This Is The Moment (9-1-1: Lone Star)

Chapter Five

'Dad, are you okay?' Avery asks concerned. Owen wipes his mouth with a tissue before looking at his daughter.

'Sit down.' Owen says as he points to the couch. 'I want to talk to you about something.' Avery walks into the office, closes the door and sits down on the sofa. 'I'll be back in a few minutes.' He picks up the trashcan and walks out of the office. He empties the trashcan, cleans it out, has a drink of water and sprays some mint breath spray in his mouth. He returns to his office and closes the door behind him before joining Avery on the couch.

'What's going on?' Avery asks, worry in her voice. Owen takes hold of her hand.

'When I tell you this, I don't want you to freak out, okay?' Owen tells her and she nods. 'Back in New York, I started to get a cough. I'd had it for a few weeks so I went to see the doctor.' He continues. 'I thought it was only a virus. They did an x-ray and found tumours. I have cancer.'

'Cancer?' Avery says, her voice barely a whisper.

'It's only stage 1B. I'm getting chemotherapy, which is why I'm feeling so ill.' Owen says. 'I know I should have said something sooner, called you when I first-'

'Dad, it's okay.' Avery cuts him off. 'There are plenty of things I haven't told you.' She adds. 'When I had run away to L.A, it was a difficult day for me.'

'You don't need to me.' Owen shakes his head.

'I do.' Avery nods. 'And I kinda do need to tell you.' She adds. 'When I ran off the other day it had been a year since-since I tried to kill myself.' Tears start to drop from her eyes.

'You tried to kill yourself?' Owen asks quietly and Avery nods.

' I had erm- I had taken a ton of pills and walked into the highway and I was hit by a truck. I had a concussion, broke my leg and fractured my pelvis.' Avery explains.

'Why didn't your mom call us?' Owen queries.

'That's the funny part.' Avery scoffs as she laughs. 'Mom said that she'd told you. T.K. then said she didn't.'

'T.k. knows?' Owen asks. Avery wipes her eyes and stands up.

'I need some air.' She whispers before quickly exiting the office and making her way outside. She takes a deep breath and breaks down crying. She spins around to face the wall and punches it and punches it and punches it.

'You're gonna break your knuckles doing that.' She hears someone say. She turns around to see Megan Shepherd, a young girl that T.K. and Carlos have been helping recently.

'It's better than the other pain I'm going through?' Avery states.

'Are you okay?' Megan asks.

'I'm fine.' Avery lies. 'Are you looking for someone?'

'Yeah. T.K. Strand'. Megan nods. 'Speak of the devil.' She smiles as T.K. walks out of the station.

'There you are.' T.K. says to Avery. 'Hey, Megan, what brings you here?'

'I just wanted to drop by speak to you.' Megan replies.

'Have you two told each other your names yet.' T.K. asks the young girls. They both shake their heads. 'Avery, this is Megan, Megan this is my younger sister, Avery. T.K. introduces the two young girls to each other.

'It's nice to meet you.' Megan smiles at Avery.

'You too.' Avery smiles back. T.K. turns his attention to Avery.

'Are you okay?' T.K. asks her. 'Dad told me-'

'I'm fine.' Avery lies again as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. T.K. catches sight of her scraped and bloody knuckles. He gently takes her hand.