Ch. 7

Playing the part

Jamie walked into the hospital looking for Babe. He knew she would be here, she always was now days. He walked past Krystal and Adam who were slowly strolling towards JR's room from the downstairs coffee shop.

"Jamie, what are you doing here?" Krystal asked.

"Getting Babe." Jamie said.

"What do you mean getting Babe? It's 8 in the morning, why would she be here?" Adam asked.

"Oh believe me, she is." Jamie said and then walked to JR's room and opened the door.

JR was lying on the bed with his eyes closed and asleep, and Babe's head was lying on her arms, and she was also asleep. Another thing Jamie saw was JR's hand placed lovingly on Babe's back.

Jamie cleared his throat and shut the door loudly.

Babe sat up suddenly and looked around. JR also opened his eyes.

"Jamie, what are you doing here?" Babe asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I came to get you. When you didn't come home last night I got really worried. I called the bar, no answer. I had no idea where you were." Jamie said.

"I'm sorry; I guess I forgot to call."

"Babe, what are you doing here?" JR asked groggily.

Babe glanced at JR and then looked back at Jamie when he started talking again.

"You had me worried to death Babe! Why were you here all night?" Jamie asked.

"Yes Babe, why were you here?" JR asked.

Babe looked and JR and knew he didn't remember and found herself to be a little disappointed. They had just actually spent a night not arguing and fighting but just getting along and he didn't remember it. Babe sighed and looked back at Jamie.

"I... I..." Babe tried to think of a good lie, "I forgot my bag."

"So you stayed the whole night?" Jamie asked.

"No, I was just really tired after talking with JR." Babe said.

"Yeah, I could see how boring that would be." Jamie glared at JR.

"Hey, its not like I want your skanky girlfriend here anymore then you do." JR said.

"Hey, I'm right here." Babe looked over to JR.

"Let's go Babe." Jamie ordered.

Babe turned and looked back over at Jamie, "What do you mean 'let's go?' I'll go when I want. You seem to think that since I'm your girlfriend you can just boss me around whenever. No Jamie, it doesn't work that way."

Jamie raised an eyebrow, "Fine, stay. I don't care."

Jamie turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Babe grabbed her bag off the table and looked at JR to see if he remembered.

"Don't look at me, I'm not gonna comfort you when you and your boyfriend have a little fight. I don't even know how you got in here last night, but don't do it again." JR warned.

Babe sighed and shook her head, and heard the door open and Adam and Krystal walked in.

"Babe what are you doin' here? And what in the world is goin' on? I heard you and Jamie arguin'!" Krystal said.

"Why were you here last night Babe?" Adam asked.

Babe shook her head and with one final glance at JR, she grabbed her stuff and walked out of the room.

Krystal followed Babe, and Adam turned to look at JR.

"What was that about?" Adam asked.

"Hell if I know." JR said.

When Adam turned around, JR closed his eyes and sighed. He felt bad about letting Babe get yelled at by Jamie. She didn't tell why she was here last night and neither did he. He pretended he didn't know why she was here but he knew it was because he asked her to be.

Babe turned the corner from JR's room and almost ran into a nurse.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Babe said.

"Oh, it's fine, dear." said the nurse.

The nurse was an old woman who looked like a sweet little grandmother.

"You were here visiting JR Chandler, right?" The nurse asked.

Babe nodded, "Yeah."

"Do you know he gets released soon?" The woman asked.

"What, does he really?" Babe asked, surprised.

"Yes, I'm on my way to tell him now. Or would you like to tell him?" The nurse asked.

"No, he probably wont believe it if it comes from me." Babe smiled, happy for JR.

"OK, I will do that. You do know he will need a lot of help around the house. SCIs are very hard, and people with the injuries need help."

"If there is anything I can do to help him..." Babe started.

Krystal was just about to turn the corner when she heard Babe and the nurse talking. She stopped and listened in on their conversation.

"Well, you can go to a few websites and get as much information as you can, and there are some classes that both you and your husband can take to learn about how to take care of him at home."

"My husband..." Babe started.

"Yes, it's actually pretty easy to take care of people with these types of injuries, but the most important thing you could do is just listen and make sure he knows that you love him." The woman smiled sweetly.

Babe smiled back, "I will, I promise."

"You are such a sweet girl for taking such good care of him. He must love you very much." The woman said, and walked away.

Yeah right, Babe thought, then shouldered her purse and walked out of the hospital ready to learn everything she could about how she could take care of JR at home.

Krystal walked around the corner and watched Babe go, scratching her head.

What was that about? She wondered.

---------

The old woman nurse who just talked with Babe was in JR's room, checking out his charts and talking with him. She had just finished telling him he would be going home soon.

"So Mr. Chandler, are you excited to be going home?" The old woman nurse asked.

"Yeah, I am." JR responded.

She looked at a picture of Little Adam on JR's bedside, "I bet you can't wait to see your son."

"I miss him a lot." JR said.

The nurse nodded. JR was happy to be going home but at the same time he was scared. He didn't know how he would be able to handle this injury out of the hospital.

The woman looked over at JR's face, "What's wrong dear?"

"Nothing, I'm OK." JR lied.

"I think you're worried about what comes next. Leaving the hospital, going home. It's a big step, but I know you're wife will take good care of you."

"My wife?" JR questioned.

"Yes, I just talked to her as she was leaving. Her name is Babe, right?"

JR nodded.

"She seemed so excited that you were going home and she promised me she would take care of you. She is so pretty; I hope you take good care of her and love her." The woman looked at JR.

JR smiled at her, "I will."

"Oh, you two are just so cute." The woman grabbed her charts, "The physical therapist will be in soon." Then the old woman walked out.

Adam was standing next to the door, listening to JR and the nurse's conversation.

What in the hell was that about? Adam wondered, watching the nurse leave.