Title: Friday Night Lies
Author: Romantique
Email: dolph1n
Classification: Eric/Tami Crime/Angst
Rating: T for minor course language.
Summary: When the entire town of Dillon closes up Friday nights to watch their beloved Panthers, who's watching their homes and businesses?
Disclaimer: Friday Night Lights fan fiction occurs at the end of Season 3.
Legal: These characters do not belong to me. I'm just a fan and have not made a dime. Please email me to obtain permission to post.
Midland Memorial Medical Center
Friday Night
Dr. Jones had been by to see Eric that morning after looking at Thursday's and Friday's scans. The hematoma continued to be getting smaller and Eric's neurological symptoms were improving. If things continued to progress in this fashion, Dr. Jones told Eric he may be able to go home on Monday. Because of his ongoing severe headache and dizziness, he would still be on bed rest until Dr. Jones saw him the following Friday in his office. The two-fold concern was that Eric continued to make progress and that he not fall and reinjure his head.
Still unable to handle motion very well, Eric could not watch Friday night's game on television with all its play action, but he attempted to listen to it. His head was hurting so bad, at one point, Tami watched it for him and took notes. He made her promise to bring him back in for the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. The Dillon Panthers won the game 28 to 21. Knowing they had another win allowed Eric to rest that night a little easier.
But while the town was at Hermann Field for the big game, Garrity Motors was being robbed. The dealership was closed this Friday night, as it was every Friday night, which made it easy pickings for criminal activity.
Early Saturday morning, Buddy received a 7 a.m. call from his Sales Manager telling him the place had evidently been vandalized and probably robbed. The Sales Manager called the police before he called his boss, and an officer was the way.
Quickly, Buddy got dressed and went to the dealership to meet with the police. The offices had been ransacked. Some cars had been vandalized, windows broken, stereos stolen. They also found valuable tools had been stolen from the repair shop. Garrity Motors had security cameras, and the police were hopeful the cameras might have captured film of the suspects.
Buddy had to close the sales offices while the police conducted their investigation, so he set up a trailer in the far end of the lot so his dealership could continue to conduct its weekend sales business. The police were already trying to link this robbery to the Taylor and McCoy robberies.
Midland Memorial Medical Center
Sunday Morning
Eric sat on the edge of the hospital bed, dressed and waiting for the discharge nurse to come in and sign him out of this place. He was so compliant and eager to get out of this place, he persuaded his attending physician to release him today. Tami and her sister had already loaded the car with his things and a myriad of plants, balloons, and flowers. Then, they went to pick up some prescriptions he would need right away.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Joe McCoy stormed into his room.
"What the hell do you think you're doing telling everyone that we had something to do with the robbery at your house and your assault?" Joe was red faced and fuming.
"I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about, Joe, but I think you need to leave." Eric's head began pounding harder from the sudden change in his rising blood pressure.
"Your wife came over to our house and accused us of having something to do with your assault and robbery," Joe began shouting. "And then, I read in the paper that we're somehow also connected to the robbery over at Garrity Motors, and the team and this gossipy town are just talking it up."
Eric hadn't read the Sunday paper and knew nothing about Garrity Motors, but as soon as he heard this abusive, son-of-a-bitch mention his wife, he cut Joe off in a seething tone. "I don't know anything about Garrity Motors. But you better not mention my wife ever again in any context, Joe. Do you hear me? You don't mention her, you don't look at her, and you don't threaten her. And you sure as hell better not ever so much as touch a hair on her head. Now, get the hell out of here before I call security!"
At the sound of the commotion coming out of Eric's room, the discharge nurse walked in. "Is everything alright in here?" she asked with great authority.
Eric took a hard swallow. His intense, intimidating stare at McCoy never broke for a second. "I think Joe here was just leavin'."
Sunday Afternoon
Midland Hotel
After Eric was discharged, Tami, Eric, and Shelley went over to the hotel across the street. Tami secured another room for her and Eric and Gracie. Eric was in no shape for a long car ride home, and there house wasn't ready to move back into anyway. Their insurance agent authorized Tami to stay at the hotel for another week, as their house should be ready to move back into by then. Shelley agreed to stay on to continue helping out where she could. Julie wanted to stay in the room with her aunt.
