Kate's POV
Shaky and I sat in complete silence, both of our hearts racing as we waited for Rick to say something, anything. I felt the familiar feeling of my fur standing up, and my face growing hot with the rest of my body as I anxiously waited for him to speak. It felt like hours, even though it was only a few seconds for him to look over at us from across the room. Already it looked bad because of how confused he looked. I assumed the worst but most of all, part of me still held on to the slight chance that maybe, just maybe… he was okay. It was seconds but during those seconds I prayed as I held my breath, waiting for him to say something. Please God, please let my love be okay. Please let him remember me. Please… please… don't let me lose him again. Nothing else existed. Nothing at all. Just the poor wolf that had been through all too much. He deserved to be happy. So please… I begged to myself… just let him be okay…
"K-... Kate?" Rick winced. My heart skipped a beat as I gasped slightly, feeling chills and my fur stood up even more as my eyes widened. As weak as my legs felt I stood up, taking a moment before I began to walk over to him as he kept the same confused look on his face. As far as I could tell… he was back.
"Rick!" I said excitedly, running over and throwing my arms around him. He grunted, putting his arms around me slightly as if to catch me. Right then and there I began to cry again, squeezing him so tight as he sat in the bed. I couldn't let go of him, nor did I want to. I just needed to hold him, but because of what happened last time I had to make sure he was still conscious. I pulled away, tears streaming down my face as I brushed his cheeks as I tried to catch my breath. I stayed close, our noses nearly touching as I bawled my eyes out. "You're back! I can't believe you're back!" I cried, continuing to brush his face. Thank God… Thank God he's okay… My soulmate is okay.
"Rick man… I can't believe it your… are you actually here?" Shaky asked. I looked over my shoulder for a moment to see that he was now standing beside me. After that quick glance though I turned back to Rick. I just couldn't take my eyes off him.
"I… yeah… I just…" Rick stuttered. It was only then that I noticed how raspy his voice was.
"Rick? Are you okay?" I asked, almost in a panic.
"I… I just…" Rick started before he began to cough as if he couldn't breathe that well.
"What's wrong?" Shaky asked. He sounded really scared.
"Thirsty… I'm so… thirsty" Rick said. Instantly Shaky patted his pockets, looking for something, I turned to face him again.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The vending machine down the hall, I can buy him something from there. Be right back" Shaky said quickly as he pulled out his wallet and then barged out of the room. He could have just gotten a cup from the water cooler, but the tiny Styrofoam cups wouldn't have done much for three months of not drinking anything. I would have done the same if I had thought of it first. Rick coughed again, pulling my attention back to him. He looked up at me, not saying anything. All I could think to do was pull him into another tight hug.
"I… I thought I lost you" I sobbed, tears still running down my face, he breathed raspilly as he hugged me back.
"No… I'm still here" he said. I began to laugh, looking like a psycho as I hugged him, keeping my eyes squeezed shut as I hugged him. Dr Stevens was right, he just needed some more time. "Kate?" Rick said, grabbing my attention. I broke the hug and went back to looking into his eyes. Face to face as our noses barely touched.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"What… what day is it?" Rick asked in between coughs. I wonder how much he remembered.
"Don't… don't worry about that right now" I said, trying not to overwhelm him. No, that was the last thing I wanted to do. There was so much to catch him up on. Both good and bad… right now though he was back and okay. That's all that mattered. Rick didn't say anything. He just stared into my eyes for a moment before coughing again. "Don't worry, Shaky will be right back" I said. Again he didn't reply, instead he looked down at his arms, and then lifted the blanket slightly to see his body before placing it back down. "What?" I asked.
"I… how long has it been? I… I lost some weight, '' Rick answered. That was right, because of not eating or anything he was in a vegetative state. Nothing to major though. He wasn't sticks and bones, he was just… thinner. Nothing that couldn't be solved by two weeks of eating normal.
"Don't worry about that… you'll be back to yourself in no time" I assured. Again Rick looked over at me, panting slightly. I wanted to say something else but just then Shaky came back into the room with two bottles of water. Quickly he sped over and held out one of the bottles. Rick took it and opened it up before quickly sucking it down as if he were a wild animal. It was a sad sight to see. He chugged it quickly until there was only a little left, never stopping to take a breath. When he finally let it down a bit it was only to catch his breath before he went back in again, finishing it off in less than a second. All I did was watch sadly. I watched as he shook the bottle, trying to get as much drops out as he could, but luckily Shaky came prepared with another. He held it out to him, and like the last one it was taken and drank, only about a fourth though before Rick sighed.
"Thank you" he said, already sounding a bit better.
"Of course man" Shaky said, sounding a bit nervous, like he didn't want to startle the guy. Can't say that I blamed him.
"Should we tell them that he's awake?" I asked. I could feel Rick's eyes on me as I asked the question, part of him must have been scared, or maybe even embarrassed.
"They already know. I told them on the way over here" Shaky answered. I nodded and turned back to Rick, taking his hand into my own. I just couldn't believe he was back. After everything, he was here… he was finally here. "How are ya feelin?" Shaky asked him.
"Fine… maybe a little dizzy" he answered.
"Probably because you moved and your body's not used to it. Just take it easy alright?" I said. Rick shrugged.
"I gotta walk sometime," he replied.
"Yes but… for now let's just… I'm so glad you're back" I repeated. Rick stared at me a bit more before repeating himself as well.
"How long… has it been?" he asked. I looked over at Shaky, trying to see what he thought. He simply shrugged. I turned back, brushing my thumb on Rick's hand again.
"Don't worry right now… I'll catch you up, I promise" I said. Rick sighed.
"Can't be good if you're keeping it from me" he said, looking down at his lap. His ears fell flat as he stared down, making me feel guilty. I was trying to think of something to say but suddenly the Dr walked into the room, catching all of our attention.
"Your awake. Good" he said, walking over and grabbing his usual clipboard. We all stayed silent as he walked over to Rick. "how are ya feeling?' he asked.
"Weak… really weak," Rick answered. Stevens nodded and then reached out, cupping just under his chin to turn his head, checking for something.
"Any pain?" he asked.
"No, just my head," Rick answered.
"That's normal. Your wounds should be all healed up but later I want to ask you some questions, see how your memory is. In terms of your headache I'll give you something for it, as well as send up some soup. Sorry to say you'll be on a liquid diet for awhile" Stevens explained. Rick didn't respond. He just kinda sat there. He must have been starving.
"When can he eat?' I asked.
"I'll send for something right now. I'm also gonna go grab some medicine for him. In the meantime though I don't think he'll be needing these anymore" Stevens explained as he carefully pulled the IV bag from Rick's wrist, making him wince for a second as the needles left him. Quickly it was bandaged and left as it was. "Be right back" he said before turning and leaving. Rick continued to sit there, looking at his lap. Finally he looked up at me, causing me to meet his eyes. We said nothing, just staring at each other. Finally he began to shake his head as he started to tear up, keeping eye contact the whole time.
"Kate… I… I was so scared" he sobbed. He remembered… he remembered everything. Why he was here, everything leading up to it. He remembered what he felt as he thought he was dying. What that was I didn't know. Fear yes but… why? He told me before he was afraid of death because of what might come after, and for that reason that's what I assumed, and to me it was a heartbreaking sight. I began to cry again as I too began to shake my head.
