Eric Arthur Matthews. 30. Writer | Editor-In-Chief. Married to Imogen Matthews. Father To Brooklyn Matthews. Broody. Loner. "I like stories… but Annie’s was far too complicated to keep up with most of the time."
Sophie reached for the bag when Brad came back over, digging around in it quickly. She spotted his chest when he did and nodded, wincing as she pulled out some of her medical supplies. They were never able to have much down here but this was an emergency - clearly. “Shit–” She jumped a little, having not expected Eric to move at all. “Hey… hey..” She shook her head at him. “You’re not… you’re not dead, Eric, but you have to stay still…. you have to let me help.”
@brad-everett
Brad was a bit surprised himself when Eric had opened his eyes, he had been there himself. “Yeah it’s us, but you aren’t dead. Eric trust me you are very much alive. And we have to keep you that way.” He told him, looking at over Eric for a moment. “Trust me you aren’t dead.” He could still see the panic in Eric’s face. Which left him no choice but to hit him, that seemed to startle him into some type of reality. “Sorry, I had to. Look we are going to fix you up and you are going to answer some questions, alright?”
Eric was listening to what they were saying but it wasn’t making much sense at all. “I have to be..you guys are. So that is the only thing that makes sense. I’m dead.” Yeah, he was panicking a little bit. But then he felt the hit to his face and that felt very real. Very. When Brad spoke, he nodded his head and looked over at Sophie. “Alright, fine. Please keep me alive. I have to get back to Imogen and our children. Please.” He reached up and undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt this way Sophie could get to reopened wound on his chest. // @thesophiebaker
Sophie was still in shock but she had always been good at pushing through everything and focusing. Right now, she had to focus on making sure Eric did not die. Not only because of the note but because she didn’t want him to. “Hand me that bag..” She said, gesturing for Brad quickly. She wondered what he’d want to ask. Sophie had been intending to help him more with the broken laptop today but it seemed like this was now going to be their priority. Jocelyn started to stir and Sophie cursed lightly, hoping she would stay sleeping at least until Eric was all sorted.
Last thing Brad wanted was for them to be down here with a dead body. How would they even explain that especially to Jocelyn. Moving over to the bag, he picked it up and brought it over to Sophie. There were so many questions running through his head. He held up the little flash that he had this way she had better light. That was when he noticed the blood on Eric’s shirt that seemed to be coming from his chest. “Soph..his chest.” Just as he reached out, he felt someone grab his hand and he seen Eric’s eyes shoot open.
All Eric remembered was fighting with -A, that was it. The moment that he felt someone’s hand on his chest, his eyes shot open. He gasp lightly, seeing the two faces stare back at him and he winced right away due to the pain on his chest. But his eyes went back to the redhead, blinking his eyes at first to make sure it wasn’t Emma. It wasn’t. “Sophie?” His eyes drifted over to Brad. “Brad?” They were dead. Did that mean he was dead? Fuck. Was he dead? “Am I dead?” He winced out, his ribs hurt. Which meant that they were probably bruised. His hand went to his chest, and he felt the blood and he knew what happened and he winced again. Imogen. Fuck. He didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Just gave her a quick peck before he left that morning and kissed Brooklyn’s head. “I can’t be dead..” This all felt to real for him to dead. // @thesophiebaker
Eric had sent Austin home after he finished, he told him that he didn’t need to wait around to clean up his office. It wasn’t messy to begin with. He knew that he wasn’t going to be in the office tomorrow or for the rest of week or maybe even two weeks, so naturally he wanted to get as much work done as possible. Richard was coming home and that was the most important thing in the whole world and Eric wasn’t about to miss that for anything. He just had a few more things to finish and then he was out of there, of course he had given Alexa the day off as well. But she was expected to be in the office while he was gone for the week. This way he could get kept updated.
Getting up, he grabbed some paperwork and then moved out of his office. Setting the papers down onto Nikki’s desk, he left a her note on top of them to make sure that they make it to the printer tomorrow. Making his way into the copy room, he grabbed what he printed looking over it for a moment. He kept reading the lines over and over again. This was not what he had printed. Glancing around some, Eric knew that he was alone. So maybe the computer malfunctioned or something. Sighing a little bit, he moved back into his office. Not noticing the shadow in the room since it was pretty late anyways, and his only the light on his desk was on.
