Chapter 29

Ho, Ho, H-okay, That Is Sore.

Willow barely slept the night before her surgery.

It was because of a mix of things. Her leg was a lot more painful than she had let on and she just felt like a massive bruise. Along with that, she felt disgusted and grimy and it was like whenever she tried to fall asleep someone came in and she was awake. And the cycle would repeat itself over and over again. Willow gave up trying when the shift change came and had strained to get the remote for the TV, watching Scooby-Doo when the nurses came in to take her down to the prep bay.

Dragon, her glasses and her blanket sat on the table and she quite happily sat in the bed as they pushed her to the prep bay, waving to the flight deck. 'Good luck, Crawford!'

'I'll be asleep for it!' she called back to Jack Carbon, a student on his first rotation. 'But thanks!'

The bay they took her to was cold. Why were they always so fucking cold? And she was left on her own with a smile as she waited for the OR to open up. She wondered how long it would take, it wasn't like the surgeon had come and told her what would happen yet?

Oh…would she get to see her x-rays before they fixed it? Maybe that would come after? Like a weird before and after.

It was quieter here than it had been in her old room so Willow had managed to doze off, only to jolt awake when the anaesthetist came in with the surgeon. She didn't recognise them, Forks usually wasn't such a big hospital that they had to have different types of surgeons on call, that was Port Angeles or even Tacoma. This was probably the reason she had been scheduled for that morning instead of last night, to give them time to get a surgeon who had a brain and therefore what they were doing.

'Wilhelmina Crawford?' the dark-haired surgeon checked her chart and raised an eyebrow at her.

'Just Willow. But, yep. Compound tib-fib and getting a pole and screws put in.'

A nurse, Helen, popped her head in and smiled as the brakes were taken off the bed and they began to shift her to the OR, 'Willow's been around here for long enough she's picked up a few things. She's Richard Crawford's daughter.'

There was recognition in their eyes.

The operation room around her was vaguely blue and white and she couldn't see much. 'On my count,' the doctor, Grayson, directed to the people around her on either side of the bed, 'one, two, three. Lift.'

Willow near blacked out as the jostling cut through the morphine still in her system and she lay blinking at the lights in the roof. 'Sorry 'bout that, Willow,' the anaesthetist spoke through his mask, redhead basically on fire with the backlighting, 'baby pinch.'

That was not a baby pinch. Maybe if the baby was the Hulk?

'And can you start counting down from ten for me…'

'Ten, nine, eight, seven…'

'…low? Time to wake up.'

'C'I go home…yet?' Once again, she squinted at the lights as she regained consciousness, in a post-op bed. Carla laughed from the foot of the bed.

'No, sweetheart. You've got a few days left. Your dad is gonna meet us at your room, okay? You can go back to sleep.'

'Mhmm.'

Willow vaguely remembered seeing Richard above her and smiling at her as she was wheeled to where she would be staying, she could hear murmurs and beeping but she was too tired to really pay attention and let herself doze off again.

She woke to Richard talking with Esme quietly, TV on at a low bubble, the soft texture of Dragon tucked under her arm and she groaned when her leg throbbed. 'Hey, sapling. How're you feeling?'

'My leg's sore.'

He must have checked his watch as the call button went above her head. 'You're about due your pain meds away, chicken. Op went well.'

'How long?'

'About three hours. Everyone else is at school.'

Her eyes widened and Richard had his hand on her arm in seconds as her heart monitor went a bit bonkers. 'Don't worry, everyone will get your stuff and I've already notified the school.'

Willow began to pick at the blanket over her. This was not a good time to be in the damn hospital with a broken leg. She only had three days left of the term and she was supposed to be in class, listening to her teachers, preparing university letters, trying to not cry at the vast amount of work that she had to complete throughout the holiday and hopefully, at one point, enjoy it. Except, Willow was stuck in a room with an incessant machine and nothing to do. Oh, she hoped her teachers weren't irritated at her.

Richard smoothed over her arm. 'Hey, look at me.' Their eyes connected, 'They understand. And they just want you to get better.'

She doubted it.

A yawn creaked through her and Willow huffed. It felt like sleeping was all she fucking did lately.

'That's because you're injured and your body needs the energy for you to heal,' Richard smiled at her, eyebrow up beneath his glasses as he read a newspaper like a regular Stepford husband. 'sleep, sapling. You'll feel better.'

Letting her head fall back, Willow let the drugs pull her back under.

Her stomach rolled as she woke and Willow groaned as she awoke to far more people in her room than there were when she fell asleep. Richard noticed her expression and sympathy went across his face as he got up. 'Nausea?'

