Disclaimer: I don't own Monk or the woman in Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk would have really been Trudy
It started out as a regular day. Adrian and his wife had been married for 4 months and every day was absolutely blissful.
Oh sure, like every couple they had their ins and outs and ups and downs but they never argued. They discussed. They would each give a little so that the other one's life would be right. For example, ever since Trudy was 4 years old everything had to be up front. One day she was watching her husband get ready to start his day and noticed that something he put on was in back.
"Wouldn't it make more sense to put it up front," she probed
"Why," he asked her
"It's just that you'd have easier access to it if you were to need it," she pointed out.
He kind of liked things the way they were but he knew she would be more comfortable with it up front and he wasn't going to argue such a non-issue so he put it up front.
"Better," he asked kissing her
"Much," she smiled and returned the kiss.
Sometimes she would get worried about something and he would realize it was time to take a step back until she felt better. That was rare though. Usually she was confident and reassured. That was one thing he loved about her. That was one of MANY things he loved about her actually.
The day in question as I stated before started out as an ordinary day. Trudy had the day off and she had gone shopping with a few of her friends from work. At the same time Adrian was chasing a dangerous criminal. Determining that the victim's life was at risk he had no option then to get out his gun and shoot at the criminal. Unluckily he missed. Even more unluckily the criminal while letting the victim escape got away himself. Worse, the bullet that was intended for the criminal hit another mark, Adrian's wife who had just come out of the store.
He dropped everything and ran to his wife's side. She was still conscious but clearly hurting. They didn't know how serious the injury was. Nonetheless Trudy looked up at her husband with a reassuring smile.
"Adrian," she told him, "it's going to be okay"
"This is all my fault," he sobbed
"DON'T DO THIS," she scolded him gently, "there is no place for blame at the table"
"What table," he looked around, "I don't see a table"
"Adrian that's an expression," she said, "we're not going to blame or get through things by negative interaction. Instead we're going to support each other through whatever comes our way."
She could see what he was thinking. She knew he was worried that it would be fatal but she shook her head.
"This is not fatal," she told him, "if it were I would be in a lot worse condition then this"
In that minute the ambulance came. He stayed with her the whole ride in the hospital holding her hand. Once there they ran some tests took her into the OR.
"WHAT'S GOING ON," he yelled at the doctor.
"Your wife as a bullet in her stomach," the doctor explained, "it just grazed the bowels but we need to remove the bullet. It should take about forty-five minutes. We'll keep her overnight and as long as there are no problems she'll be released in the morning"
The operation was a success. As soon as he could which was the very second the doctor told him he could, Monk went to visit her. He tried to apologize again but she just looked at him.
"You have the right to forgive yourself for the accident," she told him lightly, "and I INSIST that you do," she added sternly, "now shut up and kiss me"
He climbed into the bed next to her.
"Do I have the right to love you," he asked
"Always," she told him, "but you don't have the right to blame yourself. I said it before and I'll say it again. There's no place for blame at the table"