Who's a Weak Onna?
Chapter 7
Going Home
Sally looked at the surgery schedule that Michael Carruthers had sent to her email and groaned. Wufei was scheduled for 2 surgeries to harvest and implant bone grafts in the 3 weeks before he left the hospital.
"Now I have to go tell him that he's going to be back to square one twice before he gets to leave." She sighed. This wasn't going to be fun.
She started rehearsing her speech in her mind on the way to his room.
And decided that with Wufei, the straightforward approach was best. He hated sugar coating the truth.
He was in a private room now, at least, and out of the more impersonal ICU.
His leg was now in a removable cast, and the wrist injury had recovered nicely. Even Sally had to admit she was impressed with the way he had healed. He was a long way from walking or bearing any weight on the leg, but she could tell things were proceeding better than anticipated. Muscle tissue was rebuilding nicely, although he'd always have a noticeable scar. Now, all that remained was to rebuild the lost sections of bone his own body would be unable to do on it's own.
Duo was with him when she entered, and from the look on Wufei's face, things were proceeding as usual between the two of them. She hid a small grin behind her clipboard.
"Hiya Sally, how's our boy?" asked Duo, jumping up when she came in.
"He won't tell me nuthin'," Duo put on a fake pout, which lasted about five seconds before he was grinning at her.
"He's actually doing better than we expected, Duo," she said, "so you can go tell Quatre that next time you see him."
"How'd you know I was asking for Quatre?" asked Duo, narrowing his round blue violet eyes at her.
"Because Quatre is a worry-wart, and you're not," said Sally, reaching down and taking off his cap and then smacking him lightly on the head with it before he could duck.
"She's mean," said Duo, to Wufei, "Smart too." He grabbed his hat back and jammed it on his head.
Wufei smiled at Sally, causing Duo to raise his eyebrows. "I know she is," said Wufei. "Those are two of the things I like best about her."
"Okay, even I can tell when I'm not wanted," pouted Duo, "I'm not stupid, you know."
"I could argue with you about that, but it'd take too long," said Wufei, but he was still smiling faintly, his eyes still on Sally.
"You're both mean," said Duo, but he was grinning again. "I really do have to go, Hilde is arriving by shuttle in about an hour."
"Hilde is coming here?" asked Sally.
"Yeah, she misses my manly physique," said Duo, puffing out his chest slightly. "She needs a break from the scrap yard anyway. This Preventor assignment is lasting a lot longer than I was first told. We've been apart 6 weeks now and it's killin me. I'm so gonna get laid tonight!"
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Well, congratulations Maxwell, and thanks for the obscene mental image, too," he said sarcastically.
"Hey, share the wealth, I always say," said Duo, laughing.
"I need to discuss something in private with Wufei," said Sally, "so you're welcome to leave anytime in the next 5 seconds."
Wufei smirked. "She knows there's no sense being tactful with you, Duo. Get out."
"I'm so hurt!" said Duo, wiping away a non-existent tear.
"Leave!" roared Wufei, picking up a plastic tumbler and throwing it at Duo. He neatly caught it and handed it to Sally.
"Abuse of hospital property, not nice, Wu-man." He ducked as Wufei picked up the empty plastic pitcher and made as if to throw it next.
"I'm outta here!" he sang as he dove through the door.
"Glad to see you're feeling up to sparring with Duo again," said Sally, holding out her hand for the pitcher. He handed it to her and she set in on the nightstand.
"I'd mock him with my dying breath, so that means nothing as an indicator of my health," said Wufei, still glaring at the door.
"If I didn't know how much you really love him, I'd be worried," said Sally, sitting down and taking out her patient folder.
"Love is a strong word," said Wufei. "I'm not really comfortable with the words 'Duo' and 'love' in the same sentence."
"Nevertheless, it applies," Sally said, smiling at him. "I have too much evidence to the contrary."
Wufei folded his arms and hmph'ed under his breath.
"What did you want to discuss with me?" he asked, changing the subject.
"To be blunt, your upcoming bone graft surgeries. You have two scheduled by Carruthers in the next 3 weeks. The good news is that 3 days after the second one, you can go home."
"Home?" Wufei repeated as though it were a foreign tongue.
"Well, actually, Quatre's home, but it's got to be better than this," Sally indicated the room around her. It was pleasant enough but had that impersonal monotone atmosphere of most hospital rooms and motels.
"True," he said, moving restlessly in his bed.
"So, I'm gonna be butchered twice before I'm out of here," he sighed and his shoulders sagged a little. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?" she asked. He was usually too proud to ask for much. Fortunately, Quatre was a very perceptive person and had anticipated many of his needs, bringing books and a few personal items from Wufei's apartment.
"Can I go outside?" he asked, so plaintively that she flashed back to the 15 year old boy he'd been when she first met him.
