Woke
AJ walk up the next morning after practically passing out. She wasn't sure about how to handle her situation. She didn't know if Freddie wanted her to stay with her until Punk got out of hospital, or if she just wanted her to stay for the one night.
She got up and got washed, leaving the bedroom and heading into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Freddie woke up not long after and joined her. They hadn't heard anything from anyone about how Punk was doing which worried AJ a little bit.
It felt strange for Freddie to wake up and be greeted by her mom. She'd dreamt about it as a little girl, as she got older into her teen years she started to hate the idea, but now her mom was here and she knew what had gone on, she felt like that little girl desperate for a mom again, not that she'd show it of course.
"You want more orange juice?" AJ asked Freddie.
"No. I'm ok." Freddie nodded to her, "I… I really need to go to te store, we practically have nothing in our fridge." She admitted.
"I can go. I'll buy some things in if… if you tell me what you want." AJ said.
"We can go together." Freddie shrugged as AJ nodded slowly.
"I guess I should probably go back to my apartment tonight-"
"Why?" Freddie asked, "What? You don't want to stay here with me?" Freddie said.
"Do you want me to?" AJ asked.
"Well I… yeah." Freddie nodded, "I don't wanna be here alone, and I thought you'd rather be here. Now that you're practically free." She said as AJ smiled.
"I just didn't know if you'd want me constantly around." AJ admitted.
"I think we could both use the company." Freddie said, "Aren't you gonna move here anyway? Now that you don't have to worry? I mean, this is your home." She said.
"Maybe, yeah." AJ said, "I… I don't want to rush anything. Your dad… we still haven't got a chance to even talk yet, properly." She said as Freddie nodded, "And my job is in the north."
"So you'd rather be there?" Freddie asked bluntly.
"No, of course I wouldn't. It's just… there's a lot to figure out, a lot that I'm not thinking about right now. I just wanna… make sure your dad is on the mend."
"Yeah, me too." Freddie said, finishing her cereal off, "Hey where is your tattoo then? Is it on your foot or something?" She asked. She knew her mom had the tattoo, but it wasn't visible anywhere that she could see.
"Uh… no, it's on my hip." AJ said.
"Well show me." Freddie laughed a little as AJ groaned a little and stood up, pulling down her jeans at the side along with the side of her panties, trying not to show too much as Freddie laughed to herself.
"You're ridiculous." Freddie said.
"How?" AJ gasped, taking her bowl and washing them in the sink.
"Why wouldn't you just put it on your wrist on behind your ear or something. Is that why you've not had any boyfriends? Do they see that and run out the door?" She asked as AJ smiled and shook her head. Her daughter had the same teasing nature she remembered Phil having.
"I've had boyfriends." AJ defended, "Didn't last long, most of them didn't go past the first date actually." She admitted to herself.
"Well at least you and dad are compatible there." Freddie smiled as AJ nodded, just as there was a knock at the front door, "I'll get it." Freddie said, walking out of the kitchen and over to the front door, opening it up to see her two friends holding two gift bags.
"Hey." Lucy sighed, wrapping her arms around her best friend, "Are you ok? We… We can't believe what happened." She said as Jenny embraced Freddie straight after.
"Does everyone know?" Freddie asked with horror.
"No, we asked Rocky. He told us, well he told us briefly. Did… are you ok? Did something happen to you?" Lucy asked.
"No… I'm fine. Really." Freddie nodded. She was glad she could honestly tell people she was fine. She knew the danger she had been in and she knew it was possible she wouldn't have been able to tell people she was fine.
"Here, we brought you some chocolates. Your favourite ones from that dollar store down the street." Lucy extended the bag as Freddie smiled.
"Thanks, guys." Freddie smiled.
"And this one is for your dad." Jenny sat the bag over, "How is he doing?"
"He's… well he's ok. He's in intensive care but they stopped the bleeding and stitched him up. It's still early to say much. We're gonna go see him soon." Freddie said.
"We?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah, me and mom." Freddie said, "She's staying here with me. Do you wanna meet her?" She asked, not giving them a choice as she walked off into the kitchen where Jenny and Lucy followed her, looking on at AJ who was tidying up from breakfast, "Mom." Freddie said as AJ turned around.
