Okay here's the latest. This chapter was pretty difficult to write, but take it as you will. Setting up for a few things here. Also thanks so much indigo, CSI Encyclopedia, Bookworm, lipamo, and my lovely guest for the reviewage. More to come soon.
After group let out, heading back towards the lobby, Carrie saw Brody seated on the bench beside Jess and Dana. Instead of getting caught up in watching them again, she was ready to turn around, walk back the way she'd came when she heard her name being called.
"Carrie!"
Closing her eyes, swearing under her breath, knowing she couldn't just keep walking after hearing him call her like that, Carrie swallowed hard, made her way to the bench.
"Hey."
"Hey. Look, I got your message just as Dana drove over to tell me the news. I'm sorry I didn't try to get a hold of you again."
"It's fine, Brody. Really.", Carrie said, crossing her arms protectively over herself.
"Is there any word on Faber? Chris?"
"No. Not yet. We're still waiting.", Jessica said as Carrie nodded.
"Well I'll leave you to it."
"Wait, Carrie..."
"No, Brody. I don't want to intrude."
"Like that's stopped you before.", Dana snorted as Brody turned, glared at her.
"Dana..."
"It's okay. Really, I'm going."
"Carrie, wait. Carrie!", Brody called, getting up and then going after her when she wouldn't turn around.
"Hey, wait! Wait!"
"Brody..."
"You going to make me chase you all over the fucking hospital?", he laughed, but went serious seeing the look on her face.
"Carrie, what-"
"Brody, it's fine. I'm just gonna go back to my room, okay?", Carrie sighed, turning before he put a staying hand on her shoulder, gently turned her towards him.
"Look, if something's making you upset I'm not letting you just walk off before I know what it is!"
"Why are you so concerned about me?!", Carrie snapped, swatting his hand off her shoulder. "Your son and best friend were just in a fucking car crash and your wife and daughter-"
"Jessica's not my wife, Carrie.", Brody reminded as she swallowed hard, looked down and away from him.
"It doesn't matter. She and Dana need you."
"I know they do. But I need you.", he insisted as she blinked back tears, looked up.
"Brody..."
"Carrie, I'm not going back over there unless you come with me. I talked to Abby. She says it's fine."
"I doubt Dana feels the same way.", Carrie snorted.
"Hey, Dana's still my daughter and Jess's daughter. She can say how she feels but we'd don't have to kowtow to her. Not about this. And I talked to Jessica. She told me about the conversation the two of you had."
"Well we're not going to be best friends anytime soon.", she scoffed.
"I know. Shit, I know that. But she appreciated the fact that you tried to help her. Took the time to listen."
"I didn't do that much. And I still don't feel right intruding. This whole thing is clearly a family matter and-"
"Hey. You're my family too. Don't for a fucking second think you're not. Okay?"
When he reached to hold, stroked the side of her face, eyes welling up again Carrie nodded. Rested her hand on the back of his before turning her head, kissing his palm.
"I love you.", she said softly as Brody pulled her tight against his chest.
"I love you too.", he replied just as softly, kissing the top of her head. Ready to walk back with her to the bench, when he saw Jess jump to her feet he turned. Saw the doctor approaching them.
"Dr. Greyson. How are they?" Jessica asked as everyone gathered around, listened in.
"Mike is out of surgery."
"Well is he alright? What's going on with him?", she asked fearfully as Brody reached over, squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
"Easy. Easy, Jess."
"He fractured his right tibia, and he's broken his sternum. We removed a small bone chip from the tibia fracture during surgery before we casted the leg. His sternum however will eventually heal on its own.", the young blonde said, pushing her dark glasses up more onto her nose.
"He was unconscious though when he was admitted. Chris told me.", Jessica said, voice quivering as the doctor nodded.
"Mike also sustained a concussion in the accident. We're going to closely monitor him over the next twenty four hours."
"But he'll be okay, won't he?"
Nodding again the doctor softly smiled. "The next twenty-four hours are critical. But Mike is strong, he's in good health. We expect he'll make a full recovery."
"What about Chris?", Brody asked nervously. "What's going on with my son?"
Turning to Brody, the doctor's smile didn't fade.
"Chris was very lucky. Aside from a fractured wrist and a cut on his temple that needed some stitching, he's going to be fine."
Nodding, Brody breathed a sigh of relief, prompting Carrie to reach for his hand, run her thumb over his scar.
"Can we see them?", Jessica asked eagerly.
"Chris is in Exam Room B. Just down the hall. Mike though is being brought to recovery so you'll have to wait until he's settled in his room to see him."
Nodding, Jessica thanked the doctor, shook her hand before cutting over to Chris' exam room. When Brody went to do the same Dana shook her head, stepped into his path. "Dad, I think you should hold off on seeing Chris."
"Dana, my son is in the goddamn hospital. I have a right to see for myself how he is!", Brody exclaimed as Carrie frowned nervously, looked between the two of them. Clearing her throat she spoke.
"Look, Dana. I wasn't planning on going in with your dad. I know my being in there would do way more harm than good."
"Carrie, no. I-"
"Brody it's fine.", she cut off. "I mean it. Your son needs you, I-"
"No he actually doesn't. Need you.", Dana said, looking and sounding pained as Brody frowned, looked closely at her.
"He won't want to see you, Dad. Especially now."
"Dana...", Sighing, Brody shook his head. "I know what happened caused a shit ton of damage but-"
"No shit, Dad. It did. Especially to Chris.", Dana sighed.
