Fade to Grey - A Heavy Rain Fanfiction

Honesty

Ethan's POV
I stare at the ceiling, my hand entangled with Madison's. She's snuggled up to a hospital blanket, in a peaceful sleep. Sleep wasn't an option for me. All the things she's told me, all the things I've missed.
They haven't found Shelby's body yet. I want to be able to say that I couldn't care less, but I need that confirmation that he's dead. I want to see Shaun. Madison says he's back at school, which is good I think. I just wish he'd come to see me now that I'm awake. Apparently he's seeing a therapist and they think it's a good idea for him to not be involved with my recovery. How can they do that? He's my son. I begin to be absorbed into this bubble of worry when Madison jolts awake. I try do sit up but the pain shoves me back down.
"M-Mad-son" the pain simmered "are you okay?"
"Yeah" she heaved "just another bad dream." She looks at me as a tear drips from her blood-shot eyes. She crashes her lips against mine. "I'm so happy your alive Ethan" she whispered into my lips.
"You too" I say, as I stroke her face. With the back of my hand. She rests her head on my shoulder and we fall into a thoughtful silence.

I wake up to find an empty chair beside me. I look to the right to find Madison stood in front of the window.
"Madison?" She turns around, startled.
"Your awake" she smiles but her distant eyes make it seem not genuine.
"Are you okay?" I say, slanting my eyes to show my suspicion.
"Yeah. I mean no. Look, Ethan, I've not been 100% honest with you." I feel a pang in my heart. "I want to shield you from this shit storm but I can't." She sits at the foot of the bed. "The media's still crazy about this story-"
"Which is understandable"
"No Ethan. They're monsters. They don't look at us as people, we're characters. I don't know why I was proud of being a journalist..."
"You're different" I say.
"I'm not. Well I wasn't. I've quit but that's not the point." She takes a deep breath, but my eyes are focused on hers. "I don't know how, but they got your confidential documents and they're making you out to be this unfit father." I feel anger boil up inside of me before being extinguished by the thought of some of that being true. If I was a fit father, Jason would be alive and this would've never happened.
"Ok" I say after a while.
"Ok?" Madison says, clearly confused by my calm response.
"I mean, they aren't lies..."
"Ethan they aren't just ruining your reputation"
"Who cares? If they want their story they can have it. None of them matter anyway, I have you and Shaun."
"That's the thing, Ethan, Grace is battling for full custody." In that moment my heart shattered. "I tried to talk to her but she's ignoring my calls. I think she's really eating this bullshit up." I stopped concentrating on our conversation as the unbearable feeling of my world crashing down absorbed me.