Advice
Thea watched as Cassie came out of Theo's hospital room a little while later, making her way towards the bathroom by the waiting room. Punk had fallen asleep on the chair across from her in the waiting room, through no fault of his own, and Jude had gone outside for some fresh air.
She got up from the chair and made her way over to the bathroom, knocking on it gently, "Cass." Thea said, hearing the door unlock. She opened it up and walked in, "Did you get some sleep?" She asked, watching Cassie splash some water on her face.
"An hour." Cassie nodded, patting her face with some paper towels whilst Thea closed the door over and locked it.
"You ate anything?" Thea asked, "Cause I can grab you something from the cafeteria. The sandwiches aren't great but… they get the job done." She shrugged as Cassie shook her head.
"I'm not hungry." Cassie told her, throwing the paper towels in the trash, avoiding looking at herself in the mirror, knowing she would look horrid with her beaten face and now the lack of sleep making it worse.
"Chase was asking for you." Thea smiled softly as Cassie turned to her, "Dominic was gonna take him and Sam out for some breakfast. Sam is a big breakfast girl." She nodded.
"Thank you. For having him." Cassie nodded.
"It's no problem." Thea shook her head.
"Did he ask for Theo?" Cassie worried, "He always asks for Theo. Whenever it's my turn to pick him up from school it's always… where's daddy?" She shook her head with a smile, "Or if Theo has gone to work early… he always wants to know where he is." Cassie nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat as Thea looked on at her.
"Cassie." Thea sighed sadly as Cassie shook her head, drying her tears as she cried silently, "Sit down." She encouraged, closing the toilet seat and coaxing her to sit down.
"What am I supposed to say to him?" Cassie cried as Thea ripped off some toilet paper and wiped her face.
"Don't think about that right now." Thea shook her head. Her littlest sister was the most pragmatic person she knew. She liked to be prepared for things. To be ready if shit was about to hit the fan. She wasn't stupid. She didn't need Thea to tell her that Theo's lack of improvement was just as bad as a decline.
"How can I not?" Cassie shook her head, taking the paper from Thea and wiping her own eyes, "He's just lying there… it's like he's already gone." She nodded.
"He's not gone." Thea shook her head, "He's still there."
"I don't want him to leave me." She cried as Thea sighed, crouching down in front of her.
"Look at me." Thea nodded, cupping her sister's cheeks, "Out of everyone, you know exactly how strong he is. So you know he's gonna give the best fight he can." She said. She couldn't talk to her sister like a doctor right now. She had to be there for her as a sister.
"Everyone should just go home." Cassie shook her head, "There's no point in everyone hanging around."
"We're not going anywhere." Thea shook her head, taking Cassie's hands in hers and squeezing them tightly.
Meanwhile Jude was sat outside the hospital on one of the benches, taking in the fresh air and watching as different nurses and doctors entered the hospital to start their morning shifts. She never thought she would feel guilty about sleeping with her own husband, but that was how she felt. Like she'd let herself down by giving into him when he had hurt her so bad.
"Hey." Sean walked along the path as she turned around, "What you doing out here?" He asked, stopping by the bench.
"Just needed some fresh air." Jude told him. They hadn't spoken yet. She'd slipped out of bed after he fell asleep to come straight here.
"How are things looking?" Sean asked her.
"No change." Jude shook her head, "Which apparently in his condition is just as bad as a decline." She nodded.
"How is Cassie holding up?" Sean asked.
"How do you think?" Jude shook her head, watching him sit down on the bench beside her, "Have you spoken to Jake yet?"
"Yeah, that's where I've just came from." Sean nodded, "He's devastated."
"Well obviously. It's his station. His cops." Jude nodded, "And everyone knows Theo was his favourite."
"Yeah." Sean agreed, "I didn't wanna ask the guy any work related questions once I saw how shook up he was." He said, "I just told him if he needed anything I'm around." He nodded.
"I'm sure he appreciates it." Jude said, "Is the station still closed up?"
"Yeah." Sean said, "Who's all in there?" He nodded to the hospital.
"Thea and my parents. And Theo's mom." Jude nodded, "Apparently his dad is lurking around somewhere too."
"You heard from Jeanie?" Sean asked her.
"Yeah, just five minutes ago actually." Jude nodded, "The girls went to school ok." She said as Sean nodded, "I told her at least one of us would be back in a couple days at the most. The situation here is kinda up in the air." She said as Sean nodded.
"Can we… talk?" He turned to her, "Or do we just pretend that what we did, didn't happen?"
