THE DAY AFTER

Abigail woke up in a very bright white room. Blinking and looking around she slowly remembered the events of the night before.

She looked around and saw the familiar figures of Garrett Moore and Sid Gormley slumped in the two armchairs beside her hospital bed.

Sid raised his head, "Hey Abby!"

She smiled, "Hey."

She looked around for the Commissioner but he was nowhere to be seen.

Garrett stood up and stretched "Ouch, these chairs were not meant for sleeping in. And Sid kept me up all night with his snoring."

"What?! You were the one sounding like a freight train over 'ere!" Sid protested.

Garrett shook his head. "So good to see you awake, Abigail,"

She struggled to sit herself up in bed, "Where's Fr- uh where's the Commissioner?"

Sid and Garrett exchanged glances. They weren't exactly sure how to explain the Commissioner's sudden flight from the hospital the night before.

"Um, I'm sure he'll be back. He uh, left earlier." Garrett tried to smooth it over. "He sent you these roses," he pointed at the huge bouquet that had been delivered earlier.

Abigail nodded. A nice gesture. But she would have preferred him to be there when she woke up.

The Commissioner found himself at his favorite fishing pier the next morning.

All night long he had been wrestling with his inner thoughts.

The night before left him with haunting memories of losses in his life.

It was incredibly difficult to allow himself to be open for that kind of hurt again with someone close.

And so he hadn't gone back to the hospital yet.

Garrett had texted him that she was awake and feeling better which comforted him.

Suddenly there was someone standing next to him.

"Hey, you" the gruff voice said beside him.

He turned slightly, "Hey Pop."

"You gonna fish or cut bait?"

The question startled him.

He knew his father meant in regards to Baker.

He sighed feeling incredibly exhausted as he looked out over the shimmering waters of the Hudson beneath the rim of his ballcap.

"You get what I'm saying, Francis?" Henry's own stern and commanding voice forced him to meet his father's gaze.

Frank nodded but didn't answer.

Henry looked at his son and said softly, "Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"I don't know, Pop." His eyes returned to the water and his line that was bobbing over the waves. "I guess…I guess I'm just afraid to let someone in again…"

"Hm… well it's a little late for that isn't it?"

Frank grunted in reply.

"Pop, she got hurt on my watch and…"

"And what? You're thinking that's all on you? Get over yourself!"

Frank blinked in surprise. "Hey I'm just -"

"Listen son, you need to buck up and realize you got a good thing going here. A REAL good thing. Now don't mess it up. You do the best you can and that's why she's in love with you."

Frank looked at his father. The man was like a soothsayer.

Henry acknowledged the surprised look his son gave him. "Oh I've seen the way she looks at you. Come on, give me some credit."

Frank nodded, "Ok ok."

"So what are you gonna do then?" His father pressed him.

Frank sighed and turned his gaze back to the water. "That's what I'm here to figure out."

Henry nodded and the two fished together for awhile in silence.