Chapter Nine

"Stay With Me"

Two and half years ago

May 2005

"Mom, we'll have time for pictures after we graduate," Olivia said coming out of the house as she adjusted the blue cap on her head. The damn thing wouldn't sit right.

September was still posing for pictures, leaning against the red Camaro convertible. A graduation gift from their father.

It had been September's dream car since she was sixteen but she flunked the driver's test and decided to rebel against driving until Olivia convinced her to try again. That was two days before today, and she passed with flying colors, better than she did at sixteen, of course, Olivia had time to perfect her twin's driving skills in that time.

Olivia on the other hand was fine playing passenger princess to her twin, whereas she passed her test on the first try she decided she didn't want a car if September couldn't enjoy it too. But she passed and so their father surprised them. Watching the smile light up her sister's face was all she needed.

"Come here, Livvie" September called, waving her twin over. "Here." She took one of the bobby pins that were securing her cap and pinned it to Olivia's hair.

"Thanks." Olivia smiled, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulder, they turned in unison to their mother's camera, and she snapped one picture before Olivia was back to rushing them, glancing at her watch.

They'd for sure be late if they didn't leave right now.

"Wait wait, what are you doing?" Maya asked. Her hand firmly rested on her hip.

"Driving to graduation," September responded, hand on her hip as she popped her neck.

"Corey's booster seat can't fit in that. We'll take the family car."

"Mom!"

Olivia didn't care either way but when September looked to her for support, she argued on the side of her twin. Saying they wanted to arrive in style. And finally, when their father came out of the house with the six-year-old, he agreed, telling Maya to let the girls enjoy their gift.

Despite the uneasy feeling swirling around her belly, Maya relented, kissing the girls. "We'll meet you, girls, there, you have to line up soon."

September squealed in delight, hopping around with the keys. "Thanks, mom."

"Drive safe, you hear," Eli called to the girls who were already in the car, seat belts fastened.

September pulled to the end of their neighborhood, checked over her shoulder for signs of their parents then unceremoniously turned right instead of left which would have got the girls to Springside high school in under fifteen minutes.

Olivia turned to see, a mischievous grin plastered on her twin's face. "Sept, where are we going?"

"Liv, we don't have to line up for another forty-five minutes. I wanna see Derek, and you know you wanna see Stephen."

Olivia blushed, turning toward the window so her sister wouldn't see the huge cat grin. "Fine but we should take the highway. It'll be much faster." She noticed how quiet September got and looked over at her. "I can drive if you want."

"No, no I can do it."

The highway was packed coming on and since it was the morning and a weekday, people were on their way to work, along with huge 18-wheelers making their way to drop-off locations. Olivia told September to pull off at the next exit only because it would've taken longer if they'd stayed on. Glancing at her watch. Olivia gave the okay to switch lanes as the right lane became clear but she hesitated and the car honked as it moved around the red Camaro.

"Sept look over your shoulder before moving over and do it fast you can't break on the freeway. Just speed up some…" She listened and when they got the opening. "Now." but September didn't see the smaller car to her right attempting the same lane change. She steered the car over to the far right, her foot pressing the gas pedal into the floor.

"Break, break, break," Olivia screamed, holding onto the door handle for dear life. Then BOOM, she smashed the break but the speed and force they were going sent the car spinning into the exit lane. As the rubber smell grew Olivia looked up just in time to see a truck headed right for the left side. "Get down." She pulled September's head towards her chest trying to shield her. But when the car flipped, September's head hit the low ceiling with a loud crack.

Everything went silent for a moment and when the sound finally came back to her ears all she could hear was a steady ringing in both ears. The car must've flipped on the hood because now Olivia was looking at her sister upside down, her neck cocked to the side, eyes closed, and she could see blood trailing from the top of her head. But Olivia couldn't move her arm it was pinned, and a pain shot through when she tried to pull it free.

"Sept? …September wake up." Olivia choked out. When she didn't move her eyes, Olivia squeezed hers shut.

It's a nightmare. I'm just dreaming. And if she could get her arm free then she could prove it. Her head hurt and she had to fight, losing consciousness. Then suddenly she could hear other people, some screaming, some instructing people, then she heard the sirens. Loud and blaring. Through all of that racket, September hadn't flinched once.

Olivia's vision kept going blurry as she was trying to watch and see if September's chest was raising and falling, but nothing.