'I hate anaesthetic.'

He ran a hand through her loose hair as Georgie took his seat with a grin, Lucy sliding into her lap. 'I'll go let them know you're awake more and get you something.'

Slow breaths settled her stomach for now and Willow looked towards her friends. 'You two look terrible.'

'Have you looked in the mirror?'

'Was in a car accident and then surgery, what's your excuse?'

Scott came in, arm in a teal cast, looking pretty rough himself. 'Nothing, she always looks like that. You been assimilated yet?'

Willow was missing something. Did she say anything? Oh fuck, she hoped not. 'I feel more like Data than Seven of Nine but you know, resistance is futile.'

Emmett leant against the wall beside Rose who was by the window. 'You're such a nerd?'

'You knew this, Mister Debater-of-the-best-Starfleet-Captain?'

Jasper on her cannulated side, smoothed his fingers over the back of her hand, seeing the grey pallor of her skin. 'What's up?'

'Anaesthetic and I? Yeah, don't mix too well, post-meeting. I'm a little dizzy and feel a bit sick. Nothing that can't be fixed with—'

'Drugs!' her humans chorused loudly.

The sigh seemed like it came from her bones. 'You lot want to shout that louder? I don't think the entire ward heard you. Where's Esme?'

Rosalie spoke up, 'Baking at the house.'

Georgie noted something. 'She's a good egg, that woman. Puts up with Emmett on a regular basis. You, Miss Hale, are a goddess.'

The room filled with laughter that even Emmett couldn't complain about. Natalie came in then, her brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail with what was hopefully fucking anti-nausea shit because whatever was for lunch had her stomach rolling again, she could catch whiffs of it from the hallway.

It felt funny going through her cannula, but Willow nursed the water in her cup on the table. 'Dad get asked to check something?'

'Some idiot forgot to put the safety guard on their chainsaw.'

Willow shrugged. 'Natural selection at its finest.' She thought on it as her comment drew snorts from the occupants, 'Did they have work boots on? Any safety equipment? Oh, were they drunk?'

'One, it's barely four in the afternoon—'

'So? Not stopped you lot from getting them in before.'

The amount of bitching Richard could do after some fuckwit being brought in by an ambulance was a work of art. 'Two…they had goggles and flip flops.'

'Oh, well done.' Willow cheered, as the ones not used to the gossip that came from the hospital did double-takes. 'Next thing we know, they're away to a fight a bear because it looked at them wrong.'

Natalie laughed loudly. 'We'll let that settle you and then see what you're up for come dinnertime. PT starts tomorrow.'

Georgie spoke up then, face screwed. 'But she just had surgery this morning.'

Edward answered her question, 'Quicker Willow is mobile, the quicker she's out.'

The thought of her own bed nearly made her cry.

Thank God, no one was there apart from the PT the next morning as Willow, immediately as she stood up on her crutches, had to throw whatever water and bread that she'd managed to get down that evening at dinner up again.

'We good?' Dr Patterson, Olivia she had said with a grin, hands hovering by her elbows as Willow hunched over the sick bag.

Nodding, she made a face at the aftertaste in her mouth. 'Yeah,' Willow breathed slowly, 'I get sick every time I become upright.'

'We'll just take it easier for now, then.' Olivia smiled, helping her up again, giving her a second as she breathed through nausea. 'Let's see if we can take a wander through the ward?'

'I am ready to get out of this room.'

'That's what we want.'

Dressed in her own dressing gown, the soft grey with baby penguins covering the back of her, compression sock and slippers, she was up for the first time since the accident. It took Willow a little while to get her balance even on the crutches, the forearm ones working best with her height, but once she had it, it felt nice to be mobile. The cast was heavier than she thought it would be too, her balance kind of feeling lopsided, leaning more so on the left where the pole was, so Olivia kept having to ease her in the opposite direction to keep her upright. The arm workout was different to when she was working, her mobility relying on her forearms and shoulders rather than her legs, but Willow knew it was just one step closer to being out of the hospital.

'So, how's sleeping going?' Olivia asked as they went through an empty corridor.

Willow sighed. 'I'm napping more so than sleeping, I guess. Like, I know they must check my OBS regularly and shit like that, so getting a solid night's been difficult. And it aches more so at like 2 in the morning which isn't fun. I'm sure I'll sleep better in my bed anyway.'

Olivia smirked at her, 'You sure you don't want to stay longer?'

