He raised his head and opened his eyes, the light in the room making him squint.

“Ted.” His name a breathless whisper on her lips, as if she didn’t want to scare him, as if she was waking him up from a nightmare. Her palm touched his cheek and he shut his eyes at the familiarity of the consoling gesture.

“It’s okay,” she said, her thumb swiping his cheek, tracing the dried tracks his tears left behind. “I’m right here.”

Rebecca slid his phone from his grip. She didn’t say anything about her voicemail playing, she didn’t need to. She put the slid the phone in her back pocket and replaced it with her hand in his, her thumb swiping at his wrist, checking his pulse in her gentleness.

“Ted,” she said, her other thumb under his chin, raising his head slightly, “look at me.”

He blinked his eyes open again only to be met by a soft smile that made his heart flutter.

“Let’s get you out of here, hm?”

He nodded weakly, one corner of his mouth twitching unconvincingly.

“Think you can get up?” She leaned away, balancing on the balls of her feet.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

She stood up and he tried doing the same, tried lifting himself up, tried putting his weight in his hand, only for his arm give out under him, his knees protesting.

“No,” he corrected himself, not looking at her, not baring to see the pity.

“I’ve got you. Come on,” she extended her hand to him, “take my hand.”

That’s when he finally looked up. There was no pity in her face, only a smile of encouragement, of safety and comfort. It was Rebecca bathed in fluorescent light that no longer blinded him, instead it sent a warm feeling right through his bones, made him take her hand, let him pull him up to his feet.

Ted stumbled on his shaky legs as she pulled him upright, falling into her arms. She caught him, embraced him in a hug so gentle he felt like he was melting into her.

“I’m sorry,” he began, only to be shushed, her hand making its way to his neck, scratching it gently, making his eyes roll to the back of his head. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the comfort of somebody touching him, of Rebecca being the one to do so, he didn’t notice tears had started rolling down his face again, not until she pulled away and wiped them away. Not until she leaned in and pressed her lips to his damp cheek.