SIX MONTHS LATER
Time heals all wounds.
The saying rang true for him, six months had passed since his attack. Six long grueling months, most of the days he was miserable. He didn't remember much of the first few weeks after he'd been found, he was in and out of consciousness and on a litany of medications. If he was awake he was so groggy that he could barely hold his head up, and he would sleep upwards of fifteen hours a day. As his physical injuries began to heal, his emotional wounds festered just below the surface and no one knew when he would lash out. He was angry and dealing with a very obvious case of PTSD a diagnosis he fought against at every turn.
"I'm not crazy!" Adam roared, swiping the tray of food off the small table in front of him, "I'm not fucking crazy!" He repeated as everything crashed to the floor, his uneaten lunch a casualty of his rage. He buried his face in his hand, his body raked with sobs.
Bob cautiously touched his son's shoulder, "No one said you're crazy, Son. No one. You're the furthest thing from crazy. You've got PTSD Adam, you lived through something absolutely horrific. You need help. Let the doctors help you."
Adam finally looked up at him, "I don't want to talk about it, okay? I can't." He struggled with sleeping, the first few weeks all he could do was sleep and now sleep was impossible. On the off chance he did drift off to sleep he'd doze off for a few minutes before waking up in a cold sweat and screaming.
"Son...you need help." Bob cupped his cheek, "I'll be at your side every step of the way. Please, Adam. You need help." His voice cracked with emotion, he was fighting to pull his son back from the ledge. He was desperate to save his boy.
Adam wiped his eyes, "Okay...okay.." he relented, "I just want to be okay dad, I want this to be over. Really over." Hearing the fear in his father's voice and the tears in his eyes was a dagger to his heart. He knew he needed help, more importantly in he wanted to be helped.
The nightmares were awful, the first few months they were a nightly occurrence he knew that Woods was dead and couldn't touch him but it didn't stop them. Hearing that Woods had put one in his head had brought him little comfort, nor did knowing Ken Watkins and August Gibbons were locked up in Statesville and awaiting trial.
Knowing how Watkins had set him up was rough. They had been friends during Adam's time in the academy and even after he moved on to intelligence clearly Adam had been mistaken. Adam soon learned that Watkins had been working with Woods to keep tabs on Adam. He had witnessed the conversation between he and Voight about bringing Woods down. He held a serious grudge against Adam, he hated that he wasn't the one pulled from the academy, he hated that he had to bust his balls walking the beat while Adam coaster into one of the best units in the city. He jumped at the chance to help Woods, and he had been the one to drug Adam and get him to Woods, with Gibbons help of course.
Watkins was furious when he learned that Voight sold him out, that he never had any intentions of keeping him out of jail.
Gibbons had no ill will against Adam, he was just in it for a 'good time' the man was a closeted white nationalist and should've never been given a badge. He was the worst of the worst and thoroughly enjoyed giving Adam a beat down. He would've enjoyed going after Woods as well, but the allure of cash overrode his hatred of the man and his skin color.
Staci Campbell was in jail for the role she played and numerous parole violations, she had plead out and swerving at minimum six years with a maximum of ten.
Denny Woods was found three days after Adam was found, a lone gunshot to the head.
It was ruled a suicide.
The death of his daughter had robbed him of his will to live, it was why he had brutally attacked Adam for hours on end, he wanted Adam to pay. To pay for his daughter's death, and to pay for betraying him. He didn't fear any repercussions because he had a plan and it ended with his suicide.
The injuries he had suffered had been serious, and required multiple surgeries and extensive rehab, rehab that he wanted no part of.
Well, until he met her.
This spitfire of a girl who let nothing get in her way and showed him what true bravery and resiliency looked like.
He didn't know the details on her injury but he did know it was a freak thing and had the doctors scratching their heads. Ultimately they chalked it up to an injury that had gone undetected for sometime and then suddenly appeared with a vengeance.
She had been the one to get through to him, the one to push him past the pain and pulled him from the depths of self pity.
He still saw her, even to this day. He had become buddies with her father, and they met up a few times for drinks and Adam had been to their house for dinner multiple times.
Adam often thought back on the day he met her, it was particularly bad day for him. He had just transferred to out patient therapy and he hated it.
