muses_w_remotes | 12.8. Mrs Doubtfire quote
12.8. “Ever wish you could freeze frame a moment in your day, and look at it and say ‘this is not my life’?”
| Mrs Doubtfire
Co-written with imnodoctor
[Follows THIS but before THIS]
Chase didn't know why the hospital suddenly felt so foreign to him. It had nothing to do with the fact he had been absent from the job for a couple of months, either. He sat in one of the uncomfortable Oncology waiting room chairs, staring unseeingly down at the linoleum floor as he folded his hands tightly before him. His elbows were resting on his elbows and his foot was tapping restlessly. He glanced briefly up at the clock on the wall and then dropped his eyes back to the floor. He felt like all eyes were on him. He wasn't in his uniform because he wasn't here as a staff member. He was reluctant to admit he was a patient, too. He felt in limbo. A very frightening limbo.
Wilson had warned him he might be a bit late because, as a favour, he was squeezing Chase in between consults that had been booked for weeks. Chase swallowed, not quite believing he was here. This wasn't ever a position he expected to find himself in. He should be on the other side of the fence, not teetering in the middle of it. He was grateful for Wilson. Wilson was one of the best Oncologists in the country, so that was a plus. It had to be a plus because no matter how much he turned it over and over in his head, Chase couldn't think like a doctor right now. It felt like everything he learned in his MD had suddenly been zapped out of his mind. Bottom line was, he was just plain scared and he wanted nothing more than to walk out and try to forget any of this was happening. But he wasn't stupid. Something like this, he couldn't afford to be stupid.
Evie had been checking up on one of her patients, making sure they were comfortable during the chemotherapy. Or at least as comfortable as one could be. It didn't really get easier watching people try and fight cancer, but she would rather be here to look after them, than leave them to do it on their own. Some people seemed to do it on their own anyway, without family and friends. Evie didn't know how they could do it. If it was her, she'd rather have Riley and Tara here.
She blinked as she saw Chase sitting in one of the waiting room chairs and dropped down in an empty one beside him. "Hey there, stranger. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" She looked him over again and noticed the lack of scrubs. "Is your wife and child okay?"
Chase looked up at the voice but it took him a few moments to realise it was addressing him and that it was actually a familiar face. He blinked and then sat up stiffly, seeming to overcompensate his posture as if it would mask everything else. "My what?" he asked, his voice low. He shook his head a little when the question clicked in his mind. "Um, yeah. Yeah, they're real good. Better than I could wish for," he told her, with a slight, forced smile.
Evie raised her eyebrows a little and pushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes. "It works better if you just relax into the lie, you know. Less forced. So Mia and Rogue are really okay, but... you're not?" Evie guessed.
Chase's eyes flicked to Evie and then back to his shoes. Seems they needed a wash. He didn't know why he was thinking his shoes needed a wash. He swallowed again and rubbed his palms a little on his thighs. His hands had been sweating since he arrived and that was unusual for him. "I don't really know," he admitted quietly. "Maybe not." An ailing cancer patient shuffled by supporting themselves on their IV pole. She had a scarf around her head and met his eyes with a polite smile. How the fuck could she smile? He nodded politely in return and snaked a hand around his stomach in a psuedo self-hug. The hospital antiseptic suddenly seemed prominent and overpowering in his nose. If was enough to make someone feel ill by default.
Evie reached over to cover his hand with hers as she watched him. She knew that look, and her stomach tightened as she considered what it could mean on Chase's face. "Oh, sweetheart," she murmured. "Where's your wife? You shouldn't be doing this alone, Dr Chase. Even if it's just a check up, you need someone here. I know you probably think you're being brave, or you think the denial will last longer, but that's not how it works. You need someone here. Trust me."
Chase looked at her tiredly. "In all honesty, Evie, I didn't even get that far in my thinking. I'm just here. I figured being here sooner rather than later was just... smart. I just called Wilson and he told me to come in straight away. I didn't really think beyond that." He watched the patient make it to her room and stop to chat to a nurse. "This isn't somewhere I want Marie to have to hang out with the baby. Plus, I don't know how long I have to wait. I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't really think at all. My mind is just one big numb gaping hole."
