Another one I wrote while at work, so please forgive me if it utterly sucks. I don't know where the plot bunny came from, but I do hope you enjoy it!
Jade is sitting cross legged on her den floor, the guitar that Beck bought her for her last birthday in her lap. Her fingers pluck at the strings as she practices the song Beck had taught her the last time they'd had a guitar lesson. They don't have them very often because they don't often get very far. The sight of Jade, with her body slightly dwarfed by the large guitar, does things to Beck that causes him to attack her and peel her away from the guitar. But right now, Beck is being forced to go visit his grandmother in her retirement complex and Jade needs to find something to busy her time with.
She's halfway through the song for the fourth time when her doorbell rings. She raises an eyebrow as she slides up, setting the guitar aside. She peeks out the front windows and is surprised to see Tori and her father standing there. It's not uncommon these days for Tori to visit, but with her father? Fingers of dread start to creep down Jade's back and by the time she opens the door, she has to ball her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "Jade …" Tori moves towards her but Jade throws her hand up and stops Tori dead in her tracks. "Just tell me. Is it my mom? My dad? My stepmother?" she bites her lip as she looks at them.
Tori's face falls as David Vega clears his throat. "Jade, sweetheart … it's Beck," he says as gently as possible. Jade stares at him, looking down right perplexed. It's almost as if the words coming out of his mouth don't make sense to her. "Beck? It can't be Beck. He and his parents are visiting his grandmother. They should have gotten there hours ago," she forces the words out even though they want to get lodged in her chest, right behind her sternum. David rubs the back of his neck. "They were hit by a drunk driver on the way. Beck's father was killed on impact. I just got the call about a half an hour ago and we came right over," David says as Tori leads Jade into the house.
"I … I need shoes. And a coat. I need to go. I need to see him!" Jade really is not liking the hysterical quality to her voice, but she doesn't have enough room in her brain to figure out how to control that on top of her worry for Beck. Tori smiles softly, rubbing Jade's shoulder. "Dad and I will take you to the hospital. Beck's still in surgery though, so it might be awhile before you can see him," she tells her. Jade shakes her head. "I don't care. I don't care! I need to be there!" she cries. "Okay, sit down. I'll get your shoes," Tori eases Jade onto the couch and runs upstairs to her room. Jade looks up at David, tears unshed in her blue eyes. "Tell me the truth. Please."
David sits beside her, nodding his head. "He's going to have a long recovery, but he'll be okay. He has a broken leg, a concussion, a broken hip, and some broken ribs. He's in surgery right now to set his leg. The break was pretty bad and they're going to have to put metal rods in. His concussion is moderately severe, which means they're going to have to keep him in a medically induced coma so his brain can heal with the least amount of pain and suffering on his part. It'll probably be a few weeks before he's awake, but they're certain that he will wake up," David lets the young girl grip his hand as she digests the news. "You said his dad died. What about his mom?"
Tori comes back down as David sighs heavily. She moves over, helping Jade with her boots as David chews on his lip. "They don't expect her to make it through the night. There's just too much damage and so right now they're making her as comfortable as possible," he tells her. Jade bites her lip, bowing her head as it all sinks in. Over the last year, she and Beck's mother have reached an understanding. She's opened up to Mary about her childhood and Mary Oliver came to understand why the dark haired, blue eyed girl was the way she is and above all, she saw why her son loved the young girl so much. Jade yanks a sweater on and grabs her purse. "If Beck's in surgery, I should be with her. I need to be with her."
The ride to the hospital is relatively silent and when they get there, the ICU nurse doesn't want to let Jade in at first. Finally, David slams his fist into the counter, causing the nurse to jump. "This girl is as good as her daughter. Let her in!" his voice bellows in the corridor and the nurse finally relents and takes Jade to Mary's room. Jade slides in and hurries to her side, gripping her hand easily. Mary's eyes flutter and as they open, she smiles softly at Jade. "I was hoping they'd get you," she whispers, her voice sounding pained. Jade smiles, rubbing her hand easily between her two smaller ones. "Mr. Vega came and got me as soon as he heard. I came as soon as I could," she tells her softly. "Can I get anything for you? Are they treating you well or should I beat them up?"