"Take a breather" the physical therapist suggested, "Adam, I know this sucks..you've just got to keep at it. It won't happen overnight"
"Ever." Adam snapped, "It's been months, man. This such bullshit." He grumbled, he was seriously over picking up marbles with his toes or any of the other ridiculous tasks he was made to during his sessions. He just wanted to be able to walk again, was that too much to ask.
"Adam your leg was severely injured, you're lucky you still have it. Your knee was trashed, you need to relearn everything." He wrapped his leg in ice, while they still had about thirty minutes left in the session he knew Adam was done. "I will cut you some slack today, next time I won't be so nice. We're done for today. Lift your leg" when Adam did so he slipped a cushion under, "Lay back and keep your leg up, I will come back in twenty and cut you lose."
"Thanks"
This was his favorite part of PT, he slipped his earbuds in listening to music and people watching helped him to zone out and meditate. He'd learned about meditation from his shrink and much to his surprise it helped. He was a bit put off by the woman, she was very spiritual and into some weird shit. He had to suppress his laughter the day she talked about zodiac signs, full moons, and when she told him about mercury being in retrograde. She was different for sure, but the meditation had helped him and for that he was thankful.
He often watched as those around him worked out, he was shocked to see so many kids rehabbing.
She caught his eye.
She couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old, she wore her hair in a ponytail and she practically bounced around the room. Well, as best as one could bounce while they pushed a walker.
Suddenly she let go of the walker and took a few shaky steps, Adam was in awe of her determination, her entire body shook with each step. In fact he felt his heart in his throat as she walked towards him, he was terrified she was going to fall.
Before he knew it she was sitting beside him.
"Hi!" She smiled, "I'm Amelia! What's your name?"
Adam groaned inwardly, he really didn't want to talk to her or anyone else for that matter. "I'm Adam."
"Cool. You start with A just like me." She looked around the room, "Mommy! I wanna give Adam a cupcake, he's my new friend." Amelia beamed, she took the cupcake her mom handed her, "Here. They're yummy. I bought them for everyone cause they're helping me to walk again. I can't run yet, but I can dance. Though my mom said I have to stop dancing so much, I need to walk better first. I dance anyway, don't tell mom." She giggled.
"I think you just did" Adam pointed to her mother who stood behind her, "Pretty sure she heard you."
"I did. There's not slowing this one down though, I swear she enjoys scaring me." She laughed, "I'm Elizabeth, I'm sorry Amelia disturbed you. She's hard to reign in."
He watched them leave, Amelia giggling as she told everyone she passed 'Hello' she was ridiculously happy and seemed unbothered by her awkward gait or the walker she relied upon.
"All set. I'll see you Friday" Adam's therapist unwrapped his leg and removed the ice pack, "Do the exercises, Adam. They work I promise."
"Amelia? That little girl that was just here, what's her story?" Adam ran his hands over his knee the scar still red and puffy, the muscles in his right leg had atrophied, his ankle was still swollen and ached constantly.
The therapist smiled, "Amelia. She's pretty special. She's not my patient, but we all know her. She's a great kid, suffered a freak spinal injury and is an absolute warrior, she's amazing they didn't think she'd ever walk again, clearly they were wrong . Amelia still has a long way to go but she'll get there, no doubt about it."
Adam nodded his head, "Makes me feel like shit for wallowing.." he fixed his pant leg.
"Gives you a new perspective on things doesn't? Kids are resilient man. They could teach us a lot."
"Yes. Yes, they can." Adam shook his hand, "See You Friday."
Six months later he still couldn't walk without the aid of his crutches but he could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. His right leg had been broken in multiple places and the ligaments in his knee needed to be reconstructed. He knew he'd never be the same, running with ease would no longer happen for him and that was okay.
He was finally allowed to return to work in a very limited capacity and for just a few hours a day. He lived for those few hours, it was when he felt his best. He could ignore the dull pain that still radiated throughout his knee, he could focus on the case.
He didn't get to do much, he tracked down witnesses, he called other agencies when a case required it and he made sure paperwork was filed on time and included all pertinent information.
He was a glorified secretary.
A fact Antonio loved to bust his balls over, it wasn't that long ago that he had been on the receiving end of such jokes.
