Title: Until You're Home
Pairing: Bella/ Embry
Rating: T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary:
Embry Call is a returning marine who was wounded in combat while saving three other marines. He's back home and in Seattle and none too pleased that he can't walk. Little does he know, his girlfriend has a very welcomed surprise for him as well as an incentive to make good on his promise to walk again- even though the doctors told him it wouldn't happen again.
(~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~)
Jacob Black had patience for a great many things. He'd learned patience a long time ago. It had started for him when, at the age of 12, he'd lost his mother in the same car crash that had paralyzed his father. His older sisters had stayed just long enough for their mother's funeral and then they'd left him alone. He'd dealt with the pitying looks of his neighbors as they told him how brave he'd become as 'the man of the house.' He hated pity these days. He taught those in his care how to fight it so they'd get better, but pity of any kind left a sour taste in his mouth.
Jacob had been working with wounded soldiers and veterans in the physical therapy wing of Seattle Veteran's Memorial Hospital for just over a year. At 28 years old, he'd been a licensed physical therapist for the last two years of his life. He already had all the skill he'd ever need from dealing with his dad, but he didn't want to work with ordinary patients. There were bad cases, yes, but they gave up too easy. His dad had told him to find meaning in everything he did and give others meaning as well. What better way to do that than to work with wounded soldiers.
His current patient -a marine named Embry Call- had been passed over twice for being too difficult. The therapists didn't like his abrasive personality, nor did they care for his foul mouthed taunts. Jacob had heard the taunts and worse from his own father for years, and he found it easy to brush them aside and ignore. He looked at Embry now and sighed. His Humvee had been hit by an IED and shrapnel from the wreck had nearly torn his leg off at the knee. Despite that, he'd saved the lives of two other men- the driver and gunner inside- and even carried his partner and friend, fellow corporal Quil Ateara- on his back to the safety zone.
"Come on, just one more time. I know you're hurting, but don't give up on me now."
"I can't! Fuck! I'm tired as hell! Go bug someone else you jackass!" Embry snarled, sitting down in his wheel chair with shaking arms.
"Come on man, lighten up will ya? Ol' doc don't need your shit. He's only tryin to help ya."
"Can it Whitlock, you pansy ass flyboy."
Jacob sighed and crouched down beside Embry. His harsh words and angry attitude were two of the main reasons he'd been pushed off on other therapists. There was only so much they could take before they'd been worn down by him. It took a special person to take insult after insult and brush it off like it was a casual hello. Luckily Jacob was one such person. He'd heard it from his dad growing up when the pain was too much.
"One more for the road?" Jacob asked. He'd seen the determination in Embry's eyes. This happened to be the pain talking.
Embry smirked. "You'd have made one hell of a marine, doc."
"You're stallin' Call."
Embry scowled and hauled himself up from the chair. "I thought I told you to can it. Fucking air men! Grow a set and come down to the real fight sometime. Let's see how much you talk then!"
Jacob only shook his head walking beside Embry as he used the bars to help him walk. "Just remember, I'm not a doctor, and you're up next Jasper."
Quil, who had been working with Jared Cameron- another therapist- laughed at Jasper's paling face. Jacob and Jared shared the same views. They both had all the patience in the world as long as their patients tried. Both of them were notorious hard asses among the soldiers because they both hated pity; It didn't help their patients get better, so it wasn't needed, nor did they give it.
"That ain't fair doc! Jane is supposed to be workin with me! Or Alice…" Jasper stuttered.
Jared shot Jacob an amused look and both of them rolled their eyes. Jane and Alice took it too easy on all the soldiers. "They're out of town for the holidays already. They took an early vacation… neither of them will be back before the first." Jared supplied as he walked beside a grimacing Quil.
Jasper only huffed causing the other soldiers to laugh. Their laughter doubled when they heard 'fucking grunts' muttered under his breath.
Two hours later found Jacob sitting at a table with Embry, Quil and two fellow marines and members of their unit- corporal Paul Lahote and sergeant Sam Uley- enjoying a game of poker after dinner. He liked to try and get to know the soldiers on a personal level and along with Jared seemed to be the only one to do so. He got better results for it too. He'd even won the praise of some of the surgical doctors- even though he wasn't looking for it.
"So… Black… now that you're finished trying to kill us… you goin home soon for the holidays?" Quil asked. "We all heard the nurses talking about it.. Wonderin why you were still here. We all wanna know." He said when Jacob raised an eyebrow.
Jacob shook his head in mild amusement. Nurses talked too much. "I'm not… nothing important to go home to, ya know? I'll drive out on Christmas to see my dad and maybe my sister… but… it's just me."
"Well that sucks… no girlfriend… no wife?" Sam asked.
"No… there was one once. Megan… but… we drifted apart after school when her dad got more and more sick. She moved back to Colorado. We still talk sometimes.. But… nope, just me. Last I heard she's engaged to some hot shot wanna be lawyer…" He shrugged.
Paul shook his head. "Some guys get all the luck."
