Not Waiting
AJ was in and out of sleep for most of the day. Jude and Sean left with Mirren after AJ spent a little time with her. Thea and Cassie shortly followed home, definitely on a more positive note so far. Punk stayed, of course, assuring the girls that he'd be home later on, that he just wanted to spend some time with AJ on his own, which they completely understood.
"Do you have a hairbrush?" AJ tapped Punk's hand.
"I don't know, let me check my purse." Punk smiled a little as she raised an unimpressed eyebrow, followed by a small smile. She was tired, but she could hear his usual sarcastic comments just fine.
"I need a hairbrush." AJ said.
"Thea is gonna pack you a bag tonight and bring it in tomorrow morning. Some clean pyjamas, comfy clothes, bathroom stuff-"
"I'd rather go home." AJ commented as Punk nodded.
"I know you would but… you might be in for a few more days. They're still running some tests, making sure you're still wired in there." He nodded to her head as she smiled a little.
"I can't really remember it." AJ admitted. As the day went on, her speech had improved, her ability to move her arms and legs had come back stronger. Doctor Paul had assured Punk she would regain more ability to move and speak better as time passed by.
"That's ok." Punk assured her.
"I remember leaving work and… driving to that class but then… then it just goes blank." AJ said as Punk nodded.
"I think that's normal given what's happened." Punk said.
"What… did happen?" AJ wondered, "Was it just a collision?" She asked him as he looked across at her.
"Uh… yeah, you were at a crossroads going forward, someone crashed into you from the side… your head went through the side door window." He said as AJ nodded slowly.
"Sounds like fun." She whispered, "Was anyone else hurt?" She asked as Punk nodded.
"Yeah… the… the man in the other car passed away at the scene." Punk nodded as she raised her eyebrows.
"Oh my God." AJ whispered to herself, "He died?"
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "He wasn't wearing a seatbelt."
"Oh God." AJ groaned sadly.
"Thea suggested that we… we find out his name and send his family some flowers or something." Punk said as AJ nodded.
"Yeah… yeah, of course." AJ said. It was beginning to sink in for her just how lucky she was, and how much danger she had been in during these past few days. She knew it easily could have been her, and that was a scary thought, "Have you been behaving?" She asked him curiously.
"Hey, April." A cheery nurse walked into the room as Punk turned around.
"Hi." AJ nodded.
"I've got some dinner for you if you want to try eating some. I've also got some dessert." The nurse said, pulling over the bed tray to sit the food on as AJ looked at it.
"I'm not hungry." AJ insisted.
"Ok, I tell you what? I'll leave it here for a little bit and if you feel like eating some, it's there for you." She said as AJ just nodded, watching her leave the room.
"Why do they all talk to me like I'm five?" AJ asked him as Punk just smiled. Stubborn was her middle name.
"They're just looking after you." Punk assured her, "That actually looks kinda good." He looked at the dinner as AJ shook her head.
"No it doesn't." AJ said childishly as Punk smiled, "Have you been behaving?" She remembered her question before the nurse came in.
"Of course I have." Punk laughed a little as she looked at him, "You don't think I have?" He asked.
"You're a very messy person, Phil." AJ nodded, "I don't mean in terms of… laundry on the floor." She said as he nodded to himself.
"It's been hard." Punk nodded, "We didn't know when you were gonna wake up." He said, "But we got by and… we're all fine." He assured her, "Thea and Dominic have been staying at the house with the kids. Jude has obviously been preoccupied." He said.
"How was she?" AJ sighed, "Mirren is beautiful."
"She is." Punk agreed, "She was great. I… wound up having to be her birthing partner, which I thought was… kinda ironic because she's the only one I got to see being born." He said, "But she bossed the whole thing. No drugs. She just did it."
"Why wasn't Sean there?" AJ asked.
"He got caught up in ridiculous traffic. And she didn't want Thea because she kept fussing over her." Punk laughed a little, "So… I made the cut." He nodded.
