Ch.21
Fox stood outside in the hall, looking in, too afraid to move, to breath. He could see her outline in the dimly lit hospital room. He wanted to go in there and wrap her in his arms, tell her everything was going to be ok.
But he couldn't.
His feeling of guilt consumed him.
"Why did we have to fight today?" he asked himself. "Why did I have to upset you so much?"
He took a step into the room, but the quickly retracted his foot.
He didn't want to break down and he knew he was dangerously close.
He gulped in a deep breath of air and slowly walked into the room. He went over and stood by her bed, looking down at her.
He reached down and touched her dark hair, twirling it in his fingers.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you."
Just then, Eve walked in.
"How is she?" he asked, sensing her presence.
Eve smiled.
"She's going to be ok Fox…luckily, the knife missed everything vital…physically, she should be up and moving around in about a week or so."
He looked at her.
"And emotionally?"
Her face fell.
"I think we should discuss placing her somewhere Fox…she needs 24 hour attention."
"You want to lock her up?" he asked in disbelief.
"I know it sounds bad Fox, but I really think it's the best thing for her."
"Th-the best thing?" he choked out. "Eve, don't you understand? Her being locked up is partially to blame for this relapse! And now you want to lock her up again?"
"It's not going to be like a prison Fox…don't you understand? She needs to go to some type of mental heath facility…it's the only way she can get the help she truly needs."
"She's never going to agree to it," he said taking her hand in his.
"She doesn't have to agree Fox," Eve said sadly. "With her case, and her past history, her approval isn't required."
"So you're just going to put her in there without asking her?"
"Not exactly…" she said, he voice trailing.
Fox looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we don't need her signature to admit her into the facility…but we do need someone's. A family member, a friend…a fiancée." Her eyes met his.
"Eve, don't ask me to do this," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry Fox, I really am…but this is something that she needs…I have the papers right here in my pocket," she said, reaching into her coat and pulling them out.
"All I need is a signature."
"I won't do it." He said sternly. "I can't do it to her."
"I know this is a difficult decision, trust me. But in the long run, this is something that is going to help her get on with her life. She will never have a chance without this Fox…you can give her that chance…all you have to do it sign."
He looked down at Teresa, who was beginning to stir.
"Can I at east talk to her about it first?"
"That's up to you Fox…but honestly, if you know she would never agree to it, I think it might be best if we went ahead and got everything worked out. She'll try to change your mind if you talk to her."
Fox was torn.
"And what about her son? Is she ever going to get to see him?"
"She can have monitored visits with him…especially if it would help in the healing process."
"And what about her trial? How would this affect everything?"
"I'm not sure," Eve answered honestly. "I guess it would all have to be delayed until the treatment was completed."
"Are you saying that once she has finished her treatment, she's going to have to go right back to jail?"
"It's possible…or, it's also possible, that while she is in our care, you and Ethan will have the time to find a way to get her charges dropped, and her son back for good."
Fox rubbed in face in his hands, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, Teresa coughed, her eyes fluttering open.
Fox looked down, grabbing her hand.
"Hey beautiful."
She looked at him, not saying anything.
Eve walked over.
"How are you feeling sweetie?"
Teresa still said nothing, but reached up and grasped Eve's arm.
Eve gasped.
"Why am I not dead?" she choked out.
Eve looked at her in confusion.
"Teresa, you were seriously injured…you were brought in here and we saved you…"
"Why didn't you just let me die?"
"Teresa-"
"I can't believe it didn't work," she said over and over to herself, her head falling back against the pillow. She looked up at the ceiling and stared, not acknowledging anything.
She never even looked at Fox.
He watched with tears in his eyes as she talked to herself.
Slowly, he backed away from the bed, walking over towards the papers Eve had dropped on the ground.
He picked them up, and with a final sigh, wrote his name on the bottom.
Eve watched, her heart breaking as she saw him struggle.
"You're doing the right thing Fox," She said softly to him.
He looked back at Teresa who was still staring at the ceiling.
"At least one of us thinks so."