Alvin walked over to the waiting room and sat in a chair slumped over as he cradled his head in his hands. As Jay and Adam were in a deep conversation with Will, she headed over to the coffee vending machine and took two coffees. She walked over and sat down next to Alvin.
She put one of the cups in Alvin's field of vision and he lifted his head up.
"Thought you could use this".
"Thanks", he said as he took the cup in his hand. "I hate this place! The last two times I was here someone died".
Kim knew he was talking about Lexie and Antonio. "She'll be okay. It might take some time but she will be", she said as she patted his back amicably.
"I hope you're right". He leaned back in the chair and sprawled his legs out as he looked up at the ceiling.
"You care a lot about her, don't you"? she dared to ask.
He looked at her. "Of course, we all do".
She looked at him with soft eyes. "But for you it's different, isn't it"?
He sat up and eyed her. "What is that even supposed to mean"?
"Look, I know I'm not always on the front of the scene and I stay a bit in retreat but I see a lot of things. I saw the look in your eyes when she came into the district the other day, the look in your eyes when he tried to take her life and the one you had when you held her in your arms in the ambulance. I've seen that look before. I know what it is".
"Oh yeah. What is it then Kim"?
"Love", she said softly and tenderly.
"There are a lot of different kinds of love". He realized that he was trying to hide it and remembered that it was just the exact same thing that had been partially responsible for her being here.
"Al… Does she know? Does she know how you truly feel about her"?
He looked at her with teary eyes. "Yes, she knows".
Kim smiled. "And it's mutual. That's why you were so happy yesterday. She makes you happy, she completes you in a way you could never imagine possible. So what's stopping you"?
He shot a quick glance towards, Hank then Jay and Adam who were sitting on the other side of the waiting room. "I feel responsible for what happened to her today".
"Why"?
"Because we had a disagreement last night about my wanting to keep things quiet. She left my apartment and then minutes later she sent me that text and I was so broken and hurt by her leaving that I drank a half a bottle of whiskey and literally passed out in bed. She needed me and I wasn't there for her".
"You are not responsible for what happened. If it wasn't then, it was only a matter of hours before they got to her and I was there Alvin, nothing you did or didn't do made it so that guy strangled her".
"I just want to make things right".
"And you can. Be there for her now. Step up and be a man, the man she sees in you, the man she has allowed in her heart and loves".
He nodded and took a sip of coffee. Will came into the waiting room and they all stood and gathered around him. He smiled. "I've got good news. Everything is fine".
They all relieved the tension they felt.
"That being said", continued Will, "I've admitted her into observation for the next couple of days, just to make sure".
Kim put her arm around Alvin and squeezed him.
"She's still unable to talk but as the swelling subsides it'll come back. And she asked for you, through written form".
Hank took a step forward. Will looked at Alvin who was standing next to Hank. "Actually, she asked for Alvin".
Hank took a step back and looked at Alvin. Alvin said nothing as he followed Will up to the second floor.
When they reached the room, Will smiled at Alvin. "Try to keep her from trying to talk", then he walked away.
She tried to smile when she saw him walk into the room. He walked towards her bed and leaned over to kiss her. He could have kissed her endlessly because he realized that he had almost lost that. He pulled back and caressed her face. She opened her mouth.
"You're not supposed to try to talk".
She closed her mouth and pouted before pointing to a notepad and pen on the side table. He handed them over to her and waited as she wrote. She turned the notepad in his direction.
"Are you mad"?
"No, I'm not mad".
She wrote again. "But I walked out".
"I know. And you had every right to".
"I'm sorry", she showed him the notepad.
"You've got nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who's sorry".
She scribbled something and before she could finish he took the notepad and pen out of her hand. She mouthed an angry "hey".
"Right now you can't talk and I'm going to use that to my advantage. So you are going to listen".
She eased up and folded her hands on her lap.
"You were right last night and I agree with everything you said, but I got scared. You worried about me and Hank that first night you came, remember"? She nodded. "Well, I was worried about you. You have lost a lot of people you cared about and just as you wanted me to patch things up with Hank, I wanted the same thing for you. I know Hank, he's not going to like this and it will drive a trench between us, the three of us. I wanted to preserve you from that".
She leaned to take the notepad.
"I'm not finished".
She placed her hands back down.
"So, I'm done".
She opened her eyes wide in fear.
"I'm done letting what others are going to think, dictate my life. I'm in love with you and as far as I know, it's not a crime but rather a privilege. I am a lucky man and I can say that because I've known you your entire life, I know your good sides and bad sides, I know your outer and inner beauty, your passion and compassion. So I'm older by a couple of years…."
She raised her eyebrow.
"Ok fine, by give or take 15 years, but I don't care, none of that matters because what matters is us, it's you and me and how we feel about each other. So they can accept it or they don't, I don't need them in my life, if they can't see how beautiful you are making it"!
She tried to grab the notepad hesitantly.
"Yeah, I'm finished now", he said unsure as to what she was going to write.
She wrote for a while and then handed him the notepad instead of showing him.
A smile grew on his face as he read her words: "I couldn't have said it any better. What you said is beautiful and you know what? I'm in love with you. Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. Will you take the road with me"?
He leaned in. "Nothing would make me happier"! He kissed her again.