A Wedding Song 18: It's Getting Better All the Time...
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ONE WEEK LATER: THE INFIRMARY
"Claire? May I..."
"Of course, Albert. Come in. Did you get them?"
"Yes. I..."
Eberts paused abruptly, checked the corridor then closed the door behind him before moving to Claire's bedside.
"They're not around." she assured him. "I sent them to the truck with my things."
"Oh. Very well then."
Gingerly sitting beside her on the hospital bed, Eberts dipped into his pocket and produced a small box from an upscale jewelry store.
"Open it! I want to see!" Claire told him, vibrating the mattress with the urge to bounce up and down that her injury left her unable to physically express.
"Just a moment. There. What do you think? Is it close enough to what you described to me?"
Claire stared at the two silver rings in the box for a long moment then grinned and hugged Eberts fiercely. Her unexpected gesture stunned him, but he managed to recover in time to pat her back once before she pulled away.
"They're perfect! Simple, elegant... were you able to get the engraving done?"
"Absolutely. Darien's name flanked by hearts inside one, Robert's with the same design in the other. That little ruse about the size of their fingers being a health indicator was brilliant, by the way."
"Well I had to do something. I couldn't just ask, could I? They're going to love them, I just know it!" Claire enthused, studying the rings more closely "Is there... there is something etched into the outer surface. It's so delicate I can't quite make it out. What is it?"
"A Celtic knot. It goes all the way around. They cost a little more than unadorned silver, but I couldn't resist. As closely as the two of them are bonded... it just seemed so appropriate."
"It is. Oh, Albert, what a lovely gesture." Claire sighed, handing the box back and gifting him with another quick hug. This time it didn't surprise him quite so much and he savored it. As she separated from him, he slid the box back into his jacket.
"So. How are you today? You're certainly looking a great deal better."
"I'm ready to be out of here is how I am. I can't wait to get back to my own house with my things and Pavlov. I've missed him so much."
"Of course. You've already arranged for temporary assistance, I suppose."
"Well... no, actually. I haven't really thought..."
"Oh, but you must think about it. You won't be able to reach the second floor of your house for quite a while yet."
"Oh dear. The kitchen, my bedroom...."
"Exactly. I'll make the call for you right now."
"No! I mean... I'm sorry. I just can't have someone I don't know in my home. The idea of an utter stranger...."
"What other option is there? I'm sure Darien or Robert would be willing to pitch in..."
"They have the baby to care for and a wedding to plan. No, that would never do..."
The pair sat silent for several minutes.
{There are no other options. I don't dare broach the subject. If only she would.... but she'll never ask. Lord above, what am I thinking? I'm a friend. That's how she sees me and how she always *will* see me. I don't have the right to even dream that she might, perhaps, someday.... Alright, enough. Stop it this minute, Albert Eberts! You're being a fool. Men like you only get their wishes granted in fairy tales. Stop dreaming, stand up and get out before she makes your humiliation complete...}
{What is he thinking? I can never tell by his face. I'm fairly sure I don't want to know what or *who* made him this much of an expert at suppressing his thoughts and feelings. When he played the song from ' Les Miz '.... The obvious joy he takes in caring for Roberta Claire... I know they're only cracks in the armor, just tiny chinks, but what shines through them is so beautiful. I trust him implicitly. I should just ask him. I would if I wasn't certain he'd blush redder than a fire engine and bolt from the room....}
When they finally spoke up, their words tumbled over each other, leaving both confused.
"Claire, I should go...."
"Albert, I have to ask..."
"I have food to prepare for your home-coming...."
"You're right about my needing help... "
" and the surprise party to get ready for..."
"and there's noone I trust the way I do you..."
"so I really should be leaving." He mumbled, rising to his feet.
"so please come and stay with me."
"Wait... I didn't understand any of that." Eberts admitted with a shy smile.
"Neither did I. Start again?"
"I was just saying that I have a great deal to do before tonight... and I should be leaving."
"And I was asking you not to."
"Excuse me?"
"I didn't mean... I was asking if..."
