Saving the Doctor Pt. 11

His tired mind stretched between letting her make it up to him like this, or getting them to kick her off the ward. He decided the staff would likely just be confused and simply up his meds rather than do that, if he did start making drama. He would give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

"She definitely seems to be in her element in this hospital," his mom added. "The way she talks about the other one, I'm surprised you still work there at all Jon, it sounds really dreadful. Hospitals can be such dreary soul-sucking places. This one's not so bad though."

"No it's..." Jon cleared his throat painfully. "It's not as bad as she makes it out. There are lots of good people there."

"Okay if you say so. You always find the best in everyone. Though I always remember you tend to give people more credit than they deserve."

Elaina eventually came back and they talked a bit more, but Jon found himself getting even more mentally exhausted and they evidently could tell. They let him rest again, and before long his recovering brain was back to its much needed sleep.

**********

Carly's phone rang and she lazily picked it up off the couch. She saw the contact on the screen and gave a painful sigh.

"Hey Grace," she said, trying not to sound as depressed as she felt.

"Hey Carls, how ya holding up?"

"Same as ever I guess. How are you guys?"

"Oh we're okay. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a bit? The kids are gonna be asleep in a bit here and I could use a friend to help me polish off a bottle of non-alcoholic wine, or whatever tickles your fancy? What do you say?"

"I dunno Grace," Carly said, feeling like she didn't have the energy.

"They said you weren't at work again today..."

"Yeah I um, had some things I needed to do. Plus I wasn't feeling that well," Carly said dismissively.

"Come on Carly, I know you've been in a rut, and I'm not gonna like, try to play therapist on you, or demand to know why, but let's just relax together for a bit. It'll feel good. I can even come over there if you want."

Carly closed her eyes and gave a resolved smile knowing Grace was right, "No that's okay, I can come over there. I feel like I need to get the fuck out of this house anyway. I hate it more and more... anyway yeah, sure, let's do it."

"Awesome! Just give us another half hour or so to put the kids to bed."

...

Grace popped open the bottle and poured two glasses.

"It's not as good as the real thing, but back when I was pregnant this was the best stuff I had been able to find, more of a sangria honestly but if you really put your mind to it you can almost pretend."

Carly giggled and accepted the glass gratefully, "Well thanks. Cheers."

Grace clinked her glass, "To you joinin' the mommy's club. I have so much to teach you, you poor little thing," she pinched Carly's cheek as she sipped.

Carly rolled her eyes but smiled.

"I'm kidding, I know I bitch about it, but even though it's hard as hell, it's the most amazing thing you'll ever do, even if it doesn't always feel like it at the time. You'll be an awesome mum," Grace reassured her.

"Go ahead and have a beer if you want Jeff, don't suffer for my sake." Carly said, seeing Jeff pulling a soda out of the fridge.

"You sure? Someone suggested it would be rude..." he said with a smirk at Grace.

Carly giggled, "Yeah it's fine."

Grace rolled her eyes, "Come on let's chillax,"

They sat down in the living room while Jeff went downstairs to fetch a bottle.

"So how's the leg, is everything still okay? You're not back in the cast at least," Grace giggled.

"Yeah they re-xray'd it and thankfully I hadn't done any real damage. The pain went back to normal after a day or so."

"That's good. So, what'cha been up to the last few days, you haven't really been texting back much."

Carly sighed. "Being useless at home mostly. I um... went for a drive today though. Felt kinda good to get out, at least at first."

"That's um, good I guess," Grace said, looking like she was holding back her concern and doing it poorly.

"How are the kids?" Carly asked politely.

"Oh, bratty little munchkins same as ever. Soccer season's starting soon so they've been testing the fence boards with the ball in the back yard."

Carly gave a fond smirk and her hand instinctively touched the side of her belly, which was starting to show more noticeably.

There was a longer pause. Finally Grace spoke up like she had been trying to think of what to say.

"Okay, Carly I'm sorry but... what's wrong?" Grace asked with a genuinely worried look.

"I... it's just everything. Nothing's really wrong," Carly said looking away.

"Yeah... I wanna believe you, but that's more or less what you kept saying after the ski trip until you finally admitted you were pregnant, so..."

Carly hugged herself and took a deep breath but kept looking away stubbornly.

