Sean Renard strode confidently into Treeview Hospital, eagerly searching for Erin. After being directed to her room by a kind, young nurse, he felt suddenly nervous as he approached. He stood in the doorway and felt a surge of guilt overcome him: she looked horrible. He quickly shook off the guilt and walked into her room, head titled high. Her eyes were closed, but he assumed she probably wasn't asleep. She'd always had nightmares, and he assumed now they were worse than ever.
Erin had heard him come in, assuming it was Nick, and her eyes opened slowly. When she realized it wasn't Nick, she jumped and leaned away from him. "You!" she hissed. "Why the hell are you in here, get out!" she cried.
She sucked in air, ready to scream, but Sean quickly covered her mouth. "Just shut up if you want to live," he hissed threateningly. "Do you understand me, Erin?" he asked coldly.
Erin nodded, and she peeled his hand from her mouth and gasped for breath. "Why are you here?" she asked him, sounding weak and tired rather than demanding.
Sean wiped his hand on his coat and walked over to the window. "I don't know, Erin. Why am I here?" he teased.
Erin hesistated, then she rolled her eyes. "How the hell should I know?" she muttered. "Why are you here?" She frowned. "And where's Nick?" she demanded.
Sean grinned and turned to face her. He walked over to the side of her bed and laid his hand on the rail. "I'm here because I got word you were in the hospital," he said casually. "I was just worried," he added snidely.
Erin let out a cold laugh and sounded like she'd burst into tears. "You're a damn liar," she spat, "you don't give a damn about me, and you never did to began with. So why are you really here, Sean?"
Sean's grin disappeared from his face and his mouth formed a tight line. Oddly, he felt his heart clench. "That's not true," he hissed. "You were like a daughter to me before your brother got in the damn way," he admitted.
Erin flinched and shook her head at him, disgusted and hurt. "You murdered him, Sean. He didn't even do anything!" she cried. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did he get in the way of?" she asked. He stood silent. "Well if it's some goddamn secret, then I don't know why the hell you're here," she muttered.
Sean suddenly felt that all-too-familiar sense of guilt. The hurt in her voice protruded beyond the bitterness and stung him. Her eyes held a strong sense of loneliness, too. Of course she resented him for murdering her brother, but what had really broken her was that he'd fled and left her alone with her abusive foster dad and his then-girlfriend, Rider's mom, Rebecca.
"And if you really cared, Sean, you wouldn't have left," she whispered accusingly in a tired voice.
Sean stiffened and suddenly felt the urge to slap her and scream, of course I had to leave! I'm a fucking police chief, what would happen if people found out I shot an eighteen-year-old!
Instead, he smoothed his coat and spoke in a surprisingly even voice. "Erin, I cared about you then, and I do now. If I wanted you dead, I could arrange that," he said nonchalantly.
Erin swallowed hard. "You set this up, didn't you?" she said quietly.
Sean froze and his jaw tightened. Of course he hadn't set this up, he didn't want her dead. "No, I didn't set this up," he said, "Erin, I don't want you dead." He reached for her, but she inched away from him and scowled.
"Go away, Sean. You're fucking lying, you're just waiting for a chance to kill me," she spat accusingly at him.
"Erin, don't you get it-"
"I don't get the point of this stupid conversation anyway. I'm done listening to you, Sean," she told him.
Sean rolled his eyes. She's always been stubborn, ever since he met her. She had a mental wall built in her mind and hardly let anyone reason with her. She was always cynical of people, and after Rider's death, she didn't trust anyone. She became more violent and hot-headed too, and she didn't let Ben tell her off without putting up a fight or getting mouthy with him, resulting in a lot of yelling and a lot of property damage, hence why so many domestic violence complains were reported.
Sean was feeling impatient with Erin at this point and angrily smacked the railing with his palm, which he instantly regretted. "Dammit, Erin, just listen to me for once!" he shouted at her. She stared at him fearfully and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I just-"
"Got mad and lost control?" Erin finished. "It's ok, Ben apologizes all the time," she muttered sarcastically, implying that she was used to the outbursts and that they didn't phase her. "Happens to me too," she admitted nonchalantly with a shrug. She yawned.
"You're tired," Sean pointed out calmly.
Erin shook her head, but a second yawn said otherwise. "I'm not tired..." Her voice trailed off and her head drooped, then snapped back up instantly. She was struggling to stay awake.
"You need to rest," Sean told her quietly.
She shook her head again. "You know what happens when I sleep," she muttered, barely conscious.
Sean smiled slightly and pulled her blanket up to her chest. She looked into his eyes and formed a slight scowl. "This doesn't change anything," she growled.
Sean nodded and left, feeling different.
