Title: Stronger Together, Chapter 18/?
Spoilers: Up to 2x01 ~ Recovery
Warning1: This story involves a character with a leg amputation.
Warning2: This story is male/male fiction. Don't read if you don't like!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Night Shift, so I'm just borrowing any familiar characters, locations and ideas specific to that series for the fun of writing fan fiction, *but* I do own the original characters, original plot and other original ideas.
A/N1: I edited this, so all mistakes are mine.
A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D
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A/N3: This update is long overdue! So sorry! I've rewritten many of these scenes several times. I couldn't get a few of them to work out the way I wanted, but I think I have them where I want them. Hope you all enjoy!
...
After a successful trip to New Mexico and a short night alone to disconnect from the world, the guys returned to San Antonio with a renewed and stronger outlook on their future. They'd had a great time with Drew's family, but there were some private downs they'd shared that couldn't be resolved or addressed with one conversation, but they were confident it was a great start to moving forward and they promised each other they'd face everything together.
Once back home, the two easily got into a routine. While Drew was at work, Rick would find things to do around their place. He'd go through his stuff in the garage, sorting out what to keep and get rid of, or he'd spend some time online researching homes for sale in the area, among other things. When Drew returned home from work, they'd have breakfast and go to bed together, until it was time to get up for dinner and Drew to get ready for work, spending whatever time they could together before Drew had to leave for the hospital.
Many days, if Rick wasn't up for cleaning or researching, he'd lounge on the couch, watching random TV shows or movies, catching up with things he'd missed when he was deployed. He'd also spend time on Facebook, looking mostly at his family's pictures and posts of things he'd missed while being gone. He'd respond to many of the photos or posts, while seeing how much his nieces and nephews had grown in the time since he'd last been home. As he went through all the posts, he couldn't help feeling a little homesick. He loved his life in Texas with Drew, he loved getting to know the Alisters, but he missed his own biological family, too. He wanted to go home to see his family, but with his current recovery, he wasn't sure how long it would be until he could, so he stored that conversation away for something he wanted to have with Drew. Until he could go home, he decided to use the technology they had to video chat with his family when they could, so he could at least 'see' them.
The week after getting back from their trip, Drew worked every night, even working the weekend, to give coworkers time off who had covered for him while he was gone. That Friday also marked the last shift Ragosa worked before his surgery, but he never shared more about what was being done, and he even slipped out Saturday morning without truly saying 'goodbye' to anyone.
Since getting back from Roswell, Rick's pain had gotten better, now down to a mild ache, so he wasn't taking as much of his medication, which helped him to be more positive with his recovery. He did have times he'd accidently bump his limb, or his nerves would flare, and they'd shoot pain through his leg, but that didn't happen as often, so he was relieved to have a small break from the majority of the pain.
The guys went to Rick's next prosthetic appointment and since his leg had healed so well, it was finally ready for the next step in the process of making his leg - getting a mold made of his limb and knee area, so it fit Rick when it was all ready.
Unfortunately, with what they had figured out on their own, it was confirmed that once Rick got his prosthetic and started using it for therapy and eventually getting around, the pain would intensify again, temporarily. Rick wasn't looking forward to that, so he took relief in the time he didn't have to deal with it.
...
Friday, August 29, 2014
Serving 48-hours a month in the Army Reserves for the past several years, had been a usual schedule for Drew, working with his unit for all of them to keep their skills sharp. Most of them were former military, now living a civilian life, but went reserves for the added paycheck, while Drew, since going to medical school on the Army's dime, had barely started his military career and was soaking in this time of reserve duty, because he knew once he finished his residency, he'd be active duty again and life would change. He also knew being a resident wasn't a 100% guarantee he'd never get deployed until it was over, but he hoped that wouldn't come until he and Rick had gotten married.
Because of the jeep flipping over a few months prior, injuring him and three other guys, they'd been given an additional month to recover before they returned for duty, so his weekend was coming up the next day. It wouldn't normally be a big deal, but this month, they were going to be doing field training again, so he'd be gone all weekend; which also meant no cell phone service, so he couldn't help being worried about Rick.
"I'll be fine. It's 48-hours. It's not like you're gonna be gone a month," Rick commented, sitting on the end of their bed, watching Drew fill his Army duffel with uniforms and gear.
Drew stood up from his side of the closet with his boots, "I know, I'm just nervous. This is the first time we're gonna be apart since you got back, and I don't want to go."
Rick smiled at that and nodded, "I don't want you to go either, but this is what we signed on for, babe," he sighed, "the Army comes first, and family and relationships come second, unfortunately. It sucks, but that's the life of a soldier," Rick held out his hand to Drew, who dropped his boots and moved towards his fiancé, taking his offered hand. Rick kissed his hand and then stood up and wrapped his arms around him, "I'll be here when you get home," he promised.
Tightening his arms around him, Drew nodded and soaked in Rick's warmth, "and I'll be coming home to you Monday morning."
With a smile, Rick kissed Drew, before letting him go and retaking his seat on the bed, "sounds like a date to me... And maybe when you're done packing, if you've got time, we could find something to do before you need to go," he leaned back a little on the bed, "I can offer you a little sample of what you get to come home to."
Drew couldn't help licking his lips at his fiancé's suggestion and then eyed him as he sat back on the bed, "now that's an incentive to finish packing!"
...
As Drew's phone alarm went off, letting him know he had 15 minutes until he needed to leave for the hospital, he was standing in the kitchen waiting for his coffee to finish brewing so he could fill his thermos. "Go away, phone," he muttered, pulling it out of his pocket, snoozing the alarm and chucking it on the counter.
"Careful there," Rick laughed lightly, "phones aren't cheap."
