Hold On For Me (Part 2)

                                    

                                          
It had been a month since Hazel had slipped into a coma, and Nico was beginning to lose hope. Frank had long since returned to work, and Nico took charge of Ryan, handling school drop off and pick up, lunches, homework. He cooked because it kept him busy and it helped Frank.
                          
"Nico di Angelo speaking," he answered his phone that morning.
                          
"Hi Nico, it's Brunner here. Do you have time to discuss hours with me?" His boss spoke on the other line.
                          
"Yeah, absolutely. What do you need?" Nico grabbed his coffee from the barista, nodding his thanks before going back up to Hazel's room.
                          
"Is there any possible chance you can return to work within the next few days? I understand your sister is in the hospital right now, but we really need the manpower. If you can't make it back soon, I'm going to have no choice other than replace you, no matter how badly I'd like to keep you on, you know you're the best in the business, and between you and I, you would have a promotion in the near future."
                          
Nico was torn. He loved his job, but family would always come first for him. "Can I call you in the morning with my decision?" Better to take time and think before rushing into any decisions.
                          
"Absolutely! I look forward to hearing from you. Take care, Nico."
                          
"You as well." He hung up the call, heart pounding, trying to will his anxiety away. He knew he should really stop drinking coffee, as it only made his anxiety worse, but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of the much needed caffeine as he tried to survive each day.
                          
He startled as the door opened and Will came in, eyes soft as he asked "How are you holding up?" They had become quite close in all his time at the hospital, Will often spending his breaks with Nico, and even going out for drinks a few times, but they hadn't really progressed past flirting yet.
                          
"Can I ask you a question?"
                          
"Of course!" Will pulled the extra chair that had been brought into the room towards him and straddled it, arms resting on the back. "What's up?"
                          
"If you had to decide between staying with your family or losing your job, what would you choose?" His voice was small, and he was looking down at his hands that were fiddling with a coffee cup.
                          
"Are you going to lose your job because of all the time you've taken off?"
                          
"I will if I'm not back in a couple days. I have till tomorrow to decide what I'm wanting to do. I love my job, and I worked my ass off for years to get where I am today, but if something happened to Hazel while I wasn't here, I don't know if I could live with myself. I just feel really selfish for wanting to keep my job while Hazel is fighting for her life."
                          
Will gave a small hum, taking a moment to think over his words. "I think wanting to keep your job is reasonable. Is having you physically here in this room or at home with Ryan making a difference in her health?"
                          
Nico shook his head, confused.
                          
"Would it make a difference if you were in this city or back home?"
                          
He shook his head again.
                          
"Only you can make this decision, and I know it's hard because she's your entire family, but even though I never knew Hazel conscious, I don't think she'd want you to throw away your career over her. She has Frank and Ryan, and visiting is always an option. Talk to Frank, spend the night thinking about it, but if you do decide to leave, don't you dare go without saying goodbye to me." Will's tone was joking, but he meant those last words.
                          
"Thanks, I should probably let you go back to work, but of course I'll come see you before you leave," Nico stood up, and Will pulled him into a tight hug. That was another thing they did, hugs. Will gave the best hugs. He took a deep breath, Will smelled of sunshine, a clear day, despite spending all his time in the hospital.