Evan couldn't stand the waiting. He paced in the hallway as they took care of Scarlett. She had a seizure, Evan thought back to Vinny. If Vinny didn't have a seizure he never would have got the courage to call Scarlett. Evan wasn't looking where he was walking, he was just pacing, pacing rapidly back and forth, back and forth.
"Woah" Evan collided with a man sending his papers flying, then falling gracefully in between them.
"I'm so sorry" Evan bent down and started picking up the papers but the man stood, starring at Evan unable to believe his eyes. Evan noticed his stare and let his whole body sigh. He couldn't deal with another person saying do you need help, or what's wrong with you? Evan scoped up the rest of the papers and thrust them at the man. "Sorry" he said again more bitter this time as he turned to pace some more.
"Evan?" Evan turned back to the man, he looked familiar but Evan couldn't place him.
"Yeah." The man dropped his papers and hugged Evan.
"I have been praying for you, praying for you for years! It's great to see you." The man's strength was squishing the life out of Evan.
"Um, Hi." Evan started gently patting the man on the back, "Who are you?" Evan tried to figure out who the man was, but he really hadn't seen anyone is years since his accident, everyone he knew would look very different by now.
"Oh sorry" the man let go of Evan his face filled with joy. "I'm Mark, Mark Green, from-"
"Mark" Evan hugged him this time knowing who he was this time. Mark was the one that brought Evan to the hospital when he had his accident. He waited with his parents for hours upon hours. He was the only one to ever visit after that as well. Evan hadn't seen him in years but hoped he was doing well. What was he doing here? Evan released Mark and smiled.
"What are you doing here?" They both said and smiled.
"I'm a doctor now" Mark said regathering his papers.
"Here?"
"No, I work out of New York but there was a liver that got shipped here, my liver." Evan rose a brow in surprise. "Well, not my liver, but my patients liver, I flew it here this morning. What are you doing here?"
"My friend was in a car accident, she is in the ICU" Evan pointed to her room, hand shaking at the thought of Scarlett still lying in that bed.
"I'm so sorry" Mark looked to the door seeing the rush of doctors and hearing the unsteady beep of the machines. "My patient is in recovery, I can wait with you." Mark offered as he moved Evan to a chair.
"Yeah, that would be nice."
"Tell me how you've been. It's been a long while since I last saw you."
"You first. When did you leave the army?"
"Soon after dropping you off." Evan leaned back into the chair and tried to take slow deep breaths. "After seeing how all the doctors helped you, I knew that I wanted to help."
"Serving overseas wasn't help enough" Evan joked, squinting his eyes to hold back tears.
"After Micah and you, I lost my bravery. I finished my term and got an honorable discharge."
"That's excellent"
"I went to college and post grad, and it was a lot of school." Mark leaned back as well soaking up the moment of stillness. Mark had been rushing around nonstop since eleven last night. He needed caffeine or a nap, but being with Evan eased his migraine and soothed his worries. "I'm a second year resident but I'm top student" Mark said with pride.
"Of course you are" Evan tilted his head to look at Mark. "You were always top of everything."
"Well, being number 1 is hard work when everyone is trying to kill you but, being number one here when everyone is trying to save someone is really different." From the dirty, crazy, war zone to a clean, chaotic, safe haven, Mark didn't know which he preferred. Some days he lost patients, like he lost his people, his friends out on the field. Some days the blood that soaked his skin reminded him so much of Iraq and Pakistan that he couldn't breathe, he couldn't work, he just held his hands on their wounds and tried to remember to breathe.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Evan glanced back at Mark, who was pulling out his pager.
"Your patient?"
"Yep, he's awake. I'm praying for your friend and for you" he added as stood to leave.
"Wait" Evan said rising up as well. "You said all those years ago that you prayed for me to get better."
"Yes. I did and I prayed long after that, that you would have a happy life. A healthy life."
