Taylor x Travis: In Every Life

for better or for worse

Taylor's POV

Even though I'd been trying to get used to it for three weeks now, I was disappointed when I opened the front door of Travis' apartment and was greeted with silence. Sighing to myself, I pushed the door closed behind me and flicked the lights on, starting to move down into the living room.

Travis had been gone for twenty-two days and counting, and neither of us had any idea when he'd be back. I knew that this would be a part of our relationship when we'd first started dating nine months ago, but he hadn't been gone until now. He was in the military and had been called away for overseas service in Russia. I missed him like crazy, but I'd known this was going to happen and all I'd asked of him before he left was to be safe and come home to me. Travis had promised, given me one of his rings to keep me company while he was gone. I wore it on a chain around my neck.

Moving through the silent apartment, I watered the plants I'd spent the last few weeks and just checked on the place. I smiled to myself like I always did when I glanced into Travis' bedroom and saw the framed photo he had on his bedside table, the one of him and I two months ago on my birthday. It was my favorite photo of us.

As I finished up and headed back towards the front door, my phone started to ring in my pocket. Grabbing it out, I glanced down at the screen to see that Donna was calling me. I smiled to myself, answering the call and tucking the phone up to my ear as I stepped outside and moved to lock the front door behind me.

"Hi Donna." 

"Hey honey." Donna sighed, sounding worn down. "How're you doing?"

"I'm okay." I frowned, wondering why she sounded the way she did. 

"I just thought I'd see if you wanted me to pick you up on the way to the base." Donna said. "Save you taking your car out as well."

"The base?" I paused. "Why would we need to go to the base?"

"What?" There was a beat of silence. "Taylor, did you not get the call this morning?"

"What call?" I breathed.

"Oh, honey." Donna sighed. "Honey, Travis got hurt. Something happened while he was on duty and he was involved in a shooting. They flew him home once they got him stable and he's in the hospital at the base."

My body went still, blood going cold. My hand fell away from the lock, leaving my keys dangling there as I processed the information. Travis had been shot. He'd been hurt. And no one had called me. I knew I was on his emergency contact list along with Donna, Ed, Jason, and Kylie, so why hadn't they called me? Why?

"Oh." I whispered. "Oh."

"Honey I'm so sorry you didn't know, they must have made a mistake and forgotten to call you." Donna said softly.

"Yeah, yeah I guess so." I sniffed, blinking away tears. "I'm at his place right now though, so I'll just meet you there. I've got my ID."

"Okay, I'll see you there. Drive safe honey."

I had to sit in my car for ten minutes before I could stand to drive, letting myself cry it out, cry out my fears that Travis wasn't okay. Why hadn't anyone called to tell me? I felt pushed aside, not as important as anyone else to be there for him. But maybe it was all just a mistake, so once I'd calmed down I turned on my car and started to drive to the base.

I arrived half an hour later, passed over my ID, and was let inside. My heart in my throat, I drove slowly down to the medical care building and parked next to Donna's familiar blue car. She was waiting by the door for me and took my hand, squeezing it without a word as we turned to go inside. I was scared of what we'd find when we saw Travis, but I really wanted to just hug him and know that even if he was broken, he was home.