A/N: This was supposed to be the last chapter, but it turned out longer than I thought, so there's going to be another one. I expect the next one to bring this story to an end. I hope you are enjoying it, and I would like to take the chance again to thank the lovely Kadi219 for helping me developing the plot, beta reading the chapters and helping me when I got stuck.

It was only an hour before Emily arrived when Jack's doctors decided to remove his oxygen tube and reduced his sedation. He seemed to be very disoriented and confused, and it seemed to worsen once his pain began to kick in. By the time Emily arrived, he was wailing and begged Sharon for some relief.

As she sat next to his bed, her hand squeezed in his so hard that it hurt and watched her ex-husband crying, Sharon couldn't help but be reminded of his behavior back when he woke up hungover. In the beginning of their marriage, his clinginess in the morning after he consumed too many drinks seemed cute and adorable. He would bury his face in her stomach, sometimes under her shirt to avoid the light and whimper softly. When getting drunk became a habit of his, Sharon began to feel trapped in his arms and at the same time appeased by the sweet words and compliments he would heap upon her in order to keep her near. She became his caretaker and before she realized it, their entire marriage became a drunken stupor in which they both took roles – Jack being drunk by liquor and Sharon being drunk by her love and loyalty to her husband. In hindsight, Sharon understood that was when she became an enabler, a habit that lasted almost until the official end of their marriage a year earlier. Being here now, hearing Jack's sobs and entreaties made her want to run out of this room as fast as she could and never come back. It was when Jack began to blame her for his pain and suffering when she finally snapped.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he sobbed and tugged her hand painfully. "I need stronger medicine. Call the nurse now!"

"Jack, the nurse was here 15 minutes ago. You can't get anything stronger, because you're an addict," she said and felt her jaw muscles twitching with anger.

"You always blame me like this. Why do you act like a bitch?" he whined. Sharon pulled her hand out of his, not caring for the pain it may have caused him.

"You know, Jack, I must be the stupidest person on earth to think that you would ever appreciate anything I do for you," she said before she got up and began making her way towards the door.

"No, Sharon, don't leave. I'm sorry I said that," Jack begged. "It's the pain. It's not me. You're great! Please…" Sharon froze just before she reached the doorway. She then turned around and walked back towards the bed.

"You know, Jack, I have better places to be, I have other people who need me – people I care about much more than I care about you. During the last 3 decades, I always put your needs first, because I thought if I showed you kindness and gave up a part of myself, you will change your ways," she didn't bother trying to stop her tears of anger and hurt.

"I did, Sharon. I did change my ways. I swear," Jack tried to reach her hand again, but she pulled it away.

"You're incapable of changing. You are weak, Jack, and I am sick of facilitating your weakness. From now on, you'll have to manage on your own. And when you get out of here, find another person who'll care for you during medical emergencies. And it better not be Emily or Ricky. Maybe ask your French girlfriend, who by the way, never showed up here, not even once," Sharon retorted, her voice dangerously low.

"Sharon, please! I didn't mean what I said. Please stay with me. You're a sweet person, I know this! I'm begging you, stay," Jack's whining engulfed her and she felt the irritation and pity conflicting with each other, each trying to win over the other. It took her a moment to gather herself up and wipe her tears. She took a deep breath and then looked into his eyes.

"I'm done with you, Jack, and I'm not even going to apologize about that. Goodbye," she said and walked out of the room despite his protests. She didn't expect to run into Ricky, Andy and Rusty in the hall. When she went into Jack's room two hours earlier, all three of them were away – Ricky went to the condo to shower and rest, Rusty went grocery shopping and Andy went to the office, to transfer his cases to the rest of the division. To find the three of them standing outside Jack's room, waiting for her was unexpected.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Ricky looked at her with worry. "Is dad okay? Why are you crying?"

"Your father is more than okay, he's already complaining," Sharon sighed and tried to school her features.

"What happened?" Ricky insisted.

"Nothing, honey. Your father is in pain and he needs to learn to handle it without meds, that's all. Maybe you should wait a bit before you go in there. Let him rest a bit, okay?" she replied.

"Are you sure? I mean…" Ricky protested, but Sharon shook her head. "Okay." He said.

"Did you get any rest?" Sharon changed the subject. If her son made it back to the hospital within two hours of leaving it, Sharon could only assume that he didn't do more than shower and eat.

"Emily was very tired, she took the bed," Ricky replied.

"You do know that there is also a couch," Sharon responded. "And didn't you set the folding bed in your room, Rusty?" She looked at her youngest son and he nodded quickly.

"Yeah, well… I was feeling kinda restless," Ricky admitted.