Drew opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he realized Rick would know, since it was his phone plan. It was the one thing he and Rick had together before they became a couple that no one ever questioned; in fact, it was something tons of the guys in the military did. Sharing phone plans to get the 'family plan' deals. It also helped, so if either one was deployed, the other could handle making the payments or deal with any issues that came up and with their now relationship, they never needed to change anything. It was theirs; something no one could take away from them.
Rick came up behind Drew and leaned against him, resting his chin on Drew's shoulder, "I know you don't want to be gone all weekend, but I'd rather get used to this little by little, a few days here and there, than being apart for fourteen months like we were this last time," Rick murmured, leaning one of his crutches against the counter so he could slip his arm around Drew's waist.
Taking a deep breath, Drew smiled and leaned back against his fiancé, his free hand resting on Rick's, "yeah, I guess a few days is better than months," he agreed, "I just really enjoy having you home; us being together again. Not fair we have to be pulled apart so soon."
"Sweetheart, it's not like they're making us break up," Rick quickly assured him, pressing a kiss to Drew's neck, "we're still a couple, still engaged and we live together. You're just going away for a few days to serve our country like you signed up to do," he told him, reaching out to grab the counter, so he could lean on it and not hang on his crutches, while facing Drew, "and I for one, would like you to get as much training as possible, so when you do get sent over there," he slid one of his now free arms around Drew's shoulders, "there's a much better chance that you'll come home to me, because I definitely want to keep you around, like, forever," Rick told him casually, pulling him closer.
Drew couldn't help smiling at his fiancé's words, "you want to keep me around forever?" He wondered, slipping his arms around Rick's waist.
Rick snaked his other arm around Drew's neck and nodded, "oh yeah," he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Drew's lips, "if you're willing, that is."
"I'm definitely willing," Drew kissed and hugged him once more, but before he could say anything, his phone began to beep again, at the same time someone knocked on the door.
"Great! He's here!" Rick pulled back and noticed the coffee was done, "go answer the door and I'll fill your thermos," he urged, knowing it'd be easier for Drew to get the door than Rick at the moment.
Drew stared at Rick in confusion, surprised at his quick change, "who's here?"
"I knew you'd be worried about me this weekend, so I called for reinforcements," Rick smirked, nudging him playfully, "go answer the door," he repeated, opening the thermos on the counter and grabbing the coffee pot, beginning to pour.
"Uh..." Drew started to speak but took the hint and moved towards the front door, completely clueless at who Rick had invited to come for the weekend. Reaching the door, he pulled it open and his eyes widened when he saw the man standing outside, a messenger bag slung over his shoulders. The gray hair gave away his age of seven years older than Rick, though he and Drew stood at the same height and Rick was just a few inches taller than both of them, "hi!"
"Hey, apparently Rick didn't tell you I was coming for a visit," Justin commented, laughing lightly, "hey, Drew."
"No, he didn't, Justin," Drew admitted, shaking the shock away as he stepped aside to let the oldest Lincoln sibling in, "come in."
"Thanks," Justin moved to step inside, pulling his small suitcase behind him. As he got closer to Drew, he rested his free hand on his shoulder, "good to see you again, kid."
It wasn't often Drew got called 'kid', but Justin was one of the few people who could pull it off, since he was even older than Drew's oldest sister, "you, too, Justin," he smiled.
After a moment, Justin pulled his hand back and rubbed his own neck nervously, "so, we're cool right?" He asked hopeful, tucking his hands into his pockets.
For a split second, Drew wondered what he was talking about, but he then remembered what Rick had shared in New Mexico, finally opening up about what happened between him, Justin and Alan back when Rick came out. Drew had been initially upset with the two men and had to take some time to cool off, but eventually messaged both of them to tell them he knew everything about Rick's coming out and as much as he was upset by what they said, he was glad they apologized and were able to work things out with Rick, so he wasn't going to dwell on the past and planned to move forward. "Yeah, we're cool, I promise."
"Good to know, thanks," Justin smiled, exhaling the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "now, where's my baby brother?"
Drew closed the door, "in the kitchen," he motioned in that directions, "and I have to get going," he added, hearing his phone's alarm go off again.
Justin dropped his things by the couch and followed Drew into kitchen. "Babe, you could have told me Justin was coming this weekend," Drew commented, moving right over to where Rick was still leaning against the counter.
"The surprise is more fun. Besides, 'Worried Drew' is adorable, and you've been worrying since you realized I'd be alone all weekend," Rick smirked, wrapping his arms around Drew in a tight hug, "you better get going before you're late."
"I know," Drew hugged Rick, kissing him on the lips, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Rick replied, shifting to grab Drew's coffee, keys and phone, "see you Monday morning."
With a heavy sigh, Drew took the offered items and knew Rick was only pushing because the longer they drug out their farewells, the harder it would be to leave. "Alright, I'm going. See you Monday," Drew kissed Rick once more and moved away, nodding at him, and then turned to Justin, "good to see you, bro. See you in a few days."
Justin nodded, "take it easy, stay safe and see you then. Don't worry about this one," he casually motioned to his brother, "I'm a master at babysitting him. Been doing it since he was born."
Rick groaned, "I don't need a babysitter!"
"I never thought you did, babe, but at least I can be gone all weekend and know you're not going to blow the place up or if you do, I'll know Justin needs a refresher on how fires start," Drew smirked, grabbing his duffel bag, "see you guys Monday!"
Getting out of the house, Drew closed the door behind him and took a deep breath, unable to deny he had a weight lifted off his shoulders. He'd been concerned about being gone from home all weekend. Rick had been doing well with Drew's night shifts, but every morning he came home; this weekend he wouldn't have time to before going to Fort Sam Houston, so he'd have to leave from the hospital. He literally wouldn't see Rick until Monday morning. Just knowing Rick thought ahead to have his brother visit was appreciated in many ways. Drew was happy to see Rick wouldn't be alone and he was glad the brothers could finally catch up. Aside from Gabby and Terry, Rick hadn't physically seen any of his family and he knew that was weighing on him and he hoped somehow they could work it so Rick could visit them soon.
