Title: The Forest

Chapter: 9

Scotty awoke up Lilly's alarm. It was just like her to have an alarm that went off an hour before she was expected at work. But, it surprised him somewhat too. Lilly's beauty tourine seemed to be pretty simple. Her vanity mirror was home to a small community of make-up and her hair was always in a clip, he was suprised that she thought that she would need an hour. Maybe she stopped for coffee in the morning, or maybe she just wanted a few peaceful moments to herself before joining the bustle of the real world. In this moment he realized how little he really knew about his partner. Of course he knew how she took her coffee and that she liked order, but had she ever had the chicken pox? The measles? Was she vaccinated for anthrax back in 2001? He didn't know.

Scotty pulled himself out of the bed and made it. If Lilly woke up and came home he didn't want her to worry about an unmade bed. In a small way, making the bed made it appear as if she hadn't left. That she would return and and come home to nestle in her room the exact way she had left it. He felt that by keeping things the same, she wouldn't feel displaced.

He picked his jacket up from the foot of the bed and pulled it on. Then sitting down he pulled on his shoes. He'd had the strangest dream last night. It was like Lilly had been in the room with him. Like she had her arm wrapped around him the entire night with her arm, like she was immersing him in her light. But she wasn't dead. He had to remind himself of that. Lilly wasn't dead. She was just sleeping. And she was holding on. He could feel it. He could have sworn that he'd heard her say, "I love you." He'd wanted to reply but he didn't want to seem crazy. Someone had once told him that it was normal to hear voices but the minute that you started having conversations with him, you were crazy.

Scotty stood up and walked downstairs to Lilly's living room where he picked up the remote from the end table and turned the TV on It was set to the news. Very Lilly. Scotty watched the anchor deliver some story about the liberty bell before handing it over the other anchor.

"More on Philidelphia P.D. Detective Lilly Rush's condition," said the anchor as the department photo of Lilly came up on the screen. "Lilly Rush has been in a comotose state for the past week after being shot in a the head by a serial killer. Detective Rush's condition remains critical, but a living will has surfaced. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops."

Scotty turned the channel, why was the media, prodding into Lilly's story? The next channel was another new station, "The Philedelphia detective shot down last week, remains in critical condition..." Scotty switched the channel again. "Detective Lilly Rush of the Philedelphia homicide unit..." He changed it again, "Lilly Rush, detective in the Philedelphia homicide unit..." Scotty hit two numbers finding an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. He didn't need to hear this. He just didn't.

Olivia jumped on the couch and began meowing at the arm. "What's wrong?" Scotty asked as Olivia meowed again. "Is it time for breakfast?"

Scotty moved into the kitchen and poured cat food into the dish. Olivia and the white cat rushed to the bowl and began to eat. Scotty watched the cats eat before returning to the living room. "I'll see you girls later," Scotty called back and he turned off the TV and left the house.

"He locked the door behing him, taking the key with him. He was coming back. He knew that he couldn't leave Lilly's cats alone. It was an excuse for him to come back. To be close to her.

Lilly sat on the couch, knees pulled to her chest, her face burried in her forearms. She sobed as Olivia rubbed her head against the sole of her foot. She couldn't believe that this was real. As the news reports had said, she was in critical condition. She was dying.

She'd always hated the stores about cops who'd fallen in the line of duty. They always showed the department ID photos. Another thing that Lilly always hated. Hers was awful. She looked tired, like she had just rolled out of bed and her butterfly clip was in her hair. She had a slight smile on her face. The stories in general where disrespecting of the families. Not that Lilly would care. She didn't have any family to worry about.

Suddenly, Lilly felt a presence behing her and a voice followed. "Lillian? Now do you believe me?"

"I can't," Lilly sobbed as the nurse came to the side of the couch. "I can't leave Scotty! I can't leave Scotty! I love him too much! I can't!"

"I can't accept your decision Lillian," said the nurse. "Go and change and we'll go to the station house."

"Why do I have to go there? You just said I had to decide."

"I was going to explain Lillian," said the nurse. "But you ran off so fast that I didn't have a chance to explain."

"Did...did you know that...that Scotty was here? That...that he was crying...that he said...he couldn't let me go. That he loves me?"

"Yes...we wanted you to be prepared."

Lilly sobbed. "I can't! I can't! I'm not going to leave."

Scotty arrived at the hospital sometime later that morning. He couldn't leave Lilly alone. He just couldn't. The hospital was sterile, so impersonal, that he couldn't stand the thought of her being alone. She was so vulnerable. It's not the time for her to be left alone.

"Hey Lil," he said entering the room. The ventilator was still on and was hissing at him in response. He sat down on the edge of her bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I fed your cats yesterday. They miss you. You should hear them meow for you in the middle of the night. They want you to come home Please come home soon Lilly. Please." He picked up her hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed it and then held it to his face he let his tears fall. "Lilly I can't help but think about your forty-nine." Scotty said.

He remembered her face when George had mentioned it back in October. She had tried to keep the wall up, but in her eyes he could see the tears of a little girl. she looked so helpless in that moment. Like she was about to breakdown and cry. "I'm wondering if that's why you don't want to come back. Because of George and and what he knows about it? Remember Lilly, George is dead. He can't hurt you anymore."

He stopped and looked at her in silence for a moment. "Your lips look chapped..." he siad pulling the ice chips from the tray table. "Here..." he used a spoon and carefully placed the ice chips on her lips. He watched as themelted with the warmth of her skin. "There you go. Isn't that better?"

Sorry that I haven't updated. Hopefully my reviewers haven't died in anticipation. I will be able to update sooner now that I have my own computer and can at my leisure instead of having to conform to a scheduele and having to be off at a certain time. Anyway, what do you guys think? Good? Bad?