Tim POV:
This time is more like a nightmare than last time. Last time I had more control, and I had Audrey... It's like all my fears are being displayed here...
A memory plays, one in which Audrey's father was there. He had somehow managed to escape Parchman, and was with us for about a year. A week after she and I split for the second time, he died of the injuries he obtained there at Parchman. He never told us, but he apparently also had a large, cancerous tumor in his brain which had his days numbered to start with.
This memory is one that has stuck with me... He walks alongside me, helping me with the physical therapy Audrey normally assisted with. I sweat, trying hard to stay balanced, while he has a hand on my back, helping me stay upright.
"What's Audrey doing again?" I ask, panting and cringing.
"Slow down." He directs, "And she's visiting her step-parents." He continues, making my stomach twist. He notices my expression and stops. "I told her not to go, but she decided to. I guess she's trying to mend old wounds." He explains. "Tim, can I be honest with you for a moment?" He asks. I nod, sitting down for a moment. He sits down beside me, and sighs. "You're going to make an incredible father one day." He releases, patting my back.
"They don't think I can have kids." I confess, my stomach churning at the words. He cringes, before staring at me.
"Never know until you try." He tries to challenge. I nod, before he sighs. "You're good for her." He informs me. "You've made her feel more love than I think she's ever felt before... Just... Make sure you take care of her, alright?" He requests. I nod quickly, before the memory fades away.
The image changes to she and I lying in bed, her head on my chest, as the morning light forces it's way in. She smiles at the sun, before propping her head up and giving me a kiss, her bare shoulder peaking up from under the covers. She pulls back for a moment, smiling brightly at me. She looks like she's in her mid-thirties. She's still young and flawless... her skin tanner, and her hair brown, but still flawless... My hair is a little longer, a full goatee speckled with the shadow of gray hairs. My hand rests on the small of her back, the other pinching her chin. She bites her lip, sighing comfortably, before someone knocks on the door.
"Mr and Mrs McGraw?" They call out, making her blush.
"Yeah?" She shouts back, looking back over her shoulder toward the door, while I'm too caught up in her to care.
"Your car will be here in about ten minutes to take you for rehearsals." They inform us, or I guess her, since I'm not listening to a damn thing they say.
"Thank you!" She replies, as I lean forward to kiss her neck. She giggles, before falling down on me.
We get ready slowly, flirting the entire time. She puts on my LSU sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, while I am forced to wear a nice dress shirt and jeans since I have an interview while she rehearses. She buttons up my shirt, before giving me a kiss and grabbing my hand, leading me out of our hotel room.
We stand in the elevator, until the doors close. I turn to face her, before kissing her, our 21 floor decent offering us a moment. She backs up against the wall of the elevator and wraps her arms around my head, pulling me in tighter. I pull back as I hear the chime of the elevator, grabbing her hand to lead her to the car. People in the lobby give us looks, as I notice both of our lips look pink, due to her tinted chapstick she's been applying religiously lately. I rub it off while we walk out to the car. She holds my hand the entire car ride, and looks out the window with a certain sense of wonder I can't exactly explain. The city, the buildings, the people... they all seem to thrill her.
The driver pulls up to the back of the stadium, before getting out to open our doors for us. We're immediately met by three little girls, one of which is so young she's still hobbling. They all wrap their arms around us. Audrey holds the youngest child in her arm, holding the oldest child's hand, while I hold the hand on the second oldest. They talk endlessly about the fun night they spent at my moms, talking about a movie they all went to see together.
Audrey and I lock eyes, a sense of overwhelming calm and comfort striking me. I have all I need right here...
That's when things slow down. A loud crack echoes off of the stadium and the buildings surround it, something striking me in the back of the head. Audrey's eyes quickly reveal a look of shock and horror, as blood splatters, and my legs give out, causing me to collapse right in front of her and our children. She stands in a complete panic, gathering the girls quickly, before another shot rings out.
It whizzes past her head, implanting itself in the brick wall on the side of the stadium. She doesn't realize there's a snipper setting aim on her head. An officer rushes over, ushering the girls inside, while Audrey tries to push her way back to me. He holds her back, beginning to explain the risk of her being out here, before something slams him in the side of his head, sending blood spraying. Yet another bullet that was destined for her, deflected. She stands for a moment, too shocked to move, with her mouth gaping open. She hears me groan, causing her feet to move my way. She kneels down beside me, tears flushing down her eyes as sirens ring out in the distance.
"It's okay... It's okay..." She breathes, unable to catch her breath. Her eyes travel quickly, unsure where is less horrifying to look. She grips my hand, looking around longingly, appearing to be so alone in a moment of crisis...
We're now suddenly in a hospital, Audrey stands beside three little girls, listening to a doctor explain my prognosis.
