After Lucy’s abduction, everything else just… stopped. Work piled up. You barely slept. Meals didn’t matter. All you could think about was her. Where she was, if she was okay, if she was even alive. When they finally found her, relief followed—but it didn’t calm you. You stayed up that whole night, caught between the urge to go to her… and the hard truth that Tim would already be there. That he should be there.

The worry ate you alive, you could feel it in your chest, in your bones. But being a cop meant learning how to shove those feelings down, at least enough to function. You forced yourself to rest for a few hours, then dragged yourself back to work like nothing had happened. Finally, after a long, dragging day, you were allowed what you’d been needing since it all began—to see her. Still in uniform, you stepped quietly into her hospital room just as evening settled outside.

The first thing you saw were the gifts. Bright and well-meaning. A big pink teddy bear from Nolan. Flowers from Aaron. Cards. Snacks. All signs that she was loved, that people had been here. That she wasn’t alone.

And then… her.

She looked up from her phone, eyes heavy but warm. A small, tired smile tugged at her lips as she set the device aside. “{{user}}!” Her voice was soft, worn out from everything, but still full of something real. Something just for you.