"Tell me about it!" Quil muttered. He glared down at the other end of the room where he overheard an airman griping about having to use a cane to walk. They all snorted. Heaven forbid the man have to fight to walk again.
"Hey, so, when's your mom bringing Claire back?" Embry asked to break the tension.
It worked. Quil grinned. "She'll be here tomorrow. My mom said she's been asking about me!"
"How old is she now?" Jacob asked.
"She'll be two on the 31st. She looks just like her mom…" Quil trailed off and sighed. His eyes grew watery and he turned his head.
Paul and Sam eyed him curiously. They may have been from the same unit, but he and Sam had been relatively new to the group as a whole. They were all from Seattle, they learned, but they had grown up in different parts of the city.
"Cassidy died giving birth to Claire. Quil had all of a week with Claire before our unit was deployed again." Embry supplied for them.
"Damn… I'm sorry bro…"
Quil smiled. "It's alright. It hurts… Cassy was my best friend- other than Embry- but… I have a piece of her left in Claire. I'm kind of glad I got hurt… in a way. I don't have to leave again. Once we're out of here we're all getting discharged."
"We owe you Embry." Sam told him.
Paul nodded. "You saved our asses."
"I only did my job. They barely got Quil to the hospital in time." Embry huffed. He'd never see himself as the hero they claimed he was. It just made him more of one to them.
Quil rolled his eyes. "But they did. I'm alive and breathing because you risked your own damn life instead of leaving me like I told you to do. You nearly lost your own damn leg, so shut the hell up about it, Call." He grinned.
Jacob smiled. "So what about the rest of you lazy asses? Anyone else got family coming tomorrow?" He asked redirecting the conversation.
"My wife Leah's coming." Sam grinned.
Paul smirked. "My girlfriend Emily's coming to see me."
"What about you, Embry? Got a hot date for tomorrow?"
Embry sighed. He opened his mouth several times before laying his cards down and rolling his chair over to a window. Quil gave them a half hearted smile. He'd grown up with Embry. They'd gone through school together, gotten into fights, been suspended, graduated and even enlisted in the marines together. Once they were out of boot camp they'd been put in the same unit and had had each other's backs throughout their tour of duty. He was Quil's brother in every way but blood.
"He asked her not to come again." He finally said while staring at Embry.
"The fuck? Why?!" Paul asked with wide eyes.
Quil sighed. "He doesn't think she'll see him as he was anymore. She swore she'd still love him, but, he still wants to be able to take care of her not have her take care of him."
They could all understand that. "How long have they been together?" Sam asked.
"Off and on all through high school. Once senior year started, something just clicked. They still fought, but, they never split apart. They've been serious since then."
Paul shook his head, too impressed to say anything. He and his current girlfriend, Emily had been together for two years. Up until hearing Quil, he'd thought his relationship was serious.
Jacob sat next to Embry, not saying a word. He'd either talk or not. He inwardly smirked when he saw Embry roll his eyes at him. He always did that before leveling him with a tongue lashing.
"Go away doc. You're a physical therapist, not a shrink." Embry quipped.
Jacob shrugged. "I'll listen if you wanna talk. Or bitch."
"You would have made on hell of a marine." Embry mused. He looked over his shoulder to see Quil being wheeled out of the rec room by a giggling blonde nurse. "Lights out already?"
"Not yet. They left early in case you wanted to talk."
"Quil… dammit." Embry sighed and shook his head.
Jacob grinned. "Nope… Paul."
That surprised him. "Why?"
"He said he's been where you are." Jacob shrugged.
Embry snorted. "I'm sure. Save for life imprisonment in a chair, we're not that much alike."
"You kind of are… you're both foul mouthed, insufferable, obnoxious pains in the rear end who would go through hell and back for their friends."
"Jack ass."
Jacob shrugged. "Gonna tell me about your girl?"
His face lit up thinking about her. "Where do I start? Bella… her name is Bella Swan. She's amazing! She's got this chestnut colored hair that frames her face… goes down to her waist… she refuses to cut it. She's got these deep brown eyes you could fall into and not care. She's a damn amazing cook… sexy as sin without trying and sweet as honey. Smart.. Sassy.. Responsible.. Loyal.." Embry sighed.
"So why not see her?" Jacob pressed.
Embry shook his head, his grin falling from his lips. "I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"I don't want her to see me this weak."
There lay the truth of it. Jacob sighed. "Listen…from me to you… you're a lot stronger than me."
Embry looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"
"I'd have given up after the first few days. Some pain I can handle. I had my leg in a cast in high school… but to have to force myself to go through that… Embry, you've been my patient for just over two weeks now. And that's only because you pushed away the first two. You've been in therapy for two months now and you're already doing more than the operating doctors said you would. That's not weakness… it's strength."
No more words were said as Jacob wheeled him to his room. The routine had become nearly mechanical as Embry made ready for bed. Jacob gave him one last wave before the lights went off and he got left to his thoughts in the dark.
