**I can never keep ya'll waiting on a cliffy like that. That's just too mean, so please put your knives and pitch forks down! Hahah, love you guys! ALSO, PIC BELOW OF EVAN'S ENGAGEMENT RING!**
Evan's POV
"What?" I demanded, my voice so quiet it barely registered that I'd spoke.
"Your dad, he...he's been shot." Scar stammered, a pained expression on his face. I could feel my face drain of all its color as he stared down at his phone in disbelief.
"No...no! Where is he? How is he? Is he being taken care of?" I yelled out while scrambling off the bed and throwing on the first clothing items I saw. Scar followed my lead with his phone intently pressed to his ear. Shoving his feet inside his shoes, he mumbled a few parting words before throwing the rest of our shit into our bags.
"Come on baby, let's go." Scar stated, leaving no room for discussion. He could clearly tell that I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown and was doing his best to prevent it. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me after him while handing me his wallet and telling me to fish out our plane tickets. I did so with shaking hands as silent tears began to cascade down my cheeks. My phone rang off the hook, but I couldn't even think straight enough to process what was going on.
I sat on Scar's lap the entire ride to the airport, desperately clutching at the shirt covering his chest as his knees bounced lightly underneath me - his own nervous tick. I knew he was scared for my father; they'd been best friends before I came into the picture and ruined everything between them. I knew he was hurting on the inside, though the stern expression on his face would never tell you so. He was doing his best to be strong for me, and I could never thank him enough for it. Scar explained the situation to the very flustered airport worker, getting her to agree to put us on the very next flight, which just so happened to be leaving within the following few minutes.
My stomach churned the entire plane ride home. It was four whole agonizing hours of not knowing what was going on with my father or what condition he was in. The most important man in my life. Guilt tore at my heart as I recalled what my last words were to him. How could I be so fucking cruel. I'm the worst daughter that's ever lived! Finally getting home, we rushed to the hospital, not a single work spoken since we'd boarded the plane. Once inside, Scar and I ignored the screaming receptionist's warning that it was strictly "family only" past that certain point.
"Hey! You! Doctor! Get over here!" Scar bellowed from down the hall. Everyone around us shrank away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Scar's mood.
"Sir?" He asked, his eyes looking anywhere but Scar - who comically towered over the doctor.
"My fiance's father's been shot and I need to know what room he's in." Scar demanded. The doctor swallowed visibly as the files in his hands shook ever so slightly.
"I-I'm sorry sir, but that's confidential information. Unless your direct family, I'm not authorized to give you-"
"Wait, does that file say Carmichael?" I said breathlessly as I continued examining the papers he was holding. He jerked them away from my view, clearly the dumbass didn't know I was his daughter, and held them against his chest. All of a sudden, there was a loud beeping noise coming from the room to our right that looked filled to the brim with nurses and doctors. As the bed began being rushed out of the room, I felt my world stop turning as I got a good look at who was hooked up to all the monitors that were beeping.
"Oh my god, daddy!" I screamed as I ran after them. The doctor tried to get ahold of me but I slipped from his grip and caught up with the nurse.
"Daddy! What's wrong with him! What's happening!" I yelled hysterically as tears started falling nonstop.
"Ma'am I need you to let go of the side rail! Your father needs medical treatment!" The nurse answered through my sobs. I was pulled by my waist as someone dragged me away. I began to hit and scratch at their arms to let me go, but it wasn't working. I went lax in their hold as I cried so hard I couldn't catch my breath.
I was maneuvered back to the waiting area where Kreuger, Cujo, and Beast were now staring at me in horror and sympathy. I turned in the person's arms, now knowing who it was as they clutched me in their tight embrace. My tears stained Scar's shirt as he continued rocking me back and forth while simultaneously making quiet shushing noises. My legs gave out before Scar leaned down and picked me up bridal style. Sitting with me in his lap, no one dared speak a word.