"Look, if it's something you really don't want to talk about then fine, I won't push it, but you were like... REALLY upset about Jon, like more than kinda crazy, no offence. I mean, we're all upset too, but you seem to be taking it super hard and I... Oh, hey Jeff we were just, um..."

Jeff stopped in his tracks as he entered the living room with his drink, realizing he had walked in on an awkward moment.

"Sorry, I can go if you want."

"No that's fine, sit down Jeff," Carly reassured him, hoping it might make Grace back off, but feeling herself getting more exposed. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself with a breath, but it was hard to keep down tears at the memory of that day in the ICU.

"Yeah I know I got crazy upset, and it probably wasn't helping the situation, and I'm sorry Grace," Carly said, calmly on the verge of breaking down.

"Okay, but like, am I missing something?" Grace persisted. "I hate Elaina too, but Jon's still gonna wake up, and get better, and eventually come back and-"

"I'm in love with him!" Carly blurted out as her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

Neither Grace or Jeff moved or spoke.

Carly sniffled and took a shuddering breath and then let it all out. "I'm in love with Jon, and I have been for a long time, and I think he still loves me, and I was gonna tell him I wanted to be with him, and then all this happened, and now she took him away, and I don't know what to do!" she said as she broke down in sobs.

Grace and Jeff kept staring. Grace put a hand out to her shoulder.

Carly took another shaky breath, "He and I were sorta together... or, we had a thing, kinda off and on for a while now. Even before he and Elaina broke up, and before Brent's..."

Carly took another deep breath trying to control herself, "I don't think either of us really meant for it to happen that way, at least not consciously, but we just kept chasing each other back and forth when the timing was never right, and I just want to be with him. I love him so much and I'm so afraid. Even if he recovers, I don't know what she's gonna say to him, or do to him, and I'm just alone and helpless..."

Grace rubbed her hand over her back as she cried and pulled her in for a hug.

Eventually Carly settled down and Grace pulled away to look at her face.

"Hey, Carly, it's gonna be okay. You're not alone. Look, I know that's gotta hurt like crazy, but we'll help you get through it okay? And I think it'll work out in the end, I really do."

Carly nodded and gave an embarrassed smirk, and sniffed.

"But um..." Grace hesitated. "I need to say something to my husband right now, and I just want you to know that I really do feel for you, and I know this is really hard for you, and serious, and I love you, but can I do something kinda selfish for just one minute here?"

"Um, yeah okay, I... I guess?" Carly sniffled, not knowing what she meant.

"K," Grace stood up and stepped towards Jeff.

Jeff squinted his eyes, "Grace, don't-"

"In your FACE!" Grace shouted at Jeff pointing at him.

"Grace she's-"

"I KNEW it. I CALLED that shit. I was RIGHT, and you were WRONG and you LOSE! You fucking LOSE! UGH!" She pumped a fist in the air.

Jeff shook his head and face-palmed.

"Pay up!"

"Grace..."

"Now. Do it. Pay up. I was RIGHT, I KNEW it."

"You KNEW nothing. You had gut-feeling suspicions. Just cause they HAPPENED to turn out right this time doesn't make you clairvoyant."

"I am a fucking all-knowing sorceress and you are a fool in a dunce-cap that owes me fifty bucks. Get it."

Jeff sighed and stood up, heading over to the coat rack to grab his wallet.

Carly watched in disbelief and couldn't help but softly chuckle through her tears as Grace looked back at her with an apologetic shrug.

Jeff shook his head as he handed her the money, "We have a joint bank account I don't know why you insist-"

"Oh quit sulking and just make sure next time you accept my GENIUS insights of the future ya schmuck," Grace said swatting him playfully with a smile.

Grace let out a long satisfied sigh and sat down next to Carly again, "Sorry. Where were we?"

Carly looked back and forth between them, "...was it obvious?!"

"No. Not at all Carly," Jeff reassured her.

Grace winced, "I mean..."

"Did anyone else say anything? Have people been talking about it?" Carly asked, feeling more and more embarrassed.

"Oh, well no," Grace admitted. "But, you know, they're not as insightful as I am, so..."

"Oh give it a rest Grace," Jeff said, and sipped on his beer.

