Chapter Ten.

The test results came back and for once the Branning's had some good news. The need to amputate Lauren's leg was gone. Three days later she was taken down for surgery again and the plastic surgeon did the smaller skin graft operation on Lauren's back. It was decided that the larger, lengthier operation on her leg would happen a week later. This would enable the doctors to ensure there wasn't any more necrosis and it would give the wound a chance to heal a little more and Lauren would hopefully be a little stronger.

*JL*JL*

A fortnight after they were given the choices by her doctor, he'd finally started reducing the sedation so there was hope that Lauren would wake up sometime that day. As a result Joey was sitting with her once more, refusing to leave her side.

She'd been taken off the ventilator a couple of days earlier as her lungs had finally recovered from the smoke inhalation damage and she was now breathing much easier. She was still on an oxygen line into her nose and would be for probably another week but it was a definite improvement nonetheless. Joey was just pleased this meant he could see her face again and, as the antibiotics had kicked in and got rid of the infection, the skin on skin contact embargo had been lifted. Joey was very pleased about this and was constantly touching her. He kissed her too... and was looking forward to sharing a kiss with her, where she responded back to him.

"That furry animal is back..."

Her voice startled him, he hadn't even noticed that she'd opened her eyes. He smiled at her, "You're awake..." he said. He leant forward but she moved away from him, a horrified expression on her face.

"No way..." she murmured, "Not until you've shaved and got rid of that... thing..." she said and he chuckled. He laced his fingers through hers, squeezing them gently and her eyes shifted their focus to them, staring at them intently. The last time she'd been awake she'd had bandages on her hands. They were now gone. "How long?" she asked him.

"Just over three weeks in total..."

"Since the fire?" she whispered.

"Since you were last awake..." he clarified. She looked at his face, shock written across hers as she stared at him.

"Am I..." her voice broke slightly and she closed her eyes, trying to compose herself, "Am I still all here...?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, babe... they managed to save your leg... It was a close thing at one stage..." he said, not telling her that it was down to him that she still had four limbs, "You've had a couple more operations though..." he told her.

"I have?"

"Yeah..." he said softly. He lifted his hand, brushing several strands of hair off her face and tucking them behind her ear. She turned her head slightly, pressing her cheek into the palm of his hand, smiling as she looked up at him. "They've done two skin graft operations, Lauren. A small graft to the base of your back and a larger one to your calf... The doctors are really pleased with the results and they think you'll make a good recovery..."

"I guess my mini skirt days are over then..." she murmured.

"The doctor thinks that in a few years' time, you'll hardly notice the scarring... and to be honest, babe... it's a lot better than missing a great big chunk of your leg which is how it was before the graft was done..."

"And better than no leg at all..." she admitted.

"Exactly..." Joey said, "Are you sure I can't kiss you?" he asked, a little bit of hope in his voice.

"Not until you've got rid of the fur..." she said. He pouted slightly, turning an adorable expression towards her, "That's not going to work, Joe..." she lied, her heart racing slightly as she stared at his face.

He smiled, "The machine is giving you away, babe..." he told her softly and Lauren sighed, closing her eyes as she felt her face flush. Joey took advantage of her momentary distraction and leant forward again, kissing her tenderly. He pulled away from her and she was staring at him.

"Joe..." she protested, but it was a weak protest at best.

"I love you..." he told her before leaning forward and kissing her once more. His heart soared as he felt her kiss him back. He pulled away from her again and her whole face was shining, a smile on her face that he'd thought he'd never see again. "I'd better go and shave then, hadn't I?" he murmured, getting to his feet. He bent down and kissed her again, "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone," he said, meaning to joke with her but the joke was lost by the seriousness behind his words.

"I'll be here..." Lauren reassured him, "I'm going nowhere..." she added. He nodded his head and stood again, turning and starting to walk out of the room, "Not without you anyway..." she called after him. Joey walked out of the room with a huge grin on his face.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked back into the room about forty minutes later, pausing in the doorway when he saw Abi sitting beside the bed, "I can go again..." he said, "Give you some time..."

