The Long Game
Part 29
Author's Note: We're getting into Tom territory here so a word of caution, things are not going to go well for our little Keenler fic for a bit.
This is right after Don kind of tells Liz off, after he stops her from killing the Deer Hunter. It felt out of sync for me, his harsh words toward her. So I have attempted to explain them here.
On another note, I have decided to make another story a WIP so please take a look at my story Agnes as well on this site.
Please leave a review.
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Liz sat in their apartment in Baltimore with her head back on the couch and tears freely running down the side of her face. How could he say what he said to her? After everything they had been through, after all they had shared? After all they had sacrificed and lost? He had enough of his own pain.
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
They had decided to go their separate ways, for now. Not forever, in her mind, but she was starting to wonder about his. He had been stand-offish since the Scimitar case; she had felt him pulling away since then. She had worried about the drugs in his system and the effect they may have on his sobriety, but he had brushed her off. She had tried to make plans for dinner and he, for the first time, had said he couldn't. There had been moments of connection since then, but they were becoming few and far between. They were both supposed to be here tonight and, for the first time, he hadn't shown up. It was almost 11 so she doubted he would at this point. She checked her phone again, not a message or text from him.
"Probably for the best," Liz said quietly as she looked up at the ceiling. After the words he had said, and the level of emotional upheaval she was feeling about them it would not have been good to be together tonight. "Not good at all."
Her phone buzzed.
Liz scoffed and looked at it, not even wanting to read the bullshit excuse he was giving her.
She swallowed hard and wiped at her eyes.
"How I have let two men reduce me to tears…" she said softly.
She started to cry again, her breath coming in hiccoughs as she cursed her hormones, her emotionality, and her heart.
Sitting forward she reached for her phone and looked at the message. It was Don.
You still up? I'm in Detroit.
Liz's eyes went wide and she, without thinking, hit the call button.
She was sniffling and wiping at her nose when he answered.
"What's happened?" Liz asked.
"Hey," Don said softly. She could hear that he was walking. "Just a sec."
"When did you go to Detroit?"
"First flight out this morning," Don said.
Liz nodded, they had worked late last night until 2am on the Deer Hunter case and had the day off from Cooper.
"What's happened?" Liz asked again.
"Robby had a heart incident last night," Don said softly as she heard doors swish open and someone call over a speaker system about code blue.
"What does that mean?" Liz asked.
"It's looking like an angina attack but…"
"Is that like a heart attack?" Liz asked.
"Not as serious," Don said. "But it could indicate an issue with his heart."
"Oh my god," Liz said. "Isn't he like 40?"
"Yeah," Don said.
"He's okay?" Liz asked.
"Yeah, they've given him some medication and he's settled and sleeping," Don said. "I have the night shift."
"I'm glad you're there," Liz said. "I'm sure he appreciates it."
"He's not really been with it," Don said. "I'm not sure he really knows who is here."
"Do you need anything, should I come?" Liz asked, not sure how she could help.
"No, we're good," Don said. "My mom is home and coming back in the morning, his ex Trisha should be taking a shift tomorrow and his best friend Trevor too."
"That's good," Liz said quietly. "How are you?"
Don sighed and said nothing.
"You're worried," Liz said softly.
"Yeah," Don said.
"Have the doctors…?" Liz asked.
"Not really, just a wait and see kind of thing," Don said. "He needs to lose some weight, exercise…the usual. He's a big guy and he probably drinks too much. He also needs to quit smoking."
"He's got a lot on his plate," Liz said.
"He'll do it," Don said. "Or I'll kill him myself."
Liz chuckled at his assessment of the situation.
"You staying at your mom's?"
"Yeah, she's beside herself," Don said. "She is scattered."
"Scattered?" Liz asked.
"Puts on a kettle for tea and forgets it and it boils try," Don said. "I'm afraid she'll set the house on fire."
She heard his sad chuckle.
"She's his mom," Liz said quietly.
"Yeah," Don sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter how old you are, a mom is a mom."
Liz nodded into the phone.