"I know… I know" I said, wrapping my arms around him again. Shaky simply looked down as if he felt bad but couldn't do anything to help. I held him tight as he held me back as tight as he could. He cried into me, sobbing uncontrollably as he finally felt safe. "I'm… I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I thought you were gone" I sobbed.
"I… thought so too" Rick cried back. I felt him grip at my shirt, making me feel even more bad. Then he broke the hug, doing something that I hadn't felt in a long long time… he pulled my head close to him, and rested his forehead on mine, his sobbing seeming to calm down just a bit. Mine did as well, making me feel relaxed and as if I was in a whale other world. I forgot what this was like. I forgot how calming and loving his touch was. I forgot the aura of good and love that I picked up from him every time he was close, and I forgot just how real love felt. The feeling of despair and sorrow replacing it and making my life a living hell for the past few months. I took a deep breath, sighing as I felt myself relax. It had been so long since I felt this. Our special touch that we had before we were even together. I couldn't be more grateful that he was here again.
I held his hand, lacing our fingers as I held it, getting even more into what we had. Our faces were still stained with tears but we couldn't even notice. Our noses also touched as our muzzles lined up almost perfectly. Almost because he was, of course, bigger than mine. But still… it was perfectly lined as if they were made to be. I couldn't even think for a moment, I was just lost in a state of bliss and comfort. I had almost forgotten that we had even done this. His touch… his loving touch was so… I couldn't even describe it. Finally I broke our embrace and gave his forehead a smooch, wetting his fur a little from my moist lips and for the first time… he smiled. Instantly I felt my heart warm up as I smiled back, his eyes remaining closed as he kept the same position. He looked up at me, opening his eyes, keeping the same smile.
"I… Thank you for keeping me company all this time… I don't know how long it's been but… I know you were here the whole time… and I heard every word, every story… I just… wish I coulda said something back" Rick explained, cupping my cheek. I felt my heart warm up again. He listened the whole time? So it was true.
"Yeah… I was never leaving you" I assured. Again we smiled at each other, feeling more emotions than one. Part of it was a sad sight but more than anything I was so happy. I haven't felt this much joy in so long. I wanted to kiss him, just lock his lips with mine and tell him how much I loved him. I wanted him to know but I think he already did. Rick pulled me close again, this time to nuzzle me. I nuzzled him back, almost getting rough as we missed each other so much. I snuck in a few kisses before finally a snicker to my left broke our trance. Me and Rick both turned to see Shaky with a huge smile on his face. I had almost completely forgotten that he was even here.
"Is this going to lead into a show?" he asked. I felt myself grow embarrassed, as did Rick as we leaned back.
"Sorry… I just-" Rick started but didn't finish his sentence.
"It's fine. I can only imagine how it feels" Shaky said, his ears lowering for a moment. I Could tell he was thinking of Angel and how he wished he could feel the same. The feeling of having your partner back after thinking they were dead. Fortunately for me it was real, unfortunately for all of us though, Angel was still gone. Hopefully Rick would take the news well that her death wasn't an accident. But not now… just not now. I patted Shaky's leg just as Stevens returned with a cup and a pill in his hand. He walked over to Rick again, holding out both of them.
"Thanks" Rick said, taking the pill and then drinking the water from the cup, even though the bottle of water was sitting between his legs.
"Of course, and I sent for the soup as well. Now Rick I do want to see if you can walk. You seem to be sitting up just fine so, see if you can take a few steps" Stevens requested. Rick lowered the cup which I held my hand out to take, he gave it to me and then lifted the blanket.
"Shit, I feel really greasy" he said, earning a laugh from both Shaky and I.
"No shower man, it'll do that to ya" Shaky replied. Rick snickered, shaking his head as he went to get up. Stevens stayed close as Rick got to his feet and then slowly, and wobbly took a few steps. After only two however he lost his balance, falling forward and getting caught by Stevens.
"Oh! Rick, are you okay?" I asked.
"Fine just… doc how long has it been?" Rick asked, holding onto Stevens as he tried to catch his balance.
"Don't worry about that, just try and take some steps" he instructed.
"Why do you guys keep saying that?" Rick asked, making both me and Shaky laugh again. Only lightly though. We then stayed quiet as he tried again to take some steps, leaning against a wall now to try and walk. It was slow and clumsy but he was getting it.
"You have a strong body. Not many people can just recover from laying in bed for so long so fast" Stevens complimented.
"How long?" Rick asked again, this time something more annoyed.
"Try and walk back over to the bed" Stevens instructed. Rick sighed and did as he was asked, making it to the bed just fine and sitting on the edge of it. Stevens now leaned against the wall in front of him to tell him the news. "Rick, you've been in a coma for the past three months. I'm not sure if you remember why you were in a coma but you've missed a lot of time" he explained. Rick seemed to freeze up for a moment, trying to process what was just said to him.
"Three months? I was in a coma for three months?" he asked.
"Do you remember what happened?" Stevens asked. Rick simply held his stomach before nodding.
"Yeah… I do… I remember everything" he answered. Stevens nodded.
"Your lucky to be alive. From what I heard if that ambulance wasn't right there then you wouldn't be" Stevens explained. Rick seemed as though he was trying to process the information that was just given to him which again made me feel sad.
"When can he go home?" I asked.
"Well I want to keep him for one more night and if he's still feeling better by tomorrow then he can go home then" Stevens answered. I nodded, my tail wagging at the news. I don't even think Rick heard the news though. "Just keep him on a liquid diet for a while, and eventually he'll be able to eat normally and he should gain his weight back in no time" he added.
"Thanks" I said. Rick was always a skinny guy, not skin and bones but now there was a noticeable difference. But again, it wouldn't take long to get him back to his normal perfect build. Just then a nurse came in with a cart that had a bowl on it.
"Alright, I'll let him eat and be back later. Just don't eat too fast alright?" Stevens said, shifting his attention to Rick. Rick nodded and just like that Stevens began to leave the room.
"Call the kitchen if you want anything else hun" the nurse said before leaving.
"Thank you" I called before turning back to Rick who was still in the same position. "Rick? You okay?" I asked.
"Three months… I missed three whole months" he said before turning back to me, not even acknowledging the food.
"Are you okay?" I asked. He shook his head.
"I don't know… I just… what have I missed?" he asked.
"A lot, but don't worry, we'll catch you up on everything. Just eat before you rot away to nothing" Shaky said, rolling the cart closer. Rick looked in his direction but then turned back to me.
"You stayed by my side all this time… for three months?" he asked. I bit my lip and nodded.
"Yeah… we made a promise, remember?" I asked, tilting my head a bit. I could tell that he wanted to kiss me right then and there. "Plus… this kinda made it easier," I added, holding up the necklace that I was wearing. Since the day he gave it to me I never took it off, and never planned to. We were always gonna be with each other no matter what. Rick looked down, realizing that he too was wearing his necklace, something he never did and because of that he looked confused. He never wore it but always had it on him.
