A week after the attack, Alex feels a movement an instantly jolts awake. It takes her a minute to clear her eyes and grab her glasses. She brushes the hair away from Piper's face. Piper's eyes are still closed but she has a different expression on her face. It doesn't take long for Alex to figure out she's lost in a dream. She continues watching and Piper suddenly has a frown on her face and starts moving her body as if she's trying to get away from something in her dream. Alex holds her body so she won't hurt herself.
Whispering in her ear. "It's okay Pipes I'm right here. Feel my body against yours. Everything is going to be okay babe, just listen to me speak and feel yourself calming down."
"Al" is quietly murmured.
"Yes babe it's me. I need you not to move and keep yours eyes closed. I know you hate bright lights when you first wake up. I know there's a zillion questions running around that brain of yours. For a tiny bit, just feel my body love. I need to send a couple of quick texts then I'll explain."
Alex texts Colton and Chase telling whichever is on duty to come into the room. "Yes Alex?"
"Colton first I need you to close the drapes and make the room as dark as possible. Then find Piper's Dr. or a nurse familiar with her care."
"Will do. Is this dark enough?"
"Turn the light out and tell the medical personnel not to turn it on just yet. Oh and track down breakfast please. Thanks Colton!"
Once the door shuts, Alex returns her attention to Piper. "Pipes you can try to open your eyes now. Don't move, your hooked up to some wires in this hospital room. Let me be the one to move you. I've gotten really good at it."
Piper slowly manages to open her eyes and keep them open. "You don't know how thrilled I am to see those beautiful baby blues. You've been keeping them from me. Alex rearranges Piper so her entire body is facing upwards.
"Have...I..." Alex grabs a glass of water and a straw for Piper.
"Have some water to clear your throat before you finish your thought."
"Have I told you lately how enchanting your emerald green eyes are. I could stare into them forever Al."
"I feel the same about your eyes." She gives Piper a quick kiss. "I missed this."
Piper is disappointed when Alex pulls away. "I didn't want you to stop."
"I didn't want to either, but people are in and out of here all the time. I don't want us to have to explain anything."
Just then there's a knock at the door. The Dr. then opens it and is confused by the darkness. "Do you have a headache Alex? Is that why it's so dark?"
Alex whispers in Piper's ears that the Dr. wants to turn on the lights. "Are you okay with that babe." Piper squeezes her head and nods.
"No, Dr. I'm fine but light hurts Piper's eyes when she first wakes. But you can turn the light on now." Alex uses the hands to shield Piper's eyes.
"Hello Miss Chapman. I'm so pleased that you've decided you've slept enough. I'm your Dr. Has Alex told you the entire story yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Okay Alex will you set up the backstory please."
"Pipes, we were at your parents party. You left your father's office before I did. One of the guys took you back to the party while Bill and I talked business. Can you tell us what you recall from that point forward."
"I was talking to someone and felt an arm on me. I was about to look to see which guy was squeezing and pulling, but soon noticed that it was Polly instead. I tried to push her off and plant my feet so the couldn't pull be further. I was also perplexed why one of the guys hadn't stopped her. I looked again and saw you walking towards me in my peripheral vision. I knew you'd help me. Soon you were standing between us puling me behind you and yelling something to the team. Out of nowhere I felt faint and was falling. You wrapped an arm around me to try and steady me. I felt a sting and suddenly I was on the ground before my eyes closed. I don't remember anything after."
"Pipes do you remember any feeling, any sensations from when Polly put her hand on your arm. Was it sweaty, powdery, or something else?"
"I don't know Al. Why?"
"Just a theory of mine that Bill and all the security teams are working on. Alex nodded to the Dr. to continue.
"Piper, an ambulance was called and you were brought in. I got a quick update on what tests and vitals the paramedics did en route. We got you hooked up to an iv, which is main wire coming out of you. We also have lines to check your pulse and a few other vitals. Alex had a hard time when we took you for some tests, since she couldn't come with you. Otherwise she hasn't been out of your bed except for being in the restroom off to your right."
"Al I'm overwhelmed by how much attention you showed me when I was out." she was trying hard not to be overwhelmed with emotion. "So Dr. what exactly is/was my condition?"
"Piper you had an extreme allergic reaction. The epi pen that Alex stuck you with should have given you a shot of adrenaline, but it didn't turn out that way. If Alex had waited even two minutes longer, you'd be a vegetable."
