Shot in the Dark

Chapter 2

Time ticked by.

Kynzlee had briefly come to her mother as comfort but the anxious bounce of Addison's knee made it hard for the toddler to get comfortable. She ended up in the lap of Zevon who also has his arm around Zoey in comfort. But Addison barely noticed. Her eyes rarely left the clock. Her eyes following the hands around and around as time passed.

It was going on two and a half hours. That's too long. Her dad's phone went off and he stepped out of the waiting room to take the phone call. She strained her hearing to try and listen to his end of the conversation, but he was whispering so she couldn't make it out. She huffed in irritation, drawing Bucky's attention from beside her.

"What is it?" He whispered, not wanting to disturb his boyfriend who was asleep on his shoulder, or anyone else who was catching some sleep for that matter. Her eyes shifted to glance at him from the corner of her eye, then back to the clock, uncrossing one of her arms to chew nervously on her nails.

"It's been too long. Something's wrong." She whispered back. Bucky knew how his cousin must be feeling but if she didn't get some rest, she'd be a wreck trying to take care of little Kynzlee in this hard time.

"You have to trust the doctors Addison. And you should try to get some rest." He urged gently. She nodded with her eyes still glued to the clock and her knee still bouncing wildly. He sighed, knowing she wasn't actually listening.

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Another half hour rolled by, then another. Addison had barely moved from her spot. She was a nervous wreck. And rightfully so. But eventually she needed to be able to comfort her daughter, who was definitely picking up on how upset her mother was.

Missy interrupted Addison's meticulous nail biting and took her just outside the waiting room into the hall. "Addison, you've gotta stop watching the clock and interact with your daughter." Missy said softly, brushing Addison's bangs out of her eyes. "She's scared honey."

Addison's eyes widen and she immediately turns to seek out her daughter. Kynzlee's eyes were already watching her. The tired and worried look on her little face made Addison want to burst into tears again. How could she have neglected their daughter so much these last few hours? Well, she knew why. Her husband could be dying and she was completely helpless to change it, but this was another issue entirely.

She didn't even bother excusing herself from her mother as she rushed towards the little girl, whose face lit up when she saw her mommy coming over to her.

"Come here baby." Addison beckoned as she fell to her knees and opened her arms in front of her. The toddler ran into her mother's arms and hugged around her neck tightly. Addison kissed the side of her head and embraced her daughter like a lifeline.

"Mommy mad at me?" Kynzlee asked with teary eyes and the most pitiful pouty lips Addison had ever seen.

"No no no! I'm so sorry baby. Mommy's just worried about Daddy. I promise I'm not mad at you." Addison soothed, petting her daughter's hair affectionately.

"Daddy asleep?" The little girl asked. Addison smiled sadly.

"Yeah. Daddy's asleep." She confirmed, praying that would change and she wouldn't have to explain that her father wouldn't be waking up. Addison held back the whimper that threatened to climb up her throat and squeezed her eyes shut as she held onto her daughter.

If there was a dry eye in that waiting room, Addison sure didn't see it. All of their family and friends were as emotional as she was, seeing the hurt Addison and Kynzlee were going through made the waiting that much harder. Everyone wanted Zed to be alright. They wanted it all to just be a bad dream that they'd all wake up from the day after Halloween. But it was real.