In the morning, Ellie woke up with her head on Chuck's bed, hand still gripping Chuck's.
"Ellie?" Dr. Harper said, coming into the room.
"Yes?"
"I found your mother. She's on her way."
Ellie's mouth literally fell open. "What?"
"She said to make sure it's clear to you that's she's just coming to help Chuck, and then she's leaving again."
"Oh… okay."
Ellie felt numb. Her mom was coming? She hadn't seen her mom in four years. Four years was a long, long time for someone her age. Dr. Harper was standing in the doorway still, probably worried about her mental state.
"Ellie?"
"Hmm? Oh. I'm okay. Uh… did she say when she'll be here?"
"Two hours."
"Thanks."
Chuck was beginning to wake up, and Dr. Harper checked his vitals before retreating to other patients.
Ellie was fighting with whether or not to tell Chuck mom was coming or not. In the end, she decided against it. Chuck didn't need any more stress right now. After all, he was the one who needed surgery. He was the one who had been shot by robbers.
Two hours passed by much too fast. Ellie wasn't ready for this. But she had to go do it.
"Chuck." She said. "I'll be back, okay?"
And she headed towards the waiting room.
Mary Bartowski was horrified when she got the call. Her son Chuck had been shot?
After everything she and Stephen had done to protect them…
Her kids needed her. And even though she couldn't afford to stay more than a couple hours, she was secretly glad at the chance to check on them.
A kind doctor gave her some paper work, and she began to fill out. She hadn't planned on seeing Chuck and Ellie, but she also hadn't planned on Ellie storming into the waiting room.
"Why?" she asked.
"Ellie, I thought you would be with Chuck."
"Well I'm not. So why did you leave?"
Mary sighed. "It's complicated. You're not old enough to understand."
"You shouldn't have left us! You should have been there to protect us! And dad should have too!"
"I was protecting you! By leaving."
"Really? Because we don't seem very safe to me!"
"One day, Ellie. One day it'll all make sense. But not right now. So if you want my help, then go be with Chuck and let me fill out this paperwork, and leave."
"Fine!"
And with that my only daughter stomped away from me, for what might be the last time I would ever see her.
It killed me to leave them, and I hoped one day they would know that.