"Carly, it's good! I'm happy for you!" Grace said with a supportive smile. "I was kinda rooting for you two, I thought maybe you'd be good together. Obviously you are! He's a really great guy and you deserve him, and he deserves you. I know you're torn up about all this but he's gonna come back, and you can tell him, and it's gonna be all like super happy fairytale romance and shit, and..." she stopped herself seeing Carly's doubtful face.

"I just don't really know. What if she gets under his skin again? I just... I feel like I need to see him and it hurts every minute that I can't. He probably thinks I'm still with Sean," she took a breath and winced. "All these fucking hormones probably aren't helping me either."

"Aww, yeah I bet. Well why don't we take a trip this weekend and go visit him. He's gotta be awake by now."

Carly shook her head. "I already tried. Today."

"O- Oh, um, okay well, what happened is he still out?"

Carly gave an angry sigh, "I don't know. The information desk wouldn't give out which ward he's in. Apparently there's a flag on his file or something. No visitors, private information, whole security thing. I KNOW it's Elaina, making good on her promise I guess. I tried wandering a bit and trying a couple wards, but it's a massive fucking hospital."

"Goddammit," Grace muttered and rubbed Carly's shoulder sympathetically. "We'll figure something out."

"I don't know what," Carly said miserably.

"Well if worse comes to hell we'll eventually see him after he recovers," Jeff chimed in supportively.

"I guess..." Carly said sniffing and sipping her drink.

"Let's not worry about it right now if we can't do anything about it," Grace said. "How about, instead, you tell me how the hell you two ended up getting together anyway?"

Carly looked distantly and smirked through her tears, "How much time have you got?"

Grace grinned widely, "All night girl. Should I make some popcorn?"

**********

Jon pushed the walker forward, harnessing his anger through the fog in his mind to will his legs and arms into action. His instincts kept insisting that he should have the strength to run, but his body disagreed. He knew people deconditioned quick when confined to a bed for any amount of time, but it had still surprised him at the toll it took. Being stabbed and having a punctured lung hadn't helped either, he told himself bitterly. The sting shooting through his left side was so familiar now he felt like he could almost ignore it. Almost. Every time his arms asked for help from his torso he was viciously reminded of the depth of the wound and the healing he still had to do.

He knew he should feel grateful and lucky to be there, but this uphill battle just felt frustrating and annoying and exactly what his life DIDN'T need. When he was awake enough to have the motivation to count his blessings, the only good things in his life right now were his parents, and, he had to admit, Elaina...

She had been diligently communicating and managing his care with the staff, making sure his needs were met, and keeping him and his parents in the loop. Jon had only just, in the last day or two, been able to have more than a 2 minute conversation before his brain started to tire, or forget everything he had just heard. He wanted to resent her for barging in to his life again, but it was getting harder to manage, given how much she was actually helping, and how much stress she was relieving from his parents. There was no more 'fiance' talk, and she wasn't pushing his boundaries other than looks and brief touches. He had to admit he'd be in a helpless situation if not for her. It wasn't her fault he had no one else.

Why hadn't anyone visited? He knew this city was a couple hours away but still, it was Saturday now, and no word about Carly, or Grace, or Jeff or anyone else even calling to inquire. The hurt turned to anger and he used it to push himself a few more steps forward, fighting off the dizziness that plagued him every few minutes.

He was almost at his room again. His sweaty, weak dishevelled face looked up to see a strikingly beautiful woman looking at him with a deep affectionate pride.

"How's my soldier doing?" Elaina said with a smile, leaning against the wall next to his door.

She looked like she'd been watching him for a while. She was holding a bag of take-out food, next to her designer purse. Her long slender legs were crossed under a tight dark purple skirt, and a green blouse cascaded over the small tight curves of her slender torso. Her face was perfect as usual, never looking like it held any stress from a full day of hospital work. He didn't know how she did it. He never had. He had resented it at one time but now he could only feel... admiration. There was no other word for it. Or maybe there was, and his brain was still too exhausted to think of it. He knew he might just still be too confused and tired to see past the veneer of her flawless figure, and honestly, right now, didn't care to.

He looked at the bag of food and gave a determined smile.

"Well I HAVE worked up an appetite in my... thirty feet of progress." he said, rolling his eyes at the paltry accomplishment.

She smiled reassuringly. "It's only your first day out of bed, give yourself some credit. I'm actually impressed. I'd say you earned a treat. East Indian sound better than hospital food?"

