How To Save A Life [A Robert Downey Jr. Fan-Fic]

Chapter 11: Dark Times

"Good morning, Robert", Liz greeted politely as he entered her room.

For a second, she looked at me without saying a word. Of course she couldn't talk to me in front of him otherwise he'd probably think she's crazy. Instead she nodded slightly and I sat down on the couch next to Robert.

Liz sat down on the recliner across from us, crossing her legs, regarding him closely. I recognized her eyes looking at me a few times, always just for a few seconds before she looked back at Robert.

"I'm glad you decided to come back", she recognized contentedly, smirking at Robert.

"I felt like I owed that to her", he mumbled without looking at her.

She nodded slightly.

"So, would you like to tell me about that accident today?", she asked and moved to the edge of her seat.

"What do you expect me to say?", he countered impolitely.

"For example, what happened? If I'm not mistaking, it was a car accident, right?", she assumed and looked at me. I nodded slightly.

"Yeah", he agreed quietly.

"Do you want me to guess or are you going to tell me on your own?", she kept interrogating.

He glanced at her.

"Where were you going?", she wanted to know then and unfolded her legs.

Immediately, I recognized a glimpse of a smile on his lips.

"It was our fifth wedding anniversary", he explained and finally looked at Liz, "I wanted to take her to a special place I've once discovered."

He paused and swallowed hard.

I reached out for his hand, softly stroking the back of his hand, and gained another look from Liz.

"I- I- It was a beach far away from any civilization", he stuttered and ran his fingers through his messy dark brown hair, "I wanted to go there with her, spend the night with her by just laying at the beach, looking up to the sky and enjoy our intimate togetherness."

My eyes filled with tears. He was such a romantic. Every year, he had a new surprise for me. And even after eight years of relationship, he still loved me as much as at the first day. And so did I.

"That sounds nice", Liz mumbled and leaned back, crossing her legs again, "Please go on."

He took a deep breath and tried to reminisce about the events of that night.

"We drove along the street", he continued, his voice was weak, "I was driving. It was dark and I could barely see anything. But first of all, I contained the situation."

"What happened next?", Liz asked with her soft and welcoming voice.

"There was a car- another car", he sobbed and I recognized some tears streaming down his cheek. His hands started to shiver and he closed his eyes, trying to fight against the bad memories.

"The other car came out of nowhere", I added for Liz, still stroking the back of his hand with my thumb, "It was way too fast, the lights turned off. It was impossible for Robert to recognize him..."

He reached out for the box of tissues on the table between them and dried his tears with one.

"What about the other car?", Liz asked after a moment of hesitation.

"It was fast", Robert continued quietly.

He swallowed hard.

"It came out of nowhere and crashed into us", he added and buried his head in his hands, "I didn't see him..."

"Why didn't you see him?", Liz wanted to know, patiently listening to his story.

He shook his head.

"I don't know", he mumbled, his hands shivering, "Maybe I didn't pay enough attention. Usually, I'm a good driver. I should have seen him. I should have seen him..."

"You could not have seen him, Robbie", I countered with teary-eyes, holding his hands.

"Maybe you couldn't see him", Liz assumed, "You said he was fast. It was dark. Were the lights turned on?"

For a moment we remained in silence. Liz regarded Robert closely.

"I can't remember", he answered then, "I don't remember any lights..."

"Because they weren't, Robert", I whispered and tried to wipe away his tears, "You could not have seen him."

"Would you like to go on?", Liz wanted to know and moved to the edge of her seat again.

He nodded slightly.

"The car flipped and-", he sobbed and took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "The next thing I see is her face. Her eyes closed, blood all over her beautiful face, her hair bloodstained and... She didn't breathe any longer."

I recognized Liz looking at me with her sorrowful eyes.

"I see her again and again. Every time I close my eyes, it's her I see", he continued explaining, "I can't sleep because I see her at night, her face with all this blood... And all I can think is that it was my fault she has died. My fault..."

"No, it wasn't", I countered scarcely audible and tried to fight against the upcoming tears in my eyes.

"I think we should take a break here", Liz offered, regarding him closely, "This was a huge step, Robert."

He tried to fake a smile.

"I have some homework for you again", she added carefully and gained a surprised look from Robert, "You don't have to do it right now but I think it's really important for you."

He nodded slightly and showed her to go on.

"The first day you came here, you filled in a file", she continued, "And you wrote down that you haven't been able to go to the cemetery since her funeral. But I think, it's important for you to go there and pay her a visit."

His eyes widened and I recognized panic in his look.

"Take your time", she tried to motivate him, "Talk to her and..."

"I can't talk to her, doc", he interrupted her anxiously, "Although I use to talk to her sometimes but I can't talk to her grave."

"Give it a try", Liz countered and smiled at him, "I'm sure she can hear you. Just tell her about your feelings and you'll see, it's going to make you feel better."

I knew what she was trying to do.

"Thank you", I whispered and half smiled at her.

She nodded slightly and smiled back at me without Robert recognizing.

"Will I see you on Thursday?", she asked Robert as they got up.

"Sure", he replied quietly without looking at her.

He was finally going to visit me. Maybe not today, maybe not this week and maybe not even this month. But sooner or later he would.

I was confident about that fact.

And I couldn't wait for that moment. Because I needed him. I needed him to console me. Like he did when I was alive.

Like he did during the darkest time of our relationship.

Like he did after Grace's death.