Title: Punish the Children (25/25)
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: Ty's life becomes a living hell when he becomes the target of a man his father put in prison 25 years ago, endangering him and all those around him.
Notes: Hard to believe, but the end to this is finally here. Just wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who stuck with this story through the whole thing. I very much appreciate the time you took to read and comment on it.
******
"Hi there." Faith walked into the hospital room and smiled at Bosco who was sitting up in bed reading a book. "I see you lost your private room."
Bosco smiled when he heard Faith's voice, but quickly put his finger to his lips. "Shh..." he whispered as Faith approached his bedside. "He didn't sleep very well last night...nightmares and stuff. I think he's sleepin' now though."
Faith looked over to the other side of the room where Ty appeared to be sleeping soundly. "Poor guy," she said, lowering her voice as she took her familiar place in the chair by Bosco's bed. "It's going to take a while for things to get back to normal I guess,
Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right about that. I asked him if he wanted to talk about it, but...he really didn't seem to want to, probably just as well anyway...I don't think I would have been much help. I wouldn't have even known what to say."
"Well...I think he'll be more likely to open up to Sully anyway, Bos. I think he'll be okay though. It's just going to take some time."
"They say time heals all wounds." They sat in silence for a few moments then Bosco gave Faith a mournful look as it dawned on him that she hadn't brought anything with her. "You didn't bring me any food today?"
Faith laughed. "It's early. I figured I'd go out and get you both something for lunch a little bit later."
"Thanks." Bosco's expression brightened. "That sounds great. Maybe you can go to Mario's, bring us some Italian?"
"Maybe." Faith smiled mischievously. "If that's what Ty wants too, it'll be fine."
"Come on, Faith...I'm your partner," Bosco implored. "Maybe Sully will bring Davis some lunch. Actually, knowing Sullivan, he'll bring him breakfast, lunch and dinner too."
Faith shook her head, but couldn't help giggling. "You're awful."
"But you love me anyway," Bosco grinned.
"Yeah, I love you anyway."
Bosco glanced over at Ty to make sure he was still asleep and then turned to Faith with a more serious expression on his face. "So...how are things going at home? Are you and Fred working things out?"
Faith hesitated then shook her head. "Not really...I don't know, ever since all of this started happening, he's been like another person. I just can't believe he's so insensitive and he's not even tryin'..."
"I'm sorry, Faith...really I am..." Bosco said sincerely. He hated to see her in such pain.
"Yeah well..." Faith shrugged her shoulders. "We'll just see what happens..." She really didn't want to talk about it. All she knew was that she had a lot to think about regarding the state of her marriage. Each day she and Fred seemed to be growing farther and farther apart.
Bosco nodded solemnly. He truly hoped that things worked out for Faith. She deserved so much better than this...she deserved to be happy and if Fred couldn't do that for her, she needed to get away from him and find someone who could...
******
"I'm going to go out and get us something to eat," Sully said as he slowly got up from his chair. He wasn't so much worried about himself, but Ty needed to start eating. It was becoming noticeable that his partner had lost weight. "What do you feel like?"
Ty momentarily took his gaze off Carlos to glance over at Sully. "Uh...I don't know, maybe some soup? Chicken noodle or whatever... It doesn't really matter."
"Soup?" Sully's face fell. Soup wasn't exactly a meal. "Come on, Ty...you know you're not going to eat whatever they give you here for dinner. Can't you just try to eat something halfway substantial, for me?"
Ty sighed. He didn't much care about eating, but he supposed he'd have to start sooner or later. "Okay fine...I don't know...some kind of pasta maybe? Chicken, broccoli and ziti...that sounds good."
Sully smiled in satisfaction. "Alright then. I'm going to go check with Bosco, see if he wants something and then I'll be back."
"Thanks, Sul..."
Sully left the room and Ty turned his attention back to Carlos. He had been taken off the ventilator that morning and was breathing on his own which was a really good sign. He still hadn't woken up yet though. The doctor had explained that it took people varying amounts of time to come out of sedation, but it shouldn't be too long before he did. Ty just hoped it would be soon. He couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty as he sat with Carlos. He just wished he hadn't been hurt so badly.
A faint moan and the slight movement of Carlos' hand caught Ty's attention. "Carlos? Carlos?" Ty's arm was in a sling, but he managed to maneuver his wheelchair a little bit closer and took Carlos' hand. "Come on, Carlos. It's Ty. You need to wake up. Come on. You can do it," he said encouragingly.