"Oh." AJ tilted her head a little, "I… I know your faces." AJ said.
"Yeah, we false asked you for directions… to figure out where you lived." Jenny smiled as AJ nodded and smiled a little.
"Mom these are my best friends, Jenny and Lucy." Freddie said as AJ smiled.
"Well it's nice to meet you girls." AJ smiled.
"You too." Lucy nodded, "We're real sorry about Mr Brooks. You need to tell him we're thinking about him." She turned to Freddie.
"You tell me to tell him that anyway." Freddie shook her head as Jenny and Lucy just shrugged, "But I will." Freddie nodded.
"We'll get going and let you get to the hospital. It was nice meeting you." Jenny nodded to AJ.
"You too." AJ smiled to them both as Freddie walked them out of the apartment and came back into the kitchen, "They seem really nice. How long have you known them?" AJ asked her.
"Since pre-school." Freddie laughed a little, "They uh… I think they like dad better than me, but… I'm used to it by now." She shook her head as AJ smiled.
"I'm sure they just tease you." AJ said, "It's nice they came to check up on. It's good friends. I never had those." She said as Freddie nodded.
"Yeah, they're good to me." Freddie smiled, "Should we… get going?" She asked.
"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Maybe on the way back I'll… go pick up some clothes from my place then?"
"Yeah." Freddie nodded. She wasn't trying to be overbearing, she didn't feel it awkward or tense between them anymore. She just didn't want to be alone right now and asking her mother to stay with her, she didn't think it was a big deal, even though it was a weird feeling to get used to her being around.
"I also need to talk to Julio at one point, to see what the hell he's doing with my dad and what the hell is actually going on." She said as Freddie nodded.
"I'll gladly stay out of that." Freddie said, "I'm gonna go put my shoes on." She told her as AJ nodded.
They left the apartment and headed to the hospital to go visit Punk. AJ assumed Punk's family would have gone in earlier and hoped it would allow her and Freddie to see him. They walked on into the room and were glad to see he was awake, but not really saying or doing much. He was still hooked to all machines. The oxygen from his mouth was out but not from around his nose, and he still looked really pale and weak, but Freddie didn't care, just seeing his eyes open was a huge step.
"Hey." Freddie shook her head as Punk drew a faint smile, lifting his fingers slightly to signal a small wave, not having much strength to move his whole hand, "How are you?" Freddie asked, "I know, dumb question." She said, walking around the bed and taking a seat by his side, scooting the chair forward as close as she could to him as he just nodded to her, "Can you not talk?" Freddie asked worriedly.
"Have your tubes just been taken out?" AJ asked Punk who nodded to her. He hadn't long woke up, so he was feeling a little groggy and unresponsive, but he knew who he was in the room with, and he knew what had happened and why he was in hospital.
"Oh, ok." Freddie said, "Well… you don't need to talk." Freddie shook her head as Punk turned to look at her, "I'll talk." She smiled as he smiled back. He could already see how worried she was and it killed him, "Mom is staying at the apartment with me so… don't worry about that." Freddie told him as he nodded slowly, "She's gonna get some things from her place and stay until you're good to come home."
"If that's ok." AJ said immediately, sitting down at the opposite side of the bed beside Punk who nodded to her. Of course it was ok to him.
"Jenny and Lucy told me to tell you they're thinking of you." Freddie smiled, "They brought some things but I'll wait until you're a little better to give you them." She said as Punk nodded, "Are you in pain?" She asked worriedly as he nodded, "You look in pain." She sighed, watching as he pointed to the button by his bed, "W-What?"
"He's waiting for more medication to go through." AJ said as Freddie looked at the button which was red, "When it goes green he can get more."
"You must be really bad to be taking drugs." Freddie said as Punk nodded.
"Do you want a drink?" AJ asked him as Punk nodded, "I'll go get a doctor." She said, standing up and leaving the room as Punk watched her.