"It's fine, Joey..." Abi said, "I was going anyway... I just came in to say goodbye to Lauren before we went..."

"Went?" Joey asked.

"Jay and I are heading back up to Bolton... we need to get things sorted. We can't really delay it any longer... not if I'm going to be ready to go to university at the end of the month..." She got to her feet and kissed her sister on the cheek, "Take care, Lauren... and call me if you want to talk at all..."

"I will." Lauren said, "and thanks, Abs..."

Abi started to head out of the room and she stopped in front of Joey. He was surprised when she hugged him tightly, "Thank you..." she whispered to him quietly. He was a little confused by what she'd said when she pulled away from him again, not quite sure what she was thanking him for. She left the two of them alone again.

Joey stood awkwardly at the edge of the room, "I thought your parents would be in here..." he said.

"They were but they've gone home for the night..." Lauren said, "I told them to go and spend some time with Oscar... he's hardly seen either of them since this all started. It's not fair on him..."

"Whitney and Bianca have been looking after him, I think..."

"I know... but he must be pretty confused..."

Joey walked over to the bed and sat back in his chair, "Who's your friend?" he asked, staring at the object next to Lauren.

Lauren smiled, "It's from Oscar... he wanted me to have his bear... as I'm feeling poorly..." she told him, "Mum bought it in... I nearly sent it home with her again... he loves his bear... but she said he'd be heartbroken if I didn't keep it... and he'd told her he could cope without him for one night... He was a big boy now..."

"You miss him..." Joey said.

"Yeah..." Lauren whispered.

"Once you're better, we could go and stay with your mum and Oscar for a while." Joey said, "You can spend some time with him..."

"That'd be nice..." Lauren whispered. She was staring at him and he started to feel a little unsure of himself.

"What?" he asked.

"You look good..." she told him.

"I do?"

Lauren nodded her head slightly, "Good enough to kiss..." she stated, her face colouring slightly.

"Really? Well, then I guess I shouldn't disappoint you, should I?" he said, smiling as he leant towards her and kissed her softly. The kiss quickly deepened, both of them taking it further than either had intended. Lauren moaned slightly when they eventually pulled apart. "You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Just the drugs starting to wear off a little." She said, "Turns out skin grafts hurt like fuck..." she said, shrugging slightly.

"Do you want me to go and get a nurse?" he asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No... It's fine... I can handle it for now."

"Just let me know if it gets too much..." he said, leaning his arms on the side of the bed.

"I will do, Joe." She said. She stared at him intently and Joey shifted, growing self-conscious under her perusal.

"What?" he said.

"Abi told me..." she whispered.

"Told you what?"

"What you did? That you stopped them..." she said softly.

"Oh..." Joey said, not sure what else to say.

"I don't know how to thank you..." she murmured.

"You don't have to thank me, babe…" he told her, pushing some hair back from her face again.

"I do, Joe… and you know it…" Lauren told him. She moved her hand wrapped her fingers around his, "You made the right decision, Joe… don't ever doubt it…"

"I won't… I didn't at the time… I was just worried the results would come back bad and the decision would be taken out of my hands…" He admitted, "And then if that happened, I was worried I'd have risked your health by leaving it too long…" He lowered his head and pressed his lips against the back of her hand, "I was scared I was going to lose you…" he murmured.

"You told me you weren't going to let me go…" she told him.

Joey lifted his head, staring at her face in shock, "You heard me say that…?" he whispered.

"I think so…" she said, "I don't remember it… but when I just said it, it was like I knew it was true…" She frowned as she spoke.

"I love you…" he breathed.

Lauren smiled, "Love you too…" she told him, "Forever and always... for eternity..."

A/N: Did you notice that Lauren said the same words that Joey did a few chapters ago? And she's awake… FINALLY! Now if this was Eastenders, no doubt she'd be out of hospital the very next day and everything would be fine and dandy… but this isn't Eastenders… so I'm afraid it isn't going to be like that… Are you worried now? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…