Author's notes:
I must confess that I didn't predict the playoffs game for Sara's birthday correctly… It looks like the Blackhawks are going to play against the Predators and not the Wild… And there will be no game in Chicago on Tuesday, April 25th. Oops! Anyway, it worked better with a game on a Tuesday, don't you think?
This chapter is about Michael and his injuries. The next one will be Costa Rica, then there will be a few more chapters… Enjoy and please leave a review if you have a minute!
My comments/questions for Episode #2 are at the end of the chapter. Beware of spoilers!
Once again, too many spoilers from Fox before Episode #2… I don't understand why they would do that. Do they think we won't be interested in watching if they don't bait us with sneak peeks? We already knew that SWC would be the star of this episode based on the previews and she didn't disappoint…
Dreams
Saturday, July 8th
Michael woke up and forgot for a second what had happened the night before: the robbery, the E.R., everything. Reality hit him hard when he decided to shift positions in bed. He groaned in pain as Sara was entering the bedroom. She sat down on his side of the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Her eyes were full of concern.
"Like I've been hit by a truck!"
She hummed in understanding and offered him a small smile. "Broken ribs hurt terribly."
"That they do…"
"Did you sleep okay?"
"I had terrible dreams but at least I slept."
"Oh no! No hammock, no making out on a beach in Costa Rica?"
"Nope. Far from it actually. We were chased by bad guys armed with guns."
"You and me?"
"And Lincoln."
"Okay… I guess the events of last night fuelled your imagination."
"They didn't look like the two guys from the robbery though. They were all wearing suits. There were women too. It was weird. But one thing was sure: they wanted to kill us. And we kept running, trying to escape them. That was exhausting!"
Sara smirked. She was used to Michael's strange dreams by now. "I bet it was."
She got up from the bed and Michael followed her. He found a pair of navy basketball shorts and put them on. But it was another story for his tee-shirt. Between the cast on his right hand and the discomfort in his torso getting the tee-shirt over his head was no small feat. Fingers 4 and 5 were broken but the cast only left his thumb and index finger free to move, his middle finger having been included in the cast in an attempt to better immobilize the fractured fingers.
Sara saw him struggle. "Do you need a hand?"
"Ha ha, good one! Are you always that cheeky with your patients?"
Sara scoffed. "Hey, I'm not your doctor. I'm just your girlfriend who happens to be a physician."
Michael smiled. "This is what I get for wishing you to play doctor with me…"
Sara chuckled.
Michael followed Sara in the kitchen where she opened the fridge to examine its content. "Toasts?" she asked.
"I guess so", Michael replied, defeated. "I'm sorry about our ordinary breakfast."
"Toasts are okay", she reassured him.
"But we were supposed to have pancakes for breakfast, Sara. My plan was to prepare and deliver them to you this morning." He had a sad look on his face.
"But you don't have any eggs in your fridge."
"I know. Why do you think I went to the convenience store yesterday?"
Shock was quick to appear on Sara's face. "You're saying that you got injured because of me?" Her pitch was a little higher than usual.
"No, no, no, I'm just saying that I wanted to have pancakes with you this morning. Hey, I didn't get injured because of you: you were not the one playing baseball with my body!"
"But still… If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been caught in the middle of a robbery."
"Listen to me, Sara. This is not your fault." Sara had her face in her hands. "Look at me", Michael instructed her in a soft voice. When she finally looked up, he continued: "This is not your fault. It was just bad timing. Besides, I'm lucky that they only broke fingers on one of my hands and not on both!"
And with that, Sara smiled a little, thankful once again for Michael's presence in her life and for his sweet sense of humour, even in situations that didn't necessarily rhyme with comedy.
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Monday, July 10th
Michael had spent his Saturday and Sunday doing pretty much the same thing: resting. He had alternated between the bed and the couch, falling asleep for short naps from time to time, while Sara had gone to her apartment to do some laundry and get ready for the week ahead. She had come back to Michael's place with a clean set of clothes for work because she had decided to go straight to the hospital that morning. With regards to Michael, he was on sick leave for the week so no work for him. That didn't prevent him from waking up early and joining Sara in the kitchen where she was eating breakfast.
