A Friend in Need
By: Daisymay390
A Melissa and Joey Fanfic
I recently started watching and fell in love with Melissa and Joey. Upon realizing there weren't nearly enough fanfics in this category, I decided to write my own.
This takes place around early season 3. I'm not sure how many chapters it will be but at least 3 or 4.
I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Joe was sitting on the couch watching television when his boss, Mel Burke, came down the stairs dressed and ready for a night out with her blind date.
"Hey Burke, where are you headed tonight?" Joe asked.
"I'm meeting Mark at that new Chinese place downtown. Don't you have a date too?" Mel asked.
"Yeah, I have a date with Mitzi, she's a yoga enthusiast and can bend in ways you can't imagine," Joe said with a grin.
"I think we're sharing too much again, Joe," Mel said with a shudder, "We need to remember not to let our things touch. I really don't need to know how flexible your dates are or how you rocked their world last night in the bedroom. And I'm sure you don't want to know all the private things about my dates."
"You're right, let's change the subject," Joe replied
"Where are Lennox and Ryder?" Mel asked deciding to bring the topic back around to business.
"They're both spending the night at friend's houses and won't be back until late tomorrow morning. I'll see you in the morning. Have fun on your date. Where'd you meet him again?"
"My friend, Sue, set me up with him. He's supposedly a very successful lawyer and has a penthouse downtown. I've been looking forward to a night out for a long time so I'm excited to get out of the house tonight. Don't wait up, I'll see you in the morning," Mel said as she grabbed her purse and walked to the door.
"Ok, have fun," Joe said as he waved to Mel and turned his attention back to the television.
Two hours later, Joe was in a restaurant with Mitzi listening to her go on and on about how Feng Shui had changed her life. He was just starting to wonder if he wanted to continue with the date when his cell phone rang.
"I'm sorry, I have to take this, it might be about one of the kids I watch," Joe said when he didn't recognize the number. He lived in fear of something happening to 'his' kids.
"Hello," Joe said into the phone as he got up and walked away from the table.
"Hello, may I speak to Joe Longo?" The voice on the other end said.
"This is he," Joe replied, not having a good feeling about this call.
"This is Tina at Toledo Hospital, I'm calling about a Mel Burke. She has you listed as her emergency contact," Tina said.
"Oh no! Is she ok? I'm on my way," Joe replied panicked.
"Yes, sir. She's ok. She's just going to need someone to sign her out of the hospital and a ride home. The doctor will tell you more about her condition when you get here."
"Thanks, I'll be there soon," Joe said as he hung up the phone and walked back to the table where Mitzi was waiting with a bored expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Mitzi, I have to go. My boss is in the hospital and I have to go get her." He threw a few bills on the table to cover the drinks they had ordered and started to walk away.
"Joe," Mitzi whined, "Can't someone else pick her up? You're just her boss and she doesn't pay you to be at her beck and call."
"Sorry, she needs me," Joe said as he rushed out to his car.
The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever and Joe knew he had run no less than three red lights on the way there. Once he arrived at the hospital, it took several minutes to find a parking spot. Joe finally parked the car and rushed into the building.
"Hi, I got a call about a patient here, Mel Burke. Where can I find her?" Joe anxiously asked the woman at the front desk.
The woman had glanced up when Joe walked up to the desk and then immediately started typing on her computer keyboard, "And how you related to Ms. Burke?"
"I'm her next of kin," Joe fibbed, "Where is she?"
"She's down the hall in room 214." The receptionist replied, pointing in the direction he would need to go.
"Thanks," Joe replied absently as he was already heading down the hall. When he arrived, he knocked quickly and entered when he heard someone from inside say, "Come in."
Joe immediately saw Mel laying on an exam table in a hospital gown. From what he could see, she had a black eye and was very upset about something.
"Mel!" Joe exclaimed, "What happened? Are you alright?"
"Oh Joe, I'm so glad you're here!" Mel said holding her hand out for him.
"Mel, how did you get hurt?" Joe pressed.
"Don't freak out, okay Joe?" Mel said gently.
"Why would I freak out, Mel? Just tell me what happened, I'm not promising anything," Joe said with a stern face.