"Please…stay with me" A sob hitched in her throat, and it felt tight. Tears moistened her eyes. "No, no, no..."

March 12th, 11:50 A.M.

The paramedic peeled his eyelid back and shined a small light in his eye causing his pupil to retract. He couldn't move his head to see what all the commotion was, people, talking, some crying, sirens wailing. The air smelled like fire and gasoline.

"Son, can you tell me your name?" The Paramedic asked as he tucked his flashlight in his pocket.

"Why can't I move?"

"You were hit by a car, we had to secure your neck, and we don't yet know the extent of your injuries. Do you know where you are?"

Fitz shut his eyes but there was a throbbing sensation distracting him. His head hurt. He swallowed, opening his eyes again. Extending his hand he felt around himself, he was on the ground, small pebbles. Sirens wailing, chatter-

Crash,

The crash

Memories were swimming to the top but some were still held down by anchors of trauma. Closing his eyes to capture something.

Olivia

Fitz's eyes shot open, winching as he tried to lift his weighted head. "Where's Olivia?"

"Is that the young woman in the cab?" The paramedic turned and looked far away. "My team is working to free her we don't have anything yet.

Across the way was the aftermath of the other accident, the yellow cab was turned over on its side with a huge dent in it where Toyota smacked it. There was a group of firefighters with heavy machinery working to free the passengers.

Police stood at the sidelines keeping people back, Fitz tried to raise up so he could see what was going on but the brace held him in place. He didn't feel cold anymore, now all he could feel was the searing pain buzzing through his body. A single tear slid down his face.

We got a pulse. Stretcher, brace A fireman yelled as they pulled Olivia from the car, her head fell limp in the hands of the medic, as he pressed two fingers to her pulse point. It was faint but it was there, throbbing softly. The medic secured an oxygen mask to her face and then loaded her on the stretcher.

"We're gonna get you to the hospital now, son." The medic waved over another EMT who brought a stretcher. They loaded Fitz on and from the stretcher he was able to see more.

"I need to see her. I have to make sure she's alright."

"We're taking you to the local hospital, is there anyone you want us to call? Do you know her folks?"

"Yes." Fitz stopped trying to see what was going on because every time he raised there was pain shooting down his spine, and whereas it was good he could still feel those sensations: the pain was even more debilitating than he could take at the moment.

"We're gonna take care of you and your friend." The paramedic promised as he wheeled Fitz into a separate ambulance.

Cape Regional Hospital 8:36 P.M.

Fitz knew he shouldn't have been out of bed, but one of the nurses just left a wheelchair lounging around his room. So when he saw the opportunity he took it. Rolling himself to the nurse's station, IV pole in tow. He was on the fifth floor, he'd overheard the nurse mention it. Though he still didn't know anything about Olivia, except that she was alive. Still, he needed to see with his own eyes.

During the commotion of the crash, he'd only caught a glimpse through the crowd of paramedics caring for her. There was blood on her face, that he hoped wasn't hers, despite how wrong that was but he couldn't lose her, not now.

"Can you tell me what room Olivia Pope is in?" Fitz asked hushedly, thankfully the nurse overseeing his care was away from the desk. Cause he knew she'd wheel him back to room 512 and take the chair.

"She's my girlfriend, we were in an accident together and they took her. I just need to see her."

The nurse gave him a sympathetic look that conveyed uncertainty but how could she deny him, his leg was in a cast and he had a large gash across his head. The neck brace made him look even more pitiful.

"Olivia Pope- P. O.P. E and her middle name is Carolyn and her birthday is July twenty-fifth, nineteen eighty-seven."

Nurse, Gwen- According to her name tag, typed for a moment before she rolled her stool close to the counter. "She came in with head trauma, dislocated shoulder, and three broken digits. She'll be coming out of surgery soon."

"Surgery?"

"Open reduction, the breaks couldn't just be fixed with casts alone, most likely the doctors had to insert pins. This isn't life-threatening, the head injury seems to be mildly serious. But that's all I can tell you at this time."

Fitz dropped his head, tears pricked his eyes. "Were her parents called?"

"I'm uncertain of that just yet, but when she comes out of surgery she'll be in a recovery room on this floor."

Fitz thanked the nurse then wheeled himself back to his room, declining her offer to help him settle back into bed. There was no way he was getting any sleep without an update on Olivia.