"Good morning", he said, sitting down on one of the high stools.
"Good morning! How did you sleep?"
"Poorly", he quipped back.
"That bad, huh? Dreams again?"
"Yep." Sara looked at him and saw his shoulders drop. She also noticed how tired he seemed. Michael continued: "Yesterday, I dreamt that I was held captive by strange people in a house lost in the woods and last night, in my dream, we were all in prison at some point or another. You, me, Linc, Sucre and even LJ! That was crazy! I don't know what's going on but I've never had dreams like that before…"
"The morphine in your meds probably plays a role", Sara offered.
"In that case, I don't want to take them anymore", Michael retorted firmly.
Sara knew that Michael was stubborn and that when he had something in mind it was difficult for him to let it go. She also knew that she didn't have much time if she didn't want to be late. "Look, I have to go but we'll talk about this later, okay? Take your other painkillers, they don't have morphine in them."
"Yes, doctor."
Sara got up and gently kissed the top of his head before leaving the kitchen and finishing to get ready for work.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Michael? Wake up."
Michael opened one eye, then the other, and saw Sara's face above him. He had fallen asleep on the couch. He blinked a few times and sat down with Sara's help.
"What time is it?"
"Almost 6:00 pm. How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm going to die!"
"Now you're exaggerating", she replied with a condescending smile on her lips.
"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die of boredom!"
"Oh", was all Sara said, realizing that Michael wasn't referring to the pain but to the indirect consequence of his injuries: being forced to inactivity.
"I tried to read but holding a book was more challenging than expected. I also tried to use my computer but with my right hand like this, controlling the keypad is nearly impossible. And that's without mentioning how uncomfortable it is to sit with the computer on my lap." He groaned in frustration.
Sara remained silent a little while until she decided what the best course of action was. She left Michael's side and walked towards the bedroom. She stopped suddenly, looking over her shoulder: "Come on, we're going to my place."
Michael narrowed his gaze. "What? Why?"
"We are going to my place", she repeated. "I have a television and a tablet and you can easily operate both with one hand. Plus, I'm working all week and you are not so it makes more sense that we go to my apartment anyway. You can't stay here all by yourself all week. It's more practical, really. Let's go!"
"I love it when you're in charge, Dr. Tancredi!"
Sara rolled her eyes and moved to the bedroom where she picked a duffle bag and started to put clothes in it.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Four hours later, Michael was lying in bed with a goofy grin on his face.
"What are you smiling about?" Sara inquired, involuntarily reciprocating his smile.
"It's Monday night and I'm in your bed", he replied while his grin got bigger. Since they had started dating Michael and Sara had rarely spent time together during the week. As a result, being in Sara's bed on a Monday night was enough for Michael to fill him with happiness, hence the grin.
Sara shook her head. After long negotiations, Michael had eventually agreed to take his night medication. That was 20 minutes earlier. It had clearly kicked in. "You're cute when you're high!"
"I may be cute but you are beautiful, especially in your sleeping attire", he retorted, eyeing Sara up and down and appreciating what her short shorts and tee-shirt didn't conceal. Then, in a whisper, as if he was about to disclose an important secret that only Sara was allowed to hear, he added: "But I prefer when you wear absolutely nothing."
"Oh boy! Cute and very honest…"
"So, Dr. Tancredi… What about that supposedly infallible treatment against bad dreams?"
Of course, the pills hadn't affected Michael's excellent memory, Sara thought. Now was the time to deliver on her promise… She crawled on the bed and supported herself on her right elbow next to Michael. She gently cupped his face with her left hand before closing the distance that separated them to press her lips against his. The kiss was chaste at first, just lips on lips, but it soon became more than that when their lips parted and they let their tongues play with each other. Sara was the one who put a halt to it when she remembered that Michael needed to rest and that certain types of activities were prohibited, at least for now. She heard him moan, unsure if it was because she had stopped or because Michael was in pain.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Never better", he declared with sleepy eyes.
"Sweet dreams, Michael." She gave him another kiss on the lips, a short one that time, and got herself comfortable under the sheets.
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Tuesday, July 11th
Another day and another morning when Michael joined Sara in the kitchen. She was finishing her breakfast: oatmeal with a side of banana.
