The following morning, Conner awoke to a sharp pain in his lower back. Groaning, he rolled slowly and opened his eyes. The first sight he saw was Kira looking at him with a small smile on her face.
"Hey," he groggily murmured.
"Hey," was her whispered reply, her thumb lightly rubbing the back of his hand. Conner scratched the side of his head with his free hand.
"How long have you been awake?" He asked. Kira gave a small one shouldered shrug.
"Twenty minutes, I think," she replied. Conner's brows furrowed.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked. Kira's smile grew in warmth at that.
"You looked so peaceful. I figured I'd just watch you sleep for a little while," she replied.
"Oh." He replied as he gave her a soft smile. "Did you enjoy the view?" He asked. Kira nodded.
"Oh yeah," she quietly giggled.
"Glad to hear it." Conner chuckled. He shifted closer to her bed and lightly kissed her lips. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Sore." Came her soft reply. Conner gave her a sympathetic look and lightly stroked her cheek.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Rockstar," he tenderly murmured. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked.
"I paged the doctor." Kira replied. "I think she had me on pain meds in that IV." She pointed up to the empty bag. "But it's empty... Guess that's why I woke up." Conner looked past Kira to the IV stand and saw she was right.
"Okay," he replied. "Hopefully she gets here soon," he murmured, not liking the thought of Kira being in any pain.
"I hope so too." She smiled. "As long as they don't make me tired."
"Well, as long as it makes you feel better, it doesn't matter if you sleep some more," Conner commented. "Besides, you've had a rough couple of days. Maybe more sleep isn't a bad thing," he commented. Kira sighed.
"But I like being awake with you more," she lightly argued. "I know you do Rockstar." He replied tenderly. Kira sighed again and frowned. "What is it?" Conner asked, wondering if her pain had increased while she had been waiting.
"I'm just thinking about what the doctor said about my recovery," she murmured. "Just realized that…that kind of means we can't have our weekend alone for a while."
"Well... We'll just have to make up for it when it does come along then." Conner replied gently. Kira smiled.
"I can't wait," she replied.
"Me either." He commented softly as the door to Kira's recovery room opened and Dr. Burak wandered in.
"Good morning Kira, Mr. McKnight," she smiled as she walked in. "How is everything?" She asked.
"I'm sore." Kira replied honestly. "Other then that, I feel alright."
"Her IV bag is empty," Conner commented. The doctor approached the IV stand.
"So it is," she commented with a nod. "I'll have a nurse bring in a new one," she said, looking over at Kira and Conner.
"What kind of pain medication was it?" Kira questioned.
"Well, this bag was a low dosage of morphine to help you so soon after the surgery," the doctor replied. "But I'd like to put you on a milder medication now."
"Such as?" Conner jumped in and questioned.
"Paracetamol," the doctor replied.
"Which is?" Kira questioned softly.
"Just another name for acetaminophen," the doctor stated. "It'd be the equivalent of giving you three pills of Tylenol," she explained.
"Oh okay." Conner nodded in understanding.
"I'll go put the order in at the nurses' station. It should be here in about ten minutes," she replied. "Is there anything else you need?" She asked Kira.
"Actually, another blanket would be nice." Kira replied softly. "It'd kinda cold in here." The doctor smiled and nodded.
"Alright, I'll have one brought one in for you," she replied. "I'll also see about having some breakfast brought in," she stated, glancing at her watch. "An empty stomach won't help your recovery," she stated.
"Thanks." Kira smiled. The doctor nodded and left the room.
"I could have given you my blanket." Conner murmured softly.
"But then you'd be cold," Kira replied.
"That'd be okay, as long as you were warm." Came his gentle reply.
"Okay, I'll remember that for next time," Kira joked. Conner opened his mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Kira called out. The door opened and a nurse carrying an extra blanket walked in, followed by an orderly carrying a tray of food.
"Guess it pays to be famous." Conner teased her lightly. Kira giggled and lightly smacked his hand.
"Here you go, Miss Ford," the nurse smiled as she laid the blanket out over her.
"Thanks," Kira replied. The nurse stepped back and moved Kira's moveable bed tray closer to Kira as the orderly moved over to the bed. He set the food down.
"Let us know if you need anything else," the orderly commented as he and the nurse left the room.
"Gonna share?" Conner questioned cheekily as he moved off his cot and sat on the edge of her bed. Kira smiled.
"Oh, I guess," she replied as she scooped up some eggs on her fork and held it up to his mouth. Conner slowly took the food off her fork and chewed it for a moment.
"Note to self, make sure that the hotel we get... Has great room service with good food." He chuckled as he swallowed the food. Kira grinned.
"That sounds nice," she commented as she scooped up some eggs for herself.
"It'll be better once we can actually go." Conner murmured softly as he kissed her cheek. "It'd be nice to spend the weekend away with you."
"Mm, my thoughts exactly," she murmured as she popped a piece of bacon into her mouth.
"Glad to see we're on the same page." He chuckled.
"Ugh, you two are sickening," groaned a voice from the other side of the room. Conner and Kira looked over to see Trent sitting up in his cot, groggily rubbing his eyes.
"Sorry Trent." Kira giggled. Trent shook his head and chuckled as he stood up to stretch.
"How are you feeling" He questioned around a loud yawn.
"Kind of sore," Kira replied. "Waiting on an IV refill."
"That sucks." He empathized. "I see Conner's eating your breakfast... Yet again."
"She's sharing," Conner joking replied in his own defense. There was a light knock on the door as a nurse came in with an IV bag.
"I'm here to refill you." He commented as he moved towards her IV stand.
"Thanks," Kira commented as she sipped her juice. The nurse set the new bag on the table by Kira's bed as he worked on unhooking the empty bag. Once it was off the stand, he tucked it under his arm and went about connecting the fresh bag. As he finished hooking up the new bag he stepped back and glanced at Kira.
"Anything else I can get for you?" He questioned with an almost too-friendly smile.
"No, I'm alright, thank you," Kira replied.
"Alright, if you change your mind just let me know."
"Will do," Conner sharply stated, not pleased by the nurse's high interest in Kira. The nurse shot a glance at Conner, before turning back to Kira and giving her another friendly smile before departing. "Jackass," Conner muttered under his breath after the nurse had left.
"Conner." Kira chided.
"What? The guy was flirting with you as if he didn't see me sitting here with you," Conner grumbled.
"Hey." She stated as she turned slightly and stroked his face. "It's okay." Conner sighed and leaned into her touch as she soothed him. Trent looked on at the couple's affection and felt a pang of hurt in his own heart as it made him think of his wife and how much he missed her. He let out a breath and smoothed his hair of all its bed-head.
"Hey, I'm going to go get myself some breakfast," he announced, figuring it was a good enough cover since he was pretty hungry, "either of you guys need something from the outside world?" He asked.
"I'd love a coffee." Conner replied as Kira shook her head 'no' in response. Trent nodded.
"Alright," he replied. "I'll be back in a bit," he smiled as he left the room. Kira's hand slowly slipped away from Conner's face and into her lap.
"Maybe we should tone it back on the affection." She murmured softly.
