darling, you ought to know...

Even though she wasn't present, Gale knew the exact moment that Dewey had been hurt. Hell, she'd seen the damage in person time and time again - felt it just as hard, too. He never just ignored her calls. Even if Dewey missed one, he called Gale back within mere minutes. She knew that something awful had happened, and she felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her fucking chest the moment they told her he was in critical condition. They even prepared Gale for the absolute worst, because due to his previous injuries and severe nerve damage, he was considered a high-risk patient when they admitted him into the emergency room. She still wasn't ready for them to come back and tell her anything but good news.

Dewey was a good man... a genuinely kind man who deserved more than what the Woodsboro Police Department bothered to acknowledge.

She swore to God, if they hadn't been so stupid and had their falling out, she would've torn apart every single goddamn authority she had to in order to keep Dewey on the force. After all, he was the only one to have any sort of impact on the murders that was remarkably positive. Dewey is a hero, and she always knew that shit department never saw his courage like Sidney and the other survivors had... not like she did. Then again, if they had still remained with one another, none of this may have even happened.

Though, if Gale was being gentle with herself, this wasn't any sole person's fault.

The longer Gale stayed, the more memories flooded her mind and made her question why the two of them had ever let each other go. They were such a strong unit, and they couldn't hang onto each other long enough to fight Dewey's addiction? That was also unfair to think. The truth is that her ex-husband left before she could see how much he was struggling... and that's because she had practically divorced him and married her career when they moved to New York. Dewey didn't want to bring her down with him, as he liked to put it... but Gale should've known, because she should've paid far more attention to what was most important in her life.

The truth is, Gale beat herself up over this more than Dewey ever knew, probably just as much as he did to himself. She was smart enough to know that with all of his injuries, hospitalizations, and medications, paired with the loss of his little sister and every Ghostface spree they were pulled into, that this could lead to substance abuse. Behind every story she became enamored with, Dewey was doubling down on his painkillers... and his whiskey. How could she let herself be so goddamn clueless to what was happening in her own home?!

Trauma bonded...

her therapist drills the term into her head every session when she's questioning making the move back to the West Coast. Gale had worked her ass off to get the life she believed that she deserved, but after living half of it with Dewey by her side, the sparkle is dwindling now that she's alone. And now, after being back in Woodsboro, after hearing her best friend's pained confession to why he left so suddenly, she's fighting with everything in her to stay with him. Gale wanted to fall back into his arms like there was nothing wrong... just like every single time they did before. Might not be healthy, but she felt so alive every time she was with him.

Damn you, Dewey. Trying not to love him was the real pain in her ass.

After a few calls and arrangements, as well as multiple pleas from Dewey about not making a huge deal of any of this, Gale was set on staying until he was released a week later with a nearly full recovery. The doctor said had he been stabbed any closer to his spine, any more at all, or near his previous back injuries, his chances of survival were next to none. Deep through his side and a few in his stomach, but nothing critical. He had been real goddamn lucky this time... they both had been.