The face Willow must have made cause the blonde to burst into cackles, having to take a second to get her breath back. 'Like, I know you tend to get old biddies about two days to Death's door who're just lonely or so crabby that no one wants to be around them, but Olivia, my bed is beckoning me. My plants need me. I still have presents to wrap, to get, I don't have time to spare being in here longer than necessary. So, thanks, but no thanks.'

The blonde looked at her, 'You're really high strung, you know that?'

'Oh yeah.'

She nodded, 'Alrighty then, we'll turn here and head back to your room, okay? This is your first time upright, let's not strain you so you're having to stay a day later.'

'Yeah okay.' As the crutches swung her back around, Willow piped up, 'Reckon I could have a shower? I feel yuck.'

The grin was amused. 'Let's get you sitting down and then we'll see about a shower, yeah?'

'And proper pyjamas, Olivia. Cotton, instead of paper.'

Willow was sweating by the time she was sitting in the chair beside her bed, the effort taking more out of her than she thought as she tucked her crutches along with it. Olivia high fived her, 'That was a great start. We'll just start lengthening it day and day and hey, even if you want to start walking your friends and family to the lifts, then go for it. Just take your time, okay?'

She nodded, pushing her glasses up. 'Thanks, Olivia. And I will do.'

'Nice.' The blonde grinned again, 'Lemme go see about a shower, yeah? And I'll see you tomorrow, okay?'

'Thank you.'

'No problem, girlie.'

Deciding to see what Richard had packed, Willow used her crutch to pull her bag towards her and heaved it onto her bed, grimacing as her ribs throbbed. Loose fuzzy bottoms and some of her favourite shirts too. Good one, Dad.

Getting them out and setting them on her bed, the bag was set down between the chair and monitors as Natalie came in again, working the twelve-hour again. 'Shower time?'

'I'm so excited. I think I still have dried blood in my hair.'

The nurse laughed softly as she took out what looked like a leg condom but was the waterproof covering for her cast. 'You'll take this home with you too. I'll help with getting it on because the elastic is a bit tight and you'll probably need your Dad to help afterwards but it'll just slide to about an inch above the cast and keep it sealed tight. And you're gonna need a seat.'

'I'm only a lil old lady.' Willow whimpered with a tease as the covering clung to her skin. 'But also, thank fuck I shaved before the accident.'

'It's Winter?'

'Yeah, but I still wore skirts even with tights and leggings underneath.'

'Weirdo.' Natalie laughed, handing her the crutches, and going to get the shower ready. Swinging herself up, once again Willow had to breathe through nausea and then navigated her way to the bathroom which was a basic handicapped stall. Too tired already to give a shit about being naked around a basic stranger, Willow didn't care as the paper knickers fell down and Natalie undid the back of her, feeling grimy and yuck as she lowered herself down onto the stool, once again, fighting nausea.

At least she wasn't going to vomit on the toilet.

'Want me to do your hair?' Natalie asked as it took her a second to orientate herself, slightly shaky from the lack of energy.

Hating feeling so weak, Willow gave in. 'Yes please?'

Then she set about doing her body. It wasn't a long shower, maybe only ten minutes but sitting on the toilet, putting on her own underwear and pyjamas and the one compression sock made her feel like a whole new person. Esme was sitting in the room when she came out, and she wiggled the hairbrush with a smile. 'How about we get that hair sorted out?'

'Yes please.'

Natalie took the used gown and such for the waste bin and checked her chart for her next dose as Esme began to brush her hair back, squeezing the water out gently. 'I'll be back with your painkillers with lunch?'

'Thanks, Nat.' Willow smiled, her shoulder relaxing now that her spine and ass wasn't on show for everyone.

'Feel better?'

'So much.' She sighed, enjoying the feeling of having her hair done. 'I doubt the dried blood smelt nice to you lot.'

Esme's laugh was quiet and warm as she plaited the twin braids swiftly. 'We just focused on the fact that you were okay. How was physio?'

'Took me a minute or two get upright but we made it to the empty ward, you know the one that everyone jokes is haunted at night? And then back again. I was sweating by the time I got back.'

'And the nausea?'

'That's still there,' Willow shrugged, smiling in thanks as Esme lifted the blankets for her to slip under with a little bit of trouble, 'and will hopefully be gone by tomorrow. How's Jasper?'

Esme's caramel hair seemed so flat in the stark lighting as she tossed it gently over a wool-covered shoulder, a lovely pea coat over her chair, as she settled beside her, 'Better now that you're up and mobile, and probably going to be even better when he knows you're keeping things down. And yes, they've been collecting your homework for your classes, but you really should be concentrating on getting better, sweet girl.'

