Try to Love Again - Chapter 10

by Kadi

Rated T

Disclaimer: It isn't my sandbox. I simply visit it from time to time.

"Oh my god. I really am in hell." Louis Provenza decided. If more than a week in the hospital had not convinced him of that, then having to come home to his partner's house was enough. His doctors agreed to release him from the confines of his hospital prison, but only with the guarantee that he'd have someone to keep an eye on him. He had to admit, he wasn't exactly getting around so well at the moment, but he didn't have to like it. He only agreed to this arrangement to keep the ex-wives from fighting over him, and then aggravating the hell out of him later. At least if he ended up shooting his partner someone would understand it!

After waking up in ICU some twelve hours after being shot, he was forced to endure a never ending circulation of visitors and keepers. That was in between the constant rotation of doctors, nurses, and blood transfusions. The latter of which was a result of his now extinct spleen. As if being shot wasn't bad enough, now he had people fawning over him. First the team, and at least they all knew to drop by, say hey, and then get the hell out of there. The wives, oh God the wives. They had lingered. Liz was such a mother hen with the worrying. Heather wanted to fret and fuss. Natalie at least had the good sense to drop by and then return to the other husband. Sharon… well, the one that he had been married to, he was reminded all too well why that hadn't lasted with her constant litany of "I told you this would happen some day."

Then came the kids, and the grandkids… and of course he had to put on a smile for all of them. He had to assure them that dad, or granddad as the case may be, was perfectly okay. Good god, it was horrible. Couldn't a man just sleep and recover in peace anymore?

Well, fine, so the balloons and the pictures that the grandkids brought weren't too horrible, and it wasn't completely terrible that Jeffery showed up on a three day emergency leave from the Marines to check on his old man. Still, Provenza didn't know which was more exhausting, recovering, or pretending to be okay for the family. Now he just wanted to collapse into his recliner and sleep for about a month.

Except, he didn't have his recliner. He had his partner's recliner, and damned if the house wasn't full of the flowers and balloons which had invaded his hospital room during the previous week. The very bright, very colorful bouquet of nearly a dozen balloons that Rusty had sent was practically taking over half the living room. "That was all her idea," Provenza decided. He settled into his partner's recliner with a grunt and a scowl. "I know it was. She knew that I'd hate it. You can't tell me that woman didn't put him up to it."

"Yeah." Andy dropped his partner's bag on the sofa and walked toward the kitchen. He had to swat one of the balloons out of his way to get there. "Because Sharon is so wicked she actually wants you to feel worse than you already do." He rolled his eyes and opened the fridge, fetching two bottled waters. "I think you're going to have to face facts, old man. You lose, the kid just has a weird sense of humor."

"She's brainwashed him." He scowled at the bottled water. He took it, and held a hand to his middle as he triggered the chair to lean back and the footrest to rise. "How do you sit in this thing?"

Andy's lips pursed. It was on the tip of his tongue to reply that sitting was easy, it was having sex with Sharon in it that was difficult. He wisely kept that one to himself and instead twisted the cap off his water. "Complain all you want, it's here or Liz's house. I can just as easily put your cranky ass back in the car." This wasn't exactly going to be his idea of a good time either. Andy was beginning to think that agreeing to this arrangement was a moment of insanity on his part. He did it because his partner had looked so desperate at the idea of having to go home with any of the ex-wives, and because he knew what it was to be alone, without any other family. Probably better than Provenza did. His partner chose to be alone, that was the difference between them.

Provenza reached for the remote on the end table beside him and glared. "You could be nicer to me, I'm an injured man," he muttered. He turned the TV on and was at least gratified that it came on to the sports channel. At least that much he couldn't fault his partner on. He was almost expecting some sappy love story. The idiot.

"You're in my chair," Andy grunted at him. "It doesn't get much nicer than that." A knock at the door had him pushing away from the entry frame leading into the kitchen. He walked over and pulled it open. "Hey. You timed that great, I just got his supreme grumpiness settled."