Ty watched his friend closely and was rewarded when Carlos' eyes finally opened. "Hey...welcome back," Ty said, a big smile on his face. He pressed the call button and let the nurse's station know that Carlos was awake so they could notify his doctor.
"Ty..." Carlos tried to speak, but all he could manage was a raspy whisper. Damn. What was wrong with his voice? He looked at Ty in confusion, trying to remember what had happened, why he was there.
"Listen...I don't think you should talk yet, okay?" Ty said with a concerned look in his eyes. "The doctor will be here soon."
Carlos ignored Ty and tried once again to speak. "Wh...what happened?"
"You don't remember?" Ty asked, giving Carlos a troubled look. He was uncertain if he should even bring it up. "There was a fire in our apartment..."
Fire...Carlos struggled to remember and suddenly it all came back to him. The smoke, the flames, the horrible strangled feeling as he tried to gasp for breath but only inhaled more smoke. Shuddering inwardly, Carlos turned his attention back toward Ty, wanting to focus on the present and not what had happened. He was quiet for a moment, but then he remembered his bird and his heart sank. "Bird?" he whispered, a look of apprehension in his eyes as he stared up at Ty. He had a pretty good idea what had happened, but he needed to hear it.
"Your bird is okay." Ty was quick to reassure him. "The guy who set the fire took him and Sully and Faith found him. He's okay. Faith is keeping him at her apartment until you get out of here."
Carlos nodded. For one horrified moment he thought tears were going to come to his eyes, but he managed to blink them away. He turned his attention to Ty and became conscious of the fact that Ty was in a wheelchair with a sling on his arm and obviously a patient as well. "You...okay?"
Ty nodded. "I'm fine, Carlos. You're the one I'm worried about. Everybody's been really worried about you...Doc and Kim and Alex...They're going to be really glad to hear that you're awake. I'm sure they'll be here to see you later on." He hesitated for a little bit and then went on. "Carlos...I...I'm really sorry that this happened to you. I just...I want you to know, I never wanted you to be hurt. I wish I could have stopped it."
Carlos met Ty's gaze and tried to convey with his eyes what he couldn't say with his voice. "N...not your fault." He didn't want Ty to blame himself. He knew the hell his roommate had been going through before the fire and God only knew what else had happened that Carlos didn't yet know about.
Ty sighed softly to himself. He knew in his heart that even if it wasn't his fault, what had happened to Carlos wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been roommates. "Shh...you really shouldn't be talking. Don't worry about anything, Carlos. Everything's okay now and I'm going to be there for you, I promise. We'll be fine."
Carlos nodded and offered Ty a faint smile. They were both alive and that was the most important thing. Everything really would be fine.
******
EPILOGUE
"So how's the new apartment working out?" Sully glanced at Ty as they walked along the corridor of maximum-security prison. "You guys settled in okay?"
"Yeah, we really like it," Ty replied. "You saw how big it is and Carlos sort of has a thing for the woman across the hall."
"That sounds like Nieto," Sully chuckled, but then his eyes grew serious as he gazed at his partner. "You don't have to do this you know..."
"I know I don't have to, Sul, but I need to. It'll be okay. I'll see him, get some closure, and that will be that." When Seth had first sent word through his attorney that he wanted to speak to Ty, he had refused, but Seth had persisted in trying to get Ty to comply with his wishes and finally Ty had given in. As much as he loathed the man, he had to admit to some morbid curiosity as to what exactly he wanted.
"Alright then...I guess I'll wait for you out here, unless you'd like me to come?" Sully still wasn't very happy about this. Ty was gradually getting better as time wore on, but all that had happened had taken its toll on the young man. He really didn't see that anything good could come out of this. He suspected that Waters only wanted to play with his partner's emotions some more.
"No thanks...this is something I need to do myself. I won't be long." Ty smiled reassuringly at his partner as Sully sat down to wait. He knew Sully was worried, but he had to do this. Ty headed towards the prisoner visiting area and was brought into an empty room to wait. A few minutes later, a handcuffed Seth was led inside.
"Let me know when you're through," the prison guard said to Ty as he left the room, leaving Ty and Seth alone.
"Okay. Thanks." Ty nodded at the guard and then turned his attention to Seth. He could feel his heart rate speed up, but aside from that he had no reaction. He just stood silently, staring back at the man, waiting for him to speak.
"Well, well, Officer Davis," Seth smiled broadly. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you. It's very nice to see."
