Someone To Lean On
"Hey." Freddie said, walking back into the hospital after taking some time at home to shower and get herself together. She had something to eat and had a short nap whilst Rocky stayed in her company, not offering anything but a shoulder for her, but as soon as she woke up restlessly, she just wanted to see her dad.
"Hey." AJ smiled, standing up from the chair in the waiting area where she had sat for a few hours whilst Toni and Dean stayed with Phil, "How are you?" She asked, squeezing her daughter's shoulder softly. She understood her daughter had been through hell tonight, and it made her so upset to see the two people she cared about the most, the people she was always trying to protect, broken and hurt.
"I'm ok." Freddie said, "Rocky went to the owl to… see what was going on. I just had a shower, slept for a bit, but… I just… I want to see him." She nodded.
"Yeah, me too." AJ sighed as Freddie made a face.
"Why haven't you saw him yet?" Freddie asked her.
"Your uncle and gran are… in the room with him, it's family only so I would wait on you to go in, it's just two at a time." AJ said.
"Let's go then." Freddie nodded as AJ followed her. Her bravery and strength, despite what she had gone through, was something she was so in admiration of. It gave her strength in ways.
"I… I'll need to say I'm his wife." AJ shook her head.
"Then say that." Freddie said casually, walking down the corridor and into the doors of the intensive care unit, which Toni and Dean were just leaving the room.
"Have they said anything else?" AJ asked them quietly.
"No. No, he's just… still in critical condition. These hours are the most determining ones." Toni said as AJ nodded, "Are you ok?" She turned to Freddie who just nodded.
"I'm ok." Freddie said, "I just want to see him."
"You might get a fright." Dean told her truthfully.
"I'm not a baby." Freddie looked at him.
"You should come stay with us at our house." Toni said, tucking a strand of Freddie's hair behind her ear whilst AJ stood quietly behind, "I don't want you staying in the apartment on your own, and that boy isn't supervising you the whole time." She said.
"Mom can stay with me." Freddie shrugged, turning to AJ who lifted her head, "Right?" Freddie said, not seeing how it would be such a big deal.
"If… yeah, if you want me to." AJ nodded.
"Ok." Freddie said, turning back to Toni, "I'll be ok." She nodded.
"Right." Toni smiled, "Well we're going to the owl to… see what the hell is going on with all of this, to figure it out with your dad, and also to see what's going on with… the issues Dean may have caused us." She looked to her son.
"You would have done the same." Dean mumbled.
"Julio might come by later to see Phil. I'll let him know what's going on." Toni said.
"Ok." AJ nodded, parting ways with them as her and Freddie headed into the hospital room whilst Toni and Dean left.
They walked in and both had prepared themselves to see a scary sight, and that's what they saw. The room was dim and Punk lay out cold on the bed, almost making everything around him look bigger than what they actually were. He was chalk white and had a million and one machines bleeping around him. He had an oxygen tube around his nose and in his mouth, drips in his hand and more going on around him.
Freddie had never saw such a frightening sight before. Someone she had considered her only source of love, trust and comfort for so long, seemed so far away, so small and weak.
"Phil." AJ sighed to herself, walking over to the bed, sitting down beside him and placing her hand on top of his whilst Freddie still stood at the door, not sure if she really wanted to go much closer, wishing she had trusted Rocky when he told her it was going to be difficult.
AJ turned around and saw Freddie stood still at the door. She dried her own tears and nodded to her, "It's ok." AJ said as Freddie walked in a little closer, walking around the bed and sitting down at the opposite side, looking at all the machines which she supposed was keeping her father alive.
"This… isn't ok." Freddie shook her head quietly as AJ nodded.
"I know." AJ sighed, "I know but he's… he's strong. You know that." She said, "He's got over the worst of it, now he just needs to get better." AJ nodded, convincing her own self never mind Freddie. It may have been hard to believe that she still had the same feelings for Punk like she did eighteen years ago when she last saw him, but her feelings really hadn't left, she still cared about him as the father of her daughter and also her best friend who she fell in love with.
"Is he breathing on his own?" Freddie asked.
"Well… yeah, but I think he just needs a little more help." AJ said, "He should wake up soon." She nodded to her as Freddie just stared at her father, "Freddie, it's gonna be ok." AJ said.
"How do you know that?" Freddie asked, "He's so white." She said, "I just want him to say something, you know?" She said sadly as AJ nodded.
"He will. Soon. He'll wake up." AJ nodded.
"What if he… didn't get to me in time?" Freddie spoke to herself, "I… I always tell him I'm fine, I'm not a kid and I can handle myself but I couldn't… I needed him, and he was there." Freddie nodded.
"You were in a lot danger. No one could have handled themselves in that situation. He's your father. He'd die before anything happened to you." AJ nodded, "He'll pull through."