As he stepped back, Sharon stepped into the house. She had another bag and was carrying a vase of flowers. "So it was naive to believe getting him out of there would do something for his disposition?" She smiled. "This is the last of it. Rusty has the food."

Rusty followed her into the house. He held up two paper bags where the injured Lieutenant could see them. "Greasy goodness, as requested."

Sharon let Andy have the bag while she carried the vase over to set on the bar, with the others. She got tangled in the balloons as she moved past them. She swatted them away and heaved a sigh. "Oh Rusty, honestly!" It was not what she'd had in mind when he said he wanted to get the Lieutenant something.

Provenza tilted his head, and decided, as the balloons attacked his Captain that just maybe they were growing on him. "Are you telling me, Captain, that you don't appreciate my get well gift?"

His sarcasm was not lost on her, neither was the amusement in his gaze. She shot a bland look at him. "I like them better when they're not trying to stick to my hair."

"Static cling," Rusty stated. "They make conditioners for that kind of thing." He turned to Andy with the food bags. "Plates?" While the Lieutenant had been to the condo plenty of times, Rusty had never been in his home before.

"This way." Andy led the way into the kitchen and opened a cupboard. He took down four and set them on the counter for the kid. "She really let you get junk food?" He opened one of the bags and peered into it.

"Yeah, well…" Rusty grinned at him. "She was feeling nice." He pulled out a burger wrapped in red paper. "Veggie burger."

Andy glanced over and watched her wrestle the balloons into a corner, then secure them. When she swept her hair back and huffed, he laughed. "Emphasis on was." He took his burger, and his fries, along with the plate meant for Provenza and carried both into the living room.

Sharon walked over to join him when he sank into a wide arm chair. She perched on the arm beside him and her arm draped loosely across his shoulders. "Remind me to never leave Rusty and Buzz alone with my credit card again."

"I should have known." Provenza scowled at the balloons again and shoved a fry into his mouth. He would get him back.

"Detective Sanchez helped us pick out the colors." Rusty grinned crookedly as he joined them. He handed Sharon a plate and went back to retrieve water for both of them before finally settling on the sofa with his own food.

"Of course he did," the Lieutenant continued to scowl. "The betrayal knows no end."

"I like to think of it as more of a cautionary tale," Sharon stated. She twisted a fry in her fingers. "Don't get shot, and you won't end up being accosted by cheerful, inflated, colorful rubber."

Provenza stared back at her. His eyes narrowed. "You are an evil, manipulative, wicked witch from whom there is no escape."

"Yes." Sharon smiled, only too sweetly back at him. "And you adore me for it."

"Now, you see here." Provenza pointed a finger at her, while his face flushed a deep shade of red. "I was on drugs. There were painkillers, and anesthetic, and I cannot be held responsible for anything which might have been said while under chemical influence beyond my control."

"Too late," she drawled with a grin.

While Sharon and Andy were laughing, and the Lieutenant was turning a darker shade of red that Rusty wasn't sure was healthy, the teenager looked between the three adults. "What did I miss?" His initial visit into the ICU had come just after the Lieutenant was moved, while he was still unconscious. He hadn't seen him again until much later, when he was moved to a regular room. He hadn't wanted to be in anyone's way, and so he'd hung out and helped by running errands with Buzz.

"Nothing, not a thing!" Provenza practically shouted. "I'm warning you both," he said to his partner and Captain.

They looked at one another. Sharon was still leaning against his side, perched on the arm of his chair. Andy looped an arm around her waist to hold her there for a moment or two longer. His head tilted, while her eyes sparkled. They chose to ignore his partner's warnings. Instead, Andy turned his attention to Rusty. "Sharon and I were with Provenza when he woke up the second time. Liz had run home to shower and catch a nap, while Heather was keeping an eye on all the children…"

There was something almost a little sickening about the sterile, antiseptic smell inside a hospital. It was just too clean. Then of course there was the fact that the air was all dry, and for some reasons they all insisted on keeping the temperature low and near to arctic. Andy couldn't think of even one person, outside of medical professionals, who actually liked hospitals, but he was sure that he despised them. He was beginning to wonder why no one had ever thought to design a place that was actually comfortable for both the patients and their visitors.

