For just_muse_me - 11.8.5 Something's Gotta Give
Co-written with imnodoctor | Follows THIS
Tab dropped down into the seat next to Evie and cleared her throat softly. She handed a cup of coffee, a look on her face reflecting her regret that it was only from a vending machine. She’d promised Riley she’d look after Evie, so she figured that meant she shouldn’t really stray too far. They were still waiting for the boys to show up so that they’d get let into the ICU.
Luke sat a small distance away, murmuring into his phone as he checked in with Andrew. She watched him for a few moments, letting her coffee cool down before she even tried to sip at it. Bad enough it came from a vending machine, she wasn’t looking to wind up in the hospital with a burnt tongue.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Tab blinked, and turned to face Riley’s blonde girlfriend. “Yeah, of course.”
Evie nodded, her blue eyes going unfocused again as she stared at a spot on the wall opposite. “I love your brother. You know that, right?”
Tab frowned. “Yeah, of course.”
Evie gave another nod. Her hand was shaking as she stroked her fingers across her forehead, the other hand holding the coffee Tab had given her. She blinked, and tried to pull her thoughts away from what Tara and Lachlan were going through, and what she and Riley might have gone through and what they had gone through and everything they might still go through. For the first time in months, Evie felt shaken and like she wasn’t strong. Why should she be strong when Tara was somewhere in this stupid fucking hospital hooked up to machines and fighting for her life? It wasn’t fair, Evie didn’t deserve to live more than Tara. Tara was a mom now. That was fucking huge.
“I’d die for him,” Evie said softly. “I would do anything for him.”
Tab was still frowning as she tried to work out why Evie was telling her this. “All you really have to do is love him… no death required.”
“Tara might die.”
“Tara’s going to be fine. If the powers that be let Tara die than they’re stupider than I thought.”
Evie brought her gaze up to meet Tab’s. “What would you do if Luke was sick and there wasn’t anything you could do about?”
Tab’s brown eyes went wide as she looked over at her boyfriend. “I don’t know… I’d feel like a failure.”
“That’s how Lachlan’s probably feeling. It’s how Riley feels about himself and there isn’t a damn thing I can do to change that.”
“Riley’s getting better,” Tab argued.
“I know, but…”
Tab leaned forward, her frown deepening. “But what? You just said you loved him, and so far you’ve stuck by his side.”
“What if I’m not enough?”
Tab let out a snort of disbelief. “What?”
Evie blinked back tears and pushed her hair back from her face. “What if he doesn’t love me the way I love him?”
Tab raised a hand. “Please tell me this is lack of sleep talking, otherwise I might be forced to slap you. You’re the most important thing to Riley. All his agonizing over the HIV has mostly been in a large part because of you. He’s worried he’s not enough for you. So I think you better pull your fucking head out. You two love each other, and you’ll do anything for each other, right? So maybe you just need to let yourselves trust that love.”
Evie let the tears come now and she looked at Tab helplessly. “It’s the lack of sleep. I don’t know what I’m saying. Fuck. I love Riley, and I know he loves me, I just… if this was me and him, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Tab leaned forward again to take Evie’s hand as she kissed the other woman’s forehead. “Hopefully you’ve already been through all the shit you and my brother have to deal with. I don’t want to know what this feels like anymore than you do. But you’re here for Tara, and you’re here for Lachlan and Riley will be here to look after you. So will I.”
Evie wiped at her tears and smiled thankfully at Tab. “If I had a sister, I’d want her to be like you.”
Tab laughed quietly. “Only if you wanted a lot of hair pulling and wedgies.” She winked at Evie. “Besides, there’s still a way for us to be sisters. Just give Riley time.”
“He can have all the time he needs. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tabitha London Browne & Evie Miller
Original Character & House, M.D OC
Words: 759
All muses referenced with permission
Tab dropped down into the seat next to Evie and cleared her throat softly. She handed a cup of coffee, a look on her face reflecting her regret that it was only from a vending machine. She’d promised Riley she’d look after Evie, so she figured that meant she shouldn’t really stray too far. They were still waiting for the boys to show up so that they’d get let into the ICU.
Luke sat a small distance away, murmuring into his phone as he checked in with Andrew. She watched him for a few moments, letting her coffee cool down before she even tried to sip at it. Bad enough it came from a vending machine, she wasn’t looking to wind up in the hospital with a burnt tongue.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Tab blinked, and turned to face Riley’s blonde girlfriend. “Yeah, of course.”
Evie nodded, her blue eyes going unfocused again as she stared at a spot on the wall opposite. “I love your brother. You know that, right?”
Tab frowned. “Yeah, of course.”
Evie gave another nod. Her hand was shaking as she stroked her fingers across her forehead, the other hand holding the coffee Tab had given her. She blinked, and tried to pull her thoughts away from what Tara and Lachlan were going through, and what she and Riley might have gone through and what they had gone through and everything they might still go through. For the first time in months, Evie felt shaken and like she wasn’t strong. Why should she be strong when Tara was somewhere in this stupid fucking hospital hooked up to machines and fighting for her life? It wasn’t fair, Evie didn’t deserve to live more than Tara. Tara was a mom now. That was fucking huge.
“I’d die for him,” Evie said softly. “I would do anything for him.”
Tab was still frowning as she tried to work out why Evie was telling her this. “All you really have to do is love him… no death required.”
“Tara might die.”
“Tara’s going to be fine. If the powers that be let Tara die than they’re stupider than I thought.”
Evie brought her gaze up to meet Tab’s. “What would you do if Luke was sick and there wasn’t anything you could do about?”
Tab’s brown eyes went wide as she looked over at her boyfriend. “I don’t know… I’d feel like a failure.”
“That’s how Lachlan’s probably feeling. It’s how Riley feels about himself and there isn’t a damn thing I can do to change that.”
“Riley’s getting better,” Tab argued.
“I know, but…”
Tab leaned forward, her frown deepening. “But what? You just said you loved him, and so far you’ve stuck by his side.”
“What if I’m not enough?”
Tab let out a snort of disbelief. “What?”
Evie blinked back tears and pushed her hair back from her face. “What if he doesn’t love me the way I love him?”
Tab raised a hand. “Please tell me this is lack of sleep talking, otherwise I might be forced to slap you. You’re the most important thing to Riley. All his agonizing over the HIV has mostly been in a large part because of you. He’s worried he’s not enough for you. So I think you better pull your fucking head out. You two love each other, and you’ll do anything for each other, right? So maybe you just need to let yourselves trust that love.”
Evie let the tears come now and she looked at Tab helplessly. “It’s the lack of sleep. I don’t know what I’m saying. Fuck. I love Riley, and I know he loves me, I just… if this was me and him, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Tab leaned forward again to take Evie’s hand as she kissed the other woman’s forehead. “Hopefully you’ve already been through all the shit you and my brother have to deal with. I don’t want to know what this feels like anymore than you do. But you’re here for Tara, and you’re here for Lachlan and Riley will be here to look after you. So will I.”
Evie wiped at her tears and smiled thankfully at Tab. “If I had a sister, I’d want her to be like you.”
Tab laughed quietly. “Only if you wanted a lot of hair pulling and wedgies.” She winked at Evie. “Besides, there’s still a way for us to be sisters. Just give Riley time.”
“He can have all the time he needs. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tabitha London Browne & Evie Miller
Original Character & House, M.D OC
Words: 759
All muses referenced with permission