A/N Hi, everyone! Okay, so, about the last chapter, I'm so happy because we finally got Jelsa's kiss, sorry you had to wait for twenty three chapters long. But did you know that I also had to wait that long to be able to write such a chapter? ;D And about this one, it might be boring, but trust me, I had a lot of fun while writing this. So, enjoy!
Dr. Murphy officially withdrew the visitor restrictions for Elsa even though during a visit the following morning, she didn't get what she had hoped for. Elsa's pulse wasn't as strong as she'd hoped, and Elsa was still having a headache and a little nauseous, not counting the pain that came from her wound.
But when Elsa explained that she didn't get enough sleep last night, finally dr. Murphy agreed to Elsa being able to get visitors on the condition that she should rest when her body asked for it and not force herself to stay awake even though there were visitors.
"And I'll start giving you oral nutrition, Miss Winters, step by step. It's been a few days since your body has only received nutrition from your IV." She pointed to the milky like IV bag. "You have to start eating things through your mouth. You won't eat solid food right away, because your digestive system won't be ready if you eat solid food right away."
"Does that mean that I'm going to get that mushy and sticky hospital food?" Elsa asked, just imagining it made her stomach churn.
Iduna who was sitting on the side of the bed, smiled at her daughter's question. She squeezed her daughter's hand gently. "It's alright, sweetheart." She whispered.
"Yes. But first, for today I will give you oral nutritional supplements in liquid form, or you can call it milk. High in protein, so it can help your wound heal faster. Tomorrow, you will get that mushy and sticky hospital food combine with that milk, and I'll stop your IV nutrition. You will only get electrolytes from your IV." Dr. Murphy explained.
Elsa glanced at her mother beside her, realizing she had no choice. She wanted a speedy recovery so she could live her days normally with the people she cares about. She was fed up with the surprises that turned her world upside down lately.
She missed sleeping comfortably in her bed, she missed the pile of paperwork on her desk, she missed having dinner after work with Jack, she missed her normal days and from now on, she would be able to be with her mother every day. And for starters, she had to say 'yes' to everything the doctor suggested to her. Because it was the best for her.
"You'll be fine, Elsa." Said Iduna, looked at Elsa and then turned to dr. Murphy. "Don't worry, dr. Murphy. I'll make sure she eat them all."
"Alright. Do you have any question?"
"When can I go home?" Elsa asked quickly, making dr. Murphy laughed.
"I'm not done with you, Miss Winters. I'll let you out of the hospital once I'm satisfied with your vitals. I still have to make sure there's no more internal bleeding, I still have to make sure the anesthetic effect wears off completely. The day before yesterday, you still had to be on a ventilator after surgery so I still have to make sure you don't have an infection in your respiratory tract. It could hurt to breath in deeply and push air out because mucus could build up in your lungs. So if you have a little bit of trouble breathing, or if you have a fever, you have to let me know, okay?"
"Okay." Elsa answered obediently.
"I still have to make sure you don't have a problem using the bathroom, I still have to make sure your wound heals beautifully, and I still have to make sure the colour on your face is back before I finally discharge you. Do you understand?" Dr. Murphy sounded serious with her words so Elsa had to think a thousand times not to answer 'yes'.
"Yes."
"Okay." Dr. Murphy smiled, satisfied with Elsa's answer and shoved her hands into her white coat pockets. "Now, rest. When I return to visit tonight, I expect a stronger pulse. Excuse me." And with that, dr. Murphy walked out of the room.
Elsa let out a long breath and when she glanced at her mother, she found her mother covering her mouth with her palm, trying not to laugh. She raised one eyebrow and tilted her head.
"Are you laughing at me?"
Iduna tried to compose herself and finally lowered her hand from her mouth. She shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Mom?" Elsa wasn't convinced by her mother's answer because she was still smiling strangely.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Iduna then stood up and pulled Elsa's blanket over her chest. "It's better if you sleep now. You heard what the doctor said. You should rest."
But Elsa did not answer and looked at her mother still with a suspicious look. And realizing that she would not be able to escape from her daughter, Iduna finally laughed.