"I'm sure you didn't ask me here to talk about my health," Ty stated. "What do you want, Waters?"
"Yes, yes, we must get down to business," Seth said, chuckling. "You must be a very busy man with all those outside world things to do."
Ty sighed wearily. "I don't have time for this."
"I just wanted to congratulate you...for winning the first round of our little war."
"The first round? I'd say I won the whole war.
"Oh I'm sure it seems that way," Seth said, speaking in an almost condescending tone. "But that's really not the case."
"Oh, but it is the case," Ty stated. "You're never getting out of here. They're going to lock you up and throw away the key after your trial. Murder, kidnapping, attempted murder of a police officer, arson...and those are just a few of the charges. You think they're going to let you out? You're dreaming, man. Never going to happen."
"Yes...yes, I do believe you're right," Seth agreed good-naturedly. "But it doesn't change the facts. We will meet again."
Ty shook his head. Sully had been right. He shouldn't have come. The son of a bitch was just trying to get to him again with baseless innuendos. It was just like when he'd told him Carlos had died, except this time it wasn't going to work. He was stronger now. He was free and this piece of crap was behind bars. "You know what, Waters? Enough. I'm not listening to any more of this. You had your fun, but its over now. You hear me? It is over." Ty pounded on the door for the guard. "Guard? Let me out of here. I'm done." Without a backward glance, Ty walked out of the room. He was no longer going to allow Seth Waters to have any power over him.
Seth smiled to himself as he watched the young officer leave the room. As much as the kid denied it, he knew he'd gotten to him. He also knew that they were destined to meet again and this time Seth would be the victor. "Until we meet again, Officer Davis," Seth whispered and then he started to laugh uproariously.
Sully got to his feet as he saw Ty approaching. He studied his partner carefully, looking for any signs of distress in his eyes. "Ty? You okay?"
"I'm okay, Sully." Ty offered a wan smile. "You were right though...I shouldn't have come. He just wants to play more games and...well I'm not going to play with him any more."
"Good. That's really good to hear, Ty." Sully clapped Ty lightly on the shoulder as they headed back down the corridor. He was very proud of his partner. It might take some time, but he was going to get through this just fine. They all would.
The End
Author: Lynne Facella
Category: Drama/Angst
Email: lynne1919@aol.com
Spoilers: Through current season 4
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.
Summary: Ty's life becomes a living hell when he becomes the target of a man his father put in prison 25 years ago, endangering him and all those around him.
Notes: Hard to believe, but the end to this is finally here. Just wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who stuck with this story through the whole thing. I very much appreciate the time you took to read and comment on it.
******
"Hi there." Faith walked into the hospital room and smiled at Bosco who was sitting up in bed reading a book. "I see you lost your private room."
Bosco smiled when he heard Faith's voice, but quickly put his finger to his lips. "Shh..." he whispered as Faith approached his bedside. "He didn't sleep very well last night...nightmares and stuff. I think he's sleepin' now though."
Faith looked over to the other side of the room where Ty appeared to be sleeping soundly. "Poor guy," she said, lowering her voice as she took her familiar place in the chair by Bosco's bed. "It's going to take a while for things to get back to normal I guess,
Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right about that. I asked him if he wanted to talk about it, but...he really didn't seem to want to, probably just as well anyway...I don't think I would have been much help. I wouldn't have even known what to say."
"Well...I think he'll be more likely to open up to Sully anyway, Bos. I think he'll be okay though. It's just going to take some time."
"They say time heals all wounds." They sat in silence for a few moments then Bosco gave Faith a mournful look as it dawned on him that she hadn't brought anything with her. "You didn't bring me any food today?"
Faith laughed. "It's early. I figured I'd go out and get you both something for lunch a little bit later."
"Thanks." Bosco's expression brightened. "That sounds great. Maybe you can go to Mario's, bring us some Italian?"
"Maybe." Faith smiled mischievously. "If that's what Ty wants too, it'll be fine."
"Come on, Faith...I'm your partner," Bosco implored. "Maybe Sully will bring Davis some lunch. Actually, knowing Sullivan, he'll bring him breakfast, lunch and dinner too."
Faith shook her head, but couldn't help giggling. "You're awful."
"But you love me anyway," Bosco grinned.
"Yeah, I love you anyway."
Bosco glanced over at Ty to make sure he was still asleep and then turned to Faith with a more serious expression on his face. "So...how are things going at home? Are you and Fred working things out?"