"I'm thinking the latter." Jude nodded, not realising how harsh it came across, "It shouldn't have happened." She clarified, "I was just upset and… felt alone, I guess." She shrugged.
"Are you ever gonna let me in again?" He asked, "Without hating yourself for it?"
"I don't know." She shook her head, "It's reassuring to know that we… still work together… in that way." She raised her eyebrows as he smiled a little and nodded.
"I didn't doubt it for a second." He shook his head.
"Well… being cheated on kinda makes you feel like your husband doesn't want you anymore." Jude shrugged.
"You know that's not how I feel." He said, "What I did… it wasn't because there were cracks in our relationship-"
"Come on. Even I know our relationship wasn't perfect, Sean. Don't bullshit with me." Jude rolled her eyes.
"I didn't cheat on you because of anything you did or… didn't do." He made clear, "I was just stupid and… not thinking. Not thinking about anything." He said, "I know for damn sure I'll never find anyone like you."
"Yeah you're right." Jude nodded cockily.
"You know I'm here for you." He said, "Whatever it is you need from me. A hug? Someone to talk to? Sex?"
"Of course you're fine with that." Jude rolled her eyes, smiling a little as he noticed and smiled too, "It's just too soon for me to think about… letting you back in like that. And now isn't the right time to be deciding anything when so much is going on." She said as he nodded, "I appreciate you coming here with me."
"It's the least I can do." He nodded. He was glad she still took comfort in him. It told him that she hadn't completely given up on them, and that was what he needed to keep fighting for them. To prove he was sorry and that he deserved a chance.
"I'm gonna go in and see how things are doing. No change probably." Jude nodded, standing up from the bench and heading back into the hospital.
Sean sat outside on the bench for a while until he saw Punk coming towards him in the corner of his eye, his shoulders tightening as he turned around. Thankfully he could see that he looked too tired to argue or fight with him, which was lucky for him.
"It's a nice morning." Punk nodded, sitting down on the bench at the opposite side of Sean who looked at him cautiously.
"I can go if you want-"
"Stay where you are." Punk shook his head, too tired to be angry at him the way he wanted to.
"Maybe you should go catch some sleep. I can stay here with the girls." Sean nodded.
"I've been dozing off and on. I'll be fine." Punk shook his head, "I stayed awake for two days when April was in labour with Jude." He recalled, "I guess that was a little more exciting than this, though." He thought to himself.
"We've not really had a chance to talk." Sean said, "Properly."
"I don't think we should really get into it." Punk advised, "Ever." He clarified, "Cause you'll never make it up to me for hurting my daughter." He shook his head as Sean nodded.
"I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt her. It's… it's killing me, and I'm doing all I can to make it right. To prove to her just how sorry I am." Sean nodded, "I know you'll never be able to look at me the same again, probably, the whole family won't but… I'm not gonna give up." He shook his head.
"Believe it or not, you're the least of my worries right now." Punk rolled his eyes.
"I know." Sean nodded, "And I'm here for Jude for all of this. If things… take a bad turn-"
"Well I think they will." Punk said, "I'm not saying this to anyone else, because part of me wants to believe things will be ok but… it looks like we might lose him." He nodded, "And so instead of singling each other out, we're gonna need to band together… for Cassie." Punk nodded.
"Yeah, of course." Sean nodded.
"So we can be civil." Punk vowed, turning to him, "And we can get through it as a family." He nodded.
"Yeah." Sean agreed, "If there's anything I can do, anything Cassie needs… I'm here." Sean nodded, glad that he was still being included, "I still love Jude." He clarified, "I never stopped loving her." He made clear as Punk just nodded. Somehow he knew that. But it still didn't stop him from being a protective father.
"Don't lay your apologies on me." Punk shook his head, "She's the one you should be grovelling to."
"Believe me, I am." Sean nodded, "How did you and April get through the rough spots?" He asked as Punk turned to him.
"It's not about me and April." Punk said bluntly as Sean nodded, turning away and looking out onto the car park as Punk watched him, "Because… we love each other. And we can't live without each other." He nodded as Sean turned back to him, "And I've did a lot of grovelling in my time, too." He mumbled as Sean smiled a little and nodded.
"Any advice?" Sean asked.
"No, you don't get to do this with me." Punk shook his head bluntly, "I made my mistakes and I worked to make them better. That was my situations and I dealt with them. Where my daughters are concerned, you don't get advice from me for screwing things up with them." He made clear, "You're on your own." He nodded, standing up and walking off as Sean sighed to himself and leaned back on the bench.
