Andy walked through the halls of the rehab center, and just as she would at Grey Sloan Memorial she said hello to all the Doctors and nurses.
"Merry Christmas Andy! Don't you look lovely. How are you?" a Nurse said walking in front of her
"I'm great thank you! Merry Christmas! How are you, Nurse Adam?" Andy said with a smile
"I'm good, here to see him again, I assume?" Nurse Adam raised her eyebrow giving her a pointed look.
Over the past two months Andy had made it a habit to visit Robert Sullivan in his rehab facility. After the aid car accident they became pretty close. It was kind of a cliche where they bonded over a traumatic experience, but it turned out to be that they did enjoy eachothers company.
"Yes, Ma'am. No one should be alone on Christmas." Andy said, excusing herself and walking down the long corridor. Yes she had dressed up for the occasion. It was christmas after all.
She finally reached his door, she quickly ran her fingers through her hair looking at an imaginary mirror before knocking, waiting for a response.
"Its open" she heard him call out from inside
She twisted the door knob opening the door surprised to see her friend sitting up on the side of his bed swinging his feet.
"Huh, would you look at that. Never thought I would see the day Robert Sullivans feet don't touch the floor." Andy said laughing dropping her stuff on the little couch in his room. Robert laughed in response. It caught her off guard. The couch wasn't there yesterday. "Wait this couch wasn't there yesterday was it?" Andy asked, taking a step back looking between Robert and the couch.
"No it was not. Nurse Adam thought it would be more comfortable for you since you are here so often and for hours at a time." He responded.
"Ah! You say it as if you don't enjoy my wonderful and amusing company Robert." They both laughed. Andy took off her coat hanging it on the back of another chair.
"So what do you think?" she asked before twirling around allowing Robert to get a full 360 of her off the shoulder santa dress.
"Beautiful, as always" He replied with a smile
"Why, thank you," she said, taking a seat on the couch. "Oh, did you need help getting back into bed?" she asked about to get up but was stopped by Robert raising his hand
"No, no I need to go get your present." Robert said as he got off the bed, standing.
"Present, Robert you didn't have too and I can get it just tell me where it is,'' she replied standing up and walking over to him.
"No I got it, I can walk Andy. With a cane but I can walk"
Andy takes a seat on the edge of the couch watching intently as Robert walks across the room. She is not above running to catch him if he loses his balance, she's a paramedic after all. Robert pulls out this bag from a little cabinet and makes his way back to his bed.
"I have something for you as well. Well it's something we can both enjoy because I doubt you will do it on your own." Andy said smiling while going through her bag pulling out a box.
"Okay, I want you to open your gift first though." Robert stretched his hand out handing Andy the bag.
"If you insist." Andy took the bag and took a seat next to him on the bed. Andy opened the bag and pulled out a long box wrapped in red wrapping paper. When she began unwrapping it she was met with another layer of red tissue paper. She stopped looking at Robert who was laughing. When she finally got all the paper off she got to a black velvet box. She opened it to see a beautiful necklace with a small pendant on it.
"A turtle?" Andy asked confused
"It's a Sea Turtle, it represents resilience." Robert said watching as Andy began to tear up
"Thank you" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck hugging him. SHe handed him the necklace, lifting her hair so he could clip it on. As his hand brushed against the back of her neck she felt chills run down her spine and goose bumps rose on her entire body. She shook it off saying to herself his hands are just cold.
"Your turn" Andy said, handing him his box. He took the box and quickly unwrapped it. He opened the box and found a roll of paper. It looked as though it could be a poster.
"What is it supposed to be?" he asked looking at Andy who just shook her head and smiled
"YOu have to open it," she took the roll of paper from him standing up and opening it. "It's a scratch off movie chart. There are 100 movies on there. I figured since we are friends now that we can hang out together outside of work and watch the movies." She watched as his face lit up which caused her to smile.
Many hours passed, hours full of conversation about next to nothing, eating cookies Andy made, and drinking water because that's all that is allowed. The two were sitting in comfortable silence when there was a knock at the door.
"I was just coming by to let you know visiting hours are ending in 10 minutes" Nurse Adams said peaking her head through the door
"Thank you Nurse Adams," Andy said smiling
"That better be water in that cup Sullivan," Nurse Adams said, turning her attention from Andy to Sullivan.
"Yes ma'am it is" Robert said flashing a smile
"I don't know how you deal with him," She said, turning to Andy before leaving them alone once again.
"I should get going, I have shift tomorrow anyway." She said packing all her stuff. She put her coat on and her boots and she walked around the bed hugging him saying goodbye.
"Thank you again for the necklace. Its beautiful"
"You're welcome. Thank you for visiting me, I really do enjoy your company."
"Bye Robert, Merry Christmas" she said giving him a kiss on the cheek
"Merry Christmas Andy"
The next few weeks were quite busy for Andy between shift and making sure her father was okay. It was like the beginning all over again. She was constantly making sure her fathers reports were filed and he was eating. A shift had just gotten back from a call, they were wiping down the trucks and the aid car before they ended shift when Chief Ripley walked in.
"Good afternoon 19t" Ripley said
"Afternoon sir" everyone responded going back to their tasks.