"Excuse me! My husband's been in an accident and he's not in his room anymore! I need to know where he is!" I heard my mom's pained voice demand. My eyes cracked open as I pushed my way out of Scar's hold. Dashing over to where she was standing, I wrapped my arms tightly around her torso.
"Oh, Evan. Sweety it's...it's going to be alright." She choked out while setting down her full to go cup of coffee and smoothing her hand down my hair. She wrapped her arms around me as we just stood there, taking comfort from one another.
"What happened, mom? Who the fuck shot him?" I wailed, unable to comprehend who would want to hurt my dad like this. He'd never been anything but generous in his life, always giving people who didn't deserve it seconds chances. Granted, that was all thanks to my mom, but still. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this.
"I've been trying to find out what happened all morning. The cops won't tell me anything. I'm...I'm going to go try and find a doctor and see what's going on, okay? You just wait here and call me if the cops return before I get back." She murmured. I nodded in agreement, watching her go helplessly. Walking back to the guys I sat back on Scar's lap, unsure of what to say.
"Do you know who did it?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Yeah, we do. There were two cops that came into the underground this morning. Someone must've tipped them off or something about the fighting and training we do there. The cop that shot him was...he looked fucking deranged. Like he hadn't slept in weeks. He seeked Killer-" Cujo said before clearing his throat and giving me a sideways glance, "he seeked Knox out while he was in the training room, totally defenseless. No one knew why Knox was there, just showed up and started beating the shit out of the bag. Anyway, they got into an argument before the dude, I think Knox called him Corbin?, whipped his gun out and shot him point blank. His partner must've realized how fucked in the head the guy was, because he pulled his gun on him and shot the dude in return. Killed the crazy bastard instantly." He murmured with a frown.
This is all my fault. This is all my fault. This is all my fucking fault I repeated over and over in my head. Had I not been a terrible, selfish daughter he wouldn't have been so upset he felt the need to go train his anger out. He wouldn't have been at the underground, Corbin wouldn't have found him, and he wouldn't have been shot. Oh my god, this is all my fault.
For the next two hours, a blanket of silence and worry laid heavily amongst all of us in the waiting room. I just continued to sob and pray that my dad would be okay. I didn't even want to think about the possibility of something happening to him. My mom would never remarry. She'd live the rest of her days lonely and sad, crying over the loss of her best friend and only love. Ellie wouldn't have anyone to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, Troy would never get to go on anymore father/son hunting trips, Brock wouldn't have anyone to play catch with, and I'd never be able to tell him I'd finally found the love I'd been searching my whole life for.
Woah. Where did that come from? I swallowed deeply before pushing the thought away and cuddling closer into Scar's chest. His body totally encompassed mine, as if to shield me away from the world. Ellie and Beckett had come back from getting something to eat about an hour ago, but neither of us said a word to each other. We just shared a knowing look before letting the silence continue on.
About ten minutes later, my mom sauntered back into the waiting room where we were all holed up. She looked worse than all of us combined, totally exhausted as she slumped down into the chair next to mine.
"It's all my fault." She spoke, voice barely above a whisper. I uncurled myself from my balled up position and took her hand in my own before giving it a good squeeze.
"How could you possibly think that mom? There's nothing any of us could do to prevent this." I asserted, not being able to stomach her taking the blame for what I caused.
"No, honey. I got your father into this mess. I was so naive when I was younger. I trailed Corbin along for so long until your father and I figured all of our difference out. I never knew he'd been holding a candle to me all these years..." She said with a shake of her head.
"When you broke it off for good, he could've moved on mom. He did this himself by seeking revenge. There's nothing you could've done to stop him. The guy was crazy mom." I insisted before telling her what Cujo had told me earlier. She just sighed before looking at the clock on the wall. "A-and besides, he was there because of me. I drove him to this." I whispered out, the ache in my chest growing sharper. She scrunched her brows and opened her mouth to speak, but the doctor from earlier entered the room, effectively cutting her off. Ellie, mom, and I all stood up. The doctor had a grim look on his face as he eyed each of us individually.