They stayed with Punk for a little while in the room before AJ suggested they go home and get some sleep and food. The only way she could convince Freddie to leave was by telling her that they would come back first thing in the morning to see him.
She was surprised but glad that Freddie had asked her to come back and stay with her in their apartment. She didn't want to be alone right now and she also didn't want her daughter to feel alone.
"I uh… I can make you something or… or we can just order in." AJ said, walking into their apartment which was fairly nice. It was the first time she'd been in it. It felt like a home. A home her and Punk could have had together with their daughter.
"I'm… I'm not that hungry." Freddie told her truthfully.
"Right." AJ nodded, "Me neither really." AJ admitted, walking on over to the couch, taking her jacket off and sitting down as Freddie collapsed back against the cushions, "The doctor said he's going strong. These few hours for him would have been the most testing and challenging, so he's coming this far, he's gonna wake up and be ok." AJ nodded to her. She just wanted to give her daughter some comfort. Be a mother, the best she could.
"I know." Freddie said, "What are they doing with your dad? Do you think Uncle Dean is going to get arrested?" She asked, still so many unsettling questions floating around.
"I don't know what they'll do with my dad, and I don't care. He… he started this." She shook her head, "He's a monster and… they can do as they please." She nodded, "As with Dean, Julio knows his way around a crime scene. He'll… have things covered. Don't you be worrying about any of that stuff." AJ told her. She didn't want her worrying about anything else.
"Everything seems so fast. Ever since I got out of the hospital." Freddie shook her head, "It's just been… chaos after chaos." She said.
"I know." AJ nodded, "But it's gonna get better." She said.
"How does it feel? Knowing you don't have to stay away?" Freddie asked her.
"It feels good. I wish… your dad was here with us but… knowing I can be here with you and not have to worry about your father's freedom being taken away… it's good." AJ nodded, "It's surreal actually."
"He may as well have just kept you locked in a basement all this time." Freddie said, "I don't… I don't blame you for staying away. I did. But that's when I didn't know the story. You were… protecting my dad, if anything it tells me how much you care." She nodded as AJ smiled.
"That means a lot to me, Freddie." AJ nodded sincerely. It did mean a lot, coming from her own daughter who she feared would never want to have a relationship with her. But they were facing this head on together, "Freddie, now that it's just me and you… I know we're not on opening up terms right now, but… if anything happened to you… with those guys… if they hurt you… or done… something." AJ shook her head, "You know you can tell me." She assured her Freddie nodded.
"Nothing happened." Freddie assured her, "I promise." She said as AJ nodded, "And I don't want to think about what could have happened either." Freddie said as AJ nodded.
"Of course not." AJ said, "I'm really sorry about all of this… I-I feel like it's partly my fault. If I just stayed away-"
"I was the one who came to you." Freddie reminded her, "And no, you don't… that's not fair. You couldn't just live your life so alone, and away from people you clearly love. It's not your fault. It's your bastard dad." She said.
"I don't expect you and I to be best friends so soon, but… I'm glad we can lean on each other right now." AJ admitted truthfully, "Seeing your dad the way he is, it's not easy." She said, "And I wanna be there for him but I know me… coming into your life… it's not what you're used to."
"No but I… he needs you." She nodded, "I mean… I could have a step mom on numerous occasions, maybe even step brothers and sisters, but any relationship he had that was worth going forward he would just purposely ruin." Freddie said, "Because he still loves you, as sick as that makes me feel." She added as AJ smiled.
"I thought you would wanna fight me." AJ admitted.
"You had no choice. I… I get it." Freddie said as AJ smiled, "The last thing we need to do right now is fight with each other. Dad needs us. Both of us." She nodded, "Maybe for once things can be… normal once he gets better." She said as AJ nodded.
"Hopefully." AJ said. She felt like she had waited her entire life for this, to actually be on civil and rather good terms with her daughter. She was a lot like Phil in the sense she was laid back, but also very logical too. She was glad she understood why she had done what she did, and was glad they could have each other right now at this time.
"I'm gonna go to bed." Freddie stood up as AJ stood up too and nodded, "You can sleep in dad's bed, he… won't mind I suppose." She said as AJ just smiled and nodded, "Uh… goodnight then." Freddie said, hesitantly waiting around before stepping in and wrapping her arms around her mother as AJ smiled to herself. It was all she could have asked for and wanted.
"Goodnight." AJ smiled, hugging her back tightly before breaking apart and watching Freddie wander away to her bedroom.
AJ then found her way into what she assumed was Punk's bedroom, walking over to the side of the bed and sitting down on the edge, smiling as she picked up a framed picture of him and Freddie. She had to have been around the age of 10 or 11.
She then lay down on top of the bed and sighed to herself. She wasn't sure if things could ever be perfect. They'd been so broken for so long it was hard to believe it, but being here with her daughter, having that freedom again was everything to her, she just hoped and prayed Punk would be ok.