"Why?" Conner asked. Kira gave Conner a look.
"You're not very observant, are you?" She asked. She shook her head. "Trent's obviously having a hard time seeing us together. It makes him think about Kendra."
"Oh..." He commented as it dawned on him. "I hadn't thought of that," he murmured, feeling guilty. Kira sighed and leaned against his side.
"Don't feel bad," she murmured. "I didn't pick up on it at first either," she replied. She sighed. "I wish there was something we could do to help him," she replied. Conner was quiet a moment before an idea struck him.
"Maybe once we're all back at the house we can ask if Jiao will do what she did when….we had to contact Kimberly," Conner slowly replied, his heart clenching a moment as he brought up the subject of Tommy's death. He cleared his throat and continued. "You know, give Trent a chance to see and talk to Kendra and Elise," he replied. "I know it's not the same as actually being with them…but it's better than nothing." Kira nodded.
"That's a great idea, Conner," she replied.
"Yeah." He replied as he slipped his arms around her. Kira picked up a strip of bacon and held it up to Conner's mouth. Conner smiled and opened his mouth to let her slip the bacon in.
"Thanks." He smiled at her softly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes as he kissed her forehead.
"You okay?" Kira asked softly as she took a sip of her orange juice.
"Yeah," Conner lied, resting his chin on the top of her head. Setting her juice down, she squeezed his hand gently.
"If you want to talk about it..." She trailed off. Conner said nothing in response as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and let his lips linger there for a few moments. "Conner?" Kira asked, beginning to get a little worried.
"I'm okay." He murmured, his tone bordering on sad. "If you're okay with it, I think I'm gonna grab some air." Kira frowned. She didn't like the idea of being left alone, but she could tell Conner needed a moment.
"Okay," she said, unable to keep the small amount of disappointment out of her tone. Conner sighed, hating the displeased sound in her voice. He gently turned her head towards his and gave her a tender kiss.
"On my way back, I'll stop by your other room and bring your flowers up here," he offered, hoping that would be enough to give her at least a small smile.
"I'd like that." She replied, giving him a soft smile. Conner gave her a half smile, happy to see that her spirits were lifted, even just a little.
"Good," he replied. "I love you," he stated as he stood up from the bed.
"I love you too Conner." Kira commented. Conner leaned over the bed and gave her a loving kiss on her forehead before standing up straight and making his way towards the door.
"I'll be back soon," he promised.
"Okay." She replied softly as he moved from the room and the door swung shut. Kira sighed and leaned back against her pillows as she ate the rest of her breakfast. Trent returned about twenty minutes later, holding two cups of coffee.
"Hey." He commented as he walked back towards her bed.
"Hey," Kira replied, a little disappointed to see it wasn't Conner who had returned. Trent set one of the cups on the table by Kira's bed and kept the other for himself.
"Everything okay?" He asked. She shrugged slightly as she downed the rest of her juice.
"Conner went out for some air a while ago, was just hoping he'd gotten back," she murmured.
"Oh," Trent replied. "Do you want me to go look for him?" He offered. Kira shook her head.
"No, that's okay," she said, not wanting to send Trent away and be alone again. "He'll come back when he's ready."
"Guess you're right." He nodded, giving her a smile as he sat down. The two were quiet for a few moments as Trent sipped his coffee. Kira looked over at Trent and sighed.
"I'm sorry," she replied. Trent gave her a quizzical look.
"For what?" He replied. Kira sighed again.
"For…Conner and me shoving us in your face," she replied. "I….I didn't even think about how you must be missing Kendra and Elise," she said. Trent sighed and reached over, lightly patting her hand.
"Don't apologize, Kir," he told her. "Besides, a while building fell on you recently, I think you've had bigger things to worry about than me missing my wife and daughter," he smiled.
"Trent... You're one of my best friends." She paused as the realization hit her that besides Conner, he was her only best friend left. "A building falling on me isn't an excuse."
"Well, I'm telling you, you don't need to apologize," Trent lightly insisted. "Sure, its hard being away from them right now….but then I remember that they're somewhere safe, and that's the most important thing."
"Okay." She murmured softly after a few minutes. Kira was quiet for a moment as she considered telling him about Conner's idea. She finally decided to tell him. "Conner had an idea that you might like," she commented.
"Oh?" Trent asked. Kira nodded.
"He was thinking maybe we could have Jiao hack into NASADA communications and contact Aquitar again…you know, so you can talk to Kendra…" She replied. Trent's eyebrows rose as he stared at Kira blankly for a few moments.
"…You guys would do that for me?" He quietly asked.
"Of course." Kira replied. Trent sat back in his chair as the idea of seeing his wife, even just through a computer monitor, seeped into his consciousness. He took a deep breath to settle down his excitement.
"Thank you," he spoke after a moment.
"You're welcome." She smiled softly. They fell back info a comfortable silence, chatting occasionally for almost another hour before the door to Kira's room swung open again. Kira's eyes darted towards the door, hoping to see Conner walk in. Instead, she saw the nurse who had replaced her IV bag.
"Hi." He smiled as he moved towards Kira's bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Um, I'm alright," Kira replied, not understanding why the nurse was back, not to mention disappointed that Conner had yet to return.
"Oh? Just alright?" He sounded concerned. "Are you in pain?"
"No, the meds are working just fine, thank you," Kira replied. "I'm actually kind of tired," she lied, hoping that would be enough for the nurse to leave.
"That's to be expected." He commented as he checked her IV at an extremely slow pace.
"Yeah," Trent commented, getting that Kira wanted the nurse to leave. "Maybe you should take the tray of food away so she can get some sleep," he suggested.
"Oh I'm sorry." The nurse commented. "I guess you guys weren't told that visiting hours finished about twenty minutes ago."
"Dr. Burak told us we could stay as long as we wanted," Trent countered.
"Well that's funny." The nurse replied as he stepped away from Kira's bed. "Because Dr. Burak has no clout up here. She's a trauma doctor who belongs in the ER. The only reason why she was allowed in on the surgery, and has basically been allowed to go, do and obviously say whatever she wants, is because of who her patient is." He cast a glance at Kira. "No offence to you, but in the Recovery ward of this hospital, our team of doctors and nurses has spent years training to make sure that our patients can recovery quickly. And that means that strict rules have to be followed. This isn't the floor where rules are thrown out the window, or altered to suit each case."
"Dr. Burak assured me that she spoke to the staff and said it was okay," Kira insisted, not liking the nurse's tone or the fact that he was trying to kick Trent-and Conner, though he wasn't there at the moment-out. The nurse rolled his eyes.
"Like I said, Dr. Burak has no authority here," he stated in a clipped tone. Trent reached over and held Kira's hand to calm her down, noticing she was getting stressed.
"Fine then," he spoke to the nurse, forcing his tone to remain neutral and civil. "Would you please get whoever does have authority here so we can speak to him or her?" He asked.
"Gladly." The nurse replied snidely.
"Good," Trent replied. The nurse gave Trent a steely glare before leaving the room.
"God…Conner was right, that guy is a jackass," Kira murmured.