It also meant he was often working when the rest of the unit was in training or off for the day, it sucked but it was better than the alternative. He had quickly learned that he wasn't built to stay home, he needed to work. He had to stay busy, if he was left with too much idle time he'd go crazy.
He had just finished off the last of the filing when he realized he was going to be late. Running late was pretty par for the course, had pushed it a few times only to pay for it later when his leg felt as if it was on fire.
Adam fired off a quick text message, promising he was on his way. As always he received the reply of 'Don't rush..it's fine', he couldn't wipe the smile of his face nor did he want to.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her husband Nate, "That's not true." She slapped his arm playfully, "I swear he exaggerates everything. I didn't fall every time.."
"Yes you did. Hand to god. My wife fell every single time" he laughed, "She still looked beautiful" He snaked his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. He loved to talk about their honeymoon in his home state of Hawaii. He had lived in Maui his entire life and joined the Army to see the world before landing in Chicago and meeting Elizabeth. It wasn't long before they welcomed Amelia and then not long after that Addison joined their family. Their two girls meant the world to them, Amelia's injury had knocked them on their asses and it was nice to go out for drinks with other adults every other weekend.
She felt her phone buzz in her purse, "Excuse me" she smiled politely as she read that text, "Oh.." she smiled, "Adam's here. I will be right back" she excused herself.
This was the one part he hated, needing help. He needed help with virtually every task when he was first discharged and slowly the need for help dwindled. He was able to drive unassisted but he needed help with walking to an from the vehicle and for any distances or on uneven terrain. Parking lots scared the shit out of him, he wasn't quick enough to react to speeding cars, inattentive drivers, or any other obstacle one could find in a parking lot.
Adam leaned against the car as he waited, "Hey!" He smiled she appeared before him, "Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."
"It's okay. You're here now, that's all that matters." She grabbed ahold of his face, "You're feeling okay? I would've picked you up." She pushed some hair from his face, "You look tired."
He struggled with her constant fawning over him, she was constantly asking if he was okay, asking what she could do for him, if he needed anything. It was more than a bit suffocating but he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
They had done it.
They had found their way back to each other.
It didn't happen overnight and it wasn't easy.
His counselor had asked about his personal life and Adam danced around it, he really didn't want to talk about anything other than what Woods had come to him but his counselor had insisted.
It wasn't long before they discussed his failed relationship with Kim, and the next thing he knew, Kim had joined him for a session and his counselor's request.
The session wasn't pleasant and they both shed more than a few tears but it had gotten them over the hump, they left the office that day feeling lighter.
"Nah, I'm not tired." Adam shrugged, "but if I said I was tired could we cut out early?" He smirked, "Cause I can be tired."
Kim held the door open for him, "Nice try buddy." She led him to the table, "Nate and Elizabeth have a sitter, they're game for a long night."
"Nate, my man" Adam leaned on his crutch and shook his buddy's hand when they made it to the table, "Elizabeth." He smiled warmly and accepted the kiss she dropped on his cheek, "How's my girl?"
"A ball of energy, she's constantly on the go. Never thought I'd love the sound of her running and jumping in the house but I do. It's glorious." Elizabeth pulled a paper from her purse, "This is for you."
Adam took the paper, "This is great." The rainbow was massive and took up most of the paper, one lone cloud sat in the corner. Adam's name scrawled on the top of the paper and and a heart where Amelia signed her name. "tell her I love it."
"I should be jealous." Kim teased, Adam's legs in her lap her hands massaging his right calf. They had spent many nights like this, Adam's leg was always worse at night and Kim enjoyed the time they spent just talking as she helped to ease his pain.
"Yeah? Why's that?" Adam asked, his eyes closed as he reveled in the feeling of Kim's hands on his leg.
"Amelia. She's got your heart." Kim loved the friendship between Adam and Amelia, it was adorable to watch the two together.
Adam pulled his legs from her lap and sat up, "She's in my heart for sure. She's a great kid, tough as nails." Adam moved closer to Kim, "she's in my heart, but you..Kim.." he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, "You are my heart. I love you.."
Kim pulled him in for a heated kiss, she had longed to hear him utter those words, "Oh, Adam I love you too..so very much."
Thanks for reading this one! Not sure I'm totally sold on the ending but I think it's a good place to end it.