(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)
Shock completely took Embry over when Jacob came to get him the next day for therapy. Instead of heading to the 'torture chamber' as some of the soldiers had dubbed it, Jacob wheeled him to the maternity ward.
"What the actual fuck? Doc, you've lost your damn mind! Why are we here?"
Jacob snorted. Yeah… he'd lost his mind- that had to be it. "Just shut up and meet your daughter."
"M-my daughter? The fuck have you been smoking? Take me back to my damn room or move and I'll do it my damn self!"
"Embry?" He knew that voice. He'd know it anywhere. He just didn't understand why he'd heard it in here. His eyes roved over the low lighted room. There in the corner next to a dome covered bassinet sat the woman he hoped to one day call his wife.
"Bella?" He didn't fight when Jacob rolled his chair closer.
"Hi…" She sounded exhausted.
Embry looked stunned. There in the covered bassinet was a tiny replica of himself. "You… but…"
"Your mom helped me. I found out a couple weeks after you'd left. We didn't want you distracted- she wanted me to tell you but I refused. I watched the news every night. I knew you weren't in a safe zone… so I said to hold off and I'd handle the consequences when you came home." She said with her chin wobbling.
"Baby girl…" He cooed.
He wanted to be pissed off at her. She'd gone through an entire pregnancy and birth by herself just so he wouldn't worry about her. He should have been furious. But he knew and understood why she'd done it.
"How mad are you?" She asked.
He finally wheeled himself closer to where she sat. "I want to be pissed. But I get it." He promised her, taking her hand in his.
"I thought I had time. But I got the letter asking me not to come see you. Your mom said you just needed more time. But it upset me… She's only three weeks early, so they're not that concerned. Your therapist came to see me this morning. I guess doctors know you by name. Baby… your mouth, I swear."
He chuckled. When he looked over his shoulder he only shook his head, surprised to see Jacob gone. "Yeah, doc would have made a damn good marine…" He turned to look at his daughter again. There were no doubts she was his. Bella would never cheat- that thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "What's her name?"
"Say hello to Makenzii Nicole Call."
Embry stared at her in awe. That had been his sister's name until she was killed by a drunk driver when she was only ten. "Does my mom know?"
"I asked her first. I told her what I wanted to name her… she teared up… and then she thanked me for honoring your sister."
"I love you… so damn much. You're so amazing. What would I do without you?"
"You'd go fucking nuts!" A voice echoed from the doorway.
Bella grinned. "Quil Ateara, you keep that loud trap of yours shut and watch your mouth around my daughter or I'll sew it shut for you!" She scolded.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am." Quil teased, wheeling himself closer to hug her.
Bella rolled her eyes. "Shut the hell up before I tell your mother to smack you. She's the only one who wouldn't break her hand on your hard skull."
"Oh she's with a marine alright!" Sam grinned. He and Paul wheeled in behind Quil and sat just in the doorway. Thankfully the room was spacious.
"Jacob told us. We had to come make sure the kid wasn't cursed with your ugly mug." Paul teased.
"You wait till I tell Emily." Quil grinned.
Embry's eyes met Jacob's as he moved to stand behind his friends. He didn't know if a simple thanks would be enough. So it went unsaid. But Jacob saw it in his eyes. Instead, he said, "Remind me again doc… how long am I here?"
"Not much longer." Jacob smiled. "You gotta walk out of here though."
Bella leaned her head on his shoulder after being introduced to Sam and Paul. "I can't wait to see you home walking with Makenzii."
"What if I'm not?" He noticed his friends trying hard to pretend they weren't listening.
"You will be. You're too stubborn to quit. And I'm too stubborn to lose faith. So I'll keep praying and you'll keep getting stronger. Before you know it, you'll be out of here and chasing Makenzii ." No one could fault her. They all felt that way.
"Until I'm home." He liked the way that sounded.
"Until you come home."
(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)
Jacob grinned when he saw Embry packing his duffel bag. It had been a hard fought road. Three months of sweat and tears, but Embry Call got to go home.
"I think I'm gonna miss you, you son of a bitch." Embry huffed, finally noticing Jacob standing there.
Jacob grinned. "You have my number. Same with Sam, Paul and Quil. Jared's too. Even though you didn't get to work with him. We all live around each other."
"Yeah, yeah. You got ours too. Don't try to hide from us fucker. You forget, we can all walk again. We'll come find your ass." Embry teased.
"Oh get the hell out of here." Jacob grinned and shook his hand.
Embry waved him off and grumbled half heartedly about being forced back into a wheelchair. It changed when he saw Bella and Makenzii. He allowed her to help him into her car and grinned the whole way to their apartment. It took them a minute to make it up the steps, but he couldn't help but sigh in content when the door closed behind them.
Bella's hands wrapped around his waist after Makenzii had been placed in her crib for a nap. "It may be three months late, but this is the best Christmas present ever. You're home."
"It's an early birthday present for me. I'm home." He told her.
Bella grinned. "You're home."
