Running Out of Time

Chapter 17 - One Day (Blow Us All Away)

Peggy stood in the doorway listening to Laurens trying to convince Lafayette to take him to see Hamilton. She couldn't help but a smile at how excited Laurens was. Lafayette and Mulligan took turns getting Laurens to sit back on the bed, he was being a little impatient. Peggy knew that he was always a persistent one, sometimes it was pretty cute.

"Relax, Laurens," Peggy finally announced her presence, "he has to sleep."

"I can go and wait," Laurens continued trying to get up.

"Laurens," Peggy said with a slightly sterner tone, "it's alright."

Laurens settled down and sat back on the bed. "I just want to see him."

"I know," Peggy sat on the edge and of the bed, "he wants to see you too. He just needs some rest." She was hoping Laurens would buy into the slight lie she was telling. It was true that Hamilton needed his rest but she couldn't just explain it all to Laurens.

--

"Daisy, it's not that big of a deal," Philip tried to brush some of the worry away from his girlfriend.

"You feel down concrete stairs and broke two ribs," Theodosia did her best not to smile, "you're the only person who doesn't see this as a big deal." Sometimes the amount of ridiculousness that came out of him amused her.

"I'm totally fine," she could see the twinge of pain in his face, "I've never felt better."

"I'm not taking you home."

"Do I get credit for trying?"

She couldn't help but smile at his voice. He used a very specific way of speaking when he was trying to be extra cute, "a few points."

--

"I told you," Peggy nudged Lafayette as the both hid behind the corner, "Hamilton was right."

"So now what do we do?" Lafayette leaned against the wall in order to sneak another look. They were both blown away by the fact that Philip was here.

"I'll be honest," Peggy looked down the hall to see if anyone was around, "I have no idea."

"Should we," Lafayette looked as though he wasn't quite sure if his words would be correct, "should we talk to him?"

Peggy wasn't going to deny that she wanted to, however, she wasn't sure if it was the right call. She figured that Philip might want to find his parents, Eliza would be simple enough but things might be different with Hamilton. "I don't know."

--

"I told you," Hamilton smiled at both Peggy and Lafayette. "I told you."

"You did," Peggy smiled. She was happy to see Hamilton excited.

"They-they-they," Hamilton stopped for a moment in an attempt to fix his stutter, "they said I can maybe go home in three to seven weeks."

"That seems really early," Peggy leaned back in her chair.

"They said I'm already doing better," Hamilton seemed to be proud of himself. He had overheard Jefferson speaking with another doctor about his situation. Apparently, the slight improvement in his speaking had actually been better than anyone expected. It was predicted that it would take him at least four days to get to his current point, Peggy couldn't help but think that it had something to do with the fact that he was a ghost.

--

"Daisy," Philip nudged her with his elbow to get her attention, "do you see what I'm seeing."

"That depends," she looked at him, "what are you seeing?"

"That man over there," for once, Philip understood what a subtle point was, "is that who I think it is?"

He watched her face change. Instead of her semi-bored face she now had what looked like a glance of hope. She tapped his shoulder but wasn't really giving him any attention anymore, "I'll be right back." Philip almost wanted to protest as she began to walk across the room but he knew she would have gone anyway.

"Pardon me," Theodosia tapped the man on the shoulder, "Jefferson, is it?"

--

"Laurens, what are you doing," Peggy folded her arms from the doorway. It was starting to get somewhat tiring, running back and fourth between Laurens and Hamilton, but she almost liked it. Sometimes she get a glance at Philip. She had died a few months before Philip was born, she never formally met him. Eliza had spent what felt like lifetimes telling Peggy about how great Philip was along with how stupid Alexander could be.

"Relax," Laurens brushed her off, "I'm not doing anything."

"I thought Angelica told not to stand up until the stitches were a little more healed."

"Well," she could see the wheels turning in his head. Clearly, Laurens was just making this up on the spot, "I'm not bleeding so it's okay."

"Get back in bed you goof," Peggy shook her head and chuckled as Laurens made his way back to the bed. He was walking almost normally but the caution brought on by the stitches added a little something extra to his step.

"Seriously Peggy, I am fine, top notch even," Laurens only used words like that when he was trying to fool someone. Peggy had known him long enough to know that.

"Sure you are," she helped him adjust the blanket.

She didn't think that, in any of her lifetimes, she had spent this much time in a hospital. Peggy wasn't one to complain about these things, it had just been something she took notice off. It was distracting her from some of the more thought provoking questions that were still floating in her mind. She supposed that most of those questions didn't matter too much anymore given that things seemed somewhat normal.

--

"Okay wait," Eliza leaned her elbows on the table while holding the coffee in her hands, "what was the strategy with all this?"

"So," Maria had decided that it might be a good idea to explain the conversation between her and Hamilton to someone. Who better than her girlfriend? "I was trying to make him want it more. I'm no expert but I think it had something to do with him waking up." She took a moment to sip her tea. "I think he was scared to wake up. He was probably just scared of how John would react but I think that stopped mattering as much."

"I just can't believe you said that to him," Eliza leaned back in her chair. "It's nearly great in some sort of almost evil way."

Maria shrugged, "I'm good at what I do."

"And what do you do," Eliza half joked as she blew some steam off her cup.

"I please the people, I'm a people pleaser," Maria flashed a bright, proud smile. Both of them fell into a soft fit of giggles, it was fairly common for them.

--

"Burr," Jefferson used a rather harsh tone to fully grasp the man's attention, "you have a visitor and more rounds to do." Jefferson handed Burr what seemed like less files than usual and pointed him towards a waiting room, "go."

Burr wasn't sure what exactly to expect as he walked towards the room. He was almost positive that he wasn't properly prepared.

--

Hamilton laid back, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. There was nothing to do but think. It was something he was beginning to nearly hate. All he could think about was Laurens on the park bench, the Laurens who'd said he would marry him. Hamilton wasn't going to lie and say he hadn't been thinking about that specific idea for most of the time. It was something that deserved to be considered. Hamilton was already certain of his answer, that was, of course, as long as Laurens would still have him.