Title: The Anniversary - Chapter One
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: The anniversary of his father's death hits Ty in a way he never could have imagined.
******
Ty stared out the window of the RMP, not paying any attention at all to whatever it was that Sully was talking about. His thoughts were focused on one thing and one thing only. He would have thought it would be easier by now, but it wasn't. Granted, some years it was different. He'd be busy or distracted, his emotions more contained. This year though it seemed to be getting to him even more than usual. He'd found that it had been on his mind quite a lot over the past couple of weeks, leaving him at times with an almost overwhelming sadness. He hated feeling like this. He loved his dad and he never wanted to forget him, but these feelings he had been experiencing were practically unbearable...
"Rough day, huh?"
Ty turned toward his partner, startled. "Yeah..."
Sully nodded. "It's hard...whenever I think back to that day...I replay it in my mind, trying to find some way I could have saved your dad, but..."
"You know you couldn't have, Sul..." Ty said quietly. "No one could have...it was just one of those things..."
"I know, but..." Sully grasped the steering wheel a little bit tighter as he thought about exactly what it was he wanted to say. "It's kind of like when you read a sad book or watch a sad movie. You know how it's going to end, but...no matter how many times you see it or read it, there's this little part of you that thinks maybe it's going to end differently this time...but it never does..."
Ty nodded. "Yeah...I can understand that. Sometimes I wish that I could have at least talked to him, you know? Just to let him know I loved him. It was just so damn quick..." The night was engrained in his memory. Tiny details had faded with time, but for the most part everything remained intact. He'd been lying in bed, reading a book with a flashlight under the covers when he'd heard his mother scream. He'd known right away that something horrible had happened, that things would never be the same.
"He knew you loved him," Sully said, his tone much more gentle than usual. "You know that, don't you?"
Ty hesitated, then nodded. "I know...but...it just would have been nice to tell him anyhow...to say goodbye, you know?"
"Yeah...yeah I do know," Sully said gruffly. Ty's father had never had a chance. The bullets that slammed into his body had killed him instantly. He shuddered slightly, the memory of that night as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. He hoped he'd never have to go through something like that again.
******
It seemed to happen in slow motion. One moment Ty was crouched behind the RMP, shooting at gang members who were randomly shooting, wanting to kill anyone in their path. The next moment, an explosion of pain ripped through his chest and he felt himself falling. He lay on the hard concrete feeling tiny bits of gravel beneath his fingers. Through a foggy haze he could see Bosco and Faith looking down at him. They were speaking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Something was wrong though. He couldn't see Sully...Where was he? He looked around frantically, searching for his partner until he realized that Sully was holding him in his arms. Ty met his partner's gaze and he could see the tears in Sully's eyes. Okay...that definitely wasn't a good sign. Then Ty forced himself to look at the gaping hole in his chest. Bosco was applying pressure, desperately trying to stop the blood that was gushing from the wound. He'd never seen so much blood. He was shivering violently and he knew he was in shock. An icy chill invaded his body and he felt like he would never be warm again.
Shit.
He was going to die...
He remembered a quote he had read once, "The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself." Well that was certainly true. He'd never been as afraid as he was right now. He didn't want to die. Not now. Not like this.
"Sul?" He looked up into the eyes of his partner, seeking comfort. He felt Sully's arms tighten around him and he didn't feel quite so cold.
"I'm here, Ty. I'm right here with you."
"Tell...tell my mom I love her," he whispered weakly. "Love you too, Sul." At least he'd had the chance to say it, not like with his dad.
"I love you." The tears were freely streaming down Sully's cheeks now. Not again. What kind of God would let this happen again? He was just a kid. He didn't deserve this. His family didn't deserve this.
Ty took one last look around him. There seemed to be an endless supply of tears. Sully...Faith...hell, even Bosco's eyes were welling up. He heard the sound of oncoming sirens and knew the paramedics were near. He no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open though and he let himself drift off into the darkness.