"Alright, alright. It's just that, you should see your face when dr. Murphy lectured you." Iduna ignored Elsa who was about to protest and cupped her cheeks. "Sleep now, okay? You'll feel better when you wake up." She kissed Elsa's forehead and smiled when Elsa sighed heavily and then nodded her head.
"I'm glad you're getting better, Elsa. And I'm also glad that you finally found your biological mother." Douglas said when he came to see Elsa.
Once the visitor restrictions were withdrawn by the doctor, several people came to visit. Douglas with Laura, his wife, Gerda with Olaf, and Emelia. Too bad Jack couldn't visit this afternoon because he'd been out of the office for a few days, and the office without Elsa and Jack, it was like a chick losing its mother and father.
For everyone's pleasure, Iduna's presence as Elsa's mother was welcomed and no one brought up her past. Even though it was obvious that Iduna looked awkward being among the people who had been present in her daughter's life, she tried to act normal, for the sake of her daughter.
"Thank you, uncle." Elsa said. She stared at Douglas for a moment and swallowed hard, suddenly nervous about what she was about to say. "I'm sorry I'm only telling you about this now that I have invited my mother to live in the house with me. I know I should have discussed this with you first, since Eleanor is the Winters Family mansion. I just couldn't help myself from asking her to stay with me. I-"
"Elsa." Douglas cut Elsa off. "That mansion is legally yours. Alright? My brother has passed it on to you. You are free to invite anyone to live with you. Especially your mother, you should have done that." Douglas smiled and took Elsa's hand. "I only ask one thing from you."
Elsa's brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it, uncle?"
"Just don't ever forget that you still have this handsome uncle of yours. No matter what, I'm still your uncle and you're my niece. We will still be a family." Douglas said with a beaming face.
"Of course you are still my uncle." Elsa squeezed her uncle's hand and smiled reassuringly.
"Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have a few words with your mother. Privately. Is that okay?"
The nervousness that had been subsided at first had to resurface because of hearing her uncle's words. "Uncle, what are you going to say-"
"It's okay. I just want to say thanks to her. Don't worry, okay?"
Elsa glanced at her mother who was currently talking to Gerda on the couch across the room and then back at Douglas. "Okay."
Elsa looked at Douglas' back who was walking away to approach Iduna. She saw how at first Iduna was confused by what Douglas said to her, but then when Iduna glanced at her and she gave a reassuring smile, Iduna stood up and followed Douglas out of the room.
"You okay, Elsa?" Suddenly Gerda was at the side of the bed and Elsa didn't notice her presence because she was too absorbed in staring at the closed door of the room, until she heard Gerda talking to her. "You look tired."
"I'm fine. Maybe a little tired, yes." Elsa looked at Gerda curiously. "Gerda, what do you think Uncle Douglas would say to my mother?"
"I don't know for sure, Elsa. But I'm sure that it's not something bad. We are all here happy that you finally got to be with your mother. Never forget that."
Elsa thought for a moment and although she was still confused and worried, in the end she nodded and smiled as best she could.
Meanwhile outside the room, Douglas and Iduna were standing by the wall not wanting to get in the way in the hallway. At first Iduna thought they were going to the waiting room but it turned out that Douglas stopped just a few feet from Elsa's door.
"Ms. Iduna, I just wanted to say that I'm glad finally Elsa can be with you. I don't mean to judge or anything, but what you have done by giving Elsa to Gerda, regardless of the reason behind it, Elsa has given happiness to my late brother, Nicholas. My late brother had waited decades to have a child and the presence of Elsa in his life made him very, very happy.
"Elsa is someone who always conceal her feelings. She is very stubborn and she may appear tough and strong on the outside, but she has a fragile heart. We know that she has kept a lot of emotions and questions inside her that ultimately affect her behaviour when she interacts with other people. Even though we, her adopted family always tried to open up to her, she still couldn't just tell us what was in her heart.
"But now, with you by her side, I hope she can open up more." Douglas held out his hand for a handshake. And despite her hesitation, Iduna grabbed it, making him smile. "I entrust Elsa to you. Take care of her and welcome to the family."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go there? Don't you miss me, Elsa?"