"I mean, at least I knew and remembered you and a small part of me actually believed you. To Chris you were just a former Marine he barely knew, who shot a deer in front of him, pissed off Mom, punched a reporter in the windpipe and killed two hundred and nineteen people. After the bombing he had to transfer to two different schools. He met with every counselor they had on staff. He quit karate but practically went out looking for fights to get into, and wound up getting the shit kicked out of him on a daily basis. If you could see the way he's been acting since you...you fucked up with him, Dad! You fucked him up!", she cried. It hurt her to say it but she knew Brody needed to hear it. And she judged from the guilt-ridden, hollow look on his face that he had.
Sensing the same thing from him, Carrie reached for, squeezed Brody's hand in an attempt to comfort him.
"Why didn't you tell me all this when we were staying with Rex?", he asked gruffly.
"You mean when you were on fucking deaths door for two days? I didn't think the timing was that great.", Dana snorted as he nodded, met her gaze.
"Look, I don't care if Chris refuses to speak to me, or screams at me, or has security throw me out of his goddamn room. When your only son's in the hospital after getting in a car crash, you make sure that he's fucking okay!", Brody snapped, walking towards the hall Jessica had walked down.
Frowning, Carrie turned, looked at Dana curiously. "How bad is it? With your brother?", she asked, getting a snort as the teenager crossed her arms.
"It's not your level yet but I wouldn't be surprised if it got there."
"My level?", Carrie repeated.
"You're in the fucking psych ward, right?"
"Yeah. I...yeah.", she said softly. "Shit."
Wringing her hands Dana slowly paced in front of the bench. "I know Dad seeing him is just going to set him off.", she muttered, but caught Carrie's attention.
"Set him off?"
"Yeah.", Dana shrugged, sitting. "He goes off on these tears lately. Just gets angry or completely worked up."
"Worked up how?", Carrie asked.
"He just starts ranting. Talking incessantly. Or he won't talk at all. When that happens he holes up in his room and plays fucking Kumba War. Or writes in that stupid journal the first counselor gave him."
Nodding, now Carrie felt the need to sit. "Does that help? When he writes?"
"It didn't help the other day. I came home and there wasn't stuff in the fridge for him to make a sandwich. He looked like he wanted to set the fucking thing on fire."
Involuntarily shuddering hearing that, Carrie swore under her breath, sat forward on the bench to stare at her hands.
"What?", Dana frowned before she stood, seeing Chris, Jessica and Brody reenter the lobby. Chris a few paces ahead. "I just want to see my real dad! Why is that so goddamn difficult to get!"
"Chris!", Jessica scolded as Dana rolled her eyes, marched over to him. "Because your real dad is standing right here, Dorkus! I don't care if you changed your last name or not!", she snapped. But went quiet, solemn seeing Brody's stricken expression. Seeing it too Carrie approached, rubbed his upper arm.
"Hey.", she said softly. "C'mon. We should-"
"Oh, what. You're with her now?", Chris scoffed. "So what? She can spy on and survey us but hey, so long as you can still sleep with her-"
"Hey!", Brody snapped, taking everyone aback but his son. "Say whatever you have to about me but leave Carrie out of it."
"Why should I? Because you said so?", Chris challenged. Shaking her head Jessica approached, took him aside. "No, because I did.", she snapped before her expression softened, went pleading. "Chris. Please. If Mike was here-"
"You mean my dad."
"If Mike was standing here you know that he-"
"He'd what? Tell me to cool off? Calm down? Christ! If I could don't you think I would have by now!"
Eyeing a chair in the corner, Chris forcefully grabbed it, dragged it away from the wall and sat down. Leaning forward on his knees he tried to breathe in and out, swore, plopped his head in his hands.
Watching the scene from the desk, Kate walked over to Jessica. "Mrs. Faber, is everything-"
When Jessica sniffled, shook her head with her hand clasped over her mouth, nodding Kate crossed the room, knelt down in front of Chris' chair.
"Chris? Is everything alright?"
"It's fine! I...I'm fine!", he spat, running a hand through his hair, over his face before he looked up. Seeing the blonde, when she softly smiled at him Chris' expression softened. His attitude changing considerably.
"You're...you're really pretty. You know that?", he said as Kate bit her lip.
"Chris, I think you should go back to your room. Maybe try and get some sleep. I think Dr. Greyson prescribed you some Ativan to help settle you down?"
"I don't need settling down!", Chris snarled, standing up. "I need him to leave!", he yelled, looking viciously at Brody before Jessica, Kate moved closer to him. Kate taking hold of his good arm.
"You're not my dad! My dad is the man who got a fractured leg after getting into a fucking accident with me! His name's Mike Faber, and my name's Chris Faber. And you haven't been my father since I was four months old. so leave me the fuck alone!"
Watching, wide eyed as Jessica and Kate forcibly led Chris back to his room, Carrie took hold of Brody's hand again only for him to drop her's, walk off.
"Brody...shit. Brody!"
Calling, ready to run and catch up to him, she stopped short remembering who she was leaving behind. Turning, she saw Dana standing with her back to her and with shaking shoulders.
Knowing she couldn't just leave her standing around beside herself in a place like this, Carrie walked over, gently touched her shoulder as she jumped, turned slightly. "Hey..."
Fully expecting Dana to recoil, fight her off, swear at her or walk away, Carrie was shocked when she did none of the above, but rather turned around and clung onto her. Hid her face in her shoulder as she cried.
"Hey, shhh. It's okay. It..it's okay.", Carrie said softly, stroking her hair. Adjusting to the surrealness of it all by imagining she was comforting a distraught Farrah, instead of a teenager who had long hated her guts. Or at least strongly disliked them.
When Dana composed herself somewhat, pulled back, Carrie pulled back in turn. Not wanting to linger and risk embarrassing Dana, or drawing more attention to the situation. She also knew the two of them needed to go and resolve another one elsewhere.
"C'mon. We should go find your dad.", she said. All the while, with Chris' outburst replaying on loop in her mind, Carrie made a mental note to try and call her's.