So you asked for it. We got the perfect hug but I needed more. And I know you do too. It took me some time to figure out where I wanted to go with this one but I think I have it and I hope you'll agree with it. Comments are welcomed especially this time as I am a bit nervous about posting this.
Timeline – so this episode ended in the early morning. If you haven't seen Grey's – that ends in the evening, Vic comes to Grey Sloan with Jeff and his amputated leg and Ben comes home to find a big surprise – Miranda asked Joey to come and live with them.
And we start after the episode of course, as usually.
Pruitt didn't think he would tell his daughter this way. He had about a million different scenarios in his head, trying to figure out how to tell her in the least horrible way but none of them seemed right. Well, it wasn't right. It was stupid and unfair and he hated it. He hated being sick, he hated being sick now when she was grieving for Ryan, he hated that all those things put together cost her the promotion. He hated it all.
And now he was standing there, watching the closed door and he didn't know what to do.
There was a small part of him that wanted to be there with his daughter but his gut was telling him that he shouldn't be there, not right then. He looked at Hughes and noticed with a broken heart that she was crying. He felt even worse now.
"Hughes…" He said softly.
"Sorry, Sir. I just…" She tried to say something but didn't know what. He nodded in understanding. He looked back at the door.
"Should I go there?" Vic asked as she thought he didn't like Sullivan being there.
"No." He answered though.
"But Sullivan…" Vic tried to argue but Pruitt smiled at her sadly. He actually smiled.
"Is the only one that can help her right now." He said and Vic's eyes were wide before the understanding hit her.
"You know he…" She replied.
"Yes, I know how much he cares about her." He answered. "I got it all wrong at first though. I still owe him an apology." He admitted and Vic chuckled. She watched him and realized that there was something about him that was different. Maybe it was the result of his diagnosis.
"Captain." She said then, sobering up again. And without waiting for him to say something she came to him and hugged him. She just needed to.
"I'm so sorry." She said and he hugged her back. He wouldn't admit it but he needed the hug and he truly liked Hughes.
"Me too." He replied and only when they heard steps Vic stepped away. It was Maya. Vic didn't know what to do so he just stayed there, only stepped away from Captain Herrera.
"Sir," Maya said, her voice trembling. He looked at her.
"I'm so sorry, Sir. I didn't know, I had no idea, I just…" She tried to explain. Vic was looking at her and it seemed like she was getting mad for some reason.
"What did you do, Bishop?" She asked a bit hard.
"Vic…" Maya wanted to explain but Pruitt jumped in.
"She didn't do anything. It was just a coincidence. And Andy figured it all out." He sighed. Vic nodded and noticed Maya looked sad and worried.
"I was trying to tell her for so long but I didn't know how. And then things got rough and I just…" He was surprised that he was telling them but he had nothing to lose anymore.
"I should have told her sooner." He said in the end and they were all quiet again. One of the firefighters from B shift came in there, looking for Bishop, they needed to talk about something so she excused herself and with a heavy heart, she walked away.
"What are you going to do, Sir?" Vic asked.
"I don't know." He answered and she smiled sadly.
"You know what, why don't we grab a bite, huh? It was a hell of a night." Vic said and Pruitt nodded after a moment.
"Sure. Let's give them some time." He said and Vic was again surprised by how cool he was about Sullivan being there.
"I know what you're thinking, Hughes." He told her and she grinned. Her old Captain was back.
In the bunk, Andy was crying in despair into Sullivan's shirt. She was clutching the fabric in her fist, sobbing without control while he held her and kept on repeating some meaningless soothing words. There was nothing that could ease her pain and worry so he did the only thing he could – he was there for her.
He had no idea how much time passed before she calmed down a bit. He felt how exhausted she was and wasn't surprised. After helping JJ the whole night she had to deal with this kind of news and all those emotions were just too much.
"Andy…" He tried to say something but she buried her face even deeper into his chest.
"Hey…" He tried again and she looked up.
"Robert…" She said. "He's dying."
"I know." He replied, feeling tears on his own face.
"I…" Andy wanted to say something but felt more tears in her eyes. "I know you can't be here but please don't go." She managed to choke out before she was crying again. He pressed her closer.
