I don't own Monk (or Sharona or Trudy)
"Okay," Monk said, "we'll compromise. You pay the ticket and I… don't"
"What the hell kind of compromise is that"
"Well it's called an economic compromise"
"IT'S CALLED I AIN'T GONNA FALL FOR THAT ONE," she yelled
"Sharona calm down"
Her eyes filled up with tears. All of a sudden the tears started flowing.
"Sharona it was a joke."
"I know," she said sobbing.
He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back.
"This is not about the ticket," he said, "and it's not about the joke either"
"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just sorry"
"What are you sorry for," he asked gently stroking her cheek with his thumb.
"WhenIwasworking-"
"No slow down"
"When I was working as a nurse in San Francisco General a lady came in who was in awful shape. She had been- someone had attempted to murder her. Every other patient I was able to save. I couldn't save her. I- I couldn't save her. She lived only 20 minutes"
"Oh Sharona that must have been horrible for you"
"It was. It really was. But the worst of it was that she was married. She was a wife. She was going to be a mother."
"Did you know her?"
"I know her through you," Sharona sobbed.
"You know her through me?"
"It was… it was……"
"It was Trudy wasn't it," he asked gently
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"
"Sharona," he said, "calm down. It was not your fault."
"You don't hate me?"
"Of course not"
"And you're not going to get mad at me"
"Yeah I am… but not because you couldn't save her. More because you were living with that guilt since like forever"
"But-"
"You're my best friend," he said, "I never want you to do that to yourself again"
"Okay," she sniffled
"Promise?"
"Promise"