Author Note: …moving along…its aches and pains for everyone…

T7S

Chapter 25 – Progress

T7S

It had been over a week since the air ambulance ride took the two injured friends to the hospital and more than 168 hours of worry for the Forman's and Bob Pinciotti. Jackie was slowly recovering but Eric's condition was at an impasse. He wasn't getting worse but he wasn't getting any better. Specialists were called in for second opinions and third surgeries were scheduled.

Red and Kitty took turns at being the waiting room sentries. Often times, one or more of the basement gang would show up to keep company or get the latest update to share with friends. Kitty was exhausted. Red was visibly fatigued. Hyde was concerned about the Forman's health and told them so.

"Steven honey, I appreciate that you're worried about us …" Kitty argued.

"Mrs. Forman, if you get sick do you really think Red's gonna take good care of you?" He motioned with his head towards the grumpy old man standing by the door.

Kitty sighed and smiled. "You're right. It doesn't make sense for both of us to be here and Red hates hospital rooms…..say, can you find something he can fix at home? If his hands are busy, he won't be thinking so much about this dreadful hospital."

Hyde grinned, "Oh, I'm sure I can find or make stuff he can fix." There was going to have be something broken in the house so it was time to call Kelso over to make a trip to the Forman home and just be himself. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Bob entered the waiting room as Hyde was leaving. "Hey…Steven can I talk to you?" Hyde looked back at Mrs. Forman who was putting an arm around her husband's shoulder. "Uh…yeah sure Bob."

Bob pulled the younger man down the hall away from the waiting room. "Steven, it's…Jackie. I need help. She was doing so good but now she's hurting and irritable and….and she….she yelled at me."

Hyde tried to stifle a grin. "So you want me to talk to her?" An irritable Burkhart? Was he kidding?

Bob nodded. "Well, yeah…I mean you guys used to be friends. I think she might be getting tired of old Bob."

Hyde put an arm around Bob Pinciotti's shoulders and led him towards the elevator. "Why don't you go to the cafeteria, get something to eat and I'll go check on Jackie after I make a phone call."

Bob smiled, "You're a good man Steven. I'll be back to see her in a while."

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Dr. Zimmer looked at the chart and smiled. "Well young lady, you are healing right on schedule. Are you having any pains that I should know about?" The brunette in the hospitable bed glared at her physician. "My shoulder still aches is that normal?"

"Well Jackie, considering we had to replace your collarbone with some titanium…yes, it's perfectly normal. I'll tell the nurse to up your meds." He bestowed her with his kindly smile.

Jackie struggled to raise the head of her bed. "I don't want more pain medication…." She tried not to whine, "I just want to get out of here."

The doctor smiled at her courage; the young girl that arrived in Emergency nearly frozen with blood seeping from her ears, a broken collarbone, damaged ribs, a left leg with three fractures and now her arm was wrapped tightly in a sling.

"I just…I want to take a shower. Do you know how long it's been since I've felt clean?" She complained futilely.

Dr. Zimmer made some notes on her chart before pulling out his light pen to examine her eyes. The petulant protests were exactly what he wanted to hear from his favorite patient – she was healing and in a few months have only the slightest of scars.

"Well Miss Burkhart, I'll request a sponge bath but since you're wearing all this plaster, you really can't get wet for a while."

Jackie tried not to grumble but she hated the hospital and she hated being in pain and she hated the food and feeling helpless. "Can I have the television back?"

The doctor chuckled, "Only if you promise not to throw your jello at my nurses again."

The slight pink tinge to her skin told Zimmer she was embarrassed. That was good to see and indicated that she wasn't having any psychological problems as of yet. "I'll have Nurse Stanton bring you a remote control and we are going to set you up for some physical therapy. Before you get out of all that plaster, you need to learn to get around on your own."

When Dr. Zimmer said that, Jackie was struck with a terrifying feeling of panic.

On her own?

Alone?

She didn't want to be alone. Alone was that gray fog at Lake Michigan without Eric. On her own was fine if Bob was around. But she didn't want to be both. She wanted to talk to Eric. No, she needed to talk to him. All she knew was he just had his third surgery and she still hadn't seen him.

"Miss Burkhart?" A voice penetrated her thoughts. "Miss Burkhart…are you okay?"

Jackie smiled even though the action of moving her lips made her swollen cheek hurt, "I think I'll take some of that pain medication you were talking about. I don't feel so great right now."

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Zimmer stepped aside. Jackie couldn't see who it was but prayed it was lunch…or prayed that it was something edible with the Tab she kept asking for!

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Steven was shocked. He hadn't really seen Jackie before or after the accident and he wasn't prepared for the bruising and bandages that covered her petite frame. It wasn't so long ago that they had been talking out by the Forman's garage about his job with William Barnett.

"…Well, talk to W.B. Maybe he doesn't know this is stressful to you. I mean you're travelling a lot and maybe he forgets what your job is about." Jackie had suggested.

Steven exhaled and the vapor warmed the air. "You're right - I'm glad we're still friends…"

"Well just don't stand in the doorway where I can't see you!" Jackie snorted. "Who's out there? Bob?"

Hyde stepped around the privacy curtain. "No Jackie….it's me."

Jackie froze at the familiar voice. "Steven? Oh my god! I've missed you!" She struggled to sit up as Hyde quickly stepped to her bedside and tucked a pillow behind her shoulders. She winced at a pain in her ribs but said nothing even though the action didn't go unnoticed.

Hyde sat down in the yellow plastic chair beside the bed and looked at all the plaster that was wrapped around her leg and ribs. Her arm was tightly bound to her chest and the eye that must have been black at one time was now an unsightly puke green and yellow.

"Wow" he said humbly, "You got messed up."

Jackie pushed her hair from her eyes, "But it's a pretty kind of messed up right?" She was just looking for confirmation that she was still attractive.

He smiled, "Yeah, if hospital patients had to be gorgeous then you would top the list."

"Thank you Steven. Can I ask a big favor?" A favor was what got her into this mess so a favor would get her out of it!

He lifted a brow. A hospital favor? "Sure."

Jackie lowered her voice to a near whisper. "Can you sneak me out of here so I can see Eric?"

That hopeful smile nearly did him in. Jackie had no idea of how Eric was doing. Hyde certainly didn't want to be the one to tell her! Maybe if Eric knew that Jackie was asking about him it might help in his recovery….but then again he was pretty fucked up.

"Jackie…I don't think that's my decision to make. I mean look at you, how are you supposed to even get out of bed?"

Jackie looked at how she was tethered down by the casts and braces and yes, every time she moved it hurt like a bitch! But she needed to see Eric. Damned if a tear didn't roll down her cheek that wasn't related to a pain in her body. This one was a pain in her heart.

"Steven…please." She said with a hitch in her voice, "I need to see Eric. I….I love him."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Aw shit, it figures. You spend the weekend in a car with a guy and fall in love with him….Alright, buckle up, I'm wheeling this bed outta here."

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