Hey guys, there's been quite a few updates/new stories added lately and I'm so glad there are people still interested in In Plain Sight. I'm trying my best to update more often. Also, got plans for at least three more stories but resisting posting anything new until I've completed some of the ones that I've already started.
It's been a while since this one was updated. Hope you like it. Please review!
Enjoy!
When The Hero Falls
When Eleanor turned the corner to see Mary stood outside Marshall's room talking to a doctor, she stopped and waited. She didn't want interrupt anything and she also wanted a couple more minutes to herself to think about the conversation she had just had with Stan.
"People will start talking if you just loiter in hospital corridors." Mary broke her train of thought after a few minute. "And I should know... I've hung around these corridors enough…"
"I didn't want to interrupt your conversation…" Eleanor started to walk towards her when she realized the doctor had left. "Where I come from, it's called manners."
"Whatever…" Mary rolled her eyes. "Where's Stan?"
"He had to get back to the office…"
Mary looked at her curiously. "And he left you here…"
"I'm a grown woman, Mary…I can get a cab…"
"Eleanor." Mary cut in. "What's going on?"
"He had to get back to work…"
"Come on, I'm not stupid…" Mary interrupted again. "What is going on with Stan? He was acting strange…"
Eleanor sighed. "I tried talking to him but he shut me out…I guess, he wasn't prepared to see Marshall like that…"
"Well, he's going to have to get used to it because as much as I would love it to happen, Marshall isn't going to just wake up one morning and be better."
"I know that…and so does Stan…" Eleanor replied. "It's just hard to see someone you care about like that… Stan thinks so much of the both of you and he's been so busy concentrating on keeping everything at the office running while you both are out that he hasn't really thought about what Marshall is really dealing with…. Today was a wakeup call for him…"
Mary thought back to when they had taken Marshall off the ventaltor. She had broken down that day because she was so sure things were going to improve but all that seemed to happen was a having one less piece of equipment in the room. Then there was the day he woke up…A part of her had been so sure that her partner would open his eyes and be his normal self. It had taken a while for her to get used to dealing with this kind of Marshall but she had been every day since it happened…Stan had been at the office covering not just hers but Marshall's job too so she could give him some slack for being freaked out.
"Mary?" Eleanor said when the other woman didn't reply. "Is everything okay…?"
"Sorry, just thinking…" Mary shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Look, don't worry about Stan…he'll be okay when he's had chance to get his head around all this… He won't let Marshall down…I know he won't."
Eleanor smiled softly. "Finally, something we agree on."
"Oh god…Does it make you feel as unsettled as it does me?"
"Incredibly unsettled." Eleanor replied to which Mary managed a small smile.
"Listen, he's done with his exercises and he normally has about 10 minutes in him to talk before he gives into exhaustion if you want to sit with him for a bit…" She offered.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to get in the way…"
"No, it'll do him some good." Mary assured her. "I fancy a coffee anyway…"
"Well, if you're sure…"
"Yeah, call me if you need anything…"
Mary waited for a few minutes after Eleanor entered the room, just in case there was a problem before heading back down to the canteen.
When Eleanor stepped into Marshall's room she saw he was sat on his bed, watching a football game. She knew that Mary and he went to baseball games and that he liked basketball but she didn't think he was a football fan.
"Enjoying the game?" She said gently, not wanting to startle him in case he hadn't seen her enter.
"Dd...Dad likes it…" He replied and shrugged a little before looking back to the TV. "I can…can't follow it…."
Eleanor smiled and walked to the chair beside the bed. "I don't really understand it either…"
They sat in silence for a few minutes, both watching the game but Eleanor saw him glancing at her a couple of times.
"I'm sorry I haven't visited more…" She finally said.
"Too many people come…" He shook his head slightly. "Do…don't remember all them…"
"Well, I'm Eleanor…"
"Fr..from work?" Marshall questioned.
Eleanor grinned widely. "Yes!"
"Wi…with Stan?"
"See! You do remember!"
"Mare talks about work."
"I bet she's told you all sorts of things…" Eleanor replied. "Well, don't you believe everything she says…Did she tell you about the stapler incident?"
Marshall frowned. "Ste…stapler?"
"It wasn't just any stapler though…."
Eleanor kept telling Marshall story after story and although he didn't say much, he did seem to be enjoying listening so she kept talking. When she saw he was struggling to stay awake, she said her goodbyes and promised to visit again soon.
Closing the door quietly behind her, she saw Mary walking towards her typing away on her cell phone.
"Hey, everything okay?" She looked up when she saw Eleanor.
