As always, thank you all so much for your continued support and kind words for this story! Here's the next chapter.
I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co.
Chapter Four
Later that afternoon, Dr. Lang walked into the quiet waiting room still wearing his scrubs with his surgical mask pulled down around his neck. He easily found Sharon and made his way over to her. She noticed his solemn posture and felt a knot forming instantly in her stomach.
"Captain, we just finished the surgery," he began, but Sharon interrupted him.
"Is he Ok?" She asked hesitantly. Emily and Ricky were perched beside her, and the tension was palpable.
"He's in recovery. We almost lost him twice, but luckily, he's stubborn. He's hanging in there. We're hoping to get him moved back to his room in ICU shortly," he explained.
"Will he be Ok?" Emily asked.
"With this setback, the clock resets, so we'll see how he does for the next twenty-four hours. If he manages to get through that without any complications, I would say that he has a very good chance of making a full recovery. You should know, though, it's going to be a long, difficult road both physically and emotionally," Dr. Lang stated honestly. Emily nodded.
"Thank you, Doctor," Sharon said, and the relief was evident in her voice.
"So what now?" Ricky asked looking at his mother.
"Now, we wait until he's ready for you and Emily to go back and spend some time with him," she answered simply.
A couple of hours later, Emily and Ricky were cleared to go visit their father. Rusty ran out to the store to pick-up a few groceries since they had extra people at their house and a very empty pantry. Sharon remained at the hospital so that she could be there for her kids when they got back from seeing their father.
As she sat alone in the waiting room, she heard and felt the soft rumble of her stomach. It caught her off guard because she hadn't felt hungry since this whole ordeal began. Weighing her options inside the hospital, she decided that the vending machines were her best bet. She got up and rode the elevator down to the entrance they had walked through many hours ago. She remembered seeing vending machines near the doors and the junk food it contained was exactly what she was craving right now.
When she reached the first machine, she scanned it carefully. Then, she moved over to the next one and found exactly what she was looking for: very greasy sour cream and onion potato chips. They were her biggest vice especially when she was feeling overly emotional. When she saw them through the glass, her face lit up. She inserted the exact change and pressed the appropriate buttons. She watched as the bag of chips began moving towards her on its journey out of its protected row and down through the opening at the bottom on the machine. Just as the bag was about to release, the machine stopped and the bag was stuck. Sharon let out a frustrated sigh.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" She complained to the machine. She briefly looked around and was relieved to see that the corridor was empty. She pushed the buttons again hoping it would do something - anything - but nothing happened. Sharon Raydor prided herself on her self control, her ability to stay calm in the craziest of situations, and her restraint when it came to physical violence. But this vending machine was about to test all of that. It had been a horrible thirty-six hours, and this machine was about to bear the brunt of her frustrations and pain.
"Come on!" She said raising her voice. She tried to bang on the glass, but it was to no avail. The more stuck the situation became, the more worked up Sharon became. She tried kicking it, pushing it, yelling at it, but absolutely nothing worked. Finally, she gave up. She turned her back to the machine, and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor, back against it, and head in her hands.
Andy walked into the hospital, and the first thing he noticed was a woman sitting on the floor of the corridor with her head in her hands. As he got closer to the scene, he realized the woman was his girlfriend. He carefully approached her unsure of what he was stepping into.
"Sharon? You Ok?" He asked quietly. She lifted her head and looked at him, surprise ruling her features. Underneath it, though, she looked defeated. It took her a moment, but she finally nodded.
"What happened?" He asked concerned.
"The stupid potato chip bag is stuck," she answered with a mix of anger and frustration.
"That's it?" He replied surprised. She gave him an incredulous look.
"That's it? I've been fighting with this damn vending machine and it finally won," she said annoyed. Andy couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips.
"Here," he said offering her his hand. "Let me see what I can do," she looked up at him with a look that was clearly screaming what is it you think you can do that I haven't tried. He instantly recognized it and took pity on her. "I have a way with these damn things," he clarified with a smile. She relented and allowed him to help her up.
Andy stood in front of the vending machine surveying the situation. With his wider arm span, he placed his hands on either side of it and gave it a good shake. After repeating the motion a few times, the bag of chips fell from the machine's grip and he pulled it out of the narrow opening. He handed it to her, and she quickly grabbed it.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"I'm surprised you eat those things," he said with a laugh.
"I don't," she said defensively.
"Could have fooled me," he said with his usual charm. She couldn't help but to smile back.
"Well, not usually anyway. Only when I'm feeling especially... challenged," she explained.