"I gotta go, I shouldn't leave him long," Don said. "My mom will be here to pick me up and switch shifts by 7 and there's a stiff uncomfortable chair with my name on it."
"Which hospital is Robby in?" Liz asked.
"DMC Receiving," Don said. "They think he'll be in for the weekend."
"He's got insurance?"
"Yeah, he works for Ford," Don said.
Liz nodded.
"You're staying through the weekend?" Liz asked.
"Yeah, I asked Cooper for tomorrow off," Don said.
Liz nodded.
"He's going to be okay Don," she said. "He's got the Ressler constitution."
Don chuckled.
"Call if you need anything," Liz offered.
She heard him swallow hard and the line was quiet for almost a minute.
"Don?" Liz asked.
"Thanks," he said, his voice caked in emotion. He was scared, she could tell just by the tone of his voice. "Night Liz."
Liz heard the line disconnect and she closed her eyes. Then it came together. The attack had happened last night, when he was rescuing her. When she was whining about her life. When he said he had enough of his own pain. He was with her when he should have been with Robby.
"Fuck," Liz sighed. "Fuck."
She suddenly had an idea and quickly looked up something on her phone. It was do-able. She called Cooper's work phone and left a message as she packed a quick bag for the two of them and left for her car. She had a seven-hour drive ahead of her.
At 6:40 Liz rolled into the parking lot of DMC Receiving and looked at the large building. She went inside and with the help of information located Robby's room and made her way toward it. She heard a few people talking inside and waited outside the door until it opened, and a set of doctors walked outside. She listened at the door and, hearing no voices, quietly knocked.
"Come in," Don's tired voice called.
Liz walked inside and looked right at him sitting there in his disheveled suit, the same one he had worn last time she saw him. His tired face lit up in surprise and all she was glad the four times she convinced herself to turn around and go back to Baltimore, that she had not. She was glad that she had, despite her very real misgivings at encroaching on his family at this time, not listened to that voice. When he stood up and walked to her and encased her in his arms, she knew she had made the right choice.
"What are you doing here?" Don asked, his lips close to her ear.
"I hope it's okay I came?" Liz asked, although from the relief on his face, she knew the answer.
"Thank you," Don said as he pulled back and kissed her cheek.
Liz smiled at him.
"How is he?" Liz asked as they turned to look at Robby.
"He's…" Don started.
Just then the door opened and a short women with red hair, that couldn't be anyone but Don's mom walked inside.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she looked at Liz standing next to Don, his arm around her waist.
"Hey Ma," Don said as he looked toward his mother. "This is my partner, Liz."
"You're Elizabeth," she smiled broadly. "He's told me about you."
"Don't believe half of it," Liz chuckled as she shook the woman's hand.
"Only nice things," the woman said with a smile.
"Liz, this is my mom Cathy," Don said.
Liz smiled at her and nodded.
"You came all this way for Donnie?" Cathy asked.
"I did," Liz nodded.
Cathy smiled and looked between them. Just his partner, her ass.
"The doctors were just here," Don said as he noted the look on his mother's face.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Liz said. "I can drive Don to your house."
"Are you staying for the weekend?" Cathy asked.
Liz looked at Don, unsure.
"Yeah ma," Don nodded.
"I'm happy to have you," Cathy smiled at Liz. "And I know Donnie is."
Don's face and neck got red and he wiped at the back of his neck like when he was nervous or confused.
"I'll be outside," Liz smiled at him and made her exit.
Ten minutes later, Don was coming outside and looking even more tired, if that was possible, in his rumpled suit.
"Did you come here right from the case?" Liz asked as they walked toward the elevator.
"Yeah," Don said. "I went right to the airport and got on the first flight, which was at 6am."
Liz nodded, she was right to pack some things for him.
"I packed a bag for us, thinking you may have done that and needed a change of clothes at some point," Liz said as she felt his shoulder lean against hers for support.
"Thanks," Don smiled at her. "I was just going to see if anything of mine or Robbie's that was still in the drawers fit."
"No need," Liz said. "I packed you some jeans, a couple of sweaters, boxers, socks, toothbrush…it's not much, but at least you won't smell or look like 1996."
