Empty Net
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Tate knew it wasn’t easy.
He was having the hardest time keeping faith that Audrey was going to wake up. The doctors had said it could happen at any time, but they said if she wasn’t awake in a week, they would need to discuss other options. They had done another ultrasound and their baby was still holding on. It was a miracle and he swore that baby was meant to be held by him. He had to believe that and he had to believe that Audrey was going to wake up at any second. Because if he didn’t believe, he would freak out like William had.
“What are we going to do if she doesn’t wake up by the end of the week?” Everyone looked up meeting Fallon’s gaze. “She wouldn’t want to be living off a ventilator and we all know that.” Tate came off the wall and crossed his arms.
“I don’t know that at all,” Tate said receiving a look from everyone but Lucas. His eyes stayed glued to Audrey.
“Tate, we have to be realistic here, hun,” Nora said, “she should be awake by now.”
“I am being realistic. She will wake when she is healed,” Tate said sternly.
“But what if we take her off the ventilator and that helps. It wakes her up?” Fallon asked, “I read that it could happen in some cases.”
“No, because what if it kills her, then what?” Tate said frantically.
William stood, pinning Tate with a look before saying, “This really doesn’t concern you, she is our daughter.”
“Dad!” Fallon yelled as Nora said, “William, please.”
“Um, yeah it does. Audrey is my future wife. She is carrying my baby!” Tate yelled, his emotions getting the best of him. “You will have to get through me to turn that ventilator off; I’ll be damned if I let you take her away from me.”
“I can have you out of here and on your ass in two second flat!” William yelled back taking a step towards Tate.
“Try it! I’m not going anywhere as long as she’s in that bed! I love her!” Tate yelled back, his heart hammering against his chest.
“I don’t care. She is my daughter and I’m not going to keep her here on this earth because I am selfish.”
“I’m not being selfish. I’m giving her time to heal, to grow my child, what is your deal? Do you want to kill her!?”
William’s chest puffed up as his eyes went wide with anger. Tate didn’t care though, no one was touching Audrey. He would kill them if they did.
“Whoa,” Lucas said finally, coming between them, “this isn’t right. Audrey wouldn’t want this.”
“He’s right, please stop,” Fallon begged from beside him, “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
Lucas pushed Tate back, moving him out the room. Tate shook his head, walking away from Lucas to catch his breath and will his tears away. “You gotta keep it together, Tate. William is an ass**le but you can’t say shit like that.”
“I don’t give a f**k about that guy, no one is touching Audrey,” Tate said, not looking back at Lucas as he walked quickly through the ICU to the waiting room. When he reached the windows, he looked out at the Nashville skyline and let out a long shuddering breath as tears spilled over his cheeks. “I’m not going to kill her,” Tate whispered.
Lucas came up beside him, nodding his head as he leaned his forehead against the window, “I just want this all to stop. I want her to wake up so everyone stops feeling all this pain. I’m tired of watching my wife cry, and clutch her throat in distress. She is chewing her nails to hell, and then there is you. I’m not even sure you’re here half the time. I’m so worried that you’re going to lose it, that I won’t even leave.”
“I’m fine,” Tate said through his tears, “I’m just scared.”
“I’m scared too, but we have to stay strong, Tate, because those two women need us. We can’t get into it with William, because believe me, I would love to, but we can’t. It hurts Fallon and it would hurt Audrey if she knew.”
Tate nodded as he wiped his face along his bicep, “I want her back.”
“I know. I do too, but promise me you’ll let William run his mouth and ignore it. Do it for Audrey, please.”
Tate swallowed loudly, his eyes pooling with tears as he thought about what she would think if she had been awake to see them all fighting like that. She would have lost her damn mind, and probably killed all of them. Audrey loved her father, even if he was a completely jackass. Tate was never like this, and he blamed his quick temper on the fact his emotions were out of whack and he hadn’t played hockey in almost a week. He needed his hockey like he needed Audrey. They were his vises, his way of living. But Lucas was right. He couldn’t fight with William, not when he knew Audrey wouldn’t like it and that William’s anger was probably just frustration from not knowing answers about his daughter.
If he was William and it was his daughter lying there and no one had the answers for him, Tate would probably pick on the punk kid in the corner too. Maybe it was a daddy thing.
Tate was in that club now.
Turning to look at Lucas, he nodded, “I promise.”
Lucas shot him a thankful smile and then said, “Thanks man, now come on, let’s get back in there.”
“I need a minute,” Tate said softly.
Lucas nodded before he cupped his shoulder and left him to watch the skyline. Closing his eyes, he took in deep breaths as he tried to get it together. He wanted to focus on anything but what was going on, and when he heard Only Girl by Rihanna playing, it took him back to three weeks before.