"Oh, I see. Like a guilty pleasure," he said as they started to walk towards the elevator. She shook her head while chomping down on a chip. She offered the bag to Andy, but he shook his head.
"I don't have guilty pleasures," she teased as they waited for the elevator car to arrive.
"You forget. I know you pretty well now," he teased back.
"Not as well as you think," she challenged. He smiled before leaning over and whispering in her ear.
"Oh yeah?" He began. "Then what do you call that thing I do with my tongue on your neck," he said smugly.
"That? That's just alright," she answered with a shrug, giving him a hard time. It worked because Andy instantly lost the smug look. Just then the elevator dinged
"Funny, you don't moan like it's just 'alright'," he retorted. She laughed as they stepped into the empty car.
"Relax. I'm only giving you a hard time. I think we both know you're a lot more than just 'alright' in that department," she assured him. "And I call that just pleasure. Nothing guilty about it," she quipped, and she saw the boost to his ego light up his face. She rolled her eyes. They were silent for a beat, but then Andy remembered the actual reason why they were here.
"How's Jack doing?" He asked, and he could feel the mood shift.
"Better. Alright, I guess. He made it through the surgery," she explained as the elevator landed on their floor. They stepped out and he reached for her hand. She accepted it, and they walked hand in hand to the waiting room.
That evening, Andy had plans for dinner at Nicole's. He offered to cancel assuring Sharon that Nicole would understand given the circumstances, but she insisted that they would be fine and that he should go. She knew how important these dinners with his daughter were to Andy, and she had her kids to occupy her, not that she needed twenty-four/seven companionship - a fact she reminded him of before he left for his daughter's house.
After dinner, Ricky and Rusty settled on the couch and challenged each other in some video game while Sharon and Emily sat out on the balcony enjoying their glasses of wine.
"Seeing Dad like that was just surreal," Emily said, keeping her focus straight ahead of her. Sharon nodded. "And it isn't even his physical injuries that are so jarring. I've never seen him so... broken," she said sadly.
"Your father has made a lot of mistakes, and I don't think that he usually allows himself to think about them. With something like this, well, he has no choice but to face it all," Sharon explained. "Any time he's started to examine his life, he's just fallen back into bad habits that allow him to avoid thinking about it too much," she added. Emily looked at her mother.
"But this is too huge not to face," she concluded.
"Exactly. That's why he's such a mess," Sharon agreed.
"It's going to take a long time and a lot of help, isn't it?" She asked.
"Yes, and as long as he's willing to accept both, then he'll get through it," Sharon said.
"But that's just it, Mom. He doesn't have anybody," Emily said concerned. She paused a moment to collect her thoughts, and Sharon could tell she was about to say something that had been on her mind since she arrived. "I think I should turn down the London job and stay in LA until Dad is better," she started, but Sharon began shaking her head and interrupted.
"Absolutely not," she insisted.
"But, Mom-" Emily tried, but Sharon interrupted again.
"You cannot put your life on hold for him, Emily. Believe me, it doesn't work out like you think it will," Sharon explained.
"But who else is going to be there for him? He needs me," Emily argued. Sharon always admired her daughter's ability to see the good in people and to truly believe in them. But she also knew that Jackson Raydor preyed on that type of person.
"Take it from someone who has been down that road. Your father will only disappoint you, and then you will be left without the opportunity I know you very much want to take," she said seriously. "The best thing that you can do for him, and yourself, is to let him do this himself". Emily studied her mother's face. She could see years of disappointment and hurt buried under her strong façade.
"Mom... I'm so sorry," Emily said quietly. Sharon shook her head.
"No, I am very happy with the way my life turned out. I just don't want you to give up on your dreams. That's all," she assured her. Emily took her mom's hand and squeezed it.
"I'm going to miss you," she said sadly.
"I'm going to miss you, too," Sharon replied with tears forming in her eyes. "But, we'll Skype even if I have to get up in the middle of the night to make the time difference work," she assured her, and Emily knew that she would. It wasn't going to be easy, but they'd make the most of it.
"It's late. You should get some sleep, Mom. We all should," Emily said getting up and moving towards the door. Sharon followed her. When she caught up to her at the door, she pulled her into an embrace. "What are we going to do about Dad?" Emily asked quietly.
"We'll figure that out one day at a time. First, though, he has to make it through tonight and tomorrow morning," Sharon stated as they walked back into the condo. And Emily knew that she was right. Her father was nowhere near out of the woods yet. And who knew what tomorrow would bring.
TBC