THROWN OFF THE SCENTIPEDE
AN: A few of you were disappointed in the direction I went in the last chapter. I hope you guys like the tone of this chapter a bit better. I'm not letting anyone off the hook, believe me. That said, I don't hate anyone on the team. I don't want anyone decimated. My ultimate goal is to heal the relationships, get the team back to being a family and get Waige back together. And I'm trying to do all that before I go on vacation in eight. more. days. That's a lot to wrap up!
Thanks for reading!
oooooooooo
Walter stormed into the garage.
With a guttural cry, he turned and hurled his keys as hard as he could at the closed door. The key ring exploded and keys scattered in every direction, ricocheting off the brick walls and pinging like metallic hail as they bounced across the concrete floor.
Paige jumped and gasped, "Walter!" She laid a steadying hand over her pounding heart.
"Sorry," he growled, "I didn't realize anyone was here."
"Obviously. Is everything okay with Happy? Did something else happen after I left the hospital?" She asked, alarmed.
"No. There's no change in her status. Her lung was still punctured and collapsed requiring extensive, traumatic surgery. Her leg is still broken in multiple places and being held together with pins. She's still going to need months of rehab and physical therapy if she ever wants to walk normally again. And before you ask, Toby is still a wreck too."
Walter threw himself down in his desk chair and ran an agitated hand down his face. Scowling at a point somewhere above Paige's head, he shook his head and said, "This isn't working out. I can't do this."
She'd been idiotic to believe things would go back to the way they'd been before. She was counting on history repeating itself. Every other time they'd had a big blow up within the group, people said their 'sorry's and they all moved on in much the same way they always did.
This time was the aberration. Nothing was the same.
In the three weeks since Walter rejoined the team everything was weird and out of sync with the whole team but particularly between the two of them.
For starters, Paige and Walter treated each other very carefully. Their interactions, when they were forced to have them, were carried out with almost sterile politeness. As if they were strangers. As if she didn't remember what it was like to be loved by him. It was slowly killing her.
Then there was the fact they strategically avoided being alone together and succeeded most of the time. Walter participated in social activities outside work only rarely and solely when they included the entire team. During those occasions, when he wasn't off by himself, he mostly gravitated to Cabe and Ralph or occasionally Sylvester.
Walter spent most Sundays with Ralph. Paige was grateful for that at least. But to top off the awkwardness, when he came to pick up her son, he would routinely call Ralph from the car, so they could meet in the parking lot. On the rare occasions he actually came to the door, he would wait on the porch, refusing to come inside. Heaven forbid he would actually have to cross her threshold.
Paige tried to act like it didn't bother her. It was a very good thing acting wasn't her vocation.
"What's not working out?" She asked. Paige couldn't stand how timid the question sounded, but she didn't want to aggravate him further. Not when the slim chance of even restoring their friendship was so precarious.
"This! Me! I can't do this any more," Walter answered unhelpfully.
Paige could tell he was often biting his tongue and hanging back during cases. She thought it was safe to assume he was referring to those efforts. She could see his frustration mounting day by day.
"You're going to have to be a little more specific," she prompted anyway.
He sighed and glared at her, "I know you all hated me for making unilateral decisions. But the fact is, when there are seconds to spare, I can run through possible outcomes faster. I can calculate odds. I can think up probable solutions. And we don't have time to stop and take a damn vote or discuss the rationale! Next time the delay might mean someone dies!"
"For what it's worth, I think you're right. I recognize that someone needs to take charge and have absolute authority when we're in crisis mode."
"Your opinion doesn't help Happy very much right now," he grumbled.
Ouch. Paige swallowed the urge to bite back. She reminded herself he had good reason to be upset and impatient. Plus, this was the longest and most meaningful conversation the two of them had shared in a long while. She wasn't willing to blow it because he was being rude. Besides, in some ways it was rather nice to see the old Walter finally surfacing. She kinda liked that guy. Well, fell in love with that guy even though he drove her crazy sometimes.
She got up and strolled over to his desk, propping one hip on the corner. "Why haven't you brought this up at any of our planning sessions?"
