Nurses huddle around the stretcher as the automatic doors to the emergency room slide open. Morgan, standing in front of the ambulance that he had just exited from, stares at an unconscious Paige as he quickly follows them inside.

"Is she going to be okay?!" He asks worriedly.

Ignoring him, they continue to wheel the stretcher through the first set of double doors down a wide corridor. He attempts to follow when a nurse turns to block him with her open palm. He gazes at the smears of blood on her plastic glove and feels his stomach churn, the image he's been trying to suppress of how he found Paige quickly resurfacing in his mind.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you cannot come back here." She says sternly.

He shakes his head, attempting to walk around her. "Just let me in!"

Stepping in front of him, she blocks his way again. Her face reads concern, not just for the patient but for him as well. With that look, he can tell that she has no choice but to follow protocol. "I'm sorry."

"Is she going to be okay?" He says with a lower voice, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"She's in critical condition." She fakes a reassuring smile. "We're going to do our best but your friend lost a lot of blood. Just wait here and I'll keep you posted."

Nodding, he steps back to let her know that he won't get in her way any further. The nurse turns around and hurriedly walks through the doors to follow her peers. He stares at the double doors as they swing back-and-forth, slowing down until they finally reach a steady pace before closing.

His gaze focuses down to the floor, seeing drops of blood that lead a trail coming from the entrance. It must have dripped from the stretcher. He runs his hands vigorously across his face, still staring down at the floor as he thinks about how everything has fallen apart over the past few weeks and it all circles around that one night.

The automatic doors open again and he turns around to see Paige's mother stumble inside the lobby. She had finally gathered the courage to step out of the ambulance but, still in a drunken state, has yet to fully come to terms with what exactly happened. She stares directly into his eyes, knowing that if it wasn't for him her daughter would be dead right now.

He can't help but think that, truthfully, if it wasn't for him... this would have never happened. None of this.

"It's just a slight sprain." The paramedic, a young woman not much older than Casey, looks up from her leg with a smile. "You're lucky."

Scoffing, Casey turns to the side. "Lucky?"

"It could have been worse." Riley says, not to be condescending but more reflective. He stares at Casey's swollen ankle propped up on the bench across from the one they're sitting on inside of the ambulance. "It could have been so much worse."

Casey turns to him, lightly grabbing onto his shoulder.

The paramedic takes one more look at Casey's ankle, touching it slightly with her fingers to feel that the swelling has already decreased. She looks back up at Casey as she rewraps a thin sheet of gauze over the sprain. "It should heal in no time if you try to stay off of it. But, after a fall like that, I still recommend that you go to the hospital."

"I'm fine." Casey says, trying her best not to wince at the stinging as the lady finishes tightly wrapping the fabric around her ankle. "Thank you though."

Shrugging, the paramedic stands up and walks to the open doors of the ambulance to climb down the short step and onto the street. Peyton, a thin white blanket wrapped around her, sits on the edge of the ambulance kicking her feet above the pavement below as she gazes over at the cops swarming their house across the street. A light scarlet glare peaks from behind the roof as the sun rises.

"She's right. You should go." Riley says, squeezing even closer to her. "Just in case."

"It's just a sprain." Casey smirks, not wanting to look weak in front of Peyton. "I'll be fine."

As he stares into her emerald eyes, he feels the guilt seeping in even deeper. How could he be so selfish to drag Casey, along with her little sister, into this shit storm? Unintentionally or not, he put their lives in danger. His eyes start to water at the thought of what could have happened had things unfolded differently.

"You okay?" She asks, noticing his tightening grip on her hand.

He clears his throat before responding. "Yeah."

She nods, her eyes shifting to Peyton. She reaches over to touch her shoulder. "How 'bout you?"

Peyton jumps at the sudden touch, still on edge, and takes a deep breath as she glances back at her. She rubs at her swollen eyes. "I just want to go to sleep."

"I know. It's been a long night." Casey sighs, sugarcoating the hell they just experienced. "The sheriff said they'll be finished soon. He had one of his deputies board up the back door so we don't have to worry once they leave."

"When are Mom and Dad coming home?"

"Last time I talked to them they were boarding the plane." Casey smiles as she rubs at Peyton's shoulder. "They should be back in a few hours. Riley is going to stay with us until then."

"No." Riley whispers to Casey and she turns to look at him. He changes his answer to her previous question. "I'm not okay."

"What?" She shakes her head, confused. "What's wrong?"

He signals her to the curb in front of the mailbox, one of the few nearby spots where nobody is standing. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." She says hesitantly, unsure of where this is leading. She's had enough surprises tonight.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he helps her stand to her feet. He jumps off of the back of the ambulance before turning around to lift her down to the pavement.

Casey looks at Peyton uneasily, not wanting to leave her side even if it's for a second, and gestures to the curb just a few feet away. "I'll be right over here."

Other things weighing on her mind, Peyton nods as she turns to peer back at the house.

Holding her arm, Riley assists Casey to balance herself as she limps alongside him to the curb. Feeling overly protective, she looks back at Peyton to ensure that she's still in clear view. She leans against the mailbox for support as she turns around to face him.

"Casey..." His voice is shattered and, just by that one word, she can tell based on his tone that whatever he is about to say can't be good. He grabs onto her hand tightly as he glares into her eyes.

"Yeah?" She asks, staring back at him tensely. "What is it?"

"I have to tell you something."

♫ ɢᴜɪʟᴛ / ʜᴜʀᴛs ♫