End of an Era
AN: Part 4 below…
Disclaimer: I don't owe the Friends etc etc etc…
Thanks to all the reviews…
SpaceMonkey69: There! I kept up my end of your deal, now gimme Smoke and Mirrors Chapter 16!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everything was fuzzy, he heard, what he assumed were voices but they all merged into each other so he couldn't make any sense of it. There was also a ringing inside his head which added to the confusion, his eyes were opened into slits but all he could see was a blur of colours. He tried to open his mouth but only managed to move his lips a few millimetres and made a faint moan.
He decided he needed a few seconds so he closed his eyes and mouth and tried to focus. What did he last remember? He was in his apartment… Joey had moved out… so he was alone… then it suddenly hit him. He was attacked, he was robbed! He shook, remembering, he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder and he gasped, fear haunting him from his memory. He heard a voice, clearer this time; he was able to start making sense of the words.
"Chandler can you hear me?"
He knew that voice, he didn't fear that voice. His body relaxed, calmed by the voice.
"Can you open your eyes Chandler?" The voice asked.
Chandler slowly opened his eyes; he squinted and tried to focus on the distorted images in front of him.
Ross – he suddenly recognised, Chandler was relieved that one of his friends was there.
"Ross." Chandler managed to whisper.
Ross sat down in the chair, he leaned forward and took Chandler's hand, "how you feeling man?" Ross said gently.
"It hurts." Chandler whispered.
Ross managed a small sad smile. "I know buddy, let me call a doctor." Ross pushed the call button on Chandler's bed.
Rachel and Phoebe were anxiously waiting outside Chandler's room when a nurse walked; curious they both stepped just inside the door.
"He's woken up, and he's in pain, could you call his doctor please?" The girls' heard Ross say.
"Of course." The nurse replied, she turned and walked out the room.
Rachel and Phoebe stepped forward and took a look at Chandler, he was whispering slightly to Ross, who was asking him some questions.
Satisfied that Chandler was indeed awake and talking Rachel and Phoebe backed away and left the room.
"Pheebs you go and find Joey, I'll look for Monica."
"'Kay." Phoebe replied and they parted ways.
A little later the whole gang was around Chandler's bed. Chandler was drifting in and out of consciousness, the doctor had just entered the room and Chandler was waking up again.
"How are you feeling Mr. Bing?" The doctor asked.
"Everything hurts." Chandler whispered.
The doctor sighed. "I know but we can't give you any pain medicine until we find out the extent of your head injuries."
"What?" Joey interrupted. "You are going to leave him in pain?"
"If we give Mr. Bing any pain medicine then there is a risk it could react with his head injury. We can't take that risk." The doctor explained gently.
"Well when will you get the results?" Ross asked.
"A couple of hours."
Chandler let a small sob leave his lips, he hurt so badly.
Monica gently put her hand on Chandler's shoulder. "Sweetie, why don't you go back to sleep?" She suggested.
Chandler sighed and turned his head away in an attempt to block out the pain. The doctor silently left the room, Monica sat next to Chandler, and Ross was behind her, every now and then rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. Joey was sitting in the chair on the other side of the bed, while Phoebe and Rachel were leaning against the wall next to the door.
They were all watching Chandler; none of them felt that they could leave his side.
"I'm moving back in with Chandler." Joey broke the silence.
No one responded, they knew Joey needed to move back in with Chandler.
The night came and went, Chandler woke up a couple of more times but he was still rather disorientated. The doctor returned with good news, there wasn't any permanent brain damage, although he does have a rather serious concussion and therefore will be kept in for observation for the next 48 hours.
"You're a very lucky man Mr. Bing." The doctor had commented.
He finally gave him the pain medicine he so desperately needed, Chandler then slept soundly for the rest of the night.
When Chandler woke up it was morning and the pain was less, it was more of a dull throb than serious mind-destructing pain.
He turned his head and found Monica dozing in the chair next to his bed. Everyone else was gone; he lifted his arm, slightly wincing, and gently touched her arm. She woke suddenly and her eyes met his instantly.
"Chandler." She said.
"Hey Mon." Chandler said quietly.
"How you feeling sweetie?" She asked.
"Pain is less now, but I'm feeling rather sick." He confessed.
"You will do honey, you have a pretty bad concussion." She explained.
"Great." He said, a small smile covering his lips.
"It's nice to see your smile." Monica said, mostly to herself.
"When can I go home?" Chandler asked.
"Maybe tomorrow." She told him.
He sighed.
The rest of the gang were helping Joey move back into Apartment 19. Once they moved all his stuff they put together some cash and went out to buy Chandler some of the essentials that had been stolen from him. They were assuming that Chandler was going to be released tomorrow so they worked hard and fast to get everything done.
As a final touch Joey bought better locks for all their apartment doors, and then he and Ross installed and tested each one.
This was NOT going to happen again; never again.
The next day they returned, they all waited with Chandler for the doctor to arrive. Chandler hadn't had a great 24 hours, the concussion had horrible side effects, he was very dizzy, sick on and off and very irritable and grumpy. Monica stayed with him the entire day, comforting him when he was being sick and letting him snap and moan at her.
It was the least she could do, she thought, and when he is released she will continue helping him, until he was better. Then she will ensure that this will never happen again, just like the others' had promised themselves.
Chandler was in better spirits the morning the gang returned. They made idle chatter while they waited for the doctor to come around.
"Well Mr. Bing," the doctor said as he finished checking Chandler's pupils. "Looks like you are recovering nicely so I'm happy to discharge you. I'm going to prescribe some pain medicine and don't hesitate to come back if you are still feeling disorientated or there is no sign of improvement in a few days."
Joey and Ross helped Chandler walk as they started the journey back to the apartment. As the neared their destination Joey noticed Chandler was rather quiet, and when Joey tried to initiate conversation Chandler responded in quiet one word answers.
When Chandler was finally faced with the door the Apartment 19 he suddenly started shaking, Joey tightened his grip on his best friend in case he decided to drop in panic.
"Are you okay buddy?" Joey gently asked.
"I can't" Chandler started, tears forming in his eyes.
"It's okay sweetie." Monica said. "Do you want to come over to our apartment?" Monica suggested.
Chandler nodded in agreement. As Joey lead Chandler into the girls' apartment a wave realisation washed over him. Moving back in with Chandler and getting him home safely wasn't the end of this ordeal.
It was only the beginning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: This is the end of End of an Era, remember this was based on SfGrl's fics: After All and And Miles Before I go to Sleep so where End of an Era ends (as in now) After All begins and then read And Miles Before I go to Sleep to finish this series.