Tommy waits for Ms. Doberman to arrive at the hospital inside Rachel's room. She had been out of surgery for about three hours now and he was anxious to check on Kim. Tommy stands up and walks to the door. I will call Ms. Doberman again and see what is holding her. He walks out the door and pulls his cell phone out of his pants pocket when he feels a tap on his shoulder. "Whoa," Tommy turns around to find Ms. Doberman looking at him.
"I did not mean to frighten you, Tommy," Ms. Doberman replies. "I was just going to see if you could stay a little longer; I fear that all this has put a strain on me," Ms. Doberman tells him look weary and afraid.
"Sure, just let me make a quick call," Tommy gives the woman a small smile.
Ms. Doberman glances at the phone in Tommy's hand. "Thank you; I just feel so tired and I would hate to need a room for myself in this hospital and take some of the focus off Rachel."
"No, problem," Tommy walks a little down the hallway to give Ms. Doberman some privacy with her daughter and have a little for himself. He presses the green button on his phone. "Yes, can I be connected to Kimberly Hart's room please?"
Kim stares at the phone as it rings. She is scared to answer the telephone fearing the caller will have bad news for her and she could not take it now. Kim reluctantly answers the phone. "Hello?"
"How are you," Tommy asks with concern in his voice.
"I am okay concerning I was not the one in the car accident." Kim breathes in heavily.
Tommy wishes he were there with Kim to comfort her. "I know Rachel getting hurt is bad but I don't want you beating yourself over it." "There is more to the story but I want to wait to tell you that in person." "Please Kim, do not make yourself upset…" Ms. Doberman rushing towards him interrupts Tommy.
"It is a miracle, come quickly Tommy." Ms. Doberman tells Tommy out of breathe.
"What, what is it?" Tommy questions her.
Ms. Doberman catches her breathe. "Rachel has woken up and I told her how you were the one waiting by her side the whole time."
"Rachel is awake?" Tommy repeated dumbfounded. "But when I left the room she was…"
"I know but now she is awake and I know she will want to see you," Ms. Doberman grabs Tommy's arm and begins to drag him back to Rachel's room.
Kim hears the news. She hangs up the phone. Kim is happy that Rachel is awake but has a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"In a second," Tommy glances down at his phone.
"No time for that right now," Ms. Doberman tells him.
Tommy allows her to lead him to the door and sees a doctor checking Rachel out. "Hey Rachel, enjoy your long nap," Tommy jokes as he walks into the room.
Rachel is looking through a small flashlight and blinks. "Ugh," she moans as at the flashlight.
"Sorry, just had to check something," the doctor tells her as he turns off the flashlight. "I will need to run some more tests but you seem to be doing well."
"Oh that is wondrous news," Ms. Doberman smiles at the doctor.
Rachel glances at her mother surprised to actually see Tommy standing there. "Tom…Tommy," she tells him in a raspy voice.
"You don't have to talk; I am not going anywhere," Tommy pats her on the hand.
A nurse walks in with a rolling bed. "Everything is set to go; Dr. Brown."
Dr. Brown turns to the nurse. "Thank you Brayden." He moves aside as another male nurse walks inside the room and helps move Rachel to the rolling bed. "The tests should take a couple of hours if either of you has anything to do."
"I just returned not too long ago," Ms. Doberman, tells him. "Tommy just told Rachel that he is not going anywhere so we will be here waiting."
Tommy looks at Ms. Doberman for a moment. "Yes we will be waiting."
Rachel glances at Tommy before she is rolled out the room.
"I have a few errands to run and if I would have known Rachel was going into surgery then I wouldn't have made that promise." Tommy runs a hand through his hair. "I will make it back in time before she is finished with her tests."
"No, Tommy, I really need you here," Ms. Doberman, tells him shakily. "I need someone to make sure my mind does not wonder to the what ifs."
Tommy breathes in. "I will not be gone too long."
"If I think I know what your errands are then I can say that she can wait while Rachel is still in the condition that she is in." Ms. Doberman frowns, "Any woman who would have a problem with you staying for a couple of hours is not better than my Rachel, Tommy."
