The Good Wife – What You See
Will gets shot, but still he lives, thanks for Finn
Everything happened so fast, and Will Gardner laid on the ground, head on his friend Finn Polmar's lap. He knew he'd been shot, and that soon enough his body would be drained of blood, and he'd never get a chance to become a Chicago legend, or laugh with his teasing sisters again, or kiss Alicia and ask her to run away with him, or tell Diane how much he valued their friendship, or–
Damnit, he could barely breathe anymore, his vision was blurring, was that normal? Was he dying? What a way to go, shot by his own client while defending the little brat. Just wonderful. Yeah, he was going to become a Chicago legend, alright, probably as a ghost story to scare newbie lawyers. God, that was depressing, and he was dying!
With the last of his strength, Will focused on what Finn was saying, because the man was– Singing? Praying? No, it sounded off. No, the man was– Was he...? Chanting? Last time he heard someone chant, he was watching an episode of Supernatural with his sisters, because who the hell chanted in real life? He had to be having a near death hallucination, that had to be it, because otherwise, why would Finn be chanting and keeping a hand over Will's gunshot wound–?
"Everything is going to be alright, Will" – Finn promised, and Will managed a small smile.
"You're funny" – he said and frowned. Suddenly, he could breathe almost normally, and his chest didn't feel empty and destroyed, and he could see Finn's face all too clearly. What the fuck–? – "Finn?"
"Stay down" – the other lawyer whispered – "The paramedics are coming any time now, and we need to make this believable"
"Make what–?"
"Just, stop talking for now, okay? Everything's going to be alright, I promise"
"Finn?"
"Shut up, Will" – with a click, Will did as ordered, even though he was starting to feel almost– Why was he feeling so good, like before he got shot? It made no sense, and something made him want to believe Finn. Something in him made him believe Finn, period.
"Over here!" – Finn exclaimed, and Will winced at the sudden noise.
Several minutes later, Will was in an ambulance, and paramedics were hovering worriedly but confusedly over him, checking every last bit of him, ignoring Will's reassurances that he was actually fine, and he could in fact walk out. Finn had been loaded into another ambulance, Will had seen, and the other man winked at him before the doors closed.
At the hospital, Will had to endure some more poking and all the tests in the world, and awed whispers all around. With a deep sigh, he demanded to be allowed to speak to Kalinda or Diane while he wasn't being annoyed by the hospital staff, and the investigator came to his bed with wide and scared eyes.
"Hey. You look worse than me" – and he was the one who got shot, but something made him swallow his words. The woman tried for a smile, but all she showed him was deep concern.
"They said they couldn't find anything wrong with you" – she said, eyes searching him, as if she would be able to find something the doctors hadn't, and Will had enough faith in her to know that, if there was anything to find, she'd be the one to do it.
"Yeah, I know"
"Will. What happened? Did... Did you get shot?"
"I..."
"You were covered in blood" – she said softly, frowning – "I saw you, at the courthouse. You were– Your clothes were–"
"There goes my lucky suit" – he joked, and she snorted.
"Yeah, that's the real tragedy today" – she was trying to joke back, but her tone was all too serious and he felt touched.
"Hey. It's okay. I'm okay. I'm going to be just fine"
"Are you?"
"Yeah. I mean, I think I'm gonna take some time off trials, but, yeah, I think I'll be alright after all" – he paused – "Do you know how Finn's doing?" – something flickered in her eyes.
"Finn?"
"Polmar? He got shot in the arm, I think, I saw him getting in an ambulance at the courthouse"
"Oh, him. I heard some of the nurses say he managed to run off against medical advice"
"Smart guy, wish I could do the same, but there's always someone hovering over me" – Kalinda frowned.
"The witnesses said you got shot, Will"
"Did they"
"Finn was holding you, after, but his wound wouldn't have– There was too much blood on you for it to have come from him"
"I don't know what to tell you, Kalinda" – except, he kinda of did, but something made it impossible for him to tell her that he had been shot, it had hurt like hell, and he was positive he had been at death's door for a moment there. Something was compelling him to lie, and so convincingly that he kind of believed the words coming out of his mouth.
He had to talk to Finn.
"Can you get me my phone, please?" – the woman gave him a look but went to talk to the nurses to locate it. He spent that time trying to think a about what he wanted to talk to Finn about. Demand to know what he'd done, because he had to have done something to him, and how, and why, and–
A few minutes later, Kalinda dutifully returned with his phone in hand, and after patting his shoulder minutely, she left and told her she'd tell Diane that he wanted to rest for a while. He wondered if she thought he was going to call Alicia. Maybe he should call her, finish his call and tell her–
No, he needed to talk to Finn first, that was more important.
