I love you, okay? I love you and I'm trying to save you from a lot of hurt," Catherine cried. "Trust me. I wouldn't be asking you to do this if I didn't know exactly what you'd be getting yourself into. Matt, please. I love you." Her voice was breaking, and she was on the verge of tears.

Matthew looked from the door to his beloved, heart aching, head pounding. "I-I-"

A doctor stopped in the hallway and frowned wide eyed at the pair. "Matthew?" He grabbed Matt by the arm and pulled him aside. "Matt, what are you doing here?!"

"I'm here with my girlfriend Catherine," he replied. Matt paused and looked at the man in confusion. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"You did once," The man sighed. "I'm Jack, Josh's brother." He gave a small nod to Cath and started pushing Matt down the hall. "Matt, you need to hurry up and get out of here before someone else recognizes you."

—————

Catherine was about to run over to Matthew when a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Hey, let me go," she said as she spun around. She looked up and saw Caleb.

"That's how you greet your ex?" Caleb laughed.

"Sorry," Catherine blushed. "I didn't know it was you."

"It's alright. What are you doing here?" Caleb asked, concern showing in his eyes.

"Matt brought me. I was having pain in my side because of the accident ten years ago. I'll text you and explain more later," she replied quickly, giving Caleb a hug before running over to Matt.

Caleb gave a small shrug and made his way inside the thirteenth room.

—————

"If I want to be here," Matt stated, turning red, "no one's gonna stop me, Jack."

"Matt," the young man said sternly, "you need to leave. Keep your voice down, I don't want you getting arrested."

Catherine pulled at Matt's arm. Nothing she had said before was working, so she once again resorted to an old tactic. "I'm pregnant. We need to get out of here."

"I'm not falling for that again," Matt hissed, scowling at her.

"Matt," the young man snapped, grabbing him tightly by the arm and forcing him to look in his eyes. "For Melody's sake and for all that is and was ever good within you, man, you need to leave now."

Matt's face fell pale and he looked from Jack to Cath as a child would to it's parents. Each step unsure, every thought full of questions needing answers.

"My god," Catherine muttered, running her fingers through her messy curls. "Matt, I just want to go, okay? I'm tired and I'm hungry and I want to leave." Her frustration was growing rapidly. She was trying to keep him from getting hurt. Why couldn't he just trust her? Why couldn't they just go home and enjoy their time together? "Calm yourself, Catherine," she thought. "Matt's had a tough life too. You need to remember that."

Matt looked tormentedly to all three options. Not knowing what else to do, he turned to Cath and pressed his lips hard onto her own. After a moment, he slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. "Let's go," he mumbled.