Chapter 36:
The night had been filled with worry even though I tried not to. I didn't think that it was so much what he was doing that worried me as much as the not knowing what he was going to have to deal with. I managed to ease the worry a little when it dawned on me that while he was out in the field basically what he was doing was the same thing that we would have to deal with in the ER. Drunks, those who were mentally off, the only major difference was that in the ER there was security to back you up; in the field it was only your wits.
That morning there had still be no sign of my parents and well that made me a little nervous. I thought that my dad at least would have come by, but I didn't see him. I went off to my last inpatient therapy session with Greta and managed to get things set up. I was about to be set free.
Ryan was standing in the room when I got back. "Hey there handsome." I said as I gimped into the room.
"Good morning beautiful." He said with a smile. "Are you about ready to split?"
"Yeah that I am." I answered. "Could you just grab that bag that I have?"
"Yeah not a problem." He answered.
The nurse appeared. "You ready to go home Doctor Ross."
I smiled at her, "yes I am." She had taken really good care of me and I didn't want to see too enthusiastic to be heading out of there.
"Then shall we?" She said as she moved the wheelchair around.
I just stared at it for a minute, "are you serious I have to ride out of here?"
"If you want to leave yes you do." Ryan said coming up and leaning over my shoulder a little kissing it softly, "ride or stay, the decision is yours."
"Ride." I didn't hesitate on that answer. I wanted out of there and the chance to sleep in my own bed. But to have a little bit of privacy too. I sat down and looked at him for a brief second. "Well what are we waiting for?"
It didn't take us long to get down to the car and headed over to the studio that was now our home. It felt weird knowing that I wouldn't be inviting Ryan over that he would be there every day now coming and going, sleeping, showering, and eating there. The thought however did put a giant smile on my face until the car stopped and I remember that I lived up on the third floor.
"What was I thinking?" I muttered as I started to attempt to get out of the car.
"What is it baby?" I heard Ryan say before he appeared on my side of the car to give me a hand.
"Third floor, what was I thinking." I repeated back again getting up to my feet. "Could I make this any harder?"
"Yeah you could." He said with a soft laugh, "but you know what I think that I am going to get a kick out of this."
I felt his hands go under my legs and the next thing I knew I was up in the air. Held onto tightly by Ryan showing off how strong he really was. My hands tightened around his neck.
"Don't you drop me!" I said with a hint of a giggle to my voice, after all it wasn't everyday that I was swept off my feet.
"I'm a fireman." He said, "I'm not going to drop you woman." He started up the stairs, "besides you are lighter than the 500 pound man we had to haul down six flights of stairs last night when he called in complaining of chest pain."
"I'm glad that I'm lighter than that." I said as we made our way up the stairs where he shifted me so that I was more hanging over his shoulder. "Ah, sea sick, sea sick."
"Hold on I just have to unlock the…" I felt his hand hit my backside. "Stop wiggling or I might drop you… Tess… hold still."
"I'm trying." I said, "but I'm slipping down your back."
"Almost got it." He said and then I heard the door open and he pulled me down off his shoulder setting me on the ground inside the apartment. "Let me help you over to the couch and then I'll run back down and grab all your stuff."
"Thank hon." I said as we moved through the small space over to the couch. He made sure that I was on it and comfortable before heading back down to the car.
I leaned forward and grabbed the remote and snuggled under my favorite blanket that I had been missing since being in the hospital.
"Where do you want me to put this stuff?" I heard a voice call from behind me.
"Oh anywhere, where we aren't going to trip over it." I said as I turned from under the blanket and slowly stand up again. I really wanted to be able to get around some with out help. "That black bag if you give it to me, it needs to go in the wash?" I looked around the apartment, "do you have anything you need washed? Hand me that would you?" I motioned for one of the crutches so that I could move from where I was.
"Yeah and no." He said as he handed it to me and I started to move around towards where the washer was hidden inside on of the closets.
I raised my eyes as I looked over at him, "okay so that means either you got your mom or sister to do your laundry or oh man I have a man who can use the washing machine."
"The later thank you." He said coming up behind me. "So you know I could do this for you."
"No necessary." I said as I balanced myself carefully so that I could pull the clothes from the bag and get them into the washer. "At least let me feel somewhat useful would you."
"Yeah." He said, "what do you want to have for dinner?"
"I don't care." I said pausing for just a moment, "no wait I change my mind, I am craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chips."
He looked at me kind of funny for a second, "that's seriously what you want."
"Yeah I love them and well they weren't a choice in the hospital." I got the laundry going and moved, "can't I want something simple."
"That you can." He said.
"What time to you have to be down to the stationhouse?" I asked.
"Not until seven tonight." He said. "Will you be okay overnight or do you want me to get Gina to come over and stay for awhile."
"I should be okay." I said, "I'll just shower and stuff before you leave and then get a book and settle into bed. I think that I'll be fine, so don't you worry."
"I won't if you don't."
"Deal darling." I said as I moved back towards the couch again. I didn't realize how nice it would be to be able to be back at home.
The only thing that would have made any of this any better would have been if I would have been back at work. That would have kept me busy and given me something to do, right now as it was I knew that I should be focusing on getting better throwing all of my energy into that. I just needed to get back on my feet, make amends with my mother and then my world would be back in harmony.