A smile forms on Mary's lips at Jade's words and she laughs lightly, even though it pains her. "No, no, I'm fine. They'll be in with some more pain medicine soon but I wanted to see you first," she tells her. Jade smiles, nodding her head. "I'm here. I'll stay. Beck's in surgery, but he's going to be okay. They're just fixing his broken leg," she tells her and Mary nods lightly. "Be strong for him, okay? He's going to need you when he wakes up," Mary says, knowing that the end will be here soon for her. Jade nods quickly, smiling even though all she wants to do is hysterically cry right now. "I won't ever leave him," she promises. "He's stuck with me for life. I tell him that frequently," she tries to make a joke, but Mary sees the truth in her words.
"I don't think it's stuck if it's what you want," Mary tells her honestly, giving Jade's hand a tight squeeze. "You two will fight, you'll hate each other at times, but don't ever go to bed angry and don't ever leave the house angry. Always tell him that you love him and never let him feel bad that he lived and his father and I did not. We lived our lives, we had an amazing son. Now it's his time to live his life. For you and for him to find your peace and happiness together." Jade nods as she listens to her, giving Mary her best smile. "I promise. I promise to love him and not take him for granted and I promise to learn to be less bitchy."
Mary lets out a laugh, ignoring the pain. "No, no. Beck loves you just as you are and that's what matters. Even when he gets annoyed, he still wouldn't change a thing about you," she tells her, gripping her hand again. Jade can tell that her grip is getting weaker so she leans up and kisses Mary's cheek. "It's okay. We'll take care of him. You don't have to worry about a thing," Jade tells her softly. Mary nods, allowing her eyes to drift close. A nurse comes in with some more pain medicine and Jade smiles weakly at her. "If you need anything, just hit the call button," the nurse squeezes Jade's shoulder before she leaves. Jade sits vigil at Mary's bedside, watching and waiting.
Around midnight, Tori comes in to tell Jade that Beck is out of surgery. "He coded on the table, Jade, but they brought him back. They said he's fighting to survive and that he's going to be okay," Tori informs her friend. She's not about the beat around the bush and keep things from her. Jade's heart actually clenches, her chest searing with pain for a moment. "He's in ICU right now. They have him medicated and on a ventilator. Do you want me to stay with Mrs. Oliver and you can go see him?" Jade shakes her head easily. "No. Can you or Andre can go sit with him, please? I need to stay with her," she tells Tori, looking up at her. Tori nods, in understanding, and kisses the top of Jade's head. "Alright. Text us if you need anything."
Jade nods, watching Tori leave the room before she looks back at Mary, who's eyes are open for the first time in hours. Jade smiles softly, instinctively knowing what's coming next. She leans over, kissing Mary's cheek. "He's fine, Mom," she whispers the words, her voice choked. "Beck's okay and his best friends are with him. Beck's okay," she keeps repeating those words, like a mantra, until Mary's eyes slip close again. Her breathing changes, evening out before it starts taking longer for her to draw a breath. One breath will end and it will be ten or fifteen seconds before Mary draws another. The room is silent, save for Mary's breathing, and before Jade knows it, Mary's chest doesn't rise or fall again. Tears drip down her face as she folds Mary's hands on her chest and kisses her forehead. "I hope you and Mr. Oliver are together again," she says before she leaves to find the nurse.
While the nurse tends to Mary and takes care of the necessary arrangements, Jade goes down the hall to where Beck is. She steps inside the room and her knees buckle at the sight of her lover in the hospital bed. His tan skin is a sickly pale color and there are stitches on his forehead, his chin, and there is deep bruising covering his neck and shoulders. He lays silent, and still, his chest rising and falling with each forced breath of the ventilator. His mouth is tugged into an odd shape due to the breathing tube and Jade just wants to scream at the top of her lungs. She wants to scream and shake him until he wakes up and opens those chocolate brown eyes.