The lights were dimmed and the curtains are drawn. There was a steady beep coming from his monitor which he wanted to rip off but he knew the minute it was disconnected his nurse would be here fast. And though he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts the nurse wasn't any better. He just kept playing this morning over and over in his head.

Don't call me that, matter of fact we never have to speak again. I hate you.

Her words were a knife in his heart that kept twisting. and twisting every time he thought about it. That couldn't be their last interaction, that can't be the last thing she ever says to him.

He just needs a chance to apologize, and maybe she'll hear his side.

Your side?

Your side is that you're engaged to be married to someone who isn't Olivia.

It's a bitter taste in the back of his throat that she'd never want to speak to him again. So Fitz pressed the blue button on the remote, his side started hurting again. He couldn't sleep naturally but the morphine drip was bound to get him there, he just needed to be out of his head.

The next morning. 4:45 A.M.

Opening his eyes to the pitch-dark room, hospital sounds loaded his ears, machines, faint footfalls, low-talking nurses. Fitz dropped himself into the chair and rolled to the window. The sky was still dark blue and filled with stars.

His pain was at a solid five and a half, his neck didn't hurt as much, and since the brace was a decorative piece at this point he peeled back the velcro and released himself from the choker.

Dragging with him his IV pole, Fitz made his way down to the nurse's station. His mouth was a cotton ball, but he was still able to ask his question before requesting a cup of water. Wondering when was the last time he ate, his short-term memory was a blur but he had one other thing on his mind when he rolled out of bed.

"What room is Olivia Pope in?" Fitz asked after guzzling down the cup of water. It was a different nurse on shift now and she didn't appear to be as helpful as the nurse from before.

"We were in an accident together."

"Are you family?"

"She's my girlfriend, I know her birthday, her name, just tell me where she is. She had surgery a few hours ago and I need to see her…please."

The rude nurse went away typing at the keyboard and smashing certain keys to emphasize her annoyance. Fitz thought she should start a different career if a simple search had her so annoyed. Finally without looking up. She said. "She's in room 501, to the left straight down" He didn't want her to, but she could have at least offered to wheel him down there.

Once he reached number 501 his pulse sped up and he began to sweat. Nerves, Guilt, shame whatever it was, wasn't doing him any favors at this point.

Pushing the door open, his gaze landed on Olivia first and then her mother who was sleeping not soundly, as she rose up the moment the door squeaked open.

"I think you have the wrong room," Maya spoke, and he could swear it was Olivia speaking to him, everything about them was almost the same, their eyes, sad but hopeful in the same sense. And their complexions were nearly identical.

"I'm Fitz, I was with Olivia during the accident." He swallowed the lump of saliva that formed in his throat. "I had to make sure she was alright- they wouldn't let us ride together in the ambulance."

Maya's gaze scanned over him, her expression softening. "She'll be okay…physically." Shaking her head Maya looked at Olivia, there was a tube down her throat, an IV in her arm, and a clamp was hooked onto her index finger, monitoring her heart rate. A black cast around three of her fingers, her right arm was in a sling, and her eye was swollen and bruised purple.

Fitz had to force tears back after seeing her condition.

"I don't know how she'll handle this again." Her lip trembled as she brought her hand up to wipe away a tear.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to get to her and-"

"The police told us what happened, you have nothing to be sorry for." Sighing, she sat forward. "The doctors are hopeful she'll wake in the next few hours... maybe days."

His head snapped to Maya, worry creasing his features. "She's in a coma?"

"Medically induced coma, we can wake her at any time but they want to give her time to heal. I guess when the car flipped her brain shook and knocked her unconscious. The coma will help her brain heal."

"And if it doesn't?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if she doesn't wake on her own, we can't just let her lie in that state." Fitz was stepping over bounds and if he'd taken his eyes off Olivia for just a moment, he would've seen the tense countenance covering Maya Pope's features.

Standing, Maya glared down at him. "Listen to me, that is my daughter. Her father and I as well as the doctors know what's best for her. Now Livia said you were going to Med school, I'd hope you wouldn't bring that attitude to your patients' families."

In just under thirty seconds Professor Pope read Fitz and put him in his place nice and neat.

"I'm sorry" He swallowed "I-"

The door squeaked open again and this time, a man and a little boy came through it, holding a paper bag and a tray of coffee.

