Chapter 17:
Tim was eating a brownie when Julie woke up from her midafternoon snooze.
She smiled at him then grimaced.
"Tim!"
He was by her side in a second.
"What's wrong?"
"Sorry… no… nothing… I have to pee... like… immediately. "
He shook his head and chuckled.
He pushed the nurse button so she could get unhooked from the IV.
"Tim. I can't wait."
He helped her get out of the covers and cradle her arm and scoot to the edge. Julie was about to stand up.
"She's gotta get the IV unhooked Julie."
Julie's legs were bouncing.
"I'm gonna pee on myself." She said unhappily.
"Well… then you get your shower." He offered. He wasn't exactly sure what to say.
Lisa came in.
"What's up guys?"
"I need to pee. SO bad."
Lisa nodded and unhooked the IV.
"Tim. I can't wait."
"Uh… okay…"
He scooped her up careful of her ribs and carried her to the bathroom. He placed her on her feet and Lisa stepped in to help pull her pants down.
Tim stepped out.
Julie very nearly did not make it and she peed for a solid 2 and a half minutes.
"Well at least we know you are not dehydrated." Lisa commented with a giggle.
Julie smiled.
"Did it hurt when Tim carried you?" She asked.
"No. He was gentle. His right hand was barely even touching me. I think he was worried about my ribs."
Lisa nodded and cracked her neck.
Julie wiped. She had quickly figured out how to do this left handed because there was no way in hell she was asking anyone to help her with that… although… she hadn't had to go number two yet. That would probably be an adventure.
Lisa waited to see if Julie could redress herself. She was leaving tomorrow so she kind of needed to figure this stuff out.
Julie stood and pulled her panties up first and then her PJ pants then turned around and flushed. Then stepped to the sink and rinsed her hand. Lisa did squirt the soap for her.
"I think I'm doing a little better." Julie grumbled.
"Hey… yes! Yes you are! This is tough stuff you are doing."
"When can I shower?"
"Actually I told your family earlier that we can do that when you want. I just have to get another nurse as a precaution."
Julie practically beamed.
"Okay… let's get you seated and I'll see what I can do. And you should eat something before Tim eats all your goodies."
Julie giggled as they came out and Tim was sitting eating another baked good.
He smiled at Julie walking by herself.
She sat down in the recliner and Lisa handed her a pillow for her arm.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, I'll check with Rachel and see if we have some time for your shower. It will probably take some time."
Julie nodded and leaned forward looking into the basket.
"Tim… who brought all this?"
Tim shrugged. "It's from church."
"Oh." She picked a muffin and was deliciously surprised when it turned out to be strawberry & banana together.
"Yum!" she said devouring it.
"Okay hey I need your help." She said after a little while.
He sat up from the spare bed.
"What do you need?"
"Lisa said I'm going to have a shower. Yay! So I need to have some clothes ready. Can you get them for me and lay them out on my bed?"
"Sure."
Tim dug around in her bag and pulled out one of two shirts and held it up.
"This?" It was black and had an owl on it.
"Sure."
He laid it down then his hands froze as he came across 2 pairs of panties. Relax Timmy… everyone has underwear. Relax.
Both pairs were cotton hipsters. One blue and one black. He picked the blue ones and set them on top of the shirt.
Julie blushed when she saw what he had.
He then put his hands back in the bag and found two pairs of shorts. No more pants.
"Uh… Jules… you don't have any more pants. Just two pairs of shorts."
Julie frowned she liked her warm fuzzy PJ pants.
"Okay…they should have packed another pair of PJ pants… but show me."
He raised up both pairs of soffe shorts. One blue and one orange. Both very short.
Julie wore them for dance… not usually what she wore in public… but they would be comfortable.
"The blue ones please." She said.
He put the orange ones away. These blue ones will match her panties… oh jeez. Mind out of the gutter Tim.
Then he put the blue shorts on top of her panties and shirt.
He then pulled out her bag from under the bed.
Julie frowned when she saw her outfit from Friday night.
Tim dug in the bag and pulled out her shoes. Then left the bag on the bed.
She sent a questioning gaze at him.
"Oh uh… I figured they should put your dirty clothes in this bag."
She smiled. Apparently he thinks of everything.
"Thanks Tim."
He flashed a smile back and made his way back to the basket and grabbed another brownie.
"Good thing they baked a lot." She said, teasing him.
"I love brownies." He said.
"Good to know. I really liked the muffin. I wonder who made them?"
Tim shrugged.
An hour later and Julie's right wrist was being unwrapped so she could take a shower. Her left arm had the IV but it was still unhooked.