His lip curled. "You mean our 'brainstorming' meetings?" The contempt was heavy in his tone.
"Yes, Walter. That's the purpose of those meetings. To see what works for all of us and to bounce ideas off each other in an open forum where everyone contributes. Why would you keep those thoughts to yourself?"
He scoffed. "As if you didn't know."
She crossed her arms and pinned him with a look. "I can't know unless you tell me."
"Fine. I don't want to be accused of arrogance, condescension or immaturity. I'm trying to show I can learn and grow. Advance beyond the abilities of an emotionally stunted teenager. That's why!"
Oh.
There was barely a moment that went by Paige didn't regret her hasty words and the damage they'd inflicted. Apologizing hadn't worked. Explaining why she said them hadn't either. She wasn't sure what else to try.
'You've had a lot of fits and starts with EQ, but you've always seemed to be on a… forward path.'
She shut her eyes against the memory of another time he was worried about his emotional development and what she'd done afterwards to show him he was perfectly fine in her book. Why couldn't he recall that time instead of the hateful words she said in anger?
Because she couldn't help herself. Because it was there. Paige covered Walter's hand with hers. "I really am sorry. For what I said that awful day. I didn't mean it, you know."
It was a minor victory he didn't snatch his hand back right away. Instead, his eyes drifted shut and he paused for just a moment then slipped it out from underneath hers and folded his arms. The wounded look on his face was worse than the contemptuous mask that had been covering it. She only caught a glimpse before he got up and turned away.
"Hey, Walter. When Happy gets better, we'll discuss this with the team. See if we're all on the same page. Okay?" Paige called to his back as he started up the stairs.
"Sure. That'll help," He muttered to himself before tossing a sarcastic, "Have a good night," at her as he disappeared into his loft.
oooooooooo
Paige tapped quietly on the door frame of the hospital room before sticking her head around the partially open door.
The woman in the bed appeared to be resting quietly if not comfortably.
The whooshing from the respirator and the soft rhythmic beeping of the other instruments were the only noises in the room, so she whispered to keep from startling the exhausted man sitting next to the bed, "Hey. How is she?"
Toby's eyelids drooped drowsily over bloodshot eyes and the typical stubble on his jaw was leaning more toward turning into a full-on beard. "I've noticed she's a little less talkative than usual. But other than that there's not much change." He sighed and sat up straighter, "Sorry. She's going to be fine. Eventually. It's just hard to see her like this. Happy is never this still. I know they have to keep her sedated while she's intubated, but she would hate everything about it."
Paige dragged a chair over next to Toby's. "Look at it this way, if she's good and pissed off when they bring her out of it, she'll work twice as hard in therapy so she can get out of here."
She handed him the paper bag she'd been holding on her lap. "I brought you a change of clothes and some other necessities. Do you want coffee or anything?"
"Nah. Thanks. The stuff in the nurses' lounge isn't too bad and I've had more than I probably should've."
Paige's eyebrows shot up. "The nurses' lounge? How did you get the code to get in there?"
She got a classic 'Toby' look in return before he said, "Please. You forget who you're dealing with."
She slapped his knee. Then they sat silently watching Happy for a few minutes.
"Did you sleep at all? Do you want me to stay with her so you can go home and shower or sleep for a bit?"
"I slept a little here and there, as much as I could sitting up in a chair with people coming in and out of the room every hour or so. I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to leave her. She'll need someone to yell at when they wake her up and I wouldn't wanna miss it. Plus, since you brought me clothes I can slip into the residents' showers later and grab a quick one." He grinned tiredly.
Paige smiled and shook her head at his nonsense.
"I don't want to go home without her," Toby admitted weakly, the smile dropping from his face as he stared at the inert form of his wife.
"Oh, Toby. I'm so sorry this happened to her." Paige felt her eyes start to sting from gathering tears.
"Let's talk about something else less depressing, okay?" Toby suggested. "Um, how's 197 dealing with all of this? I'm guessing not well?"
"You guessed right. And how is that topic less depressing in any way?"