"Yeah, you were right; he didn't last long before he started drifting off." Eleanor told her. "So, I left him to finish watching the football game…"
Mary made a face at that. "He insists on having football on…He never liked it before…"
"He said his Dad likes it, maybe that's why." Eleanor suggested. "I wish Stan had stuck around…I know he's struggling with his speech and his memory but the Marshall we know is still in there…"
"He has a long way to go yet but he will get there." Mary replied. "Seeing him now, it's hard to imagine him returning to the life he had before and being a marshal again but when you think back to when this first happened and how we thought we might lose him…"
Eleanor smiled and reached out to pat her arm, comfortingly. "It was a tough time but you refused to give up on him and you convinced everyone else to faith too…"
"I was still scared though…" She admitted quietly. "Scared I might be wrong about not letting him go…"
"But you weren't…"
"Why are you being nice to me?"
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "And here I thought we might be friends…"
"Friends? Where's the fun in that?"
"You're impossible…" Eleanor claimed and glanced at her watch. "I better get back to the office…"
"I'll be in the morning." Mary replied.
"I'll let Stan know…"
Mary watched her walk away but before she reached the corner, she called out to her.
"Hey, Eleanor? Thanks …."
"It's what friends do, Mary…" She replied, looking back at her and smirked slightly. "And Marshall is a good friend…"
Mary shook her head as the other woman disappeared from sight. When she entered Marshall's room, she was surprised to see him still awake although he looked exhausted.
"Hey, your Mom said she's going to bring you some soup from that deli you like when she comes back later…" Mary told him as she sat on a chair beside the bed. "Save you from that hospital food."
"D…Dad?" Was the only thing he said in reply but Mary knew what he was asking.
"Yeah, he's coming back too but later." She assured him. "After you've gotten some rest…"
"Stan?"
"No, Stan as work…" She replied. "But I'm sure he'll back another day…"
"He…Ma..mad?"
"Who Stan? No, why would he be mad?"
"Mess..Me…" He stuttered. "I mess up…"
"What? Marshall, no…Stan isn't mad at you." She took his hand and squeezed it to try and get him to look at her but he wouldn't. "You didn't mess up."
"I'm…here…"
"Do you remember what happened to you that day?" Mary questioned and he shook his head. "Do you know what happened?"
They had talked to him about the shooting. They hadn't gone into too much details because they wasn't sure how much he would be able to understand and they didn't want to cause him any stress or confusion but the last thing Mary wanted was for him to be thinking this was his own fault.
"Wo…work?"
"Not exactly…You weren't at work when it happened." She informed and he frowned in confusion. "Someone guy was hassling Brandi at a bar…He grabbed her but she managed to get away and lock herself in the bathroom…"
"Br..Brandi?" He questioned.
"My sister." Mary answered.
Brandi had visited a couple of times just after Marshall had woken up but he had barely known his own name let alone anyone else's. She had asked to come and thank Marshall for protecting her that night but Mary had stopped her. She didn't know if her partner was ready to face Brandi and all the drama that always happened when her family was involved.
"Anyway, she couldn't get hold of me so called you for help…"
"Sh…she get hu..hurt too?"
"No, she was okay…You protected her." She reassured him quickly when she saw a flash of concern in his eyes…Eleanor was right, he's still the same Marshall. "Anyway, you turned up, told this guy to leave Brandi alone but as you two were leaving the guy followed you out and pulled a gun…"
She could see that Marshall was thinking hard about what she was saying and she wondered whether anything sounded familiar to him or if he just trying to remember that day.
"You pushed Brandi down but got hit by two bullets…" She continued softy, squeezing his hand again. "You lost a lot of blood and your heart stopped a couple of times…"
"Bu..but I..I didn't die?"
Mary couldn't help but smile a little. "No, you didn't die… you're still here…"
"Stan not mad?" He asked again.
"No, he's not mad…He's proud of you." She claimed. "We all are."
"You not mad?"
"I was for a while, not at you but the guy who did this to you…" She told him before continuing jokingly. "I don't like it when people shoot my partner… I kinda like having you around…You're my favorite thing in the office…"
"La…liar…"
She looked up at him at him surprise but saw he was smiling.
"Yo…you li…like the stap..ler more."
"Eleanor told you that didn't she?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, don't you believe everything she tells you…"
And for the first time in what seemed like forever, she heard her best friend laugh.
"Sh…she said the sa..same thing bout you…"
"Oh it's on now…You want to hear some true stories? Well, I'll tell you what really is happening in that office…."
TBC
Please review.