Chapter 34
The next few weeks were difficult ones for Jason. He hated being in the hospital and being dependent on others. Elizabeth was the only one who could soothe his exacerbated feelings and encourage his cooperation with the physiotherapist. The swelling around his spinal column had gone down and he was making excellent progress walking without pain.
The day that Jason could go home had finally arrived and he waited impatiently for his discharge papers. Sonny and Elizabeth were both in his room trying to keep him calm.
"I know you're anxious to get going, Jason," Sonny said. "I'm sure Monica will be here soon."
Jason shoved his hand through his hair. "It's just that I hate this place. I can't wait to get out of here."
Elizabeth caught his hands and held them. "We know this is hard. You've done so well with all of this. It won't be long now, and then I'll take you home and spoil you." She grinned impishly.
Relaxing somewhat, Jason pulled her closer and gave her a slow, sexy smile. "I can hardly wait."
When Sonny chuckled, Elizabeth blushed and said, "Jason!"
Carly entered the room and went to stand beside her husband. "Hey guys. So today's the big day, Jase." She seemed excited.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, if they'll ever come with my discharge orders." Noting that she was holding something, he asked, "What's that, Carly?"
She smiled widely. "It's a sonogram of the baby. I just came from there." Turning to face Sonny, she held it out. "So, Daddy. Do you want to see your baby?"
Speechless, Sonny took the paper and looked at it in awe. Tears welled in his eyes. This was his child - his and Carly's. Their love had created this new little person.
Understanding exactly what he was feeling, Carly wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead against his. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
He leaned in and kissed her. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said hoarsely. "Besides you, of course."
Elizabeth could feel tears start in her own eyes. "Could we see it?" she asked softly.
Sonny handed it to her and said, "That's my little girl. Isn't she a beauty?"
Carly laughed. "You don't know it's a girl. We decided we wanted to be surprised, remember?"
Sonny grinned, showing his dimples. "It's a girl. I know it."
Jason stood behind Elizabeth and put his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder to get a good look at the sonogram. "I think you're going to have to explain it to me," he said. "It doesn't look like a baby to me."
They all laughed. "I'll try," Elizabeth offered. "See this shape." She traced the outline of the body. "That's the baby. Sonograms aren't like actual photographs. They just let the doctor see that things are fine and they can pinpoint a due date fairly accurately."
Looking up, Jason asked, "When is the baby due?"
Carly answered, "In four-and-a-half months. She or HE will be a late summer baby."
At that moment, Monica entered carrying a file. "I'm finally here with the discharge papers. Sorry it took so long." She looked at her son and was thankful that he'd made such a full recovery.
Jason took them and said, "Thanks, Monica - for everything. I know I haven't been the best patient. I do appreciate how much easier you've made my stay." For some reason, even though he didn't remember her from before the accident, he felt connected to Monica - just like he did to Emily and Lila.
Monica smiled. "You're welcome, Jason. I'm just glad that you're going to be fine. Come by soon to see Lila and bring Elizabeth with you. I'll make sure Edward is out of the way."
He reached out and hugged her. "Thank you." His voice was quiet.
She held him close, tears in her eyes. "I love you, Jason," she whispered and then said, "Now you'd better get out of here before we decide to keep you another night."
"I have a car outside," Sonny volunteered. "Let's all go home." He put his arm around Carly and led the way.
"Good-bye, Monica," Elizabeth said softly. "We'll come by soon."
"Good-bye," she responded. "We'll look forward to it. Bye, Jason."
"Bye, Mom," he replied, smiling. He took Elizabeth's hand and laced his fingers with hers. They walked out together, leaving a surprised and happy Monica behind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sonny and Carly arrived home to find Michael anxiously waiting for them. "Is Jason OK?" he asked. "Can I see him?"
They sat down on the sofa and Sonny pulled Michael up on his lap. "Jason is fine, buddy, but he's really tired from the trip home and he needs to rest. We'll go see him tomorrow," he explained.
Michael sighed. "OK. I guess I can wait till then." He snuggled back into Sonny's arms.
Carly smiled. It always warmed her heart to see her two men bonding. "Hey, little man. I have a picture of the baby in mommy's tummy. Would you like to see it?" She opened her purse and took it out.
Excited, Michael answered, "Sure." With a puzzled expression on his face, he turned the sonogram every way possible and finally said, "It's pretty funny looking."
