Alternative Ending to Scorpion Season 1 – "Postcards from the Edge" – Walter's point of view
I awoke in a daze, without a clue as to where I was until I calmed my nerves. Once focused I noticed the florescent lights buzzing overhead, hushed voices could be heard in the distance, and the smell of cleaners intoxicated my nostrils. Memories of the day's events suddenly bombarded me like water rushing down a mountain pounding into the surface below. Cabe, the man I had seen as a father too me, betrayed me once again. He had known! Yet did not try to stop what happened in Bagdad. The program I had designed was used to kill people in Bagdad, and here it was back home being used once again to take the lives of innocents. How many people would lose their lives to my creation… My head spun as I tried to bury all of these preventable tragedies, in the end I can't repress them, and all of these deaths will always be my fault. I clench my fists in anger, thinking of Cabe and the way he just talks his way into letting me trust him. But after everything that happened today, him risking his own life to save me, I relax. What happened in Bagdad was sixteen years ago and even though I will never forgive myself its time that I forgive him, because deep down I know that he never meant to hurt me. Lost in my own thoughts I don't realize as a doctor walks in, startling me with her voice.
"Mr. O'Brien how are you feeling?" she asks.
"I've seen better days," I choke out, my throat feels raw and dry.
She chuckles at my response, and offers a cup of water. I thank her and she responds by stating that I have some visitors that are starting to cause a ruckus out in the waiting room. Leave it to the team of brilliantly talented minds to not be able to keep it together in a waiting room. Though if it were me in their shoes my mind would be everywhere, probably causing me to become impatient and act out as well.
"When can I see them?" I ask.
"Well visiting hours are already over but I could probably sneak them in for a minute or so," she states with a smile.
With that she quickly exits soon to return with the people I care about most. I think back to the moment when the crow landed on the hood of the car, resulting in the weight of the car shifting which meant if it flew away the entire car would fall with the probability of my demise being quite high. Yet in that moment I wasn't thinking about my death I was thinking about Paige, the glue to the Scorpion team. Paige was something else, and I care about her but I just can't get myself to express my emotions unless it's a life or death situation. Like when we were in the forest surrounded by hot flames threatening our lives with an extremely low percentage of rescue. I reached out and held her hand, the spark that touch ignited was irresistible and I didn't want to let go…
"Walter!" Ralph's voice echoed in the room as he ran toward me, embracing me in a bear hug. I groan with pain and he pulls away, tears rim his eyes.
"Hey buddy, it's okay now," I say as I grab his little hand and pull him into another hug. "See I'm fine Ralph thank you for coming to see me."
He smiles, much better than the tears, "I'm part of Scorpion so I had to see you, since you're part of the family too." Ralph says, making me laugh at his innocence. Right then my mind flashes back to yesterday's events when Ralph nearly got himself killed while trying to be a part of the team, even though his actions saved the city it was still reckless. I hadn't even realized what he had done until Paige confronted me later in the day, I can still hear the pain in her voice as she said Ralph would be better without me.
My eyes scan the room, taking in the rest of my visitors. Shiny objects near the ceiling catch my eye, "Sly you brought me balloons!" I yell out in excitement, knowing he would be happy that I liked them.
"See!" he brags to the rest of the team, who were probably mocking him out in the waiting area.
"Walter how are you feeling?" I'm surprised by the voice not expecting my sister to be here. When I look over her hand is linked in Sly's and she has a tear drifting slowly down her face.
"Megan, I'm feeling a lot better knowing that you're all here, and that you and Sylvester are happy," my emotional response catches them all off guard and they all smile and laugh as she leans over to hug me. Even though I don't say it often I really do love all of these guys, and deep down they all know it.
"So Walter when will you get back to the garage to work on the rocket, cause me and Ralph here have a couple new ideas we'd like to try out," Happy asks, as she wiggles out of Toby's grasp leaving him slightly disappointed. Before I had a rule about romances with people that work together, it never ends well resulting in plenty of distractions and hurt feelings. After admitting to myself that I had fallen for Paige, with the help of Toby's analysis, and seeing how Toby's day got better whenever Happy walked into the room, I put more thought into the rule. In all honesty it served a purpose once but now it was holding everyone back and I think it's time for that rule's retirement. I smiled as Toby, ever so vigilant, caught on to my change of views and slid his arm around Happy again, who didn't resist.
"I'm still not sure when I'll be getting back, hopefully by the end of the week. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to last here," I joke. As I look around I notice Cabe sulking in the back of the room, his head leaned against the wall. If the pain wasn't so awful I'd walk over to him. There's so much I want to say to him, I just don't know how to…
At that moment I notice Paige slip into the room, she ducks her head trying to enter unnoticed but it failed. I noticed her, the way her eyes were red from tears and the way she couldn't look directly at me. Her presence gives me the strength to say what's been on my mind.
"Cabe. Look I'm sorry, I'm sorry about everything that's happened. I know none of this was your fault. And I know… I know you never meant to hurt me. You've been… a father to me all these years and even when nobody else understood me you did…" I pause trying to regain my composure as I feel my eyes beginning to water.
"Son, I understand…" he starts, stopping as he embraces me in a hug, symbolizing an end to our feud.
The woman doctor returns, "Alright guys visiting time is officially over." After quick goodbyes she ushers everybody out of the room. Paige pulls the doctor aside and whispers something, after a brief moment the doctor nods her head in agreement, closing the door behind her; finally leaving Paige and me alone. I once again notice the pain in her eyes, wishing to take it away and see her beautiful eyes glimmer with happiness like they did at our Christmas get together when I wore that silly light up sweater.
"Paige come here, tell me what's going on," I insist. She approaches me, a look of concern blankets her face.
"Walter you scared me today. I thought for a moment today that I'd seen you for the last time, and it really bothered me that if that had happened our finally memory together would have been a fight… A fight that after everything that happened today I realized shouldn't have happened. Yes, I was terrified and I acted out, it's just that Ralph is my everything… and the thought of losing him… the thought of losing you…" she pauses as tears run down her face. I reach out and grab her hand holding it close to my heart, she gasps as my other hand grazes across her face wiping away the tears.
"Hey, hey don't cry… everything's okay now," I whisper as she comes closer to me. She places her delicate fingers right above the bruise on my face, gently massaging.
"Walter I'm not going anywhere, we're still a team…" her breath hot against my lips. My nerves relax as I feel her lips against mine, we kiss slowly at first, not knowing what to expect. We deepen the kiss filling it with passion, electricity flows through our bodies. Paige pulls away both of us struggling to regain our breaths. As I pull her close again she stops me.
"Wait, Walter the doctor only gave me a couple more minutes with you."
"That's okay, that gives us a couple more minutes together," I smile and kiss her again. We continue to kiss only to be interrupted by the doctor clearing her voice.
"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but it's time for Mr. O'Brien's morphine. Once the morphine kicks Mr. O'Brien you'll be out until the morning. And depending on your recovery you should be able to go home by the end of the week. Ms. Dineen you're welcome to stay the night."
The doctor leaves after tinkering with the dials on machine beside my bed. Suddenly I feel a strong dose coursing through my veins, numbing my body. I reach out to Paige and doze off feeling her fingers laced in mine.