Jack was on the phone with Elsa that night. He still hadn't finished his work that had been piling up while it was getting late. He wanted so badly to go to the hospital but he didn't want to bother Elsa's rest time, as he had done last night, keeping her awake until dawn. Even though it wasn't his will, it was Elsa who still wanted to talk with him. But still, he felt like he was the one who was responsible.
"I do miss you, Jack. But I know that you are busy with work. And also, it's getting late. You better go straight home and rest. Do you still have much to do?"
"Not really. It can be done in thirty minutes. But I want to meet you, Elsa. Don't you miss my kiss?" He smiled hearing Elsa giggle, he was sure that by now, Elsa's face was already blushing red.
"Go straight home, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Has the doctor visited you?"
"She has."
"What did she say?"
"She said that I'm going home soon."
Jack chuckled and scratched his forehead. He knew Elsa didn't like being in the hospital. "You're lying. Have you had dinner?"
"Do you mean a glass of milk that doesn't taste good?"
"Yeah. Did you finish the whole glass?"
"To the last drop."
"Good girl. Do you want to go to sleep now?"
"No, I want to talk to you."
"But it's already late, Els. You should be sleeping now. Does your mom know you're calling me?"
"No, she's sleeping on the couch. I think she thought I was asleep, so she went to sleep."
Jack smiled and felt his heart flutter that Elsa was stealing time just to be able to talk to him. "Okay. What do yo want to talk about? But not too long, you should sleep, seriously."
"Okay, okay. Just tell me how your day was."
"Alright." Jack then recounted his day from the start he left for the office and was faced with a lot of paperwork and phone calls. Several times Elsa chimed in and commented on some things she was familiar with, but after about fifteen minutes, Jack no longer heard a reply from Elsa and instead, he heard soft snoring.
"Elsa?" Jack called softly and when he heard no answer after a while of waiting, he was sure that Elsa was already asleep. "Good night, Elsa. I love you." He smiled and hung up the phone. He straightened his seat and had to concentrate on his work again.
The next day, it was Kai and Olina's turn to come visit. Of course Kai still kept going back and forth from the hospital to the Mansion to drop off and pick up necessities, but this time he took the time to sit down and chat with his mistress.
At first Olina offered if Iduna wanted to go home to be able to rest comfortably in bed and Elsa also suggested the same thing because she couldn't bear to see her mother constantly sleeping on the couch, but Iduna refused and still wanted to be by her daughter's side because she couldn't sleep comfortably in the bed while her mind drifted to the hospital where her daughter was.
Jack came to visit in the evening and it was obvious that Elsa was very pleased with his presence. Her face lit up and she drank milk and ate the mushy and sticky hospital food without complaint just because it was Jack who fed her. And as long as they were talking, Elsa never once let go of her hand on Jack's. What they didn't know, Iduna was watching them from the couch with a smile plastered on her face.
"Look at you!" Suddenly dr. Murphy entered the room. "The colour on your face is back." She stopped beside the bed and Jack jumped off the bed to make a room for her.
"And it's your fault, lady." Said Elsa, smiling. She was in such a good mood that she could make a joke like that.
Dr. Murphy laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm sure that this is his fault." She pointed at Jack. "Is that right, Mom?" She looked at Iduna who was already standing with her hands resting on the footboard. Iduna just smiled and nodded, making Elsa blush even more.
"Alright, let's see how are you doing tonight." Dr. Murphy looked up and read the vital signs monitor. "Heart rate and blood pressure are a little bit low but it's okay, oxygen saturation is good, respiration is good, and temperature is normal." She smiled and and then turned to look at Elsa. "I read your file and the nurse changed your bandage this afternoon. No sign of infection which means it's good."
"So, can I go home?" Elsa asked hopefully.
"Are you able to go to the bathroom? And no problem urinating and defecating?"
"My mom still had to help me but I'm sure I'll be able to do it myself."
"When you sit for a long time, do you still feel dizzy or nauseous?" Her question this time made Elsa think a little. "Don't try to lie to me. Tell me how you really feel."
