'She's going to be okay. She's going to be okay.'
Those words kept going through Tony's mind as he drove to the hospital. He felt tears welling in his eyes and rubbed them away with his hands.
'She's going to be okay. She's going to be okay.'
How did this happen? Why did this happen?
Was someone playing a cruel joke on them? After everything they had been through over the years was this the way it was going to end?!
"No! Stop it! This isn't the end!" he berated himself. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
He couldn't help thinking that this was somehow his fault. If he had just come home years ago Angela wouldn't be in the hospital right now. She wouldn't be fighting for her life. But, instead he stayed in Iowa. He had chosen a job a stupid job over the love of his life. He had let his pride get in the way. And now Angela… he couldn't bear to think of it.
"What would I do without you Angela?"
That is what he had asked her when they were deciding whether or not to raise Billy. He remembered looking into her eyes. Her beautiful warm brown eyes. And he knew he never wanted to find out. The sad thing was he almost had because of his affair with Kathleen. His stupid dumb ass affair with another woman. And he was ashamed to admit these past few years as well.
What would he do without her? He had already lost Marie. He couldn't go through it again.
He suddenly remembered the bizarre dream he had had when he had passed out after accidentally mixing ammonia and bleach. How rich and successful he was but the sobering thought that Angela and Sam couldn't stand him. It had rocked him to the core. The two most important women in his life and neither one of them wanted anything to do with him. But eventually he had managed to convince Sam to join him at Marty's Melody Room where they both had a double chocolate egg cream with two straws.
And then he had gone over to Angela's A single pink rose in his hand which completed the eleven he had sent her earlier. And they had talked and he made dinner for her, Mona, and Jonathan. Her favorite: linguine alla vongole. And it looked like he was making progress with her too until he berated her for sending her family away. And just like that they were back to arguing and she rushed out saying she had heard enough. He followed after her and apologized and started to leave but she stopped him and told him that he wasn't off base. She admitted that she did push people away because of her reluctance to..
"To let go? To take chances? To open your heart?"
And he thought he had gotten through to her. That they would be together but instead after thanking him and hugging him she told him she was going to call Gary. GARY?! He couldn't believe it. He still remembered the pain and anguish he felt watching her walk away. And he had felt it again when he watched her walk away after they ended things in Iowa.
"Coach take me out of the game."
"What about the fame? The fortune? The glory?"
"I just want to go home."
That is what he should have done years ago! Who cares about the fame, fortune, and glory if he didn't have Angela by his side? They were just meaningless things, But his love for Angela was real. It was meaningful.
He saw the hospital up ahead and after a few minutes pulled into the parking lot and pulled into a parking spot. He had barely cut the engine before he yanked his keys out of the ignition and exited his jeep. He ran through the front entrance and looked around for someone to help him.
"Hello sir. May I help you?"
"Yes, yes you can." Tony said, walking up to the desk. "I'm here about Angela Bower. Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay!" Tony pleaded with her.
"Are you her husband?"
"No, no I'm not." he informed her. His insides clenched over the fact that if he hadn't been so stubborn and pigheaded they would be married right now and they wouldn't be in this predicament.
"Are you related to her in any way?"
"No."
"Then I'm sorry sir but I can't release that information to you."
"Please! Look, we've been friends for years and we fell in love. But, stupid me tried so hard to deny it. But then we got together and we were so happy. We got engaged but then I got a teaching and coaching job out in Iowa. And we tried a long distance relationship but it wasn't working so she moved out to be with me. And for a while things were great. But then she told me that she wasn't happy. And we broke up. She told me that I was doing what I was meant to do. So like a damn idiot I stayed in Iowa. I let her walk out of my life. And now I'm back and we have a chance of getting back together. So please tell me if she is okay!" Tony begged, his voice rising in panic.
"Look sir, that is a very moving story but I told you I can't release that information to you!"
"Oh yes you can and will!"
They both turned around. Mona and Claire were striding up to the desk.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Mona Robinson. Angela Bower is my daughter and I hereby give you my permission to inform Mr Micelli, his daughter Samantha-who just happens to be one of my daughter's emergency contacts.."
"Samantha Thomupulos?"
"Yes, that's her."
"I was the one who called her to tell her that Ms Bower was here."
"You did?"
"Yes. Okay Mr Micelli was it?"
"Yes."
"Since Mrs Robinson has given her permission I can tell you that Ms Bower is on the fourth floor in I.C.U.
"Thank you." Tony said and ran to the elevators Mona and Claire following behind him.
They got in and Tony punched in the fourth floor button. They rode in silence afraid to voice what they were thinking and feeling. When Mona had gotten the call she had felt like she had been suckered punched. Luckily Claire had been working that day so she offered to drive Mona to the hospital since Mona wasn't in any shape to do it herself.
The elevator finally arrived at the fourth floor and they exited and walked up to the nurse's station.
"Hello. I'm Mona Robinson. I was told that my daughter Angela Bower is here."
"Yes, she is Mrs Robinson." the nurse said, glancing at Tony and Claire.
"This is Tony Micelli and Claire Meyers. Whatever you have to say to me you can say to them as well."
"Very well. I'll go get the Dr for you." She stepped out from behind the desk.
"Thank you."
The nurse walked away and after a few moments came back with Angela's doctor.
"Mona. Tony. So sorry to see you under these circumstances."
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A/N As always the credit for the lines from the show goes to the writers.
