Time, Truth, Tragedy

Come Home

Chapter 4

Come Home

"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Ethan Mills was tired. It had been a long day at the hospital. He still couldn't believe he actually had the job of hospital Medical Director of Starling General. It was a job he never thought he'd have in a million years, and yet here he is. It was a dream, and yet he couldn't enjoy it. Not truly. Not when he didn't know where his wife was.

It has been months since he's seen her. He remembers the last conversation they had. They were arguing. They'd gotten married in some spur of the moment trip to Atlantic City and they hadn't told anyone about it. He on one hand, wanted to tell the world, but he knew they should start with their family and friends. She seemed hesitant to tell anyone. She hadn't even told anyone at her job. He was afraid she'd regretted actually doing it, and so they fought. He accused her of not being honest, and telling her to just admit she didn't want to get married. She said he was just being dramatic and so he asked her point blank if she regrets getting married, and before she could answer, lightening struck and he lost control of the wheel. And that was it. The next moment he looked over to her, she was no longer his wife, but this person from a different universe. Months later, he's no where near closer to getting her back, and no one seems to care.

Ethan got the call from John about needing a cure for Terodoxin, so he waited for them. When John and Dinah appeared at the door to his office, they noticed the man staring off. The pair shared a look before John reached up and knocked on the door. Ethan turned, finally noticing their presence, before standing to his feet and reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a vial of green liquid.

"Close the door," he glanced over to Dinah, who nods before shutting the door.

"Is that it?" John asked walking over and Ethan nods.

"Yeah, you just have to administer this to the patient and it should neutralize the TCCD poison." Ethan hands the vial over to John who nods.

"How long will it take to reverse the effects?" Dinah asked, and Ethan glanced over her and sighed.

"Immediately," he replied before turning back to John. "Was that all you needed? I should get back out there."

John noticed the man's short behavior and knew with this thing with Laurel, he really had been taking it hard.

"Hey, thanks for this, we really appreciate it." John replied and Ethan nods.

"Yeah, sure," he says before heading toward his door.

"We haven't given up, you know." John said and Ethan stopped and turned to him. "We're going to figure out a way to get Laurel back, believe that."

"Honestly John, I don't. You guys all seem to have something going on and I find it hard to believe, finding my wife is mixed in with that." Ethan shook his head. "You know I've never asked you guys for anything. I've never asked for a single thing, where as you guys seem to need something from me quite often." he held up a hand and took a step toward the man to explain his words. "And I'm not saying that I help you guys to get something in return, because hey, I'm a doctor, it's sort of my thing to help and not expect anything for it, but this-" Ethan shook his head. "It's been months, man. What are you actually doing to find her? Can you at least answer me, that?"