'And I will be,' Willow acquiesced, 'but it's not like I'm going to be busy doing stuff on the run-up to Christmas anyway and I can't go to the wedding, so I have the time to get it done.'

Esme held her hand as she began to pick at the blankets. 'Has your Mother said anything?'

Her nod was silent. 'Not since Thanksgiving.'

Willow's stomach rolled at the aftermath of that fight. How long would she hold it over her head? How did she take the fact that Willow couldn't go to the wedding? 'Willow, look at me.' Caramel met hazel green, 'The crash was out of your hands, and there was nothing that you could've done to change anything. Trust me, when I say that all of us have tried looking at other outcomes. Has Jonathon said anything? Genevieve?'

'Dad said that Jon sends his love and that Evie understands.' But it was the idea of Mother's reaction that had her panicking. Or well, not panicking, but her heart rate picking up. 'What if she's coming here to yell at me?'

'Why would she?'

'Because I can't go to the wedding? That I could potentially be ruining it? Ruining Evie's day. Wasting her time? Not following through with my promises? Letting her down?' her eyes burned as tears welled up, her situation hitting her. Willow usually had the holidays planned to a 't', every day of the two weeks off designated for something or someone and the fact that she was not only in the hospital before school let out for them, but also letting down several people, had her hands shaking.

'May I give you a hug, sweetheart?'

She nodded and Esme's cold grip was grounding as the matriarch perched on the edge of her bed, smoothing her back. 'If she comes in demanding these things of you, well, she will have me to deal with, okay? If the bride understands why you can't make it, then that's all that matters, alright?'

'Yeah.'

Pulling away, Esme smoothed away the tears with a warm smile and slid back into the seat with grace, 'There. Now, shall I tell you about the presents I got everyone this year?'

'Yes please.'

Willow got released on Saturday.

And she was nearly about to commit murder that morning.

She'd maybe gotten a collective of twelve solid hours of sleep over the few days she was in and because of it, a migraine from lack of sleep had roared in her head with a vengeance from about three that morning. And whilst she'd asked for pain killers, a student nurse had forgotten to give them to her and then another even bumblier nurse was clattering and banging about her room as the light had her nausea creeping up her throat.

Richard came in and immediately saw her face. 'What is it?'

'Can I get painkillers please?' Willow whispered, 'I have had a killer migraine since last night and didn't get any.'

'Of course.' He murmured, kissing her forehead as she sat in the bed, with clean pyjamas on and a dressing gown over the chair. Willow barely grabbed the sick bag quick enough before she was sick into it, mainly water coming up and that really nice white chocolate and raspberry bun that Carla had snuck her in the night before – one of the rare things that had actually stayed down as she went to the loo. 'Oh, baby.'

'Can I go home?'

She was tired, sore, and just plain fed up with being in the hospital. Richard tucked some hair behind her ear after he helped her into the dressing gown. 'They're just discharging you now. Jo's bringing you some painkillers and then I have to sign you out and then you're set to leave.'

'I want my bed.'

'I'm not surprised.'

'Please tell me you haven't killed my plants.'

'I've been very diligent with them. Thanks, Jo.'

'No problem, sorry Willow.'

'S'okay.' She muttered, blindly taking the medication with the water Richard had on hand and settled back as she waited for them to kick in. Richard kissed her forehead and left her to it, setting off to sign her discharge papers. Willow hadn't even drawn the entire time she'd been in, either too sore to concentrate, too nauseated, or sleeping, or talking with people. It had probably been the longest she'd gone without drawing something if she had been honest.

'Sapling,' Willow grunted as Richard smoothed her hair back, 'c'mon I've got a chair for you. Let's blow this joint.'

'My bed.'

'Yes, baby girl, your bed.'

And that concludes the end of the Hospital Saga. Most of her experience is based on mine when I had to go in for surgery. Found out that anesthetic and I do not mix and a very nice nurse gave me a muffin because I was polite to her. RULE OF THUMB FOR YOU ALL - BE NICE TO YOUR NURSES AND THEY WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR YOU!

There wasn't so much drama in this chapter but a little to just remind you all of the bitch that is Imelda.

Also, fun fact, if you check my profile there should be a link to a playlist I made for this fic. Currently 95 songs long and knowing myself as well as I do, probably gonna get longer. Feel free to take a gander at it. So far my favourite song on there is the one I associate with Willow, Georgie, Lucy and Scott which is 'Someone to You' by BANNERS.

And if the link doesn't work, you can find me on Spotify - 'K x' - and it should be there.

I'm loving your reactions to this fic and let me know if you all associate songs with some of the ships in this and I might just add them to the 'list.

Enjoy,

K x