"The bullet just skimmed his heart, but he's lost a lot of blood. As of right now, we've managed to stabilize him, but we had to put him into a medically induced coma to do so. We can't tell you how long until he wakes up, because that's up to his body as it heals. For now, he's in the clear." He explained before giving us a final head nod and leaving the room.
"It's getting late, why don't you guys head home? I'll keep you all updated." Scar murmured before pulling me back against his chest and hugging me.
"Actually, I'm gonna go see him, and I'd like a moment alone." My mom choked out. Scar and I nodded in understanding before I gave her a final tight hug. Her hands shook as she kissed my forehead and said her goodbye. I waited until she's disappeared into his room before turning and leaving.
Please God, don't take him from me...
**
Two Months Later
I wiped the sweat from my brow as I continued to bustle around the diner kitchen, filling orders left and right.
"Evan, table 11 said they asked for no onion in their omelet." Ellie said quietly. Everyone had been walking on glass around me ever since dad was put into his coma. It'd hit my mother and I the hardest out of everyone.
"Well take it back and shove it up their fucking ass!" I screamed before throwing my apron and spatula on the counter and storming out the back door into the alley. Falling back against the wall, I sank to the floor as the stress of the day finally took its tole on my body and mind. I'd gotten into a huge screaming match with Scar this morning over cereal. Cereal. And it was all my fault. No surprise. I was barely coping with my father's absence as it was, and then there was Scar, and work, and mom, and everything was just too much. It was too much.
Scar had been perfect. He's been my rock, never once leaving my side as I lashed out at him in my grief. He just seemed to know what I needed when I got hysterical. He never fought back. No, the fights were always one sided and I think that's what made me feel even worse. No matter how much I screamed and threw things, he never retaliated. He waited until I was done throwing a fit before talking me down. He was the only thing going right when everything else was going so horribly wrong for me, and I was still finding a way to fuck it up.
Wiping the snot from my nose, I dug into my pocket and snatched my keys before speeding off to the one place I always go after work - which I'd thrown all of my time into to keep me preoccupied even though it wasn't ready for me to take over just yet. I couldn't say the same for my mom. If she wasn't in bed at home, she was sitting by my father's bedside. She won't eat unless we force her and she hasn't been sleeping. She's lost so much weight. We're all so worried about her.
I ignored the looks of pity from the nurses swapping files in the hallway as I slipped into my father's room. He looked the same as he had the past 56 days I'd visited. Setting my stuff on the floor, I crept towards his bed, the constant beeping of the heart monitor causing my gut to twist even further. I grabbed his limp hand in both of my own as my eyes watered.
"Hi, dad." I whimpered before sitting in the chair next to the bed. It was still slightly warm, which meant my mother had just left minutes ago. Getting a good look at his pale, lifeless body caused me to start sobbing, something I hadn't done in at least a week. I struggled to breathe as I squeezed his hand.
"Everything's going wrong, dad." I confessed, snot beginning to run down my nose. God, I bet I was a sight to see. "Mom won't speak to anyone. She's so depressed. Ellie had her baby and y-you weren't there! Troy wants to take a break from school and come h-home. Brock hardly ever sleeps in his own bed anymore and his grades are falling. I-I...I don't know what I'm doing with my life, daddy. I need you so fucking much right now and you're not here. I'm so scared. I keep pushing the one person who cares the most away. This is all my fault! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't hate you, I love you so much! I just want you back. Wake up!" I screamed at the top of my lungs while banging on the hospital bed. "GOD DAMMIT WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!" I slumped against chair, hands fisting his sheets. "I'm sorry I kept things hidden. I'm sorry I was a horrible daughter. I promise I'll be better. I promise! Just wake up!" I sobbed. "Please." I begged through a whisper.
The room was silent except for the regular beeping of the machines. Slipping from the chair to my knees, I clasped my hands and prayed. Looking to the ceiling I wailed as I plead for God to give me my dad back.
Minutes passed in silence until, all of the sudden, machines began to blare. I scrambled to my feet as my heart pounded in my chest.
