Of course, Taylor had to be a good person. And Colby, despite his concerns, too.

"You saved her life. Can we finally get out of here, before she wakes up?" Colby asked, sitting with his legs spread wide on the hospital bed opposite Harper's.

Taylor shook her head. She preferred not to talk, in case a doctor could come in at any moment. Instead, she took out her phone again.

Colby, she had a heart attack

Aaand she's in a coma

I know, she's freaking creepy

But don't you feel a little sorry?

Especially since we're technically to blame?

"I'm not a jerk, of course I feel sorry for her. But think about it, what if she wakes up and sees you? I mean, we did steal from her and she caught us red-handed. Plus, didn't the nurse mention earlier that it's not a serious coma because there's no brain damage? That she could wake up in a few hours? Hm? Forgot about that?"

Healthcare provider

That's what they're called nowadays

I think

Anyway, we'll stay a little longer

At least for a bit

Please, Colby

The ghost frat boy sighed in annoyance and fell back onto the bed with his arms spread out. It was going to be a long day for him.

The at least for a bit had turned into over four hours by now. Colby understood that Taylor must have been feeling guilty, but what would it accomplish if Harper saw her after waking up and angrily attacked her? And with a lot of bad luck, maybe even had a second heart attack right then and there?

He stared boredly out of the window while Taylor bought something in the cafeteria. All alone. Colby was quite proud of her. He should give her something when they got back home and this nightmare was finally over. No creepy, fart-sniffing Harper, just him and Taylor. Taylor and Colby. Finally alone again. But what should he buy? And how? She certainly wouldn't be thrilled if he just grabbed something somewhere, and he definitely wouldn't leave any money. What was the point of being a ghost if he couldn't have any fun?

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Speaking of fun, he could easily teleport to Taylor's apartment for a moment and grab his dumbbells, for example. That would be an idea. Unfortunately, Taylor had forbidden it. Okay, it would be pretty weird and probably a very eye-opening experience for a doctor if he walked into the room and saw 30-kilogram dumbbells floating around. Same reason he wasn't allowed to join any gym.

How long did Taylor actually plan to stay away? Colby's thoughts wandered to different ways he could pass the time. Maybe flirt with a few nurses? Or what did Taylor call them earlier? Healthcare providers? He stuck his head through the door of the room and scanned the hospital, searching for a suitable candidate for his charming remarks.

But then he shook his head and suppressed a smug grin. He was here to help Taylor, not to boost his own ego. Besides, Taylor would probably hold him accountable for it. No, he had to pull himself together and focus on the essentials. The fact that they couldn't see or hear him anyway had absolutely nothing to do with his decision, of course.

Colby's thoughts continued to wander as he settled back onto the second bed, waiting for Taylor to return. He toyed with the idea of logging into Taylor's phone and taking a few selfies of himself, just to set them as the background. After all, he had learned how to do it. But he decided against it. Not only because Taylor had taken her phone with her, no, no.

Instead, he took off his college jacket, laid it on his lap, and started playing with the patch on the sleeve. Memories of his college days flooded back to him, and he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. It felt like just yesterday when he and his buddies roamed the university halls, igniting every party they attended. Now, all his friends had graduated. Were some of them even deceased? He thought of the photo they had taken from Harper. Back home, he definitely wanted to ask Taylor if she could find some of his buddies on the internet.

For a moment, Colby got lost in his memories as he felt the soft contours of the patch under his fingers. The past years seemed like a blurry dream, yet they were so vivid in his memory. For him, it felt as if it had all happened just yesterday. How could that have been two decades ago?

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he imagined what it would have been like if he were still alive. Perhaps he would be successful now, with a shining career and a happy life. But those thoughts quickly faded as he returned to reality. Now he was also happy. Okay, he was a ghost, but he had some sick abilities. And now he had Taylor to protect.

He let his gaze wander around the room, realizing again that he was here, in this moment. His eyes fell on Harper, peacefully asleep, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility. Even though he was no longer alive, he could still make a difference. For Taylor, for Harper, and maybe even for himself. Okay, honestly, screw Harper. Only Taylor mattered.

The ghost ran his hand through his hair, a habitual gesture, even though he knew his hair was always perfect. That's just how it was. Time seemed to pass really slowly, and his patience was wearing thin.

What was keeping Taylor for so long? Maybe she was having trouble finding something she liked. Or maybe she got lost. Maybe she was in trouble? Should he check on her? His protective instinct kicked in. What did Taylor call it? Male savior complex? Okay, she was right. But she was still his Taylor. He could never forgive himself if something happened to her.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard a groan coming from Harper's direction. Colby's gaze snapped to her, and he watched as she slowly opened her eyes. A shiver ran down his spine as he saw her futile attempt to sit up and then finally give up. Instead, she looked around the room with stress in her eyes, scanning through the space. And then her eyes stopped at Colby.

The ghost didn't realize at first what that meant. It wasn't until Harper didn't stop staring in his direction, her eyes growing wider and her groans growing louder, that he understood.

"What? Y-you can see me?!" Harper nodded cautiously, though it was difficult with the oxygen mask on her face. This couldn't be true. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed plaintively. "Now all hell broke loose, I can fucking tell you that! Oh, fuck me sideways! Why couldn't some incredibly hot nurse learn to see me?! Why you?! Why you?!"