𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 9-1-1 𝙁𝙤𝙭 ✓

II.VI

"What are you talking about, Buck?" Eddie spoke over the phone as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had the day off today and was currently sitting in the living room with Christopher watching him play video games.

"I'm being serious. That girl from two doors down woke up from her coma saying Cat adopted her during the tsunami. Eddie, they've never met when Cat was still awake." Buck said seriously, making Eddie sit up straight as he tried processing everything.

"Just- why haven't you come down to see your wife? I mean, I thought you and Christopher would've been here immediately after the tsunami. The nurses told me you haven't even stepped foot on this floor since." Eddie stayed quiet. "It's been two weeks, Eddie. What are you thinking?" Buck pushed, looking over at Tilly who was in regular clothes now, still in a wheelchair as she still struggled to walk.

Tilly hadn't left Catalina's side since she woke up, she sat there and talked to her for hours until a nurse came to take her to physical therapy or to help her into bed in her own room. She had yet to meet Eddie or Christopher. Everyone from the station had stopped by to check up on Catalina and see the mysterious new girl Buck wouldn't stop talking about.

She was their only connection to Catalina; the only proof they had that Catalina would wake up. They grasped onto that like a final lifeline.

"I-" Eddie took a deep breath, standing up from the couch and going into his room so Christopher wouldn't hear anything. "I'm scared, Buck." He admitted to Buck. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking over at the wedding photo he had hung up. Catalina had the largest smile on her face. So much life.

Buck didn't know what to say, sitting in the lobby of the hospital now so Tilly couldn't hear what they were talking about. "Why? If Tilly woke up, that's gotta mean that Cat will too, and soon." He told him, hoping that it would open his eyes. Buck could tell that Eddie was thinking of calling it quit; of pulling the plug on Catalina and Buck would rather die than let him do something so stupid.

Eddie kept his eyes on Catalina's lively face, his heart clenching at the thought of letting her go but maybe things would be better if he and Christopher just moved on.

"I-" He started, about to tell Buck his plan but Buck could tell that whatever he was thinking of doing was a terrible idea that he'd regret for the rest of his life. "No. You're not pulling the plug on Catalina. At least come down with Christopher and meet Tilly. Cat adopted her for a reason, Eddie. Don't disappoint her." Buck spoke, hanging up before Eddie had the chance to deny his request.

Buck walked back into the hospital room, noticing Tilly was still in the same spot she was in before. At this rate, it felt like Tilly cared for Catalina more than Eddie did. It hurt Buck to think that way because he knew Eddie loved his wife but it was getting harder and harder to believe as the days went on.

"Why hasn't he come?" Tilly's soft voice boomed through the otherwise quiet room. Buck took a seat on the opposite side, looking over Catalina as he gently caressed her hair. She was a great friend of his, even if he's only spoken to her through whispers. He couldn't imagine what he'd feel if Eddie decided to give up.

"Eddie is...he's a stubborn guy. He's just scared right now but, trust me, he'll come around." Tilly looked up at him for a second before going back to playing with Catalina's fingers. "Mom told me the same thing." Buck looked at her, waiting for her to say more. He enjoyed hearing about Catalina being lively.

She truly was his best friend.

"I miss her so much," Tilly whispered, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. Buck immediately stood up, went over to her, and pulled her into a hug. They hadn't felt her presence in a while, Tilly hated it, it made her feel like she was abandoned again even if the people from the station had come to visit Catalina and keep her company.

"I miss her too and we both know she'll be back soon," Buck told her, trying to reassure both her and himself at this point. "What if she doesn't? What if she gave up her only chance to let me wake up?" Tilly couldn't help but think like this was all her fault. Even if it wasn't.

Catalina was the type of person to sacrifice her own life if it means someone she cares about gets to be happy. Tilly hated it. Eddie hated it.

They both wished she was more selfish; wished she would think about herself a little more than those around her because all her kindness has ever brought her was misfortune.

"Tilly, she told you she'd come back soon. I think it's time we have as much trust in her as she has in us." Buck said to her, crouching down next to her wheelchair so they were at eye level. Tilly sniffled, trying to hold back tears that wanted to spill.

Before either of them could say anything else, a voice boomed through the room from the entrance. "I've always trusted her. It," Eddie took a deep breath, "It just gets hard sometimes having to wait so much." Christopher walked in front of him, quickly going to sit next to his mother.

"Hi, mom. I missed you." Christopher said immediately as he took her limp hand in his. Neither Eddie nor Christopher could feel her presence in the room. It worried them all. "Eddie," Buck started, moving behind Tilly to push the wheelchair so she was facing Eddie.

Eddie looked down at her, realizing that this was the girl all their friends had been talking about. The girl that his wife saved and took under her wing. 

"This is Tilly, Catalina's daughter." Buck finished, making sure that Eddie understood just how much Catalina cared for this girl, how much trust she had in her friends and husband to push her to wake up on her own. "Hi, Eddie. Mom told me a lot about you." Her voice was soft and, for a second, it almost reminded him of the first time he met Catalina.

Eddie gave her a soft smile, crouching down so the young girl wouldn't have to strain herself to look at him. He stretched out his hand towards her. 

"Hi, Tilly. Sorry it's taken me so long to come and see you, it's just been a little hard recently because of the tsunami." Tilly shook her head. "It's okay, I get it. You don't just hear that your wife picked up a stray while in a coma and don't give yourself time to process it." She joked, making everyone laugh. 

Buck bent down slightly so that both Tilly and Eddie could hear him. "You're not a stray Tilly." He told her before Eddie finished for him, "You're family now. Cata and my daughter and Christopher's older sister." Eddie told her with a smile, watching how Tilly just looked at him with teary eyes. "Mom was right," Tilly spoke through tears, quickly moving to hug Eddie.

He flinched from the quickness of the moment before reciprocating, holding back tears as he held his daughter. "You are a good man, Dad," Tilly spoke, burying her face in his shoulder as he held her tighter, never thinking he'd ever have the chance to have a daughter.

After a few minutes--and a ton of tears--they let go and Eddie called over Christopher so the two new siblings could get to know each other. Something both he and Buck wished Catalina was here to see, knowing that she'd be enamored that her children were getting along.

"Christopher," Eddie held onto his son gently as Christopher looked at Tilly curiously. Tilly looked at her little brother, nervous that maybe he'd hate her and want nothing to do with her. "this is your sister, Tilly." Tilly smiled at the boy, waiting for any sort of reaction.

Christopher smiled at her, giving her a hug that took her by surprise considering that she had been expecting the worse when thinking about meeting Eddie and Christopher. She gently hugged him back, "It's nice to meet you, Christopher." She spoke softly as he let go of her back and fell back into his father's hold.

"Nice to meet you, sister." Tilly held back tears, her heart warm from the feeling of finally having a family that cared about her. It only made her miss Catalina more.

They spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other, trying to ignore the painful empty space that filled the room.