Recovering the Satellites

Chapter Nine

~.~

Just looked at the stats for this story, and realized I have a HUGE amount of lurkers, more so than most of my stories. Hi, lurkers! I'm glad more than the people reviewing this are reading it, because, as I've said before, I just love this fic. It's my favorite thing that I've written, I feel like it's a bit more grown-up than many of my stories, and I'm just very proud of it :) So, thank you to my reviewers AND readers on this one.

A-and, now that I sound all full of myself, I'm just gonna move on….

Just so ya know, this week is finals week, next week is the week of Christmas so I'll be working tons, and the week after that I'm going out of town, so if I disappear and don't update as frequently, don't worry! I'll be back soon :) I will try to squeeze one more part in before I leave, but don't hold me to that!

~.~2004~.~

"Chandler. Chandler, we're landing." Chandler woke up to the sound of Rachel's voice and the "bing" of the fasten-seatbelt signs lighting back up as the plane began its descent over the city. He groaned, rubbing at his neck as he attempted to move it to the side he hadn't been sleeping on, catching sight of the New York City skyline out the window in the process, pausing momentarily to take it in. "How ya feelin' over there?" Rachel asked with a laugh.

"Like I need a super strong combination of water, coffee, and advil," he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut for a second, trying to ignore his hangover. "Are you okay?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Rachel sighed. "I guess. I've been trying not to think about it. I just really need to see him," she trailed off, squeezing Chandler's hand when he offered it. "How's it feel to be home?" Rachel changed the subject, motioning to the window, and Chandler again turned his attention outside, to the view now of the airport.

"Surreal," he whispered, staring at the sight of the last part of the city he'd seen when he left, three years earlier. "Very surreal…."

~.~

"Elevators, elevators," Rachel said under her breath as they rushed through the doors of the hospital on Long Island, having gone straight there from the airport. Finally spotting them, she rushed towards the elevators, Chandler two steps behind her. Getting off on the third floor, as she had been instructed to do by her mom, she headed straight towards the first nurse's station she saw. "Hi, I'm looking for Leonard Green?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two nurses standing there.

"Are you family?" the younger of the two asked. "Otherwise visiting hours don't start for another hour."

"I'm his daughter," Rachel nodded, following her as she started walking down the hall. "How is he, is he okay?" Rachel asked, pausing when Chandler reached for her suitcase.

"I'll wait over there?" he asked, nodding to the lobby.

Rachel smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Chandler," she said softly, before rushing to catch up with the nurse.

Chandler sat down with a heavy sigh in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, setting his and Rachel's suitcases on the chair beside him. He leaned back, closing his eyes. He still couldn't believe he was in New York. He had often thought about what going back home would be like, but this was never the situation that came into play. He also knew once they actually left the hospital and headed back to Manhattan, it would be an entirely different story, one he wasn't sure he was ready for. They had been in such a rush leaving the airport to get to the hospital, where he was never really sank in.

And then there was the issue of what was happening the night before when Rachel's mom called to deal with.

Trying to push all of those thoughts out of his mind, he looked around, and spotting a vending machine in the corner, headed over to it. Frowning at what he had to choose from, he decided that pretzels and what would most likely be stale coffee would have to do, before heading back to his seat to wait for Rachel.

~.~

"Hey, sleepyhead." Chandler shot up in his seat when Rachel sat beside him, startling him. "Wanna go get some real sleep?" she asked, and it was then that Chandler noticed how completely drained she looked.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven," Rachel said, looking down at her watch. "Amy just got here and is ordering me to leave for a while, and I think I'm just tired enough to let her," Rachel yawned. "I think I've been up for," she paused for a moment, thinking. "Twenty-seven hours? Huh, yea, let's go sleep," she grabbed her suitcase, standing up.

"How's he doing?" Chandler asked as they walked back towards the elevators.

"Okay, stable," she sighed. "He's still pretty heavily sedated, and he's scheduled for by-pass surgery tomorrow, but for now, he's okay," she said sadly. "See, this is why you don't smoke," she looked at him accusatorily, but continued before he had a chance to defend himself. "He's a doctor, you'd think he'd know these things," she sighed, angrily hitting the down button on the elevator. Chandler looked at her sympathetically, rubbing her arm at a lack of what to say. Rachel smiled appreciatively as the elevator doors opened, letting him lead the way inside.

~.~

"And this, is Chez Rachel," Rachel said with fake enthusiasm as she opened the door to the apartment she had been living in for the past couple of years, dropping her keys on the counter and leaving her suitcase by the door as Chandler followed her in, looking around. "Hey, Mr. Darcy, you miss me?" she asked as she picked up her cat, who was brushing against her legs. "Thank you for coming with me," she added, to Chandler, as she set the cat back down, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "I know how much you don't want to be here."

"Don't worry about it," Chandler shook his head, moving closer to her. "I mean, I had to come back here at some point in time."

"Well I really appreciate it," Rachel said, now obviously close to tears as she started to lose the calm pretense she'd had since they'd left his apartment. Chandler let her, knowing she needed to get it out after staying so put together on the plane and at the hospital. "It's just-I just," she wiped at her eyes, trailing off. "Everyone else's parents or grandparents or whoever get sick, but everyone you love is supposed to be invincible, ya know?" she continued on, and Chandler wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "And I know I haven't relied on him for years, and I'm a capable, independent adult, and I guess-I guess I don't need him-need him, but," she sobbed, nearly hyperventilating now. "He's still-he's still-he's still my daddy," she forced out, breaking down completely, and Chandler wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"It'll be okay," he whispered, rubbing her back. "He'll be okay," he whispered, kissing the top of her head, continuing to rub her back until he felt her breathing start to return to normal as the silent sobs subsided. "You okay?" he asked softly as she pulled slightly away, and Rachel just shrugged.