"You still believe that God exists after seeing all the death and pain, all the suffering here?" Mark took a step forward and put his hands on Evans shoulders. "After everything you have seen, don't you think it's ridiculous to believe, to pray?" Mark was content at Evan's words. He had come God after Evan's accident and continued to go to church, pray, and tell others of the miracles he saw every week. "How can you still have faith, still pray after everything?" Evan couldn't fathom what Mark was thinking.
"I have seen more death and destruction then many people but, I have also seen life, and healing and miracles that can only be explained by God himself." Mark dropped his hands from Evan and smiled. "You were the one that told me every day that it was stupid of me to not believe. To not pray. After all we did, risking our lives every day, all day... Evan you may have lost faith, but you were the one to bring me to faith." Evan shook his head rubbing at the pimple that was forming on his cheek. "I have to go but, I will come back and check on you and friend." Evan nodded and turned back towards Scarlett's room. "It was really good to see you Evan."
"You too" Evan hugged him again and watched Mark run off to his patient. Evan was about to head back when the door flew open and Scarlett was rushed out.
"What's happening?" Lena screamed over the noise. "Where are you taking her?"
"Her ear started to bleed, we have to take her to get another head MRI."
"Head MRI" Brandon gripped Lena's tiny hand in his. "I thought she already had one."
"She did but things don't always appear right away." Scarlett's parents took another step forward trying to follow but the nurse told them to stay put, she would notify them of what she found and what they would do next.
It was more waiting now. This time there was no simple conversation only soft cries and softer prayers. Half hour later and a nurse came running to Lena and Brandon papers in hand.
"There was a bleed in her brain" she was out of breath and she held out the papers in her shaking hands. Her nails were purple and chipped and her hair was falling out of its pony tail. Lena took the papers and scanned them. "We have to do a surgery now, to stop the bleed." The nurse continued to explain but Evan could no longer hear. He fell to the floor his knees giving way, he hit his head on the wall as he went and Marline dropped next to him.
"Honey?" Her compassion and love dulled the pain he felt but he couldn't move. Lena and Brandon signed the release forms, the consent they needed to perform the surgery. Then as everyone watched the nurse run away, back to the doctors, back to Scarlett the Connor's dropped to the ground along with Franklin. Lena was crying again, Evan wasn't sure if she ever stopped. After a long dragging moment Brandon spoke up.
"What was it like?" Everyone looked to him, everyone but Evan "what was it like when you got injured Evan?" Evan's puffy brown eyes drifted to Brandon. Evan opened his mouth but closed it instantly as if changing him mind. "I'm sorry" Brandon started holding Lena's hand tightly in his. "It's just maybe a story, something about you..."
"A happy story how about" Lena nudged Brandon, now was not the time for more pain.
"Yes," he agreed "something happy..." Evan tried to stand unable to hear anything besides the buzz of the machines and the screech of medical cart wheels.
"Maybe how you two met, or about your dog? Anything really. Scarlett told me all about you." Lena wiped her nose with her sleeve. Evan was all to use to hospitals, but not being the patient was a thousand times worse than patiently waiting.
"I have to..." Evan slowly pulling himself up the wall, gripping the bench for strength, "get some water." It wasn't entirely a lie, Evan's throat was dry from crying and waiting open mouthed as they dragged Scarlett in and out of the room. As Evan walked he dragged his feet, his Adidas shoes sliding along the speckled floor. When he finally found a water fountain he passed it by continuing on to the bathroom. Once inside he checked that no one was inside and screamed.
He screamed at the top of his lungs. He cursed, throwing his fist into the mirror sending it crackling. The shards fell to the ground trickling the floor with drops of Evan's blood. As he watched the blood fall he became transfixed on the small puddle it was creating. There was a pounding on the door and then a tall security man bulldozed in gun in hand, he holstered his gun upon seeing the distress Evan was in.
"Hey, can I help you sir?" Evan didn't turn, he didn't even move. "You are bleeding" the guard stated, Evan knew this, he was the one that hurt himself. "Can I get you some help?"