Climbing into his Jeep after throwing his bags into the backseat, Drew left home and mentally prepared for a long day, a 12-hour night shift and then all day doing whatever training the Army had scheduled for his unit before getting sleep late the next night. "Okay, Drew, relax. Rick will be okay this weekend, so you've got nothing to worry about. This is your normally scheduled weekend to serve and as Rick reminded you, at least it's only for a few days. I can't imagine being apart from him for more than that right now... I never want to be apart from him, but," Drew took a deep breath as he began his drive to the hospital, "it's what we both signed on for. We both knew going into this relationship that we'd already committed to the Army. It's rules, schedules and orders come first, no matter how bad we want our relationship to be our top priority. We go when and where the Army tells us to and we will sometimes have to deal with being separated by distance, but thank God Rick and I have already dealt with long deployments, and we know we're fully committed to each other, no matter how far apart we're taken. I just think now that the roles are reversed in a way, I'll be more likely to be deployed and not Rick, so how is Rick going to deal with being the one left at home? I know he's talked about wanting to just be a military spouse for a while, but is he going to be able to handle it? Okay, Drew, you've gotta stop worrying about things that haven't even happened yet. Just relax and know that for this weekend, Rick's not alone and you'll see him in a few days."
...
Moments after Drew walked out of the kitchen, Rick's eyes found his brothers, but he couldn't move or speak. He couldn't find the words or the strength. As soon as the door closed behind Drew, Rick shook from his daze and bit his lip, "hey."
The whole day Justin had been a barrel of nerves as he got excited to see his brother. It'd been almost a year and a half since they'd seen each other in person, back when Rick came to visit family while the nieces and nephews were on Spring Break, before his last deployment and he wanted to see the family one more time before he left.
Justin knew he was cutting it close when he arrived at Rick and Drew's place, but he was glad he could at least see Drew long enough to reassure him that they'd be alright while he was gone. He also knew Drew had to leave, so he didn't mind the quick interaction between his brother and future brother-in-law to get Drew off to work and once Drew was gone, he finally had a chance to really look at his brother. He also couldn't help his eyes trailing down to just below Rick's right knee to see the end of his leg, the limb's skin back to his skin tone, with one long incision covering the width of the limb that was still pink and freshly healed. With that sight, he couldn't help a nervous breath escape his lips, "wow, that's gonna take some getting used to," he whispered, but without hesitation, stepped towards his brother and threw his arms around him, "but thank God you're still alive."
As Justin's arms went around Rick, Rick wrapped his arms around his brother and for the first time in over a year, they hugged as tight as they could, "it's so good to see you," Rick murmured, when they pulled apart.
"The feeling is mutual," Justin replied softly, as his hands rested on Rick's shoulders gently, "should we go sit down?"
"I should," Rick caved. Grabbing is crutches nearby, he tucked them under his arms and the two moved into the living room to sit on the couch, "thanks for coming. Did dad ask too many questions when you asked for time off?"
"As soon as I told him why now, he understood. Kim and the kids, too," he assured Rick, "how are you doing? I know stupid question, but it's somewhere to start."
Rick took a deep breath and sighed, "some things are great! Drew and I are as close as ever, no problems there, but I've got a lot on my mind."
"Are you talking to Drew about it? Or to someone?" Justin wondered.
"Drew knows most of it in bits and pieces, but there are some things I haven't shared with him yet," Rick admitted. "We're soaking in the good moments right now. My leg has healed completely from the surgery and the pain has finally subsided enough that I don't have to pop pain medication all the time, but it hasn't had any weight on it since the accident. Things may be healed for now, but when I get my leg soon, the pain will come back for a while as I start to learn how walk again. Like you were with Kim, I don't want Drew to be on the receiving end of all my frustration from the new pain."
Justin nodded in complete understanding, "I'm glad you and dad were around for some of that, so I completely get you there. Do you have any help down here?"
"We have our friends from our units and Drew's friends at the hospital are quickly becoming my friends, but it's hard to ask friends to do that. The people at the hospital I think would be more open to helping, because they already are in the medical field, but I don't know. We haven't really talked about it. We're both kinda waiting to see what the therapy is going to look like before we consider all the details," Rick explained, "if it's gonna be a lot we're gonna need help. Well, I'm gonna figure out how we can get some help, because I don't want it all on Drew. He'll quickly assure me he can handle it because he wants to be there for me in sickness and in health, but I love him too much to watch him burn out working as a doctor on the night shift full-time, being reserves, taking me to appointments all the time, trying help me with everything and then somehow fit sleep into the day."
"I'm so glad you said that," Justin smiled, relieved to hear his brother talking about it, "you must have learned from when I got hurt."
"Yes, a little, but it's also common sense. Drew's no use to me if he's worn out," Rick replied, "yes, we'll get married and say those vows, but there should be a clause in there that yes, it's in sickness, in health, for better or worse, but if we see the other suffering, we'll tell them to stop and find other ways of getting help, or something like that."
"There should be," Justin agreed, "I'm glad you're thinking about this and are aware that this is going to be a huge mountain to climb and it's not gonna just take you and Drew. You're gonna need your families around. Sucks that you guys both live away from home. Drew's family is a little closer, but still far enough that it's not an easy trip."
Rick nodded, biting his lip, "can I tell you something? But you've got to promise you won't say anything to anyone."
"By anyone, do you mean Drew? Or mom?" Justin laughed and when he responded with both, Justin nodded, "of course, I promise. My lips are sealed."
"After I get my leg and start into therapy, I'm considering coming up to Washington for some of that recovery," Rick shared, the first time voicing his thought out loud. "I don't want to be apart from Drew for long, but I need him to take care of himself and if that means me leaving for a while to physically get better so I don't have to depend so much on him, I'll do it and I don't want mom to find out until Drew and I decide if it's best."
