Time Heals

Tell Him The Truth

September 23, 2026

Hank's excruciating hangover was not being helped at all by the bright fluorescent lights of the hospital waiting room, or the loud clacking of the receptionist's fake nails on her keyboard.

"Excuse me," he said after waiting patiently for her to acknowledge him. She lazily raised her eyes in his direction. "I'm here to see Molly Padden."

"Are you her father?" She asked.

"No." He could feel the next question coming a mile away.

"Oh," she gave him an incredulous look. "Are you the father?" He had to stifle the need to groan at her. If he had a nickel for every time someone had confused him for one of those two over the last nine months.

"No. I'm just a friend," he stated simply.

"Well, I'm sorry. We don't typically allow non-family in so soon after..." she trailed off when he flashed her his badge. "Room 1124," she said before returning her eyes to her computer.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he turned to walk down the hall. He knew he really should stop abusing his power if he was going to be chief someday, but he couldn't deny how convenient it was.

The door to room 1124 was open. Molly was sitting up in her bed. Reading a book titled 'What To Expect In The First Year.' Beside her was one of those clear plastic bassinets. "Hey, kiddo," he said as he gently knocked on the door jamb. Molly looked up and gave him a soft smile. Her long brown hair fell off her slender shoulders as she placed the book on the table beside her.

"I'm so so sorry I wasn't here," he said sincerely as he walked over to her, sitting down on the far edge of the bed. "I worked a double shift yesterday, and when I woke up, I saw all your missed calls and I—" Molly put her finger to her lips.

"Would you like to say hello to Justin?" She said, motioning to the swaddled newborn snoozing in the bassinet.

"Justin?"

"What? Don't you think he looks like a Justin?" She questioned. He gazed down at the tot in contemplation. To him, the kid just looked like an old man that had been shrunk down and dipped in kool-aid. He did have Molly's dark brown hair, so he was most definitely a Padden, but Justin?

"I don't know." He gave a small shrug. "Don't you think it's kind of... outdated?"

"Look who's fucking talking, Henry." Molly teased. Molly was the only person not on the force he would take shit from. There was something about her all cards on the table way of life that Hank could identify with.

"Hey, watch the f-bombs. You're a mother now," he scolded.

"What? He can't understand us. Besides, he'll inherit my sailor's mouth no matter what I do," she said lovingly. Hank must have been staring at him because Molly suddenly asked out of nowhere. "Do you want to hold him?"

"I... don't want to wake him," he said hesitantly.

"He's been asleep for like three hours now, he'll be fine," she assured. Warily, he slid his hands under the newborn's head and bottom. He was being as gentle as he could, but Justin's eyes fluttered open. Hank expected him to start wailing his tiny lungs out, but the only sound he made was a soft cooing as he gazed up at him with endearing brown eyes. Hank didn't expect this kind of rush of emotions from just holding the child of a woman he'd barely known for nine months. He had nothing to do with this kid, yet he felt this pull somewhere between his heart and his gut. A primal need to protect and to nurture.

Jesus Christ Hank, you're an asexual with baby fever. What a fucking mess.

Hank felt a deep sadness in his heart as he looked around at Molly's room. There were no cards, no flowers, no oversized teddy bears. Just a lonely nineteen-year-old and her child. He thought about Molly's parents and what kind of spineless excuses for human beings would abandon their daughter that way. He made a mental note to go down to the gift shop and buy her whatever overpriced crap they had. He couldn't help but wonder if he had just gone to bed without drinking last night if he would have heard his phone go off and could have been here for her.