"How did-"
"Way at the beginning I saw that you didn't have it so I asked where your belongings were. It was there. Along with your phone and wallet and all that. Your clothes got thrown out though. It was only jeans and a T-shirt so… you know" I explained, implying that it wasn't too much of a loss.
"You put it on me?" Rick asked.
"I wanted us to be together even when I couldn't be here" I replied. Rick clutched the locket in his hand and then smiled.
"Thank you," he said. I smiled back.
"I love you Rick," I replied. He smiled but it faded quickly. "What is it?" I asked.
"The guy that almost killed me. Did they ever-"
"You don't need to worry about that man. That was dealt with, '' Shaky said. Rick turned to me for answers. This was already too much though so I would tell him later, but right now he needed his strength up. I stood up, pulling the cart of food closer to him and taking the lid off the bowl, revealing the familiar sight of the chicken noodle soup.
"Eat" I said. Rick knew he wasn't gonna get answers now, so he got on the bed fully again, and took a spoonful of soup, eating it and then going for another. "Just eat slowly alright? I don't want you overdoing it. I'm gonna call the others, let them know you're awake and to get you some fresh clothes and stuff" I explained. Rick nodded.
"Thanks, a shower sounds so good right now. That and a nice brush of my teeth'' Rick explained, causing Shaky to laugh again. I on the other hand couldn't imagine going without either of those things for three months. I dialed Lilly up and then put the phone to my ear, listening to the ringing three times before she picked up.
"Hey Kate, what's up? You alright?" she asked as she picked up. I didn't exactly know how to tell her the news.
"Yeah, what are you and Humphrey up to?" I asked before looking up from my legs to see Rick eating his soup, spoonful after spoonful. Shaky simply sat next to him looking as if he wanted to talk but instead just let the poor wolf eat.
"Just chilling at his house. Thought we could hang out and play some video games, maybe get something delivered. Do some activities later as well" Lilly listed, making me giggle at the last part. I was still glad to see that she had forgiven Humphrey for everything, but I don't think Humphrey had even forgiven himself. I know I didn't.
"You didn't order anything yet did you?" I asked.
"Hm, no. But we were about to. We're pretty hungry" Lilly answered.
"Well… I think maybe you two should come down to the hospital" I said, my heart aching all of a sudden as I prepared to tell her the exciting news.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Lilly asked in a panic. I took another look over at Rick who had Shaky's arm on his wrist now.
"Slow down buddy, you don't wanna overdue it" he said. I smiled at the sight.
"No… for the first time in a while everything seems fine" I said. There was silence for a moment before Lilly spoke again.
"Wait… is Rick…"
"Uh-huh" I answered excitedly. I heard Lilly gasp.
"Rick's awake," she told Humphrey.
"He is?" I heard him reply in the distance. "Is he alright? Please tell me he is" he added.
"I don't know, we'll be right there Kate. is he okay?" Lilly asked as I heard her begin to get up, shifting around probably trying to look for an outfit.
"Yeah he's fine, just a little shaken up. Listen Lilly, before you come can you do me a favor?" I asked. I heard more clutter over the phone before I got an answer.
"Sure Kate, what is it?" Lilly asked.
"I need you to go to our place and pick out some clothes for Rick. he really needs a shower and all that. Grab some comfy clothes, a wash rag, some soap, and his toothbrush?" I asked. I couldn't imagine how dirty he felt. He already looked the part.
"Uh… yeah, sure. Is he not coming home?" Lilly asked.
"Not tonight, they want to keep him one more night. But if everything goes well then he'll be home tomorrow" I explained.
"Alright. Yeah, of course we'll stop and pick up some things. See you in a bit" Lilly said before hanging up. I sighed, lowering the phone from my ear and then looked over to see that the soup was nearly gone.
"Feeling better?" I asked. Rick nodded as he took another spoonful.
"Yeah, I didn't realize how hungry I was," Rick replied. I nodded and then gave his shoulder a brush.
"Lilly and Humphrey are coming to see you. I'll give my parents a call and let them know. But my dads at work so he probably won't be able to come" I explained.
"It's fine, I don't want to be a bother to them. They don't need to come" Rick replied before going for some more food.
"They love you though Rick. I wasn't gonna ask them to show up but I know at least mom will want to" I said.
"Speaking of which, I should give Stephanie a call, let her know that he's up" Shaky said as he pulled his phone out. I looked down again at the almost empty bowl and then gave Rick another pat.
"You want more?" I asked. Rick shook his head and then ate another spoonful.
"No, I mean I do but… Doctor said to take it easy" Rick answered. My ears lowered as I began to feel bad again. I didn't want my poor Rick to starve.
"Hey Steph, what you up to?" Shaky asked and then looked at me and Rick. I guess he didn't want to bother us because after his quick glance he stood up and began walking out the room. "You're not gonna believe this'' he said as he left. I sighed again, turning back to my lover.
"Rick if your hungry then-"
"I'm fine Kate… I'm fine" he said, grabbing my hand again. I offered a warm smile as we stared into each other's eyes.
"I didn't think I would ever see you again. When I got the news I… I was so broken, '' I explained. Rick seemed to look as if he felt bad as well.
"I told you Kate… I'm not going anywhere" he said. My smile grew as I felt more tears in my eyes. I was still just so happy.
"I know… but when Humphrey told me you were dead-"
"He told you I was dead?" Rick asked. He seemed confused for a moment. I guess I should have been more specific.
"Yeah. he said that he held you until you died and then he was questioned by police as they took you away. The only reason we found out you were alive was because the hospital called me and told me. When they did I… I almost passed out" I explained. Rick took a moment to process what I said to him.
"And then… you were by my side almost every day" Rick said. I had so much to tell him. So much to go over.
"It was hell Rick. But when I Thought you were dead, that was worse. When Humphrey showed up covered in your blood I… I snapped" I explained, wincing at the horrible memory and feeling.
"I remember… he held me and… all I could think of was you. How I had to keep my promise, how I would be leaving you… how sad you would be… that was the worst thing of all… I just wanted to see you one last time. I wanted to hold you, and that was all I could think about. The pain didn't even matter" Rick explained as he teared up, reliving everything.
"Don't think about it just… you're here now" I said. I went to pat him again but he took my hand and pulled me into another hug. He started sobbing again, saying nothing as he held me. When he did speak though it was saddening.
"It hurt so much… feeling the blade go all the way up… it stung, it just… I've never felt so much physical pain. It's like I can still feel it but… even then you were all that mattered'' he explained through tears. I began to sob as well as I held him. "I went to grab my locket but couldn't get to it. I just wanted to see my girls again. It was Humphrey who helped me out with that" he added.
"He was crushed Rick. we all were. Lilly tried to be strong for Humphrey but… she was just…" I went to explain but didn't finish. When it happened she was decent at playing it off, but I could tell that she was still destroyed by it. She cared for Rick almost as much as she cared for Angel, and that was a lot. All the acts she put on trying to look calm, but when I would hear her crying at night it took a lot for me to not go in there. Even after we found out he was alive she still cried over him. But I never said anything because I knew I would make things worse. I always made things worse.
"Lilly… she was…" Rick went to say but was cut off when Shaky re-entered the room.
"She's on her way" he said, coming in and then stopping at the sight. We both looked at him, letting go of each other. He sighed. "Do you guys want me to leave?" he asked. We both shook our heads.