Justin's eyes widened, "I was going to mention that. We all would love to help with your recovery, but let's not go there yet. Give down here a chance."
"Oh, I am," Rick nodded, "nothing is decided yet, just something I thought about and am putting in the back of my mind to consider later. Right now, I'm focused on remembering that I have an amazing life with an amazing partner that I want to spend forever with and I'm trying to keep the depression from getting to me."
"Good. I'm glad you are, because I was weak in that area. I let the depression get to me," Justin admitted sadly.
"I remember," Rick replied, "those were rough months trying to get you out of that pit."
"I still have my moments," Justin replied, "but the jealousy is gone when I watch the firetrucks leave and the ambulance stays, waiting to find out if they need a medic."
Rick's eyes looked towards the front door, where Drew had exited earlier and hung his head, "so that does go away?"
"I knew it!" Justin shook his head, "I knew you were hiding that!"
"Was it that obvious?" Rick wondered.
"For Drew who's never dealt with something of this scale before, no, but for me, who's gone through it, I could tell," Justin explained, "you're pissed you can't go with him."
"Of course, I am! This sitting around at home and not being able to walk is shit!" Rick snapped, something he'd held back around Drew, especially in the last week while Drew grumbled about serving the weekend.
"Okay, Richard Scott, stop that right now," Justin retorted, almost as harsh as Rick had spoken, "since you got out of Basic seven years ago, you have spent, combined, over three years of your career deployed! You've worked your ass off and done more time over there than most do in their entire career. You come home and get into an unexpected accident. Yes, an accident, something that was not planned and now you're having to deal with an unfortunate physical change because of it. Your heart, of course, wants to get back to action, because that's what good soldiers want to do, but Rick, you're more than just a guy with a gun. And I bet there's 10 guys just like you who are finishing up Ranger school as we speak, who are ready to take your place. In the military no job is forever; you can be replaced in a snap. This accident could be a way of God telling you it's time to rethink your life and what you want out of it, because your parents, your siblings, your nieces and nephews, your friends and your fiancé can't replace you. We don't want to. Sitting around here, frustrated and jealous of your fiancé for going out and doing something you wish you could do is not going to help. It's only going to cause bitterness and you don't want that. You want to be proud of your fiancé for defending our freedom, not jealous he's out there and you're not, because you've had plenty of time out there. You've served your time. I know I was supportive of you joining, but you saw me after my accident and I had a wake-up call that I never want again and I'm hoping you feel the same way."
Rick listened to Justin and felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It wasn't that Drew never got it, he knew he could get it to an extent, but Justin really had lived it and Rick was thankful to finally have some one-on-one time with his brother. Rick also thought back to things he'd said over the past weeks since his accident, like wanting to live and not let the amputation keep him from his life, or also thinking maybe it was time for him to be the military spouse for a while and that this accident was his wake-up call. What Justin said wasn't a foreign concept to him, but emotions can change thoughts and he'd had his ups and downs, so he wasn't always thinking clearly, and hearing what Justin talked about and the way he put it in perspective, drawing from his own experience really helped him see things differently. "I'm so glad you're here," Rick smiled, taking a deep breath, "I've had thoughts like what you just said in the past. In fact, I know I've said I want to get my life back, I don't want to let this define me and I've even talked about this being a military spouse and that this is a wake-up call or a chance to just look at my options again and see what it's time for me to do; what step I'm ready to take next..." He paused, "I think just with all the emotions over the past few weeks and trying to keep some from Drew, my brain got a little fuzzy and clarity wasn't easy to come by."
"That definitely happens," Justin agreed and reached out to rest his hand on Rick's shoulder reassuringly, "it'll get better, I promise."
Smiling at him, Rick nodded, "thanks."
...
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Justin's arrival was just what Rick needed. The two brothers spent the evening talking, catching up and just relaxing. With the long flight and the time change, Justin didn't last too long into the night, so he went to sleep on the couch and Rick relaxed in his and Drew's room, getting some sleep during the night and waking Saturday morning to a text from Drew a little after seven-am.
Drew: Love and miss you! See you Monday!
Along with the text message was a picture. It was of Drew in his uniform, using the mirror in the doctor's locker room to take the photo of his reflection. Rick smiled at the photo and was glad to at least see his fiancé a little before the weekend and looked forward to him coming home. He was also happy to see he'd chosen to wear his engagement ring along with his uniform. Some guys didn't, depending on what they were doing, so Rick knew Drew sometimes might not wear it, but for now he was glad to see it and was proud of how far his fiancé had come, not only in his career, but also in his willingness to open up about their relationship, something they both had been extremely quiet about until recently.
As Rick thought of things, he quickly had a knot of worry grow in his stomach. Rick's unit quickly learned of their relationship that night at the hospital, along with Drew's hospital coworkers. Rick's family had known and now the Alisters also knew, but this would be the first time Drew would be around his reserve unit since he came out and as far as Rick knew, they didn't know about them, so he was concerned about his fiancé and surprised they hadn't talked about it.
Not wanting to worry Drew, in case he didn't have it on his mind, Rick quickly responded to Drew, after saving the photo.
Rick: Love and miss you, too! My fiancé looks damn amazing in his uniform! Proud of you, babe! See you Monday! Be safe!
As soon as he sent the message, he closed his eyes and tried to push his worry aside, even though his stomach was in knots and he knew he wouldn't relax completely until he had Drew back in his arms again Monday.
...
With several 24-hour work shifts a week; Justin was glad for the down time and a chance to finally hang out with his brother after not seeing him for a year and a half. He did feel bad that Rick was struggling with things he'd dealt with many years prior, but he was happy to be there for his brother and tried to be reassuring when he shared his concern about Drew's unit finding out he's gay.
