Phone Calls - AU [Toby Goes to Prison]
anonymous
December 10 2009, 22:54:19 UTC
Andy calls him once a week to let him know how the kids are doing. Once a month, she visits. Because the children are under the age of 12, they can't visit. Every so often, she'll remind him of the choice he made, "You could have said it was because of David-"
"I don't want my children thinking-"
"You're sitting in a jail cell! For God's sake, Toby, what do you think your children think of you now? What do you think of you once you get out?" Andy was crying over the phone, and Toby's heart skips a few beats.
He grips the phone tightly, "I never meant for it to be like this, Andy."
She laughs, but Toby knows it's only to keep from sobbing, "Well it did, Toby. I'm not sure what you're protecting, or who, or even why you did it, but damn, Toby. I hope it was worth it."
She hangs up, and Toby holds the phone for a full three minutes, listening to the dial tone before placing it back in its cradle. His father had gone to prison for Murder, Inc. He'd gone to prison for saving lives. Was it worth it? Not saying anything would have destroyed him. He wouldn't be able to look his children in the eye knowing he could have done the righteous thing, but hadn't. His children would see his integrity. And that was what made it worth it.
He walks back to his cell, and marks another day off on the wall.
"I don't want my children thinking-"
"You're sitting in a jail cell! For God's sake, Toby, what do you think your children think of you now? What do you think of you once you get out?" Andy was crying over the phone, and Toby's heart skips a few beats.
He grips the phone tightly, "I never meant for it to be like this, Andy."
She laughs, but Toby knows it's only to keep from sobbing, "Well it did, Toby. I'm not sure what you're protecting, or who, or even why you did it, but damn, Toby. I hope it was worth it."
She hangs up, and Toby holds the phone for a full three minutes, listening to the dial tone before placing it back in its cradle. His father had gone to prison for Murder, Inc. He'd gone to prison for saving lives. Was it worth it? Not saying anything would have destroyed him. He wouldn't be able to look his children in the eye knowing he could have done the righteous thing, but hadn't. His children would see his integrity. And that was what made it worth it.
He walks back to his cell, and marks another day off on the wall.
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