Just as Autumn was about to slip back into her car to try and get some shut eye, she watched a car pull up behind her. She had her phone ready to call 9-1-1 and even had her keys ready to strike if need be, but she was hoping this town hadn’t changed since she left. She heard someone ask her if she needed help, looking down at her failed attempt to change the tire. “Yes. I have forgotten what it takes to change a tire apparently.” She chuckled a little nervously, but felt like she didn’t have to for years while being an actress. Now she felt stupid for not remembering how and wondered if she could even ride a bike anymore either.

“Tell me about it,” Autumn chuckled again, thinking how lucky she was to drive all this way just to end up with a flat tire just minutes away from home. “I would love your help, I tried, and failed.” She said, noting the dropped tools and she held up her hand, which was wrapped in some handkerchief she was given and had just tossed into her backseat.

Autumn looked down at her hand and then back up to him, a light blush creeping across her face. “Oh its nothing really, just a small cut.” She lied, knowing it was probably bleeding through the handkerchief, but she didn’t want to inconvience him anymore than she had to. “Just a little cut from trying to change the tire. I honestly don’t know how or when it all went wrong.” That was also a lie, she considered the day her career fell was the day it all went wrong.

Autumn was glad he didn’t push it further, knowing she could just head to the hospital tomorrow, it was just a cut. That’s what she kept telling herself to make it feel better, even though she knew she’d probably need stitches. “Oh, yes hold on.” She had closed the trunk out of habit after grabbing the tools, thinking she’d grabbed the spare when she needed it. She popped the trunk which had two suitcases only inside, all she needed until she could have her things shipped. “Heres the spare.” She wasn’t going to tell him she hadn’t looked at it in years, she just hoped it would work.

Autumn was busy looking at her hand as she walked back towards the trunk, stopping in her tracks when he said the spare was gone. She blinked a few times before quickly joining him to stare into an empty trunk. “What the fuck…” She had no idea where her spare tire went. She stared at the empty space where it was supposed to be before sighing, “Welp. Guess I’ll just…” She wasn’t sure what to do besides go back to sleeping in her car, but she hated the idea of saying it out loud.

“Yeeees…. That was going to be the plan,” Autumn admitted, straightening her back a little, knowing the idea as bad, but she didn’t have another choice. “I'm headed to my friends house, she should be up in a few hours, and I don’t have… My key.” She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, her face turning a little pink.

“Already called all the hotels. Booked up,” Autumn wasn’t sure why, something about the high school, she stopped listening after that and just moved on to call the next place. It was a small town so there weren’t that many places to stay. “ I just need to wait. I can do that.” She leaned against her car before blurting out quickly. “Thank you, for at least trying to help.” She gave him a small smile, expecting him to leave after that.

Autumn looked down at her hand, “Oh, um.” She knew the second he saw the hand, he’d say she needed to head to the hospital, because the handkerchief was a reddish color instead of the cream color it was before. She sighed and held out her hand for him to look at it. “Its… Probably worse than I said before.” She admitted.

Autumn felt her body actually relax as he spoke, realizing he was in the right profession if he could do this to anyone. Unlike her who tried and failed to be an actress. She worked to turn her phones flash on, the screen was a picture of the sun setting behind her house. She held out her injured hand, her phone held at an angle so he could see, as she watched him unwrap it carefully, wincing when he finally pulled it completely off, seeing just how bad it was. “The pain doesn’t match the wound.” She admitted, but felt her stomach drop a little at the sight of the blood and flesh. She knew immediately she’d have a scar there for the rest of her life, but at the moment she was trying not to pass out.

Autumn nodded her head when he suggested she sit, which she did in the driver seat of her car. She watched him examine her hand, waiting for the inevitable sting from cleaning it. “I’m, Autumn, by the way. Thanks again for helping.” She found it funny how back in L.A., people weren’t willing to go this far without some form of payment.

Autumn breathed in through her nose and out her mouth, concentrating on that to keep herself from fainting, but smiled at his name. “Nice to meet you Charlie, even if it’s under these circumstances.” She chuckled softly and held her breath when he warned it would sting, having waited for it already. She hissed as he started cleaning, fighting the instinct to pull away from him, closing her eyes and waiting for it to be over with. “I still have no idea where it went.” She’d have to call her assistant to see if she knew here it had gone, but Lorelai wasn’t dumb, and wouldn’t have let her drive out here without it.

Autumn couldn’t help but return his smile, feeling like he was probably the most sought-after nurse at the hospital, she definitely didn’t want to let go of his hand. When he did though, she looked down and tested the waters, curling her fingers and finding it a little painful, but doable. “Unless you want to wait with me till my friend wakes up, I don’t know what else to do.” Besides drive back an hour to the next time for a hotel and she didn’t want to ask him to do that.

“Well, a cup of coffee would be nice… Even though I should go to bed.” Autumn chuckled and moved her fingers, though not too much, worried that if she did, she’d open her wound and it would start bleeding before it could heal. “My treat, for helping me.” she offered as she reached for her purse in the front seat and stood up, a little wobbly at first, but wasn’t going to faint on him. “Stood up too fast.” She joked, chuckling, though it was true.

“Probably, a little bit of hashbrowns sounds nice,” Autumn figured something to eat would help her, along with the coffee, she hadn’t eaten much other than some protein bars and chips she’d picked up before heading out onto the road that morning. She let him lead her to the passenger side of his car and slid into the seat.