Partners

Chapter 14 : Traitor Of The Forest

Fetcher hung up the phone.  His head was currently a mess.  He thought of what Kylie had just said.  He thought of what Ethan had said: you only live once.  He thought of what he had just learned.  He had his second chance now.  He stood up quickly. 

"Is everything alright?" Buchanan asked. 

"I'm sorry.  I have to go." Fetcher burst out restaurant. 

Buchanan banged her fist on the table just as Fetcher and his car disappeared from her sight. 

All the people here were looking at her.  Kylie felt embarrassed.  She noticed Buchanan's long nails had grown out 

"Calm down, Kayla." she warned. 

Buchanan took the glass, holding it tight, "She's awake."  She squeezed with some pressure.

The glass broke.

*****

Fetcher parked his SUV by the roadside.  He got out of his car and ran into the hospital as if his wife was giving birth.  In fact, when Joanne had been giving birth, he hadn't run that fast. 

"Out of the way!" he yelled as he rushed into the elevator and pushed button 7 like crazy.  "Come on! Come on!" 

Once the lift arrived at the seventh floor, Fetcher started to run again. 

"No running!" 

Someone yelled to which Fetcher ignored.  He pushed open the door of 724.  There were so many people in the little ward.  Doctors, nurses, CSIs, detectives, and even agents ere all here.  

He heard her voice first. 

"Really?  I was in a coma for more than a year?  No wonder my gunshot wound healed.  I thought I was superhuman or something." 

The crowd laughed. 

"Move aside!" Fetcher demanded while squeezing himself forward till he was right at the very first row. 

He saw her, awake and...just her.  He didn't know why somehow the words got stuck inside his throat.  He couldn't speak.   He was so happy to see Chase awake, alive again. 

Chase smiled at him, with that smile which wasn't a real smile, "Congratulation!" she said, "I've heard you're getting married in three weeks!"  She looked around, "People, would you excuse us please?   I want to congratulate my ex-partner more personally, in private." 

Fetcher shot an eye at Ethan who replied with,"I haven't even done my part yet." 

"We've told you everything about your fiancée." Donnter sang as he exited the room with other people.

Now in the room, just Chase and Fetcher stared at each other.  The atmosphere was strange. 

"How are you, Detective Fetcher?" Chase broke the silence with a rather sharp tone, "Since you can't ask me this question, I'll ask you instead." 

"I'm doing just fine." he replied,still standing beside the bed, not planning to take a seat. 

"Well...inconsistent.  Not from what I've heard."  The Chase was back, so on track as if there was never a gap. 

"You've already known everything.  What's there to tell?" Fetcher planned to tell Chase so many things when he was speeding on the street to the hospital, but now he couldn't find those words. 

Chase shrugged, "Nothing.  I was hoping I could get invited to your wedding in person." she reached her left hand out and Fetcher took it with doubt.   "I'm glad that you're happy. Really.  The first few months after the accident must have been horrible for you.  You must have wished that I hadn't took the bullet.  You must have wished that you'd believed me.  You must have wished you'd told me how you'd felt about me.  Yes, they just told me what you had felt about me.  It was horrifying to learn the truth.  I swear I didn't have a clue." she looked at Fetcher, "It must have been hard for you."