Chapter Text
It happened in a New York minute. Literally.
They were having a nice night filled with wine and delicious food. Ed had never felt happier in his life, at least as far as he could remember. He truly loved Liv.
They were halfway across a crosswalk when they heard a screeching of tires. Both looked up to see a car speeding towards them. In that moment, Ed had multiple thoughts run through his head.
What was this person thinking to be driving ao fast?
Do we have enough time to get out of the way?
Shit. It's coming fast.
Noah needs his mother.
He made a decision.
With all of his strength, he pushed Liv as far away from him as he could. Then he felt a huge force hit him then pain and finally darkness.
~~~~~~~
Liv felt Ed shove her and she fell hands first onto the street. She turned her head just in tim to see the car connect with Ed sending him flying over the hood striking the roof in a spinning motion and landing in a broken heap on the ground.
Time stopped.
She barely registered the pain in her arms as she forced herself to get up and run to where Ed was laying. She didnt even realize she was screaming for someone to call 911 as she was running.
To say Ed looked awful was an understatement. His right arm was mangled and bent at odd angles. The right side of his face was burned from contact with the street. Liv couldnt make out any other obvious injuries. She took him in her arms and frantically called his name hoping he would give her a sign that he was still alive. She felt for a pulse and found it luckily but it was weak and thready.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before she felt arms try to move her and she realized the paramedics had arrived. She watched helplessly as they loaded him onto a stretcher while taking his vitals. They asked her if she wanted to ride with them and she gratefully accepted.
The ride there was torture. She kept trying to talk to him and calling his name but received no response.
~~~~~~~
She didnt even know who to call. He didnt really have any family and people at the office werent really considered friends but she really didnt want to sit in the waiting room by herself. She ended calling Barba. He always knew what to say and do in times of stress. It took him 20 minutes to arrive. She took one look at his concerned face and she couldnt hold her emotions in any longer. She broke down and cried.
Rafael did his best to comfort her. He held her and said as many positive things as he could but he knew it wouldnt change how she felt. Regardless, he promised to stay with her as long as she needed.
Finally a doctor came out after what seemed like forever.
"Mr. Tucker sustained many serious injuries but we managed to fix him up. His right shoulder and elbow were dislocated but we popped them back in without any muscle or ligament damage. The abrasions to his face were superficial but he did have a mild concussion. The worst of the injuries were his ribs, hip, and right leg. The kneecap was shattered but we cant put a cast on until the swelling goes down. His hip is cracked and 3 of his ribs were broken. Thankfully none of them punctured his lungs. He has a few cuts and half of his body is bruised. That will go away with time. He will need to wear a sling and have some phsyical therapy to regain range of motion for both his arm and knee once that heals. For now he will need a lot of rest and not move around so his body can recover. You can see him if youd like but he will be out the rest of the night."
Liv felt relieved. She was worried that Ed had sustained life threatening injuries. Rafael saw and heard her let out the breath she had been holding during the doctor's report. He rubbed her arm in a gesture of comfort. A nurse led both of them to his room.
Seeing Ed alive in person was even more relieving than the doctor's report. Liv reached out to hold his uninjured hand. He looked so small and fragile hooked up with wires and being in a hospital gown. She really hoped he would wake up sooner. She really needed to hear his voice.
"Rafael, you dont have to stay with me. I'll let you know when he wakes up."
"Liv, you promise me you will get some rest after he wakes up?" Liv nods. He gives her one last squeeze on the shoulder before leaving the room. She plants herself in the chair by his bedside and settles in for a long haul.
~~~~~~~~
The only things Ed could process were darkness and a deep pain in his bones. Everything hurt and his limbs felt heavy. He pushed past it and tried to open his eyes. He heard beeping and smelled antiseptic. Luckily the room was dim so he didnt have to worry about senstivity to light. He felt something heavy holding his left hand. His eyes opened finally and he saw another hand clasped in his.
Liv had fallen asleep and her head was resting on the edge of his bed. Her hair was a mess and she had lines of exhaustion on her face. He tried to take a deep breath to quell the pain but that only made it worse. His squeeze his eyes shut and grit his teeth. He didnt want to disturb her but he couldnt supress a pained whimper. The noise immediately roused Liv.
"Ed!" It felt so good to hear her voice. It helped distract him from his discomfort. His heart monitor began to beep faster with his frantic pants to help him through the sharp stabs. What little color he had in his face turned a slightly gray pallor. It was too much.
As if on queue, a nurse came in to check on them.
"Nice to see you awake Mr. Tucker. Let me give you some pain medication." She went to his IV and injected some morphine then handed him a control. Already the deep stabs felt further away. Good drugs, he thought. He closed his eyes while the meds took full effect.
"Use this if the pain gets too much. And use the call button if you need anything. The doctor will be with you to talk to you about your diagnosis. With that, she left them.
His breathing finally slowed down and he was able to refocus. He took inventory of his injuries. His leg was propped up and secured by a metal box. It looked red and swollen like a balloon. Breathing deep hurt so he figured he busted a few ribs. He had felt that pain before. His right arm was strapped to his chest in a sling and there was a tingley feeling in his fingers. His left hand, pleasantly, seemed to be unharmed and that's when he remembered Liv's hand in his. He gave it a little squeeze.
"Hey," he croaked out in a hoarse scratchy voice. Liv had tears in her eyes. She had been so scared that he wouldnt survive the crash.
"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by car," he said in good humor. He didnt want her to think it was too serious. She gave him a wobbly smile at his attempt to make light of the situation.
"Oh Ed, I was so worried. When I saw you get hit..." she trailed off. She didnt want to think about the alternative. He reached up to stroke her cheek.
"It's ok. I'm alright. Just a bit banged up."
"Banged up? You almost died. You have a cracked pelvis, shattered knee and 3 broken ribs. I'd say that's a bit more than banged up."
"I've had worse," he said with a small smile. He really didnt want her to worry so much.
"Thank you for pushing me out of the way otherwise we'd both be lying here together."
"It was an easy decision to make. I love you and Noah needs his mother." That brought tears to her eyes. The fact that he put himself in harms way so she would survive and be able to take care Noah really moved her. She couldnt remember anyone else doing something so drastic and loving like that.
She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Instantly Ed felt a lot better and the sensation overrode the constant feeling of pain in his body. He really loved this woman.
Overcome with emotion he whispered so softly she almost didnt hear it.
"I love you." She smiled a warm and tender smile.
"I love you too."