A/N: I'm sorry for the wait on this one. Uni has been an arse of late. Stupid mid-semester with all the assignments. Just so you know be on the look out soon for a Las Vegas/Harry Potter cross over from me. I'm quite excited about it as currently those are my two current obsessions. As always read, enjoy and most importantly review.
Chapter 3
I disclaim….
We must have sat there for an age, unspeaking, unmoving, staring off into space lost in our own thoughts. I don't know how long we stayed like that but somewhere along the way we must have both drifted off because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake.
"Mary," someone was whispering quietly. "C'mon, Mary, you've got to wake up."
Unable to ignore them any longer, I open my eyes to find Jamie crouching down in front of me, a tray of three coffees in her hand.
"Sorry," she whispers, "I had to."
Her voice and face suddenly snap me back to reality as the reason I was here, with a crink in my neck came rushing back all too easily. I sit up rapidly, looking to the side to see Danny still fast asleep. Typical. Once asleep Danny could pretty much sleep through World War Three.
"Larry?" I question, turning my focus back to Jamie taking her in for the first time since I had woken up. She had changed from her hospital scrubs and now dressing casually in jeans and a hoodie, her hair pulled back into a messy pony tail with her back pack slung over her shoulder.
"I'm not sure," she answers apologetically. "I only just got here. Thought you might like some coffee before you faced the doctor."
"Oh," I answer thankfully taking the Styrofoam cup she had offered. "What time is it?"
"Not long after six. Listen, I'm gonna go find someone who can fill you guys in. You might want to wake Danny up in the meantime."
I nod slowly as Jamie gets up to leave taking a coffee with her, gulping it down greedily.
As the door closes behind her, I turn my full attention to Danny. He looks so peaceful sleeping, his face fully unguarded for what seems like the first time in months. He seems so much younger asleep, more carefree. Like all the stresses in his world have suddenly disappeared. It's a shame I have to wake him. He never gets enough sleep at the best of times.
I reach out, running my hand through his hair, smoothing it back away from his face. A mirror of the action I had completed so many times before. He stirs, his head leaning in towards my touch.
"Danny," I whisper, leaning my face down toward his to study his features more closely, my hand still making its way methodically through his hair. He stirs slightly again and I can tell his is slowly coming back into the land of the living.
"Danny," I whisper a bit louder than I had before.
That's all he needs, his hand snapping up to latch onto my wrist stilling it, as his eyes fly open. I'm rendered speechless as his green orbs appear to stare right through me as he tries to grasp the situation.
"Mary?" he asks in foggy confusion.
"Jamie's just getting the doctor," I manage absently, my thoughts still trapped within those whirling green depths. My heart breaks as I watch reality come crashing down, his features automatically hardening, his eyes taking the look of a lost little boy.
"Oh," he answers as if lost to what else to say, his grip almost painful on my wrist as he brings our hands down to rest in his lap.
"How long –"
"Awhile. Jamie said it was just after six," I answer pre-empting his barrage of questions.
He forces a smile in my direction, reaching up his free hand to brush a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
The door behind us bangs open and we both jump.
"Oh god! Sorry!" Jamie practically yelps as she quickly turns her back on us, averting her eyes from whatever she thought we were doing. From her view things must have looked pretty suspect, me leaning over Danny, our hands entwined on his lap.
We break apart quickly, both jumping up from the couch to face Jamie.
"It's okay," I protest quickly, struggling to find the words. "We weren't – we aren't – " I feel myself blush as Jamie turns back around, raising her eyebrows sceptically.
"Guys, this is Dr Matthews," Jamie states simply, not pressing the conversation any further. She steps aside to reveal a man standing behind her in a white lab coat.
Staring at Dr Matthews as he stands in the doorway, meticulously scrutinising a clipboard I suddenly realise that he is the exact opposite to Dr O'Connor. Dr Matthews was approaching 60, a face lined with years of stress as he exuded an air of smug confidence. While Dr O'Connor gave of an air of friendliness despite it being obvious he was overworked and busy, Dr Matthews presented with a manner of disdain and snobbishness.
The doctor finally looked up from his clipboard, a look of obvious contempt crossing his features as he ran his eyes over me. For the first time in years I felt like I was 16 again, small and pathetic standing there in Danny's too-big clothes and hospital slippers. Unconsciously I take a step closer to Danny and as if reading my mind, his hand slips into mine, squeezing it gently in support.
"Mr and Mrs McCoy, I believe?" he questions as way of preamble, extending his hand toward Danny.
Danny simply nods as he shakes the doctor's hand. "How is he?" he asks without preamble.
"He's fine," Dr Matthews replies dismissively. I can't help but notice Dr Matthews' refusal to acknowledge me. His eyes purposefully avoiding me ever since his first disapproving gaze. "There's been no significant change but that's to be expected at this stage. The first 48 hours, however, are crucial. We should know more by then. I understand that you wanted to see the patient."
Throughout the exchange I can feel Danny rapidly tense beside me as Dr Matthews' tone became increasingly condescending, the doctor's eyes only moving from his clipboard briefly to glance up at Danny.
Danny nods and the doctor continues in his frustrated and patronising tone. "I can let you both see him but only at ten minute intervals and preferably one at a time. His bodies been under a lot of stress at the moment and we feel he has the best chance of healing properly if his stress levels are kept to a minimum. Also, at this stage I'd like his visitors restricted to immediate family."
Danny and I both nod mutely. It was nothing I hadn't expected. From the little Jamie and the doctor in the ER I knew it was going to be bad. Either way, I'm not sure that I was completely prepared for seeing Larry in the hospital bed. Seeing someone with tubes hanging from them would always be a gut wrenching experience, no matter how well you were prepared.
"Okay, Mr McCoy I assume you'll want to go first. If you'll come with me, I'll get one of the nurses to explain everything to you."
Without further ado Dr Matthews swept from the room as if he had just given us news that Larry would most definitely, no doubt about it pull through. Danny turns to me, his eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. I know he is dying to comment on Dr Matthews but he doesn't seeing the doctor still hovering in the doorway.
"Are you sure you don't want to–" he starts before I cut him off.
"Go," I tell him sternly in a whisper. "He's your father, Danny. Go."
Taking a step forward Danny drops a kiss on my hairline, giving my arm a quick squeeze before he heads out the door behind Dr Matthews.
Just as the door closes a sudden thought hits me. I can't believe that I was only just thinking of it now. I can't believe Danny hadn't thought of it.
Quickly I race out the door behind Danny stopping in the middle of the corridor.
"Danny," I call after him and he turns quickly. "Can I borrow your phone?" Before his eyebrow is even raised in question Danny has already unclipped his cell from his belt and is about to toss it to me.
"We haven't called your Nan," I tell him quietly.
His face immediately softens, a look of horror passing his features. "Thanks," he tells me quietly. "Can you call Ed too?"
I nod and Danny throws me a sad smile before turning back to what seemed to be a rather clipped conversation with Dr Matthews.
Slowly I turn, already dialling the number as I push through the door back into the waiting room. Jamie is already curled up on one of the couches, engrossed in a trashy magazine as she sipped her coffee. She looks up, smiling slightly as she nodded letting me know that she understood the phone thing.
As I curl up on the sofa Danny and I had previously occupied the person on the other end of the line picks up.
"Hello?" I question. "Nana McCoy?"
TBC