"No, come sit down" I said, nudging to the seat to Rick's right. Shaky walked over and did as was asked.
"I'm glad your awake dude" he repeated, making Rick smile.
"I'm glad to have you guys," Rick replied, looking between us. We both smiled, keeping eye contact but our moment was cut short when my phone began to ring. I pulled it out, seeing that it was Lilly. I answered it and put it to my ear again.
"Hey" I greeted.
"Hey, we're at the house. Any specific clothes I should grab?" Lilly asked. I thought for a moment.
"Um… just grab a loose T-shirt and some sweatpants," I said. I heard the door unlock as Lilly and Humphrey stepped inside the house.
"Wanna just follow me?" Lilly asked Humphrey since my mom was home, and as far as I knew he was still avoiding her after what happened.
"Yeah" I heard Humphrey answer before the two began walking upstairs.
"Hey Kate, I have a stupid question. Which toothbrush is Rick's?" Lilly asked.
"The black one" I answered, kind of a little surprised that she somehow didn't know.
"Alright. Did you tell mom the news?" Lilly asked.
"Not yet. Did you wanna do that for me?" I asked.
"Sure. alright see ya soon" Lilly said.
"Alright, see ya" I replied and then hung up. "So… you're gonna have quite a few visitors," I smiled. Rick chuckled.
"Sounds great," he said.
"Hey, we'll have two things to celebrate soon. You getting out of here, you doing well, and your birthday" Shaky explained, making Rick's ears drop again.
"It's June?" he asked. Shaky nodded excitedly, resulting in Rick turning to me. "Kate, your birthday," he said. Of course his first thought was about me. It was really sweet of him.
"Yeah… kinda went and passed," I explained. Rick took my hand and kissed it tenderly.
"I'm so sorry I missed it" he said.
"Don't be, there wasn't anything to miss. It was really depressing actually. I wish I could forget it" I explained, seeing Shaky have a similar reaction. Him, and the others including my parents tried to do something for me, but because of everything that was going on it just ended up being depressing. I thanked them for the cake and gifts but… everyone could tell I was still really upset. Mom had offered to take me to dinner but I declined, wanting to come to the hospital instead. She had protested to me that of all days I should have taken that day to have fun, giving me the same speech on how Rick would want me to be happy which I knew was true, but the only thing that could make me happy was him. I spent that day by his side as I had done the weeks prior.
"Was it that bad?" Rick asked.
"Mostly just me moping while everyone tried to cheer me up. Kind of makes me feel like an ass" I replied. Rick seemed to understand, nodding slowly as guilt set in.
"Hey, at least you two can finally legally have sex" Shaky said, trying to brighten the mood. Rick and I both laughed lightly before giving each other a nuzzle.
"Yeah… finally" Rick said gently. I giggled and gave his nose a light peck. I knew it would be a while before we got there though. There was still a lot of recovering to do. "I didn't miss graduation did I?" he asked.
"No, we still have a few weeks left. It's only the fourth" Shaky answered. Rick nodded and then went to drink some water from the bottle that was still between his legs. Once he did he swished the water around in his mouth before swallowing and turning to me.
"So… did they ever catch the guy who tried to kill me?" Rick asked. I looked over at Shaky who seemed to be just as lost as I was.
"Um… you can say that. Long story but… I don't really wanna tell it right now" I said, looking back at him.
"Oh… alright" Rick said. There was a moment of silence before I ran my hand across Rick's lap again.
"It's gonna be so good to have you back home again. My beds been so cold without you" I explained, making Rick smile.
"I dont think I'll be of much use for now" Rick said as he lifted his arm which looked a little thin.
"Hey man. Texas roadhouse every night. How does that sound?" Shaky asked. Rick smiled.
"Like a dream" he answered, making us all laugh.
"We'll go, but you gotta work up to it. Liquid diet right now" I remembered. Rick seemed a little bummed but nodded as he understood.
"Try not to be so sad man. You'll get there in no time" Shaky promised. Suddenly Rick turned back to me.
"Oh Kate, your heat" Rick said, remembering that when he left me I was in heat.
"What about it?" I asked.
"Well… I couldn't exactly help you out with it. You alright?" he asked. I giggled but my smile faded right after.
"Well, I was too upset to think about anything like that after I thought you were dead. I really didn't even notice. But later on when I found out you were alive and I spent so much time with you… I'd say it was around the time my heat was about to be over but during that time when I was at home for the night, there was a lot of improvising" I explained, making a scissor-like gesture with my fingers. Rick and Shaky both laughed as I explained myself.
"We really did miss you Rick," Shaky said.
"Yeah… believe it or not I missed you guys too… I missed you a lot. And Humphrey I… I need to thank him once I see him again. What he did for me it… it wasn't much but it was a lot to me" Rick explained, making me feel awful again. I would have to tell him what almost happened eventually but not right now. Not for a while. I was so terrified and ashamed and prayed to God that it wouldn't affect us.
"You would've done the same for us, '' Shaky assured. That was an understatement. It wasn't Rick if he wasn't going above and beyond to make us happy. I wrapped my fingers around his hand again, holding it and turning his attention to me. I still couldn't believe he was okay. Just then Stevens entered the room again, grabbing all of our attention.
"Alright, how are we feeling, we alright?" he asked. Rick nodded. "Alright, I just wanna do some tests, see how you're doing and then I'll leave ya alone" he added.
"Should we leave?" I asked.
"Up to you guys" Stevens said. I really didn't want to leave Rick again, giving me flashbacks to when I was in the hospital and he was leaving. But with Stevens doing tests there was nothing really that I could do here. That and I was beginning to feel hungry myself, and I didnt want to eat solid food in front of Rick as he was on his diet, so this was the best time to do it.
"We'll be back, give you some room. Wanna come with?" I asked Shaky as I stood up. Shaky looked between the two and then stood up himself.
"Uh, yeah sure, '' he said. I turned back to Rick to lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek. It took everything I had not to kiss him on the lips, but because of lack of brushing his teeth and all, I could wait.
"I love you" I said. He pulled me into another hug, holding me close.
"I love you too…" he said. It broke my heart because I could tell he didn't want me to leave.
"Do you want me to stay?" I asked.
"No, it's fine. I know you'll be back" he said, loosening his grip and giving me an opportunity to break our embrace. I gave him another smile before kissing him again.
"Won't be long" I said before turning and leaving. I could hear Stevens chuckle as I left, most likely poking fun. It hurt to leave, but they needed the space and I was assuming I wasn't the only one that was hungry.
"So now what?" Shaky asked once we stepped outside. I stopped in my tracks, turning to him.
"Wanna grab a bite to eat?" I asked.
"Hmm, hospital food, '' Shaky teased. I laughed and then began my walk over to the elevator as Shaky followed. I pressed the call button and waited. It wasn't long before it came up making the familiar ding sound. We stepped inside and waited for the doors to close before I finally spoke.
"Shaky?" I said in a low and almost nervous voice.
"Yeah?" he replied, eyeing me from the side.
"I'm nervous… how am I gonna tell him about everything?" I asked. I felt scared about the answer that I was about to get, but so desperately needed the truth.