"Do you want me to wait with you? I have some time..." Evie followed his line of sight and gave a small nod. "I understand, really, I do. Do you want to talk about it, or should I invoke distraction tactics? Tab's taught me a few tricks as blunt as she can be, she's also good at not talking about something when she has to."
Chase laughed just a little and nodded. "Yeah, she and I had some interesting chats at Christmas. I find it hard to believe she's Riley's twin." He drew his lip in between his teeth as a lump of emotion settled in his throat. "A lump. I... well, Marie found it. Last night."
"When they're together, it falls into place. I haven't ever really seen anything like those two," Evie said with a grin. Her grin faltered the next moment and she squeezed his hand. "It could be nothing, you know. Might be benign."
Chase put his hand up to his head and rubbed his fingers roughly against his forehead. "My father died of cancer, so did my grandfather and my grandmother on my mother's side. I've got it in both sides. There's maybe been other symptoms... I dunno. It might not be benign, too. It's not a small lump."
Evie pressed her lips together. Chase's familial history could certainly play a part, and wasn't exactly making things look better. "How old were they? It's easy to dismiss symptoms while you've been focused on your daughter's birth. Not that I'm the one that's supposed to be diagnosing you. I'm sorry, you can tell me to shut up."
Chase shook his head. "No, it's okay. Better this than seated in denial. My father was, well, he only died a few years ago. My grandparents died before I was born. I don't know their specific ages or really what sort of cancer it was. My father was lung cancer, though it was in advanced stages and had spread. It was more a fact I probably dismissed them thinking they were a result from... when I was sick. The coma. When I think now, I can basically run a DD on myself. Plus, there's been this back ache, really low down..." He sighed, hugging himself again. "Fuck."
"Can't someone babysit Mia for you while Marie does this with you? She should be here, Dr Chase. She's your wife, you need her and she probably needs to be here and wants to be here." Evie leaned back in her chair and watched as one of the doctors made a call from the nurse's station. "I don't know how Riley would have got through his diagnosis without Tab."
"I don't know, really. Her godfathers are in New York. The appointment would probably be all said and done by the time they got here. Cameron's working... I just passed her in the foyer. I'm not sure Marie would even want to leave her with any one so soon." Chase shrugged a little, at a loss of any other immediate option. He met her eyes again. "Or without you. I spoke to him about it, once. He blatantly told me he wouldn't be here without everyone's support. I guess I just don't want to raise any alarms or scare people before I really know anything."
Evie shrugged. "I don't think I was as big a part as Tab. They need each other when they hurt. No one else gets close. I'll always be here for him. Just like now with the sperm thing. He doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up, either. We haven't even really definitely decided." She held his gaze and gave him a small smile. "I'd say call her, but for all we know your cell phone might make matters worse. Too early for lame cancer jokes?"
Chase smirked faintly at her. "Maybe just a little. I don't make a habit of calling people with my testicles, though," he returned and then cleared his throat. "Riley's a fucking strong guy. I'm amazed he's got the confidence to think about kids. It just shows how much you guys have helped. Some people with a diagnosis like that can take years to even just find acceptance in the disease, let alone anything else."
"Do you carry your phone in your pocket?" Evie asked. She crossed her legs over and took a moment to indulge in sitting down. There were days where it felt like she spent the majority of them on her feet. Thank god nurses got to wear comfortable shoes. "Riley's amazing. I still can't believe him sometimes. The best part is he doesn't even know just how strong he is. He thinks he's weak, or not able to handle these things, but then he just finds something inside himself and gets through it. I'm just glad we can try and give him something he's always wanted. He would be such a great father."
"Sometimes. I'm not deluded enough to let myself think that's given me cancer, though. I'm too medically-minded and I have a speciality in Diagnostic Medicine. That's too easy," Chase murmured. Not to mention the fact some things just had no explanation. "What about you? Have you always wanted it? It's a massive and stressful step to take. Even for people without fertility issues."
Evie rolled her eyes lightly as she smiled. "You doctors from Diagnostics. I had Kutner in here the other day trying to tell me that a patient's cancer wasn't cancer, but some rare tropical acne, or something. Fuck, I can't even remember. He rambled something unreal. I don't remember you being so annoying." Evie nodded as she looked down at her hands as she rest them in her lap. "Yeah, I think I have. I just never met a guy that made me feel ready for it. Do you regret taking the step?"