"It's not. But it will help me get out of my own head for a while. Diagnosing Walt is better than a book of crossword puzzles. Let me see… he's furious. He's acting like he's mad at the whole team. He wants to quit. When what's really going on is he can't forgive himself for letting this happen. Fundamental God complex. Blah, blah, blah."
"Got it in one. For what it's worth, he's not wrong. If we'd been quicker accepting his solution, we wouldn't be here. What would you think about putting him back in charge especially in those types of situations?"
The shrink ran a weary hand over his face. "You know I hate admitting this, but Happy and I have been thinking that's the way it should go for a while now. We've discussed it between ourselves more than once. Ever since the fiasco that was Ethiopia."
"Then why didn't you ever say?"
"You've met me, right? I have this weird resistance to admitting Big Brain is right about anything. He's just so damn smart and he knows it."
Paige sighed heavily. "I've noticed. He doesn't exactly corner the market on being condescending, does he? You love it when you're right and he's wrong and you don't mind telling him."
"Yep. I eat that shit up."
"Because you're intimidated by his intelligence?"
"Do you remember me telling you I was a narcissist? There's a bit of that too. Before I came to work at Scorpion, I was used to being the smartest schmuck in the room. Plus, Walter and I have some kind of twisted sibling rivalry for the center of attention as Cabe has pointed out more than once lately. Knowing about it doesn't make it easier to curb the tendencies. Kinda like your tendency to bail every time your insecurities rear their ugly heads."
"Whoa, there. Now you're stepping on my toes." Paige shrugged, "I wish I could disagree."
"Except this last time you gradudated from running to being downright vindictive, didn't you? I mean, you weren't content with simply tearing him down in front of all of us and leaving him, you set out to take all his friends and his business in the divorce too."
"Since when did we make this examination about me? I thought you were diagnosing Walter here?" Paige snapped, irritated.
"Fair's fair. I'm pointing plenty of fingers back at myself too. It's not like I tried to stop you or pointed out any of the obvious flaws in your logic. The vengeful child in me was giggling madly watching you systematically destroy Walter's whole world. I've kicked that stupid kid's little ass a few times since."
She sighed, defeated. "I know. You're right. He's still so mad at me. I was hopeful when I read that letter, but now I'm beginning to think he hates me."
Toby smirked. "No. He wishes he could hate you, maybe."
"How did everything get so screwed up?"
The two of them went back to watching Happy's chest rise and fall in time with the respirator.
Until Toby squirmed in his seat and cleared his throat. "Since you're in the forgiving mood because of my current circumstances, can I confess something else? I've had nothing but time to think while I was staring at these four walls in here and I've realized some things."
"I did let it slide when you basically called me a vindictive bitch. I mean, the truth hurts, but it's still true. Go ahead. Feel free to make me feel worse."
"No, Paige. This one's on me, not you."
Her eyes met her friend's and she could see the same regret she was experiencing. "Go ahead, Toby. I'll try to stay objective."
"I purposely gave Walter conflicting and downright bad advice when it came to you."
"What?!"
"Objective, remember?"
Her lips thinned, but she gave him a sharp nod, "I said I'd try. Go ahead."
"You already know about my yen to win. When it comes to Walter, I don't win in many areas. But I am better and more successful in romantic relationships than him. While he's completely clueless. I liked that a little bit too much. I spent years telling him he should admit how he feels about you. Tell you. Then when you were with Tim, I told him he should shut up and accept you chose the better man. I also told you not to tell him about what happened in space. I think I spouted some nonsense about it being catastrophic for him. I did the same thing to him with the white lie about what's-her-face. He was in agony keeping it from you. I told him he could either tell you and feel better but hurt you, or keep it to himself and keep feeling horrible but protect you. Guess which way he went. I'm even the one who told him to tell Florence about his dream in the first place. A lonely oddball like Flo? I knew she'd get the flutters over it. The fact is, I've discouraged you guys from being honest and open with each other. More than once. I'm not proud of it. I wish I could take it back. But the damage is done. I hope you can trust me to do better from here on."
"I'm not sure I can trust either one of us again. No wonder Walter won't let us back in." Paige whispered. She rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her face into her hands.