"Kate just… dont worry about that right now. Dont worry about any of it. He just woke up, enjoy it, you've certainly waited long enough for it. Tell him when he's fully recovered, and if you do that then you won't have to worry about it until a couple of weeks" Shaky explained, actually managing to make me feel a little better about it. The elevator dinged just before the doors opened. We stepped out and began to walk over to the cafeteria.
"You're right, I'll tell him later tonight about what happened with Mindy but… not everything" I said, referring to Angel.
"You know you don't have to tell him about that alone. If his reaction is anything like mine then maybe I can help, '' Shaky explained.
"Thanks but… I think I can do that just fine. The only thing I really need back up with is the whole Humphrey thing" I said, not even knowing if Shaky knew the full story, but going off of how Lilly described it I think he knew.
"Yeah… well you know the drill. I'll be here if you ever need me" he said, making me feel guilty yet again. He seemed alone, missing his partner. I knew all too well how that felt.
"Oh Shaky" I said, stopping again.
"Hey don't worry about it. This is a happy moment for us all, let's just enjoy it" Shaky said as if trying to convince himself to not be sad. I felt for him but he was right. I sighed and then began walking again. Just a few twists and turns of the hallways and we were at the cafeteria where we got some food and began to walk out after purchasing it. We were going to eat outside but on the way out we ran into Humphrey and Lilly who were just checking in at the front desk. The lady sitting there just handed them their visitors badge as they turned to us, Lilly's tail instantly began wagging as soon as she saw me.
"Kate," she said, walking over and wrapping her arms around me. "I'm so happy to hear the news. Getting some food?" she asked after breaking the hug. I looked down at my hands which had chicken tenders and fries with a bottle of pepsi which was awkwardly held by my arm.
"Yeah, didn't want to eat solid food in front of Rick since he's on a liquid diet. You know how that goes" I explained.
"The doctor is running some tests on him so we thought we could take the moment to grab something. We were gonna go right up after we ate" Shaky explained. The two nodded.
"Alright, I'm sure he really wants to get into some fresh clothes" Humphrey said, holding up a bag which held everything I asked for.
"Oh my God, thank you. Come here for a second'' I requested, walking away from the front desk and over to the waiting area. I set my food down on the small wooden table and then reached my hand out for the bag. Humphrey handed it to me and I gave it a quick search. Everything was there. Clothes, toothbrush, some toothpaste, towels, washrag, soap, shampoo. "Thanks guys. Thank you so much" I said again.
"Of course. We can only imagine how dirty he feels" Lilly said.
"Man, it's so good to know that he's finally awake," Humphrey added, his hands now in his pockets. Shaky said nothing and simply sat down and began eating his own food which consisted of a chicken wrap with fries and a root beer.
"Glad you guys are eating, we were gonna grab something but might get something on the way home. Visiting hours are almost done anyway" Lilly explained. I felt myself grow confused and then checked my phone for the time which read seven thirty-two. I then took another look outside to see the sky was pink as the sun began to set.
"Huh, I didn't know it was so late," I said. Just then I saw my mother come in, walking over to us which I didn't expect. "Mom, you came" I said happily as my own tail began to wag.
"Of course I did. Once Lilly told me the news I had to come" she said, giving me a hug which was followed by Lilly handing her a visitor's clip. "Thanks" she said, clipping it to her shirt.
"Stephanie's on her way too. She called an uber right when I told her so she should be here any minute" Shaky said.
"Oh well we can wait. The Doctor is probably still busy with Rick anyway" I replied.
"So how is he? Is he feeling alright?" mom asked.
"Yeah. his head was hurting when he woke up, he took a couple of steps which was hard for him. But he remembered everything, things got emotional but overall he's just really happy to see me again" I explained, mom looking sympathetic as I explained the last part.
"I'm sure he was. He's not hurting though is he? You know where he was…" mom asked, making circle motions with her fingers around her stomach. I shook my head.
"No thankfully. He's been out for so long that he's had the time to completely heal" I answered.
"I'll grab another pin for Stephanie. Be right back" Lilly said before walking away from the group. I then turned back to Shaky, sitting across from him and grabbing my food to eat it.
"Have you guys eaten yet?" I asked before taking a bite.
"I had a little something at the house," Mom answered as she sat next to me.
"Starving," Humphrey said, making me realize why I even asked them in the first place since Lilly had already told me that they hadn't eaten.
"Do you want to go get something?" Shaky asked.
"No, we can wait," Humphrey answered as he walked over to him. He sat next to Shaky but was sure to steal a fry just before he sat down. Shaky watched as he did it which earned a laugh from him.
"So we're only waiting on one more person?" mom asked.
"Yeah but, I also didn't want to eat anything in front of Rick. they have him on a liquid diet since I guess his body hasn't eaten anything in so long" I explained. Mom nodded sadly.
"And here I was ready to cook for him," she said.
"He should be fine to come home tomorrow, but I don't know how long they want him to eat food like that. His body should be fine by then right?" I asked.
"I don't know, we'll have to ask" mom said just as Lilly walked past me and then sat next to me, holding the pass in her hand.
"He's got a lot of love you know, '' she said with a smile. I smiled back at her as I realized how many people were coming here to see him, and this was only the people we told. If I let everyone else know then surely they would want to visit too. Like my friends. Winter specifically said that she wanted to know when he was awake which I hadn't told her yet. Not right now only his family needed to know. But Stephanie… I guess there were exceptions, but then again I was her replacement wasn't I?
"Yeah, he sure does," I smiled. Lilly kept her smile for a moment before changing the subject.
"Can I have one?" she asked, pointing at my chicken tenders. I rolled my eyes and laughed, picking one out and handing it to her. "Thanks" she laughed, taking a bite.
"It doesn't feel like that long ago does it? When we were all sitting here for Kate?" Humphrey said, making me again remember when I was here.
"Yeah… so much has happened since then I… it's just crazy to think about '' I replied, which made me feel a little sad again with the thought of I wish Angel were here with us right now. She deserved to be, but then again maybe she was. I felt mom's hand rubbing my shoulder which gave me some comfort, when I saw Shaky look to his left and wave someone over. Already I knew who to expect. I looked to see Stephanie making her way over to us, dressed in a simple sweatshirt and jeans.
"Hey guys, what are you all doing down here?" she greeted.
"Waiting for you" Shaky answered just before he took his final bite. I only had one chicken tender left with a few fries. I handed Lilly the rest of those which she happily accepted, but that tender was all mine.
"Well not just that. Apparently he's doing some tests right now as well" Humphrey added. He then stood up and hugged her.
"It's been awhile since I saw you guys. You been well?" Stephanie asked.
"Yeah. you should come around more, we've missed you" Lilly said. I stayed silent which I guess she picked up on. It's not that I disliked her but knowing her feelings for Rick just made things awkward. That and I didn't really know her.
"Lilly, the pin," I reminded. She looked confused only for a split second before she realized what I meant.
"Oh yeah, here ya go Stephanie" she said, holding out her little visitor's pin.
"Oh thanks" she said, accepting it and then putting it in her pocket.
"So, should we go up there? I'm really excited to see him" mom said.
