Time, Mystical Time

After finishing his beer, John Nolan set the bottle down on the patio table in the backyard of Tim Bradford's house and stared intently at Tim where he was seated across from him. They had known each other for many years, and Tim had changed exponentially in that time, which seemed surreal to John when he really thought about it.

Wesley Evers, feeling sentimental, noted, "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow."

"It's been a long time coming," Tim replied.

"Oh, really?" John scoffed. "Lucy could hardly stand you when you were her Training Officer."

"Things changed," was Tim's response.

"Still surprises me sometimes that you two ever got together. I thought she was a pain in your ass," John said to which Tim smirked fondly. "When did you even know you wanted to marry Lucy?"

Without missing a beat, Tim answered with a growing smile, "Our first kiss." Even though he could not accept the weight of that moment when it happened, later reflection yielded that particularly special realization.

"That's how it was for me and Angela. One kiss, and I was done," Wes shared before finishing his beer.

Since everyone's drinks were empty, Tim suggested, "Thanks for coming over to keep me company, but we can call it a night."

"Angela gave me strict orders to stay here until midnight, and it's not even eleven," Wes replied.

"I guess that means we could all use another round. I'll be right back." John stood up from his chair and walked into the house to collect more beers from the refrigerator. Tim's home had become unrecognizable since Lucy moved in along with color, artwork, plants, and clutter added to the previously plain space, and John found himself admiring the evolution of Tim and Lucy yet again on the eve of their wedding. He took three bottles of beer out of the refrigerator with a sentimental grin and made his way to the sliding patio doors that lead to the backyard. He was not paying attention to the small step down onto the concrete outside and lost his balance. Slowly, he fell to the ground as he shut his eyes, but when he opened them with a gasp, his vision was whited out by bright fluorescent lights. John blinked a few times to adjust to the new brightness.

"Dad? Dad!" Henry Nolan exclaimed as he jumped a little in his seat. "Don't move. I'll get a nurse."

"A nurse? What's going on?" He wondered.

"You don't remember?" Henry felt a chill run down his spine when his father shook his head, knowing he would have to share some difficult news. "You've been in a coma for ten months."

"Ten months?" His heart clenched. "I missed the wedding?"

"What wedding? I think you're confused. You were at the bank when it got robbed, and one of the robbers hit you in the head when you tried to be a hero. Do you remember that?"

"A bank robbery? What are you talking about? Where's Bailey?"

"Bailey?" He scrunched his nose. "Who's Bailey?"

"Quit pulling my leg."

"Okay, I'm definitely going to get a nurse," Henry said. As John was being examined, it was daunting to see his father who was usually so put together act so curiously calling for people whose names were unfamiliar and speaking about the L.A.P.D. for some reason, so when the rush of hospital staff left them alone in the hospital room, he sighed and said, "Dad, you're scaring me."

"I'm not trying to scare you, son. I guess I'm really confused."

"When the doctors asked about the last thing you remember, you mentioned a bunch of people I don't know, and you talked about Tim and Lucy getting married. Who are Tim and Lucy?"