"Can you save Scarlett?" Evan's words were barely a whisper.
"Can I save who? Is someone else in here?" The guard moved around Evan slowly, looking under the stalls, and pushing open the doors. Evan was alone, this crazy, bleeding, burnt man was alone.
"Scarlett" Evan said louder this time.
"Scarlett?"
"If you can't save her then you can't help me." The guard looked down to the broken mirror.
"7 years of bad luck isn't going to help her." Evan turned slightly, Evan didn't believe in myths. "Look, why don't we get you cleaned up and I can help you find your girl?" He handed Evan a paper towel and Evan took it. As he wiped the blood from his left hand, he gave a small smile. He didn't know why he was smiling, maybe because Scarlett would have thought it was ridiculous that he hurt himself for her. Maybe it was because now he would have fresh scars on his opposing hand. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Evan only nodded a slow shaky nod as he dragged his feet back out of the bathroom. "Sit." The guard demanded and Evan wasn't strong enough to do otherwise so he sat on one of the benches that lined the hospital wall and waited. A nurse came and wrapped his hand, he starred not so discretely at Evan's face, Evan didn't say anything though. He let the man wrap his hand and sat a moment longer.
'Please' Evan prayed, 'don't let her die, heal her.' He held his freshly cut hand in his lap and tipped his head against the wall, closing his eyes and breathing in the smell of blood and chlorine. 'I will do anything' he said silently 'anything. Just please don't let her die.' Fresh tears streamed down Evan's face. His phone buzzed in his pocket breaking his concentration, causing him to choke on the air, coughing, he reached down for his phone. But, it wasn't his phone it was Scarlett's, he forgot he had it still. Liz was read on the caller id.
"Hello" Evan croaked out.
"Evan?"
"Yeah. Liz, Scar-"
"She was supposed-"
"Elizabeth!" Evan screamed silencing her. "Scarlett is in the hospital. She just went into surgery again for a bleed in her brain." Liz stayed silent unable to breath. "Liz?" Evan tried to calm himself, if he held the phone any tighter he was sure it was break in half.
"I'm here." She said softly, "what happened? Where is she?" Evan explained, he heard Liz get in her stupid green car and whip through traffic. "Don't hang up, alright?" Liz said shakily as she gripped the steering wheel with all her might, her teeth grinding more with each turn. "Come on!" she yelled at the red light, slamming on the horn. "Evan?"
"I'm here"
"Don't hang up." Liz was slowly and softly breaking down, her best friend was in the hospital, having brain surgery. The light turned green and she hit the gas, the next light was red but she didn't see it. She was wiping away tears when she slammed on the breaks screaming. She hadn't hit the car in front of her but it was close.
"Liz, you okay?" Evan knew it was a stupid question but he couldn't think of anything better to say, it slipped out.
"No" she screamed mad at the world "If all the lights turn green and Scarlett gets out of surgery, all fixed up and perfect again then, and only then will I be okay." Liz hit the horn again and the driver in front of her swore and gave her the finger. Usually she would have said 'LANGUAGE' and called him a jerk or butt head but this time she sore back. She rattled off every curse word she knew, none of which related to the situation but she needed to get her rage out and honking at strangers over nothing wasn't working. "I'm almost there, what floor?"
"Fifth" Evan said and thought back to the room number "541." Liz ended the call and parked the car, she was covering two spots and forgot to lock her car. She was in tall red wedges and a little black dress which ripped up her leg as she ran. Then noticing the rip she tripped over her feet as she entered the building.
Evan stood suddenly feeling strength in knowing Liz was coming. He walked up the water fountain and pushed the button watching the water fall, washing away the gum that someone disposed of in the fountain before getting a drink. As he headed back to Scarlett's room, he thought about the misery that awaited him. His parents and hers would be crying and making Evan even more miserable. But to his surprise it seemed like misery brought his parents together with Scarlett's. Evan moved a bit closer to listen to their conversation.
