Plotting Around


Punk didn't see how he was supposed to go home and sleep. He didn't have a home in Virginia anymore and he knew he wouldn't be doing any sleeping anyway. He spent the night at the hospital, sitting on the bench in the corridor, going back and forth between there and the nursery to see the baby.

He was trying to think of a name but it felt so wrong. He was brain storming ideas but all he could think about was AJ. He wasn't sure how to function without her. It wasn't something he could get used to. He was still in shock.

"Names. We need to think of names." AJ said, placing a book down on the kitchen table where Punk was working.

"We don't know what we're having." Punk laughed a little as she sat down across from him.

"I know but we still need to have an idea. I know we said we'd like to wait until we say it's little face but we can still have ideas, right?" She shrugged.

"Ok but looking through a book is a little cliché, don't you think?" He smiled.

"Fine." AJ shrugged, folding her arms, "Give me some names you like off the top of your head." She said as Punk laughed a little.

"I… I don't know, I've not thought about it actually." He admitted, feeling bad, "Do you have any?"

"A few. But I'm not certain on any." AJ shrugged.

"Well tell me." He smiled.

"Well it's mostly girl names." AJ nodded, "I like Lily." She said as Punk nodded slowly, "And Polly."

"You got any others?" Punk cringed, not liking either of them as AJ just made a face.

"I liked Raimy too. That's probably my favourite but I knew you wouldn't like that either." AJ shrugged.

"Raimy?" Punk asked as AJ nodded, "Bit of a weird one." He laughed a little.

"Well I think it's sweet." AJ shrugged as Punk looked on at his paper work, "You're not even listening to me." She huffed, "I'll talk to you when I have your full attention." She stood up as Punk watched her walk way.

He only wished he'd listened to her more. He wished he'd cherished every moment with her like it really was their last. Because now it was reality that they couldn't share any more moments together.

"Morning." Punk nodded, holding the baby girl in his arms after going to visit her in the nursery, "How'd you sleep?" He asked softly, "Good?" He nodded as the baby girl just made soft noises with her mouth, looking up at him, "I take that as a yes." He said.

"Here we go." The nurse walked over to him with a bottle as Punk took it from her, "She's been good." She smiled as Punk nodded, "You know not all babies are as quiet as she is. You're blessed." She said.

"Yeah, maybe." Punk nodded, taking the bottle from her and feeding the baby girl, "I uh… I've got a name for her." He said as the nurse smiled. She'd been great and attentive to Punk in the right ways. She'd let him sit in the hospital through the night, she'd spoken to him in the right way instead of continuing to say how sorry she was for him.

"Oh, really?" She smiled, "What did you decide on?" She asked.

"Raimy Jeanette Brooks." Punk nodded. He figured at the time he hadn't really thought about the names AJ had suggested, but he knew her favourite was Raimy and as he thought about it, he grew in love with it.

"Oh, that's so beautiful." The nurse smiled, looking down at the baby girl, "She suits it." She nodded as Punk looked down at her.

"Yeah." Punk agreed.

"You must be so tired." The nurse said with concern, noticing how tired Punk looked, "If you want to go get some sleep, we can keep Raimy here until you can pick her up."

"Oh, no… I'll be taking her home right away." Punk said, "Well, probably to a hotel for the time being. I suppose I… there'll need to be a funeral organised." He nodded to himself as the nurse sighed. It just didn't seem fair. To be celebrating the birth of a child whilst planning a funeral. It was cruel.

"If there's anything we at the hospital can do." She said as Punk smiled.

"You've done enough." Punk said, "I uh… I've thought about it, about seeing my wife… I don't think I'm gonna do it." He shook his head, "I don't think I can handle that." He admitted, "I thought about taking Raimy into… into see her, introduce her but… I just don't think I can do it." He gulped as the nurse nodded.

"And that's ok." The nurse nodded, "We all handle things differently. I'm sure your wife knew how loved she was and how loved she was going to be by her daughter." She said as Punk nodded, "It's your decision." She said.

"I don't think I can do it." Punk shook his head.

He didn't feel strong enough. If he saw AJ laying there he was sure he would have fell apart completely. She was always his strength and motivation, and he wasn't sure he could see her that way.

"Ok." The nurse nodded, "Then you can take Raimy home and… take all the time you need." She said, "I know you're from Chicago, right?"

"Yeah, we are." Punk nodded, "I guess, the funeral will be out here." Punk said as the nurse nodded.

"I'd like to come." She said, "If you'd let me." She nodded.

"You didn't know her." Punk shook his head with confusion.

"I-I know but… I'd just like to show my support." She said as Punk looked at her, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, of course." Punk nodded, "I've not really thought about it in depth so… but I'll let you know." He said as she nodded, "So I can just leave after she's had her feed?" He asked as the nurse looked at him.

"Mr Brooks, Raimy needs to be in a carrier. We can't let you leave with her without having one." She said as Punk nodded.

"I knew that." Punk shook his head. His head was in the clouds. He wasn't on planet earth at the minute, "I'll have to… I'll have to go buy one, everything is in Chicago." He said as the nurse nodded, "Do you mind taking her, I'll go out and buy one just now."

"There's no rush." The nurse said as he passed Raimy over to her, continuing to feed her as the nurse took over.

"I'd rather go do it just now." He said as the nurse nodded, "I'll be back." He said as the nurse nodded.

Punk left the nursery and headed out of the hospital for the first time since getting there last night. Feeling the fresh air was a relief. Everything felt so isolated and constricted in the hospital.