When the wrap was off Julie winced and let out a gasp.
"It looks awful." She whispered.
Tim was on chair next to her holding her left hand.
"It's still healing hun." The nurse named Rachel explained.
It was completely black and blue from just above her fingers halfway up her arm. Her hand was also swollen and puffy. The incision was on the outside of her wrist about two inches above the bend.
They set it down on the pillow. And Lisa wrapped a little piece of plastic wrap around the stitches area.
Julie was choking back tears. She didn't realize how bad it would look.
Tim squeezed her hand.
She looked at him.
He could see the tears in her eyes.
He kissed her cheek.
"It's okay to be sad and mad… if you are… I am… I'm so mad at him for hurting you." Tim swallowed.
"You are going to be okay Julie. Try to relax and enjoy the shower. I mean these two fine ladies are going to be with you and I'm just going to have to sit out here and imagine all the fun."
She pulled her hand free and wacked him in the chest.
"Perv!" She said smirking. The two nurses were shaking their heads but were amused. Julie thought Lisa was probably in her late 20's and Rachel was probably 35 or so.
"Okay Julie… Are you ready?" Lisa asked.
"Yep."
Julie stood and cradled her arm to her chest.
"That's good how you are protecting your arm." Rachel commented.
Tim decided to sit way over on the spare bed and watch sports and not think about the three women in the shower.
In the bathroom Julie used her left hand to push her pants down. Even that wasn't super easy. Having two working hands really is a blessing. Julie thought.
"Julie, we want you to do as much as you can on your own but we are right here to help." Lisa said.
"Okay. I know that I'll need help with my hair."
They both nodded.
Julie took off the socks next which was difficult when she bent over because her ribs hurt. Then she pulled her panties off. Then her tank top which was hard when she had to move her arms up.
"I can't…" She whimpered.
Lisa stepped up and pulled the top off.
The water was already going and Julie stepped under the warm spray and sighed. It felt amazing. She turned the dial a smidge hotter and audibly let out an "mmm."
Both nurses smiled. Sometimes a patient just needed a hot shower to feel human.
Julie turned around, closed her eyes and let the water travel down her back.
When she opened her eyes Lisa handed her some soap.
Julie soaped up everywhere she could reach (armpits, belly, chest, butt, thighs, knees, legs, feet) and rinsed off she then soaped up her face and rinsed it. She moved her right arm minimally.
Lisa pulled Julie's hair out of the way and soaped up Julie's back and tried to rub it a little when she rinsed it. She also got her right side. Then she squirted some shampoo in her hands and lathered up Julie's hair.
"Go ahead and rinse." Lisa said after a minute or two.
Julie turned and used her left hand to rinse it out which was pretty easy.
Then they repeated with conditioner.
Julie was already getting so tired and she still had to dry off and get dressed.
Rachel turned the water off and handed her a towel. Julie wrapped herself in the towel.
"Here I'll wrap your hair in a towel." Lisa offered.
Julie bent forward and winced when her ribs protested.
Julie used the toilet while they were in there.
Getting dressed wasn't horrible. She got the panties and shorts on. Again lifting her right arm was difficult so she slid her arms in the arm holes first then used her left hand to put her head in the head hole then Lisa helped pull the shirt down.
Lisa then brushed her hair and braided it in two braids down the side.
"Thank y'all so much." Julie said sitting on the toilet lid. She was tired.
"I am exhausted but feel clean at least."
"You did a nice job Julie. Most of it you did yourself too."
She beamed. It felt nice to be complemented even if it was for just taking a shower.
Rachel gave her a new pair of blue hospital socks with the bumps on them.
Lisa picked up her dirty clothes.
"Where do you want these hun?"
"Tim has a bag on my bed."
They walked out and she pointed to it. Lisa slipped the dirty socks, panties, tank top and pj pants into the clear bag.
Julie walked over to "Tim's bed" and kissed him. A nice big smooch on his lips.
"Hey you look better."
She smiled and moved to the recliner.
Rachel went to get a couple of ice packs.
Lisa flushed the IV and then hooked it back up allowing her to have another shot of pain meds.
Julie pulled her blanket around her and waited for Lisa to re-wrap her arm. Then she rested it on two stacked pillows.
Rachel returned and put one ice pack on her arm and one on her ribs.
Julie reclined the chair and was ready for a nap before dinner.
"Tim?"
He looked over.
"Yeah?"
She blushed.
"Wanna make-out?"
He sat up with a silly grin.
"What?"
"You heard me…"
"Yeah but… are you… is this a test?"