"In a wheelchair, yes," she said, "I'll have one brought down. I had no idea you were such a nature lover," she teased gently.
"It's just that I haven't been outside of this hospital in almost a month," he said. "Does the rest of the world still exist? I know it's there on the television, but it's not the same."
"There's a park across the street, would you like me to take you there?" she asked him.
"Oh, please, yes, if it's not too much trouble," he said, ever polite.
She walked over to the phone and picked it up, pushing a few buttons. "Barry, could you bring a wheelchair with a left leg extension support to Mr. Chang's room, 1046.. Yes, that's right." She hung up.
"See, that wasn't so hard," she said, "and I'm off for the afternoon, so everything works out fine."
"Now, we have to find you something to wear," said Sally, "because you can't go out in that!" She pointed at his hospital gown and bathrobe. "I think I have just the thing though. Be right back."
She came back about 15 minutes later carrying a pair of black nylon exercise pants that snapped up the sides and a lightweight white sweatshirt.
"I had Quatre bring these from your apartment and I've been keeping them in my locker, for when you go home," she explained. "Not too bad, right?"
"They're perfect," said Wufei.
Barry, the orderly who had brought the wheelchair helped him dress and then picked him up carefully and sat him in the chair, adjusting the leg support to hold his injured leg horizontal to the ground.
"Well, come on then," said Sally, "Let's blow this taco stand!" She grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed him out the doorway.
Wufei shook his head at her. "You've been hanging around Maxwell too much," he told her. "You're starting to talk like him."
"How awful," she said with a straight face.
"Yes, it would be," he said, "One Duo in a lifetime is enough."
They rode down the elevator in silence, and came to the first floor, where she spoke briefly with the nurse at the front desk and then pushed him through the automatic doors outside into the bright summer sunshine.
He closed his eyes against the assault of full sun until his they adjusted.
"Sorry, I should have brought you some sunglasses," Sally said, pulling her own out of her pocket and slipping them on.
"I'm fine," he murmured, turning his face up to the warmth of the sun, eyes still closed. "It feels good."
"The park is shady anyway," she shrugged, pushing him across the crosswalk out front. "Lots of trees."
"Sounds nice," he said absently, simply enjoying being anywhere but being in bed.
She found an empty bench under an elm tree beside a small duck pond and parked his wheelchair there, setting the brake, and they sat in comfortable silence for a long time.
He reached over and took her nearest hand and placed it on the arm of the chair, and held it, rubbing his thumb along each of her fingers in turn, then squeezing it.
She squeezed his hand lightly in return. "That was nice," she said.
"Yes," he said simply. "I wish." he trailed off.
"You wish what?" she asked, moving closer and squeezing his hand again.
"I wish this was all over and I had my life back again," he sighed. "Such as it was, anyway."
"What you mean, 'such as it was'?" she asked.
"All I really have is my work," he said, "I don't even have a pet, nothing I can't just walk away from. Nothing," he repeated softly.
"Sounds lonely." Sally squeezed his hand again and then leaned over put her head gently against his upper arm.
"Not that I couldn't say the same thing," she admitted. "I pretty much have my work and that's it. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, you know."
"I know." His hand lightly traced circles on hers. She could feel the calluses made by years of sword training.
"Wufei?"
"Yes?"
"I've arranged to take two weeks off when you leave the hospital. I want to spend them with you. May I?" Sally picked up her head and looked at him as he met her eyes.
"All right," he said finally. "But I can't imagine why you'd want to spend your vacation with someone who's incapacitated. Surely you have something more interesting ways to use your time. You deserve to have some fun, go somewhere, meet someone.." He turned his head away.
"You aren't trying to get rid of me, are you?" she asked lightly, but she nibbled her lip nervously.
"No, of course not," he said, "I've offended you, haven't I?"
"Please don't push me away," she said, "I wouldn't force myself to spend time with someone out of pity or for any other reason than simple enjoyment. I like being with you."
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Positive. Let me know when you want to go back to your room."
"Never," he said, smiling faintly.
"Stubborn!" she swatted his arm lightly.
"Yes, I am," he said.
"Proud of it, too." She sighed in an exaggerated way.
"Yes, I am."
"You're probably the most impossible man I've ever met," she said, smiling at him.
"But you like me anyway," he mused. "Interesting."
"I know. I wonder about that myself. Maybe I should get therapy?" she teased.
"But then you wouldn't like me anymore." He smiled at her.
"Well, then, forget it," she said, laughing a little. "I'll just have to learn to live with my imperfections."
"I suppose I will too," he said, soberly, looking down at his injured leg.
"If I can do it, so can you." She stood up and went behind him. Impulsively she bent over and kissed him lightly on top of the head.
"Come on, let's have a change of scenery."