Moving over to his laptop, he looked at the screen again. This had to be a mistake or something. He read the words once again. ‘I killed Alexander Turner!’ was across the screen. Slamming his laptop shut, he couldn’t figure it out. He didn’t kill his brother. Was -A trying to fuck with him? Get into his head or something? Fuck. Standing up, that was when he felt it, something like a bee sting. He turned, and he was face to face with -A. “Son of bitch.” He couldn’t see her face. That was when he took a swing and actually connected with the person. Hearing a grunt though, the two started struggling, he thought he had the upper hand but whatever -A had injected him with was taking effect. “Kill..you..” He fell over and hit his head on the side of his desk. Knocking him out completely.
That was when -A set up to work, making Eric’s office look like a bloody horror show. And it wasn’t just his blood. Granted, most of it was from before when Daisy had taken him. But all the rest of it was of cases in the past even those that Daisy and Jamie had done and of course the now -A. The blood was all over the place. -A liked playing games with the cops. It was fun. Once -A was finished, they looked around, and took some of Eric’s fresh blood to write out a message.
‘Good luck finding him and me. -A’
Eric wasn’t easy to get out of the building but they managed. Loading him up, and driving out to a destination in mind. Pulling up, -A opened the building and drove in. Taking Eric out of the car, -A took off the wedding band. They would be giving this to Imogen sometime later. Taking a photo of him, they would be sending that as well. The three were asleep, and that was when -A snuck in and dropped him off. With a message pinned to his shirt. ‘Keep him alive. -A’
Brad had been sleeping lightly when -A came in, he was ready to strike just in case something happened but he heard the door close. His eyes opened, and he looked at the sleeping redhead. -A had brought them something again. He woke up the redhead gently. Glancing over at what -A had left them. It looked like a body. Getting up, he moved over to it and took the hood and mask off the persons face. “Eric?” He questioned, as soon as he saw his face. His eyes went back to Sophie. “What the fuck?” His eyes went back to Eric, who was seemingly still passed out, and he read the note. “Sophie, do your saving of lives thing. I’ve got questions for him.”
Imogen smiled lightly, nodding. She didn’t really believe in herself, she never had, and despite her therapist being very adamant about her being proud of everything she’d endured and survived, she really wasn’t on the inside. Hearing Eric say it meant so much. She leaned up and kissed him again and then took his hand. “I love you.”
Eric smiled back at her, he meant it. He was proud of her for everything that she had endured and survived. But it wasn’t just that. She was an amazing mother to their children. And he was so proud of her for that alone. He kissed her back gently, giving her hand a gentle squeeze when she took his. “I love you too. Come on. Let’s head back and go and see our son for one last time tonight and then pick up Brooklyn and go home.”
Imogen nodded, hoping that she could hold on to that belief. They had this. Everything would be fine. Would it? Imogen just felt so unhappy and she didn’t want to spiral but sometimes she couldn’t help it. She smiled and nodded again. “Yeah… okay.” Ugh. -A. She hoped they would disappear, the last few years of her life… she didn’t know how she’d survived it… and not everybody had, which made her sad all over again. She teared up a little at his words, shaking her head and reaching up to wipe her eyes. “You are?”
Eric wanted her to hold onto that belief because it was true. They did have this and anything else that got thrown at them. They got it. He smiled back at her. “We believe that.” Fuck -A, he was so tired of them getting into their business. These past years had been so much from Daisy, to Jamie and now whoever the hell this -A was. Reaching up, he brushed away some tears, looking back at her. “I am. I always have been proud of you, Imogen. And that will never change. No matter what.”
Your wife isn't as strong as you seem to believe. -A
Eric had been working, when he heard his phone go off. For a moment he thought it was Imogen or maybe even his sister. Reaching for it, he picked up and he seen the message. Reading it for a moment, he sighed a little bit and sat back. Before grabbing his phone, he decided to text back. ‘Piss off, she is a lot more stronger than you think.’ He hit send and then went back to work.
Imogen was doing her best to stay present and not shut down, she really was. Years ago she would probably have shut down by now already but she had to be here for the people who needed her. She just felt so weak and full of grief and she hated that any of this had happened. She lifted her head with a light smile, leaning up to kiss him. “Yeah… we do.” They’d come through so much that they could probably get through anything.