Elsa swallowed. She wanted so badly to go home, but seeing the doctor's piercing gaze in front of her, she couldn't lie. "A little." She chose the safest answer.
But when she saw the doctor raise an eyebrow in disbelief, she sighed softly. "I still feel dizzy but for nausea, just a little. And it will increase when I see my food." She said admitting and made everyone in the room smile.
"Alright. I will schedule an ultrasound for you tomorrow to see if there is still a problem with your spleen and if the results are as good as we all hope for, you can go home the next day. And try to walk around the room, to work your muscles. But remember, don't be too pushy. I don't want you to fall and make your wound open."
"Stay still, Elsa. Keep your eyes straight and don't try to interfere with your hands. You're going to mess it up again. And oh my God, why do you have so much hair?!"
Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to regret letting you braid my hair, Jack. Why did you have to do it, anyway?"
Elsa sat on her bed cross-legged with Jack sitting behind her trying desperately to braid her hair. On Jack's thigh, his cell phone was playing a tutorial how to braid hair on youtube.
While Iduna, finally wanted to go home to be able to at least take a proper shower. So, there were only the two of them in Elsa's room. Until suddenly, out of nowhere, Jack was inspired to braid Elsa's hair.
"Because, this is your first time out of the room in days. I have to make sure you look beautiful, my dear Elsa." Jack's tongue was sticking out in an attempt to concentrate on following the video tutorial that seemed to be getting faster and faster. He was starting to fall behind.
"Did you say that I'm always beautiful no matter what?" Elsa moved her head slightly, causing Jack to gently touch her cheek.
"Keep your head straight, Elsa. And yes, I did say that. But this, will make you much, much more beautiful. Stunning."
"I'm more comfortable if my hair is down though."
"Then why do you always put your hair in a bun at the office?"
"Because it's more appropriate when I meet a client, Jack. Also, don't I look elegant when I put my hair in a bun?"
Jack smirked. "You always look elegant even in pajamas and shorts."
Elsa poked Jack in the chest with her elbow, making him chuckle. "Are you done yet? My head hurts because you keep pulling my hair."
Jack didn't answer because he was having a hard time trying to braid Elsa's hair. He was contemplating whether to continue or not because Elsa said her head was starting to hurt.
"This is getting out of hands." He grabbed his phone with one hand while still holding Elsa's hair, so he could take a closer look.
Elsa took the opportunity to sink into Jack's chest, making her half braids fall apart again. "Just give it up already, Jack. You have no talent." She looked up over her shoulder and stared at Jack behind her. "I'll ask my mom to braid my hair if you really want to see me in braid. I'm sure my mom can do it."
Seeing Elsa's pleading face, Jack couldn't take it anymore and then kissed her forehead lightly. "Okay."
The two of them stared at each other for a while before finally a knock was heard at the door and then, a hospital staff came in with a tray of food.
"Miss Winters, this is your lunch." The hospital staff said, entering the room.
Elsa took a deep breath and had to sit up straight again, while Jack got out of bed to receive the tray.
"Thank you." Jack said, putting the tray on the small table next to the bed.
"And the nurse will give you a dose of your meds through your IV in a few moments. Excuse me." The hospital staff nodded her head a little and then she left the room.
"Do I have to eat that, Jack?" Elsa asked when she saw Jack begin to unwrap the plastic wrap from the tray and then prepare the spoon and fork. "What do I get?"
"Of course you have to, Elsa. You will recover quickly if you take whatever the doctor gave you." Jack sat in front of Elsa and prepared to present her lunch menu. "Let's see. Your lunch consists of creamed beef, green beans, carrots, broccoli, bread and of course milk." He pointed at the food with the fork.
Hearing and seeing her lunch menu, Elsa's throat made a sound like she was about to throw up. And that caught Jack's attention.
"What? You finished all your dinner last night. And now I'm feeding you again. Come on, eat. Open your mouth." Jack scooped up the creamed beef and brought it to Elsa's mouth.