"The bullet... It... The way it hit... He..." The doctor stumbles, before collecting himself, knowing he's about to break her heart. "The brain trauma is very severe... to say the least. The bullet hit multiple areas, and destroyed them, effectively. He suffered a major stroke from the trauma, which could account for much of the damage to his memory." He explains bluntly. "If he survives, and that is a strong if, then the mental rehab will be extensive."
The image shifts to she and I lying side by side in bed. She's sound asleep, while I mumble something, seeming to be having a nightmare. I thrash a bit, breathing heavily, before flinching enough to wake her up. She leans over me, kissing my shoulder, before running her fingers through my hair which is slowly growing back.
"Baby, it's just a dream." She releases, waking me up gently. I turn onto my back, where she sets her head down on my chest, looking up at me. "It's alright." She says, as I catch my breath. "Hey babe?" She calls, causing me to look down at her. "I love you..." She informs me, making me smile.
"I love you too." I let out, running my fingers through her hair. She smiles at me, before grabbing onto my hand and lightly kissing my fingertips. The motion makes my heart skip a beat, before her eyes flutter at me.
Later in the day, she and I are driven to an award show. We pull up to the carpet, and Audrey opens the door to step out, before I reach over and pull it shut. She looks over at me with a brief moment of confusion.
"I'll get out first." I establish, watching her smile fade.
"Honey, you don't need to worry about--" She starts, before I get out of the black Suburban. I wait patiently outside her door, helping her out. She smiles at me with a bit of sadness blended in. "See, Tim? Everything is okay even with--" She begins, before a loud crack rings out, causing everyone on the carpet to duck down.
I cover her, my chest pounding, as people begin to scatter, before more rounds ring out. I try to pinpoint the direction it's coming from, but I can't. Audrey suddenly squeals, a bullet hitting her in the arm. She clenches it tightly, blood beginning to drain from the wound almost immediately. I lead her through the chaos to a covered area, where I look at her arm. The wound isn't too bad, and looks at if it's just grazed across her skin. I take off my tie and wrap it around her arm, tying it tightly. A bullet strikes through the awning we are under, causing me to usher her toward the door.
My heart sinks, as I watch something pierce her back, knocking her to the ground. She screeches, grasping her hip desperately, revealing a bullet has pierced right through the bone, entering through her back and exiting in the front. I lift her up, wanting to get to shelter fast, but she screams, the motion causing her discomfort.
"Baby, we've got to get inside." I say, trying to lift her again. She grunts, before letting me carry her. We make it through the doors of the arena, before I set her down and look at her injuries. Her arm has already stopped bleeding, but her hip is troublesome. "Are you okay?" I ask her directly. She shakes her head, grimacing in pain. She looks around the crowded corridor, where people crowd, many fairing similar injuries, if not worse. She squirms, truly very uncomfortable. "It's going to be alright." I promise her, before we begin to hear the sound of bullets smacking against the metal siding on the arena. Luckily a thick layer of cinderblock keeps us protected, but the sound is simply haunting. Audrey jumps at the sound of every bullet, making me feel numb. She clings to my hand, while I press against her wound, trying to keep it from bleeding.
The image shifts, showing us in a hospital room, Audrey lying in a hospital bed. She looks pale, a large bandage over her arm while we watch a small tv. I look over at her, before thinking of something to say to make her smile.
"You know, you look hot in a hospital gown." I remark, making her laugh, her painkillers making her ease up a bit.
"Two killed, fifty injured, in a shooting at a Nashville red carpet. The shooter is believed to be a disgraced artist, who was relieved of their contract after a domestic abuse scandal. This is the second time in the last five years that musicians have been targeted, the last instance being the assault outside of an arena that country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were supposed to play at, McGraw suffering severe, permanent brain damage as a result. McGraw and Hill were present today at the incident at the red carpet, sources saying Hill was shot, but she is in stable condition." The tv releases, causing Audrey's expression to harden. I feel my eyes grow moist, as I look over at her again.
"You were really lucky." I release, my voice breaking. She looks at me with tears welling up, a couple slipping. She nods quickly. I take a deep breath, muting the tv as the doctor walks in, sitting down. It's never a good sign when the doctor comes in and sits down for a talk.
"Were you two planning on having any more children?" He asks cautiously. Audrey looks over at me, before nodding. He cringes, before clearing his throat. "The bullet pierced one of your ovaries, which wouldn't rule out your ability to have another child, but your other ovary... it's defective essentially. The eggs it produces aren't capable of bringing a child to full term." He breaks, hitting Audrey like a punch in the gut. She stares, before looking at me. I stare back at her, not exactly sure what to say. "There are plenty of other options for growing your family." He adds, starting the whole don't get depressed that you're defective speal. I grab Faith's hand and squeeze it, offering her what support I can.