Chapter 29 - Appreciate the Simple Things
One day passed, blending into the next. Then more days and more. Jack could feel her body healing, could feel herself growing more accustomed to the pain as Doc and Amy began to wean her off the pain meds. And then the pain began to lessen to a constant dull ache. She supposed she should just be glad she was alive, but she couldn't work up much enthusiasm. She hated being this way. Weak, helpless, not even able to walk to the bathroom by herself. Having become accustomed at a very young age to taking care of herself, it grated at her that she couldn't even do simple things right now. At least she was starting to be able to walk short distances on her own, now. That was something. A part of her was glad that Riddick wasn't there to see her like that, it was bad enough he'd had to play nursemaid to her on the Persephone. She hated for him to see her as weak.
Amy knew her new charge was going to have a rough time of it over the next few weeks. The recovery would be hard enough, but you didn't have to be a genius to see that the girl was pining for Riddick as well. Physically she was doing well, just a week out of surgery and she was down to pain meds only twice a day. Amy knew the young girl was feeling pain more often than that, but she refused to take any more than the smallest of doses. There was a story behind that, Amy was sure, but she wouldn't press. Maybe the news she was bringing her would help to snap Jack out of her blues.
Smiling down at the Jack, Amy sat next to the bed. "I bet you are sick and tired of laying in this hospital bed all day long, aren't you?"
Jack returned Amy's smile. She liked the older woman. If it hadn't been for her, Jack knew she would have gone stark raving mad. "God, what I wouldn't give to be able to go for a walk!'
The look Amy gave her was sympathetic, she understood what it was like to be cooped up better than a lot of people. "I know, sweetie. It won't be much longer, I promise." She helped Jack sit up on the side of the bed, noticing the flash of pain that crossed the younger woman's face. "But I've got something to tell you that I think might just make your day."
"Really?" Jack's smile widened. "What?"
It made Amy feel good to see Jack's face light up. "How would you like to take a shower? A real one, not just the sonics."
Jack closed her eyes in anticipation of the warm water sluicing over her skin. "Oh, I think that would be heaven."
"Good." Pleased, Amy helped Jack to stand. "Doc says you can move out of here and into a real bed if you think you're ready to, so no more hospital gowns."
"Stop! I don't think I can take all this excitement." Jack laughed as she leaned on Amy's arm, her legs shaking slightly in protest.
The trip down the hall into the house was slow, but it was the longest stretch Jack had walked in over a week. She did pretty well on her own, only occasionally holding onto Amy's arm or steadying herself against walls, or chairs, or whatever happened to be handy. By the time they reached the spare bedroom that she'd be using, though, her legs were pretty shaky. Sitting down on the bed, she sighed heavily. "I don't suppose we could change that shower for a bath?" she asked, a wry smile touching her lips.
"Sorry." Amy gave her an apologetic smile. "No bathtub, just a shower stall. But, there is a bench in the stall, so if you get too tired, you can sit down." Moving to a small bureau, Amy opened up a drawer. "I washed the clothes you had on." She laid them on the bed next to Jack.
Jack fingered the material of the t-shirt. Riddick's t-shirt, and a pair of his boxers. The bra and panties, at least, were hers and Amy had managed to get the blood out of everything. She would have loved to have something of her own to wear, though, besides her underwear. Riddick hadn't known about the bags Alejandro had stashed on the Persephone, but he could have at least left her backpack. Then she'd have one change of clothes.
Amy saw the look on her face. "I asked a couple of the girls if they had something you could wear, they'll be over later on. Doc thought it might be nice if you got to meet some of the people your own age too." She looked over at the gray t-shirt and boxers. "I'll get you a pair of Doc's sweats if you want." Jack would certainly be welcome to anything in her own closet, but since the younger woman was a good deal taller, she imagined Doc's things would fit a bit better.
"Thanks, Amy." The older woman reminded her in some ways of her grandmother, not in age, just in the way Amy treated her. She couldn't really remember her own mother, but it was nice having someone mother you sometimes.
Jack was tired down to her very bones, the walk from the hospital bed to her new room had taken a lot out of her. If it hadn't been for the prospect of a nice, warm shower, she'd be sorely tempted to just lay down and snuggle into the soft blankets. But the shower called to her, and she managed to finally stand up and make her slow way to the bathroom.