"Hey." Trent murmured catching her attention. "Just ignore him... He' obviously deranged." Kira sighed.
"I just hope he's not right. I don't want them to kick you guys out," she murmured.
"I doubt it'll happen." Trent replied, sounding confident. "Unless they plan on dragging Conner out of here kicking and screaming that is."
"He'd have to be here for that to happen," Kira muttered sadly.
"Did he give any inclination as to why he wanted air?" He questioned softly. Kira shook her head.
"No," she replied. She sighed and wearily rubbed her face. "I thought he'd just be gone for at most ten minutes…but it's been a half an hour already."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go look for him?" Trent asked. Kira shook her head.
"No, especially not with jackass nurse hanging around. If he's right…and I don't want you guys to get back here and not be allowed in," she said.
"If you change your mind..." Trent trailed off at he squeezed her hand softly.
"Thanks, Trent," Kira murmured.
"No thanks needed, Kir," Trent smiled. A few moments later there was a knock on the door before the nurse returned with a doctor.
"Hello, Miss Ford," the doctor spoke, "I'm Dr. Campbell, the head of the recovery ward. I understand you and your friend needed to see me?"
"Yes, we did." Trent commented as he stood up to shake the Doctor's hand. "I'm Trent Mercer."
"Pleasure to meet you," the doctor said as he shook Trent's hand. "Now then, what seems to be the problem?"
"Miss Ford's friend seems to think that just because of who she is, they have special privileges," the nurse spoke up, a slight sneer in his tone, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Dr. Campbell cast a glance at the nurse.
"Ah, I see," he replied. Trent glared at the nurse, fighting off the urge to just reach out and deck him. "And what special privileges would that be?" He asked.
"That they can completely circumvent the rules regarding visiting hours," the nurse supplied. The doctor nodded again before looking at Kira and Trent. "Well, Miss Ford, Mr. Mercer, I'm sorry to say that nurse Jenkins is right. A patient's fame or notoriety is not an exception to hospital rules," he said. The nurse smirked at Trent at that. Kira opened her mouth to object to this but the doctor held up a silencing hand. "However," he continued, looking back at the nurse. "Given that Miss Ford is one of the survivors of the mall explosion, and could therefore be dealing with a considerable amount of post-traumatic stress on top of recovery from her surgery, wouldn't you believe that it is our responsibility in the recovery unit to ensure our patient is kept in good spirits?" He asked.
"Of course." The nurse replied after a moment. "But isn't that what visiting hours would be for?" He stated. "If she's going to have a fast recovery then she needs to rest and recover."
"I was resting just fine with my friends here," Kira said, glaring at the nurse.
"Nurse Jenkins, I do appreciate your concern for our patient's well being. But I find it rather interesting that of all the staff in this ward, you seem to be the only one bothered by Miss Ford's extended visiting hours," he replied. The nurse simply shrugged.
"Guess I'm the only one who isn't more concerned with kissing the celebrity's ass," he replied.
"Nurse Jenkins," the doctor reprimanded. "Do we need to yet again go over what language is and isn't acceptable with our patients?" The nurse tightened his jaw at this.
"No, sir," he replied.
"Good," he said. "Now, as the head of this unit, I believe it is up to my discretion what privileges are allowed. And since I've decided to honor our patient's wishes, we will be dropping this matter. Is that understood?" He asked. The nurse narrowed his eyes and simply nodded.
"Yes, sir," he said.
"Good, you can go take care of the rest of your patients now," the doctor stated. "Oh, and since these privileges I'm allowing offend you so, perhaps it is best that you do not tend to Miss Ford anymore," though his words made it sound like a suggestion, his tone made it clear this was a strict order.
"Of course sir." He commented, his tone bordering on angry.
"Good," he replied. "On your way then," he said. The nurse rolled his eyes and left the room, slamming the door behind him as he departed.
"Sorry about that Ms. Ford." Dr. Campbell commented.
"Its okay," Kira replied. "And thank you," she said. Dr. Campbell nodded and smiled.
"You're welcome," he said. "I will have a new nurse assigned to your room shortly. If there are any other problems, please do not hesitate to have me paged," he stated.
"We will." Trent assured the doctor. The doctor gave them both a parting nod before leaving the room.
"Thank god." Kira commented as she sank back into her pillows. Trent sat back down next to Kira and patted her hand.
"How's the pain now?" He questioned after a few minutes.
"Better," Kira replied.
"That's good." Trent smiled. Kira nodded. She sighed and pulled her covers up to her chin. "Tired?" He asked.
"A little, yeah," she replied.
"Why don't you try and get some sleep, and I'll see if I can find Conner?" He offered.
"Okay," Kira yawned. Standing, Trent leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Sleep well."
"Mmhm," Kira murmured as her eyes drifted shut. Smiling softly, Trent quietly let himself out of her private room. Trent walked down the hall and towards the elevators, figuring he could start at where Conner had gone too last time—the maternity ward. His search of the floor proved to be pointless, as his friend was nowhere in sight. Frowning slightly, he began to think of where Conner could and would have disappeared off to. Trent moved back to the elevators and decided to check Kira's old room. Once again, he was met with disappointment. Sighing, he leaned against the wall in Kira's old room for a moment before an idea struck him. He moved back towards the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. As the doors opened on the ground floor, Trent exited the elevator and moved towards the outside doors, following the signs for the courtyard. He walked out into the courtyard and looked around. The area was filled with some hospital patients in wheelchairs having been taken out for some air by orderlies or family members, and a few staff eating their lunch at the picnic tables scattered about. Trent was just about to give up when he caught sight of Conner at the edge of the courtyard, staring out onto the duck pond that stretched out beyond the hospital's grounds. He walk over to where Conner was didn't take long, and Trent came to a stop next to his friend.
"Hey," Trent spoke.
"Hey." Conner replied quietly.
"What's up?" Trent asked.
"Same ole..." He trailed off. "I'm assuming Kira's looking for me if you're out here."
"She's sleeping now," Trent replied, "but she was pretty down that you hadn't come back yet."
"I just needed some air." Conner murmured in reply.
"For a whole hour?" Trent skeptically asked. Conner just shrugged as he slowly turned to face Trent.
"When you were gone... I had the idea that maybe we could get Jiao to work her computer magic to get you in contact with Kendra..." He trailed off. Trent nodded.
"Kira told me," he replied. "Thanks. Now, don't change the subject. Why are you really out here?" He probed.
"When I mentioned it, I stupidly thought back to the last time we had to get in contact with them..." Conner sighed as he ran his hands over his face. Trent sighed as he realized what Conner meant.
"Tommy…" He acknowledged.
"Yeah." He mumbled before sighing. "And then I just started thinking about Ethan…and everyone else we've lost these past few months." Trent placed his hand on Conner's shoulder in a comforting manner and squeezed lightly. "I keep thinking….all that time I spent hiding and dealing with all this on my own. And I wonder…do you think any of this could've been avoided if I didn't try to deal with this alone for so long?" Conner went on to say.
"Hey." Trent stated, drawing his friend's attention to him. "We don't know what would have happened... You don't need to beat yourself up over this." Conner simply sighed and continued to look out onto the pond.