Chase just smirked. "I usually sided with House. When I didn't, I looked for the other options myself. When you're siding with House, there isn't a lot of reason to harrass other medical departments, only patients or their family. We were usually busy digging around in dumpsters or stealing body fibres from locked homes. The new team doesn't seem to do much of that anymore." He shook his head. "Not at all. I was much the same as you. Hadn't met anyone to make me feel remotely ready, but it was different with Marie. We had a bit of trouble getting pregnant, though, and it was our second attempt, so we never took it for granted."
"I'm not sure what to make of them. I suppose I got used to seeing you, Cameron, and Dr Foreman doing his dirty work." Evie smiled. "Who would have thought it, huh? You and me married with kids. Clearly not to each other," she added with a laugh. "I thought we were the last of the frisky singles, then you went and found Marie, and I found Riley."
"Actually, I thought Pat was the last and then he stunned me by going and getting snapped up by some Playgirl centrefold looking guy. Some days I feel like I have my head up my arse. I seem to blink and miss all the good gossip these days. That's what getting locked in the OR for hours on end does to you." Somewhere along in the conversation, Chase had hunched over, shoulders slumped, and hugged himself around his stomach. It seemed like a comfortable and safe posture because he hadn't looked at his watch once. "Ironically, we've all had to go through shit to actually get to where we are. Seems it hasn't stopped even now."
"Pat's very lucky, but I adore my nerdy beau just fine. Riley's like no other man I've known." She rest her chin in her hand as she turned to look at Chase. "Well, just say the word and I'm happy to put together gossip bulletins for you. I'll leave them in your locker so you don't feel left out." Evie shifted, and patted her hand against his back. She couldn't imagine he'd be comfortable in any position with this hanging over his head. "No, it hasn't. For any of us. We had enough of a break to give us strength to get through the next part. The good thing is we're not alone."
Chase nodded slowly. "It's nice to see everyone happy. I've just got a soft spot for Pat... I was one of his doctors way back when he first got sick with brain haemorrhage. We thought he had everything from cancer to a spider bite. He never thought he'd find someone who would want to bare the burden of taking care of him. Something in the male psyche seems to make us do stupid things like try to push people away to protect them. Lachlan did it when he found out he was infertile. He told Tara he didn't love her so she would walk away and broke both their hearts in the process. Riley tried to do the same when he found out he was Positive. And as awful as it sounds, I'm trying to learn off their mistakes. It would be easy to run away, to hide, to try and deal alone so no one had to suffer for something happening to me." He put his hands over his face as his stomach started to churn with a nausea born of worry and fear. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to fight something like cancer. This is supposed to be... it's supposed to be our fantastic time."
Evie leaned over so she could drop her voice to a whisper, ensuring no one else around them heard. "Listen to me, if there's one thing I've learned from having to deal with my Mom having cancer, and now Riley with being found Positive, it's that when you're not strong enough the people around you are the ones to give you strength. Your wife was here every single day while you had the coma for as long as they would let her, and even then she asked for more time. She would have slept here if they'd let her. I'd do the same for Riley. We don't care that it's happening to you because when it's someone we love, it's happening to us. You have a family, Dr Chase. You're also in a partnership of marriage. You need to call your wife, or talk to her. Even if it's just to get you through the next five minutes, and the five minutes after that, and the five minutes after that until you've gotten through a whole day, then a week, and so on. I don't believe in new age sensitive bullshit - you know me. But I do believe in this."
Chase nodded as he hovered very close to tears. He couldn't answer at first. Fuck, he had nursed his mother through alcoholism, so he knew what she was saying. He did understand it, but at the same time, he felt exhausted. Even just standing to get to Wilson's office seemed like a feat. That was when Wilson's office door did open and the Head of Oncology appeared and offered a faint smile to Chase and Evie. Chase let out a rough breath and rubbed at his arms, feeling a cold chill creep over his skin. "I-I guess it's my turn," he mumbled.
Evie squeezed his shoulder as she stood up. "Shout if you need anything, okay? I mean it. Even if it's to drive you home, or something. Don't think you have to do this alone." Evie smiled. "I'd say 'good luck', but that's pretty fucking inappropriate right now. Take care, Dr Chase."