"Thanks," Don chuckled.
She looped her arm through his. "Are you hungry or do you just want to sleep?"
They stepped into the elevator and Don stumbled, he was dirt tired.
"So, sleep," Liz smiled.
"Sorry, I'm exhausted," Don said. "I haven't really slept in a few days."
Liz nodded.
She walked with him toward her car, and he settled into the seat. She asked him for the address and popped it into her GPS before she started to drive and watched him drop off to sleep almost as soon as the car was in motion. There was no way he should have driven himself to his mother's home.
She drove through downtown Detroit and toward a working-class neighborhood where the homes got close together, but had nice lawns, where the cars weren't fancy, but we're broken down in the driveways. She stopped at a McDonald's drive along the way and picked him up a breakfast sandwich and one for herself, knowing coffee would not be needed.
She pulled up in front of a white siding home with a porch and leaves all over the lawn. Liz looked at him passed out in the passenger seat and almost didn't have the heart to wake him, but knew he needed a bed and as much sleep as possible before he went back to the hospital.
She got out of the car and opened his door, reaching across him to undo his seat belt and she shook him a little and he didn't wake up.
"Don?" Liz called to him. "Don?"
Nothing. He was completely exhausted.
"Ressler!" Liz yelled as if in peril.
Don immediately sat up, alert and reaching for the gun that was no longer in it's holster.
"Jesus,' he said as he realized what she had done.
"I'm sorry," Liz smiled at him. "I need to get you in the house, and you wouldn't wake up."
Don nodded and wiped at his eyes.
"Eat this,' Liz said as she handed him a sandwich and walked with her arm around his waist toward the front door. "You've got a key, right?"
Don took a bite of the sandwich and nodded.
He opened the screen door and unlocked the main door, taking them inside.
"Sit and finish that and I'll get the bag,' Liz said as she turned and walked back toward the car.
Don sat heavily in a kitchen chair and absently ate, his body's needs taking over automatically.
Liz retrieved their bag and came back into the house locking the door and noticing how the house seemed to be frozen in time somewhere around 1992.
She took the wrapper from him and threw it in the garbage and heaved him up. He was almost all dead weight, he was so tired.
"Let's get you to bed," Liz said as she heaved at him. "I can't carry you up those stairs." She joked.
Don nodded and walked slowly and steadily up the stairs and turned into a room at the top. Liz followed him and looked at the two twin beds, the plaid curtains, the trophies, the posters…it was a glimpse into Don the teenager and it was sweet.
She watched him immediately pull off his jacket and she reached for his tie and started to undo his shirt while he just stood before her, barely keeping his eyes open. She smiled at his ability to just relax and let her take care of him. Pulling the shirt from his body she reached for his pants and helped him shuck those off as well before she walked him in his socks and underwear toward one of the beds and he stopped and turned toward the other one.
"Robby's," he said softly before he fell onto the bed that was his. Liz pulled the blankets up and smiled down at him.
"Sleep tight," she said softly as she caressed his cheek.
"Stay," Don said, not opening his eyes.
Liz nodded and kicked off her shoes and started toward the other bed when his hand reached out and grabbed her pant leg with a grip that told her where he wanted her to stay.
She turned and took off her coat, dropping it onto the ground and climbed fully clothed into bed with him. He immediately wrapped a strong around under hers and around her torso pulling her against him. She could feel his warm body pressed up against hers and his face buried in her hair.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"Anything for you," Liz said softly.
She felt his body relax against hers and eventually heard his soft snores. It was to those snores that Liz herself fell asleep, after nearly getting killed, sleeping fitfully throughout the day, and then driving all night, she was exhausted as well. She snuggled into his warm embrace and slept deeply. So deeply she didn't hear his mom come home at dinner time, her call to them and her walk into the room where the door was left wide open, and look down at her son sleeping with his partner as if she was both his lifeline and deepest comfort. Cathy Ressler picked up the discarded shirt, pants, jacket, and belt and carefully hung them in the closet before she closed the door over and left them to sleep.
To be continued…