"I... I just feel so guilty." Conner commented sadly.
"None of this is your fault," Trent insisted.
"It feels like it." Conner replied as he turned to glance at his friend, his eyes burning with tears. "I'm the one who sought this damned psycho out when I was in Boston and he's been following me ever since."
"Wait... What do you mean you sought it out?" Trent questioned, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I thought he was following you." Conner sighed as he scuffed his shoe against the dirt.
"There was a lot of weird stuff going down when I was in my final year, stuff that just didn't sit right with me as a former ranger… So I decided to investigate and poke around where I didn't really belong." He stated. "I kept getting these phone calls after I started probing around the city for clues, but the person always hung up… Until one night." Conner took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from rushing through the story that he had only told Ethan about. "The night before my last final, I woke up in the middle of the night because it sounded like there was someone in my apartment… Turns out this psycho had broken in." He paused for another moment. "He attacked me and I managed to fight him off long enough to get the hell out of my apartment and take off for a while… I stayed with a friend who lived far enough out of town that I knew this weirdo wouldn't follow me." Slowly, Conner crossed his arms over his chest. "I came back a few days later and my apartment was trashed… I packed up what I was able to salvage and got the hell out." He closed his eyes and sighed sadly. "It was too late… Apparently, the fact that I fought back provoked this bastard and gave him some sort of tip off that I was a former ranger." Trent stared at Conner with wide eyes. "I brought this on all of us," Conner murmured brokenly. "It's my fault Ethan, Emily, Ryan, Tommy, The Parks, Justin….all of them; their deaths are on my hands."
"No they're not," Trent spoke, gripping Conner's shoulder. "You had no way of knowing this would happen. You were doing that you felt was right, as a former ranger. I honestly can't say any one of us rangers, former or current, wouldn't' have done the same thing."
"I guess." Conner shrugged in response. "Doesn't really help with the guilt though."
"You did the right thing," Trent insisted. "And, honestly, we don't know that all this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't investigated, or 'provoked' this guy as you say you did. This guy and whoever his master is….they wanted anyone who could stop them out of the picture. And that was anyone connected to the morphing grid. Former rangers. Even if you had stayed out of things and remained blissfully unaware of everything, people still would've died. It's only because of you and Ethan preparing….getting ready, that we were able to move quickly and get everyone else out of harms way. And more importantly, it's only because of you that we have the means to fight this evil now."
"You're right." Conner nodded solemnly.
"Of course I'm right," Trent smiled, hoping to lift his friend's spirits.
"Smartass." Conner chuckled. Trent chuckled.
"Will you come back up to Kira's room now? I think she'd be a lot happier to see you there when she wakes up," Trent commented.
"Yeah." He nodded after a moment. "Can you do me a favor though?" He questioned.
"Sure, what?" Trent asked.
"Don't tell Kira about the Boston thing." Conner stated. Trent took a deep breath and nodded.
"Absolutely, man," he promised. "It stays between us."
"Thanks Trent." Conner breathed out. "It's not that I like keeping it a secret from her..."
"It's okay," Trent said with an understanding nod. "You'll tell her if and when you're ready."
"Thanks man." Conner smiled. Trent shrugged.
"Hey, its what I'm here for," he smiled.
"True." Conner chuckled. "Come on, let's go." Trent nodded and the two made their way back into the hospital. It didn't take long for them to wander back up to the recovery ward and back into Kira's room. Conner resumed his previous spot at Kira's bedside and sat on the edge of his cot.
"Your coffee's probably cold by now," Trent commented. "I can run down and get you another, if you want," he offered.
"Would you?" Conner asked. Trent nodded.
"Sure," he replied. "I'll be right back," he said before leaving the room. Slowly, Conner rested his forehead on Kira's bed as he slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it softly.
"Conner?" He heard Kira groggily murmur. Conner lifted his head to see her turning her head towards him, her eyes still closed as she was half asleep.
"I'm here," he lovingly murmured, lightly kissing her hand.
"Where were you?" She questioned sleepily.
"In the courtyard," he honestly replied. "I just needed to clear my head for a while."
"I missed you," she murmured. Conner lightly squeezed her hand and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"I'm sorry," he replied.
"Are you okay now?" Kira asked as she slowly opened her eyes.
"I think so, a little at least," he honestly stated. He placed his free hand on her forehead and gently ran his thumb along her skin. "Go back to sleep," he encouraged.
"But you're here now... I wanna spend time with you." She commented around a loud yawn.
"I'm not going anywhere," Conner smiled. "You need your sleep, to recuperate."
"Okay." She murmured before drifting back to sleep. Conner leaned over her and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. Trent returned a few moments later with two coffees.
"Hey." He commented.
"Hey," Conner replied. Trent walked over and handed him one of the cups of coffee before moving over to the other side of Kira's bed and sitting down on his cot.
"How's she doing?" He asked as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Okay, I think," Conner replied. "She woke up for a bit after you left, but I managed to convince her to get some more sleep."
"Probably a good idea." Trent agreed. Conner nodded and took a sip of his coffee. The two rangers sat in silence, trading comments and light conversation over the next three hours before the door to Kira's recovery room opened. Both men looked up to see Dr. Burak enter the room.
"Hi." She smiled as she moved towards Kira's bed. Conner and Trent each gave her a nod in greeting. "We're getting ready to move her back to her old room," Dr. Burak commented as she picked up Kira's chart and glanced at it.
"Should we wake her up?" Conner questioned. Dr. Burak considered that for a moment before nodding.
"I guess it couldn't hurt. We wouldn't want her to have a scare when she wakes up and is surprised to she she's 'magically' changed rooms," she kidded.
"Good idea." Conner chuckled. Dr. Burak smiled and nodded.
"I'll be back with her transport in about twenty minutes," she said before setting Kira's chart down and leaving the room.
"Thanks." Trent smiled. Conner shifted closer to Kira's bed and lightly stroked Kira's forehead.
"Kira?" He spoke, "It's time to wake up, Rockstar."
"Hmm?" She murmured sleepily.
"They're getting ready to move you back to your old room," Conner replied. "Its time to rise and shine," he smiled.
"Sleepy." Kira replied.
"You can go back to sleep when we get to the other room," Conner stated.
"Mmmkay." She sighed as she slowly opened her eyes. Conner smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Hey there," he tenderly spoke.
"Hi." Came her groggy response. "What time is it?"
"Around 2," Conner replied. "Why, got a hot date to get to?" He teased.
"Maybe." She giggled. "Know anyone who's looking?"
"Gosh, no I don't think so," Conner replied.
"Sad." Kira laughed as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Kira sighed and sleepily rubbed her eyes.
"Hey." Trent smiled. "How do you feel now?"
"Better," Kira replied.
"That's good to hear." Conner smiled. "Less pain?" Kira nodded.
"Yeah," she replied. "Now just mostly feeling tired," she replied.
"I blame the pain meds." Kira commented as she stretched. Conner reached behind her and lightly rubbed her back.
"Hey, that just means they're working," he commented.
"I know." She nodded. "I just hate feeling groggy."