She chuckled. "Yeah, well your sister or brother has a lot of growing to do still. By the time she's born, she won't look so funny."
Sonny grinned. "She?" he said mischievously. "You think it's a girl, too, don't you?"
"No. I think you're rubbing off on me. That's all. Actually, boy or girl, it doesn't matter. He or she will be part of our family." Carly leaned over and kissed Michael and then Sonny. "I love you," she said huskily.
"I love you, too," Sonny responded and pulled her closer so that the three of them were touching. He placed his hand on her stomach and felt the baby move. His heart overflowed with the love and joy he felt with them - his family.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth helped Jason up the stairs and into bed. By the time they reached the bedroom, he was leaning fairly heavily on her. The trip home had tired him more than he thought it would.
She placed several pillows behind him and made him as comfortable as possible. "Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Something to eat or drink? Maybe some soup," she suggested teasingly.
"No. All I want is you here beside me," he replied and moved over to make room for her. She climbed in and snuggled against him, careful not to hurt him.
With her head on his chest, Elizabeth could hear the steady beat of his heart and it reminded her of how close she had come to losing him. She wanted to stay here like this with him forever. "I missed you," she said softly. "It was lonely in this big bed without you. You're going to think I'm silly, but I started sleeping in one of your shirts. It made me feel closer to you."
Touched, Jason placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head so he could see her face. "That's not silly. I missed you, too. I had a hard time sleeping without you. I don't want to be apart from you again. Wherever I am, I want you there, too." His voice was husky and full of need.
Elizabeth reached up and caressed his face. "I want that, too, Jason. I love you."
"I love you, Elizabeth." Jason leaned in and kissed her gently and then with increasing intensity.
She responded passionately, longing for him overwhelming her. Before she was completely swept away, she forced herself to pull back. "What about your back, Jason?" she asked breathlessly.
"I'm fine," he replied. He smoothed the hair back from her face - the face of the one so precious to him, that he couldn't picture his life without her in it. "Let me love you, Elizabeth."
Reassured, she answered, "Always, Jason. Never stop loving me." When he recaptured her mouth in a searing kiss, she gave herself up to the flame that burned away the past and forged an unbreakable bond for the future.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next few weeks were difficult ones for Jason. He hated being in the hospital and being dependent on others. Elizabeth was the only one who could soothe his exacerbated feelings and encourage his cooperation with the physiotherapist. The swelling around his spinal column had gone down and he was making excellent progress walking without pain.
The day that Jason could go home had finally arrived and he waited impatiently for his discharge papers. Sonny and Elizabeth were both in his room trying to keep him calm.
"I know you're anxious to get going, Jason," Sonny said. "I'm sure Monica will be here soon."
Jason shoved his hand through his hair. "It's just that I hate this place. I can't wait to get out of here."
Elizabeth caught his hands and held them. "We know this is hard. You've done so well with all of this. It won't be long now, and then I'll take you home and spoil you." She grinned impishly.
Relaxing somewhat, Jason pulled her closer and gave her a slow, sexy smile. "I can hardly wait."
When Sonny chuckled, Elizabeth blushed and said, "Jason!"
Carly entered the room and went to stand beside her husband. "Hey guys. So today's the big day, Jase." She seemed excited.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, if they'll ever come with my discharge orders." Noting that she was holding something, he asked, "What's that, Carly?"
She smiled widely. "It's a sonogram of the baby. I just came from there." Turning to face Sonny, she held it out. "So, Daddy. Do you want to see your baby?"
Speechless, Sonny took the paper and looked at it in awe. Tears welled in his eyes. This was his child - his and Carly's. Their love had created this new little person.
Understanding exactly what he was feeling, Carly wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead against his. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
He leaned in and kissed her. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said hoarsely. "Besides you, of course."
Elizabeth could feel tears start in her own eyes. "Could we see it?" she asked softly.
Sonny handed it to her and said, "That's my little girl. Isn't she a beauty?"
Carly laughed. "You don't know it's a girl. We decided we wanted to be surprised, remember?"
Sonny grinned, showing his dimples. "It's a girl. I know it."
Jason stood behind Elizabeth and put his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder to get a good look at the sonogram. "I think you're going to have to explain it to me," he said. "It doesn't look like a baby to me."
