Replacing the cool cloth on Walter's forehead, Paige announces, "He's still burning up. I don't understand. Happy, you said that the fit was too tight to allow any DNA molecules to escape! How did this happen?"
Staring intensely at Paige, Happy replies, "Yes, and that would have been the case if the hurricane force winds didn't jostle the blow torch within the port. I couldn't have predicted that, no one could!"
Paige concedes, "I know, I'm sorry… I just..."
Happy stops her, "Hey, I get it."
"Man, it's hot today," Walter says aloud while standing on that hilltop watching as the cars passed.
Finally, the one he'd been waiting for cruises into view. He smiles and raises his hand in a wave. He can't see, but imagines that Mallory is smiling and returning the wave. Screeching tires divert his attention and he sees another car weaving all over the road from the other direction.
"No. No. No. No." Walter mutters.
He quickly realizes that the two vehicles are rounding the bend in the same lane and takes off down the hill yelling and waving his arms frantically. He watches helplessly as the two vehicles smash into each other. First the front bumpers collapse into each other and then the Sweeney's sedan flips on top of the other vehicle before rolling off sideways and bouncing down the hillside. The grating and grinding of tearing metal echoes through the small valley causing Walter's chest to tighten, throat to close, and eyes to water. When the car came to rest at the bottom, a deafening silence was restored. Waves of anguish wash over Walter as he half-ran and half-slide down that hillside.
It was a gruesome and eerie scene that met Walter. The three bodies in the front were crushed and mangled beyond recognition, but Walter knew it was those of David, Emily, and Lizzy. Walter concluded that glass or metal must have sliced Sean's femoral artery based on the volume of blood that pooled around Sean's inner thigh. Arterial spray and its gory stink streaked the inside of the vehicle causing Walter to hesitant looking toward where Mallory was, but when he did he was met with sorrowful eyes.
"Walter." Mallory rasps.
Rushing to the other side of the vehicle and forcing open the door with nothing but brute strength and adrenaline, Walter assures, "Hey, I have you. It's going to be alright."
Walter knows better than to move her, so instead positions himself against the doorframe to take Mallory in his arms.
"Walter, love… sorry… not meant to be," Mallory rasps getting weaker with each word.
"No, stay with me. I don't want you to die" Walter urges.
"Wasn't on my to-do list today either…" Mallory states with a slight smirk.
"Humor," Walter acknowledges and marvels how not to love someone that could push past all the pain to make a joke at a time like this.
Another memory flashes across Walter's mind. He's kneeling over a beautiful woman asking if she's okay to which she responds with thumbs up, "I'm all amped up."
"Don't blame yourself. Like Baghdad, this is not your fault…" Mallory continues.
"Shh, you need to conserve your energy." Walter suggests.
"Don't give up on love. I've seen the man behind the genius… worthy of love." Mallory finishes gasping and exhaling one last breath before she goes limp in his arms.
"No, Mallory, no." Walter sobs.
Gathering himself, Walter climbs back uphill to check on the occupants of the other vehicle. His attention is first drawn to a toddler laying in the backseat. He checks for a pulse, but finds none. The sight and smell of open bottles of whiskey in the vehicle compounds Walter's grief and anger as he promises himself he'll never drink. Then the driver stirs.
"What happened?" the driver asks intoxicated.
"What happened? What happened!" Walter yells, "I'll tell you what happened… you inebriated yourself and attempted to operate a motor vehicle! You murdered an entire family including my fiancée and unborn child! And you killed the child that was in your vehicle. That's seven lives that you extinguished because of your drunken selfishness and stupidity."
Turning to see his dead child, "Sarah, I killed Sarah?" he asks grief beginning to take over.
"And not just Sarah, but also David, Emily, Elizabeth, Sean, Mallory, and an unborn fetus," Walter screams indicating the hillside.
The drunk looks over and spies the crumpled remains of the other vehicle, "That's my fault?" he asks wide eyed.
"Yes, it is! You chose to get plastered, you chose to get behind the wheel and put your life, Sarah's life, and the life of everyone else unlucky enough to cross your path endanger! What could possibly have been worth all that? You stupid, lousy, no-good drunk!" Walter bellows with tears pouring.
"It's all my fault!" the driver acknowledges, he reaches over and retrieves a revolver from his glove box, places it in his mouth, and fires without hesitation. Walter watches, but in his grief doesn't register what is happening until the gunshot sounds in his ear. He realizes the driver's death is at least partially his fault. He hears sirens approaching, but knows there is no one left to help. He cries out for Mallory.
"Why Mallory," Walter mumbles.
"He must have really cared about her." Paige says, having lost count of how many times she'd heard that name over the past couple of days.
"Having someone die in your arms, especially someone you knew, that would haunt anyone." Cabe adds, speaking from experience.
Walter's body starts jerking and convulsing uncontrollably setting off a myriad of monitor alarms as doctors and nurses rush in and the team is ushered out of the room.
"I hate this." Louise sobs pacing the room, "There must be something else that could help. I just can't lose another child… I just can't"
Sean crosses to her and ushers her to a seat, letting her cry into his shoulder.
The doctor comes out and everyone crowds around him. "He's stable, but critical. The labs suggest the pathogens are multiplying. I recommend that you all say your goodbyes. I am terribly sorry."
Everyone tears up, but Louise just breaks down, "No this can't be happening," she cries falling to her knees sobbing uncontrollably.
It is a very sober and solemn atmosphere as the team reenters Walter's room.
"Well, we had a good run kid. Even at the end, you were able to astonish me. Ballroom dancing," Cabe shakes his head as a tear rolls down his cheek.
"You know what I don't understand, Walter," Paige begins, "why, when we needed to clone the phone of that art thief, why did you say, 'I can't dance.'"