"I will be," she nodded, wiping at her eyes. "Seriously, thank you for coming with me," she again repeated, and Chandler smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"No problem," he whispered, but was taken back when Rachel grasped the back of his neck, pulling him closer as she kissed him. He kissed back for a moment before realizing the situation. "Rach," he pulled back slightly, shaking his head.

"No-no, don't stop, okay?" Rachel pleaded.

"But-"

"But, what? We're just finishing what we were doing earlier. It's not-it's not anything other than that."

"Rach…"

"Please, Chandler," she whispered, one hand still on the back of his neck, their faces only inches apart. And when she stood on her toes to close those last few inches and kiss him, he didn't pull away, letting the combination of wanting to finish what they had started earlier cloud the lack of mental clarity he already had from the lack of sleep and odd mixture of events and emotions from the past twenty-four hours.

~.~

Rachel woke up to the sun shining through her open curtains. She opened her eyes but didn't role over, Chandler's arm still thrown across her stomach as he lie next to her. She wasn't entirely sure what to do or how to behave, the simple solution for her feelings the night before not seeming so simple now. But she needed to get up and at least see what time it was, since her father's surgery was at ten and she wanted to be at the hospital before then. And, of course, her alarm clock was on the side of the bed Chandler was sleeping on.

"It's quarter 'til eight," Chandler broke into her thoughts. "I don't know what time you wanted to be at the hospital by, but it's quarter 'til eight right now," he added softly, kissing her hair from behind before pulling away, moving over slightly on the bed.

"Thanks," Rachel rolled over to face him, smiling at her loss of what to say, before looking down at the blanket in front of her.

"We've known each other too long to make this awkward, right?" Chandler finally spoke. "What, like fifteen or so years? We don't need to be awkward…."

Rachel looked up, nodding. "I will have to agree with that," she smiled. "We should probably get going, though. Dad's surgery is at ten, and I wanted to get there early enough to see him first," she paused. "God, I'm starving. Did we even eat yesterday? I can't believe we slept all evening and all night," she shook her head, pulling her robe on that was hanging by her door.

"Well, we didn't sleep quite the whole time," Chandler smirked, causing Rachel to pause and shake her head. "Go shower," Chandler laughed, "I'll go see if you have anything for breakfast."

"Thanks, Chandler," Rachel smiled at him, pausing a moment longer before heading into the bathroom off of her bedroom.

Chandler smiled after her a moment longer, before realizing just how hungry he was as well. Rachel was right, they hadn't eaten the day before, other than the pretzels he had at the hospital and a sad, little bag of trail mix on the plane. Pulling his boxers on, he headed down the hallway to the kitchen, startled when someone else was standing out there, as well.

"I have mace and a black belt in karate!"

Chandler jumped backwards at the threat, laughing when he realized it was Phoebe. "Phoebs, it's me."

"Chandler?" Phoebe said as he moved closer. "Chandler!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "What the hell are you doing?" she smacked his arm when she pulled away. "Rachel is supposed to be in California with you!"

"Sorry," Chandler again laughed. "Rachel's dad had a heart attack so we came back yesterday. She's showering right now. What are you doing here?"

"Feeding the cat," she motioned to Mr. Darcy. "God, you scared the shit out of me! I thought I was going to have to kick some ass," she said, sounding rather disappointed. "It's so good to see you, though!" she again hugged him. "Although, a bit awkward, because you're not really wearing any clothes," Phoebe added, eyebrows raised in accusation as she pulled away.

"Yea, I'll be right back," Chandler said as he headed to the bedroom, coming back a few minutes later in the jeans he'd been wearing the day before and his undershirt.

Rachel got out of the shower, pulling her robe back on and deciding that getting dressed could wait because her stomach was demanding food. As she got closer to the kitchen she frowned, wondering who the voices and laughter was coming from.

"Oh my god, Phoebe, I'm sorry," Rachel said as she entered the kitchen. "I should have told you I came home early."

"Yea, I about kicked Chandler's ass earlier because he scared the shit out of me," Phoebe nodded, sitting at the breakfast bar with Chandler, who was eating a bagel. Rachel sat beside him, where there was another bagel and the other half of the grapefruit he was eating, as well as a cup of coffee. She smiled at him appreciatively before beginning to eat. "Well, as interesting as this," Phoebe motioned between the two of them, "is, I actually have to get to work. Rach, if I have time, I'll stop by the hospital later?"

"Thanks, Phoebs," Rachel smiled at her.

"It was really good to see you, Chandler. Sorry about the almost-macing…."

"Hey, as long as it's almost," he laughed.

"See you guys later," Phoebe added as she headed out the door, leaving Chandler and Rachel alone.

Rachel turned to Chandler, looking at him for a moment before he realized it and turned to her. "What?"

"Nothing," Rachel smiled. "Just…thank you."

"You said that already," Chandler returned her smile.

"I know, I just, I really," she sighed. "Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome," he smiled, standing up as he took his dishes to the sink. "I'm gonna go shower so we can get going."

"'Kay," Rachel nodded, watching him walk down the hall. She sighed before taking a long drink of her coffee, wishing she had enough mental energy to try to figure out what was going on with Chandler while still worrying about her dad. Later, she decided. She would know, soon enough, that her dad was fine, and would be able to figure the rest of it out later.

~.~

Chandler leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees as he stared at the tiled hospital floor, waiting with Rachel on news about her dad, who was still in surgery. Rachel checked her phone every few minutes, knowing Jill was on her way and would be there shortly. As some one neared them, Chandler looked up, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the one person he had least expected to see. He squeezed Rachel's hand, which he was holding, tightly, and she looked up as Chandler barely choked out, "Monica."