After Eric was settled into a room, Tami and Julie brought Gracie Belle in to see her Daddy for the first time since the assault. It did Eric's heart good to see Gracie, and she was very happy to see him. Father and baby daughter missed one another.
"What's this I hear you're sleepin' in a big girl bed with your sister?" Eric asked his little one. Gracie laughed and beamed with pride. "And you went swimmin' in the pool?"
"Oh, Hon," Tami stopped him. "Please don't mention the 'S' word, or she'll want to go … now."
But it was too late. Gracie Belle was then promised she could go to the pool after she ate her lunch and had a nap. They even had to tell her she couldn't go now because the pool was closed.
The Taylors ordered room service and began to settle back into family life. After the meal, Tami could see Eric was tiring. She had been warned at the hospital that he may tire easily for a while due to the concussion. Tami suggested the girls go to Shelley's room for awhile so that Eric could rest. After hugs and kisses and "bye-byes," Eric went into the bathroom to take one of his medications.
Upon returning from the bathroom, Eric approached Tami. This had been his first real opportunity to ask, "Is there something you need to tell me?"
"About what?" she asked.
"Joe McCoy came to see me at the hospital today," he disclosed in a very flat tone.
In front of her own husband, Tami was quietly embarrassed. "I went to see Katie to let her know I knew they had been robbed and quashed it," she admitted. "And that by only looking out for themselves, other people got hurt. You got hurt."
There was silence.
Tami sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have gone … I shouldn't have said it. It was personal and unprofessional, and it happened on their turf which was not my most brilliant moment." Tami stared off vacantly, as she tried to explain herself. "But I did it anyway. I had to."
There was another long silence. Eric sensed his wife needed to talk about what happened that night. Tami talked to him about everything, and she hadn't been able to for over a week. In order to get through this past week, she had to hold everything in. She needed to talk, and he gave her the space to do so.
"I'm sorry if I made things worse," she raised an eyebrow, searching Eric's eyes for forgiveness. "That's all we need is a war with the McCoys on top of everything else."
Eric's response was an unexpected one. "And I'm sorry if I made things worse by chargin' into the house that night. I shouldn't have done it, but I had to."
Tami was still searching her husband's eyes, when they both experienced a flash of clarity and understanding. As Tim Riggins said, they were protecting the ones they love.
"Come here, babe," Eric beckoned.
No longer encumbered by needles and tubes and wires, Eric opened his arms and gave his wife a real hug. He held her strong. Tami fell into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder with her face away from his, and she began to cry. He just held her and held her head, and he began to stroke her long, blonde tresses. The longer he held her, the harder she cried until she was sobbing, releasing all the fear and anger she carried.
Eric continued to stroke her hair and kissed her head.
"In the ambulance, at the hospital, you were unconscious. You were in a coma." Tami tried to speak in between sobs. "You … almost … died." After struggling to get those words out, she completely broke down.
He continued to hold her strong. Still stroking her hair, he couldn't help but think that he was the fortunate one because he didn't remember any of that. But he could see Tami did, and he suspected Julie did, too.
"I'm here," he whispered, holding her even tighter, resting his head upon hers. "I'm here."
He then leaned back so that he could cup her face in his hands, bringing it closer to his. Streams of tears poured down her face. His eyes searched hers until his eyes began to glisten. He tightened his mouth into a knowing little smile that spread up into eyes and made them crinkle. "I'm not goin' anywhere."
Eric tightened his mouth again into the little smile. Still holding her face in his hands, he stroked Tami's wet cheek with his thumb, wiping away tears. Finally, Tami mirrored the little smile that slowly spread up into her eyes.
"I love you," Eric whispered.
"I love you, too," she said, now gazing into his eyes.
Eric brought his mouth to meet hers and gently kissed his wife. Tasting the salt of her tears, their kiss deepened. Eric's head ached; Tami could see the pain in his eyes and convinced him he needed to lie down. And she told him she needed to lie down with him. They just held one another. They needed to hold onto one another.
fin