They all laughed. "I'll try," Elizabeth offered. "See this shape." She traced the outline of the body. "That's the baby. Sonograms aren't like actual photographs. They just let the doctor see that things are fine and they can pinpoint a due date fairly accurately."
Looking up, Jason asked, "When is the baby due?"
Carly answered, "In four-and-a-half months. She or HE will be a late summer baby."
At that moment, Monica entered carrying a file. "I'm finally here with the discharge papers. Sorry it took so long." She looked at her son and was thankful that he'd made such a full recovery.
Jason took them and said, "Thanks, Monica - for everything. I know I haven't been the best patient. I do appreciate how much easier you've made my stay." For some reason, even though he didn't remember her from before the accident, he felt connected to Monica - just like he did to Emily and Lila.
Monica smiled. "You're welcome, Jason. I'm just glad that you're going to be fine. Come by soon to see Lila and bring Elizabeth with you. I'll make sure Edward is out of the way."
He reached out and hugged her. "Thank you." His voice was quiet.
She held him close, tears in her eyes. "I love you, Jason," she whispered and then said, "Now you'd better get out of here before we decide to keep you another night."
"I have a car outside," Sonny volunteered. "Let's all go home." He put his arm around Carly and led the way.
"Good-bye, Monica," Elizabeth said softly. "We'll come by soon."
"Good-bye," she responded. "We'll look forward to it. Bye, Jason."
"Bye, Mom," he replied, smiling. He took Elizabeth's hand and laced his fingers with hers. They walked out together, leaving a surprised and happy Monica behind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sonny and Carly arrived home to find Michael anxiously waiting for them. "Is Jason OK?" he asked. "Can I see him?"
They sat down on the sofa and Sonny pulled Michael up on his lap. "Jason is fine, buddy, but he's really tired from the trip home and he needs to rest. We'll go see him tomorrow," he explained.
Michael sighed. "OK. I guess I can wait till then." He snuggled back into Sonny's arms.
Carly smiled. It always warmed her heart to see her two men bonding. "Hey, little man. I have a picture of the baby in mommy's tummy. Would you like to see it?" She opened her purse and took it out.
Excited, Michael answered, "Sure." With a puzzled expression on his face, he turned the sonogram every way possible and finally said, "It's pretty funny looking."
She chuckled. "Yeah, well your sister or brother has a lot of growing to do still. By the time she's born, she won't look so funny."
Sonny grinned. "She?" he said mischievously. "You think it's a girl, too, don't you?"
"No. I think you're rubbing off on me. That's all. Actually, boy or girl, it doesn't matter. He or she will be part of our family." Carly leaned over and kissed Michael and then Sonny. "I love you," she said huskily.
"I love you, too," Sonny responded and pulled her closer so that the three of them were touching. He placed his hand on her stomach and felt the baby move. His heart overflowed with the love and joy he felt with them - his family.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth helped Jason up the stairs and into bed. By the time they reached the bedroom, he was leaning fairly heavily on her. The trip home had tired him more than he thought it would.
She placed several pillows behind him and made him as comfortable as possible. "Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Something to eat or drink? Maybe some soup," she suggested teasingly.
"No. All I want is you here beside me," he replied and moved over to make room for her. She climbed in and snuggled against him, careful not to hurt him.
With her head on his chest, Elizabeth could hear the steady beat of his heart and it reminded her of how close she had come to losing him. She wanted to stay here like this with him forever. "I missed you," she said softly. "It was lonely in this big bed without you. You're going to think I'm silly, but I started sleeping in one of your shirts. It made me feel closer to you."
Touched, Jason placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head so he could see her face. "That's not silly. I missed you, too. I had a hard time sleeping without you. I don't want to be apart from you again. Wherever I am, I want you there, too." His voice was husky and full of need.
Elizabeth reached up and caressed his face. "I want that, too, Jason. I love you."
"I love you, Elizabeth." Jason leaned in and kissed her gently and then with increasing intensity.
She responded passionately, longing for him overwhelming her. Before she was completely swept away, she forced herself to pull back. "What about your back, Jason?" she asked breathlessly.
"I'm fine," he replied. He smoothed the hair back from her face - the face of the one so precious to him, that he couldn't picture his life without her in it. "Let me love you, Elizabeth."
Reassured, she answered, "Always, Jason. Never stop loving me." When he recaptured her mouth in a searing kiss, she gave herself up to the flame that burned away the past and forged an unbreakable bond for the future.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*