Eric knew that this was a lot of his wife, and of course he was there for her. He had be the strong one so he was going to be. Clearly she needed him to be that person. Of course he hated that this happened to them, it was unfair and Imogen didn’t deserve any of this. When he felt her lips on his, he kissed her back gently. “We always will. Alright? No matter what life throws at us or -A, we’ve got this.” He strongly believed that. They had been through so much. “I am so proud of you, Imogen.”
Imogen felt a rush of guilt well up about Emma but she did what she could to dismiss it. In this moment it was easy-ish, anyway, she had her grief right at the forefront. Anyway, it was over… right? She closed her eyes and leaned into him, nodding. She knew that he was right… Imogen was used to closing up and folding back in on herself but she had to stay present and be strong for Brooklyn and Eric and now baby Richard too. She just… wished her grandad had been able to meet him. “It’ll be okay…” She murmured, doing her best to convince herself of it because it was either that or cry forever.
Whatever was going on, Eric knew that they could work it out as long as they stayed together. That was all that mattered. They were stronger together and he strongly believed this. Last thing he wanted was her shutting him out or shutting down. Something like that. It wouldn’t be good for anyone at all. “Yeah it will be especially since we have each other and we can take on anything.” He started to move his hand up and down her back lightly. Moving his head slightly this way he could kiss her head. “We’ve got this.”
Alexa couldn’t stop thinking of her text from -A, she knew Linda was getting upset that she’d made no headway with Eric, but it was hard when he was never in the office. She was trying to take advantage of the time she had now though. “You’re supposed to have a meeting at 4, but I can see if I can push it to next week?” She offered. “Though if we do that they may cancel, since this is the second time we’ve pushed the meeting…”
Eric had been going through a lot especially with his son being in the hospital. And doing his best to be there for Imogen and Brooklyn. Hearing her mention that he had a meeting, he sighed a little bit. Looking at his watch for a moment. “Alright, let’s not reschedule especially if you think they are going to cancel. I’ll text Imogen, and let her know that I have to stay for a bit.” He seemed stressed out and that was because he was.
It felt like another lifetime ago. Kelly had still been here, Imogen had still been sure that Annie loved her, she hadn’t needed to question what was real and what wasn’t… everything had changed, but some good had come. A lot, really. She nodded lightly as he listed off all the things they had made it through. “I’m definitely glad you got those memories back…” She murmured, smiling a little bit then. She wasn’t sure what she’d have done if he never had. Even after everything with Nikki. “Yeah, I… I know, you’re… right, I just…” She shook her head, glancing down as she felt some tears escaping. “It’s so hard.” Believing and holding on, but she knew that somehow she had gotten this far and if she just held on, didn’t shut herself off, she would get through this too. They both would… right? She wrapped her arms around him tight and closed her eyes. “I love you.”
It really did feel like a lifetime ago but that moment was one of the best memories that he had because he had officially met her. Yes, he knew who she was. But didn’t know, know her and he was glad that they had that chance. Even their shotgun wedding. “I’m glad that I did as well..” He told her softly, smiling a little bit. Things probably would be different if he hadn’t gotten some of his memories back. He was glad things had turned out the way that they had even after Nikki. They somehow still managed to find their way back to each other. Reaching out, he placed his hand onto her cheek to brush away the tears. “I know everything is really hard right now but as long as believe he will get through this.” They couldn’t shut each other out about this and they both would get through this. All of them would. He held her closely, kissing the side of her head gently. “I love you too. Always.”
Imogen looked around and nodded. “I… just found out about Brooke. I ran away.” She looked back at him. “And there you were…”
Eric smiled over at her for a moment, and then nodded his head a little bit. “Yeah you did.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. “We survived that, shotgun wedding, divorce, your mental health, me being kidnapped and tortured. Only not to remember you and just everything else. For us to come together again and be together. If we can survive everything that we have been through our son will survive. You just have to believe that because I do. Just like I’ll always believe in us.” His arms moved around her to hug her closely. “He can get through this.”
Imogen wished she could snap herself out of this, but it was all too much. At least she had him though, it helped. She got out and took his hand again, finding comfort in it and just nodded when he said they were almost there.
Eric moved into the woods with her, finally getting to the spot. Looking around some before his attention went to his wife. “Do you remember this place? What happened here?” It was their spot. The first spot they had met.
