Chapter 3
Tim spent most of his time at the hospital. It didn't feel right going home when she was laying in a hospital bed, recovering from two gunshot wounds. Besides, he liked that they could steal away private moments for themselves. He was quite surprised at how much he enjoyed their late night conversations. It didn't hurt that they were also followed by intense make out sessions.
There wasn't much that Tim didn't know about Lucy. They had, afterall, been close friends for about a year and a half, and Lucy was quite talkative, so he didn't think there was much left to know - which is why he was so surprised to find out that Lucy had nearly been arrested in her teens for trying to use a fake ID to buy a goldfish. He laughed as she told him the story. He laughed even harder when he learned that she didn't even use the fake ID to get into bars.
He had been worried that introducing romance into their relationship would spoil the dynamic, but he was glad to be wrong. The conversation between them was so organic, and because they were friends for so long, they understood each other. Now, the new layer of intimacy they had found deepened their relationship, so that they could connect on a previously untouched level.
They were nearly caught by Nolan coming in with Chinese. Luckily, Tim's lips weren't on her at that moment, but he was sitting in her bed, definitely too close for a platonic friendship visit. He was able to play it off by fixing the bandage on her neck, which at least needed fixing, but it was a close call. Nolan had given them both a strange look as he left, but thankfully, didn't address it any further.
Lucy wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't annoyed by the sneaking around. She had already done it once before with John, and it had nearly cost her career. There was something innately different to her relationship with Tim though. She wasn't willing to risk it for John, but for Tim? She would do it in a heartbeat. She knew why they were doing it, but it didn't change the fact that it annoyed her. She wondered when the appropriate time would be to go public? 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, a year? Tim was tight lipped when she inquired, just the standard 'when it feels right'. Lucy hated that answer. She liked to put a timeline on these things so she could prepare.
On the second day after she woke up, Lucy was grateful that she got to take a shower. She didn't want to know how badly she smelled, though Tim didn't seem to mind. She cringed as she realized that Tim had been sniffing her hair, and kissing her neck the night before. Tim had gone home himself to go shower, change, and sleep, as he had been by her side since she had been bought in. He had worn the same pair of clothes that Lopez had bought him when Lucy was brought in. It was a hard feat to convince him to leave. It had taken over a half hour of arguing, plus a promise of getting to make out when he got back.
In the duffel bag Jackson bought her, she finds her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. She makes a mental note to thank Jackson for bringing them, knowing that the hospital provided products would be horrible for her hair and smell like some old age facility. That definitely would not have been sexy.
Stepping into the shower, she winces at the hot water scalding over her. Her neck and hip were covered with a thin sheet of plastic which protected the wounds from infection. They made an annoying crinkly noise as she moved around in the shower. It felt a bit weird to be standing, having been laying in a hospital bed for so long, and her legs ached as she stood. But not even that could bother her right now. Despite everything that had happened these past few days, she was happy. She had Tim. The tension and frustration between them had climaxed into what was blossoming into a wonderful relationship. It certainly wasn't perfect - they weren't quite on the same page about the nature of their relationship, and how it would affect them at work, but then again, no relationship was perfect.
While Lucy waits for her conditioner to set, she dispenses some of her body wash into her hands before working it into a lather. She stops to inhale the scent. It's a warm, sweet yet fresh scent that captures who Lucy is. She begins to work it against her arms, legs, and her torso. She gently massages it into her breasts, and takes a minute to pause, and imagine Tim helping her rub it in in the shower. Her nipples perk up at the thought and she swallows, closing her eyes. Yeah, they would definitely need to have some shower sex together.
She turns off the showerhead, and grabs her towel, gently drying her face, neck, and thigh, before tying it around her. In the duffel bag, she also finds her favorite loungewear - A matching navy blue short and oversized tee. She puts them on as gently as she can, trying to avoid unnecessary pain to her healing wounds. More than anything, Lucy is happy to be out of the hospital gown - it really didn't flatter her figure, and it really wasn't the right outfit to be having deep, emotional conversations (followed by making out) with Bradford. She had a pair of skinny jeans in mind that would have been perfect, but Jackson didn't pack them.
She climbs back into her bed, and her nurse comes in to hook her up to her IV again. Tim returns to her room a few minutes after. She can tell that he has showered too, because she can smell the husky scent of his body wash. He smiles, and holds up a paper bag to her.
"Burgers." He offers as an explanation. Lucy's mouth waters. She hasn't had a good burger in a while. It immediately takes her back to the memories of their lunch breaks at the local burger spot while he was still training her. She smiles gratefully and reaches out her hands.
Tim pulls up a chair next to her bed and places her burger on the table tray. He is also reminded of their days riding together. He hated the lunch breaks at first - Lucy talked too much, and he enjoyed the silence during his only meal break. But, he slowly got used to it, admittedly, he even enjoyed them. He wasn't even annoyed at the end when Lucy would steal a few of his fries even when she would say that she didn't want to order them herself.
"This is great, thank you." Lucy says, after taking her first bite from the burger. "Way better than the food they serve here." She mutters, whilst chewing the second bite.
