Chapter 11

This is version one as I mentioned.

Thank you Millemini for your quick work. :)

What happened last:

After they were ready with everything they returned to the sofa. Auggie remote in hand for his sound system asking "what do you want to hear?" "Everything is fine with me" Annie answered smiling up at him. Auggie turned the iPod modus on and pushed the button for shuffle play. They enjoyed the company of the other. Sneaking in some soft kisses. As Auggie felt Annie shivering he pulled the blanket from the stool behind the sofa and wrapped it around both of them. He put his prosthetic feet on the table and with the more comfortable position for both they drifted off into sleep in each other's arms.

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Annie felt something, or more correctly someone, moving next to her and she heard some slight moans too. As she became fully awake, she opened her eyes and remembered that she was at Auggies apartment. She realized they must have dozed off after their meal. She had snuggled up to Auggie and now as she looked at him she noticed he sported a face, which clearly said that he was in pain or was having a bad dream. She contemplated if she should let him sleep and not startle him more, or waking him up, which meant risking that he got mad at her. The decision was not hers to make because Auggie woke up with a start.

He bolted up from his position, he wanted to run but it failed, he landed on the floor and felt some excruciating pain in his left foot. On a scale between one and 10 it was a 12. He felt as if his leg was ripped apart in the middle and burned at the same time.

"Auggie! What's wrong? How can I help?" Annie was clearly shocked and began to ramble on.

She dropped to her knees and touched Auggies back. She didn't know how to help him and she didn't get a response from him at all. The only noise was coming barely audible from Auggie. He whimpered and was calling out that he burned. He pleaded that someone would kill him and redeem him off his pain.

That was all Annie had to know. She remembered something that she had read about amputation and phantom pain.

"Shh Auggie, tell me where I can find the medication." Annie nearly pleaded.

"Bath-" it came out as a whisper.

Annie stood up and walked to the bathroom collected the painkiller bottles she could find in the cabinet. She walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water and then walked back to Auggie.

"Come on Augs. I have the bottles but I don't know which of them, you have to help."

He grabbed the one with a blue marker and took two of the pills out. Annie handed him the uncapped bottle and he swallowed the pills and a lot of water. It was like one moment he was awake and the next he was in a coma. There was no whimpering or else.

Annie couldn't support his weight enough to haul him onto the sofa so she got the pillows down and draped the blanket over him. She watched him sleep for a while before she decided to use his iPad, which was laying on the side table, to do some research. She read a lot more on a side of the VA Hines hospital. Next she googled the word phantom pain because she wanted to know what could help as well. Out of the corner off her eye she saw Auggie moving.

"Hey sleeping prince," Annie said to him as he sat up.

"What am I doing on the floor?" Auggie asked, appearing to be puzzled.

"You don't know what happened?" she asked, a bit flustered. But she saw that his mind was starting to work because his expression changed. He seemed to remember what happened.

"Are you alright now? You scared me a bit there."

"I'm fine. It's just the burden of being just a half man Annie," his face fell.

"It's nothing new." He blushed and looked down. Annie got down at his level and put her hand under his chin.

"You're a whole man Auggie. Why would you think you're half a man?"

"Because about half of me got blown away by a damn bomb," Auggie shot back, gesturing to his mid thighs.

"You're a whole man Auggie," Annie repeated firmly. "Don't think anything less. Legs don't make you a whole man; your personality does. I don't want to hear this ever again!"

He was taken by surprise; he didn't expect that Annie would be pissed at him for using such a phrase to describe himself. He turned and used his upper body strength to pull him against the sofa with his back. Next he put his hands on the sitting cushion and pushed up to get his behind on the sofa. It was a tedious task but he mastered it.

"Can I do anything for you Auggie?" Annie asked after she'd let him catch his breath for a second.

"No. Please don't make a big deal of it. For me this is something normal." Auggie looked a little ashamed. "It has happened before and it will happen again."

"Please Auggie let me in." Annie nearly pleaded.

"I will Annie, if I can okay?"

"It's fine Auggie, just know you can't and won't get rid of me easily. Come let us snuggle up again and just enjoy this…" Annie hesitated. "Whatever it is we share now."

"I don't know what this is between us, but it feels really nice Annie. I don't talk a lot about my past; I don't like going back there. Just know when the time is right I'm going to tell everything you need to know." Auggie looked deeply in her eyes.

"It's fine Auggie," Annie smiled at him. "Take all the time you need, just know I'm here."

Annie curled up next to him on the couch and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Both of them just enjoyed the togetherness. Time didn't matter- until Annie heard Auggie's stomach rumbling.

"Hey are you hungry?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah. A little bit Annie. Do you want to stay in or should we go out for breakfast? It's up to you."

"Can you recommend something in the neighborhood that's not fancy?" Annie asked.

"There is a nice little diner down just around the corner. They've got great burgers and their breakfast is good too. It's definitely nothing fancy."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go." Annie stood and headed over to her purse, to retrieve her cosmetics bag.

Auggie stood up as well and walked, a little unsteady at first, to his bedroom. He pulled out a drawer and got a hoodie out. Ten minutes later Annie was ready and Auggie had his keys, wallet and his iPhone. He contemplated if he would take the cane or not. Annie saw the questioning look on his face and looked in the same direction. She realized it was his cane that caused his inner dialogue and turned to him.

"Auggie I have a question for you. You don't have to answer it, but please don't be offended. Okay?"

"What is it Annie? Ask away." Auggie answered unemotional.

"If you wrap your arm around me and I'm resting my hand on your hip, would that be problem for your balance?" Annie blushed deeper and deeper as she talked.

"Oh Annie do you want to keep contact with me because of something particular?" a small smile gracing his face.

"Yeah Auggie. I want to display my affection for you to everyone."

Auggie started to walk to his door leaving Annie behind. He knew he had surprised Annie with that.

"Are rooting there? Come on, I'm hungry!" Auggie smiled showing his pearly white teeth. At the same time holding his arm up and Annie slid in under it and wrapped her arm around his waist. He was surprised at how well she fit. He knew she wanted to take something of his weight but he didn't really need it. Auggie trusted his walking ability and he trusted Annie as well.

After descending in the elevator they walked to the exit and turned right on the street. The diner Auggie had in mind was just one block away and the walk there took them about five minutes. They entered and were seated immediately; the hostess left two menus on the table and headed back to the hostess stand by the entrance. Not long after she'd left a smiling waitress approached their table and took their orders. The food was served quickly and just 45 minutes later they were on the way back to Auggie's apartment.

"What do you want to do?" Auggie asked as they entered his apartment. He dropped his wallet and keys on a small table by the door.

"We could watch a movie?"

"What are you in the mood for?" Auggie asked with a questioning look on his face.

"What do you have?"

"Look over there Annie. You should be able to find something you like." He pointed to a cabinet in the right corner, next to his TV. It turned out to be filled with an impressive DVD collection.

Annie rummaged through it while Auggie collected some longnecks and placed them on the table. Annie handed him the DVD – Armageddon. Auggie took it and walked over to the entertainment center. While he loaded the DVD in Annie curled up on the sofa. Auggie took the seat beside her and did something Annie hadn't thought she'd see him doing so soon.

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Thanks guys for reading. A little cliffie!

What do you think will happen?

Please review!