Chapter 6 Slow Recovery
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys!!
Marina became vaguely aware of voices and of someone sitting at her left side. Her eyes, at least the one good one, flickered open and slowly focused."Hi there." Someone said.She turned her head toward the voice and saw her brother's gentle, smiling face. Her tongue felt thick and hard to manage, but she tried to speak. "How long have I been asleep?" she managed, but she wasn't sure how intelligible it was."About 2 days." Bobby replied.She was finally able to focus on him and saw how tired he looked. "You look like hell." She said.He smiled tiredly at her. "I look better than you do," he quipped, trying to keep things light. He leaned in toward her and she saw the concern in his eyes. "How are you feeling?""Sore, stiff.... embarrassed, and angry." She answered"Normal reactions, I would think, " he said. He lightly put his hand on her forehead and stroked her hair. "I'm so glad you're ok. " His eyes filled with tears. "And I'm so sorry....""Please don't" she said. "It happened, it was horrible. Now we all need to get over it.""Oh no." he said, pulling back from her. "Don't you dare try to seal this in your vault and call it over. This is bigger than that, Reenie. You need to deal with this." She just stared at him, saying nothing. " Hey, how about Jimmy, huh?She turned her head, looking for him. "Where is he?""Don't worry. He didn't leave you. I finally persuaded him to go get some coffee. he hasn't left your side since he found you.""He's a good man." She said, closing her eye again. The light was beginning to give her a headache."I'm serious, Reenie. We are going to get you some counseling." Bobby told her."Yeah, thats just what I want. To relive the whole thing with a total stranger.""Hey! Look who's awake!" Jimmy and Lindsey came in together, both holding coffee. Lindsey handed a cup to Bobby. Jimmy came around to Marina's left side and took her hand."Hey, you! How are you feeling?" he asked her."Like a victim" she answered. She squeezed his hand. He was the best thing she'd seen in a long time. "Jimmy....thanks.""I wish I could have done more." He said."You did more than you'll ever know." She said. How can I ever show you what you did for me? She thought."Listen, Marina. The doctors are going to release you tomorrow and they don't want you to be alone, and I agree. I think you should go stay with dad.""No! Bobby, I DON'T want dad to know about this. You haven't told him, have you?"No, not yet, but you need to think about this. He'd be able to help you""No." she stated flatly.He knew it was no good to argue with her. "You are so stubborn!""Almost as much as you." She replied.He was thinking. "Well, maybe....you could come.....""NO!!!" said Marina and Lindsey together. They smiled at each other."Forget it, Bobby. I am not moving in with you two. Even if you had the room I wouldn't consider it. You and Lindsey are building a life together and I won't get in the middle of it." He began to argue, but she interrupted him. " I can go back to my hotel. I'll be fine there."Bobby was shaking his head. "Marina, no! I don't want you all by yourself!" He was about to launch into a lengthy argument when Jimmy spoke up."You could stay with me. I have an extra bedroom and I have plenty of room. If you want to, that is."The all looked at him. Marina said, "Jimmy that would be great, but I don't want to get in your way...you know. Cramp your social life or anything like that." She smiled, but she didn't want him to think she was mocking him. "I don't want to get on your way."He shook his head. "You wouldn't be in the way at all. The bedrooms are on opposite sides of the apartment, so you'd have plenty of privacy, if thats an issue. And it would be great for me to have someone to talk to. What do you think?'She thought it would be wonderful to live with Jimmy, but she really didn't want to be in his way. "Well, if you're sure....ok."Bobby was shaking his head. What had just happened? He wasn't sure if it was the best solution, but it was a solution. "OK, then," he said, somewhat uncertainly. "Well, Reenie, you should get some more sleep. I'll call you in the morning, OK?" He kissed her on the cheek, Lindsey hugged her and they left.Jimmy sat in the chair Bobby had just left. He still had her hand. He was staring at her. There were tears glistening in his eyes."What?" she asked, placing her other hand over their all ready clasped hands."I'm just so glad you're OK." He regained composure. "I should go home and clean up a little, so your room is ready." He said, but he didn't let go of her hand."OK" she said, but she didn't let go either."Maybe I'll just stay for a little while longer," he said."OK, " she said sleepily. She fell asleep holding his hand in both of hers, and he sat next to her, watching her sleep, for hours.
