Autumn tried to stay awake, but she found that to be really hard. She tapped her phone to pause her video and checked where she was. Season 4, episode 21. It had been so long. She'd started this series when she started staying at the hospital, months ago.

She had gotten through so many episodes, mostly because when she woke up in the night and couldn't fall back asleep (those pesky lights) she would put on a show until she got sleepy again.

The teen had watched an episode the night before, right after her grandmother had gotten out of surgery. She'd watched another 2 after she ate dinner. Another one when she woke up in the night. Another 3 in the early morning. She took a nap, then watched another and ate breakfast with her family.

It had been a long night. Her grandmother still hadn't woken up.

The surgery had been a success, the doctors were very clear in telling the family that it had been a good procedure. The only question that remained was that of when she would wake up.

Really, it was about if she would wake up less foggy. If she could come off the ventilator.

It had been about a month ago that the family realized how confused their beloved family member was.

She'd asked questions that didn't make sense, muddle her way through stories, mention places and people from a long time ago.

Then there was the confusion about how long she'd been sick. She couldn't really make decisions about her own treatment, so that fell on Autumn's mother.

Of course, at her age, it wasn't just the confusion that remained a question. It was also about if she would wake up at all. How her body would heal. If her body would heal.

There were still too many questions to know for sure how things would play out.

Autumn kept watching her show. Kept wandering down to the cafeteria for food. Kept stopping at the coffee shop on her way back up.

She became somewhat familiar with some of the staff at the hospital. There were a few nurses she knew pretty well, well enough that when she would spot one of them months later, he would ask her how the family was.

Of course, she also knew the girl who ran the coffee shop, and the boy who could often be found in the back corner, waiting for the barista to get off work.

She knew the man down in the cafeteria who would sometimes sneak her the almost expired yogurts and cakes for free.

She knew there was a pair of doctors who sometimes saw each other and would sweep one another into deep kisses.

There was a boy who could be found wandering the pathology department, but when Autumn asked him if he had worked there long, he just laughed and said "I've been here a couple weeks for a conference. Next stop is the Mayo Clinic!"

There was a woman she spotted in the worship room who winked and told her that whatever was going on in Autumn's life, it would all work out.

There was the dark skinned woman that Autumn's brother tried hitting on once. She had laughed, a deeply rich giggle, and swatted at the boy. She'd sat with Autumn and her brothers late one night when Autumn's parents had fallen asleep. She'd learned all about what was happening with Autumn's grandmother. She told them to have hope.

There was a young boy, about Autumn's age, who had run into her in the elevators. Literally run into her. He and his sister went with her to the gift shop to look for a candy bar. They ended up buying a gift for their new baby sibling and Autumn got both of their social medias before they left.

Sometimes she met families as they came in, it was just her luck that they hardly ever stayed longer than a few days. Most of the families were visiting Room 18.

But Autumn's favorite person at the hospital, aside from her family, was a nurse. His name was Adam. He was young. Kinda looked like her best friend's brother. He was kind and smart and he worked hard. He wasn't technically on Autumn's grandmother's service, but he was working that same floor and sometimes would come say hello to the family.

It made sense that other doctors and nurses would know Autumn's family. They'd been there longer than any other family in the last few years.

Adam came to see them every now and then, when he got a chance.

On one of his visits, he asked Autumn's mother what the teen wanted to be in her adulthood. She'd smiled as if to say "that's a loaded question."

Autumn was planning on getting a creative writing major in college, something her family teased her about quite often. She was also studying pre-med, so she would probably end with a Bachelor's of Science in writing. It was rather funny to the family.

Autumn's mother had informed Adam that her daughter wanted to go into orthopedic surgery. The nurse had laughed and nodded.

"It makes sense. Orthopedists are the rockstars of the medical world."

Autumn didn't know what to make of this information. She had just laughed and smiled when her mom had relayed it back.

But all of it meant nothing, really. Sure, Autumn had made friends at the hospital, but it meant nothing if her grandmother didn't pull through.

Autumn had watched a few more episodes that day. She got to the end of season 4, started season 5. She'd seen a couple characters die, come back, change. They still fought monsters. They still had a happy ending.

It was the third episode of season 5 when she was informed that her grandmother was awake.

She couldn't talk yet, but she was awake and that was something. At least, that's what all the doctors said. "This is a good sign."

Autumn had heard that a lot. This is a good sign.

Autumn's grandmother couldn't talk and that wasn't because of the medicine. Nor entirely. It was because she couldn't keep her oxygen levels up. She was put on a ventilator, even before she went into surgery.

It was another few episodes before Autumn's mother came rushing into the waiting room to tell the family that their grandmother had kept up her oxigen for 3 hours.

It was at least half a season before Autumn saw the doctor's pull out the ventilator.

Another couple episodes before Autumn heard her grandmother talk again.

It would be the end of season 6 before Autumn would see her grandmother head to rehab.

"It's honestly a miracle," the nurses said. The doctors said. The man in the cafeteria said.

Autumn's brother left the day before their grandmother left. He took the other brother home in his little white civic.

Autumn's father went home the morning her grandmother left. He took the families PT Cruiser.

And Autumn and her mother left just after her grandmother did. They left in the families red Prius. They were supposed to meet Autumn's grandmother at the rehab facility that night and help her settle in. The majority of the drive was spent in silence.

It wasn't that they were sad this time. It was that they were finally out of the storm.

Autumn had picked up the AUX cord and plugged it in, but hadn't turned anything on yet. Her mother smiled softly.

"Aren't you gonna play something?"

"Yeah, just deciding what."

"Well, when you get it on, map me back home."

It was few moments before the car was filled with music. Autumn put her phone down and glanced up at the road. "You'll take a left up here."