Claire stopped, blushing as furiously as she had imagined Eberts being able to do. She drew a deep, steadying breath and made a second, more successful, attempt. "You were right. I will be needing help for a short while. I'd appre.... I'd li... I'd love it if you'd agree to do that for me."
"Claire.... you can't be serious... you don't mean..."
"I said it and I meant it. Sit back down, Marius."
Eberts hesitated, still unable to completely accept what Claire was asking or the name she had called him. Eventually, though, he smiled, surrendered and moved back to sit beside the beautiful blonde. Extending one trembling hand, he gently touched the side of her face and breathed out a shaky response.
"Eponine...."
When Bobby and Darien appeared a few minutes later, the other two were talking and laughing normally.
"Somethin's wrong there."
"What? They're just hangin' out."
"That's what's hinky. Eberts don't hang out. Hang on, hang in, hang curtains... maybe. But he *don't* hang out. That ain't all I'm sensin' either..."
"We're all goin' through adjustments, Hobbes. Hell, he had to shoot somebody. You an' I both know what that does to your head."
"Yeah. You're right about that."
"So? Cut him some slack. Let's get Claire home an' settled in."
"Okay. Hey, Claire. You ready to go?"
"Just about. Albert, if you'd..."
Instantly, Eberts was on his feet and supporting Claire's weight as she rose onto her crutches for the first time. She wobbled slightly as she found her balance and he stuck close to her side, ready to provide any help she needed. "Thank you. I think I should be alright, now."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Are you coming with me or will you follow in your own car?"
"I'll need to gather some things from my own apartment. I'll meet you at your place in say... an hour?"
"That should be fine."
"You boys will stay until I arrive, won't you?"
"Whoa." Bobby said, holding up a hand. "Back up a minute. I missed an on- ramp somewhere."
"Oh. Of course. I'm sorry. Claire realized that she'll need assistance for a few days... until she's gotten the trick of the crutches and so on. She's asked if I'd stay at the house with her until she can manage on her own again."
"She has?"
"If you need help, Claire, you know we're always there for you. Whatever you need..." Darien interjected.
"No. You've got the baby to think of and your own lives as well. Besides, isn't Betsy still on about the both of you coming in for pre-marital counseling at least once?"
"She's called three times in the last week." Bobby confirmed, scowling at the thought. "I told her we don't need no more counselin'. We know what we want. Nobody an' nothin's changin' our minds now."
"She isn't worried that you have doubts. She wants to be sure you've thought about everything you'll be facing as a couple. That's all."
"Yeah, yeah.... Let's get you outta here. I remember my first time on crutches. You're gonna be wiped out just gettin' down to the garage, trust me."
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THAT EVENING
"Is that everything you'll need from your bedroom?"
"It seems to be. Good Lord, I'm glad I took time for a nap when I got home this afternoon. I'd never make tit through the party tonight. The food's ready is it?"
"All but the entrée, and that will only be another few minutes."
"When did you make the emergency call?"
"At six-thirty. The current time is... two minutes before seven. It takes them at least half an hour to drive here, even if they don't obey the speed limit, so that means they should be here just about...."
Eberts paused, grinning as the chiming doorbell interrupted him, then finished the thought. "now."
Watching Claire carefully, Eberts followed her to the front door, matching her slow pace.
"I'll never get used to these absurd things.... eight weeks my backside..." she grumbled.
"You will be come accustomed to the crutches. The alternative is much worse, believe me."
"Alternative? There's an alternative?"
"Of course there is. You could spend the next eight weeks in a wheelchair."
Claire's eyes grew wide then she smacked Eberts' ankle lightly with the bottom of one crutch.
"Don't even think that! Crutches it is, but I reserve the right to mouth off about them whenever I choose."
"Absolutely, and I reserve the right to tune you out when it becomes tiresome." He retorted, smiling brightly at her.
"Why, you.... I'm not sure I like this new sense of humor very much." She tossed back at him, though she was smiling as well.
"Something else you'll have to learn to manage. Open the door, dear."