To keep Rick distracted, Justin talked him into staying home that day and the two brothers spent Saturday lounging around, watching TV, movies, talking, playing XBox and ordering take-out delivery. Justin figured that would keep Rick's mind distracted enough that he wouldn't spend all day worrying about Drew.
...
Sunday, August 31, 2014
After their lazy Saturday, Rick promised Justin they'd go out Sunday. Justin was often a laid-back person, so he was open to whatever Rick wanted to do that day; staying in or going out. Rick admitted he did want to get out of the house, so Rick would spend the day showing his brother around the town he and Drew were currently calling home.
Through their late-morning and afternoon, Rick and Justin drove around San Antonio, Rick showing Justin some of the more touristy places, along with some lesser known, but equally enjoyable sights. Sometimes they'd stop for pictures, other times they'd just drive through and before long, they were making their way towards the Riverwalk; a large open-air public park along an urban waterway that had tons of things to see and do, including lots of shops and restaurants, and Rick figured he'd take Justin to one of the popular Mexican eateries he and Drew went to whenever they were there.
Once seated at a table along the waterway, the two relaxed, "it's not Seattle by any means, but it'll do for now," Rick commented, admittedly missing Washington and hoped to return one day, but for now, his life had taken him to San Antonio. Now that he and Drew were a family, Rick planned to stay there or wherever Drew needed to be.
Justin nodded and downed half of his ice water, "are you ever going to come home?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Depends," Rick shrugged, "Drew owes the Army ten years after his residency is over to pay them back for putting him through medical school. As of right now, the military wants him to be here in San Antonio. There's an Army/Air Force base about an hour and a half away from Seattle, just outside of Tacoma, that has a hospital on post, so if he could find a position up there, we could transfer up to Washington, but I don't know. Job wise, maybe, but military wise, he still may need to be here. I do think once he's done with his residency, they'll want him working in a post hospital or medical center, so he'll only be at SAMH for a few more years."
"That makes sense. We miss you; the whole family would love to have you home and I know Drew has his own family that I'm sure feels the same way, but it'd be cool to have you back," Justin admitted, wiping his forehead, "how are you not sweating like I am? I don't understand; we're the same genes."
"Yeah, but I'm acclimated to the heat and just got back not too long ago from the Middle East. This heat is nothing compared to that heat," Rick replied, "you're used to Washington's mild summers."
"Okay, I'll give you that one," Justin agreed, glad their server came over and refilled his glass of water.
Once their orders were taken, their server left them, "Drew was the lucky one. He grew up in New Mexico. Climate is a little different, but not by much sometimes of the year, so he was more adjusted," Rick explained, as his eyes took in the view, before focusing on two familiar faces across the waterway.
"What do you see?" Justin asked curiously, glancing in the direction Rick was looking, "do you know them?"
Rick nodded, taking his gaze off of them before they saw him staring, "yeah. The guy is Drew's best friend Kenny, a nurse in the ER, and the girl is Krista, one of the new interns."
"Oh, a little staff romance going on in the hospital?" Justin smirked, "what does Drew say about it?"
"Drew's never told me anything about them dating. I honestly don't know if he knows," Rick replied, taking a deep breath, storing that information away to talk to Drew about, "and they could just be on a date. Not actually dating."
"Rick, it's so stereotypical. Nurse/doctor hookups are like an integral part of any hospital staff," Justin laughed, "I mean, that's what all the TV shows portray, at least. They totally could be hooking up and Drew doesn't know. How long did he hide his relationship with you before he came out?"
As Rick opened his mouth to respond, he couldn't help his cheeks flushing, "alright, I get your point. I'll talk to him about it later."
...
Rick and Justin changed the subject and continued to catch up, joking around and laughing like old times as they dug into their dinners when they arrived. Taking their time, the two didn't finish up until close to eight, and headed back to the house to relax for the rest of the night. They ended up putting on a movie to watch, and when it was over, they turned in for the night.
...
Monday, September 1, 2014
When Drew got into his Jeep after he and his unit were let go from their weekend adventure, he quickly wished he could have showered first. "I stink and I'm so dirty. There's sand and dirt even under my uniform and in places I don't even want to think about!" Drew sighed, quickly muttering an apology to his clean car as he waved at a few of the guys before pulling out of his parking space and leaving Fort Sam Houston.
The usually twenty-minute drive seemed to take forever, probably because it was eight-thirty-am on a Monday morning, so he was dealing with the commuter traffic going into town, "there are benefits to working the night shift," he thought finally pulling onto his street and making his way home.
Parking in front of the garage, he used the remote control for the door and once it opened, he climbed out of the SUV and grabbed his bags and moved into the dark garage. Immediately, he dropped his camo bag on the ground, which caused a cloud of sand and dirt to fly from it and he shook his head, as he added his uniform top to the pile, which added to the mess; glad it was near the laundry for easy washing later.
Quickly getting his boots, socks and pants off, he added them to the pile and then picked up the backpack he usually took to work. Slipping into the house, not sure what to find when he got there, he quickly heard noise in the kitchen and peaked in to see Rick and Justin drinking coffee. "Hi guys, going to shower," he waved, dropping his bag by the front door.
Rick called Drew over, "not so fast, babe, come here."
"Seriously, I stink, and I have sand and dirt all over me. Let me shower," Drew begged.
"I can tell," Rick replied, noticing dried dirt all over his arms, neck and face, "I've had over three years on deployments. I'm used to it. Showers in the desert don't help much."
Trying not to move too much, so he didn't get dirt all over the house, he took a few steps into the kitchen and found Rick, "yes?"
Rick leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, "welcome home. Dirty or not, you're still my fiancé and I love you."
Drew smiled at that, glad to be home with Rick, "thanks, babe. I love you, too. Now can I go shower?" He asked hopeful, "I'm sorry, but I feel disgusting!"
"Of course. Go. I just wanted a kiss and to tell you that," Rick smiled, "there's clean towels in the bathroom and I took a shower not too long ago, so it'll probably be pretty quick to warm up. We'll wait to have breakfast until you join us."
