Chapter 3

xoxoxo

Mount Sinai Hospital–Brooklyn, NY

Saturday - 11:33 pm

(March 2013)

Bobby keeps his hand on her lower back as they enter the doors to the ER. "So, why was your dad in Brooklyn? The closest to Inwood would be New York-Presbyterian."

"He was visiting Daniel," she replies. "He had him over for dinner."

"I thought your brother lived in Queens?"

"He moved. After the divorce."

Bobby nods. He heard about the impending divorce, just not the move. He and Daniel met through Alex and became friends. The three of them would often get together after work for drinks.

Daniel, the oldest in the family, was a lieutenant with Brooklyn Homicide until he retired two years ago. He has one daughter, Jasmine, 15 years old.

He hasn't heard from Daniel in a while. Partly because of the impending divorce and family adjustments. It was also easier for them to keep in touch when they were both with the NYPD.

Daniel finds them and approaches. "Alex!"

"How is he?"

"No news yet. He's been in there about 45 minutes." Daniel turns to the man beside her. "Bobby! Hey, good to see you. How've you been?"

The two shake hands. "Pretty good. And you?"

"Doing okay. So, did you two just randomly bump into each other, or…?"

"We had dinner in Tribeca. Played a few rounds of pool."

Daniel nods "…and then I called and ruined everyone's night."

"So, what happened?" Bobby asks.

"Dad, Scott, and I were having dinner. Dad got up to take his dishes to the kitchen, and we heard him fall. It didn't seem like anything was bothering him. He got quiet during dinner, though. We thought he was just tired." Daniel shakes his head.

"Where is Scott?" she asks, referring to the next oldest Eames sibling.

"He's someplace where they allow cell phones. Got some crisis at work. Plus, Darby's home with the kids. Tyler's sick again."

Alex nods. "What about Liz and Jerry?"

"Liz is on her way with Peter and Nate. Jerry's unit responded to an accident on the bridge. We'll be lucky if we see him tonight."

"Jerry's an EMT, right?" Bobby asks of her youngest brother.

"He's a fire chief now," she replies.

Liz, Peter, and Nate suddenly approach them. Daniel's daughter Jasmine arrives alone after being dropped off by her mother. She catches up with her aunt, uncle, and younger cousin while looking for her father.

"Hi everyone," Liz greets as they continue making their way toward the group.

Nate finds Alex first, hurries toward her. Alex leans down and hugs her nephew.

Suddenly, Jasmine discovers another familiar face. "Bobby!"

He turns around when he hears his name, and Jasmine comes quickly toward him for a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever!" she says.

While Bobby catches up with Jasmine and Daniel, Liz takes Alex aside. "So… How are things?"

"Okay. We just got here."

Nate moves away from Alex and heads back over to his dad.

"Come on. Let's go push some overworked staff for answers," Liz says, and the two sisters approach the information counter. "I'd like the status of a patient. Last name Eames. We're his daughters."

The man in scrubs with a nametag that says 'Jeffrey' glances at a computer screen. "The doctor should be with him. You'll know something fairly soon."

"We're going to hold you to that, Jeffrey," Liz warns.

"Best I can tell you at the moment," Jeffrey responds.

"Thank you," Alex tells him.

They update the others. Then Liz takes her sister's arm and pulls her out of earshot of the group.

"Okay… Fill me in on your evening."

"We ate dinner, had a few drinks, and played some pool. The rest of the night was great until Daniel called."

"Well, he's here. Either he suddenly loves hospitals, or he came here out of concern for you and your family. That has to mean something."

"He's a friend. It's what friends do."

"How does he seem when he talks about her?"

She sighs. "He's happy, Liz. They're moving to Portugal this summer. Sounds pretty serious."

"If Bobby's leaving, why come back to Major Case for such a short time?"

"I don't know. Probably trying to make some extra cash."

"There's got to be more to the story. Maybe he's not all that happy with her."

"I saw the pictures. They looked pretty cozy to me. He went to see his niece Molly and her family, and he took Leona with him. Meeting the family is pretty serious. It's more than I've heard of his relationships in the past."

"You saw pictures? What does she look like?"

"She's beautiful. Looks like a supermodel."

Liz rolls her eyes. "Great, one of those."

"I am happy for him, Liz. If she's what he wants, then they should be together. I have to accept it."

"You love him, Alex."

"Don't…please. I've got to keep it together."

"What about Mark?"

"What about him?"

"Do you love him?"

She tosses the question around in her mind. "I keep thinking we'll get there, but…" she shrugs.

