Theodosia and Philip

After the Duel

After the duel she was forced to go back home. Because she wasn't family the hospital didn't allow her in to say goodbye. She knew he was in there alone. She sat outside the hospital waiting for something. Anything. About how Philip was doing. She watched as Alexander raced into the building. He didn't even notice she was standing there soaked in her sweat and tears. And Philip's blood. She watched as Eliza came running up to the hospital a few minutes later pausing only for a second to see the blood stains on Theo's hands and stomach and break down into full hysteria. Eliza took only a second more to calm herself and then tore though the hospital without a word to Theodosia.
     She stared at the doors barely even blinking. She was too in shock to speak to anyone who came up to her to try and make sure she was okay. She just stared and stared praying that Philip would survive. The tears had stopped but her face was still red and puffy. She stood there thinking about how much she loathed George Eacker. He spoke ill of Alexander. He provoked Philip and pushed him to the edge. He. Shot. Before. Ten. She wished that she could have been more like her mother. Or more like Philip's mother -who had been kind enough to be a second mother for her when her mother died. She wished she could have made Philip just let it go. Like Eliza did to Alexander when Burr took Mr. Schuyler's seat in the Senate. She wished she had done more to protect her friend.
     The moment she saw Philip's parents walking towards the door she knew what had happened. The tears came back. She couldn't stop shaking. Her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground and didn't have the energy to get back up. She lay there as the Hamiltons slowly walked passed her.
     Eliza noticed Theo lying there and and told Alexander to go back for her. Their eyes were blurry from their tears but Alexander bent down and carefully picked her up. This girl practically lived at his house after her mother died. Aaron never stayed home. He hated it there. Everything there reminded him of the woman he loved.
     Alexander carried Theodosia back to the Hamilton estate. He quietly carried her to Philip's now empty bed as Eliza helped him pull the covers over her. Everything smelled like him. She remembered the day she finally had the courage to get close enough for his scent to get engrained in her memory. She was crying into his shoulder for hours because her mother had just died. She pulled the covers over her head so she could be surrounded by him. She fell asleep crying.