Kissing Rick again, Drew nodded and moved towards the hallway, "thanks, babe."
...
Drew normally took a ten-minute shower, but this time it lasted almost half an hour. He let the hot water soak his body, rinsing off a large portion of the sand and dirt left. After a few moments, he added soap to a washcloth to wash the rest of the grime away, before just standing under the water to rinse and soothe his aching muscles.
When the water began to cool off, he finished up and climbed out. As he picked up the clean towel, he smiled at his thoughtful fiancé and dried off, before moving into their room. Finding fresh clothes on the bed, he wondered if Rick had done that while he was showering or before and he hadn't noticed when he first walked in their room. Either way, he appreciated the small elements of home that he didn't have in the field and quickly got dressed so he could go give his fiancé a proper greeting.
As Drew entered the kitchen, Justin and Rick were working on breakfast and then he realized it was all things loved to have for breakfast. "What's the occasion?" Drew wondered, walking towards Rick, "you're either trying to spoil me or break bad news to me."
Justin laughed as he took the hash browns off the tray and moved them to the dining table, "I told you he'd think we did something wrong."
Rick picked up a plate and slid an omelet out of the pan onto it, then held it out to Drew, "I owed you. Didn't get to do this when I got home from deployment, and I figured since you were out in the middle of nowhere this weekend, you probably were eating MREs, so today would be a great day to treat us."
Drew smiled and took the plate, then set it down on the counter briefly, so he could wrap his arms around his fiancé and kiss him lovingly, a completely different and longer kiss than they'd shared when he first got home. "I love you," he murmured against his lips.
Wrapping his arms around his fiancé, Rick smiled into the kiss and pressed his forehead against Drew's when they pulled apart a little, "I love you, too. Welcome home."
...
Drew was glad to be home, but to come home to an amazing breakfast made by his fiancé and soon-to-be brother-in-law, made him feel loved and he appreciated the gesture, more than he could truly describe in words.
"Guys, I can't thank you enough for this. You don't have to do this, really," Drew commented, motioning to the table.
"Of course, we didn't have to, but we wanted to," Rick assured him as Justin nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, though. You're right, we were eating MREs all weekend," Drew glanced at Rick.
"How was your weekend? What did you guys do?" Justin wondered.
"Obstacle courses, team building, shooting practice," Drew sighed, "night maneuvers, driving practice, taking care of idiots who wouldn't hydrate."
"Were you the only doctor?" Rick asked.
"Yeah, there were a few combat medics, but I was the only doctor," Drew replied, "our CO apologized for that. He thought there was going to be another one."
"Apologized?" Rick laughed, "wow, that's a new one."
"I didn't complain, I just did the work and took care of those who got hurt or dehydrated. Didn't have too much of a problem, which is why I think he apologized. He saw I handled it well," Drew admitted with a shrug, "either way, the weekend is behind me and now I can get back to a normal week."
"That you can," Rick agreed, "and while you were in the shower, Dan called."
"Really?" Drew raised a curious eyebrow, "is everything alright?"
"My leg is done. Wants me to come in Wednesday to pick it up," Rick bit his lip, "I'm not sure if I want to be excited or throw up from nerves."
Drew reached over to take his hand and squeezed it gently, but firmly, "be excited, babe. This is what you've wanted. It's the next step," Drew told him.
"It is," Rick nodded, "just nerves. Justin leaves Wednesday evening, so he's gonna join us."
"Mom's gonna be so pissed she wasn't here," Justin added with a smirk.
Drew nodded, "yeah, but she got to be here for the first appointment."
"Very true," Justin nodded.
Rick smiled and finished eating, "so, can I... Nevermind," Rick shook his head, not sure he should even talk to Drew about it yet.
"What?" Drew asked, looking at him.
Justin looked at his brother curiously, trying to figure out what he was hesitating to talk about, then it dawned on him.
"You can't flip out. I'm not even sure I am, but it's a thought and I want to talk you as my best friend and fiancé," Rick looked at Drew, "I'm serious."
Drew pulled back a little, unsure what was on Rick's mind, "I'm not gonna promise that, but I'll try to stay calm. What's going on?"
Rick hung his head a little, his hand still holding Drew's and squeezed it gently. "As your fiancé and your best friend, I want what's best for you and I'll fit in there somewhere. And I know you feel the same way. It's awesome," he started, "we want the other happy and healthy and we'll figure it out so we can have the best of both words, but sometimes by doing that, we're not taking care of ourselves." At Drew raising a curious eyebrow, Rick continued, "I can't let you be the only person who helps with my recovery and walking again. It's not what's best for you. You've worked every day since we got back from Roswell and served all weekend. Your next day off isn't going to start until Saturday morning. I know the trip was a fluke and you usually have Saturday and Sunday nights off, but once I start physical therapy for my leg, you know I'll be going at least twice a week, and check ins with Dan to make sure the leg still fits properly and all that and you're gonna want to take me to everything, you'll also want to be the one who helps with my at home exercises. I broke my leg when I was a kid, so in some ways I know the general idea of what the therapy will be like for walking again. Don't get me wrong, I want you there, and I know your heart is to be there, because that's what family does, and we've been family for a long time," Rick told him, letting his other hand join theirs, "but I can't let you take on all of that. You'll wear yourself into the ground by trying and you'll be no use to me if you do break down. I need you so much, but I can't watch you have a heart attack because you weren't taking care of yourself while being so focused on me."
As much as Drew wanted to jump in and tell him he could handle it, some of his own thoughts began to come up and he wanted to keep his word to not flip out and chose to let Rick finish before he spoke.