"She's been real good." Freddie said as Punk turned to her, "I like having her around. And… you don't have to worry about anything. Julio has taken care of it, those men and mom's dad. So… you just focus on getting better." Freddie said as Punk just nodded.
"A-Are… you ok?" Punk managed to croak out. His throat was sore and tender from the oxygen tubes, and he sounded like an old man who smoked fifty a day.
"Me?" Freddie saw in awe. He was damn well a ghost lying in bed and yet his first words to her were asking her if she was ok, "Dad, I'm fine." Freddie shook her head.
"Those… Those men… w-what… what'd they… they do?" He asked her as Freddie shook her head.
"Nothing. They didn't do anything, I promise." She nodded, "They just took me there, waited around and then you came. I… They didn't do anything." She assured him. She knew that wasn't exactly true as she was assaulted in some ways, but the way her dad was right now, he didn't need to know that, "Uncle Dean… killed that man who stabbed you." Freddie told him as Punk nodded, "But… Julio took care of it." Freddie told him as he nodded.
"Like always." Punk croaked out.
"Well main thing is you don't have to worry about any of it." Freddie said, she didn't know details, and didn't really know if Julio had actually taken care of things, but she didn't want her father worrying about anything.
AJ came back into the room with a cup of water after talking to a doctor who gave it to her. They were happy with how Punk was doing so far, but she knew he wasn't anywhere near good enough to do so much as sit up. She couldn't imagine the pain he was in.
"Ok." AJ said, "Here you go." She walked over to him, "Do you want me to-" She said as he nodded. He didn't really feel strong enough to lift his hands, and if there was one person he trusted to take care of him, it was these two women right there.
AJ lowered the cup to his mouth as he lifted his head and took a drink, leaning back as she sat it on the little stand beside.
"That helped." Punk nodded, his voice still croaky but soothed a little by the water as AJ smiled and sat back down.
"The doctors are happy with how you're doing." AJ nodded to him, "Really happy. It's just about you healing now and getting your strength back."
"I feel… I feel like an invalid." Punk said quietly.
"You kinda look like one." Freddie told him as Punk smiled.
"D-Don't… make me laugh." Punk pleaded as Freddie frowned a little, watching him try and not laugh due to the pain.
"Oh, look it's green." Freddie noticed the button as Punk turned around.
"P-Press it." Punk nodded desperately as she pressed the button to give him more medication to help with the pain due to it being so bad.
"Is everyone… is everyone ok?" Punk asked, turning to AJ who nodded.
"Yeah, we're all fine." AJ nodded, "You don't have to worry. Julio has taken care of everything. Made you guys look like ghosts in that apartment. And my dad… he… he's not even worth shedding a thought on anymore." She said, "Everything is ok."
"I'm gonna get a coffee, do you want anything?" Freddie stood up.
"I'm ok." AJ smiled to her as she nodded, leaving the room as Punk looked at AJ, "What?" She smiled a little.
"You two… getting along?" Punk asked her quietly as AJ smiled.
"We could both use the company, and I finally get to… be in the same room as my daughter without worrying about you possibly going to prison." AJ said, "A lot has gone in the past… forty eight hours."
"Yeah." Punk grumbled.
"You don't mind me staying at your place… in your bed?" AJ asked him, she couldn't help feel it was a little rude and intrusive.
"You've been in… in my bed before." Punk pointed to her as AJ nodded and smiled.
"I suppose I have." AJ said, "Are you… in a lot of pain?" She sighed as Punk nodded, "I'm gonna be here for you, as much as you let me be." She nodded, "I… I thought you were gone. I mean… who gets stabbed twice and lives to tell the tale?"
"Me." Punk grumbled with tired eyes as she smiled.
"Yeah, you." AJ nodded.
"Thanks for… for being here for… Freddie." He said slowly, still taking his time with his speech, "She-She does need you." He nodded.
"She needs you too." AJ said, "I need you." She nodded as Punk smiled, watching her as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss on his lips as he kissed back, not wanting her to move away as she cupped his cheek.
Meanwhile Freddie was walking back with her coffee and paused as she watched through the room window, watching her parents kiss, raising her eyebrows with confusion, not thinking they were quite there yet.