Mabel had not been sleeping properly.

Between the nightmare that was the waking hours, where guilt ate her alive and worry and anxiety kept her brain agitated, she found she could not set her mind to any useful task; and the deep dark pit that was being unconscious in a fitful sleep, where she watched her brother lie in his own blood again and again, Mabel found herself finally unable to keep her eyelids open at Dipper's bedside.

It had been three days of silence.

Once they had got Dipper to the hospital, they had been urgently shooed away by frantic nurses and doctors, and Mabel had screamed in anguish as she watched her tiny little broken brother hooked up to a life support with oxygen supplied.

It had been her, Grunkle Stan and Soos who had accompanied him to the hospital, and Wendy had come as soon as she could. Mabel glanced at her now. She was sat in the corner of the room with her knees together and her head down.

What had happened after a general check over of Dipper's entire body had led to some difficult questions.

Mabel had eavesdropped on her Grunkle saying in a very menacing tone to a rather alarmed looking doctor that he didn't give a bloody damn what it said on his personal record: his name was Dipper and he was male. Mabel had grinned as he had roughly grabbed the doctor by the starched white colour and shook him when he still referred to Dipper as Mason.

"He'll be officially a boy when he's old enough," he had snarled. "And for time being, you will respect his personal choices. Do you understand me?!"

The doctor had given in hurriedly. That had been the end of the misgendering.

Then they had waited.

Mabel had refused to leave Dipper's bedside the second they had allowed her into his room. He lay in a crooked sort of way, his leg in a cast and smothered in thick, stiff bandages.

The hospital had decided to discuss how the accident had happened after or if Dipper woke up. When Mabel heard the 'if' she fully understand that Dipper might actually be dead. And she sobbed. It would be her fault if...

Now, she lay grasping Dipper's limp hand by his bedside, with Wendy across the room, sitting silently. Soos was running the Mystery Shack in Stan's absence, and in amongst the horror and terror of the past three days, the only good thing was to see his ill-concealed joy at being given this responsibility. Although, Mabel knew he felt guilt for allowing himself this happiness off the back of the accident, because any time the shop wasn't open, he was in the hospital comforting them all and whispering to the unconscious Dipper,

"You'll be alright, dude," more to himself than the lifeless form of his young friend.

Stan had left momentarily to get some food- Mabel had not left this hospital for three days and the doctors knew better than to reason with the Pines family. Stan would be back soon, and in the meantime Mabel entertained herself with trying not to fall asleep.

A few hours passed. Wendy left to have a walk and stretch her legs, ruffling Mabel's hair as she left. She let her hand linger there for a moment, showing true affection. Mabel managed a strained smile from her place by the bed.

Then she and Dipper were left alone.

It was about half an hour later when she heard it: the steady, too-slow beeps from Dipper's life support increased by a millisecond. Mabel wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't heard anything but that awful beeping all day every day for three days straight.

Mabel jerked awake from her slight laps in alertness. She stared down at Dipper so hard it looked as though she was trying to set him alight with lazer vision.

Dipper didn't move, but his heart rate had definitely sped up. Mabel was sure of it.

She should really call a doctor, but she wasn't going to miss Dipper waking up if he was about to. She squeezed his hand and felt his pulse, which was just as faint, just as feeble, but just that little bit faster than before to give Mabel hope.

Nothing happened for five minutes. Dipper remained unconscious, Mabel remained vigilant.

But then something happened which made Mabel leap out of her chair and gape at the boy in the bed in pure surprise: his heart rate sped and boomed loudly as though a surge of electricity had coursed through his body. Dipper jerked. His eyelids fluttered but showed only the whites of his eyes. His heart rate sped to a neck break speed. Mabel was about to scream for help when-

Dipper's eyes flew opened, he gasped, sat upright suddenly, and fell out of the bed.

"Dipper!" Mabel yelled in shock.

Dipper yelped in pain as his broken leg smacked onto the floor. Mabel ran to his side. He was groaning and rubbing his head.

"Dipper! Oh my god, you're alive! You're okay!" Mabel sobbed jubilantly.

"Mabel!" Dipper croaked.

Mabel helped him back onto the bed and Dipper lay there uncomfortably, frowning, clearly in pain.

"Shall I call someone for some painkillers-?" Mabel began, but Dipper shook his head. He looked at her seriously.

"How long?" He breathed raggidly.

"Three days," Mabel murmered.

"I'm so sorry." He muttered.

"No- no- don't be," Mabel said, ashamed. "You... You don't hate me?"

"Hate you?" Dipper chuckled then coughed rather violently. "Sorry," he said. "Throat's dry."

"Here," Mabel grabbed a cup of water on the bedside tabel and helped Dipper take a sip. He spluttered but swallowed and smiled.

"So... Why would you think that?" He asked, getting straight to the point like usual.

"You... Don't remember?" Mabel asked, breathily: she couldn't believe it.

"Remember what?"

"The accident," she said. "How you got in hospital? Your broken leg and other gourdy injuries?"

"No- I can't remember. But Mabel- wait-" for she had been about to interrupt, "-I don't want to know. All I care about is that I'm home and I'm safe. And so are you. Whatever happened- it's in the past. Let's look forwards. I've had enough of wallowing and selfpity. They don't get you anywhere."

"You're sure?" Mabel asked anxiously.

"Quite sure, thank you, and considering I nearly just died, I don't think you should contradict me, sis."

They laughed, savouring the fact that they were united again. Mabel grasped Dipper's hand. They smiled at each other, and Dipper said quietly,

"I love you, Mabel."

Mabel let the tears leak from her eyes unashamedly.

"I love you more, Dip. I'm so happy you're home."

"Not as happy as me."

She hugged him. Then Dipper thought for a moment, and said,

"Hey... When I was unconscious, I had the weirdest dream..."