"Phil." Dean appeared, holding a carrier as Punk looked over, "Hey, man. How are you doing?" He shook his head as Punk looked at him.

"How do you think?" Punk questioned as Dean looked at him.

"Look I am… I'm so sorry." Dean said, "Just because I had my differences with April didn't mean I loved her any less."

"Loved her?" Punk questioned, "You treated her like shit." Punk said.

"We just didn't get along but I would never wish this on anyone. Certainly not you. Not my best friend. It kills me to see you so hurt and we're all here for you, for anything you need." He said, "Eve has got a crib set up at her place so if you're gonna crash somewhere it's best you go there. And she told me to bring this, that you might need it." He held the carrier up as Punk took it from him.

"You're just all relieved she's not a problem anymore." Punk said.

"No. No, we're absolutely not." Dean said, "I know how much you loved her. And I know how much she loved you. And this has to be hard for you. I just want to be here for you. Please. Please let me do that." He said as Punk looked down at the ground, feeling himself getting weaker and weaker as hours went by.

"I don't know what to do, Dean." Punk shook his head, letting tears go as Dean nodded.

"That's ok." Dean said, wrapping his arms around him, not giving him the choice, "We've got you. We're here for you." He said as Punk sat the carrier down and wrapped his arms around Dean, crying quietly as Dean tried to keep it together. To see their best friend go through this was devastating, they were all shocked and upset.


"The husband doesn't want to see her body." Doctor Ralph spoke on the phone, "So that's a positive."

"That's good to hear." Johnny nodded, "We'll transfer the bodies when she's in the funeral parlour. You need to make sure they go to Benson's funeral parlour. My guys there will help you make the switch and it'll snowball from there. Once she's in there, no one will be looking inside the coffin anyway so… no one will be the wiser." He said.

"Extreme lengths you're going to for this girl." Ralph said, "She got something over you?" He asked.

"She doesn't know me." Johnny laughed, "Not yet anyway." He said, "She's a very special girl, though. It's a waste for her to spend the rest of her life playing a good guy and being a mom and a good wife." He said.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Ralph asked.

"Of course it will. No reason for it not to." Johnny said, "I have eyes and ears all over this. You just make sure you suggest Benson's funeral parlour to the husband. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes. I can." Ralph said.

"Great. I'll be calling again tomorrow to check in. You're doing a good job." Johnny said as Ralph nodded, "Speak soon."


"Bye bye Raimy." The nurse, Sarah said, crouched down by a chair which Raimy was in her carrier on. She had a sweet baby grow on and a tiny little hat, as well as a blanket of course, "I'm gonna miss that face." She smiled.

"Thank you for everything you've done." Punk nodded as Sarah looked up at him, standing up and shaking her head.

"It's no problem. Let me know about the funeral. I'd really like to go." Sarah said as Punk nodded, "Do you have a place to go?"

"I'm going to stay at a friend's for now, until the funeral. Then I guess I'll be taking her to Chicago." Punk nodded, looking down at Raimy in the car seat, falling asleep like a little angel as Punk smiled.

"So you have friends here?" Sarah nodded.

"Yeah." Punk said, feeling lucky to say that he did have people around him who did want to help. Once he'd broken down in Dean's arms, he realised he did need his friends right now.

"Well that's good." Sarah said.

"I should get going." Punk nodded.

"Of course." Sarah said.

"Uh Phil…" Doctor Ralph came out of the corridor around the corner.

"I have to go. Stay in touch." Sarah nodded to Punk, walking away as Punk focused his attention on Ralph.

"Hey." Punk looked at him, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Ralph nodded, "I was in the surgery with your wife. We did everything we could." He said.

"I know." Punk said, "Thank you for helping my daughter get here safely." Punk nodded.

"I wanted to give you this." Ralph said, extending over a business card as Punk took it, "It's a funeral parlour in the local area. I know it's quick but… well I lost my wife early on." He said as Punk looked across at him. In Punk's current state, he wasn't questioning anything. He was taking everyone for their word. He had no energy to be suspicious.

"Uh thanks…" Punk shook his head with confusion.

"They're really great to organise things with. Very subtle but straight to the point." Ralph said, "If you're wanting something quiet and meaningful then… I'd go there for sure." Ralph nodded, "I just… I know how you're feeling." He lied, "This parlour was really great with me."

"Yeah well I… I guess I'll have to give them a call soon." Punk nodded with a deep sigh, putting the card in his pocket as Ralph nodded, "I have to go."

"Yes, of course." Ralph said.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, walking out of the hospital with Raimy, waking over to Eve's parked car, opening up the back seat and putting Raimy in, "How do I do this?" Punk asked Eve who got out of the car and walked around.

"You go into the car, I'll do it." Eve said softly.

"Well I need to learn so can you show me?" Punk snapped as Eve looked at him, "I'm sorry." He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"You're fine." Eve rubbed his arm softly, "Here, this is what you do." Eve showed him how to put the carrier the right way. He figured him and AJ would have learned these things together as they went along, but now he was on his own.

"Seems easy enough." Punk nodded after watching Eve.

"Yeah." Eve nodded, "She's so beautiful, Phil." She shook her head, looking at Raimy sleeping, stroking her cheek softly.

"She is." Punk nodded, getting into the car as Eve closed the door over and got into the drivers seat.

"You ok?" Eve asked him as he nodded.

"Should be going home with her." Punk shook his head, putting his hand over his lower face to hide his quivering mouth.

"I know." Eve said, placing her hand on his arm, "We're all here for you, anything you need. You and Raimy." She nodded as Punk looked at her.

"Thank you." Punk said, placing his hand over hers and nodding.