Andre is quicker than Tori and he moves to wrap his arms around Jade when he sees her heading for the floor. He eases her over into his vacated chair, sitting her in it. "When did she die?" he asks. Jade wipes her face, still staring at Beck, not even blinking. "About ten minutes ago. As soon as Tori came in to tell us that Beck was going to be okay, she knew it was time to go," she whispers, reaching out to take one of Beck's hands in hers. His skin feels cold to the touch and she almost drops his hand and recoils. She forces herself to clutch his hand in hers, though, and drops her head against his hip. The grief of it all overwhelms her and her body shakes with deep, silent sobs as the reality of it all finally hits her.
For the last few hours, her one thought was just to keep Mrs. Oliver company and to keep her from dying alone but now that her initial job is over and now that the reality of Beck's injuries are settling in, she's overwhelmed and she doesn't know what to do. Andre stands behind her, rubbing her shoulders easily as she gets it out. She eventually sobs herself into an exhausted sleep and Andre moves her to the couch in Beck's room and covers her with a blanket before taking his spot beside his best friend. He stays awake the whole night, even though he knows there won't be any change in Beck's condition, at least not yet. He feels better, though, keeping watch.
It takes Beck nearly four weeks to finally wake up. After two weeks, the doctors wean him off the medicines keeping him in the coma to allow him to wake up on his own. After three days and still no awake Beck, Jade begins to panic. The doctors are quick to reassure her that his brain function is perfectly well and that he just needs time. Andre and Tori start sharing shifts, one of them always at the hospital with Jade. Jade rarely leaves, unless Tori forces her to go home and shower and change. The hospital scares Cat and the sight of Beck lying motionless on the hospital bed makes her cry hard enough to throw up so Robbie makes it his mission to keep Cat occupied until Beck wakes up.
Three days shy of week number four, Jade's sitting in the chair beside Beck's bed, playing the guitar and singing softly. The nurses had told her that comatose patients often times wake up and remember things that happened while they were in their comas, so she figures they should give him something happy to remember. Tori's sitting on the couch in the corner, harmonizing with Jade while she works on some homework. Andre is catnapping in the recliner, the sound of his two favorite girls lulling him into a peaceful sleep. Beck's hand jerks on the bed and Jade literally freezes, her eyes widening as she watches. His hand jerks again and then he's gagging around the tube in his throat.
Jade screams for a nurse, gripping Beck's hand tightly. "Baby, calm down. Just calm down. It's okay. It's okay," she moves her fingers through his hair as Tori comes to his other side, Andre running to make sure someone is coming. Beck's eyes pop open, fear and panic filling his brown orbs. "Beck, it's okay, you're okay. I'm here. Tori's here. Andre just went to get the nurse. Please, please calm down for me, okay?" there are tears running down her face and although Beck is seriously confused by all that's happening, he knows that he doesn't like the sight of her in tears so he calms down for her, gripping hers and Tori's hands tightly, still gagging around the tube.
The doctor and two nurses come running in and gently nudge Jade and Tori aside so they can check on Beck. As soon as the doctor is confident that Beck is truly awake, they unintubate him, offering him a few ice chips as he coughs violently, his throat completely raw from being intubated for nearly a month. The nurse slowly sits the bed up and the first thing Beck does is reach for Jade. Jade tries hard to keep from throwing herself into his arms, but the strength with which he hugs her against him surprises her so she hugs him back just as tightly. "What happened?" he manages to croak out, wincing at the feeling in his throat. Jade pulls back, wiping her face.
