A/N- To Gaara-LOve, Elli, Addisonkarev, JYLlian, laurienlaurie, mystripedskirt, Calgrl93, teddy bear, JackieQ, .days, dkmm, Bethany, Ulrikke, Edwardslover09, Sarah, Blood Red Kiss of Death, HnM skinnys, KillerNewton, finnlover, Brenda, KAKS, sailor cyanide, GGlover-1, xoxo - Amber, h, flipped, Jenny345 I owe you guys a massive thank you for being lovely reviewers :) On with 30...

Oh, and for some reason, ff won't let me but the 'Five Doors Down' title in the centre of the page.

Five Doors Down

Chapter 30: The Repercussions

They hadn’t bothered with clothes. For the first time in her life, Blair was wearing pyjamas, a coat and ugg boots courtesy of Cassie, in public. Of course she wouldn’t own such boots, and after arriving at the hospital and having been calmed down by a nurse, she’d begun to feel a little self-conscious.

Their hair hadn’t been brushed, no lipstick applied, no mascara-coated eyelashes on show, only polished nails from the night’s mani/pedi session and a headband apiece to keep their bangs away from their eyes.

“He’s having his stomach pumped.” The nurse told Blair as she demanded to see Nate. “Once he’s comfortable in a suite, you’ll be able to visit. Why don’t you girls grab a coffee from the machine and take a seat in the waiting room?”

They went silently, blinking in the harsh lighting as Asher rounded the corner and scooped the pair of them in his arms.

“Are you okay?” Cassie cried into his chest, stroking his hair.

“I’m fine. What about you guys? We tried to get hold of you – Chuck tried but it went straight to voicemail.”

“I know, I…I didn’t know it was this. I thought he was just…being Chuck.” Blair replied softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.” Asher soothed. “Come on, it’ll be a bit before we’re allowed to see him. I’ll get you coffee.”

“Where’s Chuck?” Blair asked. “Is he okay?”

“Chuck’s fine. He…oh” Asher stopped as the boy in question rounded the corner clutching two cups of coffee: one for him, the other most probably for blonde girl…or…woman…next to him.

“Present.” He nodded, raising his left hand. “We’ll be in here.” He indicated the waiting room before closing the door behind him.

“How long have you guys been here?” Cassie asked Asher as they walked in the direction of the drinks dispenser.

“About an hour.”

“And Chuck’s picked up a girl already?”

“Don’t you remember?” Blair asked sarcastically. “Every minute spent not picking up girls is a minute wasted in Chuck’s mind.”

“Well since I’ve known him, he’s spent most of his time obsessed with you.” Cassie replied. “So not really.”

“How about we just get coffee and then talk about what happened?” Asher suggested. “It’s not what you think.”

The brunette nodded and huffed towards the drinks machine, her feet slouching in Cassie’s uggs.

-

She didn’t waste time on introductions nor pleasantries once they were inside the four walls of the hospital’s waiting room, simply cutting straight to learning of the night’s events.

“Who’s the ho?” Blair asked Chuck, who, aside from sipping at the plastic cup he was holding every now and then, was attempting to act like he was reading a magazine as his ex-girlfriend shot daggers at his female accomplice.

“I’m standing right here!” The blonde returned, flipping her hair from out of her face.

“And?”

“And you could be a bit more polite.”

“What’s she doing here?” Blair asked Chuck, completely ignoring the semi-naked girl stood beside her former boyfriend.

“She was with us when the limo came.”

“You mean ambulance.”

“No. I mean limo.”

“You didn’t call him an ambulance?” She fumed, taking the magazine from his hands before slamming it down on the coffee table. “Why the hell not?”

“The place we were at…well we needed to be discreet.”

“About Nate almost dying!?”

“About the club.”

“So your best friend has alcohol poisoning because you took him to a sleazy club in order to live out one of your stupid fantasies, and you’re worried about being discreet?!”

