Flashback to Now



Chapter 13



Bosco looked quizzical as Liz broke out of his embrace and stumbled to the door, mumbling something about needing to go. Her face looked a panic, she was having trouble putting her cell phone back in her purse. It didn't help that she was a bit drunk. The phone slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor, she nearly burst into tears as she muttered "damn!" Kim, Ty, and Bosco stared, in shock, at the figure that nearly ran out the door. No one knew what had happened. Ty ran out after her.

"Liz! LIZ!" Ty yelled as she didn't stop. "What?" She called, "I have to go!" She suddenly sounded more sober. "Where? Liz stop a minute, at least let me drive you there," Ty pleaded. Liz looked at him quizzically for a moment, not really understanding why. "Liz," he pleaded quietly, "you're drunk. Now where do you need to go?" Liz broke down, "To Mercy," was all she could say.



"Ty! Hey Ty!" Bosco yelled. "Yeah?" Ty asked. "What's up with Liz?" Bosco asked. Ty glowered to himself for a moment, remembering Liz and Bosco dancing the night before. Then remembering the time afterwards, when it was just Liz and Ty. Ty was shaken out of his reverie as Bosco repeated his question, a little more frustrated this time. "She got a phone call," Ty said. "Well, duh, anyone could've seen that Ty. I MEAN, what was that all about? She seemed really upset," Bosco snapped. "Yeah, well she was. Something at work is all," Ty said, walking away. "What? That's all you're going to tell me?" Bosco called after him. Ty shook his head, saying to himself, "what makes you think you deserve to know?"



Liz was sitting in her apartment. Proctor had sent her home, seeing how distraught Liz still was about the night before's events. There was no peace for that girl, Proctor could tell. As happy as she seemed, there was still some dark shadow lurking around in her mind, in her heart. And it killed Proctor to see that. Liz had wanted to stay at the hospital, stay with Pete. But the nurses had sent her home, promising to call if anything happened. Liz couldn't believe it, Pete had had another stroke. This one had put him on a vent again, and it hurt. Hurt so badly to know that no matter what Liz did, no matter where she brought Pete, he wouldn't get better. The blood clot on his lung that had started the whole ordeal had once again struck. No matter what happened, the clot would come back. Years of smoking, she told herself. He did it to himself. And it hurt her more, she was trying to ease her own pain by blaming him, and she couldn't do it. Liz remembered the day she and her friend ran up the apartment stairs to see him, the envelopes clutched in their hands. Both hoped desperately that the letters would be the answer to their dreams, they would be headed off to nursing school. Her happiness soon disappeared as she saw Pete, nearly unconscious in his armchair, gasping for breath. That was the start, it wasn't the stroke, but the damn ciggarettes working on his lungs. Who knows how the man didn't get emphysema, he was lucky. Until the strokes started. The first one soon after she graduated with her nursing degree. Liz dropped her face into her hands, crying. Somehow, her thoughts turned to Ty again. She quickly got up, washing her face. Ty would be there soon, he was picking her up. She had left some things at his apartment.