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TBC......
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ONE WEEK LATER: THE INFIRMARY
"Claire? May I..."
"Of course, Albert. Come in. Did you get them?"
"Yes. I..."
Eberts paused abruptly, checked the corridor then closed the door behind him before moving to Claire's bedside.
"They're not around." she assured him. "I sent them to the truck with my things."
"Oh. Very well then."
Gingerly sitting beside her on the hospital bed, Eberts dipped into his pocket and produced a small box from an upscale jewelry store.
"Open it! I want to see!" Claire told him, vibrating the mattress with the urge to bounce up and down that her injury left her unable to physically express.
"Just a moment. There. What do you think? Is it close enough to what you described to me?"
Claire stared at the two silver rings in the box for a long moment then grinned and hugged Eberts fiercely. Her unexpected gesture stunned him, but he managed to recover in time to pat her back once before she pulled away.
"They're perfect! Simple, elegant... were you able to get the engraving done?"
"Absolutely. Darien's name flanked by hearts inside one, Robert's with the same design in the other. That little ruse about the size of their fingers being a health indicator was brilliant, by the way."
"Well I had to do something. I couldn't just ask, could I? They're going to love them, I just know it!" Claire enthused, studying the rings more closely "Is there... there is something etched into the outer surface. It's so delicate I can't quite make it out. What is it?"
"A Celtic knot. It goes all the way around. They cost a little more than unadorned silver, but I couldn't resist. As closely as the two of them are bonded... it just seemed so appropriate."
"It is. Oh, Albert, what a lovely gesture." Claire sighed, handing the box back and gifting him with another quick hug. This time it didn't surprise him quite so much and he savored it. As she separated from him, he slid the box back into his jacket.
"So. How are you today? You're certainly looking a great deal better."
"I'm ready to be out of here is how I am. I can't wait to get back to my own house with my things and Pavlov. I've missed him so much."
"Of course. You've already arranged for temporary assistance, I suppose."
"Well... no, actually. I haven't really thought..."
"Oh, but you must think about it. You won't be able to reach the second floor of your house for quite a while yet."
"Oh dear. The kitchen, my bedroom...."
"Exactly. I'll make the call for you right now."
"No! I mean... I'm sorry. I just can't have someone I don't know in my home. The idea of an utter stranger...."
"What other option is there? I'm sure Darien or Robert would be willing to pitch in..."
"They have the baby to care for and a wedding to plan. No, that would never do..."
The pair sat silent for several minutes.
{There are no other options. I don't dare broach the subject. If only she would.... but she'll never ask. Lord above, what am I thinking? I'm a friend. That's how she sees me and how she always *will* see me. I don't have the right to even dream that she might, perhaps, someday.... Alright, enough. Stop it this minute, Albert Eberts! You're being a fool. Men like you only get their wishes granted in fairy tales. Stop dreaming, stand up and get out before she makes your humiliation complete...}
{What is he thinking? I can never tell by his face. I'm fairly sure I don't want to know what or *who* made him this much of an expert at suppressing his thoughts and feelings. When he played the song from ' Les Miz '.... The obvious joy he takes in caring for Roberta Claire... I know they're only cracks in the armor, just tiny chinks, but what shines through them is so beautiful. I trust him implicitly. I should just ask him. I would if I wasn't certain he'd blush redder than a fire engine and bolt from the room....}
When they finally spoke up, their words tumbled over each other, leaving both confused.
"Claire, I should go...."
"Albert, I have to ask..."
"I have food to prepare for your home-coming...."
"You're right about my needing help... "
" and the surprise party to get ready for..."
"and there's noone I trust the way I do you..."
"so I really should be leaving." He mumbled, rising to his feet.
"so please come and stay with me."
"Wait... I didn't understand any of that." Eberts admitted with a shy smile.
"Neither did I. Start again?"
"I was just saying that I have a great deal to do before tonight... and I should be leaving."
"And I was asking you not to."
"Excuse me?"
"I didn't mean... I was asking if..."
