Disclaimer : For legality purposes I do not own any of the partridge family or the rights there of I just wanted to write a fanfic for the fun of it. If you have a severe trauma for death and death proceedings please take caution reading this fanfic.
I also have not written in a long time so please do not judge me too harshly for incorrect spelling or punctuation and let me know if you want an update in the form of a crossover with eight is enough or just continuing this story with Reuben and Shirley

Shirley had been married to Tom for the last 18 years and could always tell when something was wrong. Only this time she did not realize how wrong until her phone rang.

"Is this a Mrs. Shirley Partridge?" asked the dispatcher. Shirley felt her heart sink in her chest ; shakily she responded "Yes I am Shirley Partridge." the dispatcher paused for a moment then sympathetically replied "Mrs. Partridge your husband Thomas Partridge has been in an accident and has been rushed in critical condition to your local hospital upon your arrival the deputy that was on call will fill you in on what to do." Shirley's mind went blank this could not be happening. This kind of thing happened to other individuals but not to her, not to her children and most definitely not to Tom.
From the moment the dispatcher hung up the phone everything ran in a blur for Shirley.
From getting to the hospital watching the doctors and nurses coming and going. People trying to find out where Tom was and his condition. Little did they know how hard Shirley was just trying to hold herself together. She softly began praying to herself that Tom would some how some way be ok. Then the moment she had been dreading came forth. The main doctor on the emergency room floor came to her and sat down in the empty chair next to her clenching the clip board with the news on his lap. He looked into her eyes and could see her falling a part so in an effort to comfort her before breaking the news he said "Mrs Partridge is there someone we can call for you?" Shirley just shook her head and just stared blankly at the wall behind him as he began "Mrs. Partridge we did all that we medically could for your husband. He unfortunately succumbed to his injuries at 10 this evening. I also have been asked to inform you that the officer he arrived with has already received the details and says you are free to go home for the evening but will need to speak to you before we can release his body to the mortuary. Especially after our coroner releases his report." his bluntness really hit Shirley to her core, somewhere in her she felt this was all a big mistake there was no way this was her husband. she responded very dryly "When can I see him?" the doctor then looked at his board and then back at Shirley "If you would like I can take you to him now but I must warn you he underwent an ordeal in efforts to revive him and I think it would be better if you saw him later." In that moment Shirley did not care what he looked like she just wanted to soak in the reality of it all so she very determined said "I would like to see him now." The doctor simply nodded and began to usher Shirley to the room where her husband's life ended, Shirley turned the corner and there he was. Tom's lifeless body with an intubation tube and clothes all tossed about with the measures taken to revive him very clear for anyone to see. Shirley's eyes filled with tears as she moved towards his bed. The doctor taking in this moment decided to leave Shirley with him "Ma'am I will be right here in the hall if you need anything. Just take all the time you need." his tone seemed reassuring to Shirley.
She then went to Tom's side placing her soft hand upon his left hand running her fingers over their wedding ring. "It is really you isn't it? Oh Tom-" Her voice caught in her throat as the tears welled in her eyes. All she could do was look at him and hold his hand. The man she shared her children with was really gone and now she was all alone. No partner to grow old with. No one to tell her how she was going to survive this. Shirley took one last moment to place a gentle kiss on his bruised cheek and whispered gently to him "I love you." Shirley left that room feeling more empty than she had when she had arrived to the hospital. Getting into her car and heading home just seemed so wrong. Having to leave the man she loved to be handled by people who did not even know him. Hit her the hardest but she had to go and be with her children.

As Shirley pulled into the driveway she felt her heart sink looking at the light in the window to her living room. Inside was the new life she was going to have to live and she did not want any part of it. A life without Tom seemed like an empty one. Turning off the ignition in her car was the first step but after removing the key the weight of everything struck her. She grasped the steering wheel and sank her head into her arms and began bawling. Her eyes stung from the amount of tears she had shed her cheeks were red. They felt as though they were burning from wiping all of her tears away. Taking all of the strength she had left Shirley opened the car door and made her way into the house.
Once inside she found that all of the children were in bed so there was no use telling them tonight. So Shirley made her way to her bedroom instead. In her bedroom she took off her shoes and threw her purse at the edge of the door frame slowly walking toward her bed.
Shirley placed her hand upon the comforter and slowly situated herself upon the soft mattress. She then began pondering her life. For the first time her husband was not there to tell her what she should do for their children. He was not there to wrap his arms around her and comfort her sadness. For the first time Shirley felt truly and completely alone.

She wrapped her arms around herself tightening her hold. She felt if she let go she would fall a part again so she slowly tipped herself onto her side clinging to the sheets and pillows. She then felt very, very tired. The darkness enveloped her putting Shirley to sleep. In her dreams Shirley could feel Tom. He seemed to be everywhere.
When Shirley awoke she was sure that she must have dreamed it all so she flipped over to look onto Tom's side of the bed where he must have snuck in late last night. But there was the barren sheets bringing Shirley's nightmare to full fruition. Tom was gone and she needed to tell her children.
Shirley crept out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. When she looked into the mirror she found someone rather different looking back at her. The mascara had run down her cheeks looking like an ink spill. Her cheeks were red and puffy. Shirley looked as dead on the outside as she felt on the inside. She began scrubbing her face. Her children were not going to see her this way not when they needed her. Shirley then dragged herself downstairs her children were wide awake anticipating what Shirley was going to say to them.
She sat herself upon the living room couch. Each of her children still in their pajamas took places next to her hanging onto everything she was doing. Shirley then looked up at the ceiling taking a deep breath. Then she looked at Keith and Laurie. Reading their faces she could tell she needed to be comforting when all she wanted to do herself was cry. Shirley took her arms and wrapped them around Danny and Tracy who were sitting next to her "Children I have some very sad news to tell all of you and I know it is going to be very difficult but I need you all to listen and wait to speak until I am through talking ok?" all the children nodded and remained steady in their breathing. What surprised Shirley the most though was her strength in this moment she was very peaceful and very precise in what she needed to say "Your father passed away last night. He was in an auto accident that sustained severe injuries which could not be fixed. The doctors and many nurses did all they could to help him." Deafening silence filled the room as each child began absorbing the fact that their father was never coming home. Shirley held Danny and Tracy tighter as they began crying. Keith on the other hand ran up to his room screaming at Shirley "DAD IS NOT DEAD! HE IS NOT DEAD!" Shirley felt the harsh pain in his words and decided she needed to let him be alone for a while to take it all in before she spoke to him. Laurie and Chris on the other hand just seemed as numb as Shirley was.