ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Hope & Hurt Pt II

But Zeus kept barking.

And growling.

Until the screeching of the tire as it mounted the sidewalk in front of them became too much.

They were silent.

Stunned.

As the sound of a body colliding with metal was hear, then drowned out by the return of the screeching as the driver fled the scene.

Leaving in its wake a silent and still Zeus.

The scream from Cody was heard down the street where Alex recognized it immediately, and in less than thirty seconds the entire squad had found the three. Cody kneeling beside Zeus, Jack holding her, and Kristie on the phone.

One Hour Later

Cody was despondent as Alex wrapped her arms around her. Most of the group was asked to leave the small veterinary hospital, the waiting room simply wasn't big enough to hold all the people who love Cody and in extension - Zeus.

Cody hadn't uttered a word since she screamed. She didn't even lash out at the stupid things that everyone continued to say or ask her, such as 'are you okay?' or 'he'll be okay'. Truth is, Cody wasn't sure she believed that, and she felt like a deadbeat for doubting if Zeus would pull through.

How many could pull through after that kind of accident? Animal or human. It would be a game of luck to survive, a roll of the dice.

She blamed herself. If she had paid more attention she could have moved him out of the way, she could have just done something.

Why didn't she do something?

The one time Zeus needed her and she let him down.

She didn't deserve a friend like Zeus and he deserved everything good that it seems humanity didn't offer him.

Nobody else really knew what to say either and so settled on silence, letting Alex comfort her daughter.

After the last months of Alex having doubts about never being there for Cody when she needed it, she felt partly responsible because now her daughter needed her. It was a cruel irony.

It was a shitshow.

From the moment Alex had heard Cody scream. It sent a chill down the older Morgan's spine.

Kristie and Jack simply sat beside Cody and Alex, silence was the only comfort anyone could offer.

Eleven miles away.

"What do you mean she's okay?" The slightly younger woman seethed. She had a plan, it was all worked out, and she'd be damned if anyone decided not to play their part.

"I missed. It happens."

"How do you, in a car, miss one girl, on the sidewalk?"

"She's my daughter!" The man yelled, his veins pulsing on his neck, his eyes holding rage and regret.

The woman only cackled, very witch-like, "That sure didn't matter to you before."

"You're right. But I'm not like you. I'm not a monster—"

"That's funny. Should we go and ask Alex what she thinks you are?" The woman smirked at the man's defeated expression. "That's what I thought. Now, what happened?"

"I hit the dog and drove off."

"You hit a dog? That's all?"

"She loves that dog." A new voice added their input, and stepping into the dull light of the room and out of the shadows stood Jo. "That'll still break her."

"At least one of you understands," the woman smiled evily. "Well done Jo. I want you to visit your dear sister."

"Why?"

"Well, for condolences, of course."

"I can't just show up. She'll know I know something."

"Don't be stupid. She'll be in shock, and she's too dense to put two and two together."

Knowing her aunt was wrong, Jo just nodded and grabbed her keys to her own vehicle, leaving the two adults she despises most behind her.

She wanted to be there for her sister, to rebuild a bridge that she burned a long time ago, but if she was going to do anything beneficial to Cody then she would have to play the long game and she'll be damned if she loses this game.

Her aunt was blinded by a need for revenge - as if Cody lied about what happened to her at the hands of the Dennings and is therefore somehow to blame for the fallout.

Their dad? She has no words for the man she once looked up to. She once admired her father as a strong, smart man but now she sees him clearly. No longer looking upon him with those 'father-daughter' glasses. She sees nothing but a spineless, manipulative monster.

What tears her apart most is she can see both her relatives in her. She can look back at her past actions - poisoning Cody - and see her father spiking Alex's drink. She can see her using Cody's addiction against her, and see a straight comparison to everything her Aunt has tried to do to mess with Cody's life.

Jo did her time, but Cody's sentence is something she can't stand beside and allow to happen. Even if Cody, and her friends and family, wanted Jo to stay as far away from her as possible, Jo would still do anything in her power to protect her sister.

Whether they knew it or not.

Whether they thanked her for it or not.

Jo was going to be there for Cody.

Those were the thoughts running through her mind as she pulled up to her stop. The building was drab, uninspiring and depressing, but she figured at least during this visit she wasn't in cuffs. That thought gave her some peace as she entered the police station with determined steps.

Meanwhile in the waiting room, Alex wasn't having any luck getting answers out of Cody, Jack or Kristie. It seemed the accident left it's mark on the three.

"Zeus?" The vet asked as he entered the small waiting area. There was no one else in the waiting room so he made a straight line to Cody who was still wrapped in Alex's arms.

The two stand, Alex's hold tightening as Jack and Kristie stand beside the mother and daughter.

"How i-is he?" Cody attempts to ask but her voice is hoarse, and she bites her lip to hold in a sob.

"I'm really sorry, we did everything we could."