Work Text:
Tim’s phone rings just as he’s pulling back into the station. He frowns when he sees it’s St. Stephen’s and glances over at Aaron before answering.
“Hello?”
“Is this Tim Bradford?” A female voice asks on the other end. “I’m calling about Lucy Chen.” Tim’s entire body freezes up and his heart starts pounding as he waits for the woman to continue. Something happened to Lucy.
But why were they calling him?
“She was shot and she is in surgery right now.” The woman says bring Tim out of his thought. “You are her emergency contact and I just wanted to let you know.” Tim swallows down the lump in his throat.
“Um thank you.” He says. “I um.. thank you.” He’s not sure what else to say because apparently he was still Lucy’s emergency contact even after they broke up. Maybe she forgot about it and didn’t even think to change it. He knows she’s still on the top of his list and he’s not sure if he will ever change it.
“If you want to come by and wait we can give you updates here.” The woman says. “Or we can call you again when she’s out of surgery.”
“No I-I will be there soon.” Tim says surprising himself. He glances over at Aaron who has a concerned look on his face. “Thank you.” They hang up and Tim turns to Aaron taking a deep breath.
“What happened? Is Lucy okay?” Aaron asks. Tim shakes his head trying to get his breathing under control.
“She was shot and she’s in surgery and—” He trails off. “I’m her emergency contact still.” Aaron hums sympathetically and Tim leans his head back against the back of the seat. He’s not even sure Lucy wants to see him or would want him in her room but—
It didn’t really matter to him whether they were together or not she was always going to be the person he goes running to. He knows he made a mistake and he knows he messed up their relationship, blew it up and he has regretted it every day since.
Angela, Grey and countless other people had talked to him about what had happened. They had told him to go to therapy and work through his issues and to make it right with Lucy.
He wanted to make it right with Lucy.
He wanted to work through his issues.
He just didn’t know where to start, he made an appointment for therapy but had pushed it back. He didn’t know why maybe he was nervous, maybe he was denying what he knew he needed.
“You know.” Says Aaron. “This could be your chance to talk to her.” Tim looks over at Aaron and then looks away. He wants to talk to Lucy, but he doesn’t want her to feel trapped. He wants to talk to her but he wants to do it on her terms.
“I-I can’t.” He says. “I don’t want her to feel like she has to talk to me.”
Aaron sighs loudly. “I get that but you both have been avoiding each other and maybe just sitting down to talk would help you both.” He says. Tim nods and maybe Aaron is right, maybe he just needs to take the leap.
He sighs loudly he couldn’t worry about that right now, right now he needed to get to the hospital to make sure Lucy was okay.
Tim changes out and ignores Angela’s knowing glance. And gets in his truck and drives towards the hospital. He didn’t mind if he didn’t get to see her, he just wanted to know she was okay. He just wanted to know she was alive.
That she was breathing.
And maybe he could rest easy tonight.
***
Lucy opens her eyes to see the stark white walls and she groans a little. She looks around and realizes she’s in a hospital bed. And unlike every time before there’s no one in the chair next to her bed, no one holding her hand willing her to wake up.
She blinks back the tears at those memories, it hurt more than her gunshot wound.
Tim was always there for her.
Until he broke her heart in two.
There’s a knock on her door and she sits up a bit wincing as she does. The doctor comes in and smiles at her.
“Welcome back Ms. Chen.” He says. She gives him a feeble smile and he stands at the end of the bed. “You are lucky. The bullet didn’t hit anything major but you did lose quite a lot of blood.” Lucy swallows and nods. “But I’m going to be okay?” She asks her voice hoarse.
The doctor nods. “It will be a long recovery but yes you will be okay.” He says and Lucy bites the inside of her cheek.
“Thank you.” She says and the doctor nods. He starts to walk out of the room and then turns back a questioning look in his eyes. “There is someone in the waiting room that seems like he wants to come see you.” He says.
Lucy’s heart nearly jumps out of her chest. “Um.” She says. And she knows exactly who is out there. She knows because she knows him and that he would always come check up on her no matter what. “You can let him come back.”
