It all happened so fast that he didn't have time to react. How could he have been so stupid?! This wasn't supposed to happen. Ever. Not on his watch. And yet, it did. Now he watched her from behind the glass, fighting for her life and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. As he stood there, his mind flashed back to the days events.
They got the news at 3:30 that morning. It didn't matter to him because he wasn't sleeping much. After their encounter in 1941, he had some sleepless nights with his mind racing. All thoughts about Lucy. He was so sure that after he had confessed his love, that this would be it for them. Instead, they came back to an entirely different reality; one where was Jessica was alive and he and Lucy weren't together. Things like that will keep a guy awake at night. He wanted nothing more than to stay in his bed and attempt sleep again, but he knew that would never happen. So he got up and got dressed. He was the last one to arrive to the Lifeboat, but it was the same routine. Agent Christopher briefed them on when the mothership jumped, Lucy filled in the blanks of the event and time period, and then they were off to get changed. This time, he lagged his feet. He wasn't in the mood to be chasing Emma and Carol through time only to fight yet another sleeper agent.
No, this time he wasn't feeling it. He had a wife again. He had responsibilities to stay safe. Even he admitted the only reason he wanted agreed to the mission was because of the danger. He had a life. And this wasn't cutting it anymore. So he made the decision to stay. The look on Lucy's face when he told them had broken his heart even more. She looked away and refused to speak with him any longer. Agent Christopher spared no time getting Garcia Flynn dressed and into the lifeboat. They were gone 3 minutes later. He turned and Agent Christopher gave him the okay to leave the bunker with the understanding that he would be on call. He accepted and left, anxious to find out how everything had changed in this new reality. He got into the car that he was given for the day and drove off. Where to? He didn't know. He just needed to drive. As the miles passed him, he thought about how different history could be with him not there to remember how it once used to be. He thought about Lucy; maybe it wasn't meant to happen after all; maybe he was supposed to be with Jess and that's all. The only thing he knew for sure was that he needed to see her. And now.
He drove up the diner that she told him to meet her at for lunch. He proceeded with caution once he found her. Her hair was golden in the sunlight and she was tan. She was glowing. The moment her eyes found his, he felt the familiar tug towards her. She got up to greet him and he kissed her, hard. After a moment, his eyes opened and he pulled away. This wasn't right. He put the thought out of his mind and joined her at the table. He had so many questions buzzing in his head, but only one could make it to his lips. He asked," What happened that night? I remember we were in the car having a fight and you told me to stop the car." She smiled and said," You stopped the car, but refused to unlock the doors. You reached over and kissed me. We didn't talk the rest of the night." He was shocked. Had history changed that much? What else was different?
They sat in the diner, just talking for hours. He was starting to remember how he felt when he first met her. She was beautiful with a great laugh. She was exactly what he needed. He looked down at his watch and realized what time it was. 1900, and it was getting dark outside. He said," I can't believe how fast time flew." She smiled and said," Let's go home." He returned the smile and got up with her. He paid the check and they were out the door. He walked her to her car and kissed her again. Once again, his eyes opened and he pulled away. This still wasn't right. He was so confused. How could he have this all wrong when this was exactly what he wanted. Saved by the ringer on his cellphone, it was Agent Christopher. He answered it and then paled from her words. Jess looked at him and asked him if he was okay. He shoved the phone in his pocket and said," I gotta go. I'll call you later!" She yelled," I love you!" He didn't return the affection, instead sped off into the night.
He saw the ambulance going in the opposite direction, so he quickly did a u-turn and followed it until it had reached its destination. When it stopped, he got out of the truck as fast as he could and ran over to it. The paramedics pulled out the gurney and he saw her. Lucy. She was barely breathing and covered in blood. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and she smiled. Barely able to speak, she said," I knew you'd be here." The sudden comment warmed his heart and his glassed over with tears. He smiled and said," There's nowhere else I would rather be." He held her hand until he couldn't walk with her anymore. He was stopped behind the double doors and he just watched her get farther away from him. His heart sank deeper into his stomach, and it finally hit him. The reality was that Jessica was alive and Lucy was wounded. And it was all his fault. There was a part of him that knew that he shouldn't have left to find Jess. But he needed answers, and he hoped Lucy would understand.
So, here we are, 5 hours later and he's staring at her from behind the glass. All of his feelings washing over him and he stood there, unable to move. The doctor came over and asked," Are you her husband?" He smiled at the thought, but quickly dismissed it and answered," No, sir. But I am a very close friend. Can you tell me what happened?" The doctor said," The bullet broke a rib and nearly missed her lungs, lodging itself in the chest cavity. She nearly died twice on the table. But she was a fighter. With time, we expect her to make a full recovery." Wyatt, having felt the tears brim his eyes, sighed heavily with relief. He smiled and let the tears go as he turned his attention back to Lucy. She was going to be okay.
The station nurse told him that he could go in and sit with her. He was afraid to, but he had to touch her; make sure she was really here. He cautiously walked into the room and around her bed until he was next to her. He looked down at her with guilt and sadness and then slowly reached for her hand. He carefully picked it up and kissed it gently, sending a silent prayer up to God to thank him. He sat down next to her and refused to leave until she opened her eyes. Until that happened, he would stare at her and think about how beautiful she was and how much more she deserved than him. The guilt came back and reminded him that he wasn't there to protect her; to save her. And that he will have to live with that decision for the rest of his life.
Later that night, Wyatt had managed to fall asleep against his will. Suddenly he felt a hand tighten around his and his eyes quickly opened. When he sat up, he saw her eyes fluttering and then finally opening. He had never felt more happiness than that moment. She looked at him and smiled gently, still tired from the day's events and the surgery. He gently sat on the edge of the bed and said," Hey babydoll." She smiled at the memory and said," Hey soldier." He couldn't wait any longer and gently leaned down and kissed her ever so slightly. When they parted, he finally felt at peace. He knew where he belonged, and where he would stay.