"But at least you don't feel sore," Trent smiled, trying to put it all in perspective.
"Good point," Kira chuckled. There was a knock on the door before Dr. Burak moved back into the room.
"Hello Kira," the doctor smiled as she walked in with a nurse. "We're going to disconnect the heart monitor and IV to move you," she replied. Conner caught the hint and moved off the cot to give the doctor and nurse room to work.
"Are we done with them?" Kira asked, her tone bordering on excitement.
"With the oxygen and the heart monitor, yes," the doctor replied as she pulled the oxygen tubing off of Kira. "But we're going to re-hook the IV downstairs," she replied.
"More pain meds?" She asked, her excitement gone.
"Just for a little while longer," Dr. Burak replied. "We don't want you in any pain."
"You're right." Kira nodded after a moment. The doctor and the nurse finished disconnecting the equipment as a couple of orderlies entered the room.
"The two of you can head down to the room now, if you'd like," Dr. Burak commented as the orderlies prepared to move Kira.
"Sure." Trent replied as he stood and Conner did the same. "We'll see you guys in a bit then."
"See ya," Kira commented. She laid down and held her teddy bear as the orderlies raised the sidebars on her bed.
"Cute bear." The younger female nurse smiled as Trent reached around and grabbed the flowers that Conner had brought up.
"Thanks," Kira smiled, sending Conner a wink before he left. The ride down for all parties was quiet, but quick. Pretty soon the orderlies were moving the bed into Kira's former room. Once her bed was in place, a nurse came in and hooked up the IV.
"I'll be back around dinner time to see how you're doing." Dr. Burak commented as she made some notes on Kira's file. "As long as we don't have any complications, I'm thinking you might be able to be discharged tonight."
"Really?" Kira asked, her tone excited again. Dr. Burak nodded.
"I don't see why not, as long as you're careful and adhere to what is most conducive to your recovery," she replied.
"That sounds suspiciously like bed rest," Kira commented. Dr. Burak chuckled and nodded.
"Only for a few days, while your body goes through the initial stages of recovery and you get your strength back. And after that, as long as you're careful, I don't see why you can't move around as much as you like." Kira's lips broke into a large smile.
"That's awesome." She giggled happily. Dr. Burak smiled before saying a quick goodbye and leaving the room.
"I get to go home." Kira commented excitedly, the smile still plastered across her face. A few moments later Trent and Conner walked into the room to find her smile still there.
"Someone's happy," Trent commented as he set the flowers down by her bed.
"Yes I am." She giggled happily.
"Any particular reason?" Conner asked as he sat down by her bed.
"Dr. Burak said that if everything checks out around dinner, she'll release me." Kira replied happily. Conner smiled.
"Well, that's certainly good news," Conner commented.
"Very good news!" Came her excited remark. Conner chuckled and lightly kissed her cheek. "I can't wait to get the hell out of this place and never come back." She smiled. Conner laughed.
"Honey, it's a hospital. There might be a chance that some day you'll have to be back," he teased, his mind wandering to a possible future for them that could lead them to the maternity ward.
"Not anytime soon though I hope." She replied with a shudder. Conner simply rubbed her back and kissed her cheek again. The trio chatted idly for the next few hours, at times, sharing memories from years gone by, and at others, discussing strategy for attack and protection, should the green ranger reappear. Kira drifted in and out of sleep during the conversations, which allowed Conner and Trent to discuss how they would work around her recovery should the green ranger force them out of their hiding.
"You know Kira's not going to be down with having to sit out if we have to go fight this guy," Trent commented in a low tone, making sure not to wake Kira. "I mean it'll be like Jiao's this while time since the green ranger attacked her and we've had her in the basement working on the computer….times like, a hundred." Conner sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, I mean at least with Jiao, there was some type of work to distract her with," Conner muttered his agreement.
"Maybe Kira can be our eye in the sky." Trent shrugged. "She's good with a computer and I'm sure Jiao would probably teach her a few things..."
"I guess it couldn't hurt," Conner replied. "Kira might still not like sitting on the sidelines, but I'm sure she'll be glad to at least still be able to help."
"It's better than nothing." His friend nodded. "And while we're getting all that figured out, we need to make sure that the house is fully secure..." Trent trailed off. Conner nodded.
"Absolutely. That's priority number one. The last thing we need is to worry that when we're out there fighting those things in white, greenie manages to get into the house and catch Kira on her own," Conner urgently muttered.
"God knows that's the last thing we need." Trent agreed. Conner sighed and lightly ran the back of his fingers along Kira's cheek as she peacefully slept.
"I don't know what I'd do if anything worse happened to her," Conner murmured, half to himself.
"You can't think like that Conner." Trent reasoned. "Firstly, you'll drive yourself mad with what-if scenarios, and secondly you'll always worry and second-guess each decision you make that could have an impact on her." Conner sighed and looked at Trent.
"I can't help it," he replied. "I love her." Trent nodded.
"I understand that," Trent said, "Believe me, I do. But, and I say this as a guy who feels the same way you do, not just towards his wife but also towards his child, you can't do that to yourself. Or to her."
"You're right." He agreed after a moment. They slipped back into a comfortable silence for a brief time before they began to discuss more trivial matters, getting away from the heavy conversation they had previously. "So, I'm thinking maybe once we get Kira out of here, we can pick up some chow on the way back to the house," Conner commented. Trent nodded.
"Sounds good to me," he replied. "We could hit up the diner that's on the way home, pick up some to-go burgers or something," Trent suggested.
"Sounds delicious." Kira murmured as she slowly opened her eyes. Conner chuckled, he and Trent both surprised to hear her awake.
"Hey there, sleeping beauty," Conner smiled.
"Hey." She commented tiredly around a yawn. Carefully, she snuggled herself closer to Conner. Conner kissed the side of her head and wrapped his arms around her.
"Did you have a good sleep?" He asked.
"Mmmhmm." She replied as she reached down and pulled the blankets up closer. "Till I got cold."
"Aw," Conner sympathetically murmured. "Do you want us to have a nurse bring in another blanket?" He asked. Kira shook her head.
"Nah, you can keep me warm," she replied. Conner grinned and held her closer to him.
"I guess I could do that," he commented.
"Good." She smiled. "So, did I miss anything important while I was asleep?" She curiously questioned.
"Nope." Trent replied as he shook his head.
"Oh, okay," Kira replied. The group returned to talking idly amongst themselves for nearly an hour before there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Kira called out. The door opened to reveal Dr. Burak.
"Hello, Kira," she smiled as she walked into the room. "How are you doing?" She asked.
"Good." She smiled.
"Well that's good to hear," Dr. Burak replied. She moved closer to Kira's bed and picked up her chart. "I just want to run a few checks, if you don't mind, and we can then see if we can finally get rid of you," she kidded.
"Checks?" Kira carefully asked. Dr. Burak waved a dismissive hand.
"Nothing big or too time consuming. I just want to check your blood pressure, and check on your incision site, just to make sure there isn't any redness or any other cause to worry about infection," she assured her.
"Oh okay." Kira nodded. "Easy stuff."
