EYES LIKE RAZORS

(119) End of the war

"Do you know what's happened to Hugo?" Chloe asks, seating herself beside Madison, "he's been acting off."

"I didn't mean for it to happen." Madison whispers, the guilt of putting Hugo in that situation had been eating away at her.

"What do you mean?"

"It wasn't Ed." Madison says, "everyone just assumed it was and we didn't correct them."

"What wasn't Ed? Mads, what're you talking about?" Chloe questions.

"Eddie didn't kill the Italians that we were being attacked by," Madison states.

"Then who- no," Chloe says, "Mads, please tell me that our little boy didn't."

"I can't." Madison replies, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to be there. I didn't mean for it to happen. I thought he was with Finn, Richard and Isaiah, I didn't know he followed me."

"Oh my god," Chloe whispers mortified as she placed her hand over her mouth.

"I know it's all my fault-"

"When did I ever say that?" Chloe says, "it's not your fault."

"If I hadn't got distracted, I wouldn't have had my knee smashed with a hammer, and Hugo would never have felt the need to fire the bullet. It is my fault." Madison states, "in that moment he was my responsibility and I let him down."

"Fuck- I didn't want him involved with this side of the business. Maybe the legal side but never this side." Madison groans, rubbing her temple, her hands had started to shake again.

Her reading was pretty much the same as it was prior to the supposed 'execution' and the voices were rare, far and few between. The shakes... they lingered, and they were bad again, almost like they were when she'd first been released from prison.

"I've failed him. I've failed Jacob. I was meant to keep him away from this." Madison says frustratedly.

"Have you spoken to him about it?" Chloe asks, taking Madisons hands in her own, gently caressing her knuckles.

Mads shakes her head, "every time I go to- I'm scared he's gonna shut me out, tell me he hates me and I feel so fucking guilty. Killing someone ruins you, and it was my actions that got him there."

"He misses you. It's only been a couple of days- and I know he's refused to leave Ash, but I heard him speaking to him." Chloe tells her, "he says he wants Ash to wake up, so that he gets you back. That's why he's staying there, he thinks it's Ash being unconscious that is the reason you're off. He thinks you blame him for Ash being in that position, that he could've prevented it if he got there sooner."

"Where'd he hear that from?" Madison replies.

"Where'd you hear he's going to shut you out and hate you?" Chloe questions, "speak to him, you both need the conversation. It's destroying both of you."

Madison inhales deeply, leaning her head back against the wall.

"If you haven't spoken to him by tomorrow evening, I'll lock the both of you in a room until you talk." Chloe states, "it'll be okay."

-

"Hey bud." Madison greets, entering Ashtons hospital room, Hugo was laying across a few of the chairs, his back resting against the wall as he read a book.

His face lights up as he sits up and turns to look at her, "hey, how's the leg?"

"The leg is fine, hate this thing though." She says, gesturing to her walking stick.

"There's been no changes." Hugo tells her, both now looking at Ashton - whose hand was still holding the teddy bear to his chest.

"It's not him I'm here to see." Madison responds, sitting down beside him.