"H-help! I NEED SOME HELP IN HERE!" I shrieked while frantically scanning my dad's body with my eyes. A hoard of people in scrubs rushed into the room while simultaneously ushering me out.
"Tell me what's going on! Someone tell me what's fucking going on!" I roared while fighting against their persistent hands.
"He's waking up! Get her out of here!" The doctor demanded before I was shoved away. I paced around the waiting room while bugging anyone walking by for my father's status. Most just assured me that they were doing all they could do and that I just needed to be patient.
"Miss?" I heard from behind me. I spun on my heels, my heart in my throat as the doctor approached me. I scanned his blank face before he finally smiled.
"He's awake and stable. His levels and vitals all appear to be within good limits, but we want to keep him for the next week or so just to be sure." I threw myself at him, squeezing his body with everything I had as I blubbered multiple thank yous. Rushing to my dad's room, my body almost gave out on me as I saw his weak form elevated up just the slightest bit in bed. He gave me a feeble smile as I rushed to his side and hugged him as gently as I could.
"Dad," I croaked, voice thick with emotion.
"I know, angel." He replied, voice groggy from not being used for so long. "You better watch your language around your mother. You know how she feels about that." He warned with amusement. I furrowed my brows while laughing through my tears.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"I was in a coma, not dead sweetheart. I could hear everything all of you said." He explained somberly before lovingly patting my cheek.
"We can have a good talk about everything a little later, alright? Have you called your mother? I'm very worried about her." He said, his forehead wrinkling as he scrunched his forehead in concern.
"I will right now." I stated before whipping my phone out. The first call went to voicemail, so I tried again.
"Hi honey." Came her tired reply. I could hear Ellie in the background begging her not to go to bed and to get up.
"He's awake." I stated, not giving any further explanation. I heard a sharp intake of breath on her end before the call was ended. I put my phone down before grabbing his hand again and trying to keep the tears away.
"So, my boy Scar?" He asked suddenly, a cheeky smile on his face as he weakly squeezed my hand. I swallowed the lump in my throat before biting my lip.
"Yes." I squeaked out. My engagement ring caught the light as well as my father's attention. He narrowed his eyes at me before averting his gaze to the large rock on my finger. I instantly wanted to spill my guts about everything to him. The only thing that held me back was knowing it would cause his body more stress than he needed to be dealing with right after he got out of his coma.
"Are you going to tell me about this?" He spoke slowly, somehow still managing to intimidate me even though he looked like he didn't even have enough energy to even speak.
"Um, yes, but I think it's best that I go call Brock, Troy, and everyone else first..." I trailed off awkwardly before getting up and dashing from the room. I struggled to keep my emotions in check as Brock sobbed over the phone when I told him the news. There was some shuffling on his end, and I think I heard a girl protest in the background, but he said he would be here as soon as he could. Troy was the same situation. Troy said he and Aurora were going to try and visit within the week if class would allow it.
I contemplated whether I should call the last person on my list, but I brushed off my emotions from this morning and did anyway.
"What's wrong, baby? Shouldn't you be at work?" Scar's deep, soothing voice spoke. I could hear the constant roar of typical construction noise in the background, letting me know that he was still on sight working.
"My dad's awake." I rasped out, emotion thick in my voice.
"Oh my God. Shit, fuck, okay. I'm leaving now. I'll be there as soon as I can." He assured me. It made my heart thump in my chest just knowing that no matter how horrible the things I'd screamed at him earlier today, he was still willing to drop everything and come be at my side when I needed him. Hanging up, I turned to re-enter the room just when my mother came running from the elevator towards me. I was relieved to see there was her normal spark of life in her eyes instead of the dull, dead look I had grown accustomed to seeing. I refrained from laughing as she completely ignored me as she shot into the room.