"I'm not going anywhere." He replied and knowing she needed to rest, he slowly maneuvered them on the bed so he was leaning against the wall at the head of the bed and she was half lying in his arms, crying, hurting too much. And he held her. He would literally do anything. It took her some time but exhaustion took over and she fell asleep.
Sullivan knew he should get up and go away but he physically couldn't. He was biting the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't cry out in pain as his leg was on fire again. He refused to acknowledge it and he refused to move because he just didn't want to disturb her. She was important, he was not.
Besides the mere idea of leaving her was breaking his heart.
Captain Herrera met Montgomery in the beanery. He instantly knew that he finally had told his daughter. That, of course, caused a reaction from Hughes.
"You knew?"
"Eh, yes." He answered, knowing he was in trouble.
"You knew and didn't say anything? Come on, Trav!" She was giving him a hard time.
"Come on, Hughes," Pruitt said.
"But why did you tell him and not Andy?" She wanted to know while preparing some toasts.
"Because I trained it on him. By accident." Pruitt said and Vic looked at him like he was crazy. Montgomery just shrugged and pretended like he wasn't there. They sat down at the table, happy they were alone for some time.
"Where is she now anyway?" Travis asked. Vic coughed and Travis looked at her with question mark all over his face. "What? What did I say?" He wanted to know.
"She's with Sullivan," Pruitt said. Travis smiled at him a bit before realizing that it wasn't really appropriate.
"Oh, you know about them," Travis said when it dawned on him.
"And it seems I am not the only one," Pruitt replied. Travis didn't know what to say. He looked at Vic for help but she just put her hands up in surrender.
"Don't look at me, I don't know anything." She told them.
"Sure you don't," Pruitt said and Travis burst out laughing.
Their conversation was disturbed when Dean came, all happy and moved. He needed something to drink for JJ. They congratulated him and he was just too moved to even talk properly. It was so strange. The atmosphere in the beanery changed and Pruitt felt even sadder than before. He didn't want to go.
Checking out the time he excused himself and walked to the bunk. He opened the door softly, he didn't want to disturb them. He didn't know what was going on inside and there was a part of him that didn't want to know. But he knew better now, he knew he could trust Sullivan because he apparently indeed had feelings for his daughter.
Maybe, just maybe, when he'd be gone and with Ryan being dead, she'd at least have Sullivan. Could that actually be? Could that happen? He felt a sharp pain in his heart because he realized that he might not be around to see that happening, he might not be there to see his daughter being happy again. Could he accept the fact that it might be with Robert Sullivan? He wasn't sure about it and it troubled him. He knew that man cared and judging by her reactions she probably did too.
As he opened the door his heart stopped for a moment before he felt warm calming feeling spreading through his veins. Yes, she wouldn't be alone.
Pruitt watched his sleeping daughter lying partially in the arms of Sullivan who kept on stroking her hair, looking sad and worn out himself. The scene was so intimate that Pruitt felt like he was intruding for a moment. There was something so deep about it.
When Sullivan looked at him he immediately got nervous. He opened his mouth a couple of times, trying to say something but he looked like a gaping fish.
"Sir." He choked out in the end. "She was exhausted, I just…" He wanted to explain but had no words.
"Thank you, Robert."
"What for?" Sullivan asked, his voice breaking. Pruitt just nodded in Andy's direction and Sullivan looked down at her again, just making sure she was okay in his arms.
"I should go," Sullivan said then but Pruitt stopped him.
"Stay with her, if you can."
"Captain…"
"If you want to leave, then go. But if you want to stay, please, stay." Pruitt said honestly, openly and enjoyed the moment of shock in Sullivan's eyes. Oh, he knew.
"I'll wait outside," Pruitt added and with one last look at his sleeping grieve stricken daughter he left the bunk. And true to his word, he sat down in the hall, leaning against the wall and he just waited for Sullivan to come out. There were two options, he would either come out immediately, trying to escape before Andy would wake up or he would stay and wait for her to wake up so he would at least try to make sure she was okay enough to be left alone with her sadness.
As time passed by he smiled despite everything. Sullivan stayed in the bunk. It gave Pruitt a strange feeling of comfort.
A/N More to come but this time it felt like I should split it up. Hope you agree.