"Good morning, handsome", she greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, beautiful", he replied, taking a seat next to her at the table.
"How did you sleep?"
"Very well, thank you!"
"No bad dreams I assume?"
"No."
"Any good ones?"
"As a matter of fact, yes…"
"Are you going to tell me or do I need to beg you?"
Michael smiled. "Well, we were on a beach…"
"It's always a good start! Costa Rica?"
"I don't think so… Florida maybe?"
"Making out again?!"
Michael started to laugh but the pain in his ribs quickly put an end to it. "No", he answered, smiling at Sara. "But there was kissing involved!"
Sara hummed. "Of course, there was!" She smiled too. "So, what were we doing? Kissing and walking hand in hand on the beach?"
"Something like that", Michael enigmatically replied.
"And you're not going to reveal more?"
Could he reveal that they were not just "kissing and walking" like Sara had suggested but that they were actually getting married? He decided against it and opted for a less emotionally charged part of the dream. "If you want to know more, know that you were wearing a gorgeous Summer dress. Red, black and gold, I believe. Your hair was down. You looked beautiful!"
"Wow", she said. "Some kind of dream, huh?"
You have no idea, he thought to himself. "Yep", he replied instead.
"Well, not to sound too cocky but my remedy against bad dreams seemed to have worked…"
"I must admit that it wasn't certain about your very individualized and controversial treatment. I guess we're going to have to repeat it tonight, just to make sure!"
"I guess so", she replied with a smile on her lips.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"I hope Chinese is okay, Michael", Sam asked.
"Perfect, thanks. But I won't be using chop sticks today if you don't mind!" Michael raised his cast in the air.
"It would have been good to be left handed, huh?"
"Yes, but unfortunately I'm not…" He smiled. "Thanks for bringing lunch today. And thanks for the company too."
"It's my pleasure, Michael."
For the hour that Sam spent at Sara's apartment, they chatted about Michael's injuries, about their respective upcoming vacations and, obviously, about Sara and Anna. When Sam left, Michael felt more optimistic that he was going to survive the week. He had been reluctant initially when Sara had told him that Sam had offered to visit him. He didn't need a baby-sitter, he had argued. Sara had worked hard to convince him and he was glad she had made him change his mind.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Wednesday, July 12th
"What did you dream about last night, Michael?"
"I dreamt that I was making French toasts for you."
"For me? Oh, that's so sweet, Michael!"
Michael smiled, almost embarrassed. If he was hesitant to reveal the entire content of his dream the night before, there was no way that he would tell Sara what exactly happened in his most recent dream. After dreaming that they got married, he had dreamt that he was not only making French toasts for Sara but also for their kids. THEIR KIDS! How many were they? Three? Four? Michael wasn't even sure himself. These drugs were really affecting his dreams. On the one hand, with Sara's "special treatment", he didn't seem to have nightmares anymore so that was a plus. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if he could take additional dreams that depicted a possible future with Sara. Not when they felt so real. What would he dream about next? Their grand children?!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey Michael, what have you been up to?" Anna asked as she just arrived with bags of food from a nearby restaurant that specialized in Thai cuisine.
"Oh, you know, getting familiar with daytime television and realizing how much I've been missing all this time!"
"No kidding! So, what's your new favorite tv show?"
"I think I need more time to get a proper opinion on the matter", he joked.
"Please keep me updated once you have one", Anna chuckled.
"I will!"
"I didn't know you would be so engrossed in watching tv and I thought that maybe you needed something to distract you, or maybe help you fall asleep, so I brought you something…"
"You mean, besides the delicious food here?" Michael was already salivating while trying to open the food containers with one hand and two fingers.
Anna opened her large purse and took a book from it. "Sorry about the shameless self-promotion…"
Michael looked at the book and realized that the author was none other than the person in front of him, Anna, also known as Dr. Anna Philips! It was an academic work about Tolstoy, Anna's speciality.
"Thanks! This will certainly distract me! Can I have your autograph?!"
"Don't push it, Michael!"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Thursday, July 13th
"I'm sorry, Sara."