When he shifted in his chair, for probably the fifth time in an hour, he felt a hand touch his arm. Andy glanced over and found Sharon watching him, a sympathetic smile on her face. She had somehow managed to fold her small body in the chair beside his in a way that was comfortable for her. He wasn't having much luck with his much longer body.

"You can go back to the waiting room if you'd like,"She spoke quietly, but her soft voice still sounded loud in the small room, in spite of the beep and hiss of the machines around Provenza's bed. "I'll stay with him."

"I'm fine."He reached for her hand and their fingers clasped together, while he stretched his legs in front of him. It had been nearly a day now, since his partner had been shot. He woke just once, and only briefly, but the important part was that he had been awake. His doctors were far more optimistic now. His condition seemed to be hovering somewhere near stability, and that was good. Andy hadn't left the hospital yet, but Sharon had gone home to change earlier in the day, and had dropped into his place to grab a more comfortable change of clothes for him. At least if the chairs had to be uncomfortable, the jeans and t-shirt made it bearable. "I promised Liz that I'd stay,"he said quietly. "Next to you, she's not a lady I want upset with me."

Sharon smiled and chuckled quietly at that. There was one thing she could say about Lieutenant Provenza's wives, they were all strong-willed and opinionated women. He certainly had a type. "Then let's definitely not disappoint her."While his warm hand was tucked around hers, Sharon buried her other in the sleeve of her sweater. She was glad that she had thought to get it, given the chill in the hospital.

A groan from the bed drew their attention. Sharon moved much more quickly than Andy did, gaining her feet and moving to the side of the bed on which there were the fewest machines. She poured water from a pitcher on the table beside his bed into a small cup. Andy was beside her a moment later, his body creaking in ways he wished it wouldn't, and he was beginning to think maybe Sharon had the right idea, with all her swimming and yoga. Not that he would tell her that.

"Easy."Andy reached down and lay a hand on his partner's arm when he seemed to struggle with waking. "Don't move too fast."He had a sizable incision curling around his left side, where all the damage had been done and the spleen had been removed.

His eyes blinked open and he swore, violently. Sharon didn't blame him. "Lieutenant, take this…"She reached for the button on the morphine pump and placed it in his hand. Sharon folded his fingers around it and they waited until he seemed to respond. After a moment, they could see his pain easing. His eyes started to clear, although they had the glazed, drugged look that was a result of the morphine and lingering anesthetic. "Better?"

He waved a hand at her, but continued to simply stare at both of them. He looked as loopy as they imagined he must feel. "I can't even get shot,"he croaked, "without the two of you making it a date. If it weren't so damned cute, I'd shoot you both."

Deciding that it must be the medication, Sharon decided to ignore that. She pressed her lips together to suppress the smile, although she could feel Andy tremble with barely contained laughter behind her. Her elbow dug into his side. She shot a look at him before she leaned over the Lieutenant again. "Would you like some water?"She held the cup where he could see it.

"Here."Andy moved around to the other side of the bed when it became apparent he would need help sitting up. "Okay…"He held him up while Sharon placed the cup to his lips. When he'd had enough, he eased him back again.

The Lieutenant sighed. "I am not a damned invalid,"he scowled at both of them. Now he had one of them on each side of him. He hit the button for the morphine pump again. His head lolled to one side and he sighed. That was better. His eyes began to droop again, and he thought he might doze. Movement had them opening. He watched the Captain set the water back on the table beside his bed. Then she pulled her sweater more tightly around herself and smiled down at him. Provenza sighed again. "You know he's an idiot and doesn't deserve you. He's going to screw it up, and you're going to turn into the evil, horrible witch again. You're going to make everyone miserable,"he lamented. "Not like when you're being wicked and adorable and making Taylor's life hell. I'm going to have to shoot Flynn for being an ass when that happens."