"Super dad." AJ smiled to herself.
"Well… second best, actually. She wanted you but… I think I did ok." He said as AJ smiled.
"Of course you did." AJ said, "How long do you think I'll be here?" She wondered.
"Well how are you feeling?" Punk asked her, "And you can tell me the truth."
"My head is… a tad sore." AJ nodded, "And the bright lights really hurt. And sometimes I feel like this bed is moving. And I feel a little nauseous." She admitted as Punk nodded.
"Did you tell the doctor that?" Punk asked.
"I just said I was fine." AJ shrugged.
"Ape, you gotta let him know. So they can help you. So you can get out of here quicker." Punk nodded, "You've been through a lot. Your head especially. It's serious." He said. He knew his wife had a tendency to downplay things, especially when it was regards to her health and safety.
"No doctors or nurses are helping me get changed." AJ warned him, having to accept the fact she was gonna be in hospital for perhaps a few days or more.
"I'll help you." Punk assured.
"Well it's a good job I like you then." AJ said as Punk smiled. He'd missed her charm, her sweet comments, her voice in general, "How have the girls been?" She wondered. It was difficult to think she'd been out of it for almost three days. She felt very disconnected from everything and everyone.
"They've been upset." Punk nodded, "There's been a couple of fights and disagreements but… they've been fine." He said, "Jude is upset that she might not be able to come see you as much now with having the baby home-"
"I don't want her to visit me, she should be enjoying this time with Mirren." AJ said, "Settling down with her and… getting her in a routine. I don't want anyone worrying about me." She shook her head at the fuss.
"Well that's not up to you." Punk nodded with a smile as she scoffed.
"So… who has all been in here watching me in my coma?" AJ asked as Punk laughed a little.
"All of us." Punk nodded, "Dean's been here a lot. Renee popped by. Sam-"
"Oh, call her mom." AJ groaned, picking up the jello and spoon as Punk smiled.
"I don't do that." He said, "Sam, the girls obviously, Sean and Dominic, some people from your work who I pretended to know." He nodded, "You've been popular."
"Clearly." AJ said, "Why is it always jello?" She asked him, "Why not… chocolate cake or something?" She asked.
"It's easier on the throat I guess." Punk nodded, "How is it?"
"Tastes like watery sugar." AJ shook her head.
"I'm just glad you're eating." Punk rubbed her arm softly as she smiled to him.
"I think you should tell him." Thea nodded.
"No way. Not right now anyway." Cassie said, standing in the kitchen with her sister.
"You don't know when this… Daniel guy is gonna show up. If I was dad, I wouldn't want the father who left me to just catch me off guard and appear out of nowhere." Thea said, "I'm not comfortable with knowing this."
"Well good job it's not about you then." Cassie shook her head, opening up the fridge and grabbing out some milk, "Can't we just… celebrate mom waking up. This stuff with Daniel can wait." She shook her head.
"What are you doing?" Thea questioned.
"Making cereal, do you want some?" Cassie asked.
"No, I'm fine, thanks." Thea shook her head with confusion, "You gotta tell him, Cass."
"No, I don't." Cassie said, "Dad's main focus right now is mom, and it should be. Maybe once she gets home and… things have calmed down I'll let him know-"
"You don't even know anything about this guy." Thea shook her head.
"I know that he's been alone pretty much his entire life-"
"Correction, he's been in prison." Thea said.
"Which we know doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad person, right?" Cassie said.
"No, it means you definitely made a bad choice, though." Thea said, "This guy could be crazy. I mean… anyone to get with Sam has to be crazy, right?"
"He's not crazy." Cassie scoffed, "He seems sweet. And he seems lonely too. And here we are with this gigantic family. It seems unfair-"
"He chose to leave. I find it hard to believe dad and Dean will be able to see past that." Thea said.