"Yeah, I think it's time" I answered, standing up and brushing the little bit of crumbs off of myself. Lilly and mom then stood up as well, and only moments later we were in the elevator making our way up to the floor where Rick waited for us all, probably not expecting seven people now. Things seemed tense but for all the right reasons. Everyone was excited to see him. We silently waited to arrive at our floor, and then as a group stepped out two at a time. I led us all to the room, where I even felt excited to see how they would react when they saw Rick up and well.
When we got to the room and entered we were puzzled to find that Rick wasn't there. In fact his bed seemed to have been left in a hurry, his thin blanket which had laid over him for the past few months was tossed to the side, showing that he had taken it off to do what he was doing. What that was I didn't know. At first I thought that maybe he went with the doctor to do something, and was about to say so as the idea came to my head, but a flush from the bathroom turned our attention, and instantly I began to feel excited again. I smiled as my tail started to wag, and just like that the door opened. It only took a moment for Rick to step out, shutting the bathroom light off as he came out of the room. The room fell silent as he turned to me and seemed happy to see me, but then stopped once he saw everyone else. I noticed his lip drop a bit as he studied who was there, the group doing almost the same thing as it was such a miracle that this was finally happening.
They stood there staring at each other, probably not knowing what to say. Rick took a step over to them as if to greet them, but was cut short as Lilly immediately ran over and pulled him into her arms. Rick stumbled for a second, letting out an audible grunt as he caught his balance. I smiled at the sight, meanwhile Lilly was crying as she held him.
"Hey Lills, nice to see you again too" Rick smiled, hugging her back.
"I thought we would never see you again" Lilly sobbed, not wanting to let go of him. Rick rested his chin on her shoulder and partially cradled her as she continued to sob.
"I thought so too Lills" he replied in a low tone. I noticed her fingers grip him tightly as he spoke, his haunting words registering in her head and making us realize again just how close everything was.
"Don't leave us again… please" Lilly begged. Rick simply smiled as he continued to rock her gently before breaking the hug. He looked in her eyes and gave her a pat on the shoulder as he offered the best smile he could.
"Rick?" we heard Humphrey say, grabbing his attention. Rick's smile faded and his ears perked up upon hearing his name. Humphrey and him made eye contact and then Rick took a few steps towards him. Once fully in front of him Rick looked as though he wanted to say something but choked on his own words as tears began to flood his own eyes. Finally Rick gave in, and pulled Humphrey into a tight hug of his own. Something I honestly didn't expect. Humphrey hugged him back, and like Lilly began to sob, although not as obvious.
"Thank you… thank you so much for what you did" Rick sobbed, confusing me for a moment. What was he talking about?
"What do you-" Humphrey went to ask but Rick broke the hug and twiddled his locket in his fingers.
"The pictures… thank you for letting me see them" Rick explained, making everything make sense. He was grateful that Humphrey was giving him what he wanted when he thought he was dying. The closest thing to me and his sister, who he considered the two most important women in his life. The two hugged again and then Rick opened his eyes, noticing Stephanie who was still standing next to Shaky. Rick then loosened his grip around Humphrey and broke the hug between them, walking over to Stephanie who blushed with a smile. "Hey Steph" he greeted.
"Hey" Stephanie replied, throwing her arms around him as well as her tail wagging. The two broke the hug and then locked eyes. "We really missed you," she smiled.
"Sounds like we got a lot of time to make up for that," Rick replied. Stephanie nodded with the same smile.
"Any time," she replied. Finally Rick turned to my mother.
"Hey Eve" he greeted.
"Oh Rick" she said, pulling him into his final hug. Rick hugged her back, most likely running out of things to say. "Thank you for holding on for us. If you weren't here I…" mom began, holding onto him as if for dear life.
"Don't worry… I was never leaving you guys" Rick assured, bringing a warmth to my heart and making me want to wrap my arms around him as well. The two broke their embrace and smiled at each other, mom wiping a tear from her eye.
"We heard that you were in desperate need of a shower so… whenever you're ready" Lilly said, grabbing his attention and holding up the bag of goods. Instantly Rick's tail began to wag as he walked over to look in the bag.
"Oh my- thank you so much. It will get put to good use, I promise" Rick said.
"We're not gonna get mad if you shower and all that now, but visiting hours are over in less than an hour" Humphrey said with his hands now in his pockets.
"Well Kate, you said he should be good to come home tomorrow right?" mom asked, causing me to look over to her.
"Yeah, we should be good to go. Why? did you want to do something?" I asked.
"I thought we could throw a little something. Just something to spend some time with Rick to catch up" mom offered. Everyone seemed to look over at Rick for an answer. He simply stood there though, not having a single clue of what to say which already let me know his answer.
"We'll talk about it tonight, why don't we just enjoy what we have right now?" I suggested. Mom shrugged and then pulled out her phone to check the time.
"Forty-five minutes until they throw us out of here. So what did you want to do Rick?" mom asked, looking over at him again. Now he was holding a shampoo bottle, seemingly going through everything that was in the bag.
"Um… I can wait" he answered, putting the bottle back. I could tell he didn't want to but felt rude if he didn't stick around for a moment.
"You can shower, we'll be here" I said, trying to get him to do what he actually wanted.
"Really Rick, don't worry about it. We'll be here when you come out" Humphrey added.
"Oh yes, I didn't mean to sound like an ass, do what you want sweetheart" mom said. Rick's eyes darted to the ground for a second. As I feared I was beginning to think that it was all too much.
"I-I can wait'' he said, taking a seat on the bed. "Besides I really miss you guys. What did I miss while I was gone?" Rick asked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shaky and Stephanie exchange glances. I guess the two wanted to wait to tell him though because they said nothing.
"Well Rick, a lot happened. I guess we just want to tell you our own stories… when the time is better" Lilly explained.
"That and I guess we just don't wanna bombard you with things" I added. Rick shrugged.
"Well… I mean I've been through this much so far. How much more could possibly hurt?" he asked. I felt myself make a pained expression as my ears fell flat. Rick saw this and I guess it was enough to persuade him. "Oh… that bad huh?" he asked. I then looked over at mom.
"It's… nothing too bad sweetie. I guess they just want to tell you when there's less of an audience" mom explained. Now I began to feel bad again. I felt like this was going poorly all of a sudden, so I walked over and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around him.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you all in good time. It's just a lot right now and we'd rather not go over the drama right this second" I explained. Rick simply nodded sadly.
"I did not… burden you guys did I?" he asked sadly.
"What? No no, of course not. That's not what we're saying" mom jumped.
"We just don't want to spoil the mood is all" Humphrey said, even though at this point I felt like that had already happened on the count of us holding back everything. It just felt so good to finally be in his presence again with him awake. So much so that I began to nuzzle him while still keeping my right arm around him.
"Sorry. I promise I'll tell you everything" I said as I nuzzled him.
"So what is the plan when you get back?" Stephanie asked. Rick took a moment to answer.
"Well… hopefully work up my appetite to eat a decent meal, and then… get my weight back up so I don't look like this" Rick began, even though he didn't look all that bad. He just needed some food in him, he didn't look like he was dying. "After that I'll get a haircut, possibly a grooming… basically just gonna get to where I was and… try to forget about it all" he explained.