"Look… If there was ever a time he needs to prioritize and put you first…it's now. Call him. If he doesn't get his ass over here pronto, he's not worth it."

"You're right." Alex agrees. She steps aside to make the call.

Liz sees Bobby alone and walks over to him.

Bobby watches her approach. "Hey, Liz."

"Hi. Thanks for being there for her."

"Of course."

"You can go if you need to. We'll be here for a while."

"I plan to stay in case she…or anyone, needs anything."

Liz smiles. "She's calling Mark. So, he'll be here."

The detective studies her for a second, then says, "But you don't look too certain of that."

"I am."

"Well, he should be here for her. But I'm staying."

"You want to meet him, don't you? Get inside his head. See if he's good enough? Sound about right?"

He shrugs but doesn't respond.

"Just as I thought," Liz says and walks away.

Bobby wanders down the hall until he finds a place where cell phone use is accepted. He selects Leona's name and hits the call button.

She answers quickly. "Hi, Robert. Are you on your way here?"

"No, I can't. There's been an emergency. Captain Eames's father had a stroke."

"Oh, no! Sorry to hear that. I hope he's okay."

"Me too. I'm at the hospital with her and her family. I've known this family for a long time. I feel like I should hang out here in case anyone needs anything."

"I understand. Hope there's good news soon. If you're free tomorrow, I'm planning on trying out some dessert recipes. I could use a taste tester."

Bobby smiles. "I'll call you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night."

x

Alex finds a quiet place and makes her call. The call goes directly to voice mail.

"Hello, you've reached Mark Mason at Kline, Baker, Richfield, and Associates. I'm not available, but please leave a message. Thanks for calling, and I look forward to speaking to you soon."

"Mark, it's me… Please call me back when you get this. I'm at the hospital. My dad had a stroke, and I — I would really like it if you were here. Bye."

x

Jasmine wanders over to Liz. "Hi, Aunt Liz."

"Hey, sweetie."

She lowers her voice when she sees Alex on the phone. "So… I know I'm being nosy, but are Aunt Alex and Bobby here together?"

"They were having dinner before they got the call about Grandpa. Just catching up. They're going to be working together again."

"That's good, right?"

"What's with the big smile, kid?"

"Oh…nothing. I just think they'd make a great couple."

"You do, huh?"

"I mean, he's great. He seems to like Aunt Alex. He gets along with our family. He's like an uncle already."

"I think Bobby's great too. But I'm not sure about Alex and Bobby getting married."

"Why not?"

"They're both dating other people."

"WHAT? No! They should be together!"

Liz smirks. "Can't argue with that. But we have to let them choose who they want to be with."

Bobby walks up and taps Jasmine's shoulder. "Hey, I thought I'd make a coffee run to the kiosk on the corner. I could use some help to carry the cups back."

"Sure." She lets Daniel know where she's going and then leaves with Bobby.

"So, you're turning 16 in a couple months, huh?" Bobby asks as they approach the exit.

"Yeah! I can't wait!"

x

Moments later, Bobby and Jasmine return. They carry cups in to-go trays for the group.

"Coffee!" he announces as they pass the cups to the adults.

He hands the last cup to Alex. The lid is marked, which means he added the sugar.

"Thanks." She smiles up at him. Her eyes drift around to the grateful group. "I think my family wants to adopt you now."

He smiles. "Any news?"

She shakes her head no, then removes some magazines from the seat beside her so he can sit.

On the other side of Alex are Liz, Nate and Peter. Nate is leaning against Peter, sound asleep.

Liz sighs, staring up at the clock. She turns to her sister. "It's almost midnight. I'd like to wait for some news, but I need to get Nate home. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm staying. Jerry may arrive later too, so I can update him." She turns toward Scott. "You headed home?"

He nods. "I'd like to stay, but Darby was up all last night with Tyler. She could use a break. I'll check in tomorrow."

"Do you want a ride home, Bobby?" asks Liz.

"No, thanks. I'm just down the street, anyway. But I'll stay." There's an intentional glance in Alex's direction, letting Liz know he's staying as long as Alex is.

"Still no word from you know who?" Liz whispers to Alex.

Alex checks her phone and shakes her head. "Probably working." She sends a quick text to Mark, then puts her phone away.

Liz and Peter prepare to leave, then stop when they see a nurse approach the group. "Eames family?"

"That's us," Liz replies.

"The doctor has given the okay for visitors."

"What's going on with him?" Alex asks the nurse.

"I'll let the doctor tell you."