The other lawyer answered his phone after several beats, and he sounded way too amused and chirpy for a guy who'd been shot a few hours prior.
"Hey, Will. How are you?"
"How am I? Seriously?"
"What, I can't even ask?"
"How–? How are you, idiot! You got shot! And you left the hospital without receiving any medical attention!"
"I did too get medical attention, buddy, just, you know, not as much as people wanted to give me" – he stopped – "Besides, you got shot way worse than I did"
"Not that anyone can find evidence of that"
"And so they shouldn't" – the other man said, all amusement gone from his voice.
"Finn?"
"Lay low, Will, enjoy the hospital stay. Relax"
"Relax? How the fuck am I supposed to relax when I know what happened, and people are bound to ask me what happened, what witnesses saw happen, and I can't possibly account for any of it?" – he hissed into his cell – "I don't have a scratch on me, Finn!"
"You're welcome, by the way"
"I didn't thank you! I don't know what I should thank you for!"
"Saving your life, for one"
"And tongue tying me? I assume that's your handiwork as well"
"You'd guess correctly"
"But how–? What the hell is happening, Finn? What the hell did you do to me? How the fuck am I still alive?!" – the other lawyer hummed some across the line.
"Maybe you should think of this as a second chance in life, Will"
"Excuse me?"
"You got shot, you almost died, but then you didn't. Does it matter how?"
"Of course it matters!"
"Well, you're shit out of luck then, because I'm taking this one to the grave"
"Finn–"
"Nope, sorry. You can repay me with a nice dinner sometime, what you think?"
"A dinner for my life?"
"Eh, I'm cheap like that" – Will had to laugh at that.
"Yeah, apparently my life is worth a fancy dinner, huh"
"I never said it had to be fancy, I said 'nice'"
"Does that mean burgers and fries? I've seen you eat"
"The heart wants what the heart wants"
"And your heart will one day thank you for the clogged arteries, I'm sure"
"Not too worried about that" – Will frowned.
"Do you... Really mean that?" – Finn snorted.
"Get some rest, Will, we can talk about this some more any time after you leave the hospital, okay?"
"... Sure, okay"
"Think about it this way. Some mysteries in life are not meant to be unraveled"
"Easy for you to say, you know what happened"
"True. But trust me, it's not always fun to be the magician"
"I'm a lawyer, Finn, being curious is in my nature"
"Well, I'm very sorry to disappoint you in this, my friend, but it's not gonna happen"
"I hate not knowing something, and not knowing about this–"
"You'll live. Listen, I need to get going, and you need to get some sleep"
"Fine. This isn't over, though"
"I wouldn't respect you if it were"
Will laid back into the bed and stared at the ceiling as he listened to his heart monitor. He shook his head and turned on his side and called Alicia.
"Hey" – he said softly after the beep of her voicemail – "I got cut off before. I just wanted to see if you wanted to get some coffee sometime and catch up, we haven't talked in so long" – he paused and took a deep breath – "I miss you, Alicia, I miss– I miss my friend"
Falling asleep wasn't an easy task with the blinding lights in his face, and the nurses coming in to bother him every once in a while, but eventually he managed.
The next morning when he awoke, Alicia was sitting beside his bed, and her slow, painfully beautiful and longing and loving smile made his heart swell.
"You came" – he managed to say, and neither said much more for a few minutes as Alicia swiftly got on her feet and kissed the life out of him.
"You scared me, you asshole" – she whispered against his lips afterwards. He had to smile.
"Sorry, didn't mean to"
"I missed you too"
"I'm afraid that if you came over to get that cup of coffee, I doubt anyone's gonna let me walk out of this room any time soon" – he marveled at how much her laugh made him simply blissful.
"Hospital coffee sucks, anyway"
"I'll take you out for some fancy coffee as soon as I'm out of here" – he said, smiling as he remembered his talk with Finn.
"I would love that" – she said softly, and sat on the bed, linking their fingers like they used to. God, he had missed her.
Finn said this was a second chance. Maybe Will would never find out how or why he was still alive, but he knew he'd be better off dead in that courtroom if he didn't fight with everything he had to keep Alicia by his side for the rest of his life.