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Epilogue
Trying to sum up the past couple days is almost impossible. I try and replay everything in mind and make sense of what happened. It still doesn’t feel real that Teddy is gone. Really gone. But when I walk through the house and he isn’t there, it reminds me this is real.
I look out the window of the car and try and quiet my thoughts, but it doesn’t work. It never works. But I need to be strong for Charlie. When she wakes up, she’s going to have questions, and I need to be able to give her answers.
After Teddy shot Cameron, he fired an accidental shot at Charlie on his way down. Teddy was so adamant about looking at her, trying to make sure she was okay, that he never even saw Cameron level his gun with him again. A single shot to his chest took him down, and then all hell broke loose.
Julius tried to chase Cameron down when he fled, but he never could find him. We think maybe he has some sort of safe place nearby because there is no way he could have disappeared so quickly and easily. I still kick myself for that. I should have chased him and left Julius to deal with Teddy and Charlie, but I just couldn’t leave them.
Sloan ended up getting Andrew though, so at least one good thing came out of this entire shit show. I still wonder if Emil has figured it out though, that we were going to set him up. When everything was said and done and Desi walked in, I didn’t have the energy to question anything, and Sloan needed someone to pin things on so I could walk free. So I could take care of her.
When Carl stops in front of the hospital, I grab the bouquet of flowers and the small teddy bear I bought, then step out.
“Give me an update when you have one,” he says, rolling his window down.
I nod. “Dr. Kelly said she should be waking up today. Surgery went well and there wasn’t too much damage. He called her lucky…” I trail off. She’s going to feel everything but lucky when she wakes up and finds out everything.
“Hey,” Carl says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Just be strong for her. She’s going to be pissed and sad and probably a plethora of other things. Keep your head on for her, you hear me?”
I nod again. “I’ll call when I’m done. I’m not sure how long it’ll take. Go check on Julius.”
“Is he still trying to get blueprints from the city?”
“Yeah. Sloan was helping him. The sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we don’t have to worry. I don’t want that fucking psychopath running around. Not with… Not with what’s coming.”
Carl nods. He knows I don’t like saying the word. “I’ll go check on him.”
I turn and walk away as he pulls off. I go through the automatic doors, then up the elevator the same way I did the day before. When I make it to Charlie’s room, I peek my head inside to see if she’s up yet.
When I see she isn’t, I make my way to the nurses’ station. “Any updates on Welsh?” I ask.
One nurse looks at me like she’s about to give the same spiel they tried on me the first day here, but when she sees my face, she closes her mouth and pulls up Charlie’s chart. “Nothing yet. Dr. Kelly stopped the morphine about an hour ago. She should be waking up any second now.”
“Thank you.” I nod, and she blushes. Hell, she should. I don’t thank anyone for shit.
When I walk through Charlie’s door, I’m not surprised to see her stirring. I walk beside her bed and stand there, hoping to nip the meltdown in the bud when she wakes up.
I feel terrible I have to tell her to stay calm and keep her emotions in check when someone she loved just died, but it’s for the greater good. The bigger picture.
“Lucas?” She blinks a few times, and then it happens. I see the wheels turning as she remembers everything. “Lucas, what happened? Where’s Teddy?” She starts moving frantically, trying to rip monitors off and tear out her IV.
“Charlie.” I set the flowers and bear down, then place my hands on her shoulders and bring my face close to hers. “You have to stay calm.”
“Calm? No! I want to see Teddy. Where is he?” She pushes me away.
“You know where he is, Charlie,” I whisper, hoping she won’t ask me to say it.
Tears start to fall from her lashes and coat her cheeks. “No, it was a dream. Tell me it was a dream,” she begs.
“He’s gone.” I have to force the words out because they still hurt to even say myself.
A scream rips from her chest and bounces around the room. Her legs start to thrash, and she tries to get up.
“Charlie.” I try and reason with her by grabbing her face. “Charlie!” She still blocks out everything I’m saying. “You have to stay calm! Dr. Kelly said stress isn’t good for the baby!”
As soon as the word baby is out, her body goes still and her face goes pale…
