He gives her a few days, gives himself a few days. Blames himself for everything that happened all over again. He shouldn't have done that. Knows that they both needed to process what happened, or only she does. He knows what he wants. Mostly just wonders if it was real or not and dying to know if there was anything truly there.
Finally there's some movement when he sees a car pull into the driveway. He'd been out there for hours after knocking on the door and convinced himself that no one was home.
"Hey Maggie," he stops her as she's pulling Franny out of the car. The girls run past him, disregarding his presence.
"It's late what are you doing here?"
"Where is she?" He glances into the van, almost violating Maggie's space. Although Maggie is not concerned with Quinn.
"She didn't tell you?" Maggie asks pensively.
His look gives her the answer.
"I just dropped her off in Charlotte this afternoon."
He tilts his head now looking further confused.
"It's where she wanted to go," Maggie continues. "They have one of the best recovery programs in the country."
He has an epiphany. Why hadn't she told him?
"You're saying she has a chance?"
He knew she would have never went if she didn't.
Maggie hands him Franny's diaper bag and belongings.
"Look Peter, I know she wouldn't want me to tell you anything more. If she wanted you to know than she would have told you... but I'm going to anyways."
He follows her to the door, forced to keep moving and making his way inside .
"Have a seat," she tells him.
"Why are doing this for me?" He asks.
"Because I like you." She's truthful.
Quinn wishes that was a duel inheritance. He smiles and waits for her to continue.
"She's in a long term program. She was misdiagnosed."
Why wouldn't she tell me? He wants to say.
"Oh?"
"I need to warn you. I know what's going to happen if you go," she continues. "I know my sister... I just want to tell you that you're wasting your time."
No I'm not. He thinks
"I don't think so. If anything... I haven't been around enough."
"Peter," Maggie grabs his shoulder. She stops a second realizing how buff he is. Jesus what was Carrie thinking? "She has her own agenda. I'm not sure if anyone else fits," she tells him honestly.
"Thank you," he says getting up to leave.
"Will you stay for dinner?" Maggie tries for the second time.
"I don't see why not. Thank you."
Maggie thinks to herself how she wants to club Carrie in the head and knock some sense into her. Maybe then she'd open her eyes a bit more.
The first day has gone by quickly. She'd met so many people - doctors and other patients. Their words full of hope and filled with encouragement. There's a resonate feel to the place and for the first time she really feels like she's going to get better.
She's never been more lucky, she'd thought. A real second chance. But when she gets to her room for the night things change. No laughter or silliness in the hall. No noise at all. Just her. It bothers her. She doesn't exactly know what it was. Was she missing them, her family?
Eventually the sedatives kick in an she's down for the count. Conforms to her bed - as if she had a choice. When she closes her eyes she thinks of them, can't help it. She has thoughts about people that she hadn't thought about for a long time too. Eventually she goes back to thinking aboit herself, then loses consciousness.
A week goes by and a routine is finally establishing itself. She's made friends - never thought that could happen, especially here. They'd talk about their families, but she was always silent. Never actually telling people about her past. They'd eventually find out for themselves. They knew it meant one of two things: she either didn't have a family or things were shaky with them. Everyone's more exposed here than she thinks.
"Hi I'm here to see Carrie Mathison," Quinn notifies security.
"And the child?" They ask.
"Hers," he responds promptly.
The man raises an eyebrow. He'd never known a patient with her circumstance with such a young child. Looks as though it was odd considering her gunshot wound injury happened in Pakistan. He directs Quinn to her location.
He finds her in the rec room, on a break from her long day of physical therapy.
"Qu- Quinn? What are you doing here?"
"Someone wanted to see you," he passes Franny over without asking.
She smiles at her mother like she misses her. Like she'd been in her life the entire time. Carrie can't even stop herself from smiling back.
"Hi baby," she kisses her. "I missed you."
She hadn't realized this until right now. How much she missed their mornings. But she knows being here will be much more rewarding in the long run. Not just for herself.
Quinn sees a look on her face like he's been waiting for it since the day they met. This genuine gaze he's seeing. It's a real sincere grin to match the heart he knows she has. He'd give anything to unlock her soul. To expose the Carrie that he can see beneath the layers and layers of despair and sadness that had taken over her life. Luckily he brought a magical token.
Sweat emerges from his brow. It's not entirely clear to him how to proceed.
"We missed you," he says.
Her eyes divert from the infant, almost as if she forgot he was there.
"I'm sorry Quinn." The stench of silent air is lingering until she speaks again. "I... I should have told you."
He nods, "It's okay."
"Can we go to my room?"
He shakes his head once more and does as she asks, wheeling her to 109.
The walls are barren. Not a single thing in it to personalize the place. She just knows that is what he's thinking.
"I haven't had a chance to unpack. I've got pictures," she interrupts his personal investigation of the room. "Can you grab them for me?"
Quinn opens her extra suitcase finding a few framed pictures of Franny, one of her and her nieces, and one of all of them with Maggie and her dad.
"Here?" He asks beginning to prop them on the nightstand.
"Yeah there," she chokes.
"How long are you going to be here?" He asks.
"Could be six months," she focuses her attention on Franny to avoid looking at him.
"I'd like to come see you more often."
She ignores him.
"Like every week. Do you want me to bring you anything next week?"
"Quinn."
"I know you like that place on 4th. I could bring you-"
"Quinn!" She barks loudly, barricading his proposal and crushing it to pieces.
He's furious now, actually pissed off.
"What the fuck is your problem!?" He slams the door.
"What do mean what is my problem? What is that suppose to mean?"
"Jesus Carrie you know exactly what I mean!"
Franny begins to cry after hearing them scream. Carrie tries to settle her, not getting very far.
"I'll take her," he says.
She block his reach. "This is your fault! I can do it myself! I didn't say you could take her anyways!"
"Well someone has to!" He inadvertently takes a shot to the heart.
It devastates her. He can see it in her face and he paces rapidly not exactly meaning what he'd said.
"Carrie I'm sorry!"
"No you're not. Just take her and leave," she tells him nearly muted.
He doesn't want to fight. Doesn't want either one of them to raise their voices again.
He grabs the baby off her lap, and sets her on her feet leaving her to stand on her own while he grabs Franny's things. Carrie can see out of the corner of her eye and she's speechless. Her own baby stands and she can't. Even if she could speak she wouldn't know what to say. As Quinn picks her up to leave, neither of them can say anything, almost as if it's back to square one again.
His drive back is ridiculous. A few hours later, he's still spending the entire time venting to Franny.
"I just don't get it. I don't get your mom," he peers into the backseat as if he'll get a reponse. "Why is she like this?"
She was easy to talk to though, because she didn't talk back. Never countered his take.
Just then his phone rings, sees that it's Carrie and ignores the call. Figures she's just calling him to ream him out. Or say something that he's heard a million times and still doesn't get.
When it beeps again he notices that she left a voicemail. He tries so hard to not listen. However his resistance is utterly futile and he gives in, putting it on speaker.
'Quinn... it's me Carrie,' she seems calm and he chuckles at the fact that she tells him who it is like he wouldn't know. 'Look... I'm sorry. Maggie's bringing her in a few days... I would like to see you again next week, alone... and talk. And bring the Veggie lasagna from the place on 4th. I'll pay you back. Okay... um bye."
He hadn't realized how big his own mouth was until right now. Literally from ear to ear. There was something there that he'd known was there all along. It wasn't all in his head. He likes being right.