"It was awful. We spent hours and hours upon hours waiting and the worst part was not knowing." Franklin said as he leaned forward. The parents had all sat down on the benches, their old knees only able to tolerate the ground for so long.
"Oh and the rehab after" Marline moaned "he was still in there but he wasn't." Why were they bringing up Evan's horrible hospital experience. They should be taking Lena and Brandon's mind off of his awful fate. He started to walk forward to stop them but Lena's question made him freeze.
"How did you deal?" Franklin and Marline exchange a glance.
"We didn't." Evan leaned closer.
"We pushed him away, we were terrible parents." Marline started to cry again.
"We took care of him, but not like we should have. He wanted to grow up and move away and we were more than happy to shove him out the door." Brandon gave Franklin a look of embarrassment. "We would take it all back, we would love him right."
"He seems like a good kid." Brandon said "you must have done something right."
"No that's all him, I was gone, I was working and working and hoped that if I worked enough, the money would fix him."
"I did that too." Brandon admitted.
"We have all made mistakes, but you have the chance to be better parents for Evan now." Lena looked down rethinking her statement. Would she get the chance to be a parent still? Would Scarlet survive? "We could have been there more, we could have done more. But, we didn't, we wanted what was best for her and she wanted this." Lena let out a painful laugh "Well not this," Marline grabbed Lena's hand.
"God won't take away your girl. He wouldn't do that to you." Lena nodded at the thought but God hadn't answered her prayers as of late and especially not about Scarlett.
"Evan" Liz screamed and all the parents turned to see Evan watching them and Liz running up from behind. "Where is she?"
"Still in surgery."
"Mr. and Mrs. Connor" Liz hugged them each "I am so sorry." Before he could hold it back Evan let out a small chuckle.
Scarlett hated when people said sorry. Because sorry was not the right word. Sorry was something people said when they don't know what to say, when they don't have words to express how they really feel.
"I know who hit her. I know who was in the other car." Liz looked hesitant to say but she she everyone's undivided attention now. "It was Jack." Lena gasped and clenched her fists, she knew what he put her daughter through and now...
"I'm going to kill that druggy!" She screamed and a few nurses looked in their direction.
"She's only joking." Brandon said placing a hand on Lena's arm.
"I am not" she bit out.
"He's already dead." Liz said and Lena relaxed her shoulders, she never thought she would be happy that someone died but him, she was thrilled. "Something about an overdose and-"
"YES!" Lena screamed, then cried, wept out. She hit herself on the head, she shouldn't think ill of others but, even good Christians have bad thoughts. "I'm sorry" Lena whispered.
"Scarlett is free" Liz said. Evan didn't understand, Jack, the Jack that Scarlett always got squirmy about. The Jack that called when they first met. The Jack that punched him in the park... "She didn't want you to get hurt." Liz directed to Evan pulling him away from the parents. "She really likes you, but as long as he was in her life..." Evan felt the same joy and pain with wishing ill upon others as Lena did. Scarlett was free of his evil but she was still in critical condition, his death would mean nothing if Scarlett didn't make it.
After the initial shook of the moment Liz noticed Evan's face and pulled him to the side, away from the parents.
"What happened to your face?" she hissed.
"What do you mean?" Evan was confused, she had seen his burns, his scars before.
"What do you mean, what do I mean? You look like you got punched." Then Evan remembered.
"I met Jack early this morning." Liz's eyes went wide "He made it clear that he didn't like me."
"He punched you!" Liz tried to keep her voice down but she caught the parents attention and Evan pulled her further away.
"I'm fine, I got a punch in too, but I'm fine." Liz nodded but examined his face as they walked back to the group.
"that's why she didn't want to be with you" Liz stated, Evan turned slowly back to her. "That's why" she gestured to his face. "If Jack hurt you she wouldn't be able to live with herself. That's why she kept you at arms length at times."
"Does that mean I finally have a chance?" Liz let out a dry laugh and went to comfort the Connors.