Chapter 7
Going Home
Sally looked at the surgery schedule that Michael Carruthers had sent to her email and groaned. Wufei was scheduled for 2 surgeries to harvest and implant bone grafts in the 3 weeks before he left the hospital.
"Now I have to go tell him that he's going to be back to square one twice before he gets to leave." She sighed. This wasn't going to be fun.
She started rehearsing her speech in her mind on the way to his room.
And decided that with Wufei, the straightforward approach was best. He hated sugar coating the truth.
He was in a private room now, at least, and out of the more impersonal ICU.
His leg was now in a removable cast, and the wrist injury had recovered nicely. Even Sally had to admit she was impressed with the way he had healed. He was a long way from walking or bearing any weight on the leg, but she could tell things were proceeding better than anticipated. Muscle tissue was rebuilding nicely, although he'd always have a noticeable scar. Now, all that remained was to rebuild the lost sections of bone his own body would be unable to do on it's own.
Duo was with him when she entered, and from the look on Wufei's face, things were proceeding as usual between the two of them. She hid a small grin behind her clipboard.
"Hiya Sally, how's our boy?" asked Duo, jumping up when she came in.
"He won't tell me nuthin'," Duo put on a fake pout, which lasted about five seconds before he was grinning at her.
"He's actually doing better than we expected, Duo," she said, "so you can go tell Quatre that next time you see him."
"How'd you know I was asking for Quatre?" asked Duo, narrowing his round blue violet eyes at her.
"Because Quatre is a worry-wart, and you're not," said Sally, reaching down and taking off his cap and then smacking him lightly on the head with it before he could duck.
"She's mean," said Duo, to Wufei, "Smart too." He grabbed his hat back and jammed it on his head.
Wufei smiled at Sally, causing Duo to raise his eyebrows. "I know she is," said Wufei. "Those are two of the things I like best about her."
"Okay, even I can tell when I'm not wanted," pouted Duo, "I'm not stupid, you know."
"I could argue with you about that, but it'd take too long," said Wufei, but he was still smiling faintly, his eyes still on Sally.
"You're both mean," said Duo, but he was grinning again. "I really do have to go, Hilde is arriving by shuttle in about an hour."
"Hilde is coming here?" asked Sally.
"Yeah, she misses my manly physique," said Duo, puffing out his chest slightly. "She needs a break from the scrap yard anyway. This Preventor assignment is lasting a lot longer than I was first told. We've been apart 6 weeks now and it's killin me. I'm so gonna get laid tonight!"
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Well, congratulations Maxwell, and thanks for the obscene mental image, too," he said sarcastically.
"Hey, share the wealth, I always say," said Duo, laughing.
"I need to discuss something in private with Wufei," said Sally, "so you're welcome to leave anytime in the next 5 seconds."
Wufei smirked. "She knows there's no sense being tactful with you, Duo. Get out."
"I'm so hurt!" said Duo, wiping away a non-existent tear.
"Leave!" roared Wufei, picking up a plastic tumbler and throwing it at Duo. He neatly caught it and handed it to Sally.
"Abuse of hospital property, not nice, Wu-man." He ducked as Wufei picked up the empty plastic pitcher and made as if to throw it next.
"I'm outta here!" he sang as he dove through the door.
"Glad to see you're feeling up to sparring with Duo again," said Sally, holding out her hand for the pitcher. He handed it to her and she set in on the nightstand.
"I'd mock him with my dying breath, so that means nothing as an indicator of my health," said Wufei, still glaring at the door.
"If I didn't know how much you really love him, I'd be worried," said Sally, sitting down and taking out her patient folder.
"Love is a strong word," said Wufei. "I'm not really comfortable with the words 'Duo' and 'love' in the same sentence."
"Nevertheless, it applies," Sally said, smiling at him. "I have too much evidence to the contrary."
Wufei folded his arms and hmph'ed under his breath.
"What did you want to discuss with me?" he asked, changing the subject.
"To be blunt, your upcoming bone graft surgeries. You have two scheduled by Carruthers in the next 3 weeks. The good news is that 3 days after the second one, you can go home."
"Home?" Wufei repeated as though it were a foreign tongue.
"Well, actually, Quatre's home, but it's got to be better than this," Sally indicated the room around her. It was pleasant enough but had that impersonal monotone atmosphere of most hospital rooms and motels.
"True," he said, moving restlessly in his bed.
"So, I'm gonna be butchered twice before I'm out of here," he sighed and his shoulders sagged a little. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?" she asked. He was usually too proud to ask for much. Fortunately, Quatre was a very perceptive person and had anticipated many of his needs, bringing books and a few personal items from Wufei's apartment.
"Can I go outside?" he asked, so plaintively that she flashed back to the 15 year old boy he'd been when she first met him.
