A/N: ANOTHER CHAPTER COMING YOUR WAY, HOPE YOU LIKE IT. THIS ONE IS MOSTLY WOODY'S POV. I DO OWN UNCLE CHARLIE, BUT I THINK AUNT BETTY WAS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW, SO I'M JUST BORROWING HER.
CHAPTER 13: REMINDERS OF A LIFE LOST
Jordan continued to spend all of her free time with Woody, much to his dismay. She tried her best to lift his spirits, but he was just so depressed. She brought him thing from home, smuggled in his favorite foods , favorite movies, anything to make him feel better. But the more she tried, the more distant Woody became. Now that he was in a regular room, he was glad that he didn't need as much attention from the hospital staff. The downside was that he had more time to think, that is when he didn't have a room full of visitors. He just wanted to be left alone, but no one seemed to get the hint. He always had a steady stream of people in his room, people he did not want to see, people who reminded him of a life that was gone.
They were other detectives, cops, and superiors that reminded him of a job he loved but could no longer do. They would tell him about current cases , cases he would never be a part of, cases he would never solve. They would come there with smiles painted on their faces, trying to hide the looks of sadness and pity. There was a short visit from his Aunt Betty and Uncle Charlie, who flew in from Wisconsin. They reminded him of his hard childhood, something he always tried to forget. Uncle Charlie, his dads brother, reminded him of his own mortality and the father who died in his arms, leaving him an orphan who had to raise his younger brother. Aunt Betty reminded him of what little he remembered about his mother. A mother who kissed away his pain and made everything better, a mother who died before her little boy could really know her.
They were the friends from the morgue, the best he had ever had, who would remind him of the close relationship they all shared. The fun times they had on the job and after hours, spending time together. They were his family and he missed being a part of that. Then there was Jordan, every thought came back to Jordan. How much he loved her, how he could never have her now. All the things he couldn't do; running with her in the mornings, dancing in the clubs at night, chasing after her when she ran, protecting her……..wait he could still do that. Woody loved Jordan more than anything, and he now knew what he had to do. He had to protect her from being hurt, from being in a relationship she would end up regretting. He could never live with himself if he had made her unhappy. He would push her away, it was the only way, the only way to protect her heart.