Back to You (Sequel to Take Me Away From Here)

Chapter 13

Tim POV: 

It's been a couple days since I was admitted into the hospital. The drugs are finally out of my system, which seemed like a godsend at first... now it just hurts a lot more. My leg hurts like crazy, and keeps having spasms which hurts it even more. I've already gone through one surgery on it, which put a new knee in.  It's throbbing, but they're giving me enough painkillers to deal with it. It's annoying, but it isn't as painful as before. 

Sara's been in and out quite a bit these last few days, which kind of puts me off. I know it's a lot to ask to have her uneventfully sit here with me all day, but I'm just not used to being in here alone... Faith would always stay with me, and even set up a cot at night to stay all night with me too. The only times she's ever left my side while I was in the hospital was when she had to take care of the kids. Even then, she had someone else care for them for most of the day. Mom's been here the most, but she tends to leave whenever Sara shows up, as she's expecting her to stay for a while. 

Faith hasn't been in the room ever since the first day. I've seen her in the hall a couple times, normally talking to Kim or a doctor, but she's never come in. I don't remember if I said anything to hurt her, but it sure seems like I did. She doesn't even glance in the room through the window... 

"Hey Dad..." Gracie says, cautiously walking in the room. Maggie and Audrey follow, both seeming to be careful with their presence. They all sit on the couch beside my bed. "How are you feeling?" She asks, the bravest out of the three. 

"I'm a little sore, but I'll be okay." I sugarcoat, sparing them a smile. The room falls silent for a moment, while my head starts to pound. "How's school goin'?" I ask, trying to cut out the silence. 

"I got an A on my long division test." Audrey says, coming out of her shell a bit. I clear my throat, sitting up a bit in bed. 

"That's awesome, baby." I reply, noticing Maggie's wearing her lacrosse jersey. She must be about to go to a game. 

"I did my high school scheduling." Maggie says, blowing me away. I can't believe how fast they've grown up... We are going to have two high schoolers by the end of the summer. The door opens, causing their heads to turn. 

"Come on, girls. We've gotta go or we're going to be late." Faith says softly, causing them to file out. 

"Love you, Dad." They all say in a slightly unsynchronized chorus. 

"Love you guys." I reply, feeling like I'm watching my heart walk out the door. Faith turns to walk out behind them, forcing me to speak up. "Faith..." I call, causing her to turn around. She raises her eyebrows, waiting for elaboration. "Can we talk for a second?" I ask, watching her sigh. She looks out into the hall, before walking out. I stare, wondering what the hell I did that was bad enough for her to completely ignore me like this. Just as my mind starts running, she re-enters the room, sitting down in the chair beside me. 

"Sorry, I had to tell Betty to take them to Maggie's game." She says, taking a deep breath. She massages her neck, while looking down at me. 

"Did I say something?" I ask, watching her narrow her eyes at me. "While I was drugged... Did I say something to hurt you?" I clarify, seeing her wince. Oh my god, I did... She opens her mouth, before closing it once more. "Shit Faith, I'm sorry." I start, watching her shake her head. 

"Tim, you didn't try to hurt me with anything you said. You were just... freaked out... and that was hard for me to see, especially as just a bystander... I really couldn't do anything, so I just removed myself from the situation." She explains, still seeming kind of cryptic. 

"What do you mean as a bystander?" I question, watching her purse her lips slightly. She pushes her hair behind her ear, seeming to think carefully about her next words. 

"I'm not an active player in your life anymore. I fill the role as ex-wife and mother-of-your-children, and that's about it.  It's not my place to come in here, take a seat, and hold your hand. That's what Sara's for, and it would be unfair to take that role away from her." She says very diplomatically. I stare at her, wanting to laugh at her statement. She's insane... Does she even hear what she's saying right now? 

"Faith, you're never going to have a passive role in my life. You'll always be one of the main pieces. And you're clearly not taking a hand away from Sara, because I don't see her here..." I reply, seeing her eyes moisten a bit. The room falls silent, as I scan my mind for something to say. "That night, I got that text from you, asking me to come pick you up at Soundstage, because you and Weston had a fight." I admit, seeing her cringe. "I was waiting in the parking lot when they pulled me out of the car..." I add, taking a deep breath. I look her way, noticing tears stream down her cheeks. 

"My phone was beside me when I woke up." She cries out, breaking my heart. "Someone came into our bedroom, while we were sleeping and texted you, and then set it beside me..." She continues, worry now hitting her. 

"He wasn't one of the people who did this to me, Faith. I would've recognized his voice." I reassure her. I never thought of this as a set-up... I just kind of thought I was in the wrong place at the wrong time... 

"He's out on bail... He could've broken in and stolen my phone and then had other guys on your end. It's not like he hasn't pulled something similar." Faith says, piecing it together a lot faster than I can. I stare, feeling my heart start to pound. He, or someone just as dangerous, broke in while my family was sleeping, and set this whole thing up? 

"You never sent that text..." I release, still having trouble connecting it together. She shakes her head.

"I woke up, I read your email, and then I went into Gracie's room and slept beside her." She explains, making me feel a chill. She watches as I try to figure this all out, before grabbing onto my hand. "Tim, I didn't know you were down there for me." She lets out, leaving me a little dumfounded. Panic hits her harder than I initially expected, as she hugs herself tightly and starts to rock forward slowly. "Tim, what the hell are we supposed to do?" She starts to weep, covering her mouth as her cries grow louder. "He's gone mad... He's... he's surpassed the ability to hurt us... Now he could hurt the girls too, and I just can't risk that." She continues frantically. I grab onto her hand, pulling her toward me. I wrap my arms around her, trying to ignore the enormous pit in my chest.