"In a wheelchair, yes," she said, "I'll have one brought down. I had no idea you were such a nature lover," she teased gently.
"It's just that I haven't been outside of this hospital in almost a month," he said. "Does the rest of the world still exist? I know it's there on the television, but it's not the same."
"There's a park across the street, would you like me to take you there?" she asked him.
"Oh, please, yes, if it's not too much trouble," he said, ever polite.
She walked over to the phone and picked it up, pushing a few buttons. "Barry, could you bring a wheelchair with a left leg extension support to Mr. Chang's room, 1046.. Yes, that's right." She hung up.
"See, that wasn't so hard," she said, "and I'm off for the afternoon, so everything works out fine."
"Now, we have to find you something to wear," said Sally, "because you can't go out in that!" She pointed at his hospital gown and bathrobe. "I think I have just the thing though. Be right back."
She came back about 15 minutes later carrying a pair of black nylon exercise pants that snapped up the sides and a lightweight white sweatshirt.
"I had Quatre bring these from your apartment and I've been keeping them in my locker, for when you go home," she explained. "Not too bad, right?"
"They're perfect," said Wufei.
Barry, the orderly who had brought the wheelchair helped him dress and then picked him up carefully and sat him in the chair, adjusting the leg support to hold his injured leg horizontal to the ground.
"Well, come on then," said Sally, "Let's blow this taco stand!" She grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed him out the doorway.
Wufei shook his head at her. "You've been hanging around Maxwell too much," he told her. "You're starting to talk like him."
"How awful," she said with a straight face.
"Yes, it would be," he said, "One Duo in a lifetime is enough."
They rode down the elevator in silence, and came to the first floor, where she spoke briefly with the nurse at the front desk and then pushed him through the automatic doors outside into the bright summer sunshine.
He closed his eyes against the assault of full sun until his they adjusted.
"Sorry, I should have brought you some sunglasses," Sally said, pulling her own out of her pocket and slipping them on.
"I'm fine," he murmured, turning his face up to the warmth of the sun, eyes still closed. "It feels good."
"The park is shady anyway," she shrugged, pushing him across the crosswalk out front. "Lots of trees."
"Sounds nice," he said absently, simply enjoying being anywhere but being in bed.
She found an empty bench under an elm tree beside a small duck pond and parked his wheelchair there, setting the brake, and they sat in comfortable silence for a long time.
He reached over and took her nearest hand and placed it on the arm of the chair, and held it, rubbing his thumb along each of her fingers in turn, then squeezing it.
She squeezed his hand lightly in return. "That was nice," she said.
"Yes," he said simply. "I wish." he trailed off.
"You wish what?" she asked, moving closer and squeezing his hand again.
"I wish this was all over and I had my life back again," he sighed. "Such as it was, anyway."
"What you mean, 'such as it was'?" she asked.
"All I really have is my work," he said, "I don't even have a pet, nothing I can't just walk away from. Nothing," he repeated softly.
"Sounds lonely." Sally squeezed his hand again and then leaned over put her head gently against his upper arm.
"Not that I couldn't say the same thing," she admitted. "I pretty much have my work and that's it. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, you know."
"I know." His hand lightly traced circles on hers. She could feel the calluses made by years of sword training.
"Wufei?"
"Yes?"
"I've arranged to take two weeks off when you leave the hospital. I want to spend them with you. May I?" Sally picked up her head and looked at him as he met her eyes.
"All right," he said finally. "But I can't imagine why you'd want to spend your vacation with someone who's incapacitated. Surely you have something more interesting ways to use your time. You deserve to have some fun, go somewhere, meet someone.." He turned his head away.
"You aren't trying to get rid of me, are you?" she asked lightly, but she nibbled her lip nervously.
"No, of course not," he said, "I've offended you, haven't I?"
"Please don't push me away," she said, "I wouldn't force myself to spend time with someone out of pity or for any other reason than simple enjoyment. I like being with you."
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Positive. Let me know when you want to go back to your room."
"Never," he said, smiling faintly.
"Stubborn!" she swatted his arm lightly.
"Yes, I am," he said.
"Proud of it, too." She sighed in an exaggerated way.
"Yes, I am."
"You're probably the most impossible man I've ever met," she said, smiling at him.
"But you like me anyway," he mused. "Interesting."
"I know. I wonder about that myself. Maybe I should get therapy?" she teased.
"But then you wouldn't like me anymore." He smiled at her.
"Well, then, forget it," she said, laughing a little. "I'll just have to learn to live with my imperfections."
"I suppose I will too," he said, soberly, looking down at his injured leg.
"If I can do it, so can you." She stood up and went behind him. Impulsively she bent over and kissed him lightly on top of the head.
"Come on, let's have a change of scenery."