A/N: My apologies for the delay in the writing of this fic, since I began writing FF I was always good for a chapter a week, reason for the delay, damned if I know. Hope you enjoy the rest.
Chapter Seven
During the two weeks that Sandra spent in the hospital, her recovery was moving along well. She wanted to leave as soon as she could. As always she pushed herself to get better, after only 10 days she was certain that she could leave, her doctor disagreed.
Though her mood was solemn, she always seemed to liven up when the guys came to visit. Her eyes would light up when she would see them, especially Gerry. He turned out to be the most comforting of the three. Every time he would visit, she found herself remembering, what she now knows to be a dream, the young man who went out of his way to help her and her father. It does make her sad that it is not possible to go back and change the past, but she did come to a grand realization, it is the past and she is alive and well in the present. He was a good father, but he was a man, like many other men, he made mistakes, and his mistake caused him to be lost and in the end alone.
"Morning," a voice calls to her from the door. "What happened to your roommate?"
"She went home this morning," she sits up in the bed, "You're here early Gerry." She pulls up the sheet then folds it, "What's wrong?"
He frowns as he sits on the edge of the bed, "Nothing," he takes her hand in his, "Stop it Sandra, we're fine. We miss you, and yes it's not the same without you not there. But we're managing." He releases his hold, "Well maybe not that good."
"Tell me Gerry, tell me what's happened?"
"He didn't mean it."
"Who? Who didn't mean it?"
"Brian, he," Gerry pauses as he takes a deep breath. "It was laying right there on the table and we needed a DNA match."
"What was lying there?"
"A, a condom," he says barely above a whisper.
Sandra pulls on his arm, "Did you say a condom?" She lies down on the bed as she covers her face with her hands. Gerry watches as her body starts to move.
"Sandra, are you laughing?"
Sandra removes her hands from her face and asks, "Strickland came into the office and saw it, didn't he?"
"Yes it was in an evidence bag but there it was just lying on Brian's' desk and….." Gerry starts to laugh. "Strickland absolutely red; I thought his head was going to explode."
"It's nice to hear your laughter," Doctor Adams says as he enters the room. "I have examined your most recent tests and, well, you can go home tomorrow."
"Best damn news I've heard in a long time, except for what I'm missing at work."
The Next Day
"Gerry," Sandra says as she sees him by the open door.
"We drew straws to see who would come to pick you up and take you home," he enters the room. "And I won."
"Marvelous, grab that bag and let's get out of here."
"Miss Pullman," Nurse Peters says as she stands behind a wheelchair.
"I don't need that."
"Hospital rules."
Two sets of eyes are staring at her, she turns to Gerry, "Come on Sandra, get in the chair." With one hand carrying a bag, he reaches for her with the other and escorts her across the room to the waiting chair. Piled upon her lap are multitudes of flowers.
The ride across town is quiet as Sandra stares out the window of the car, taking in all the sights and sounds. "It seems as if I was away a long time, never thought I would miss all this, this mess."
He steers the car to the side of the road and parks the car directly in front of her house.
Gerry exits the car and within moments, he is on the passenger side of the car, once again he holds out his hand and she takes it willingly. She moves slowly up the stairs.
"You sit and I'll get the bag." When he returns with the bag, she is as he said, sitting on the couch. "Have to get the flowers, be right back." She smiles as she watches him once again leave the house and moments later returns with the flowers. "Where, ah, where should I put them?"
Sandra points out the locations with her finger "Put one on that table and one in the kitchen and the rest on the dining table."
"The lads will be here in the morning, you need to get your rest today," he says as he positions the flowers exactly where she instructed him. After accomplishing the task, he rubs his hands together, "Cup of tea?"
She nods her head, "Yes, thank you." She watches for a moment as he turns his back and heads for the kitchen. She smiles as she closes her eyes and lays her head back remembering the young man who went out of his way; actually, he has, in the past few weeks, gone out of his way to help her and her Mum.
He returns with a brewing pot of tea and two beakers. "I was going to bring out some biscuits, but," he pauses, "They're hard as rocks," he pours the tea. "You'll need some food, your refrigerator is empty."
She picks up the beaker, "It usually is, you know I don't cook much."
"Not to worry, I'll take care of that. So," he sits next to her on the couch, "What you fancy for dinner?"
"Oh anything that doesn't look and taste like it was cooked in a microwave," she takes a quick sip of tea. "Chicken? Fish?"
"Right then, after I finish cleaning out the old food I'll get to the market."
When he returns, Sandra is asleep, peaceful from the look of it. He gets to the kitchen and begins to prepare dinner. Every few minutes or so he takes a quick peek at her sleeping form.
Whether it was the aroma of the food from the kitchen or her aching back, she awoke. "Gerry," she calls his name.
He turns toward her wiping his hands on a towel, "What," he says with a touch of annoyance, then bites his lip. "I….is something wrong?"
Shaking her head, "No, not at all," she pats the couch with her hand, "Come here and sit down." He tosses the towel onto the table and complies. "I want to thank you for all that you've done."
"Cooking a meal?" He shrugs his shoulders.
"No," she pats his hand, "No, not just that, for visiting every day, for sneaking in sweets, for that mug of yours looking at me when I woke up." She adjusts her position on the couch and he offers a hand, she waves him away, "It's alright I got it."
He turns his head toward the kitchen, "I had better check the," she grabs his arm.
"Its fine, let me finish," she pauses. "I had a dream about trying to change the events that lead up to my Dad's death, you were there."
He smiles, "Me," he says surprisingly.
"Yes, you were….24 years old and," she bows her head. "And very good looking," she looks up into his eyes that now have the same sparkle she remembers from her dream. "You were as confused as I was as to why I was there, looking like I do now, but you went out of your way to help me. We tried to change what happened at the massage parlor but it didn't work at all." She lowers her head, "You were shot along with Randall," a trickle of moisture runs down her cheek and he lightly brushes it away. "All these years of missing him and putting him up on a pedestal. I have come to the realization that he was just a man, who had flaws. He loved me I know that, hell I'm sure he loved my Mum too, but he found himself in a deep hole and he wasn't able to find someone to talk with about it." She looks up and he flashes the slightest but sweetest smile she has ever seen, she grabs onto his hand and squeezes it every so lightly. "Like I do, thank you," he leans over as she raises her arms to wrap them around his neck.
"I almost lost my mind when you got hurt, it was my fault."
Still embracing she says, "No it wasn't, it was mine. I should have waited for back up." She releases her hold and leans back, "You are not to blame."
"It's hard, I don't what I'd do if anything ever happened to you, you've change my life. I didn't think that was possible after so many years of living it."
"Ah, you weren't that bad, just a bit of a boozer and carouser." Expecting a snide remark from her friend, she lowers her head to catch his eyes to see if he's trying to think of comeback. "Gerry," she tugs on his shirtsleeve.
"You still think that don't you?"
"No," she tugs on his sleeve with a bit more force and he lets her pull him toward her. "It was just a…." she exhales, "I'm sorry."
"I….I think I love you Sandra." He looks into her eyes, "I have for a while now, you don't have to say it back, to appease me."
"Gerry, I do love you." She raises her arms and once again they embrace, "Gerry?"
"Yes."
"I think the Chicken is burning."
That is all
Later
The Mominator