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: The anniversary of his father's death hits Ty in a way he never could have imagined.
******
Ty stared out the window of the RMP, not paying any attention at all to whatever it was that Sully was talking about. His thoughts were focused on one thing and one thing only. He would have thought it would be easier by now, but it wasn't. Granted, some years it was different. He'd be busy or distracted, his emotions more contained. This year though it seemed to be getting to him even more than usual. He'd found that it had been on his mind quite a lot over the past couple of weeks, leaving him at times with an almost overwhelming sadness. He hated feeling like this. He loved his dad and he never wanted to forget him, but these feelings he had been experiencing were practically unbearable...
"Rough day, huh?"
Ty turned toward his partner, startled. "Yeah..."
Sully nodded. "It's hard...whenever I think back to that day...I replay it in my mind, trying to find some way I could have saved your dad, but..."
"You know you couldn't have, Sul..." Ty said quietly. "No one could have...it was just one of those things..."
"I know, but..." Sully grasped the steering wheel a little bit tighter as he thought about exactly what it was he wanted to say. "It's kind of like when you read a sad book or watch a sad movie. You know how it's going to end, but...no matter how many times you see it or read it, there's this little part of you that thinks maybe it's going to end differently this time...but it never does..."
Ty nodded. "Yeah...I can understand that. Sometimes I wish that I could have at least talked to him, you know? Just to let him know I loved him. It was just so damn quick..." The night was engrained in his memory. Tiny details had faded with time, but for the most part everything remained intact. He'd been lying in bed, reading a book with a flashlight under the covers when he'd heard his mother scream. He'd known right away that something horrible had happened, that things would never be the same.
"He knew you loved him," Sully said, his tone much more gentle than usual. "You know that, don't you?"
Ty hesitated, then nodded. "I know...but...it just would have been nice to tell him anyhow...to say goodbye, you know?"
"Yeah...yeah I do know," Sully said gruffly. Ty's father had never had a chance. The bullets that slammed into his body had killed him instantly. He shuddered slightly, the memory of that night as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. He hoped he'd never have to go through something like that again.
******
It seemed to happen in slow motion. One moment Ty was crouched behind the RMP, shooting at gang members who were randomly shooting, wanting to kill anyone in their path. The next moment, an explosion of pain ripped through his chest and he felt himself falling. He lay on the hard concrete feeling tiny bits of gravel beneath his fingers. Through a foggy haze he could see Bosco and Faith looking down at him. They were speaking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Something was wrong though. He couldn't see Sully...Where was he? He looked around frantically, searching for his partner until he realized that Sully was holding him in his arms. Ty met his partner's gaze and he could see the tears in Sully's eyes. Okay...that definitely wasn't a good sign. Then Ty forced himself to look at the gaping hole in his chest. Bosco was applying pressure, desperately trying to stop the blood that was gushing from the wound. He'd never seen so much blood. He was shivering violently and he knew he was in shock. An icy chill invaded his body and he felt like he would never be warm again.
Shit.
He was going to die...
He remembered a quote he had read once, "The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself." Well that was certainly true. He'd never been as afraid as he was right now. He didn't want to die. Not now. Not like this.
"Sul?" He looked up into the eyes of his partner, seeking comfort. He felt Sully's arms tighten around him and he didn't feel quite so cold.
"I'm here, Ty. I'm right here with you."
"Tell...tell my mom I love her," he whispered weakly. "Love you too, Sul." At least he'd had the chance to say it, not like with his dad.
"I love you." The tears were freely streaming down Sully's cheeks now. Not again. What kind of God would let this happen again? He was just a kid. He didn't deserve this. His family didn't deserve this.
Ty took one last look around him. There seemed to be an endless supply of tears. Sully...Faith...hell, even Bosco's eyes were welling up. He heard the sound of oncoming sirens and knew the paramedics were near. He no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open though and he let himself drift off into the darkness.