She smiled.
"Come find out."
He sat in the chair next to hers and leaned in.
"You smell like citrus." He stated.
"It was white tea and lemon shampoo and conditioner."
"Lemon… that's what it is."
She smiled at him.
"I wasn't testing you. I… I like kissing you."
He smiled and was about to make a stupid joke about most girls liking kissing him, when a knock on the door stopped him.
"Damn." She whispered.
"Come in." She said a little bit louder.
Tim straightened up. It was Lyla and Buddy Garrity.
All four of them were shocked silent. Tim and Julie because they did not expect visitors let alone the Garrity's. The Garrity's because they didn't expect Tim.
"Uh… hi." Julie said.
Lyla gathered herself and placed some orange and yellow flowers on the table in front of Julie.
"Hi Julie. We wanted to stop by and see how you are doing. I hope you like flowers?"
Julie nodded. And pointed towards the yellow ones.
"Yeah… I like flowers. Thank you." She said politely.
Mr. Garrity found his voice too.
"Yes… we heard about the uh… situation."
Julie flinched.
"You did?" She asked. If Buddy Garrity knows… everyone knows.
"Yes… Joe mentioned it."
Julie tensed. Joe? As in Mr. McCoy?
Tim spoke. "Mr. McCoy spoke to you about Julie?"
"Yes… he… wondered if Julie…"
"Stop." Julie said. All three looked at her.
"Lyla, Mr. Garrity… I appreciate the flowers very much but I would not like… um… please don't talk to me about… them. If that's why you are here, I would kindly ask that you go ahead and leave. I am trying to recover from the… the assault… and I do not think it is in my best interest to hear or think anything about any of the um… The McCoy's." Her voice was calm and in control but Tim could see her left hand gripping the edge of the chair.
"Julie… I mean no disrespect dear but Joe just wondered if maybe you made a mistake…that maybe it wasn't..." He didn't get to finish his thought.
"LEAVE." Julie yelled.
Tim stood up now and moved toward Buddy. Everyone froze when they heard Julie shout again.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE. I HAVE A BROKEN WRIST AND THREE BROKEN RIBS. I JUST HAD SURGERY. I COULDN'T EVEN TAKE A SHOWER ALONE. DAMMIT, WHAT IF JD DID THIS TO LYLA? WOULD YOU THINK SHE MADE A MISTAKE? HE ASSAULTED ME AND HE WOULD HAVE RAPED ME. YOU KNOW WHAT? JUST GET AWAY FROM ME AND DO NOT EVER COME BACK." Julie screamed.
Lyla opened the door and pushed her father out roughly. She was furious with him.
Tim sat close to Julie and she whimpered.
"I hate them."
"I'm so sorry Julie… that was… even I can't believe Mr. Garrity just did that."
"They love him. He's the new shiny QB toy. Everyone will choose his side because he can throw a ball and they have ton's of money. I barely know him but he did all of this to me. I don't understand why Mr. Garrity came here."
Tim wrapped his arms around Julie as she cried.
"Julie… you... you are amazing and brave. Do not let an asshole like Buddy Garrity upset you."
Julie nodded into his neck and pulled him tighter.
Eric and Tami and GB came in not five minutes later with a couple of Alamo Freeze bags and a milkshake for Julie.
"Julie baby why are you crying?" Tami asked right away going to her side.
Tim moved so Tami could take his place.
"He… they…" She sobbed. Gripping her mother's hand.
They all looked to Tim.
"Lyla and Mr. Garrity stopped by…"
"Yeah actually we saw them on the way in. I waved but Lyla seemed in a rush." Eric said.
Tim gulped.
Tami asked, "They made you upset Julie?"
She nodded and burrowed into her mother's neck.
"Buddy… he… he was here after speaking with Mr. McCoy." Tim announced.
Eric tensed.
"He what?" He asked.
"He asked if Julie made a mistake."
"He what?" He repeated.
Eric slowly handed Gracie to Tim and walked out.
"Uh… Mrs. T should I go after him?"
"No. Let him go."
Tim sat on the bed and bounced Gracie.
After a few minutes Julie was calmer.
"You brought dinner?" She asked eyeing the bags.
Tami sat up and handed her the milkshake.
"Yes. Who knows what you'll have tonight? We wanted to get you something you like and would be easy to handle."
She pulled out 2 burgers and a fry for Tim and a chicken sandwich and fries for Julie.
"Thank you Mrs. T."
"Thanks mom."
They ate dinner quietly. Tim played with GB and watched TV while Julie and her mom talked about her shower and how much better she looked and felt.