Breaking Point

Chapter 14

Hours after the bridge incident, Lucy sat in her car outside the hospital where Emily was being evaluated. The adrenaline from earlier had worn off, leaving her drained and numb. She stared blankly out the windshield, the events of the night replaying in her mind.

The fear, the desperation in Emily's eyes—it had all hit too close to home.

Lucy had always prided herself on being able to compartmentalize her personal feelings when it came to her work, but this was different. This case had become too personal, too intertwined with her own struggles.

She was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally. The weight of everything she'd been carrying was finally catching up to her, and it was becoming harder and harder to keep it all together.

Tim sat beside her, silent for a while, just letting her sit in the quiet. He knew better than to push her to talk, but his concern was evident in the way he kept glancing at her, his brow furrowed with worry.

"You did good today," he finally said, his voice low and steady. "You saved her, Lucy."

Lucy shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the distant horizon. "I didn't save her," she muttered. "I just bought her some time."

Tim frowned. "That's not nothing. Sometimes, time is all people need."

But Lucy wasn't convinced. She had seen too much, been through too much, to believe that a single conversation could change the course of someone's life.

She knew how deep the darkness could run, how hard it was to claw your way back from the edge. And she knew that no matter how much time you bought, sometimes it just wasn't enough.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this," Lucy whispered, her voice so quiet that Tim almost didn't hear her.

His heart ached at the sound of her words. He had known for a while that Lucy was struggling, but hearing her admit it out loud was something different. It made it real in a way that hit him hard.

"You don't have to do it alone," Tim said gently, reaching over to take her hand. "I'm here. Your mom's here. We're all here for you."

Lucy nodded, but the gesture felt hollow. She knew they were there for her—she knew that Tim and Zoe loved her, that they would do anything to help her.

But the problem wasn't just external. The real battle was the one happening inside her, and no one else could fight that for her.

She squeezed Tim's hand, offering him a small, tired smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I know," she said softly. "I know."

They sat there for a while longer, the silence heavy between them. And though Tim stayed by her side, Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that she was sinking deeper into a place where no one could reach her.