"Yeah," Jon grinned, appreciative of her choice.

His parents joined them for supper and they had a nice conversation catching up on how his relatives were doing, reminiscing about the past, and sharing a lot of laughs, surprisingly. Enough that his side started to hurt. He reminded them he had asked them to at least get him a pay-as-you-go cellphone, but his parents brushed it off saying they would certainly get the wrong kind and could barely function their own, so Elaina promised him she would look tomorrow.

Eventually his mom and dad decided to head back to the hotel and with another warm hug, said goodbye.

Elaina cleaned up the takeout plates diligently with a satisfied sigh.

"Was it good?" she asked.

"Yeah, I didn't think you remembered my favourite dishes, but that was perfect to a T, thanks," he said gratefully.

"Of course," she said with a fond smile. "Did anyone call or visit while I was working?"

Jon sighed, "No."

"Hm, that's too bad," Elaina said, putting the containers in the garbage. "As I said, I called the clinic and let them know you were awake and on the mend, so it's not like they're in the dark. Though obviously you'll be away from work for quite some time, even if you decide t-..." she cleared her throat.

There was a small awkward silence and Jon noted that it had been the first of the evening. His brain became lucid enough to give him a reality check, telling himself things shouldn't be this casual and friendly with Elaina, once again forcing himself to remember the person she had been not that long ago.

"How are things with Matt by the way?" he asked.

"Oh we're... both alright. It's not that serious, er... never really was supposed to be. We've needed to slow it down a bit anyway," she said, looking away with a gulp, seeming more off-put than he even intended.

"I thought it seemed like you were good together," Jon offered.

"We were... er, Jonathon it's... awkward talking about it with you," she said, stiffening up and seeming even more uncharacteristically unsure.

Jon continued in determination, " I mean it shouldn't have to be, if we're moving past-"

"What about you and Beth by the way? You haven't mentioned anything specific about what happened..."

Jon closed his mouth and sighed, thought for a moment and finally said, "Touche."

She gave him a sly glance of satisfaction, and finished straightening up the room.

"Anyway, getting back to business, they have started to talk more seriously about discharge planning, though it's probably still at least a few days away," she said.

"Only a few days?" Jon asked, with a frown of concern, not feeling ready in the slightest.

"Well yes Jon, you still need help obviously but you've been making enough progress that you don't need full nursing care on a ward at this point. The chest tube's gone and the site's healing well. Your lung function's stable."

"Yeah, yeah I guess it makes sense," he admitted, knowing she was right, but not wanting to have had to deal with it quite yet. "I guess we'll have to look in to home care. My parents are leaving the day after tomorrow and I wouldn't want to burden them anyway."

"I doubt that can be arranged that quickly Jonathon..." Elaina said, raising an eyebrow.

"I... well it'll have to be, or they'll have to keep me..." Jon said, furrowing his brow.

"They're getting low on beds here Jonathon, and on the rehab ward too, though you're too young and healthy for that besides. Patients will always go home with their main caregiver, and so far, that's been..." She smirked almost apologetically and gestured to herself.

"No. No Elaina you don't need to-"

"I know I don't NEED to Jonathon, I know I don't NEED to do any of this, but I want to. I want to make sure you're okay. I was so scared when I heard what happened and I can't bear the thought of you being alone when you need someone. I know our relationship's ended, but I still... I still care for you Jonathon and it wouldn't be a burden. My condo isn't huge but it's big enough. I'd feel better if I knew you were recovering in good hands. Just until you're independent again."

"Look, I... appreciate everything you've been doing, really I do Elaina, if nothing else it's been a load off my parents while they've been here, and I know I've probably seemed bitter and ungrateful, but it HAS meant... something. I honestly can't remember if I've said thank you sometime in the last few days, but if not, THANK you. You've done more than enough."

"Thank YOU for letting me." She smiled and slid her hand up his arm, almost seeming to well up in her eyes. "I feel like I don't deserve the chance to make up for... how I was. But..." she closed her eyes. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves I suppose, but please consider it and try not to make a big deal of it. Don't make your parents put their job at risk, or put yourself at risk being alone for no reason. It would just be for a few days. A week at the most, until home care can take over. It's the easiest way. You'll be closer to this hospital for your follow-ups and in the end you'll probably recover more quickly with me looking after you."