[Paralysis]
Title:
Author: Kara B [aricadavidson or kara_muse]
Rating: PG
Pairing/Character: Eric Weiss/Arica Davidson
Warnings:
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Theme: Paralysis
Contest: fanfic100/au100
Summary:
The circumstances and the situation had given him a lot to think about. And the fact that he was currently in a hospital bed, still unable to move his legs, left him all the time in the world to ponder the world and his life.
He’d reacted instinctively. You protect your partner. That was the code of the Agency and Eric had always believed in it, so of course, he’d pushed Mike out of the way, wholly intending to throw himself out of harm’s way as well. Nothing had gone according to plan. But they had managed to get him out in time, before the building blew.
Arica would stand by him, even if the feeling never came back. He’d never doubted her once on that score because he knew her and he would have done the same thing. The doctor seemed to think it would. And there was an 80% chance he’d regain all movement, but that left 20% to let his mind wander over incessantly.
“Dwelling on this won’t help. You know she’ll be there. And you’ll recover from this.”
“And if I don’t?” When she hesitated to answer, he added. “Don’t pretend this will all magically go away. There’s a very real chance it may not. How will I support my family?”
“We’ll take care of you Eric. There’s all kinds of desk jobs. I know you hate the idea, but you took one a while back to protect the kids.”
“But who will be there to go rough house with the kids? I can’t.” His frustration was evident.
“But you will. Brian said there’s an 80% chance…”
“Which means there’s a 20% I won’t.”
“Playing the what if game isn’t healthy. Pushing people away because you’re afraid isn’t either. You have a great support system. Let your friends and family support you, let the doctors do their job. You just focus on the positive and getting better. That’s your job.”
He thought for a long moment, then nodded. “Will you ask Arica to come back when you see her?”
Brittany nodded and handed him her cell phone. “Call her yourself.”