"Well, you see, it was….my date." Mel said quietly. "We went back to his place after the date and he wanted to fool around. When I said no he tried force me and I had to fight him off. Then the neighbors called the police because of the commotion. They got there just in time to pull him off of me and called an ambulance. That's it, I have a black eye and some bruised ribs, but I'll be okay."
"I'll kill him. Where is he?" Joe muttered as he started to walk back towards the door.
"Joe, wait come back. He's already been arrested so there's nothing to do. Can you just stay here, Joe?" Mel pleaded.
"Alright," Joe conceded because he knew he couldn't deny her anything. "When can you go home? I'll take you."
"In a little bit. The doctor has already examined me but he said I have to get an x-ray to make sure I don't have any broken ribs and then I can go home. The police have already been here and I've given them my statement. There's just one problem with me going home…." Mel hesitated.
"Yeah, what's that?" Joe asked as he sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"That jerk ripped my dress in two so I have nothing to wear home," Mel explained, "I bought that dress on sale and I looked great in it."
"How about this, I have a gym bag in my car with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I can go get them. They're clean, I promise." Joe insisted.
"Okay, I suppose that will work," Mel replied.
"I'll be right back," Joe said as he rushed out the door and ran to his car. He quickly found his gym bag and pulled out the change of clothes and was back in Mel's hospital room within five minutes.
Right after Joe sat down again, the nurse walked in and announced that x-ray machine was free and it was time for Mel to get her ribs x-rayed.
"Let me help you get into the wheelchair," Joe offered when he heard Mel wince while trying to sit up. Joe easily got Mel situated in the chair and then assured her that he would be waiting right there for her to return.
Twenty minutes later, Mel and the nurse returned. "So, what's the verdict?" Joe in quired.
"The radiologist will read results and be in soon to explain them to you," the nurse assured them as Mel got settled back into the bed.
"Thanks," Joe said before turning to Mel, "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, I'm just ready to go home," Mel said quietly.
"The nurse said the radiologist should be here soon, then I'll take you home," Joe promised. He prayed that the radiologist wouldn't run late so that Mel could get home as quick as possible.
After twenty minutes, Mel had fallen asleep and Joe was flipping through a magazine from 2004. Joe was starting to wonder if the radiologist wasn't working that night when there was a knock on the door and in stepped a man in white coat.
"You're the radiologist, I presume?" Joe inquired, "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."
"I'm sorry about the wait, I just came to let you know that I read your wife's x-ray and there are no fractures. Her ribs are just badly bruised. She'll be sore for a good while but she will heal," the doctor explained.
"She's not my wife, just my room mate," Joe corrected him, "But thanks for letting me know. Is it okay if she goes home now? She's been pretty anxious to get home."
"Of course, I'll send the nurse in to sign some papers and she'll be free to go. Would you like me to have someone come in to help her get dressed?"
"Um, no. I'm sure she won't want anyone to help her but I'll let you know if we need anything. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. I'll send the nurse right in with the paperwork," the doctor said before leaving and closing the door behind him.
"Hey, Mel," Joe whispered, waking her up from her catnap. "The doctor said your x-ray looks and good and your ribs aren't broken so we can go home. Do you want me to get a nurse to help you get dressed?"
"No, I think I can manage. Can you just hand me the clothes and I'll get dressed so we can get out of here." Mel replied.
"Yeah, here you go," Joe said as he laid the clothes on her bed and then walked to the door, "I'll be right outside if you need anything."
"Thank you, Joe," Mel said gratefully. She waited until he was out of the room and then started to take off her hospital gown. She got as far as pulling the shirt off of her head and then tried bend over to pull on the sweats when she winced in pain. She tried twice more to put on the sweats before she conceded defeat and decided she needed help.
"Joe," Mel shouted, "Could you come in here?"
"What's up, Mel?" Joe asked as he rushed in the room.
"I can't seem to bend over so I can put these on," Mel explained while holding out the sweats, "Do you think you could help me?"
"Sure," Joe said as he took the sweats from her and bent down to put them on while taking deep breaths and trying not to think too much about the where he was and that he would normally be helping a woman take her pants off not put them on. "There you go, Mel," he said as he helped her stand up and pulled the sweats up to her waist.
"Thanks, Joe," Mel said as she stood there with her hands on his shoulders looking into his eyes. The tension was just starting to get palpable when there was a knock on the door and the nurse walked in carrying some papers and pushing a wheelchair.