“It wasn’t just me that would’ve-”

“I was right.” Blair shrugged, her voice dropping. “In New York, I was right when I... You’re not responsible, you can’t be responsible for anything.”

“That has got nothing to do with this!” Chuck returned loudly.

“You think?” She snorted, opening the door to leave. “This is my proof that I did the best thing by getting out while I could.”

“You’re a bitch!” he replied coldly as she looked him up and down one last time.

Her tone was colder still. “And your father was right.”

Her body sank against the wall as soon as she was away from the waiting room and around the corner, her mouth crumpling, hair tumbling over her face as her shaky fingers tried to bat the tears away.

-

“You didn’t tell me you were going to a strip club.” Cassie mumbled to Asher, who was sitting dazed, staring at the blank wall ahead of him.

“It wasn’t a strip club.” He replied together with Chuck, who then found himself on the receiving end of one of Cassie’s terribly disapproving looks.

“She looks naked enough.” She nodded in the direction of the woman next to Chuck. “What’s she doing here anyway?”

“She knew first aid.” Asher told her.

The girl in question simply stared ahead silently, fiddling with the ends of her hair.

“She found Nate passed out, called us.” Chuck said quietly. “When he started choking she cleared his throat.”

“I had to learn first aid when I worked at a restaurant.” The blonde added, shrugging. “I just used what I knew.”

“What’s your name?”

“Zora.”

“What’s your real name?” Cassie asked again.

“Renae.”

“Well thank you.” It was Cassie’s turn to shrug as her voice softened. “For saving Nate. For doing what you did.”

“It’s okay.”

“She’d be grateful.” She continued. “Blair. If she knew. But she’d never give you a chance to explain.” She laughed a little guiltily. “So I’ll tell her.”

“Yeah, I should maybe go.” Renae suggested. “I didn’t tell the other girls, I just…went. I should get back to work.”

“You know, there are better ways of earning money.” Cassie said gently.

The other blonde scowled as she got up to leave. “I like my job.”

“Oh. I didn’t mean-”

“Yeah well you did.” She spat. “And tell your friend that people who can’t handle alcohol respectfully don’t get a second chance in The Room.”

The door slammed behind Renae, leaving the remaining three sitting in silence, none making any attempt to find Blair, instead, focussing on the ticking of the clock on the wall, and the heels of the receptionists clacking on the hard floor.

-

“Nathaniel my man.” Chuck smirked. “I believe you’ve taken excessive drinking to a new, much higher level.” He placed his hands on his chest. “You’ve surpassed my expectations and I’m impressed.”

“Um-”

“I’m not.” Interrupted Cassie. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Cass.” Asher told her gently. “He’s just woken up, give him a break.”

“This is a break compared to what Blair’s going to do to him when she gets here.”

“Where is she?” Nate asked croakily.

“I don’t know.” The blonde admitted. “She was upset and I think she wanted to be left alone. Apparently she hates-”

“Hospitals.” Nate nodded. “Shit-”

“She’ll be around somewhere.” Cassie replied. “I think she’s calming herself down. Let’s just say Chuck’s not in her good books.”

“Although he never really is so I guess it’s no change from normal.” Asher added with a grin, making Nate smile a little.

“I’m sorry guys.” He dipped his head. “I feel stupid. And it’s not your fault Chuck.”

“I know.” He shrugged, blazé. “You know Waldorf, she loves nothing better than to blame me for everything.”

“Why’d you do it?” Cassie switched her focus.

Nate shrugged. “To have a good time. Because I wanted to.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Asher said. “You’re okay? I mean…” he raised an eyebrow and Nate nodded. “You’re okay.”

“I just feel like I’ve got the worst hangover in the world.” He replied and they all laughed. “Would you mind if I just went to sleep?”

“Already leaving.” Chuck smiled a little. “There’s a packet of asprin in my room with my name on it.”

