"Ele? ELE!"

Tyler yells out knowing something bad has happened. Eric having followed her out a little to make sure she stayed safe, hears the scream comes running out. Seeing the man he springs into action, he runs down the steps to find Tony still half conscious but clutching onto Ele. Eric jumps up and lays into Tony with a stomp to the face, causing him to let go of Ele. He starts to stand but is hit with a stiff kick to the face again, making him fall back. Eric going into full attack mode grabs Tony by the head and starts kneeing him in the face repeatedly and throwing him to the floor. By this time the commotion is heard and several others have come out to see what is going on.

"Somebody call 911."

He calls out, planting his knee on the back of Tony and onto his neck.

In a flurry of lights and sirens, both Ele and Tony were taken to the hospital for injuries. Once in the E.R., Ele was taken for tests while Kate, who was Ele's emergency contact on file, arrived in a state of calm, collected, ready-for-the-worst, the same posture she took when she was about to face down a business meeting. Inside though, she was a wreck as she filled out Ele's paperwork in the waiting room.

"Tyler first, then a lawyer, probably talk to the police... Did she even give me his number? Crap, what was her last... Ugh!"

Kate muttered quietly to herself as she wrote, her mind making a list of things to do next.

Eric walks up to Kate and says.

"I have Tyler's number."

He hands her his phone on the contacts page, Tyler's number 2nd on the list.

"Will she be alright?"

Setting the papers aside, Kate blew out a breath and shook her head as she took the phone from Eric. In no way did she blame him for Tony attacking Ele, from what she had gathered it had happened so quickly that you would have had to have been psychic to prevent it.

"No one has told me anything, just that she is getting an MRI at CT scan soon. I have to let Tyler know."

Pressing Tyler's name, Kate put the phone to her ear and crossed one leg over the other, waiting for Tyler to pick up.

Seeing Eric's number pop up on his phone he answers.

"Hey brother, everything okay?"

He asks concernedly.

"Tyler, it's Kate,"

She said, hearing the concern in Tyler's voice,

"Its about Ele, she... Well... Tony got to her and they fell. Ele is getting tests done, but she's not awake, I think you need to be here."

Movement caught Kate's eye and she stood when she saw the attending coming towards her,

"Hang on, the doctor is here, I'll put you on speaker."

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Kate held it in her hand as the doctor explained what was being seen.

"She's a very lucky young lady, that fall could have done far worse. At the moment we're seeing some swelling, but nothing out of the norm. She's still unconscious, but if she comes to soon we can look to release her in a couple days. We will be admitting her for observation, and once she's settled in she can have visitors."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Kate said, taking the phone off speaker and speaking to Tyler again, this time her voice was lowered,

"The first person she'll want to see is definitely not me, so I hope to God you're packing a bag to come out here and be with her. If not, you need to gracefully exit her life. She is like my sister, and I will protect her heart like its my own. So what's it going to be?"

Listening to the doctor talking he shakes his head.

"I will definitely be out there. I am just working on opening up a new shop right now. I can get some time away now fortunately, just a matter of how long it will take me to get out there which it should be by tomorrow hopefully."

"You had better drop everything, dude."

Kate said firmly, settling back into her seat and putting the paperwork back in her lap,

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Kate held it out to Eric,

"Thanks."

"I am, just gotta find the earliest flight I can out."

Tyler makes some calls getting everything squared away. By 2 am he is on a plane making his way out to California. Getting out there he calls Eric and lets him know that he will be at the hospital in a little bit. He springs for a viper rental car, knowing he will only be out for a few days tops. He drives to the hospital and parks the car, pulling the keys before heading in. Setting the alarm he walks in.

A nurse at the information desk directed Tyler where to go, the second floor close to the elevators. In Ele's room, Kate was curled up in the provided chair, her phone in her hand as she replied to emails and played Ele's favorite Spotify station, country music, even though Kate herself hated the genre. She hadn't left her best friend's side since the moment the nurses had allowed visitors, always alert for a change in Ele.

Tyler makes his way up to the room. Walking in he looks at Ele first then Kate.

"Keeping busy I see."

He says to Kate as he moves over to the bedside, opposite Kate and sits down next to Ele. Taking her hand he asks.

"Anything change?"

Looking up at Tyler camr in, Kate nodded and gave him a smile of relief. She had desperately been hoping that this guy was good, and he was proving to live up to Kate's high standards.

"Unfortunately no. She's not in a coma, thank God, but the doc said the fall probably shocked her brain and basically set it into reboot."

Sighing and stretching out her long legs, Kate stood up,

"Eric did a number on Tony though. Rat bastard snuck in when the movers propped the door open and took the chance to grab Ele. He swears he was just trying to talk to her, that she hit him first and he was defending himself but the security camera shows otherwise,"

"If he tries anything again with me around I will finish what Eric started. Nobody touches my lady and gets away with it."

He holds onto Ele's hand and rubs her fingers.

"You tired?"

He asks her as her sits there with Ele.

"Well, considering he's handcuffed to his hospital bed and a police officer is outside of his room two floors above us, I would be impressed if he managed to try again. But I appreciate the not so veiled death threat, as I've been sorely tempted to rip out his throat, even without another try."

Putting her hands on her lower back, Kate stretched and popped her back,

"I'm exhausted, but I wasn't about to leave Ele-Bell for a moment, in case she woke up. Now that you're here though, I may catch a taxi home for a couple hours. Maybe our stubborn lady will wake up for you."

He chuckles.

"If anything happens with him again I will be sure to call you. Vale, the guy that got Eric to come protect Ele may be coming back out here to help provide more protection until we head back home, but if you are exhausted just go back home and get some well deserved rest."

"Thanks dude,"

Kate said with a nod, picking up her bag and putting it over her shoulder. Going to the door, Kate paused and looked at Tyler, smiling widely,

"Oh and, nice to finally meet you in person, Tyler. I'm Kate."

Waving over her shoulder, Kate left the room to go back to her apartment.

He smiles and waves back.

"Rest well, Kate."

He turns back to Ele and whispers to her.

"I am here Ele and I will stay here."

It wasn't until hours later, as the sun was creeping up the horizon, that Ele moved. Drawing in a deep breath and her eyelids fluttered. It felt like she was coming out of a very deep sleep, and a whimper escaped her as dull, pulsing pain coursed through her,

"Tyler?"

She whispered, her voice breaking as her eyes opened slowly and searching the room for a moment before landing on Tyler. Immediately her eyes filled with tears as she reached her arms out to him,

"Oh Tyler! I was so scared!"

He hugs her.

"I am here now so you don't need to worry about a thing."

Continuing to hold her he says.

"Vale is coming out soon. He is driving out."

Sobbing in his arms Ele cried until she pulled herself together to ask,

"Why is Vale coming?"