Chase stood up too and nodded, but before she walked away, he caught her hand with his hand gave it a small squeeze. "Evie, thanks," he said hoarsely. "Just thanks."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 2,875
| Mrs Doubtfire
Co-written with imnodoctor
[Follows THIS but before THIS]
Chase didn't know why the hospital suddenly felt so foreign to him. It had nothing to do with the fact he had been absent from the job for a couple of months, either. He sat in one of the uncomfortable Oncology waiting room chairs, staring unseeingly down at the linoleum floor as he folded his hands tightly before him. His elbows were resting on his elbows and his foot was tapping restlessly. He glanced briefly up at the clock on the wall and then dropped his eyes back to the floor. He felt like all eyes were on him. He wasn't in his uniform because he wasn't here as a staff member. He was reluctant to admit he was a patient, too. He felt in limbo. A very frightening limbo.
Wilson had warned him he might be a bit late because, as a favour, he was squeezing Chase in between consults that had been booked for weeks. Chase swallowed, not quite believing he was here. This wasn't ever a position he expected to find himself in. He should be on the other side of the fence, not teetering in the middle of it. He was grateful for Wilson. Wilson was one of the best Oncologists in the country, so that was a plus. It had to be a plus because no matter how much he turned it over and over in his head, Chase couldn't think like a doctor right now. It felt like everything he learned in his MD had suddenly been zapped out of his mind. Bottom line was, he was just plain scared and he wanted nothing more than to walk out and try to forget any of this was happening. But he wasn't stupid. Something like this, he couldn't afford to be stupid.
Evie had been checking up on one of her patients, making sure they were comfortable during the chemotherapy. Or at least as comfortable as one could be. It didn't really get easier watching people try and fight cancer, but she would rather be here to look after them, than leave them to do it on their own. Some people seemed to do it on their own anyway, without family and friends. Evie didn't know how they could do it. If it was her, she'd rather have Riley and Tara here.
She blinked as she saw Chase sitting in one of the waiting room chairs and dropped down in an empty one beside him. "Hey there, stranger. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" She looked him over again and noticed the lack of scrubs. "Is your wife and child okay?"
Chase looked up at the voice but it took him a few moments to realise it was addressing him and that it was actually a familiar face. He blinked and then sat up stiffly, seeming to overcompensate his posture as if it would mask everything else. "My what?" he asked, his voice low. He shook his head a little when the question clicked in his mind. "Um, yeah. Yeah, they're real good. Better than I could wish for," he told her, with a slight, forced smile.
Evie raised her eyebrows a little and pushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes. "It works better if you just relax into the lie, you know. Less forced. So Mia and Rogue are really okay, but... you're not?" Evie guessed.
Chase's eyes flicked to Evie and then back to his shoes. Seems they needed a wash. He didn't know why he was thinking his shoes needed a wash. He swallowed again and rubbed his palms a little on his thighs. His hands had been sweating since he arrived and that was unusual for him. "I don't really know," he admitted quietly. "Maybe not." An ailing cancer patient shuffled by supporting themselves on their IV pole. She had a scarf around her head and met his eyes with a polite smile. How the fuck could she smile? He nodded politely in return and snaked a hand around his stomach in a psuedo self-hug. The hospital antiseptic suddenly seemed prominent and overpowering in his nose. If was enough to make someone feel ill by default.
Evie reached over to cover his hand with hers as she watched him. She knew that look, and her stomach tightened as she considered what it could mean on Chase's face. "Oh, sweetheart," she murmured. "Where's your wife? You shouldn't be doing this alone, Dr Chase. Even if it's just a check up, you need someone here. I know you probably think you're being brave, or you think the denial will last longer, but that's not how it works. You need someone here. Trust me."
Chase looked at her tiredly. "In all honesty, Evie, I didn't even get that far in my thinking. I'm just here. I figured being here sooner rather than later was just... smart. I just called Wilson and he told me to come in straight away. I didn't really think beyond that." He watched the patient make it to her room and stop to chat to a nurse. "This isn't somewhere I want Marie to have to hang out with the baby. Plus, I don't know how long I have to wait. I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't really think at all. My mind is just one big numb gaping hole."
"Do you want me to wait with you? I have some time..." Evie followed his line of sight and gave a small nod. "I understand, really, I do. Do you want to talk about it, or should I invoke distraction tactics? Tab's taught me a few tricks as blunt as she can be, she's also good at not talking about something when she has to."