Faith hesitated then shook her head. "Not really...I don't know, ever since all of this started happening, he's been like another person. I just can't believe he's so insensitive and he's not even tryin'..."
"I'm sorry, Faith...really I am..." Bosco said sincerely. He hated to see her in such pain.
"Yeah well..." Faith shrugged her shoulders. "We'll just see what happens..." She really didn't want to talk about it. All she knew was that she had a lot to think about regarding the state of her marriage. Each day she and Fred seemed to be growing farther and farther apart.
Bosco nodded solemnly. He truly hoped that things worked out for Faith. She deserved so much better than this...she deserved to be happy and if Fred couldn't do that for her, she needed to get away from him and find someone who could...
******
"I'm going to go out and get us something to eat," Sully said as he slowly got up from his chair. He wasn't so much worried about himself, but Ty needed to start eating. It was becoming noticeable that his partner had lost weight. "What do you feel like?"
Ty momentarily took his gaze off Carlos to glance over at Sully. "Uh...I don't know, maybe some soup? Chicken noodle or whatever... It doesn't really matter."
"Soup?" Sully's face fell. Soup wasn't exactly a meal. "Come on, Ty...you know you're not going to eat whatever they give you here for dinner. Can't you just try to eat something halfway substantial, for me?"
Ty sighed. He didn't much care about eating, but he supposed he'd have to start sooner or later. "Okay fine...I don't know...some kind of pasta maybe? Chicken, broccoli and ziti...that sounds good."
Sully smiled in satisfaction. "Alright then. I'm going to go check with Bosco, see if he wants something and then I'll be back."
"Thanks, Sul..."
Sully left the room and Ty turned his attention back to Carlos. He had been taken off the ventilator that morning and was breathing on his own which was a really good sign. He still hadn't woken up yet though. The doctor had explained that it took people varying amounts of time to come out of sedation, but it shouldn't be too long before he did. Ty just hoped it would be soon. He couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty as he sat with Carlos. He just wished he hadn't been hurt so badly.
A faint moan and the slight movement of Carlos' hand caught Ty's attention. "Carlos? Carlos?" Ty's arm was in a sling, but he managed to maneuver his wheelchair a little bit closer and took Carlos' hand. "Come on, Carlos. It's Ty. You need to wake up. Come on. You can do it," he said encouragingly.
Ty watched his friend closely and was rewarded when Carlos' eyes finally opened. "Hey...welcome back," Ty said, a big smile on his face. He pressed the call button and let the nurse's station know that Carlos was awake so they could notify his doctor.
"Ty..." Carlos tried to speak, but all he could manage was a raspy whisper. Damn. What was wrong with his voice? He looked at Ty in confusion, trying to remember what had happened, why he was there.
"Listen...I don't think you should talk yet, okay?" Ty said with a concerned look in his eyes. "The doctor will be here soon."
Carlos ignored Ty and tried once again to speak. "Wh...what happened?"
"You don't remember?" Ty asked, giving Carlos a troubled look. He was uncertain if he should even bring it up. "There was a fire in our apartment..."
Fire...Carlos struggled to remember and suddenly it all came back to him. The smoke, the flames, the horrible strangled feeling as he tried to gasp for breath but only inhaled more smoke. Shuddering inwardly, Carlos turned his attention back toward Ty, wanting to focus on the present and not what had happened. He was quiet for a moment, but then he remembered his bird and his heart sank. "Bird?" he whispered, a look of apprehension in his eyes as he stared up at Ty. He had a pretty good idea what had happened, but he needed to hear it.
"Your bird is okay." Ty was quick to reassure him. "The guy who set the fire took him and Sully and Faith found him. He's okay. Faith is keeping him at her apartment until you get out of here."
Carlos nodded. For one horrified moment he thought tears were going to come to his eyes, but he managed to blink them away. He turned his attention to Ty and became conscious of the fact that Ty was in a wheelchair with a sling on his arm and obviously a patient as well. "You...okay?"
Ty nodded. "I'm fine, Carlos. You're the one I'm worried about. Everybody's been really worried about you...Doc and Kim and Alex...They're going to be really glad to hear that you're awake. I'm sure they'll be here to see you later on." He hesitated for a little bit and then went on. "Carlos...I...I'm really sorry that this happened to you. I just...I want you to know, I never wanted you to be hurt. I wish I could have stopped it."