"Uhh, Herrera can I see you in the captain's office."
Andy looked at Maya who just shrugged.
"Yes sir" Andy said walking out of the barn and into the captain's office where her father was sitting. Chief Ripley closed the door behind him.
"You wanted to see me sir?" she asked. She was kind of antsy and began playing with the necklace Robert got her, getting called in by the chief was like being called in by the principal.
"Yes, well first I wanted to see how you were doing. I know you've been back for a while."
"Oh I'm good sir, i'm doing much better"
"Well I wanted to be the first to tell you that you are being awarded the Medal of Valor, in two days time."
"What?! No Chief I-"
"Captain Sullivan wrote a letter sa-"
"He what?!"
"Andrea Herrera if you cut your chief off one more time" Captain Herrera butted in this time
"I'm just the messenger I will be forwarding the information to Captain Herrera later this week. Have a good afternoon guys" Ripley said before leaving.
"Mija, I'm so proud of yo-" before he could finish his sentence Andy was out the door. She ran straight to her locker, grabbed her bag, and her car keys and drove straight to the rehab facility.
"Hey Andy, you're here early, he's still in physical therapy, if you want to go and get cleaned up and come back" Nurse Adam said. It was then that Andy realized that she was still covered in soot from the last call, and she was still in her turnout bottoms.
"No its okay I will just wait in his room, this is important" she said not even waiting for a response. Andy got to his room, placed a chair right in front of his bed and sat there tapping her foot with her arms crossed. She sat there for a while it felt like hours but in reality it was only a few minutes. When the door opened she sat up straight.
"Hey, Andy, what are you doing here so early?" Robert said with a smile which quickly faded when he saw the serious look on her face. "Andy whats wrong, you're covered in soot."
"The... Meda...l of... Valor" she said slowly not talking her eyes off of him.
"What about it?"
"You wrote a letter, telling the Seattle Fire Chief to give me the Medal of Valor for the aid car accident." she said her facial expression had not changed.
"I did that because you deserve it."
"But I don't, I did my job, and not well enough because Shannon died, you were paralyzed for weeks, and I have nightmares. I don't deserve an award for doing a half ass job."
"Andy stop being hard on yourself. You kept Shannon alive as long as you could with the supplies in the aid car. Yeah I was paralyzed but look I can move and I can walk. And as for your nightmares those go away with time. We are alive Andy. We are breathing. You kept the two of us alive. You deserve this medal."
Andy rolled her eyes. "Well if I'm going to get this medal you better be there."
"I will try."
"Mhmm okay well I should get back and clean up before my dad yells at me. Bye Robert"
"Bye Andy"
That night Robert called Ripley to find out when and where the ceremony was going to take place since he promised Andy he would try. The next morning when Nurse Adams came in to check on him he used that as an opportunity to ask her.
"Good morning Nurse Adams. Don't you look extra lovely this morning,"
"What do you want Sullivan?"
"Andy, you know the woman who always visits me. She is getting an award tomorrow morning for what happened in the aid car accident and I was wondering if I could sign out for the morning come back do my PT and then go to the afterparty?
"Sullivan I-"
"Please Nurse Adams I wouldn't ask if it were anyone else but she literally saved my life and she is the only person who has been there for me consistently so please, I'm begging. This is me begging?"
"Fine, but I'm only giving you a few hours"
"That's perfect. Thank you!"
Robert leaned back in his bed smiling. He immediately called Ripley asking him to get his uniform from his apartment. He was happy he would be able to be there for her.
Andy was on shift sitting at reception. She pulled out her phone texting Robert to see if he had talked to Nurse Adams yet.
A: Hey did you talk to Nurse Adams about coming to the ceremony?
R: Yeah, she said that I shouldn't risk all the walking and stuff, even with the cane. I'm sorry I really wanted to be there for you.
A: It's okay. Thanks for trying, I gotta go.
Robert felt so bad for lying to Andy but he knew she would be so surprised to see him there tomorrow.
The next day came and Andy got ready in her uniform and made it to the City Hall. She stood outside with the entire A shift including her dad and Ryan, they were talking and making jokes trying to calm her nerves.
"Is that-" Travis started which got everyone's attention. They all turned to the man who was getting out of his car walking perfectly fine.
'Oh..my...god," Andy took off her hat handing it to Maya before taking off running. Andy engulfs Robert in a big hug holding onto him for a long time.
"Is Andy hugging Sullivan?" Maya says to Vic
"Since when is Andy a hugger?" Vic replies all while Pruitt just stares
"What happened to the cane? You can drive? Wait what are you doing here?" Andy rattled off questions. Robert cupped her face in his hands to stop her.
"One question at a time" He said laughing
"Did he just laugh?" Travis asked
"Captain Fire Grinch laughed" Dean replied
"I thought Nurse Adams said no? I'm so happy you're here. You don't understand."Andy replied holding onto his hands.
"I begged" Robert chuckled "I told her I wanted to show up for you just like you showed up for me," He continued. "Thank you, for showing up for me, Andy. It means more than you could ever know."
"I will always show up for you, and you will always show up for me." Andy said with a smile and pulled him in for another hug.