So sorry for the long update. I've just been so tired with all the schoolwork I have, this is my senior year so they're really giving me a lot of work. All the free time I have I use to sleep and eat. And there was that storm Jeanne that left me without electricity for a week. But now I've managed to sneak a few minutes to write this chapter. Hope you all like it :)
Second Chances: Chapter 5. Ask me again tomorrowThe surgeons were talking after finishing Joan's operation
"I swear, I've never seen that happen before" Corday said taking her gloves off
"It was a miracle" Carter said
"Come on Carter. It was probably the medicine, it took a while longer to work" Benton said taking his gloves off and throwing them on the bin
"Who's going to talk to the family?" Corday asked deliberately changing the subject. She didn't want to be in the middle of another debate between Carter and Benton about religion vs. medicine
"I will" Carter said looking at Benton and leaving
--
Will, Helen. Luke and Kevin were in the same waiting area they were just a few days ago.
"What is taking so long?" Kevin asked for the tenth time
"You know you don't have to worry if it takes too long. You have to worry if takes to little" Luke told him
"Here comes the doctor" Helen said standing up and holding on to Will
"Mr. and Mrs. Girardi the operation was a success. Joan is going to be fine." Carter started
"Oh thank God" Helen said
"Her hearth stopped during the surgery, and we thought we lost her for a while, but we were able to bring her back. She still has a long road ahead of her, but we are confident she'll pull through." Dr. Carter finished
"Can we see her?" Luke asked
"Not right now, we're taking some post operation tests, but you'll be able to see her maybe in half an hour."
"Yeah. You do all the tests that are necessary this time. Make sure that Joan is really fine" Helen said half joking half serious.
Carter smiled and nodded. "Don't worry"
"Ok, thank you Doctor." Will said shaking his hand. Then Carter turned around and left
"I'll go call Adam. I promised him I'd call him with news" Luke said
"It's one in the morning Luke" Helen said looking at her watch "We'll call him in the morning"
::Morning::
Joan was sleeping back in the hospital room. The other Girardis were scattered all over the room wherever they could find a place to sleep.
"Morning" The nurse said when she entered, but Joan was the only one that moved. She woke up "Hi Joan. Do you remember what happened?"
"I don't know" She said confused "I remember... I couldn't breathe and my chest hurt a lot"
"Yes, they had to do an emergency operation because a fragment of the bullet was still in your lung. You're still alive so the operation was clearly successful" The nurse said smiling. Joan assumed she meant that as a joke, but she didn't really find it funny.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Just a couple hours" The nurse said looking at the chart "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, a little" Joan said
"Well, you're on a special diet until tomorrow, so I'll see what I can get for you" And with that the nurse left
Her whole family was still sleeping so Joan didn't make any noise. A few minutes later Helen woke up
"Mom?" Joan asked making sure her mother was awake
"Joan? You're awake" Helen said jumping off the couch to hug her daughter, until she noticed Joan was crying "Sorry, Did I hurt you? I'm just so happy"
"I'm sorry mom. I'm so sorry" Joan said pulling Helen back to a hug "I'm sorry for making you all suffer so much. I should have known better mom. I love you all so much. I'm sorry" Joan said between sobs. Helen hugged her back and the two of them laid like that until the nurse came back with Joan's breakfast.
The next days were all the same. Adam would come in the morning with Grace, who would mysteriously disappear at the same time Luke did, and then Adam would spent all day with her until she had to go to her physical therapies.
One day Abby came into the room really happy
"Wow, did you win the lottery?" Joan asked
"Something like that" Abby said showing Joan the ring in her finger "I won the best-man-in-the-whole-world lottery. Carter proposed last night" She said almost squealing
"Congratulations!!" Joan said looking at the ring "That is a big rock"
"I still can't believe it. I keep expecting to wake up being fifty something in my apartment alone with just my fifteen cats" Abby said smiling and they laughed for a while. "I talked to him after we went to the roof. He said he thought I was the one that wasn't interested. Good thing I talked to you" Abby said smiling
Joan stayed in the hospital for another three weeks until she was allowed to go home. Helen thought it was too soon for Joan to go home, but Joan thought otherwise. She still had to keep coming every week for her therapies but she was well enough to go home.