"Well then that's up to them. I came across his files and I just… I was curious. I thought that maybe dad and Dean had some questions. Maybe this would give them peace of mind or something I don't know." Cassie said.
"But they don't know any different." Thea said, "It was different for us, we… we knew what it was like to have a dad-"
"I didn't." Cassie reminded her as Thea looked across at her, "You did. You and Jude both had the before with dad. I just got the after. I don't know which one is worse but… I remember wondering why I didn't know my dad. I may have been young but I still remember being confused as to… why my friends had mom's and dad's and I just had a mom. And then I remember a guy telling me that… that dad had died so then I thought our dad was dead." She said, "I had all these questions in my head, and I know dad probably feels the same about his own dad too-"
"Cassie, I know but-"
"Look, I'm the last person to start drama and bring unnecessary chaos. That's normally your lane-"
"Hey." Thea said, offended, "I mean… true." She figured.
"But I just don't think it's too late for dad and Dean to get their answers." Cassie shrugged as Thea sighed to herself.
"Alright." Thea shrugged, "I mean… I'm not gonna stop it or anything, just don't get your hopes up on dad being overjoyed about this. In fact, he might not want anything to do with it-"
"Then fine." Cassie shrugged, "But in my opinion, it's worth a shot." She said as Thea just nodded.
"Well I hope you're right." Thea nodded, "And… yes, we should be celebrating that mom is awake." She agreed, lifting her bottle of water up as Cassie lifted her bowl of cereal, "To mom." Thea nodded, hitting her bottle of water off Cassie's bowl as Cassie smiled.
"Yeah, to mom." Cassie smiled.
Later on, Punk had stayed with AJ up until she fell asleep. He couldn't get enough of talking to her but he knew she was tired. He was also glad that she had talked to her doctor and explained the pains she was still having in her head. The doctor assured her that was perfectly normal and decided to up the strength of her pain relief medicine.
Punk tidied the hospital room up, tucking the bed sheets over her and leaning into kiss her goodnight. He was incredibly grateful today. He oddly felt like himself again. It was almost like he'd lost part of himself whilst he waited on his wife waking up.
He left the hospital room, closing the door over as he put his jacket on.
"Mister Brooks." Paul got his attention, walking over to him.
"Yeah?" Punk nodded.
"I just wanted to discuss the rest of the tests and scans we did with your wife earlier on this morning." He said, "Everything is looking good." He nodded positively.
"Yeah, she was a lot brighter as the day went on." Punk noticed.
"She's still coming around from the coma. It's perfectly normal for her to take a little bit of time to feel awake, so to speak." He said, "There's still some swelling on her brain, not nearly half as much as what it was when she first got here but… I'd like for that to disappear before we discharge her."
"Yeah, I figured she might be in here for a couple more days at least." Punk nodded.
"Any damaged vessels or tissue in her brain seems to be healing which… is great, she's on the mend which I'm sure is a relief for you." Paul said.
"Yeah, you have no idea." Punk shook his head, "Thank you, I mean for… for all that you've done." He said sincerely.
"Just doing my job." Paul said as Punk nodded, watching him walk away.
Punk headed off in the opposite direction, heading for the exit of the hospital. Tonight his shoulders didn't feel so heavy. He knew his wife still needed help and cared for but just to get past this hurdle was a relief in itself.
He walked out of the automatic doors, putting his hood up as he noticed it was raining, about to head to his car when he heard someone calling on him.
"Phil?" Daniel questioned as Punk turned around, looking across at him.
"Do I… know you from somewhere?" Punk asked, he felt like he'd saw this man before. He had bumped into him at the police station not so long ago, not that he had any idea who he really was back then.
"You're Phil Brooks?" Daniel nodded to confirm. He knew it was him. He just had to hear it confirmed.
"Yeah. Who the hell is asking?" Punk asked defensively, walking towards the man.
"I'm… I'm Daniel." Daniel said, "Daniel Brooks." He nodded as Punk looked across at him, "Your dad."