"Did you tell him who did it yet?" Stephanie asked me. I looked over to her and shook my head slowly.
"No, not yet," I answered. She broke eye contact with me and looked down at the floor, making me feel guilty.
"Why so secretive about it? Was it someone I knew?" Rick asked.
"Uh… yes… and no. It's a long story," I answered.
"So Rick, you said work up your appetite huh? I think I know where you'll want to go" Humphrey smiled, causing Rick to mirror him with a tail wag.
"Oh you know it. I just have to work my way up to it first" Rick said. From that point forward we had our hook, and for the rest of the time we mostly talked about what we were going to do once Rick got out, although most of it would be catching him up on everything. I only hoped it would go smoothly. Even before that though we still had work to do such as what to do about school and graduation which was right around the corner. Like the rest of these things however they would have to wait. The fact that he was back was more than enough for us right now.
As the others began to leave, they said their goodbyes and exchanged hugs. Rick turned back to his bag of bathroom goodies, making me laugh.
"I'll be right out here if you need anything" I assured. Rick smiled with a nod.
"Thanks," he said. I giggled and gave him another kiss on the cheek before he went back into the bathroom. I then turned to see Humphrey and Lilly just leaving. They had just given Rick their final goodbye and I was more than sure they were starving and ready to go get something to eat, but I still wanted to speak with them for a second.
"Humphrey, wait" I called. The pair stopped and turned to me, giving me their full attention.
"Yeah Kate? What's up?" Humphrey asked.
"Look I… thanks for changing the mood so quickly back there. Because of you we were actually able to have a light moment for a bit" I explained. Humphrey nodded.
"Of course. I didn't think that things were gonna get so awkward I just… you're gonna tell him everything right?" Humphrey asked.
"Well… I'll tell him a good amount, not everything though. There are still things I want to wait on, whether that be because I don't want to tell him alone, or because it's just not a good time" I answered.
"Like what?" he asked. I bit my lip, knowing the answers.
"Um…" I began, looking at Lilly for a moment and then back at Humphrey. "Well what happened between you and me… even though it wasn't much, what really happened with Angel, and everything I went through for my therapy" I listed. Humphrey turned behind him as if checking to see if someone was there, most likely my mother. He then turned back.
"Yeah… being around your mom is just weird for me after what happened. We were sitting there and she kept looking over at me so… I think she's still really mad at me. I'm afraid to talk to her though" he explained.
"Don't be so nervous. She still loves you I guess she's just upset after you left Kate" Lilly replied.
"Yeah, I know… believe me I know" Humphrey said with now flat ears.
"Look, I don't wanna hold you two any longer. I'm sure you both are starving. I just wanted to thank you for lighting the mood" I repeated. Just then the three of us heard the shower in the bathroom start to run, making me turn around to the door, and then turn back to the couple. "What are you guys gonna do?" I asked.
"Probably grab something to eat and then Humphrey will probably drop me off at the house. Hopefully I get to see Rick tomorrow. Do you think he'll be up for a celebration or anything?" Lilly asked.
"Judging by the look on his face no. I'll have to talk with him and mom because he's too polite to tell her no. Poor thing probably just wants to rest" I said, crossing my arms and shaking my head. Just then Lilly walked over and hugged me. I hugged her back, feeling so much relief after everything that happened. I still couldn't believe that we were actually here.
"It'll be fine Kate. text me if you want to talk or something okay? But I'm sure you'll be pretty busy" Lilly offered. I giggled before breaking the hug and smiling at her.
"Sure thing… drive safe you two" I said. Humphrey gave me one final wave and then the two left. I shut the curtain and then turned back to the now empty room. It was weird to see it empty, even weirder to see Rick out of bed. Things were finally gonna go back to normal, and for that I couldn't be more excited. Rick was going to leave, he was going to get better, and our life would get back on track. Part of me was still worried about the rest of the healing however. Not physically, but emotionally. I hoped that he would forgive me, but honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. After everything I put him through and I had to put him through more… I just had to tell myself that things would turn out okay, otherwise they wouldn't.
I took my usual seat by the bed, thinking about everything that was to come. I just couldn't get the thoughts out of my head, both good and bad. Yes I was happy that Rick was awake, and even more happy that not a single thing appeared to be wrong with him, but it was the future that made me scared now. I knew even before he woke up that if he was fine like he was now that I still wouldn't be out of the woods. But after everything we had been through together. Not just Rick and me but everyone in the family. I just couldn't see us splitting up, but then again I should count my blessings. My good luck streak could only go on for so long. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying not to think about everything that could possibly go wrong. Instead I tried to look at the positives and how they would play out. Mostly the part where things just go back to normal. Even now it all seemed so far away.
After about thirty minutes Rick finally came out, already he looked better. He was wearing his outfit that Lilly picked out for him instead of his hospital robe but I don't think he cared. If they wanted him to wear one then they could just ask, but since he wasn't hooked up to anything anymore he should be fine. Rick rubbed his mouth, placing the bag on a chair before turning back to me and laughing.
"Sorry I took so long, I just could not stop brushing" he said, making me giggle again. He took a seat and then grabbed my hand, holding it gently. I missed his touch so much. "Listen… Thank you for everything… for having them come here, for not leaving me… I… I never in my best dreams pictured you loving me so much" Rick explained. I looked up at him with sympathy in my eyes.
"I wouldn't leave you for the world… I just can't believe this is real, it's been so long" I said, now putting my other hand over his to sandwich it. "Please don't leave us again… don't leave me again" I pleaded. Rick shook his head with a light smile.
"Never, '' he said. I smiled at him and then stood up to kiss his cheek again. His fur felt nice and warm with just a hint of wetness that he didn't get from the towel. The shampoo and soap Lilly picked out was perfect, and I haven't smelled it since Rick was last with me. Everything about this I missed so much. "Hey, what are you doing in that chair anyway?" Rick asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked back. Rick chuckled.
"Come on, you know that we always share the bed when we are in the hospital" Rick smiled before scooting over. I giggled again at what he said before realizing the sad truth in it. We really were here a lot, and even when we weren't together we shared the bed. Things really couldn't have gone sweeter for us in that sense.
I climbed in the bed with him, putting my legs under the thin blanket as Rick raised them for me. Finally when it was over me I realized how small the bed was but it didn't matter, I wanted to be as close to him as possible, and now that I was, did I feel complete. I missed our romantic cuddles and our hot, steamy nights. But most of all I just missed him. I couldn't fight the urge anymore and rolled over to cuddle him, burying my muzzle in his neck as I felt tears escape my eyes.
"Woah, easy there" Rick joked before he realized that I was sobbing lightly. "Kate?" he asked in a low but concerned voice. I didn't take my muzzle out of him, I just kept it buried in his shoulder, hanging onto him as close as I could. I heard him sigh and then kiss my ear with his warm lips. "I love you" he whispered.