"Exactly," Dr. Burak smiled. She gave Conner a look implying she needed him to move. Conner wordlessly nodded and gave Kira a quick kiss on the top of her head before he moved off of the bed and stepped side to give the doctor room to work. She pulled back the covers on Kira's bed and slowly raised the dress to check the incision site. Trent quietly excused himself from the room to give Kira some privacy while the doctor checked her out. "Well, there's no redness, which is good." Dr. Burak commented as she lightly touched Kira's stomach. Kira winced slightly, her muscles feeling a little tender. "Sorry," Dr. Burak apologized, catching a glimpse of Kira's look. "That tenderness should go away in a couple of days," she stated. After a few moments she brought Kira's gown back down and stood up to pull the pressure meter closer to the bed. She wrapped it around Kira's arm and began to pump. "I'm going to be prescribing an antibiotic and some pain medication for you," Dr. Burak commented as she watched the pressure gage. "The antibiotic's just one a day for a week. And the pain medication is just for if you're feeling a large amount of pain during your recovery, though I wouldn't take more than three a day," she stated.
"What are the side effects of this pain medication?" Kira questioned.
"As long as you follow the dosage on the bottle, the side effects should be about the same as you've been feeling on the Paracetamol," Dr. Burak replied as she slowly allowed the cuff on Kira's arm to release.
"So just some tiredness then?" Kira questioned. Dr. Burak nodded.
"Pretty much," she replied as she took the cuff off of Kira and marked her blood pressure in Kira's chart. "You don't need to take it every day, like the antibiotic. Just save it for if and when you feel like you really need it. As for regular mild to moderate pain, I'd say you'd be alright with any over the counter pain reliever."
"We've got plenty of that kicking around." Conner chuckled.
"Alright then," Dr. Burak smiled. "Well, Kira, everything is looking just as good as it should be, meaning you will be free to go."
"Thank god," Kira sighed. "No offense, but it'd be nice not to be stuck here another night." Dr. Burak chuckled and nodded.
"No offense taken," she replied. "Well, I'm going to go have your discharge papers drawn up. I'll be back with them, as well as your prescriptions, in about twenty minutes."
"Thanks so much." Conner chimed in, sticking his hand out to the doctor. Dr. Burak nodded and shook his hand.
"You're welcome," she replied. Giving them both one last smile, she excused herself from the room. A moment later Trent walked back in.
"All good?" He asked.
"Yup," Kira smiled.
"Excellent," Trent chuckled.
"Do you want to get dressed?" Conner questioned. "That way we're all ready to go when she comes back with your papers." Kira nodded.
"Sounds good to me," she replied.
"Well then, I guess that's my cue to leave again," Trent joked. "I'll run on down and get the car ready," he said.
"Thanks, Trent," Kira smiled. Trent nodded as he moved over to pick up Kira's flowers.
"Not a problem. Might as well take these down with me," he replied before leaving the room. Conner gathered Kira's discarded clothes from where they had been left on the window sill and brought them to Kira's bed.
"Would you mind helping me?" Kira asked as she carefully sat up. Conner smiled.
"I think I can mange that," he replied.
"You sound just a little too excited about that." She teased.
"Do I?" Conner innocently replied. "Can't imagine why that would be," he teased.
"Perv." She accused, her tone bordering on aumsement. Conner chuckled and gently cupped her face in his hands.
"I can't help it if the love of my life has an absolutely gorgeous body, nor can I help it if getting to see that body is a good thing in my book," he teased as he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Kira smiled as he kissed her.
"You suck." She commented after a moment, thinking harder about his comment. "Makes me wish that I was 100% now so that you could tell me a little more about this gorgeous body." Conner chuckled and lightly kissed the tip of her nose.
"Well, that just means that when you are 100%, what comes after that will be even better," he replied.
"I sure hope so." Kira giggled. Conner grinned and gave her one more kiss before pulling his hands off of her face.
"Alright then, let's get you changed so I can take you home," he lovingly commented.
"That sounds like a good idea." She commented softly as a blush spread across her cheeks. Conner chuckled and gently grabbed the hem of her hospital gown to help her pull it off. He placed it at the end of the bed, while Kira quickly secured her bra and waited for him to help with her shirt. Conner picked her shirt up and held it in bunched up in front of her to allow Kira to put her arms through the sleeves. Once her arms were in, Conner helped her put the shirt on over her head. Kira smoothed the shirt down while Conner picked up her panties. He bent down and slipped it over her feet and ankles before pulling it up to just under her knees.
"Can you stand on your own, or do you need to lean on me?" He asked.
"I'll try." She offered as she slowly pushed herself to the edge of the bed. As she bent forward to stand, she hissed in pain.
"Okay, that's not a good sound," Conner commented, afraid she was putting too much pressure on her recovering muscles.
"No... No it wasn't." She agreed as her put her hand to her stomach. "It was painful." Conner gently settled her back onto the bed and picked up her jeans.
"Alright, might as well do your pants at the same time and kill two birds with one stone, or lift, to be more accurate," he commented with a warm smile.
"Okay," Kira replied. Conner bunched the pants up and slipped them over her feet and ankles as he had done with her underwear. Once he had the jeans up to where he had left her panties, he hooked his thumbs over the undergarment to hold onto it along with her jeans.
"Okay, put your arms around my neck," he instructed.
"Alright." Kira obliged as her arms slipped around his neck. Once Conner was sure Kira had a good hold on him, he moved to stand up straight, slightly lifting Kira up off the bed. He felt a slight strain on his neck due to it being the only thing holding Kira's weight up but he didn't care. Once Kira was up off the bed enough, Conner pulled her pants and underwear up the rest of the way and bent down to set her back on the mattress. Kira groaned as he set her back down, her barely used muscles aching in protest.
"Are you okay?" Conner worriedly asked, afraid he had hurt her.
"Yeah, I'm good." She nodded. "Apparently it's been a while since my muscles have been used."
"Oh," Conner replied, a little relieved she wasn't in a serious amount of pain. "Lie back," he gently instructed. Kira leaned back in her bed, resting her head against her pillow as she watched Conner gently adjust the waist of her pants before zipping up the fly and buttoning them close. Kira sighed.
"I'm going to try my hardest to get used to this," she commented.
"Used to what?" Conner asked as he helped her sit up.
"This," she stated, "the whole needing to mostly rely on you to get dressed." She sighed again. "I'm going to try and ignore the part of me that feels like some helpless baby….and just say….its romantic or something like that."
"Well, it is romantic." He grinned cheekily as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Kira let out one more small sigh and leaned against him.
"I'm going to keep telling myself that," she replied. Conner wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"It's just for a little while," he assured her.
"I know." Came her reply.
"Before you know it, everything will be fine and the only involvement I will have with your clothes is when I'm taking them off of you," he grinned. Kira groaned.
"Tease," she replied.
"Yet you love me." He chuckled.
"Unfortunately," she teased, lifting her head up to kiss the side of his mouth. Conner chuckled and tilted his head down to kiss her fully on the lips. Halfway through the kiss there was a knock on the door. Conner broke the kiss as the door opened and Dr. Burak walked back in. She smiled at the couple as she approached the bed, a small stack of papers and two prescription slips in her hands.