But Elsa covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head. She was not in the mood. Her breakfast this morning was almost the same and it made her hold her breath when she ate it because the vegetables were soggy and tasteless. If it weren't for her mother who so patiently fed her, she would rather be hungry than have to eat the food. And now she had to think twice about going through the same suffering.
"Can I just have the milk?" She asked pleadingly.
Jack put down the spoon and let out a deep breath. "Okay, how about this. You finish this and once you get out of the hospital, I'll take you out on a date and have dinner at a fancy restaurant. You can eat whatever you want." He smiled when he saw the signs that Elsa seemed interested in his offer. She lowered her hand from her mouth and her lips began to curl into a smile.
"You can eat lamb rack, or tomahawk steak, or duck, or octopus, or smoked salmon with garnish on it, which do you remember, you didn't even have the heart to eat it because it was so beautiful?" Jack mentioned the foods they had tried before, making Elsa nod her head and giggle.
"You can eat giant prawns or oyster-"
"I don't really have a great relationship with oysters."
"Oh yeah? Why?"
"They taste great but I always have a hard time swallowing them." Elsa scrunched up her nose in disgust.
"Alright then, no oysters. You can eat king crabs, or lobsters-"
"Oh! I looove lobster!" Elsa sang the word 'love' because she really likes lobster.
"I loooooove youu!" Jack didn't want to lose and sang along to the word. He pinched Elsa's nose exasperatedly and then chuckled.
Elsa froze, Jack didn't know that maybe his action seemed normal because he had pinched Elsa's nose many times and said several times that he loved her, but it managed to make Elsa's heart flutter and then beat in the most dangerous rhythm when she heard those words because now, she had looked at Jack in a completely different way.
Elsa brought her hand to caress Jack's cheek. "I love you too, Jack." She said, smiling.
Now, it was Jack's turn to freeze. "What did you just say, Elsa?"
"What did I just say?" Elsa pretended to be confused. She crossed her arms over her chest and titled her head slightly. "I said nothing."
Jack narrowed his eyes and then decided to play along. He returned to the tray in his hand. "Alright, goodbye, lobster. Goodbye smoked salmon. Goodbye lamb rack-"
"Hey! I was just kidding!" Elsa cupped Jack's face and then gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you too, Jackson." She repeated the words.
Jack didn't have to answer and all he needed to do was kiss her again, and again, and again.
"Elsa, the nurse is here- Owh! I'm sorry, I'll come back later!" Suddenly someone entered the room and then the door was hurriedly closed.
"Who was that?" Jack broke the kiss and looked at Elsa nervously. He realized that Elsa was just as nervous as he was.
"My Mom."
Beyond their expectations, Iduna didn't say anything about the kissing incident that just happened. After making his face as calm as possible, Jack went to open the door and saw Iduna and a nurse who was about to give Elsa a dose of her meds waiting outside.
And after that, Jack continued to feed Elsa again while Iduna tried to braid her daughter's hair. Apart from his nervousness that Iduna had caught the two of them, another thought came to his mind.
Jack was in deep thought as he fed Elsa, helping her get ready for the radiology because dr. Murphy had already called her for an ultrasound, and by the time he and Iduna were sitting side by side waiting for Elsa outside the radiology unit.
Years ago, he had a rough time after he decided to run away from home. He was just a boy. He never experienced life like other normal teenagers who only think how they can get good grades in college and have fun. He had to work hard to earn money while he had to keep his grade to maintain his scholarship. He even never had a girlfriend.
But for the last one, he never had a girlfriend because he didn't want to. From the first time he landed his eyes on Elsa, he knew that she was the one. He had waited all his life to find someone who would fill the emptiness in his heart, like a piece of puzzle.
When he said he loved her, maybe it would mean nothing if she didn't accept his feelings in the end. But when he heard that she loved him too, it meant everything to him. He had waited so long to be able to say those words and then just a moment ago, he finally heard the answer he so desperately wanted.
He didn't want to wait any longer. He and she were both adults. They weren't teenagers in love, they were adults in love. He believed that Elsa was his true love and there was no point in living without his true love.
"Ms. Iduna." He shifted his seat and faced Iduna. "I want to ask for your blessing, I want to propose to your daughter."