“Guys.” Nate called hoarsely as Asher was closing the door. “Thanks for coming.”

His friend simply nodded and closed the door.

-

“Alcohol poisoning?” Blair screeched, waking him up as she slammed her hands on his bed, jolting his body. “What the hell were you thinking Nate?”

“I-”

“I’ve never felt so sick in my entire life! I thought…” she trailed off, flinging herself against the bed again, against him until his arms met her back and she could hear his heartbeat. “I don’t know what I thought. I hate you for this Nate Archibald!”

“I was stupid.” He admitted. “And I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you had to get out of bed and come here-”

“I don’t care about getting out of bed!” She shouted. “I care about you, you stupid idiot.”

Nate laughed a little and then grimaced as his throat tightened in pain. “Come here.” He shifted his weight to the far edge of the bed so that she could sit more comfortably next to him. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded and tried to blink back tears that seemed to have come from nowhere. “You’d better be. Look at me!”

He looked at her appearance – dishevelled, wide-eyed, pyjama-clad and chuckled. “I’m sorry that you’re wearing pyjamas in a public place.”

She laughed through her tears and pointed to her feet. “And uggs.”

“Very stylish.”

“They’re Cassie’s.”

“I thought so.”

“You know what type of boots I wear?” Blair asked.

“No.” Nate shook his head. “But I know the type you don’t.”

“And what type is that?”

“Ugly ones.”

“You’re calling Cassie’s boots ugly?”

“Know know what?” Nate asked. “Guys hate ugg boots. Ask Asher. Maybe you should tell Cassie.”

“You’re telling me to tell my best friend that her boyfriend thinks her boots are ugly?”

“You’d have told Serena.”

“That’s different.”

“Is everything okay between you two?”

“Me and Cassie?”

“You and Serena.”

“Of course. Why?”

“You never mention her.” He replied.

Blair shrugged. “I don’t see her to know what’s going on in her life.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Yeah sometimes. I’ve got Cassie and right now, I don’t need Serena. I’d be nice to hear from her more or see her more.” She shrugged. “But she’s in California and we’re here and that’s how it’s going to be until we graduate and go home.”

“You think we’ll all go back to Manhattan?”

“Of course.”

“But-”

“Nate, we’ve got families, legacies in Manhattan. And we might not want to, but we’ll go back. We all will. You know that.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Blair’s vibrating cell: Tyler.

“Yeah he’s okay.” She said into the receiver. “I’m with him now.”

‘Tyler’ she spelled out silently to him with her mouth.

“Yeah I’ll tell him. And eight is still fine. You’d better not be taking me to a steakhouse…because my dresses are more expensive than the entire menu in those kind of places.”

She laughed and Nate swallowed forcefully.

“Eight o’clock.” She repeated. “Bye.”

“He says you’d better be okay for lacrosse next week because there’s a big after party at your frat.”

Nate nodded. “What did you mean about the steakhouse?”

“We’re going out for dinner tonight and he said he was taking me to one of his favourite places in New Haven. I said it’d better not be a steakhouse.”

“You’re going out with Tyler tonight?”

“Yeah, I mean, you’ll be out of here by this afternoon at the latest right?”

He nodded. “Right.”

“And if they do keep you in overnight again, I’ll cancel. Can’t have you getting lonely in a hospital room.” She smiled and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe properly.

“I wish I’d have been better when you were in hospital.” Nate started. “I should’ve-”

“We didn’t have that kind of a relationship.” Blair smiled sadly. “But it would’ve been nice.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

He was more sorry than she’d ever know. Because the repercussions of everything he did to her, or didn’t do for her in high school had brought them to this. And as she settled against him again with her eyes closed and her fingers toying with the hem of the sheets, Nate realised she’d be better off without any of them – him, Chuck, Tyler most probably.

“Urgh.” She tutted, just as he was falling asleep again.

“What?”

“The thread count of these sheets is appalling.”