The first thing she did was shed the hospital gown. Even if she had to wear someone else's clothes, it'd be nice to wear something other than the open backed gown. The second thing she did was unwind the long braid of her hair. That was another thing she was grateful to Amy for. If it hadn't been for her, Jack would have been very tempted to whack off the hair that had taken her so long to grow back even though she would have hated it. She knew it was silly but she was rather attached to her hair now. But Amy had painstakingly brushed and braided the long, heavy length of her hair every day after she took her sonic shower. Even though the sonics got it clean, though, it would be nice to wash it in some nice hot water.
As Jack stepped toward the shower, she caught a glimpse of herself in the long mirror on the wall. She had avoided looking at a mirror since she'd been on D2, half afraid of what she'd see, but her reflection surprised her. She looked almost.normal. A little pale, a little thin, and there were smudges of dark under her eyes, but she didn't look like someone who had come close to death little more than a week before. Standing there, staring at her reflection, she let her gaze drop to her lower torso and let out the breath she'd been holding.
Doc was not a great believer in heavy bandages unless it was an open wound, instead choosing to spray the stitched wounds with an antiseptic/anesthetic spray that allowed the wound to heal more naturally. There was only a small piece of gauze over the incision under her belly button to keep her gown from irritating it. She ran her fingers experimentally over the small indentations on her side where the bullet had ripped through her and the almost imperceptible incisions where Doc's surgical instruments had been. Remarkably, they were very nearly healed, he'd already taken the small stitches out so now all that was left were small pink, slightly puckered, lines. The only stitches still left were the incision under her belly button.
"Well, I have to look at it sometime," she chided herself as she hesitated removing the gauze. If the other small wounds were any indicator, it might not even be so bad. Wincing as she removed the tape, she dropped the gauze into the trash receptacle and forced herself to look at the incision. It didn't look too bad, she supposed, though it would be a while before she wore a bikini, if she ever did again. She found herself wondering what Riddick would think of it, or even if he would ever see it. Even if he came back, she didn't know where she would stand with him, what their relationship would be. Not wanting to think about it just then, she turned away from her reflection and stepped into the shower stall, turning the water on as hot as she could stand it and let herself enjoy the simple pleasure of it.
One day passed, blending into the next. Then more days and more. Jack could feel her body healing, could feel herself growing more accustomed to the pain as Doc and Amy began to wean her off the pain meds. And then the pain began to lessen to a constant dull ache. She supposed she should just be glad she was alive, but she couldn't work up much enthusiasm. She hated being this way. Weak, helpless, not even able to walk to the bathroom by herself. Having become accustomed at a very young age to taking care of herself, it grated at her that she couldn't even do simple things right now. At least she was starting to be able to walk short distances on her own, now. That was something. A part of her was glad that Riddick wasn't there to see her like that, it was bad enough he'd had to play nursemaid to her on the Persephone. She hated for him to see her as weak.
Amy knew her new charge was going to have a rough time of it over the next few weeks. The recovery would be hard enough, but you didn't have to be a genius to see that the girl was pining for Riddick as well. Physically she was doing well, just a week out of surgery and she was down to pain meds only twice a day. Amy knew the young girl was feeling pain more often than that, but she refused to take any more than the smallest of doses. There was a story behind that, Amy was sure, but she wouldn't press. Maybe the news she was bringing her would help to snap Jack out of her blues.
Smiling down at the Jack, Amy sat next to the bed. "I bet you are sick and tired of laying in this hospital bed all day long, aren't you?"
Jack returned Amy's smile. She liked the older woman. If it hadn't been for her, Jack knew she would have gone stark raving mad. "God, what I wouldn't give to be able to go for a walk!'
The look Amy gave her was sympathetic, she understood what it was like to be cooped up better than a lot of people. "I know, sweetie. It won't be much longer, I promise." She helped Jack sit up on the side of the bed, noticing the flash of pain that crossed the younger woman's face. "But I've got something to tell you that I think might just make your day."
"Really?" Jack's smile widened. "What?"
It made Amy feel good to see Jack's face light up. "How would you like to take a shower? A real one, not just the sonics."
Jack closed her eyes in anticipation of the warm water sluicing over her skin. "Oh, I think that would be heaven."
"Good." Pleased, Amy helped Jack to stand. "Doc says you can move out of here and into a real bed if you think you're ready to, so no more hospital gowns."