I watched from the door as she flung herself at him, sobbing while frantically feeling over his entire body to make sure he was truly in one piece. My father just smiled before capturing her chin in his somewhat shaking hand and pulling her in for a small kiss. My eyes pricked with tears as I watched him grimace in pain as he scooted over on the bed before patting his side in a motion for her to join him. A single tear streamed down my face as I watched her cuddle up to him, body shaking with the intensity of her emotions.
A pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind, catching me off guard. Scar's familiar comforting scent enveloped me as I leaned back against him. I didn't know how he got here so fast, but I wasn't going to ask questions. I was just thankful that he was here.
"Why don't we give them some privacy, baby?" He suggested while slowly rocking me side to side. I nodded with a sniffle and allowed him to lead me away from the room. About twenty minutes later Ellie and Beckett showed up in the hospital with a wailing Knox Jr. in his arms. They caught sight of us and joined us with confused looks.
"Mom's in there. We're giving them privacy." I explained.
"Oh thank God. She just rushed out of the house without saying anything or waiting for me, so I had to wait for Beckett to come pick me up. I figured this is where she was. She's been a zombie for so long, I haven't seen her move this fast since..." She trailed off, not saying what we were all thinking. It was too painful, even now that he was awake and okay.
We sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half just talking, something that was long overdue. I'd shut everyone in my family out after the accident, which resulted in Ellie just now finding out about my engagement even though she saw me after giving birth. Turns out, she'd seen Scar before when he was working on Beckett's office, though she never introduced herself. She gave me her best we're talking later glare when she realized I'd been keeping quite a lot from her as of recently.
"I've been wanting to get a few tattoos. Especially since I just finally turned 18. I bet you snag hella ladies with those." Brock joked while eyeing all of Scar's ink.
"Ask your sister. She couldn't keep her hands off me the first night we met." He teased as my face turned bright red.
"Scar!" I hissed while smacking his arm. Brock's face twisted up in disgust before looking away from us. I don't blame him. I didn't ever want to hear about any of his conquests either.
"I'm sorry I've been hogging his attention. Why don't we all go see him now?" My mom's sweet voice caught us all off guard. She had a happy smile on her face which made me want to weep with joy. My mom went to turn and lead the way before she caught sight of Scar. Her face scrunched with worry.
"Honey, I don't mean to be rude, but it'd probably be best if you don't touch her at all in front of her father. Just until he's not in such a fragile state. We only just agreed to discuss this right before everything happened." She reasoned while motioning between the two of us with a sorry expression. Scar cleared his throat but nodded in understanding before dropping his arm from around my body. I instantly missed the heat he provided.
Entering the room, my dad's eyes lit up at seeing all of us together.
"I could die a happy man!" He exclaimed weakly through laughter, which earned him a harsh whack to the arm from my mom.
"Don't even joke about that." She reprimanded. He just shook his head and kissed the back of her hand as she took a seat on the edge of his bed. His eyes instantly zoned in on the gurgling bundle in Ellie's arms, his eyes growing misty as he held his arms out.
Cradling Knox Jr. to his chest, he sniffled before pulling Ellie down for a kiss to her forehead.
"My God, he's beautiful angel." He asserted, choking up as Knox Jr's little baby hand held his index finger in a death grip.
"I named him after you." Ellie whispered through her tears. My dad murmured how sorry he was that he couldn't be there before showering Knox Jr's cheeks with butterfly kisses as the little guy gurgled happily in his arms.
"When are you going to give me one?" My dad joked with a playful grin.
"Probably soon." Scar said teasingly, though everyone's laugh was cut short as my dad's gaze snapped to him. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
My dad didn't say anything, just glared as Scar from his spot on the bed. Ellie, sensing the growing tension in the room, snatched her baby from my dad's arms before stepping behind Beckett to shield herself from our father's wrath.
"Dad, now is not the time. We said we would discuss this later." I reasoned, my voice wavering just the slightest bit. I could see he was trying his best to restrain himself as heat crept up his neck in anger. Clearly he was still not akin to the idea when presented with it.
"Fine." He growled out before sending a death glare Scar's way. "I may be in a hospital bed, but I could still kick your ass. Don't forget that."