"Actually Paige, he said, 'I don't dance,' that's a very different statement." Sylvester interjects.
"But he didn't know where to put…" Paige begins.
"Now is not the time for semantics." Toby suggests.
"I'm just grateful I had the chance to see my boy dance, even if it wasn't in person. Watching as he and the girl span so quickly that their bodies appeared as one until they separated…" Emily reminisces
"Wait, that's it." Toby announces as he frantically goes through the drawers and cabinets in the room.
"Doc, what's going on in your head?" Happy asks.
"We spin the pathogens out of his blood stream. I just need to get a blood sample to isolate the correct parameters. Happy, I'll need you to modify the centrifuge in the electrophoresis machine while Sly recalibrates the software." Toby responds grabbing the supplies he needs.
"What can I do?" Paige asks desperately.
"Take this." Toby replies tossing a stress ball her way.
Frustrated, Paige responds, "I am not going to just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while…"
"No, you're going to twiddle Walter's," Toby responds and observes Paige's confusion, "the fist should be pumped during the electrophoresis to prevent clotting off, but Walter isn't conscious to cooperate. You'll put that in his hand and squeeze."
"Can do," Paige responds understanding.
"Are ye saying ye can save my boy?" Sean asks.
"I'm saying it's worth a shot. No guarantees" Toby replies.
"Walter, open your eyes Walter." they coach.
Opening his eyes, he believes he is seeing double at first. As things come into focus though he recognizes the Irish hillside and the faces before him, "Megan, Mallory… but you're… am I…" Walter stutters.
"No, you're still not dead." Megan responds in reference to their last in-limbo conversation.
"Oh love, why are ye so unconcerned with ye life?" Mallory asks.
Walter smiles, she's every bit as beautiful as he remembered, "I've missed you."
"I know Walter, but I'm gone and ye still have a life. Love, ye need to move on. I want ye to dance again, to love again." Mallory cups his cheek and gently kisses him.
"It's difficult. It hurt so much for so long. I can't go through it again. First you, then Megan…" Walter explains.
"Let me ask ye this, if ye had to do it again knowing how things would turn out, would ye?" Mallory inquires.
"Of course, if I knew then I could have prevented…" Walter begins.
"No Walter, the outcome is fixed. Would ye do it again?" Mallory corrects.
Looking at her again and then at Megan, there was no doubt in his mind, "Of course, you were both worth it."
"Walter, there is someone else out there for you. She is worth all of it too." Mallory begins.
"But time is short Walter. Mom, Dad, Sylvester, Cabe, Paige, Toby, Happy, the doctors and nurses… they're all doing everything they can to save you. You have to fight, Walter. You have to fight now." Megan urges.
"Oh love, ye mean so much to so many people, and not because of what's in your head. Ye have so much worth fighting for. As much as I miss ye, I don't want ye to die without experiencing love, dance, fatherhood… ye need to live your life Walter." Mallory encourages.
"It means so much to both of us. Think of it as honoring our memory." Megan adds.
"I'll try. Is there time for one last dance though?" Walter asks.
"Do you really think I'd let you go without seeing the two of you dance again?" Megan responds.
Music begins to play and Walter extends his hand to Mallory. They smile as they glide, twirl, and spin around the hillside caught in each other's gaze. Megan leans against the grassy incline contently watching her brother and Mallory. Walter leans in and whispers something in Mallory's ear. Her smiles grows as she nods her head yes. Walter approaches Megan and extends his hand to her and they dance while Mallory looks on. Then, quite unexpectedly, Walter boldly grabs Mallory's hand and manages to dance with both at once as the three of them laugh freely. As the music winds to an end, a peaceful melancholy settles over the group.
Walter blinks hard and rubs his eyes as Mallory and Megan seem to be fading before him.
"Go, live, laugh, love…" Megan encourages.
"and dance." Mallory finishes.
He is left alone on that hillside then everything fades to white.
"His fever is way down. That's a good sign, right?" Louise asks worriedly.
"It is. The electrophoresis removed most of the pathogens from his bloodstream. His immune system needs to kick in though or they'll just multiple again.
"You have to fight, Walter. You have to fight now." Paige encourages, "Promise me, you'll fight Walter."
"Promise, no matter what." Walter whispers so faintly the group thought they imagined it until they noticed his eyes open.
The team and two very thankful parents crowd around his bedside.
"Hey, welcome back kid." Cabe greets.
"Oh Walter, ye had us so worried." Louise adds.
"How are you feeling?" Toby asks.
Spying the electrophoresis machine by the bedside he jests, "Like someone drained the life's blood from my body."
"Is that a joke son?" Sean asks amazed that his son would be joking, especially in this moment.
"Hey, we put it back." Happy banters.
"So much for 'just a cut.'" Paige says lightly.
Walter looks confused so Sly asks, "Do you remember what happened?"
Walter shakes his head negatively to which Toby replies, "They'll be plenty of time to catch you up later. Right now, you need to rest and gather your strength," indicating the group should leave.
"You're going to be just fine, kid." Cabe reassures.
"We love ye, son." Louise adds.
"Just rest now." Sean suggests.
"We'll be back to see you soon." Sly promises.
"Take care, buddy." Happy says.
"Walter… I…" Paige begins.
"Stay." Walter requests, placing his hand atop hers on the bedrail.
Pulling up a chair, she sits and promises, "Always."
Walter smiles as he drifts off to sleep at her words.
As the others leave the room, Emily whisper to Sean, "Ye know, we may just get some grandbabies yet."
Having overheard, Paige smiles and interlocks her fingers with Walters. She leans in and whispers, "Sweet dreams, love."