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys!!
Marina became vaguely aware of voices and of someone sitting at her left side. Her eyes, at least the one good one, flickered open and slowly focused."Hi there." Someone said.She turned her head toward the voice and saw her brother's gentle, smiling face. Her tongue felt thick and hard to manage, but she tried to speak. "How long have I been asleep?" she managed, but she wasn't sure how intelligible it was."About 2 days." Bobby replied.She was finally able to focus on him and saw how tired he looked. "You look like hell." She said.He smiled tiredly at her. "I look better than you do," he quipped, trying to keep things light. He leaned in toward her and she saw the concern in his eyes. "How are you feeling?""Sore, stiff.... embarrassed, and angry." She answered"Normal reactions, I would think, " he said. He lightly put his hand on her forehead and stroked her hair. "I'm so glad you're ok. " His eyes filled with tears. "And I'm so sorry....""Please don't" she said. "It happened, it was horrible. Now we all need to get over it.""Oh no." he said, pulling back from her. "Don't you dare try to seal this in your vault and call it over. This is bigger than that, Reenie. You need to deal with this." She just stared at him, saying nothing. " Hey, how about Jimmy, huh?She turned her head, looking for him. "Where is he?""Don't worry. He didn't leave you. I finally persuaded him to go get some coffee. he hasn't left your side since he found you.""He's a good man." She said, closing her eye again. The light was beginning to give her a headache."I'm serious, Reenie. We are going to get you some counseling." Bobby told her."Yeah, thats just what I want. To relive the whole thing with a total stranger.""Hey! Look who's awake!" Jimmy and Lindsey came in together, both holding coffee. Lindsey handed a cup to Bobby. Jimmy came around to Marina's left side and took her hand."Hey, you! How are you feeling?" he asked her."Like a victim" she answered. She squeezed his hand. He was the best thing she'd seen in a long time. "Jimmy....thanks.""I wish I could have done more." He said."You did more than you'll ever know." She said. How can I ever show you what you did for me? She thought."Listen, Marina. The doctors are going to release you tomorrow and they don't want you to be alone, and I agree. I think you should go stay with dad.""No! Bobby, I DON'T want dad to know about this. You haven't told him, have you?"No, not yet, but you need to think about this. He'd be able to help you""No." she stated flatly.He knew it was no good to argue with her. "You are so stubborn!""Almost as much as you." She replied.He was thinking. "Well, maybe....you could come.....""NO!!!" said Marina and Lindsey together. They smiled at each other."Forget it, Bobby. I am not moving in with you two. Even if you had the room I wouldn't consider it. You and Lindsey are building a life together and I won't get in the middle of it." He began to argue, but she interrupted him. " I can go back to my hotel. I'll be fine there."Bobby was shaking his head. "Marina, no! I don't want you all by yourself!" He was about to launch into a lengthy argument when Jimmy spoke up."You could stay with me. I have an extra bedroom and I have plenty of room. If you want to, that is."The all looked at him. Marina said, "Jimmy that would be great, but I don't want to get in your way...you know. Cramp your social life or anything like that." She smiled, but she didn't want him to think she was mocking him. "I don't want to get on your way."He shook his head. "You wouldn't be in the way at all. The bedrooms are on opposite sides of the apartment, so you'd have plenty of privacy, if thats an issue. And it would be great for me to have someone to talk to. What do you think?'She thought it would be wonderful to live with Jimmy, but she really didn't want to be in his way. "Well, if you're sure....ok."Bobby was shaking his head. What had just happened? He wasn't sure if it was the best solution, but it was a solution. "OK, then," he said, somewhat uncertainly. "Well, Reenie, you should get some more sleep. I'll call you in the morning, OK?" He kissed her on the cheek, Lindsey hugged her and they left.Jimmy sat in the chair Bobby had just left. He still had her hand. He was staring at her. There were tears glistening in his eyes."What?" she asked, placing her other hand over their all ready clasped hands."I'm just so glad you're OK." He regained composure. "I should go home and clean up a little, so your room is ready." He said, but he didn't let go of her hand."OK" she said, but she didn't let go either."Maybe I'll just stay for a little while longer," he said."OK, " she said sleepily. She fell asleep holding his hand in both of hers, and he sat next to her, watching her sleep, for hours.