"Who are you?" Corey asked, beating his father to the question, who had his brow cocked up.

"That's rude sweetheart. This is Liv's friend Fitz." Maya said.

Corey looked up to see his father's expression, waiting to do whatever he was going to do. He was a true carbon copy of his father.

"He was with Olivia during the accident."

"I see that much," Eli responded. "Looks like you were dinged up pretty bad there, huh boy?"

"Yes sir"

Eli wasn't as warm as Maya but he could definitely see where Olivia got her attitude from, not that he'd seen much of it during their friendship.

"Thank you for staying with her," Eli said, still eyeing Fitz. "Broken leg?"

"Fracture, I'll be out in six to eight weeks. And bruised ribs."

"Can I sign your cast?" Corey asked.

"Sure, but I don't have a marker," Fitz responded, giving the child a small smile.

Maya fished through her purse a second before pulling free a brown sharpie.

"Cool" As Corey went doodling on Fitz's cast, Eli continued grilling him. Asking fairly fatherly questions, and eyeing him suspiciously. Maya was the parent who gave Olivia her charisma and lightheartedness. Eli on the other hand was all business.

"Are you dating my daughter?"

"No Sir, we um…it's complicated."

"Mhmm." Eli's glare burned away at Fitz, the room fell silent and you could hear a pin drop until Corey popped up from the floor waving the brown marker in the air. Fitz's cast adorned with a doodle of a spaceship. It wasn't 'Matisse' but it was impressive for a nine-year-old with a single marker and five minutes.

"Could I talk to Olivia…alone?"

"Are you kicking us out of our daughter's hospital room?" Eli asked, straight-faced. Fitz tensed with embarrassment, cheeks burning.

"No, not like that, sir."

"He's messing with you," Maya says, taking Corey's hand while pushing her husband towards the door.

Once the door and he was sure her parents were out of ear range he rolled next to her bed. Taking her uninjured hand in his, pressing a kiss to her clammy flesh. "I think I know what you were trying to tell me on the beach, and I feel the same, Livvie." He held her palm against his cheek.

"Please forgive me. I was an idiot and you were right. I didn't know what to do so I did the wrong thing because I wasn't sure what was right and I never meant to hurt you or anybody else."

"So when you're ready I hope you'll talk to me." Probably just an involuntary movement, which was a side effect of the comatose state, but Olivia's fingers twitched around his hand.

I love you too Fitz smiled.

The Popes were just outside the door as he rolled out and for a moment he thought they might've been eavesdropping however he noticed that something else had their attention.

Where is my son? How do you just lose a patient?

"Is that your mother?" Maya asked.

"Yes." Fitz rolled his eyes, sighing. "Thank you."

Maya gave Fitz a small nod and Corey yelled goodbye to him as he wheeled himself down the corridor.

6:03 A.M Fifth Floor Recovery ward.

Mortified, Fitz reluctantly rolled up behind his mother who was steadily screaming at the poor nurse to notice her own son. Andrew tried to verbally get his mother's attention but she was insistent on ripping this nurse a new one. Only lowering her voice as Marcus took her shoulders, physically turning her to Fitz.

"Oh sweetheart, where were you?" Cathrine threw her arms around Fitz. And soon that sweetness wore off. "Why the hell would you scare me like that?"

"I didn't mean to mom. I needed to get out of that room, it's depressing."

"Misery's gonna find you again, dad called your fiance." Andrew chimed in, chuckling along with Marcus. Even in a serious moment, those two couldn't help making fun of their brother. Cathrine gave the boys a glaring look, and they quieted just as they did as teenagers.

"Why'd you bring them?" Fitz asked.

"Come on, we were worried." Marcus cut in. "Dad called us and said you'd been crippled and we basically ran here."

"Yeah right, whatever." Fitz turned his chair around and started for his room, just for Cathrine to take the handles and steer him.

"Don't mind them, they really were worried but god forbid they show any emotions. As for Melody, that was all you father."

"Where is dad?"

"The press is here, he's handling that."

This situation just got a lot more complicated, and Fitz wasn't in the mood for extra complications. It bothered him that just until two minutes ago he hadn't wondered about Mellie.

Why did everything have to land on his shoulders?

Everyone had always told him how easy his life was but right now nothing about it was easy. Everything was just hard and confusing.

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