Her jaw clenched. Sharon's body shook with the effort to hold back her laughter. He really was incredibly high at the moment. She doubted that he even knew what he was saying. On the other side of his bed, Andy was almost choking. She shot a look at him and shook her head. They could at least wait until he was coherent to make fun of him for it, that was only polite after all. "Lieutenant,"Sharon smiled kindly down at him. "I promise, when Andy screws it up as you think that he will, the only person I will take it out on is Taylor. You have my word on that."

"Okay."He let his eyes close. A small smile appeared on his face. "Carry on then."

Rusty was bent over, laughing as they recounted the story. He almost didn't believe it, but one glance at the scowling Lieutenant changed that. "So now that we have his blessing," Andy drawled. "We figure it's good that everyone else knows about it too…"

"Since Rusty was kind enough to take care of that for us," Sharon pointed out.

"Hey, I said I was sorry," The teenager said. "They thought you were the Lieutenant's girlfriend. It kind of freaked me out a little bit."

"Eeh," Provenza shuddered. "He's not the only one, and I agree, he's forgiven." When they'd told him about that, he more than felt sorry for the kid. He knew exactly what his ex-wives could be like, especially when they were together. "At least Taylor wasn't there. You're going to have to report it now." When Sharon only stared back at him, a serene smile on her face, he rolled his eyes. Provenza groaned. "Of course you did. The rules, how could I forget. Do you ever not follow them? Even once."

Sharon arched a brow and looked pointedly at the greasy cheeseburger on his plate. "I do not believe that was recommended in the diet suggested by your physician when you were discharged from the hospital, Lieutenant."

"Food doesn't count." Provenza rolled his eyes at her. "And until you've been married to me, you don't get a say in what I eat. Since that is never going to happen, keep your eyes on Flynn's food and off mine."

"She already has." Andy indicated his veggie burger which was heavy on vegetables, without cheese, light on the mayo and on a toasted whole wheat bun.

"No," Provenza shook a finger at him. "Don't complain to me about it. No one's fault but your own. You wanted to play in the Captain's sandbox, you get to deal with the consequences." He nodded firmly. "Now," he placed his plate with its half eaten hamburger on the table beside the chair. "I'm going to take a nap. Go stare at someone else."

Sharon stood up and began gathering the plates. "Actually, we need to get back to the murder room. I'm leaving Rusty here with my car, and I'm with you?" She glanced at Andy.

"Yeah." He took the plates out of her hand and grabbed his partner's. He carried it all into the kitchen and made quick work of cleaning up. "Rusty, you're in charge. If he gets out of control, just call Liz."

"I have all the numbers, Lieutenant." Rusty smiled where he sat on the sofa. He pulled his laptop out of his bag and opened it. "We'll be alright. Just go." He would be the Provenza sitter during the day while the Lieutenant was at work, or in the evenings if the team got called out to a crime scene. At least until the Lieutenant was okay to be on his own again. His doctors said it would be a slow recovery, they didn't care, they were just glad he was okay.

"We're going." Sharon smoothed out her jacket. "Rusty, do something with those balloons, will you?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, no problem."

It took another ten minutes for them to actually leave. Once the front door was closed and they heard Flynn's car start, Provenza's eyes opened again. He lifted his head and glanced at Rusty. "They actually gone?"

"Yeah." The teenager grinned.

"You got them?" His eyes narrowed slightly.

Rusty dug into his knapsack and pulled out bag of chocolate covered peanuts. He tossed it to the Lieutenant. Candy wasn't on the list of approved snacks either. "She never even saw them."

"Good man!" Provenza popped open the bag and leaned back again. "Now, what kind of cable does that idiot have…" He began flipping through channels. "Let's check out the pay-per-view."