more than i can hold in my heart.

man to man

The phone rang loudly, rousing him from his much-needed sleep.

Ben groaned as he moved towards the bedside, blinking fast, trying to stop sleep from overcoming him.

He opened one eye, grabbing the phone. Oh God, he hoped there were no emergencies. He had just come from a whole day of duty at 19; he deserved some rest.

Miranda was out, hospital business calling her in the dead of the night, and he freely moved back in the middle of the bed, squinting at the bright screen of his phone.

His eyes opened fully as he glimpsed on the name written above the familiar number. Panic seized him.

"Tuck?" He answered it quickly, sitting up. He debated whether he should get out and get dressed so he could head to his stepson's college, or should he stay?

"Hellooo?" The familiar deep voice of the young adult slurred through the phone. "Is this Monica?" He laughed, "No, Brian, shut up! I'm trying--" hiccup, "--to listen!"

Ben frowned. As he knew it, Brian was Tuck's best friend, and Monica was Brian's girlfriend. "Hello, Tuck?"

There was a pause, and Ben strained to listen. He was so ready to take off and get his son, but he had to keep calm. "Dad? Dad! What- what are you doing with Monica?"

Shuffling interrupted Ben before he could answer the obviously intoxicated William Bailey-Jones.

A slightly familiar voice came through next. "Hello, Dr. Warren? This is Brian."

He cleared his throat. "Brian, what is going on?"

The young man sighed. "Tuck, just a sec, okay? Calm down! Yo, Kaleb, can you hold him off the beer?!" He shouted away from the phone before his voice became clear again. "Sorry about that, Dr. Warren, but Tuck's… he proposed to Kelly. And she left him." The news sank in to Ben, and he got out of bed instantly as Brian explained more. "He drank before we could stop him, and nobody could stop him now that he's drunk. Could you please pick him up? We've got one week off classes anyway."

Ben was out the bedroom door as he finished explaining. "I'm on my way."

×+×+×+×

He debated in himself before calling Miranda.

"Hey, baby, sorry, I'm kinda busy." Her tired voice came from the other end as he pulled to a red stoplight. "What's wrong? It's… 2 am, are you okay?"

Ben sighed loudly, before looking back at the mostly empty road. "It's Tuck."

He could imagine his wife straightening her back. "What? What happened?"

"I-I, I got it. No need to fret, my love, it's just a little…" He wiped his face and drove as the light turned green. "He proposed. Just as he told us. And she ran away."

"Oh. Oh, my baby," she whispered.

Ben nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Yeah. He's… he's drunk. Brian called me."

"I'll go to you guys, where are you?" He heard shuffling in the background. "I'll be out in five."

"Miranda," he warned her. "Let me handle this tonight, you can comfort him tomorrow."

"What, you're bringing him to us?"

"Brian said they got a week off. Miranda Bailey, let me deputize. I got it, okay?"

She sighed and a beat passed, before she agreed. "Alright, fine, fine. But I'll finish early anyway. I'll be out in a couple of hours."

"That's fine to me. I love you, sweetheart."