Chase laughed just a little and nodded. "Yeah, she and I had some interesting chats at Christmas. I find it hard to believe she's Riley's twin." He drew his lip in between his teeth as a lump of emotion settled in his throat. "A lump. I... well, Marie found it. Last night."
"When they're together, it falls into place. I haven't ever really seen anything like those two," Evie said with a grin. Her grin faltered the next moment and she squeezed his hand. "It could be nothing, you know. Might be benign."
Chase put his hand up to his head and rubbed his fingers roughly against his forehead. "My father died of cancer, so did my grandfather and my grandmother on my mother's side. I've got it in both sides. There's maybe been other symptoms... I dunno. It might not be benign, too. It's not a small lump."
Evie pressed her lips together. Chase's familial history could certainly play a part, and wasn't exactly making things look better. "How old were they? It's easy to dismiss symptoms while you've been focused on your daughter's birth. Not that I'm the one that's supposed to be diagnosing you. I'm sorry, you can tell me to shut up."
Chase shook his head. "No, it's okay. Better this than seated in denial. My father was, well, he only died a few years ago. My grandparents died before I was born. I don't know their specific ages or really what sort of cancer it was. My father was lung cancer, though it was in advanced stages and had spread. It was more a fact I probably dismissed them thinking they were a result from... when I was sick. The coma. When I think now, I can basically run a DD on myself. Plus, there's been this back ache, really low down..." He sighed, hugging himself again. "Fuck."
"Can't someone babysit Mia for you while Marie does this with you? She should be here, Dr Chase. She's your wife, you need her and she probably needs to be here and wants to be here." Evie leaned back in her chair and watched as one of the doctors made a call from the nurse's station. "I don't know how Riley would have got through his diagnosis without Tab."
"I don't know, really. Her godfathers are in New York. The appointment would probably be all said and done by the time they got here. Cameron's working... I just passed her in the foyer. I'm not sure Marie would even want to leave her with any one so soon." Chase shrugged a little, at a loss of any other immediate option. He met her eyes again. "Or without you. I spoke to him about it, once. He blatantly told me he wouldn't be here without everyone's support. I guess I just don't want to raise any alarms or scare people before I really know anything."
Evie shrugged. "I don't think I was as big a part as Tab. They need each other when they hurt. No one else gets close. I'll always be here for him. Just like now with the sperm thing. He doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up, either. We haven't even really definitely decided." She held his gaze and gave him a small smile. "I'd say call her, but for all we know your cell phone might make matters worse. Too early for lame cancer jokes?"
Chase smirked faintly at her. "Maybe just a little. I don't make a habit of calling people with my testicles, though," he returned and then cleared his throat. "Riley's a fucking strong guy. I'm amazed he's got the confidence to think about kids. It just shows how much you guys have helped. Some people with a diagnosis like that can take years to even just find acceptance in the disease, let alone anything else."
"Do you carry your phone in your pocket?" Evie asked. She crossed her legs over and took a moment to indulge in sitting down. There were days where it felt like she spent the majority of them on her feet. Thank god nurses got to wear comfortable shoes. "Riley's amazing. I still can't believe him sometimes. The best part is he doesn't even know just how strong he is. He thinks he's weak, or not able to handle these things, but then he just finds something inside himself and gets through it. I'm just glad we can try and give him something he's always wanted. He would be such a great father."
"Sometimes. I'm not deluded enough to let myself think that's given me cancer, though. I'm too medically-minded and I have a speciality in Diagnostic Medicine. That's too easy," Chase murmured. Not to mention the fact some things just had no explanation. "What about you? Have you always wanted it? It's a massive and stressful step to take. Even for people without fertility issues."
Evie rolled her eyes lightly as she smiled. "You doctors from Diagnostics. I had Kutner in here the other day trying to tell me that a patient's cancer wasn't cancer, but some rare tropical acne, or something. Fuck, I can't even remember. He rambled something unreal. I don't remember you being so annoying." Evie nodded as she looked down at her hands as she rest them in her lap. "Yeah, I think I have. I just never met a guy that made me feel ready for it. Do you regret taking the step?"
