For Fiona

26. Daddy's Day Pt. II

Nell heard what Grey said into the radio about Tim being rushed to the hospital with his Metro team and watched the blood drain from Lucy's face. "I'm sure he's fine," she said gently.

"Who's fine?" Fiona wondered.

Lucy snapped into mom mode while trying not to cry. "Everyone's fine, sweetheart. Your daddy is working, so he can't tie your bow, but I'm not so bad at it." She made quick work of looping a bow in her daughter's hair then took a long look at her. "Can I have a hug?"

"Yeah, Mommy, I need one, too," she replied and wrapped her arms around her mom for an embrace that made her feel lighter.

"I love you so much," she whispered into Fiona's hair then pulled away to look at her. "I need you to go back home with Nell and draw more pictures for your daddy for Daddy's Day, alright?"

"Can't we wait here until Daddy stops working?"

"No, not today, but why don't you give Kojo a ton of hugs, and then you can tell your daddy about it when we get home. That'll make him super happy."

"Okay." Fiona brightened and hopped down from where she was sitting on the couch.

It was always fascinating to see how little ones bounced right back after a meltdown, but Lucy was nowhere close to feeling better. She was numb and there was a ringing in her ears. All she could do was navigate the station and the drive to the hospital without thinking about anything else other than Tim. While stepping through the automatic sliding doors, she stopped breathing. She had no idea what to do or where to go.

She was lost.

She was panicked.

She needed Tim. Only he could be her anchor when she worried so much, but he was the reason she was so concerned like her organs were all about to stop without him. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard his voice calling her name, and she thought she must have imagined it. Lucy turned and saw that in the waiting room among everyone else, there he stood.

Tim.

She ran and lunged herself into his arms. He was there. He was real. She buried her nose in his neck and knew that was his scent and those were his hands spanning across her back. "Oh my God," she whimpered, and then suddenly, she was crying.

"Woah," he murmured as she squeezed him tighter. "Luce?" As she clung to him, he held onto her and did not say another word until her breathing evened out, and he took a half step back to look into her watery eyes. Tim swiped his thumbs across her wet cheeks. "What's wrong?"

Lucy sniffled. "What's wrong? I thought I lost you."

"I'm okay."

"Don't scare me like that again!"

"I didn't mean to scare you. I wasn't even gonna tell you."

"You weren't gonna tell me?"

"And freak you out when I'm perfectly fine?" He wanted to scoff at the absurdity, but she was too alarmed.

"You're not perfectly fine." She saw the cut over his eye and frowned. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"I need to wait here for news about the two guys on my team that are in surgery."

"Come with me." She took him by the hand, tugged him into an exam room, and motioned for him to sit on the exam table.

"Is this really necessary? My guys need me."

"Well, I need you!" She snapped. "So let me take care of your damn cut!"

He obeyed by hoisting himself onto the exam table and drew her to stand between his open legs. "Can you forget about the cut for a second?" He asked softly. "Are you mad at me?"