Claire stopped, blushing as furiously as she had imagined Eberts being able to do. She drew a deep, steadying breath and made a second, more successful, attempt. "You were right. I will be needing help for a short while. I'd appre.... I'd li... I'd love it if you'd agree to do that for me."
"Claire.... you can't be serious... you don't mean..."
"I said it and I meant it. Sit back down, Marius."
Eberts hesitated, still unable to completely accept what Claire was asking or the name she had called him. Eventually, though, he smiled, surrendered and moved back to sit beside the beautiful blonde. Extending one trembling hand, he gently touched the side of her face and breathed out a shaky response.
"Eponine...."
When Bobby and Darien appeared a few minutes later, the other two were talking and laughing normally.
"Somethin's wrong there."
"What? They're just hangin' out."
"That's what's hinky. Eberts don't hang out. Hang on, hang in, hang curtains... maybe. But he *don't* hang out. That ain't all I'm sensin' either..."
"We're all goin' through adjustments, Hobbes. Hell, he had to shoot somebody. You an' I both know what that does to your head."
"Yeah. You're right about that."
"So? Cut him some slack. Let's get Claire home an' settled in."
"Okay. Hey, Claire. You ready to go?"
"Just about. Albert, if you'd..."
Instantly, Eberts was on his feet and supporting Claire's weight as she rose onto her crutches for the first time. She wobbled slightly as she found her balance and he stuck close to her side, ready to provide any help she needed. "Thank you. I think I should be alright, now."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Are you coming with me or will you follow in your own car?"
"I'll need to gather some things from my own apartment. I'll meet you at your place in say... an hour?"
"That should be fine."
"You boys will stay until I arrive, won't you?"
"Whoa." Bobby said, holding up a hand. "Back up a minute. I missed an on- ramp somewhere."
"Oh. Of course. I'm sorry. Claire realized that she'll need assistance for a few days... until she's gotten the trick of the crutches and so on. She's asked if I'd stay at the house with her until she can manage on her own again."
"She has?"
"If you need help, Claire, you know we're always there for you. Whatever you need..." Darien interjected.
"No. You've got the baby to think of and your own lives as well. Besides, isn't Betsy still on about the both of you coming in for pre-marital counseling at least once?"
"She's called three times in the last week." Bobby confirmed, scowling at the thought. "I told her we don't need no more counselin'. We know what we want. Nobody an' nothin's changin' our minds now."
"She isn't worried that you have doubts. She wants to be sure you've thought about everything you'll be facing as a couple. That's all."
"Yeah, yeah.... Let's get you outta here. I remember my first time on crutches. You're gonna be wiped out just gettin' down to the garage, trust me."
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THAT EVENING
"Is that everything you'll need from your bedroom?"
"It seems to be. Good Lord, I'm glad I took time for a nap when I got home this afternoon. I'd never make tit through the party tonight. The food's ready is it?"
"All but the entrée, and that will only be another few minutes."
"When did you make the emergency call?"
"At six-thirty. The current time is... two minutes before seven. It takes them at least half an hour to drive here, even if they don't obey the speed limit, so that means they should be here just about...."
Eberts paused, grinning as the chiming doorbell interrupted him, then finished the thought. "now."
Watching Claire carefully, Eberts followed her to the front door, matching her slow pace.
"I'll never get used to these absurd things.... eight weeks my backside..." she grumbled.
"You will be come accustomed to the crutches. The alternative is much worse, believe me."
"Alternative? There's an alternative?"
"Of course there is. You could spend the next eight weeks in a wheelchair."
Claire's eyes grew wide then she smacked Eberts' ankle lightly with the bottom of one crutch.
"Don't even think that! Crutches it is, but I reserve the right to mouth off about them whenever I choose."
"Absolutely, and I reserve the right to tune you out when it becomes tiresome." He retorted, smiling brightly at her.
"Why, you.... I'm not sure I like this new sense of humor very much." She tossed back at him, though she was smiling as well.
"Something else you'll have to learn to manage. Open the door, dear."
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TBC......