He was having the hardest time keeping faith that Audrey was going to wake up. The doctors had said it could happen at any time, but they said if she wasn’t awake in a week, they would need to discuss other options. They had done another ultrasound and their baby was still holding on. It was a miracle and he swore that baby was meant to be held by him. He had to believe that and he had to believe that Audrey was going to wake up at any second. Because if he didn’t believe, he would freak out like William had.
“What are we going to do if she doesn’t wake up by the end of the week?” Everyone looked up meeting Fallon’s gaze. “She wouldn’t want to be living off a ventilator and we all know that.” Tate came off the wall and crossed his arms.
“I don’t know that at all,” Tate said receiving a look from everyone but Lucas. His eyes stayed glued to Audrey.
“Tate, we have to be realistic here, hun,” Nora said, “she should be awake by now.”
“I am being realistic. She will wake when she is healed,” Tate said sternly.
“But what if we take her off the ventilator and that helps. It wakes her up?” Fallon asked, “I read that it could happen in some cases.”
“No, because what if it kills her, then what?” Tate said frantically.
William stood, pinning Tate with a look before saying, “This really doesn’t concern you, she is our daughter.”
“Dad!” Fallon yelled as Nora said, “William, please.”
“Um, yeah it does. Audrey is my future wife. She is carrying my baby!” Tate yelled, his emotions getting the best of him. “You will have to get through me to turn that ventilator off; I’ll be damned if I let you take her away from me.”
“I can have you out of here and on your ass in two second flat!” William yelled back taking a step towards Tate.
“Try it! I’m not going anywhere as long as she’s in that bed! I love her!” Tate yelled back, his heart hammering against his chest.
“I don’t care. She is my daughter and I’m not going to keep her here on this earth because I am selfish.”
“I’m not being selfish. I’m giving her time to heal, to grow my child, what is your deal? Do you want to kill her!?”
William’s chest puffed up as his eyes went wide with anger. Tate didn’t care though, no one was touching Audrey. He would kill them if they did.
“Whoa,” Lucas said finally, coming between them, “this isn’t right. Audrey wouldn’t want this.”
“He’s right, please stop,” Fallon begged from beside him, “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
Lucas pushed Tate back, moving him out the room. Tate shook his head, walking away from Lucas to catch his breath and will his tears away. “You gotta keep it together, Tate. William is an ass**le but you can’t say shit like that.”
“I don’t give a f**k about that guy, no one is touching Audrey,” Tate said, not looking back at Lucas as he walked quickly through the ICU to the waiting room. When he reached the windows, he looked out at the Nashville skyline and let out a long shuddering breath as tears spilled over his cheeks. “I’m not going to kill her,” Tate whispered.
Lucas came up beside him, nodding his head as he leaned his forehead against the window, “I just want this all to stop. I want her to wake up so everyone stops feeling all this pain. I’m tired of watching my wife cry, and clutch her throat in distress. She is chewing her nails to hell, and then there is you. I’m not even sure you’re here half the time. I’m so worried that you’re going to lose it, that I won’t even leave.”
“I’m fine,” Tate said through his tears, “I’m just scared.”
“I’m scared too, but we have to stay strong, Tate, because those two women need us. We can’t get into it with William, because believe me, I would love to, but we can’t. It hurts Fallon and it would hurt Audrey if she knew.”
Tate nodded as he wiped his face along his bicep, “I want her back.”
“I know. I do too, but promise me you’ll let William run his mouth and ignore it. Do it for Audrey, please.”
Tate swallowed loudly, his eyes pooling with tears as he thought about what she would think if she had been awake to see them all fighting like that. She would have lost her damn mind, and probably killed all of them. Audrey loved her father, even if he was a completely jackass. Tate was never like this, and he blamed his quick temper on the fact his emotions were out of whack and he hadn’t played hockey in almost a week. He needed his hockey like he needed Audrey. They were his vises, his way of living. But Lucas was right. He couldn’t fight with William, not when he knew Audrey wouldn’t like it and that William’s anger was probably just frustration from not knowing answers about his daughter.
If he was William and it was his daughter lying there and no one had the answers for him, Tate would probably pick on the punk kid in the corner too. Maybe it was a daddy thing.
Tate was in that club now.
Turning to look at Lucas, he nodded, “I promise.”
Lucas shot him a thankful smile and then said, “Thanks man, now come on, let’s get back in there.”
“I need a minute,” Tate said softly.
Lucas nodded before he cupped his shoulder and left him to watch the skyline. Closing his eyes, he took in deep breaths as he tried to get it together. He wanted to focus on anything but what was going on, and when he heard Only Girl by Rihanna playing, it took him back to three weeks before.