"Kim would want me to not stay but I need to give her an update on what has been happening," Tommy tries to reason with Ms. Doberman. "She will tell me to leave soon after I tell her the news about Rachel's condition."
Ms. Doberman pales. "I really cannot be alone right now and I need someone that I know with me whether than a stranger." "I really need you now; Rachel really needs you now," Ms. Doberman pleads to him.
"Okay, I guess I would want to give Kim more news on Rachel's condition anyway." Tommy sits down in a chair next to Rachel's bed.
"Thank you," Ms. Doberman follows Tommy's lead and takes a seat. "This has really affected my health in the short of time since she has been hurt."
Tommy gives Ms. Doberman a small smile. "I am here and I know that her friends will be here for her as well." "Even though we are no longer together does not mean I will not help her."
"That helps my ailing heart feel a little better," Ms. Doberman places a hand over her heart.
"Glad I could help," Tommy sits back and waits for the tests to be run. Two hours in he thinks about how Rachel would have had no idea if he had left and spent some time with Kim. Although he knew, Kim would make him come back here after an hour or so. No, Oliver just think of all the time you will have with Kim since you have devoted so much time here already. He glances at Ms. Doberman who fell asleep watching a boring television program.
Rachel is wheeled into the room four hours later; looking defeated and upset.
"What is wrong," Tommy asks her as soon as she is back in her bed.
Dr. Brown glances at Tommy to Ms. Doberman. "You may want to wake her up."
"Sure," Tommy pats Ms. Doberman on the arm. "Ms. Doberman, Rachel is back from tests."
"Uh…" Ms. Doberman opens her eyes. "What is it is Rachel okay?"
Tommy glances at Rachel. "She seems to be just the way she was when she left."
Ms. Doberman sits up. "Rachel, what is wrong dear?"
"I messed up my legs and now I cannot walk possibly ever again," Rachel begins to cry.
"What that cannot be right," Ms. Doberman looks at the doctor.
Dr. Brown looks at Ms. Doberman. "Rachel has injured her spine causing her legs to not function properly." "She will need extensive physical therapy and a surgery that I can perform in three hours." "Rachel may can the use of legs or she may not."
Ms. Doberman collapses onto Tommy. "I don't think I can handle any more today."
"Don't worry I am here," Tommy helps Ms. Doberman stand upright.
"I don't have a home here and Rachel has a small apartment; how will she get around?" Ms. Doberman asks the doctor. "I live in a retirement home that is tiny; will she be staying at the hospital while the therapy is going on?"
Dr. Brown shakes his head no. "Rachel will be staying in the hospital for as long as she needs to." "The way her tests indicated she should be out the hospital in a month and someone will take her to therapy or allow a room in their house to be used as a therapy room."
"Tommy, what am I going to do," Ms. Doberman paled. "I don't have the room to help my own daughter; I feel like I am going to faint."
"A nurse can stay with Rachel while she recovers and take her to appointments," Tommy offered. "They have live in ones now."
Rachel frowns, "Yeah just great a nurse and me crammed into my small apartment and me in a wheelchair hitting all the small corners."
"I don't want some stranger taking care of my daughter without someone there to help supervisor," Ms. Doberman complained. "I just got off one of my medications now it seems I will have to start taking that pill again." "Tommy, I was told by Rachel that you have a nice home near the woods; would you mind taking Rachel in?"
"Take…taking Rachel in," Tommy asks. "I am sure there is a better solution to this than that."
Ms. Doberman shakes her head. "I could get out of early retirement and lose the nice home I have and move here and buy an apartment that I hope does not have too many steps and is not in a bad neighborhood." "I guess I can let my health go to save my daughter's life." "I can forget about all my health problems and be there for her."
Tommy knew she was guilt-riding him into taking care of Rachel but he felt so bad about why the accident happened in the first place and he was sure once he explained to Kim then she would be fine with it too. "I can make the room at my home and Rachel can stay with me until she is better." "I do have plenty of room and I can help find a nurse."
"Excellent," Ms. Doberman clasps her hands together. "Rachel can have her surgery and be on her way to recovery starting tonight." Rachel will win back Tommy's love in the process.