Nate is still asleep. Peter is about to wake him up when Bobby waves at him. "Peter, go ahead. I'll watch him." Bobby whispers.

"Thanks. We'll just be a few minutes."

x

About 20 minutes later, Peter and Liz return to Nate, and they leave. Scott, Daniel and Jasmine leave shortly after them.

Bobby remains seated, flipping through a magazine. Most of the waiting room has cleared out.

A little later, Alex returns by herself.

Bobby hops up to meet her as she enters the waiting room area. "What did the doctor say?"

"Next few hours are critical. They're giving him medication to stop the blood clot. The doctor doesn't want to do surgery because there are concerns about added stress and his heart. He sees a specialist for that. Best case scenario, the medications work, and he improves. He'll have a couple of weeks of rehab and a visiting nurse. More pills too, which I know he'll hate."

"How did he look?"

"His coloring isn't great." She sighs. "I'm glad you're here, but you don't have to stick around. I'm going to end up sleeping in those chairs."

"I can stay and keep you company."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. You don't have to do this alone."

She's trying so hard not to read into the fact that he'd give up his entire night just to sit in a waiting room while she worries about the next few critical hours that could mean life or death for her father.

And not because she asked him to.

"Thanks."

"I thought Daniel was planning to hang out."

"No, I told them all to go home. I'll call with updates. If Dad is still here tomorrow, Daniel will take that shift."

"How are you doing with all of this?" He touches her shoulder, and with his concerned eyes and soft, comforting voice, she's done holding herself together. "I'm not ready to lose him yet."

He pulls her into a deep hug. Her sobs start the second her head reaches his chest.

After a minute, Alex draws back, feeling guilty for leaning on him. Bobby expects this and holds on, letting her know that she's safe.

She appreciates it and hugs him tighter to show it. Then collects herself, nods that she's fine, and steps back.

Bobby releases her. "He's going to be okay. He's a tough one," Bobby offers.

"I think the word you were going for is 'stubborn'."

He gestures toward the seating area and they both sit down. "Do you need anything? Water? Coffee? A shot of whiskey?" he teases.

"Don't tempt me with that whiskey." Alex checks her phone once more. She had turned it to silent while she was in the ICU. No calls.

"Any word from Mark?" Bobby asks.

She shakes her head. "Must be working. We got together last night. He probably assumed I wouldn't call and turned his phone off."

"Yeah, but he should still check his voicemail. Leona has her deadlines, but she wouldn't avoid calls."

"Yeah, well… You…got lucky," she groans. She instantly wishes she hadn't volunteered that information.

"Luck has nothing to do with it."

"He's in Chelsea. Probably working from home. It'd be tough trying to get here on a Saturday night."

The next few minutes pass in silence. She stares blankly at the medical pamphlets on the opposite wall, hoping Bobby asks no more questions about Mark or tries to compare their relationships.

"Eames?" he prompts.

"Yeah?"

He waits until she looks over at him. "I hope you know that you could have called me to come over. Doesn't matter where it is. I'll always be here."

"Thanks," she replies.

She kicks her shoes off and pulls her legs and feet up on the chair beside her. The hospital waiting area is just too cold.

Bobby takes off his jacket and folds it a few times, then gets up and moves over a chair from Alex. He sets the jacket in his lap and motions for her to lie down and rest her head.

She shifts over and lies down on her side with her back facing him.

"Better?"

She nods.

"You said he has some heart problems?" he asks. "What happened?"

"He had a mild heart attack a few years ago. The doctor changed his diet, put him on medication, and sent him to a specialist."

"That's right. I remember you mentioning physical therapy. For his knee, as I recall?"

"A lot of good that did," she huffs. "We're still trying to get him to go."

Bobby grins. "You're doing everything you can, Eames. He's in good hands. This is an excellent hospital."

He lifts strands of her hair and brushes them back with his fingers. It feels nice. She wonders if he realizes he's doing this.

Then he gets her talking about the job to distract her from thinking about her dad's condition. When the breaks in conversation get longer, she closes her eyes and drifts to sleep. A few minutes later, he's asleep as well.

x x x

Sunday - 6:30 am

Alex awakens and opens her eyes. It takes a few seconds for her to orient herself.

Bobby's sleeping soundly with his head leaning back against the wall. She tries to sit up the rest of the way, but he's holding her in place with his arm. She can't help but smile.

The waiting room is dimly lit, as are the adjacent hallway lights. Most are on a motion sensor.

When a door slams from somewhere down the hallway, Bobby stirs awake. He moves his arm, and she sits up.