Girardi's home
"God I'm so happy to be back" Joan said stepping into the living room and spinning around, like a little girl in Disneyland for the first time. "I've really missed this place."
"Well, we're glad to have you back" Will said
"I really haven't had any time to clean the house lately, so Joan you're room is still a mess" Helen said smiling
"I just got here and I already have chores? It's definitely good to be back" Joan said. Then there was a knock at the door and Luke opened it. It was Grace and Adam
"Hey Joan. Good to see you standing again" Grace said
"Hi Jane" Was all Adam said. He felt kind of shy with the whole family there
"Hey guys. Came to rescue me?" Joan said as they came in and Luke closed the door "They're already giving me chores"
"Actually Grace is here for me" Luke said "We're going to work on our science project"
"Don't remind me. Now let's get this over with" Grace said and followed Luke to his room
"Is it safe to leave those two alone?" Will asked
"Come on dad, its Grace" Joan said "I think we should be more worried about Luke"
"Ok well. I have to get back to work. I'll see you all later" He said putting on his coat and kissing Joan on the forehead "It's good to have you back sweetie."
"See you later daddy" Joan said as Will went out the door
"Adam are you staying for dinner?" Helen asked
"If you want me to" He said
"Of course we want you too. Joan what do you want for dinner?" She didn't wait for Joan to answer and kept talking "I know I'm going to make all your favorite foods tonight. Chicken with some mashed potatoes and maybe some pasta-" Helen kept mentioning all kinds of foods while she was going to the kitchen
"I'm going to go too. Someone has to go make sure mom doesn't make a meal for twenty people." Kevin said following their mother to the kitchen
"What do you want to do?" Joan asked Adam now that they were alone
"You know? We haven't had an official date yet outside of the hospital. Let's go take a walk in the park" Adam said
"Unchallenged" Joan said smiling at him "Mom! I'm going out with Adam. We're going to the park!!" Joan shouted as she was getting her stuff
"But-" Helen started and Joan interrupted
"Don't worry. We'll be back for dinner" She shouted back "Let's go" She said smiling and they left
Park
Adam and Joan were walking in the park holding hands and talking
"So how does it feel to finally be outside the hospital?"
"It's so great. I thought I was never going to come out. But I'm going to miss some of the nurses and the doctors" Joan said getting even closer to Adam
"We have to celebrate. What do you want?" Adam asked
"You know what I want? I want ice cream, but not that tasteless goo they call ice cream at the hospital. Real ice cream, chocolate"
"Okay. Wait here I'll go buy you some"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Wait here a moment"
"Ok" Adam left. Joan sat in a bench to wait for him. She was looking at the people in the park. Little boys playing, old people walking and then she saw him, the cute guy in the brown jacket. He came and sat at her side "Long time no see" Joan said
He smiled "I know, but I told you I'm always with you, even if it seems I'm not there"
"I know, you're God, you're everywhere" Joan said smiling and then got serious "Did I do whatever it was I was supposed to do? Did I help Ramsey?"
"Trust me Joan, you did a good job. You helped Ramsey in ways that you may not be able to understand yet. You kept him from doing something terrible that there was no coming back from. And in a way you even saved some other people."
"What do you mean?" Joan asked
"Abby and Carter. They'll get married they'll have kids. Now those kids are going to do some great things. They just needed a little push to get together. It's like a chain; everything is connected. Now I have to go"
"What? No new assignment?"
"Consider this a vacation. Take time to heal. And remember you don't need me to always tell you to do the right thing. You can do some great things on your own" And with that he stood up and kept walking waving at her until he was out of view. Then a breeze blew through the park and Joan got it. That was his way of saying goodbye. He wasn't going to come back, even though he'd always be there for her.
"Here" Adam brought her back to reality handing her an ice cream cone "It's not chocolate. I really have no idea what it is, but it has to be better than the hospital" Adam said smiling and sitting with her. Joan smiled too and took it.
"I'm sure it's good" She said eating and giving him some too. And eating their ice cream, sitting in a park bench in silence they felt more connected to each other than ever before. They spent all day there sitting together holding each other's hands and looking at each other until it was time to go back for dinner.
the END
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Sniff, sniff. It's over. Someone hand me a tissue!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed and got me to keep writing this story. You all rock!!!
Crazy little witch