"So it looks like we're all set and ready to go." She commented as she handed Conner the two prescription slips. "You can have those filled at the pharmacy downstairs on your way out. I called and gave them a heads up, so there shouldn't be much of a wait."
"Thank you," Conner replied as he put the slips in his pocket.
"Anytime." Dr. Burak smiled. "Although to be honest, I really hope I don't have to see you back in here anytime soon Kira."
"The feeling's mutual, doctor," Kira replied with a nod.
"Glad to hear it." The older woman laughed. "Now, I just need you to sign some papers," she commented as she handed Kira some forms and a pen.
"I think I can do that." Kira replied as she began to sign and date the forms. Within a few minutes Kira had gone through all the forms and handed them back to Dr. Burak.
"Great, I'll have an orderly bring a wheelchair in here," Dr. Burak commented as she gathered the papers and made her way towards the door.
"Thanks." Conner called as she exited the room. He gave Kira a smile as they waited.
"We're almost out of here," he teased. Kira giggled.
"I know," she replied.
"I can't wait to get you home." He murmured softly. Kira sighed contently and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh yeah?" She murmured in reply.
"Well, it's where you belong." Conner smiled as he rubbed her back. Kira smiled widely at that.
"Is it?" She teased.
"Uh huh." He replied.
"And once you get me back home, where I belong, what do you plan on doing?" Kira teased.
"Besides treating you like a goddess?" Conner grinned.
"Ooh, I like the sound of that," Kira replied.
"Good." He chuckled. "You should." Conner kissed the side of her forehead and continued to rub her back. "So, once we get downstairs, I'm thinking I'll get you in the car and you and Trent wait for a bit while I come back in here and get your prescriptions filled. Sound okay?" He asked.
"I guess that works," Kira replied.
"You don't sound too thrilled about that." Conner commented. Kira shrugged.
"What's wrong?" He questioned. Kira shook her head.
"Nothing really," she replied. She shrugged again. "I guess I'm just starting to feel the fact that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and its making me a little moody or whatever," she chuckled in reply.
"Well, we'll get you a huge meal when we stop then, sound good?" He questioned. "Don't need my gorgeous Rockstar going hungry." Kira smiled.
"Sounds good to me," she replied. A moment later there was a knock on the door before an orderly walked in pushing a wheelchair. Carefully, Conner removed his arms from around Kira as he, and the orderly helped her off the bed and into the chair. Once Kira was in the chair, Conner picked up Kira's teddy bear from the bed and handed to her before the orderly wheeled her out of the room. The ride down to the main floor of the hospital was fairly quiet. Soon the orderly wheeled Kira out of the door, where Trent was waiting with the car at the curb. As he saw them approach, Trent climbed out of the car and moved around to the passenger side door and opened it. Conner had the orderly move the chair as close to the car as it would go before picking Kira up and gently easing her into the passenger seat, Kira let out a soft sigh as he gently placed her on the seat.
"Be back soon." Conner promised softly.
"Okay," Kira replied. Standing and closing her door. Conner explained his plan to Trent.
"I'm just going to run back inside and get Kira's prescriptions filled," he commented. Trent nodded as he moved over to the driver's side door.
"Alright, man, we'll be here," he replied as he climbed back into the car.
"Be back in a bit." Conner commented before heading into the hospital again. Kira watched him leave before leaning back in her seat and slowly buckling her seat belt.
"Still sore?" Trent asked as he rebuckled his seatbelt.
"A little, yeah," Kira replied.
"Well, once we get food and get home you'll be able to rest and relax." He replied.
"Sounds good to me," Kira nodded. They waited nearly fifteen minutes before Conner walked back out of the hospital, a white paper bag in hand. He walked over to the car and climbed into the backseat.
"All good?" Trent asked as he prepared to pull away from the hospital.
"Yup, we're all set." He nodded as he tossed the bag beside him and buckled up.
"Cool," Trent replied before driving out of the parking lot and making his way towards the diner.
"Do you know what you guys want?" He questioned as they rolled into the parking lot of the diner.
"I'm good with whatever." Kira mumbled as she shifted in her seat and groaned softly. "Maybe burgers and fries?" Trent nodded.
"How about you, Con?" He asked his friend.
"I could go for a Philly cheese stake and fries," Conner replied. Trent nodded again.
"Well, why don't you guys wait here," Trent comment as he pulled into an empty parking spot, "and I'll run in and get the grub since I'm still thinking what I want," he chuckled. Conner nodded.
"Thanks, man," he replied.
"Anytime." Trent commented with a wave of his hand. He shut the engine off and climbed out of the car before jogging towards the diner. Kira let out a soft noise that was part groan and part sigh. Conner leaned forward in his seat and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you want one of your pain pills?" He asked.
"Yeah, that'd be good." She murmured as she closed her eyes.
"Okay," he replied. She heard the bag crinkling behind her for a few moments as he dug through it for the right pill bottle. After a few moments, Kira saw Conner lean forward and bring both hands by her. One hand held a pill, while the other had a bottle of water. "I grabbed this from one of the vending machines on the way out," he commented, "just in case you got thirsty or wanted to take one of your pills on the way home." Kira smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness.
"Thanks, Conner," she murmured as she took the pill from his hand and popped it in her mouth before taking the bottle of water. She twisted the lid off and took a large sip of water before recapping it. She rested her head against her seat and sighed. She felt Conner lightly stroke her cheek.
"That should kick in soon," Conner commented, hoping her pain would cease before long.
"I hope so." Kira murmured in reply. Conner continued to stroke her cheek. "I just hope I can eat before I get too tired," she replied.
"Well, if you get tired halfway though it, we'll just put the left over away and you can finish it when you wake up," Conner smiled.
"Ah yes, Conner McKnight... The eternal food optimist." Kira chuckled for a moment before she winced. "Ow... Apparently that hurts a little." Conner gave her a sympathetic frown and kissed the side of her neck.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have made you laugh."
"Don't be sorry." Came her reply as she tilted her head and glanced at him. Conner gave her a playful shrug.
"Can't help it," he smiled. Kira gave him a soft smile.
"I love you," she murmured.
"Love you too." Conner replied softly. He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. He pulled away slowly after a moment and stroked her cheek gently again. A few moments later they saw Trent heading back towards the car with a large brown bag. He opened the backdoor and set the bag down on the floor before shutting it and climbing into the front.
"That was an expensive trip." He chuckled.
"It's worth it though," Conner commented with a chuckle. "I'd come here with Ethan, Emily and Ryan at least once a week. The food's awesome."
"I'll take your word for it." Trent chuckled as he put the car into drive and pulled away. The rest of the ride home was pretty quiet as Trent focused on the road, Kira tried to ignore the smell of the food making her even hungrier as well as waiting for her pain pill to kick in, and Conner sat right behind her gently stroking the side of her face as he hoped she'd start feeling better soon. Trent carefully rolled the car to a stop in the driveway before turning it off. "I'll get the food," Trent offered, knowing Conner wanted to be in charge of helping Kira out of the car.