Carlos met Ty's gaze and tried to convey with his eyes what he couldn't say with his voice. "N...not your fault." He didn't want Ty to blame himself. He knew the hell his roommate had been going through before the fire and God only knew what else had happened that Carlos didn't yet know about.
Ty sighed softly to himself. He knew in his heart that even if it wasn't his fault, what had happened to Carlos wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been roommates. "Shh...you really shouldn't be talking. Don't worry about anything, Carlos. Everything's okay now and I'm going to be there for you, I promise. We'll be fine."
Carlos nodded and offered Ty a faint smile. They were both alive and that was the most important thing. Everything really would be fine.
******
EPILOGUE
"So how's the new apartment working out?" Sully glanced at Ty as they walked along the corridor of maximum-security prison. "You guys settled in okay?"
"Yeah, we really like it," Ty replied. "You saw how big it is and Carlos sort of has a thing for the woman across the hall."
"That sounds like Nieto," Sully chuckled, but then his eyes grew serious as he gazed at his partner. "You don't have to do this you know..."
"I know I don't have to, Sul, but I need to. It'll be okay. I'll see him, get some closure, and that will be that." When Seth had first sent word through his attorney that he wanted to speak to Ty, he had refused, but Seth had persisted in trying to get Ty to comply with his wishes and finally Ty had given in. As much as he loathed the man, he had to admit to some morbid curiosity as to what exactly he wanted.
"Alright then...I guess I'll wait for you out here, unless you'd like me to come?" Sully still wasn't very happy about this. Ty was gradually getting better as time wore on, but all that had happened had taken its toll on the young man. He really didn't see that anything good could come out of this. He suspected that Waters only wanted to play with his partner's emotions some more.
"No thanks...this is something I need to do myself. I won't be long." Ty smiled reassuringly at his partner as Sully sat down to wait. He knew Sully was worried, but he had to do this. Ty headed towards the prisoner visiting area and was brought into an empty room to wait. A few minutes later, a handcuffed Seth was led inside.
"Let me know when you're through," the prison guard said to Ty as he left the room, leaving Ty and Seth alone.
"Okay. Thanks." Ty nodded at the guard and then turned his attention to Seth. He could feel his heart rate speed up, but aside from that he had no reaction. He just stood silently, staring back at the man, waiting for him to speak.
"Well, well, Officer Davis," Seth smiled broadly. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you. It's very nice to see."
"I'm sure you didn't ask me here to talk about my health," Ty stated. "What do you want, Waters?"
"Yes, yes, we must get down to business," Seth said, chuckling. "You must be a very busy man with all those outside world things to do."
Ty sighed wearily. "I don't have time for this."
"I just wanted to congratulate you...for winning the first round of our little war."
"The first round? I'd say I won the whole war.
"Oh I'm sure it seems that way," Seth said, speaking in an almost condescending tone. "But that's really not the case."
"Oh, but it is the case," Ty stated. "You're never getting out of here. They're going to lock you up and throw away the key after your trial. Murder, kidnapping, attempted murder of a police officer, arson...and those are just a few of the charges. You think they're going to let you out? You're dreaming, man. Never going to happen."
"Yes...yes, I do believe you're right," Seth agreed good-naturedly. "But it doesn't change the facts. We will meet again."
Ty shook his head. Sully had been right. He shouldn't have come. The son of a bitch was just trying to get to him again with baseless innuendos. It was just like when he'd told him Carlos had died, except this time it wasn't going to work. He was stronger now. He was free and this piece of crap was behind bars. "You know what, Waters? Enough. I'm not listening to any more of this. You had your fun, but its over now. You hear me? It is over." Ty pounded on the door for the guard. "Guard? Let me out of here. I'm done." Without a backward glance, Ty walked out of the room. He was no longer going to allow Seth Waters to have any power over him.
Seth smiled to himself as he watched the young officer leave the room. As much as the kid denied it, he knew he'd gotten to him. He also knew that they were destined to meet again and this time Seth would be the victor. "Until we meet again, Officer Davis," Seth whispered and then he started to laugh uproariously.
Sully got to his feet as he saw Ty approaching. He studied his partner carefully, looking for any signs of distress in his eyes. "Ty? You okay?"
"I'm okay, Sully." Ty offered a wan smile. "You were right though...I shouldn't have come. He just wants to play more games and...well I'm not going to play with him any more."
"Good. That's really good to hear, Ty." Sully clapped Ty lightly on the shoulder as they headed back down the corridor. He was very proud of his partner. It might take some time, but he was going to get through this just fine. They all would.
The End