Tim snorts at the sight of her talking with her mouth open. Of course, she has managed to somehow cake half her face in the spread. He gently leans over, and uses his thumb to wipe it away, before bringing it to his mouth and sucking on it. She freezes, the contact sending a shock wave through her. Lucy stares at him, mid chew, as he gives her a dark look. Her body is still tingling even when his thumb has returned to his burger.
They both eat in silence for a few minutes, but it's comfortable. There is no need to say anything, because they are both content in each other's company.
After Tim takes the last bite of his burger, he leans back in his chair, kicking his feet up on Lucy's bed.
"So, I heard from your nurse that you'll probably get discharged tomorrow since you are healing so nicely."
Lucy nods. "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again." She lowers her voice, "these pillows are the worst."
"How are you feeling, otherwise, though?" He asks, glancing at the bandage on the side of her neck.
Lucy swallows. "I'm actually feeling pretty okay. I kind of expected to be in more pain"
"And how about mentally and emotionally?"
Lucy is caught off guard for a moment. Tim? Asking about her feelings? Tim? She takes a moment to really assess herself. She is surprised to find that she hasn't really given it much thought. Her mind has been preoccupied with other things, and it's only just now that she realizes and processes how close she really was to death. It brings her back to the barrell.
She sucks in a breath and feels her chest constrict. The nightmares after the abduction were less frequent, and she thought about Caleb less often, but the pain still remained, anytime she was reminded of the event.
Tim senses her demeanor change. The bubbly, happy, easygoing girl before him, had become solemn, hunched over and guarded. He recognized the person before him immediately. She was reliving the moment over and over again in her mind. Instinctively, he climbs into bed with her and pulls her into his embrace.
Her breathing is panicked and shallow, and her hands tremble against his chest. He holds her tightly, pained that there isn't more that he can do for her.
Lucy is only barely aware that Tim is holding her. Her mind is elsewhere, fighting to stay alive in the barrel. This is usual for her nightmares and panic attacks, but now she feels like her neck and thigh are on fire. The sensation is so overwhelming that it brings tears to her eyes and she chokes down a sob.
"It's okay, Lucy. You're in the hospital, you're safe." Tim gently tries to reassure her. He can feel her heart race against him. He grabs her hand and brings it to his chest, so that she can feel his heart beat.
He repeats the mantra, "Lucy, you're okay."
This combination of feeling Tim's heartbeat and his soothing words are enough to ground her, bring her back into reality. She blinks away the tears in her eyes, and lets them run down her hot cheeks.
"I'm sorry." She whispers, looking into Tim's eyes. He looks back at her, with nothing but empathy.
"Don't be sorry. You just had a traumatic experience on top of an already traumatic experience from before. Healing isn't a linear path, it has ups and downs. You can never forget but you can learn to live with it and cope the best you can."
This isn't the first of Lucy's panic attacks that he has seen, but something about this one feels different. He has comforted her and grounded her bedore, but this time, he doesn't feel as awkward about it. Before, he had to be careful about not crossing the line, but now that boundary doesn't exist anymore. It feels like they are in an actual relationship, uncharted territory, but he likes it.
"Will you lay with me, just for a little while longer?" She asks, adjusting her body so her head is resting on his shoulder.
"Of course." He nods, and tries to get comfortable, but Lucy was right - these pillows are really uncomfortable.
Tim wakes up. The room is dark, only lit by the bedside lamp. His arm hurts, and he finds that Lucy is laying on top of it. Her back is against his chest, and he can feel her soft breathing. His other arm is wrapped around her. He absentmindedly wonders what time it is and tries to fish his phone from his back pocket without Lucy waking up. She stirs gently, and Tim freezes, but she settles back in.
He slowly grabs the phone and unlocks it. Shit, it's 2 AM. Tim realizes that he has been next to her for nearly 12 hours. He wonders what the nurses thought as they walked past her room. Then he realizes that anyone could have walked past. Is this going to be the new gossip at the station? Tim Bradford, coworker and former TO of Lucy Chen was seen spooning her in the hospital? He sends a silent prayer that no one stopped by, though he knows that it's probably a foregone conclusion that one of her friends dropped in. It's something that they will have to deal with in the morning.
He debates whether he should get up and sleep in the chair next to the bed, but he doesn't want to disturb her, and the truth is, he is more than happy to be laying by her side like this. It was such an intimate experience, and he wasn't willing to let it end yet. Biting the inside of his cheek, he decides that he is going to stay. Afterall, they probably were the talk of the station already, so it didn't really matter anymore if he got caught again. He hugs her tighter and nestles his face into her hair, taking in a deep breath. God, she smells amazing. He closes his eyes, and despite the earlier panic, he has never felt more relaxed than he is right now, next to her.
He is about to doze off again, when he hears Lucy's phone ping on the bed side table. He decides to ignore it, until it pings again. Maybe it's something important, he tells himself, as he ever so gently tries to grab it. The latest text is from someone he doesn't recognize, wishing her a speedy recovery, but a text from earlier catches his attention.
WE. NEED. TO. TALK.
It's from Jackson. Shit. He knows. Tim groans, but it's a problem for tomorrow. He places the phone back to its original spot, and closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep with Lucy in his embrace.