"Thanks man." Conner smiled as he climbed out and moved to the passenger side door. Kira unbuckled her seat belt as Conner opened her door. Carefully, he slipped one arm under her knees and the other wrapped securely around her shoulders as he effortlessly lifted her up and then carefully out of the car. Kira clutched her bear to her stomach with one arm, careful not to drop it, while the other went around his neck.
"You're really fond of that bear." Conner murmured softly as he walked up the driveway carefully. Kira smiled and laid her head in the crook of his neck.
"It's cute, plus I'm pretty fond of the guy who gave it to me," she murmured against his skin.
"From what I hear, he's a pretty awesome guy." Conner chuckled. Kira giggled.
"He's alright," she teased as Conner stepped onto the porch.
"Just alright?" He replied, sounding slightly miffed. Kira giggled again and lightly kissed his neck.
"Okay, he's pretty fantastic," she playfully relented.
"Glad to hear it." Conner grinned as he moved into the house. "Do you want to eat down here, or up in bed?" He asked as he carefully kicked the front door closed once they were inside.
"Down here." Kira commented. "I figure once I eat, I can always stretch along the couch if we started a movie or something."
"Okay," Conner replied as he carried her towards the living room. Bending slightly at the knees, he lowered her gently to the couch. Once she was on the couch, Conner gave her a light kiss on the lips before standing up. "I'm going to run back to the car to get your flowers and your meds," he stated.
"Okay," Kira said as she reclined against the couch's armrest. "Hurry back," she softly requested.
"Will do." He flashed her a soft smile before heading back out the door. A moment after Conner left, Trent walked into the kitchen with Kira's food on a plate.
"Here you go," he commented as he set the plate on the end table right beside her so she wouldn't have to reach too far for her food.
"Thanks Trent." She smiled as he moved to the chair beside her and flicked on the television. He gave her a casual grin and waved his hand at her as he flicked over to the movie channels and waited for Conner to return. Conner walked back into the house with the flower vase in his hands and the white paper bag tucked under his arm.
"Any good movies on?" He asked as he kicked off his shoes and set the vase down on the end table beside the couch.
"Lord of the Rings." Trent shrugged as he tucked into his food. Conner grabbed his food from the kitchen and moved back into the living room. He took a seat next to Kira on the couch. Carefully, Kira adjusted herself so that her legs were straightened out and she was leaning against Conner. Conner smiled and lightly kissed her forehead before beginning to eat his meal. Reaching over slightly, Kira grabbed her plate and slowly began to eat her meal as well. The three friends quietly enjoyed their food as they watched the movie on the television. About halfway through her meal, Kira felt her eyes grow heavy as the pill began to kick in fully. Carefully, she set her plate back on the table.
"You okay?" Conner asked.
"Tired," Kira murmured. Conner set his plate down and gently rubbed her back.
"Do you want me to take you upstairs?" He asked.
"No." She replied as she snuggled closer to him. "You're very comfortable." Conner chuckled.
"If you say so," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Let me know if you change your mind," he said as he kept one arm around her and continued eating with his free hand.
"Mmmhmm." Kira sighed as she drifted to sleep. Conner let her sleep as he and Trent finished eating and watched the rest of the movie, the volume lowered to not disturb Kira. An hour later the movie ended and both Trent and Conner were feeling ready to go to sleep as well.
"I'll clean up in here, you go on and take care of Kira," Trent offered as he gathered up the used dishes.
"It feels like you're always cleaning up after us." Conner commented. Trent shrugged.
"I don't mind," he replied. "Besides, I think if I offered to carry Kira upstairs, you'd be tempted to slug me," he joked.
"You're probably right." Conner laughed. Trent chuckled.
"See? At least in cleaning up I feel useful," he joked.
"Thanks man." Conner commented as he carefully picked Kira up. Kira moaned softly as Conner moved her.
"Mmm, what's going on?" She sleepily murmured, her head resting against her shoulder.
"Just taking you to bed, Rockstar," Conner softly murmured as he slowly made his way up the stairs.
"Okay." Came her soft reply. "Did you grab my bear?"
"No, but I'll go back down for it in a little bit," he smiled.
"Mmkay." Kira mumbled. Conner finally reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall to his room.
"Any preferences regarding pajamas?" He asked as he carried her over to the bed.
"Comfortable." Came her sleepy retort. Conner chuckled at her succinct reply.
"Oh, so you want to sleep naked then?" Conner commented cheekily as he lowered her onto the bed. Kira's eyes shot opened and fixed him with an unreadable look.
"Only if you're naked too." She replied. Conner chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.
"I don't know, Rockstar, I think we'll be too tempted," he commented.
"How unfair." She muttered in reply. "Your clothes then... They're well worn, comfortable and smell like you." Conner smiled and stroked her cheek.
"Alright then," he replied. He moved over to his dresser and grabbed one of his t-shirts. He strolled back to their bed and carefully helped her remove her pants. Once he maneuvered the pants down to her calves, he gently lifted one of her feet to pull it off the rest of the way before setting her foot back down on the bed and repeating the process with her other leg. Tossing them to the floor, he moved upwards and carefully pulled her shirt up. Kira tiredly lifted her arms up to allow him to pull her shirt off the rest of the way. He set the shirt aside and gently pulled his hands behind her back to unhook her bra. Once that had been set aside as well, he carefully bunched up the shirt and slipped it over her head. Kira slipped her arms through the sleeves and let Conner pull the shirt down the whole way. Conner then pulled back the covers and helped Kira get into bed. Once Kira was lying down, he gently tucked her in and stroked her forehead. "I'm going to run down and get your bear, okay?" He softly commented.
"Sure." She nodded. Conner smiled and left the room. He headed back down to the living room and picked up Kira's teddy bear as well as the small paper bag. Before heading back up, Conner stepped into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. He headed back upstairs and set the water bottles and bag of pills on the nightstand by his bed before gently setting the bear next to Kira.
"You're back." She commented softly.
"Yup," Conner smiled.
"Good," Kira murmured as she held the bear closer to herself. "Get into bed." Conner chuckled.
"Will do, just need to change first," he replied.
"Ugh, hurry up." She whined. Conner chuckled and quickly pulled his shirt off.
"Whatever you say, Rockstar," he replied.
"Damn right." Kira giggled before wincing. "Ow, again."
"I'll be right there," Conner commented as he took his jeans off. He pulled his socks off and moved back to the bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed in beside her, shutting the lamp by his bed off before shifting closer to her and gently wrapping his arms around her. "Better?" He murmured against her forehead.
"Uh huh." Came her reply.
"Good," he smiled, tenderly rubbing her back.
"Where'd you put my bear?" She questioned as she adjusted his arm carefully and draped it across her chest.
"Its right here," he replied, reaching around to the other side of her to pick up the bear. He brought it closer to her so she could hold it in her arms if she wanted.
"Perfect." Kira smiled as she took the bear and tucked it under her arm. Conner chuckled and kissed her cheek.
"Good night, Rockstar," he lovingly murmured.
"Night Jock." She replied softly. Conner continued rubbing her back as he heard her breathing even out as she drifted back to sleep a few moments later.