"Stop! I don't think I can take all this excitement." Jack laughed as she leaned on Amy's arm, her legs shaking slightly in protest.
The trip down the hall into the house was slow, but it was the longest stretch Jack had walked in over a week. She did pretty well on her own, only occasionally holding onto Amy's arm or steadying herself against walls, or chairs, or whatever happened to be handy. By the time they reached the spare bedroom that she'd be using, though, her legs were pretty shaky. Sitting down on the bed, she sighed heavily. "I don't suppose we could change that shower for a bath?" she asked, a wry smile touching her lips.
"Sorry." Amy gave her an apologetic smile. "No bathtub, just a shower stall. But, there is a bench in the stall, so if you get too tired, you can sit down." Moving to a small bureau, Amy opened up a drawer. "I washed the clothes you had on." She laid them on the bed next to Jack.
Jack fingered the material of the t-shirt. Riddick's t-shirt, and a pair of his boxers. The bra and panties, at least, were hers and Amy had managed to get the blood out of everything. She would have loved to have something of her own to wear, though, besides her underwear. Riddick hadn't known about the bags Alejandro had stashed on the Persephone, but he could have at least left her backpack. Then she'd have one change of clothes.
Amy saw the look on her face. "I asked a couple of the girls if they had something you could wear, they'll be over later on. Doc thought it might be nice if you got to meet some of the people your own age too." She looked over at the gray t-shirt and boxers. "I'll get you a pair of Doc's sweats if you want." Jack would certainly be welcome to anything in her own closet, but since the younger woman was a good deal taller, she imagined Doc's things would fit a bit better.
"Thanks, Amy." The older woman reminded her in some ways of her grandmother, not in age, just in the way Amy treated her. She couldn't really remember her own mother, but it was nice having someone mother you sometimes.
Jack was tired down to her very bones, the walk from the hospital bed to her new room had taken a lot out of her. If it hadn't been for the prospect of a nice, warm shower, she'd be sorely tempted to just lay down and snuggle into the soft blankets. But the shower called to her, and she managed to finally stand up and make her slow way to the bathroom.
The first thing she did was shed the hospital gown. Even if she had to wear someone else's clothes, it'd be nice to wear something other than the open backed gown. The second thing she did was unwind the long braid of her hair. That was another thing she was grateful to Amy for. If it hadn't been for her, Jack would have been very tempted to whack off the hair that had taken her so long to grow back even though she would have hated it. She knew it was silly but she was rather attached to her hair now. But Amy had painstakingly brushed and braided the long, heavy length of her hair every day after she took her sonic shower. Even though the sonics got it clean, though, it would be nice to wash it in some nice hot water.
As Jack stepped toward the shower, she caught a glimpse of herself in the long mirror on the wall. She had avoided looking at a mirror since she'd been on D2, half afraid of what she'd see, but her reflection surprised her. She looked almost.normal. A little pale, a little thin, and there were smudges of dark under her eyes, but she didn't look like someone who had come close to death little more than a week before. Standing there, staring at her reflection, she let her gaze drop to her lower torso and let out the breath she'd been holding.
Doc was not a great believer in heavy bandages unless it was an open wound, instead choosing to spray the stitched wounds with an antiseptic/anesthetic spray that allowed the wound to heal more naturally. There was only a small piece of gauze over the incision under her belly button to keep her gown from irritating it. She ran her fingers experimentally over the small indentations on her side where the bullet had ripped through her and the almost imperceptible incisions where Doc's surgical instruments had been. Remarkably, they were very nearly healed, he'd already taken the small stitches out so now all that was left were small pink, slightly puckered, lines. The only stitches still left were the incision under her belly button.
"Well, I have to look at it sometime," she chided herself as she hesitated removing the gauze. If the other small wounds were any indicator, it might not even be so bad. Wincing as she removed the tape, she dropped the gauze into the trash receptacle and forced herself to look at the incision. It didn't look too bad, she supposed, though it would be a while before she wore a bikini, if she ever did again. She found herself wondering what Riddick would think of it, or even if he would ever see it. Even if he came back, she didn't know where she would stand with him, what their relationship would be. Not wanting to think about it just then, she turned away from her reflection and stepped into the shower stall, turning the water on as hot as she could stand it and let herself enjoy the simple pleasure of it.