"You were in an accident, Beck. You and your parents on the way to see your grandmother. A drunk driver hit you," she says softly, holding onto his hands. Beck stares at her for a long moment, obviously trying to remember. Something akin to grief crosses his face and a fat tear slips down his cheek. "My parents didn't make it, did they?" he whispers out the question and Jade looks utterly shocked. She shakes her head slowly, swallowing thickly. "Your dad died on impact. Your mom died here, at the hospital. I sat with her," she pushes the words out past the lump in her throat. Beck stares at her for a moment before the corners of his lips tugged up. "You did?"
Jade nods quickly. "We had a nice long talk," she says with a soft smile. "She gave me lots of advice. I assured her that you were stuck with me and I would take care of you," she tells him, playing with his fingers. Beck nods, gripping her fingers easily. He's exhausted and doesn't stay awake long, but Jade never leaves his side. His memory is a little hazy and he doesn't remember much of the days leading up to the accident, but he does remember everything else. When he stops randomly falling asleep every ten minutes, which takes about two solid weeks, the doctors start him on physical therapy. The broken hip is the worst and he feels eighty years old as they get him up on a walker and moving around.
Andre stands at the end of the hallway, dangling a Jet Brew coffee in his fingers, trying to tempt Beck to make it all the way down the hallway. Beck's groaning as he shuffles forward. His leg is now in a booted brace, so that helps with the walking a bit but his hip hurts so bad he feels like throwing up all over the hospital hallway. He forces himself through it, raising an eyebrow when Jade walks away from his side. "Go spot him," she takes the coffee from Andre and sets it down on the floor beside her feet, watching Beck. Andre moves over and takes her spot beside him, hovering in case Beck's hip or leg gives out or something. "Now, for some REAL positive reinforcement."
Beck watches as Jade carefully unbuttons the top two buttons on her blouse, giving him a peek at cleavage. "Come and get it, baby," she tells him in her most seductive tone. Of course, it's not like Beck can participate in those kind of activities yet. Between the broken hip and the healing ribs, he's not exactly in a sexual prime kind of state, but it's enough to get him to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He finally makes it down to the end of the hallway and receives a kiss from Jade as a reward for making it there before Andre's telling him he's got to turn around and head back. He groans, but pushes through it, knowing he's not going home any other way.
Exactly twelve weeks and four days after the accident, Beck is healed enough to go home. Andre and Tori spend the weekend before he's released cleaning up the house. Now that his parents are gone, the house is his and they do their best to freshen the place up. The move Beck's stuff from the RV into the house, including the stuff of Jade's that was in the RV. Jade drives Beck home, surprised at how calm he is given the fact that three months ago he was in a car that mangled his body to pieces. He just watches out the window, his hand held in hers. His movements are still stiff and they have him using a cane to help bear weight on his bad hip and leg,
When he walks inside, he can't help the tears that come. All of their friends and their friends' families are there with balloons and banners and all sorts of welcome home things for Beck. Jade has her arm wrapped around his waist as she helps him inside. Andre comes over and helps her get him to the couch so he doesn't tire himself out. He's not all the way better, but he's getting there and he knows he'll be back to 100% soon enough. After everyone leaves, Jade curls up with him in bed. The accident has changed them, for the better, but they will never be the same. She holds onto him, almost as if she's afraid to let him go, afraid he'll disappear. He kisses the top of her head, rubbing his hand up and down her back easily. His recovery is taxing, both physically and emotionally, but he has so many things left to do with his life that he's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that he lives it to the fullest.
Jade tips her head, pressing a long and sensual kiss to his lips. "I love you. So much," she murmurs fervently. Beck's face breaks into a grin as he pushes the kiss back against her lips. "I love you just as much. Thanks for giving me something worth living for," he murmurs, chuckling when the tears fill her eyes. She nods quickly, holding onto him. Her head rests on his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart. It thumps beneath her cheek, full of life and vitality and the sound lulls her to sleep. Beck's home now and every day from here on out is a gift, for the both of them.