"I see," Sharon said. "Well, I think, since we've been sleeping on hospital benches and chairs for the last couple of nights, we should all head back home and get some sleep." She knew her words sounded like a suggestion, but her two sons and her boyfriend all knew that it was actually an order, and they didn't dare arguing for a single second. As the four of them left the hospital, it has been decided that since Emily had Sharon's bed, and Ricky and Rusty were sharing a room, it made sense that they would rest at the condo while she go and help Andy making the last arrangements for his flight. None of her sons argued with her logic, and she had the feeling that despite her trying to mask her true intentions to spend the night at Andy's, they picked up on it anyway.

Andy's bed smelled of sandalwood and Sharon couldn't resist burying her face in the pillow and taking a long sniff of the intoxicating scent, before she turned to Andy and snuggled close to him. They have only done this a few times since they started dating. It took her a while becoming comfortable with sleeping in the same bed with him, but now it was something she truly enjoyed and it usually calmed her down, especially when she had a rough day. She felt his hands drawing her closer and she smiled as his fingers gently tickled her side.

"Sharon," the loving way he uttered her name made her skin tingle. "What happened today at the hospital?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Sharon replied.

"You left Jack's room crying, you prevented Ricky from going in. Why was that?" Andy asked.

"He was crying in pain, blamed me for not wanting to help him," Sharon explained. "Called me a bitch." She tried to control her voice, but it shook and she closed her eyes and buried her face in Andy's chest. "I should be used to that by now, but I snapped and told him that this was the last time I'll do anything to help him." Andy's hand sneaked into her hair and gently massaged her scalp.

"He had it coming, Sharon. You've put up with a lot of his bullshit, and he can't even be thankful for everything you've done for him," Andy said. Sharon let out a soft hum in response and closed her eyes. They laid there side by side in silence for a while, their limbs entangled and their breaths ghosting on each other's skins. "I can hear your thoughts racing. Wanna share?" Andy eventually broke the silence.

"I'm just thinking how I wasted my life with Jack," Sharon sighed.

"Hey, self-pity doesn't become you," Andy looked into her eyes and could tell that whatever Sharon was upset about was more than Jack calling her a bitch. "What is this really about?"

"I'm just…" Sharon could feel the tears filling her eyes, and she tried to hold them back. "The way he looked at me and spoke to me today, it reminded me his hangovers, and how he used to treat me back then. And I tried, I really tried to be there for him and to help him through that, but no matter how much effort I made, it was never enough. I feel so used, Andy," she broke and her tears began streaming down her face and wetting the pillow. Andy wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

"I'm worried about you, Sharon," he said. "I'm leaving for New York tomorrow morning, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you when you're feeling so horrible about everything that's going on." He paused and waited for her reaction, but it seemed his words made her cry even more. "I know that you feel obligated to stay here with your children, but please consider coming with me to New York," he said.

"I can't," she sighed as she pulled herself into a seating position and leaned against the headboard. Andy did the same.

"I'm not gonna push you," he said. "But since you refused, I will have to take extreme measures," he smiled and opened his bedside table drawer, pulling something out. "You see, a while ago, I wrote a silly poem, and I think I should read it to you."

"You write poems?" Sharon arched her eyebrows.

"I met this girl,

Who's like a pearl

It's rare to find

She's one of a kind

And I love her so

She doesn't know

And when I kiss

Her sugar lips

She makes this sound

That blows my mind

And then I pray

That every day

I'll hold her tight

And feel so right

I can't live without her

My Sharon O'Dwyer

If I have luck in this life

I will make her my wife"

Andy's cheeks were crimson when he finished reading her the poem, and Sharon had a stunned expression on her face and tears in her eyes. "I'm no Shakespeare," he shrugged. "And it's just a silly poem, as I said before…"

"It's not silly at all, Andy, it's the sweetest thing anyone has ever written to or about me," Sharon said. "I love you so much, Andy. And one day, when we are sure that this is what we both want, I will be thrilled to be your wife." She wrapped her arms around him and captured his lips.

"So you like it?" Andy asked when they pulled apart. She nodded slowly and smiled. "Good. I'll leave this for you, and while I'm away, you can read it every time you feel down and hopefully it will make you smile."

"It will. Thank you so much for this, Andy," Sharon said and laid down again, pulling Andy by her side. He switched the bedside lamp off and kissed her goodnight. "Andy, can I ask you to do something weird for me?" she asked after lying awake for a while.

"Sure," Andy replied.

"Can you run your fingers down my spine? It calms me down." She heard Andy chuckle in the dark.

"Sure, turn over," he responded and Sharon turned on her stomach and pulled her shirt up. Andy placed the tips of his fingers on the small of her back and began to drag them up and down her spine, making her skin tingle. "How does it feel?"

"It feels great, thank you," she replied and felt herself slowly dozing off. "You're the best," she mumbled before she let sleep encompass her.

TBC

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