A/N: See within 48 hours as promised. Thanks to: GiliwasCool, melodie568, Duddley111, strawberrigashes, anberzen, bookworm0408, Tommy4eva, Kris10rox, jadedxL0VE, Funkyicecube, Adrienne, and Tommys my 21 for reviewing that last chapter. And thanks to everyone for all the new alerts and favs to of course.
Jude rushed through the halls of the bright hospital corridor. With a few quick turns and an elevator ride later, she was only several feet from his room. Her hand was on the doorknob, and she was about walk in when someone called her name. She whipped around in the direction of the voice.
"Hi, Miss Harrison,"
"Hello," she smiled, recognizing the person as one of Tommy's doctors, Dr. Williamson. She had developed a pleasant relationship with this particular doctor over the past couple of years.
"Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" Dr. Williamson asked, taking a hold of her arm and pulling her in the opposite direction of Tommy's room. She looked down at the man's hand firmly gripped around her arm and then back at the doorknob. She'd already waited for so long, too long, and she'd have to wait a few minutes longer.
"This can't wait?" she breathed, letting him lead her down the hall.
Dr. Williamson dropped her arm and turned into a small private waiting room at the end of the hall. "I'm afraid not. It's about Mr. Quincy's current condition."
Jude collapsed into one of the hardback chairs in the corner. "Liyah told me everything was good…"
The doctor nodded slightly and shoved his hands into the pockets of his white lab coat. "He is…it's remarkable that he was able to recover so fully, but…" he sighed.
God please let that be a good 'but'.
"But what," Jude coaxed, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting up straighter in her chair. She was determined to stay strong, or look strong and ready for anything.
"We're afraid there is some slight swelling near his brainstem that could be causing some of his problems with his sense of tou--"
Jude interrupted him. "But you can do surgery to reduce the swelling correct?"
"Yes, but the problem is he's refusing anymore surgeries at the moment. We think he's slightly delusional, perhaps you could speak to him and--"
Jude interrupted him once again, standing up and walking towards the door. "Of course I will, but if he's the same Tommy…" Please let him be the same Tommy. "I doubt he'll listen to anyone else if his mind is made up." Jude smiled sadly, opening the door.
"There's another thing," the doctor called out.
"Can this wait until later?" she asked, exasperated, backing out into the hallway.
"Actually no…" Dr. Williamson called after her. But he was talking to himself because Jude was already gone down the hall. "She will find out soon enough I guess," he thought, twirling his stethoscope as he walked out the door to visit another patient. "I'll be in my office if you have any questions later on," he called after her.
"Should I knock or not?" Jude thought, once again standing outside of his door. The choice however was made for her as the door swung open and she was almost bulldozed over by a young multiracial woman.
"Jude," she stage whispered, quickly shutting the door behind her.
"Hi Liyah," she smiled back. "How is he?"
"Why don't you go see for yourself," Liyah replied, smiling warmly at her.
"Sounds stupid but I'm a little nervous," Jude sighed, rolling her eyes and leaning against the wall.
"Well you better shake the nerves quickly, because I just gave him some sleeping pills. He'll be out for the count in a half-hour or so," Liyah informed her, "I'll talk to later though duty calls."
Jude nodded her goodbye and walked cautiously into the room. She was pleasantly surprised to see Tommy sitting up in bed watching television. She was in a daze. She noticed most of the tubes, wires, and whatnot were gone. Only a single IV was in his arm.
She caught her breath sharply causing him to glance up at her.
"Hi," he smiled.
His voice is different she recognized. It was slightly deeper, huskier, and raspier from not being used in a while. Her own voice was caught in her throat.
"Hi." She walked over to his bed in a trance. "How are you feeling?"
"Rested?" he joked.
Same bad sense of humor.
"That's not funny," she responded, letting silent tears fall from her eyes.
Before she knew it she was pressed against his chest in a tight embrace.
"Shhh," he soothed, rubbing her back. "It's okay girl."
He called me girl.
Jude pulled out of the embrace after a few minutes, and wiped some of her tears. She laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to fall apart on you like that."
He cupped her face with his hand, helping her catch some of the stray tears. "It's okay." He smiled, drawing her closer to him again. She leaned against his chest contently, letting him hold her like old times.
Feels the same in his arms.
He twisted his fingers around her curls. "What happened to the red?"
She pulled back from him again, staring into his laughing eyes.
The same deep, beautiful blue/gray eyes...
"Red was kind of juvenile," she shrugged, sniffling. "What you don't like it?"
"No," he shook his head. "I like it. Brown is good too."
She sniffled, and chuckled softly. "It's medium chestnut actually."
He rolled his eyes and laughed along with her.
"You look beautiful by the way…" he commented, kiss her forehead.
He's still sweet.
"Thanks."
They were silent for a few minutes, Jude unconsciously running her fingers down the length of his arm.
"I remember you singing to me," he whispered.
She looked at him curiously. "What?"
"While I was—you know in a coma. Did you come in and sing to me?" Jude nodded in response. "Yeah… I remember. I thought it was an angel at the time."
Most definitely the same old Tommy.
Fresh tears stream down Jude's face, as she looked at him curiously. "Yeah?"
"Yeah…" he nodded, tears forming in his own eyes.
"You have no idea how much, I've missed you," she murmured.
"I know, we've got a lot to catch up on," he whispered, brushing her bangs out of her face.
"I know…" Two years.
After a few minutes, she glanced up at him to see if the sleeping pills had begun to take an affect on him or not. But he was just had a far away look etched across his face. "What's the matter," she asked, him quietly.
He looks down at her running her fingertips rhythmically rubbing up and down his forearm. "I wish I could feel you," he murmured.
She looked at him incredulously, raising her eyebrow. Was that a sexual innuendo?
"What are you talking about Quincy?"
His eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he looked at her sadly. "Did Dr. Williamson not explain it to you?"
She quickly replayed the conversation that she had previously had with the doctor, remembering all the times she had interrupted him. I didn't give him the chance to tell me, she thought
She shook her head slowly. "No, what are you talking about." She whispered, sitting up.
He looked at her hand resting on his arm, "I can touch you, but I can't feel you. I don't remember the exact medical terminology, but he thinks it has something to do with the swelling in my head…but it not be."
"How come you don't want them to perform the surgery," Jude asked, wearily.
"They'd have to induce me into a medical coma," he sighed, shaking his head, and leaning back against his pillows. He closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.
"But--" She began, but was silenced by Tommy shaking his head, and holding his hand in the air.
"I don't care right now. I don't want to risk it right now. Maybe a few months down the road. But not now."
Jude nodded, as if she understood his point of view.
She doesn't, Tommy thought, sighing.
He glanced at her briefly, looking away from her just as quickly. She was staring at him, probably taking pity on him…not something that he wanted. He willed the tears not to fall from his eyes.
She brushed the back of her hand across his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "It'll be okay."
She sounded so confident, but she couldn't possibly know that. Still, he wanted to believe her. Her words played over and over in his head as he fell into a drug-induced sleep.