Chase just smirked. "I usually sided with House. When I didn't, I looked for the other options myself. When you're siding with House, there isn't a lot of reason to harrass other medical departments, only patients or their family. We were usually busy digging around in dumpsters or stealing body fibres from locked homes. The new team doesn't seem to do much of that anymore." He shook his head. "Not at all. I was much the same as you. Hadn't met anyone to make me feel remotely ready, but it was different with Marie. We had a bit of trouble getting pregnant, though, and it was our second attempt, so we never took it for granted."
"I'm not sure what to make of them. I suppose I got used to seeing you, Cameron, and Dr Foreman doing his dirty work." Evie smiled. "Who would have thought it, huh? You and me married with kids. Clearly not to each other," she added with a laugh. "I thought we were the last of the frisky singles, then you went and found Marie, and I found Riley."
"Actually, I thought Pat was the last and then he stunned me by going and getting snapped up by some Playgirl centrefold looking guy. Some days I feel like I have my head up my arse. I seem to blink and miss all the good gossip these days. That's what getting locked in the OR for hours on end does to you." Somewhere along in the conversation, Chase had hunched over, shoulders slumped, and hugged himself around his stomach. It seemed like a comfortable and safe posture because he hadn't looked at his watch once. "Ironically, we've all had to go through shit to actually get to where we are. Seems it hasn't stopped even now."
"Pat's very lucky, but I adore my nerdy beau just fine. Riley's like no other man I've known." She rest her chin in her hand as she turned to look at Chase. "Well, just say the word and I'm happy to put together gossip bulletins for you. I'll leave them in your locker so you don't feel left out." Evie shifted, and patted her hand against his back. She couldn't imagine he'd be comfortable in any position with this hanging over his head. "No, it hasn't. For any of us. We had enough of a break to give us strength to get through the next part. The good thing is we're not alone."
Chase nodded slowly. "It's nice to see everyone happy. I've just got a soft spot for Pat... I was one of his doctors way back when he first got sick with brain haemorrhage. We thought he had everything from cancer to a spider bite. He never thought he'd find someone who would want to bare the burden of taking care of him. Something in the male psyche seems to make us do stupid things like try to push people away to protect them. Lachlan did it when he found out he was infertile. He told Tara he didn't love her so she would walk away and broke both their hearts in the process. Riley tried to do the same when he found out he was Positive. And as awful as it sounds, I'm trying to learn off their mistakes. It would be easy to run away, to hide, to try and deal alone so no one had to suffer for something happening to me." He put his hands over his face as his stomach started to churn with a nausea born of worry and fear. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to fight something like cancer. This is supposed to be... it's supposed to be our fantastic time."
Evie leaned over so she could drop her voice to a whisper, ensuring no one else around them heard. "Listen to me, if there's one thing I've learned from having to deal with my Mom having cancer, and now Riley with being found Positive, it's that when you're not strong enough the people around you are the ones to give you strength. Your wife was here every single day while you had the coma for as long as they would let her, and even then she asked for more time. She would have slept here if they'd let her. I'd do the same for Riley. We don't care that it's happening to you because when it's someone we love, it's happening to us. You have a family, Dr Chase. You're also in a partnership of marriage. You need to call your wife, or talk to her. Even if it's just to get you through the next five minutes, and the five minutes after that, and the five minutes after that until you've gotten through a whole day, then a week, and so on. I don't believe in new age sensitive bullshit - you know me. But I do believe in this."
Chase nodded as he hovered very close to tears. He couldn't answer at first. Fuck, he had nursed his mother through alcoholism, so he knew what she was saying. He did understand it, but at the same time, he felt exhausted. Even just standing to get to Wilson's office seemed like a feat. That was when Wilson's office door did open and the Head of Oncology appeared and offered a faint smile to Chase and Evie. Chase let out a rough breath and rubbed at his arms, feeling a cold chill creep over his skin. "I-I guess it's my turn," he mumbled.
Evie squeezed his shoulder as she stood up. "Shout if you need anything, okay? I mean it. Even if it's to drive you home, or something. Don't think you have to do this alone." Evie smiled. "I'd say 'good luck', but that's pretty fucking inappropriate right now. Take care, Dr Chase."
Chase stood up too and nodded, but before she walked away, he caught her hand with his hand gave it a small squeeze. "Evie, thanks," he said hoarsely. "Just thanks."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 2,875