Song of the Chapter: Dream by: Imagine Dragons
Carry You Home- Chapter 3
Four's POV
These four walls, are killing me. I've only been in the hospital for about a week, and I've only been a wake, but it already seems like they're closing in on me. I don't know how much longer I can take it. No matter my attempts to stay busy, the hours tick by slowly. Despite her attempts to get off of work, Tris had to go in today, and Brynn had school, so I'll sit her alone for at least another hour, until Zeke gets here. My phone buzzing on the table in front of me breaks me out of my thoughts. I quickly take it into my hand, and accept the call without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?" I ask, and a person clears their throat on the other side. Blatantly male.
"Hello, may I speak to Four Eaton?" The voice says. I quirk my eyebrows in curiosity as to who would be calling.
"Speaking… Can I help you?" I respond, clearing my throat, which has become dry.
"Yes, this is Officer Darcson. We were calling to find out about your recovery."
"The recovery is going well sir. From what I've been told, I should be out of the hospital in a few weeks, if all goes well." I'm not sure of where this conversation is going.
"That's good to hear Mr. Eaton. Well, just so you know, the base would be thrilled to have you back after your recovery, if you're willing that is," the man says. Officer Darcson. They want me to come back after my recovery, after I'd already promise my girlfriend, and daughter that I wouldn't leave again. How could I do that to them?
"Thank you for the offer, sir, I will definitely take it into consideration," I respond, before pulling the phone away from my ear and pressing the red button to end the call. I all but slam my phone onto the table where it sat only a few minutes ago, before I got the call, and I throw my head back to lean against the bed, and I stare up to the ceiling. How could I do this to Tris? How could I even think about going back? How could I even do this to Brynn? When the look of terror in her eyes yesterday, when she couldn't even remember who her own father was, killed me. Doing this kills me, but I feel like I was born for what I do. How could I do that to myself, just to throw everything away? Though I have to think of my family, I have to think of myself also. Where will I be happy. Will I really be happy working at some desk job, or construction, or going back to school to get a degree in something that I really don't enjoy doing? But I know I'll be happy being with Tris, and watching my daughter grow up. I'm truly torn, even though I said yesterday so easily that I'd never leave again, when the look on Brynn's face was so fresh in my mind.
It's possibly hours that I ponder upon this, and my mind weighs out the pro's and con's of each side, though I still haven't made this impossible decision. A knock on the door breaks me out of my thoughts, and I shout "Come in!" The door opens, and Zeke comes into my view, I smile widely. I haven't seen him in months, my best friend from high school, who told me that I should trust Tris. The first person that I'd ever let break down my walls. "Hey man," I say, holding my out to him and he takes it into his, closing his fist around me in a small hand shake. He takes a seat beside the hospital bed that I'm currently in, and it kills me even more for my friends to see me like this. Practically on bed rest.
"How you holdin' up?" He asks me, a wide, genuine smile on his face. I just shrug. I can't lie, because I hate lying to Zeke, but I can't tell the truth. So I settle on just a shrug, as the smile on my face falls. The same as Zeke's. "What happened? Something with Tris?" Zeke questions, and I wonder why he'd think that something happened between Tris and I, but I quickly brush it off. I can't lie to him, I remind myself.
"They called," is all I say. He looks at me questioningly, before finally nodding in understanding. Thankfully he's not nearly as clueless as Uriah. "They want me back, after my recovery." It's silent after my admission, and I silently beg him to say something. Anything. But it seems like he thinks I'm going to continue. I'm not.
After he realizes that I'm waiting for his response, his jaw drops. "Wait… And you're actually considering going?!" He bursts, standing from the chair as he slams it against the wall behind him. I'm not sure why he's so angry about this. I slowly nod. "Do you not realize how much this is going to hurt Brynn, or Tris?! For this, you shouldn't have even bothered coming back!" He yells at me, and a part of me thinks I deserve it. Another part of me wants to tell him to stay out of our business, even though he's right. I'm about to respond, but I'm interrupted by his rant. "Do you even want a relationship with your daughter, to marry Tris, to have your fading relationship with her actually grow back to what it used to be in high school, when it actually seemed like you loved her almost as much as she loves you!" He lets out a breath. "I never thought I'd say this to you, Four, but I'm disappointed."
His rant angers me. All the things he accuses me of causes the resentment to boil inside of me. I sit up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed despite the pain that erupts near my ribs. Zeke paces around my room, and he runs his hands through his hair. "First of all, don't you dare accuse me of not loving Tris, or my daughter! You know damn well that the both of them are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and you don't get the right to take that away from me. And second, I never once said that I was actually going."
He stares at me angrily, but I don't shrink under his glare. "You're considering it, which is enough for me, but no, you're right. You obviously know how to take that away from yourself. And if you go, you won't only be loosing them, you'll be loosing of us. I, at least, have the right to make you fucking think, Four!" Zeke snaps, before he all but stomps out of the door, slamming it behind him.
Tris' POV
"Thank you, for picking Brynn and I up Zeke," I say, as I get into the passengers seat of his truck. I set my bag at my feet as I look back at Brynn, who's drinking a juice pack that Zeke must've gotten her, as she stares out the window.
"No problem, Hun," Zeke tells me, as hr pats my leg which is covered by the black pant leg of the dressy jump suit I'm wearing. If this were anyone else, I'd feel uncomfortable by the pat, or even the touching. But with Zeke, I'm almost as comfortable with him as I am with Tobias. I smile, but he doesn't smile back as he normally does. And though normally when I'm in the car with him, we talk. Sometimes about randomness, other times about work, or Brynn, or Shauna, or Tobias. But today is silent, and I know he's hiding something.
I debate on how I should go upon asking him this, but I know if I'm not straight forward, he'll lie to me. "What's going on, Zeke?" I ask him, and he only glances at me as he stops at a red light, before his eyes stare intently at the road. The light turns green, and he drives again, remaining silent. Though I'm sure he can feel the holes that I'm practically burning into the side of his skull with my stare.
"Four got the call," Zeke says, and I know what he's talking about. The call that he's gotten every time he comes home. "They asked him to go back, and he's considering it…" My heart shatters after the words he speaks, and my eyes go wide though I shouldn't be surprised. I don't respond, nor am I going to. This isn't Zeke's problem, and I hate that he's always pulled into our mess. For once, I'm actually going to make this Four and I's problem, and I'm going to lay it all out on the line for him to decide.
A/n- Told you it was going to be getting serious soon! XD Lol, so please let me know what you think far, I had a lot of fun writing this story. I hate to tell you that there's only 3 chapters left, because it is a short story. But anyway, please please please check out my story Last of Us. The final chapter is posted today, and it is now completed! I want to thank everyone who reads anything of mine, and I love hearing what everyone has to say. Good or bad. So, yeah, before this gets too mushy, I'll go. Bye guys!
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