Seeing that Drew wasn't going to say anything right away, Rick continued, "now that I'm getting my leg, I'll be starting therapy soon. I'm not saying it'll happen right away, but once I get the basics down, I think I should transfer up to Washington and let my family help me, too. Don't be mad at Justin for this, this is something I've been thinking of for a few weeks; he and I just had a chance to talk about it this weekend. And I want you around for my therapy, too, I just think you shouldn't be the only one and unfortunately you can't take months off work to come with me and my family can't take tons of time off to spend down here, so I don't like it, but it's gonna mean we're gonna need some physical time apart," Rick purposely choosing not to use 'separate' because they were not separating; they'd just be in different states for a while.
Realizing Rick was finished, Drew took a deep breath and looked at their joined hands and brought his other over and added to them, "it's funny you should bring this up, because I thought about that this weekend, too."
"Really?" Rick looked at him, then at their joined hands, seeming to fit together easily, as if they were made to.
"Yeah. It actually came as a thought about 'what if I got off late from work one day and I couldn't get home in time to take you to your appointment.' I wouldn't want you to miss an important appointment because of me, so having family around would be helpful. Then I realized during team building that if one member of the team is hurt or down, the rest of the team suffers, and I don't want our team or the family we're building to suffer because I overworked myself or didn't know when to ask for help. You're my everything, Rick," Drew told him, pressing a kiss to Rick's hand, "and I want what's best for you and I want to marry you. We need to take care of ourselves so that can happen."
"I want to marry you, too," Rick assured him, "and you're right. Neither one of us is good to the other if we're down. I really don't want to put you in an early grave because you overworked yourself taking care of me and not yourself."
A smirk tugged at Drew's lips, "I don't think you have to worry about it going that far. I can usually pick up hints a little sooner than that," he paused as Rick laughed, "and part of me doesn't want to let you go, because I just got you back after being apart for so long, but I know your family would like to be part of your recovery, too," Drew took a deep breath, "so as much as I want to be selfish and fight against you leaving, to take care of both of us and make sure you get all the care and therapy you deserve, since it can't come from just me, you should go home. Do you have an idea when you'd go?"
Rick took one of his hands and moved to rest it over Drew's heart, "first off, home is wherever you are," he said honestly, smiling as Drew rested his hand on his against his chest, "and I don't figure I'll leave right away. I would like to work on walking a little, maybe with a cane before I go back to Washington," Rick replied, realizing as they talked it was the best for them, "And I'm not getting deployed to some foreign place for months. You can come visit."
Drew smiled and nodded, "every weekend I'm not working or serving, I'm there. I promised I'd be there for you and I meant it."
"I know you did. I never doubted that," he confirmed, "to answer your question, I figured I'd go when I could walk with one crutch or a cane. So, if I get my leg on Wednesday and can get therapy started soon, maybe in a month or so. What do you think, doc?"
"Honestly, we're going down a path I've not gone before. But that sounds like a good plan, we can get you through some of the pain without scaring everyone," Drew replied softly.
"Yeah, that," Rick sighed, "the one thing I'm not looking forward to."
"Hey, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? Together," Drew assured him.
"Yeah I know," Rick took a deep breath, "gonna get worse before it gets better, right?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Justin chimed in for the first time, wanting to let Drew and Rick have that conversation, "but hey, it could be worse... Your prosthetic could be wooden and then Captain Rick could mean something completely different!" Justin laughed.
Rick glared at his brother, but he couldn't help chuckling at his comment, "it's not funny, but it kinda is. It'll be an easy costume for Halloween," Rick replied, looking at Drew.
Drew shook his head as he laughed lightly, "you two are nuts, but I'll keep you," he looked at Rick and then pulled his fiancé closer to him and pressed a kiss to Rick's lips, "you good?"
"I'm working on it," Rick smiled at him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "I'm glad you're home."
"Me, too," Drew agreed, hugging his fiancé tightly, "missed you, missed home."
"Why don't you guys..." Justin smirked and stood up, collecting their plates, "I'll do the dishes... Take some time together."
"Are you sure?" Rick asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I am. I'm not gonna stand in the way of true love," Justin assured them, "and I'd like to keep my meal down, so go," he winked, "enjoy."
...
Though it was tough as an older brother to know his younger siblings were adults and had physical relationships with their significant others, he was happy to push them to go actually take some time alone.
Rick and Drew hesitated for a moment, but with the assurance from Justin, the guys made their way into their room and found themselves taking their time to make love to each other.
Completely content and cleaned up, thanks to Drew getting a warm washcloth, the two laid together in each other's arms, their sheet gently covering their lower bodies. Rick's head was on Drew's chest as he laid on his side, his arm draped over Drew's waist and Drew's arms were wrapped around Rick, while he laid back against the pillows, "so good to be home," Drew murmured in Rick's hair.
Smiling against Drew's chest, Rick nodded and turned his head to catch his gaze, "love having you home. Bed was definitely lonely," Rick admitted, "and I totally understand how you felt while I was gone."
Drew nodded, "yeah, well, your bed was pretty empty while you were gone, too... Unless it wasn't and there's something we need to talk about," he winked.
Rick laughed lightly and shook his head, his fingertips swirling patterns over Drew's toned chest, "it was just as empty," he assured him, pressing a kiss to the soft skin over Drew's heart, "you're the only one I'll ever have in my bed."
"The feeling is mutual," Drew replied, smiling at him, "and I love knowing we were each other's first boyfriend."
"It's awesome," Rick agreed, kissing Drew, "and our only."
"I really like the sound of that," Drew shifted to tighten his arms around Rick and kissed him again, "I love you, Rick, so much."
Returning his hug as best he could the way they were laying, Rick deepened their kiss momentarily, "you've been, you are and always will be the love of my life," he added, toying with Drew's dog tags, when he saw his engagement ring was hanging on the chain, "good spot for this," he murmured, picking up the ring, "didn't want to lose it in the mud?"
"Definitely not," he confirmed, "it's one of the most important pieces of jewelry I own."