"Good morning," she greets Bobby.

"Good morning." He sits up and stretches a little more. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not bad. I'm hungry, though."

"Me too."

"Let me check on my dad, and we'll see if we can find a bite to eat around here?"

"Sounds good."

Suddenly, a nurse approaches them. "Good morning," she greets. "You're with the family of Johnny Eames?"

"Yes."

"Just checking. I was the nurse on duty last night."

"Is there news about my dad?"

"He's breathing on his own. Looks like the medicine is doing its thing. He's out of intensive care, but they're planning to run a couple more tests. He should be able to go home later today. It sounds like he wants to leave."

"He'll say just about anything to get out. Can we see him?"

"Sure," the nurse says and leaves.

"That's great news!" says Bobby.

"Yeah." Alex sends a text to alert the others. She puts her shoes back on while Bobby attempts to fix his hair with his hands. They both stand up at the same time.

Alex fixes her hair with her fingers. "My hair probably looks bad," she remarks, mostly to herself.

"No, it doesn't. It's—" Bobby reaches up and gently brushes back a few strands of her hair with his fingers. "…perfect." Their eyes meet for a moment, and Bobby nervously drops his hand.

They walk toward the front desk.

"Can I help you?" asks the desk attendant.

"I'd like to visit with my dad. Jonathan Eames."

"Sign here, please." The attendant hands her a clipboard and Alex fills in her name.

"Room 147. Keep quiet and no cell phones."

They pass a few doors to prep stations and patient rooms. Alex finds her dad's room number, and they enter.

Johnny opens his eyes and looks over at his daughter. "Alex…? That you?"

Alex reaches for his hand and takes it. "Dad… How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. Who put me in this joint?"

"Sounds like you did."

"As long as you're here to spring me."

"The doctor wants to keep you here for a few more hours and make sure you're okay. Then we'll get you home."

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He sees the other person in the room. "Daniel? Wait… Who is that?" He squints his eyes, then smiles. "Bobby Goren! Well, I'll be damned. How've you been, son?"

"I'm good. Glad you're feeling better."

"It's great to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has."

"You're still at Major Case?"

"I took some time away and just came back. It's good to be back." He looks over at Alex, who returns a smile.

"Say, Bobby, did I ever tell you about the time we had this perp on the run, and it turned out he was hiding in this tree?"

Alex stands back smiling, having heard the story many times. But she's grateful that he's acting like his old self.

"No," Bobby replies. "What happened?"

A doctor enters. "Mr. Eames?"

"Yes?"

"Looks like you're doing better this morning. I've spoken to your other doctors, and we think we've found a better medication option so your levels won't be so high," she responds.

"Terrific. But I have to finish telling my friend Bobby this story."

"Sure."

The doctor gestures for Alex, and they step out into the hallway to talk.

Johnny finishes telling his story, then takes hold of Bobby's sleeve and tugs him closer to speak in a softer tone. "Say… Bobby, I wanted to tell you something."

"Sure."

He keeps his tone lowered. "You've always been like family to us."

"Thanks, sir. That means a lot."

"I see you're looking out for my girl, Alex."

"Of course. She's a great partner. Great friend too."

"She means the world to me. I'm so lucky. I love all of my children, of course. I'm so proud of her. She's a chip off the old block."

"Yeah, she is."

"Please take care of her. I know I dodged a bullet here, but I'm not gonna be around forever, you know. She loves her work, but I don't want her to end up alone. You're the one person she trusts more than anyone else."

"What do you think of Mark?" asks Bobby.

"Who?"

"The one Alex is dating."

"Eh…I don't know who that is. But I know who you are, Bobby. You're one of the good ones. Please, just promise me you'll take care of her?"

Bobby feels a tug at his heart, but it's followed by a sinking feeling in his stomach. He manages a smile. "Yes, sir. I've always got her back."

"Thank you, son."

x

A few minutes later, Alex and Bobby head toward the hospital lobby area.

"So, can I buy you breakfast?" she asks him.

"You don't have to," he replies.

"You stayed the night in the hospital with me. I owe you one."

As they re-enter the lobby, Daniel walks in.

"Hi guys," he greets as he approaches.

"We were just about to go to breakfast. The doctor is with Dad. Might be a little while. Do you want to join us?"

"Sounds good to me," Daniel replies.

Bobby turns back to her. "Umm… You all go on ahead. I—I'm going to go home."

"I thought you said you were hungry."

"I'm good."

Alex and Daniel watch him walk away.

"Is everything okay?" Daniel asks.

"I'm not sure."

x x x