"Hello, are you ready to go home?" the nurse asked pleasantly. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "I just need a few signatures and then you're free to go."
Within a few minutes Mel had signed everything she needed to and was settled in the wheelchair ready to be wheeled out to the car. Joe ran out to pull up the car and was waiting at the entrance with it when the nurse wheeled Mel out the doors. Joe quickly got Mel settled into the car and then pulled the car away and headed towards the house.
"Joe, I don't want the kids to know what happened. Could you please not tell them anything?" Mel pleaded, "I don't want them to be scared."
"Mel, I'll do whatever you like but I think they deserve to know," Joe conceded.
"I just don't want them to feel bad for me or pity me," Mel pleaded.
"Okay, I won't tell the kids anything but I want you to think about telling them. They'll understand, I'm sure," Joe explained.
"I'll think about it," Mel decided. She was silent the rest of the way home and Joe didn't press her for conservation.
Once they arrived home, Joe helped her upstairs and into the bedroom. "Do you want to take a shower or just go straight to bed?"
"I think I want to take a shower," Mel decided.
"Alright, I'll get the water going for you and then go downstairs to make you some soup," Joe said as he walked into her bathroom and turned on the shower. He made sure Mel had everything she needed and then headed downstairs.
Mel walked into the bathroom and immediately stripped out of Joe's gym clothes with some difficulty and draped them over the bathtub. Next, she took off her underwear and threw them in the trash, then stepped into the shower.
Twenty minutes later, Joe came upstairs with a tray of chicken matzo ball soup, some crackers and a glass of iced tea. Setting the tray down on the desk, Joe realized the shower was still running. He turned and walked to door before knocking. Not receiving an answer, he knocked again.
"Mel, are you okay?" Joe asked, again he received no answer so he knocked again. When he was met with silence again, he called out, "Mel, I need to know you're okay. Answer me or I'm coming in." When he didn't hear anything he opened the door and walked in. Joe didn't see her immediately but he turned and looked in the shower. That's when he saw her sitting on the floor sobbing in the shower with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head on her arms, the water falling over her.
"Oh, Mel," Joe murmured before grabbing a towel and opening the shower door. He quickly turned of the water and then bent to wrap the towel around her. He coaxed her to stand up and then helped her step out of the shower. "Sit down here on the toilet and I'll go get your pajamas." Joe suggested as he turned to go to her closet but was stopped by Mel's hand on his arm.
"No, I'll just wear those," Mel gestured Joe's gym clothes that were draped over the bathtub, "I just need a fresh pair of underwear."
"Um, right, I can go get some," Joe said nervously. Quickly he walked back into the bedroom and into the closet and located her underwear drawer. Trying not to think about what he was doing he grabbed the first pair he saw and rushed back into the bathroom. Joe quickly helped Mel get dressed while simultaneously trying to think about his mother's foot fungus.
Once she was dressed, Joe directed Mel to go into the bedroom and asked to her to eat some soup. Mel took only a few bites before pushing the bowl away.
"I'm not hungry," She declared as she got up and walked to the bed, "I just want to go to bed."
"Here, I'll help you with the pillows," Joe offered as he started to take the throw pillows off the bed and pile them on the bench at the end of her bed. Once they were out of the way, he pulled down the covers and motioned for Mel to get in the bed. Once she had crawled in he tucked the covers around her and then started to walk to the door.
"Goodnight, Mel. Let me know if you need anything," Joe said as he reached to turn off the light.
"Wait, Joe. Do you think you could stay with me?" Mel pleaded.
"Uh, sure," Joe stammered, "I'll just go downstairs and shower and change. I'll be back in about twenty minutes."
"Thank you, Joe," Mel squeaked, "You're a good friend. I don't know what would I do without you."
"You're welcome, Mel. You know I'd do anything for you and kids," Joe promised before turning and walking downstairs.
He quickly showered and threw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and was back upstairs within twenty minutes. He found Mel right where he left her and exclaimed, "I'm back, Mel."
"Great," Mel mumbled as Joe walked around to other side of the bed and pulled down the covers.
Joe got settled in the bed and then turned to Mel, "Goodnight, Mel. I'll be here if you need anything." Joe whispered.