"About what?" Sara was next to Michael on the bed, supporting her upper body on her right elbow and resting her head on her right hand, while Michael was lying on his back, his head turned in Sara's direction.
"I had envisioned all this stuff that I wanted us to do in Costa Rica and now we won't be able to do any of it and I'm sorry that it won't be what we had initially planned."
"We're going to spend two weeks together in Costa Rica, living in a house that is on the beach: that's exactly what we had initially planned and what we're going to do", Sara replied firmly, while squeezing his arm lightly.
Michael smiled unconvincingly. "I'm just frustrated, I guess. Not being able to do things because of my ribs and my hand… Not being capable of more than kissing you… Do you know when we'll be able to resume our "extra-curricular activities" by the way? Please don't tell me we're going to have to wait for as long as the cast will stay on. I don't think I can survive another three weeks of abstinence!" Michael finished in a whiny voice that made Sara smiled.
"Michael, as much as I enjoy when we make love (and don't get me wrong, I enjoy it a lot), you and I both know that our relationship is based on more than just sex. You have to be patient. You need to heal more first, at least another week. And you need to trust me and not try anything before I give you the green light, okay?"
"Yeah", Michael agreed reluctantly.
"You know what? I think you're tired because you didn't sleep well. You should have taken the strong painkillers last night."
Michael shrugged. "I just wanted to sleep without having crazy dreams and it worked."
"Would a goodnight kiss help?"
A genuine smile appeared on Michael's lips instantly. "It wouldn't hurt to try!"
"Prepare yourself for the best goodnight kiss you've ever received!"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Friday, July 14th
"Hey Marc! Sorry that you got recruited by Sara to baby-sit me."
"Well, she said you could use some company… I'm pretty sure I'm not your first choice but as I understood your brother is already in Costa Rica and your friend Fernando is out of town too?"
"Yeah, he's in Puerto Rico with his family. And I appreciate your visit, Marc."
"No problem! I would go crazy if I had to stay home doing nothing."
"I'm disappointed that I won't get to volunteer in that school when we get to Costa Rica but, frankly, what I find the most difficult is having the impression that I'm letting Sara down."
"Michael, I can guarantee you that you are not letting Sara down in any way, shape or form. Did you know that we went on vacation together a few years ago when she joined me on a trip to Key West?" Michael shook his head. Sara had never mentioned it. "We mostly spent our trip by the pool of our hotel, Sara content with just reading a book and going for a swim to cool down from time to time." Michael's mind was quick to imagine Sara lounging by the pool. He smiled without realizing it but it didn't go unnoticed by Marc. "Stop picturing Sara in a bikini, Michael", Marc admonished him. Before Michael could defend himself, with what he wasn't sure because that was exactly what he was doing, Marc continued: "We had a great time doing absolutely nothing! At night, we would go to different clubs, gay clubs, and while we were there for me, Sara was the one who attracted all the attention. Women kept offering her drinks and I wouldn't even get noticed. That was insane!"
Michael laughed out loud at the image of Sara being hit on by women in Key West but stopped abruptly when the pain in his ribs reminded him that laughing wasn't such a good idea. "Ouch", he groaned. "Please don't make me laugh, Marc."
"Sorry about that! What I was trying to say is that I'm sure Sara will be happy taking long walks on the beach or simply enjoying the view from your house. There's no need to be drowning in self-pity!"
"Thanks for the pep talk, Marc."
"Any time, Michael."
Comments/Questions (& Spoilers!) for Episode #2
I missed Sucre in this episode and yes, T-Bag too…
"Michael is a murderer, Sara." Not everything is as it seems in the world of PB…
"We are the champions" by Queen!
"My whip hand": still don't understand why Michael calls Whip "Whip"… You?
"This piece of gum is going to start a sequence of events that will finish on the other side of the world." Clearly, it's not the same kind of gum that T-Bag received at the end of Season 4!
"I want to order a pizza": I thought it was a joke but then…
The origami rose is back!
"A storm is coming": aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Abu Ramal is one scary looking dude but you got to love the name! What's Michael's angle with him?
SWC was magnificent. If Lincoln was the MVP for Episode #1, Sarah was certainly the one for Episode #2!
Can't wait for Episode #3!