Finally I pulled my muzzle out, looking up slowly to meet his eyes, and then finally pushed forward to connect our lips. Rick sounded startled as I practically lunged forward, connecting us perfectly and kissing with such passion as tears continued to flow down my face. I shivered audibly and shakily as I then laid down, pulling him gently by his shirt to keep the kiss going. I felt him slip his tongue in my mouth which I welcomed happily with my own tongue. It had been so long since I felt his warm mouth and tasted his saliva that it was almost too much. I never thought I would be able to kiss him again, to hold him again, to feel him again. I rested my head on the thin pillow with closed eyes, taking in every bit of his love and passion that I could before finally he broke the kiss. It felt so good to feel so right, and to finally be back with my own lover. As bad as that sounded, I no longer had grief to make me do bad things, which I had been more than lucky enough this whole time to somehow avoid them, making me feel bad all over again upon realizing just how lucky I was to not only dodge so many bullets, but to still have my partner here in tact. I pulled Rick into a hug after breaking the kiss and simply began to cry. He held me in this awkward position for a while before finally I spoke.
"Oh Rick… I've done so many bad things… so… many" I sobbed. Rick took a moment to reply as he kept holding me. He did though after he pulled back and looked me in the eyes. He wiped a tear from my eyes, brushing my soft face as he kept eye contact with me. His touch as always relaxed me, making my crying calm down to subtle pants as he continued to stroke my face.
"Shhh, it's okay… what bad things?" Rick asked. Honestly I didn't even know where to start, nor did I want to. Just not right now, I couldn't tell him that now. He was here, he was alive, and he was okay. That was all I needed.
"Not now… I promise I'll tell you but… there's so much" I sobbed. Rick said nothing as he studied my eyes again. He did this for about ten seconds and then pecked my lips again, giving me another sweet taste of his lips with a light smack sound. Our cold noses touched, mixing with the warm breath that breathed out of them, also making me relax even more than I already was.
"You're exhausted… why don't you get some sleep okay?" Rick suggested. I lifted my head to give him another kiss as I was craving them. My lips connected with his and gave him three light pecks before I laid down again.
"I miss you… I miss you" I sobbed.
"I know… I know you do, don't worry I'm here… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere… just get some sleep" Rick cooed. I turned over, laying him down and nuzzling into his neck. I then felt Rick give my cheek a short but loving and wet lick. His saliva crackled for a second as he licked me, wetting the fur on my cheek and causing me to feel even more tired. I sniffed again, causing him to put his arm around me and rub my back. Finally, other than the hospital bed, I was in my nightly routine. Something I never thought I would get back in a million years. I couldn't begin to think how grateful I was for it all. "Shh, I'm here. I'm still here" Rick continued to whisper, staying close to me as we cuddled and nuzzled each other. As he spoke his warm breath only helped me relax more and more as his touch only worked as overkill to it all. I continued to nuzzle my lover's neck, burying myself into him as my sobbing calmed, Rick never seeming to stop attempting to calm me, and thanks to him it was only a few minutes before I was out cold.
When I awoke the next morning I felt the familiar feeling of comfort. Comfort that I hadn't felt in a really long time. A certain comfort that came with a certain feeling and smell. Opening my eyes I saw that my muzzle was still nested in my lover's neck. I closed my eyes again, smiling as I took in his scent and nuzzled his warm neck. It just didn't seem real after everything that happened. All the fighting, the suffering, the waiting. It was all so much that just added up to the feeling of me never experiencing this again. And yet here I was.
A low clang made me lift my head and turn to the sound. Immediately I was able to see doctor Stevens going through some things on the counter. Now he was looking at me and Rick thought to see if he woke us up. Fortunately Rick was still asleep. At the moment I didn't realize it, but I had slept great. Despite the thin and uncomfy hospital bed, I had the best night's sleep since everything happened. I could only imagine how good sleep would be in our bed.
"Sorry. I didn't wake you did I?" Stevens asked as he picked his clipboard off the floor. I yawned with a stretch as I sat up, being careful not to wake Rick.
"No, I was already awake. Everything alright?" I asked, sitting tiredly as I looked at him across the room.
"Actually everything seems fine. I was going to list some final results and then send you guys on your way if you were ready but you looked so cute all cuddled up" Stevens teased, making me blush partially with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah… so are we really alright to go?" I asked, seeming surprised.
"Of course. What did you want to stay longer?" Stevens replied. I shrugged.
"I just… I guess after all this time it just… seems unreal is all… like finally after all this time I'm having a good dream and any moment now I'm gonna wake up" I explained. Stevens seemed to grow sympathetic before walking over and kneeling down.
"Listen… when you first started coming in here… even after that you were so broken. I know it may not have seemed like it but me and the whole staff really felt for you. We tried to help where we could, we thought about you… even prayed for you at times, so believe me when I say that not only me, but everyone involved with this is so happy to see how it turned out. You have a story here Kate, a real complex one that honestly does seem to be what you say. Too good to be true. I'll say it again, we couldn't be happier to see how everything has turned out for you, and I can assure you that this isn't a dream. And seeing you cozy you are with him just makes it all the more worth it. You two have a life to live, and I'm just so glad that we were able to help make that happen. " Stevens explained, making me feel all types of emotions. He was right. If it wasn't for him and the staff then we never would have been able to live the life that we had ta;led so much about, and for that I was extremely grateful. I moved forward to pull him into a hug, catching him off guard. He laughed nervously and then hugged me back real quick before letting go.
"Thank you… thank you so much for everything. I know I wasn't always easy to deal with. But you dealt with me, and not only that but you brought back the love of my life… I just can't thank you enough for that" I said, beginning to get emotional. Stevens smiled and patted my shoulder.
"It's my job. Your case is just the one that's gonna stick with me the most" he said before walking off. "I'll be right back with the release forms and then after that you're good to go. Just try and stay away from here for awhile" he added. My tail began to wag as I giggled.
"We will Doctor, we will" I smiled. Stevens gave me a nod and then walked off just as I heard Rick groan lowly from behind me, making me turn around to see his tired face. My smile stayed on my ace as I lowered it to his, giving him a nuzzle and a lick.
"Hey you" I said happily, making Rick chuckle and smile back.
"Hey, what's goin on?" he asked as he kept his face in the pillow and his eyes partially shut. I felt warmth in my heart as I told him something I never thought I would say again.
"We're going home," I told him.
Author's note - hello again, I just wanted to apologize for the long wait and me not getting out my Halloween story. The reason this took so long along with me not being able to get out the other story is because I got covid and was bed ridden for a few weeks. Otherwise I would have at least gotten this chapter out. I am still feeling a little out of it, but I am gonna keep writing this along with the other story. It's not specifically Halloween themed it's just a horror so it can come out whenever. But as always my main priority is this story.
I also wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that this story has been out for over a year now. I published my first chapter on November first and can not believe its been that long since I started. I never imagined that it would take this long to write, or that it would be so long. I knew it would be long when I originally wrote out the story arcs and stuff but not this long. When I originally set out to make this it was for a few reasons which I'll get into eventually but right now I'll just say that I did indeed want this to be long.
Also since this has been out for so long I just want to point out that its odd writing for it now given the time of the year. When I first started it was November therefore it was November in the story. It was cold, Christmas was right around the corner, and overall it was fun and easy to write all of that because I love the setting and it was just easier to write for as it was going on in real life. However now it's November but in the story it's almost summer which is just odd for some reason but these guys will definitely have their summer fun. I have lots of goodies planned for them, good and bad.
Can't wait to get to them. Till next time.