"I'm glad you feel that way," Rick replied, pressing a kiss to Drew's chest, "may I?"
"Of course," Drew smiled, knowing what he was getting at.
Rick shifted, so he could use both hands, and gently found the clasp of the chain and unhooked it, gliding the ring off and clasping the chain back in place. Tugging to make sure it was secure, he then took Drew's left hand and expertly slid the ring onto Drew's finger. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to his ring and then looked up at him, "I was worried about you this weekend."
"Really? Why? Why didn't you say anything?" Drew asked concerned.
Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "we hadn't really talked about you coming out to your unit and this was the first time you were with them since we came out. I was nervous about how things would go."
Immediately Drew felt horrible he hadn't talked more about it with his fiancé yet. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, kissing him gently, "you know Javi knows and I'm friends with some of the guys on Facebook, so a lot of them knew from when we changed our profiles; at least they are the people I cared about knowing. Though we haven't been to battle, we've worked together for a long time and they support me. I heard a few comments this weekend and whispers of 'that's the guy', but I just ignored them. And I had a few guys, like Javi, who told them to shut it. I appreciated it. A few months ago, I'd have been like 'I don't need someone else fighting my battles', but this time, I'm glad to have people supporting me."
Rick sighed in relief, glad that things worked out with his platoon, aside from a few. He just knew some guys could be horrible and though he had not experienced it before, he'd heard stories, "thank God. I just couldn't stop thinking about all of the horror stories."
"Yeah, I've heard them, too," Drew nodded, tightening his arms around Rick, "thankfully it never got that far. I think it helped that a few of the guys who had said something negative earlier were the idiots I had to later treat for dehydration," he smirked, "karma's a bitch."
"Seriously?" Rick laughed and when Drew nodded, he smiled, "hopefully they changed their minds."
"They did. They saluted me as we were leaving from the weekend," Drew replied.
Rick nodded and relaxed even more, "good."
...
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Getting off at 7am, Drew was exhausted. Parking in the driveway, he moved into the house and found Justin sound asleep on the couch, so he carefully dropped his bag and moved towards his and Rick's room, Rick also asleep in bed.
Drew then noticed a piece of paper on his side of the bed and stripped as he got closer and picked up the paper to read it, "Morning, love! Justin and I purposely stayed up super late, but we both headed to bed around 5am. Sorry if I don't wake up when you get home, but get some sleep and we'll all hang out later when we're up. Love you! Rick" Drew smiled, setting it and his phone on the nightstand. Gently pulling the blankets back, he found Rick's hand resting where Drew normally would be laying. Carefully Drew picked up his hand and slid into bed, placing Rick's hand on his chest as he settled against the pillows, his eyes already heavy from the long night.
Feeling the bed shift and then his arm being moved, Rick stirred a little as Drew got settled, opening his eyes lightly to confirm it was his fiancé, "welcome home," he murmured lightly.
"Thanks," Drew replied, shifting closer and tucking his arm between them behind Rick so Rick could rest his head on Drew's chest, "love you."
"You, too," Rick replied, his eyes already closed and drifting back to sleep.
Watching Rick nod off quickly, Drew smiled and let his other hand join Rick's on his chest, "good to be home," he whispered softly to him.
...
Hours later, Drew woke and briefly took some time to get his bearings. His dreams had been replaying some of the events of his weekend's training and for a moment, he had to remind himself was home. It also threw him off because Rick wasn't in bed, but he quickly realized Justin was still there, so he figured the brothers were hanging out. Before he could think further, he heard movement and looked to see Rick in the closet. Rolling to his side to grab his phone, Drew saw it was almost three, "hey."
Rick turned to look at him, "hey, back," he shifted and moved towards him on his crutches, "how'd you sleep?"
"Alright. This was the first sleep I've gotten since I got back from training, so it took me a minute to figure out where I was," Drew admitted, the sheet collecting at his waist as he sat up.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Rick nodded, "that's understandable. That still happens to me and I've been home what? Six weeks?"
"About that," Drew nodded, "have you been up long?" He wondered, reaching out to take Rick's hand in his.
"Not long. Justin's still sound asleep, too," Rick admitted.
"Oh, so it's just us?" Drew asked curiously, tugging his fiancé towards him.
Taking the hint, Rick shifted closer to Drew, "may I help you, lieutenant?" He wondered, eyeing his fiancé and having a pretty good idea what he had in mind.
"Could this lieutenant request the presence of his captain in their bed?" Drew wondered, shifting towards the middle of the bed, so Rick could lay down next to him and then patted the empty space, "please?"
"Well, because you asked so nicely, I suppose I could," Rick smirked and shifted to lay next to Drew, his back settling against Drew's chest.
Drew instinctively draped an arm over Rick's chest and settled his chin on Rick's shoulder, "best part of my day right here," he murmured.
Rick shifted a little so he could look at Drew a little easier, "really? Of all the stuff we do during the day, this is the best part?"
"Yeah. We can just be. There's no rush to do anything, or to be someone, to help someone, it's just you and me and home," Drew explained, "I love every moment with you, but this is the best."
"You have a very good point," Rick agreed, resting his hand on Drew's on his stomach and let his eyes drift closed, "you are my home and it feels really good to be here with you."
...
A/N4: Hope you all enjoyed and are staying safe where you are with all this virus going on! Love you all and I know I haven't been able to reply to many comments, but I appreciate all of the kudos, likes, support and comments you all are sending!
A/N5: Though this chapter had to be re-written a few times, the next chapter has more work to do, but I am working on it whenever the plot bunnies allow!
A/N6: If any of you are into the TV shows 911 or 911: Lone Star, a friend and I have begun writing a 911 x 911LS crossover story if you wanna check it out on AO3! And who knows what tomorrow brings. I might add another fic to my list, but Stronger Together is taking priority. I just can't control where ideas take me, so I'm doing my best.
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