The doctor nods and leaves the room. Tim comes walking into the room several minutes later with his hands shoved in his pockets and his eyes on the ground.
“Hey.” Says Lucy softly. Tim looks up and he sighs a breath of relief when he sees her.
“Hi.” He says not moving from his place by the doorway. “Are you okay?”
She nods and bites her lip. “I will survive.” She says. Tim nods but doesn’t say anything else and still doesn’t move.
“How did you know I was here?” Lucy asks.
Tim shuffles his feet and lets out a breath as if he’s nervous. “I’m still your emergency contact.” He says a little shyly.
“Oh.” Lucy breathes. “I’m um sorry you got called.” Tim steps more into the room and meets her eyes, a determined look on his face.
“Don’t apologize Lucy. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He says. Lucy closes her eyes and looks away from him.
“I am.” She says. There’s a long awkward silence that’s she’s not used to with Tim.
“Do you want me to leave?” Tim asks. Lucy plays with the blanket on her lap and shakes her head.
“No.” She says. “I don’t.” Tim gives her a small smile and comes more into the room. He sits down in the chair but doesn’t scoot closer. Lucy gives him a look and then reaches out for his hand. He hesitates but takes her hand, and it feels so familiar him holding her hand like it was the missing piece to her puzzle.
“You can come closer I don’t bite.” She says teasingly.
“Lucy.” He says somewhat somberly. “I—” Lucy ducks her head down a little hoping he doesn’t see that her cheeks are bright red.
“I’m sorry.” She says dropping his hand. “I didn’t mean—”
“No!” Tim says quickly and he does scoot closer to her. “Lucy, I know this isn’t the best place to do it and I don’t want you to feel trapped or think I’m doing this because you got hurt.” Lucy gives him a curious look but lets him go on.
She has a feeling she knows where he was going with this, and it made her heart pound a little harder. He was also so attentive to her needs and feelings it made her want to cry.
“I’m sorry.” He says. “I’m sorry for everything. I regret breaking up with you, breaking your heart. I regret shutting you out and lying to you. And I’m trying I am. I want to get help. But I just wanted you to know how sorry I am for not trusting you enough to let you help me.”
Lucy blinks at him, tears leaking out of her eyes. “You mean all of that?” She asks softly. She reaches for his hand again and this time he doesn’t hesitate. He loops his hand with hers, and she squeezes it.
“Yes.” He says. “I mean every single word Luce. I want to be the man you deserve.” Lucy motions him forward and he moves so he’s in her space.
She gives him a kiss on the forehead and then moves back so she can cup his face. “You Tim Bradford are incredible.” She says.
Tim blinks at her and there are tears in his eyes. She realizes just how far he had fallen and how little he thought of himself at the moment. It broke her heart a little bit that he couldn’t see himself the way she saw him.
“This will take work.” She says after a few minutes. Tim nods his hand still looped in hers, and she can tell he’s thinking.
“You are worth it.” He says. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it before.. that night I wasn’t in a good place.”
“I know.” Lucy whispers. “I know and you are worth it too.” And she does know that because Tim had never shut her out like that. They had usually always talked things through. So it was odd when he had just disappeared for thirty six hours without even a text telling her he was okay. He was protecting her and she got that but—
“Are you willing to put in the work?” She asks him. He nods leaning forward and this time he drops a kiss to her forehead.
“Yes. I’m still—I’m not myself but yes Lucy.” He says softly. Lucy makes a soft noise and she feels the pieces of her heart starting to come back together.
“I—” She pauses for a minute and Tim looks at her curiously. She swallows hard.
“You what?”
“I love you.” She says. Tim blows out a breath and leans in to kiss her. His lips ghost hers for a few seconds and then he’s whispering the words she had been longing to hear since he broke up with her.
“I love you too Lucy.” He whispers. She giggles making Tim jump a little bit. She giggles again feeling like her heart was put back together already.
“Hey Tim.” She mutters after a few minutes. He looks at her and his eyes are full of love and affection she knows is just for her.
“I’m glad you are my emergency contact.” She says softly. Tim laughs this time.
“Me too Luce. Me too.”