"What! Al" Piper wraps herself tightly around her raven haired love. Tears streaming down her face as she burrows her head into Alex's body. Alex doesn't stop touching her girl as she establishes eye contact with the Dr.
"So what needs to happen between Piper's waking up and her release from the hospital?"
"Alex we'll need to check all Piper's vitals once she calms down. I might need to run a test or two. If all the vitals are in the range we like, we'll disconnect some of these wires this afternoon. And I'd like to keep her one more night for observation and release her by midday tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Dr. can I count on your digression, the other Chapmans don't know just how extensive the relationship between Piper and myself is. It would cause us both a ton of problems if it was known. And considering what Pipes has just gone through, I really don't want added stress."
"No problem. Just have a nurse page me when Piper's emotions are under control and we'll start the process I just told you about."
"Thank you Dr., I definitely will."
Once the Dr. leaves and they're alone again, Alex tries harder to comfort Piper. "Sweetheart don't cry. Your okay and so am I. I promise that I'll find out why this happened and whether or not Polly was the cause... though I suspect she is.
"I love you Al, just hold me tight and kiss me. I need to feel our deepest connection right now."
"Anything my love. I'm so so happy that you opened your eyes today. I was getting worried that maybe you left me."
Piper's eyes are crying once again and pulling Alex ever tighter. "Never babe. Hearing how close I came to leaving you forever is doing a number on my brain."
"I know my love. I about lost it when the Dr. told me that. Despite me helping you, I feel guilty not being by your side the moment she showed up."
"Al, your my everything. You didn't fail me. Whichever guy was watching me should have not let it happen. I felt so scared when I saw her face. It wasn't until I saw yours that I found any calm."
"Baby let's just cuddle for awhile. There are too many people in and out for us to be completely in our own world."
"Al, I want you!"
"I want you too. Unless you want to explain us to Bill and Cal right now or worse yet one of them catching us, then we really need to delay until tomorrow afternoon."
"I don't know if I can." Piper gives me best pout.
Alex laughs. "I've waited a week, you can last a day."
"Your no fun."
"You know that's a lie! Do you need anything besides that right now Pipes. You hungry?"
"No, not yet. Just stay be by side Al." Piper curls further into Alex and closes her eyes for awhile, but jolts when she hears the door opening.
Alex whispers in her ear "It's okay my love, it's your younger brother. Looks like he brought us food."
"Alex, I heard my sister's back in the land of the living."
"Yeah, just give her a minute or two. She dozed off for a bit after crying at the Dr.'s report about her medical condition recently."
"Pipes, I hope your in the mood for subs. I have a bag full of them."
Piper finally opens her eyes and looks at her brother. "Did you get my favorite baby bro."
"I sure did. I have meatball, french dip, italian, and the special chicken one. Which do you want Alex?"
"It doesn't matter to me Cal, I'll take whatever."
"Okay I'll take meatball. Piper gets chicken, for you french dip and I'll give your teammate the other. I also got some chips and cookies. No drinks, but tell me what you want and I'll go hit the vending machine."
Alex gets the bed's table and Piper situated while waiting for Cal. "Everything good babe?"
"Yeah, just trying to get some slack in these wires so I can move better."
Cal asks Piper a ton of questions while their eating. Alex pays attention to how Piper is eating. She can tell that her girl is having problems. Alex whispers in her ear, "Pipes just eat what you can. I'd rather you have small meals than stuffing yourself and feeling miserable."
Piper nods then whispers to Alex. "I think I will. Thank you for paying attention to things I'm not even noticing." Alex kisses her on the cheek.
Bill arrives. "How are you feeling princess"
"I've stopped crying. I'm not in any real pain, but I itch like crazy from all these wires. Still very tired, despite being out of it for nearly a week. I can't wait to go home."
"Bill, the Dr. plans to check all her vitals and maybe do a test or two to make sure all is well. He said Pipes can probably be discharged midday tomorrow."
"Thanks for the update Alex. Remind me that I have team updates and case information to tell you about."
The Dr. arrives and gives the same report as he gave Alex and Piper earlier. When he got to the two minutes more and she probably wouldn't have made it part, Piper started uncontrollably crying again. Alex started comforting Piper as her girl curled further into her while she was whispering sweet nothings and wiping away her tears.
It wasn't until that moment that Bill noticed just how reliant Piper was on Alex. He finishes asking the Dr. extensive questions. Piper eventually calmed down for the Dr. to start on his checks. All is fine until he wants to take Piper away for more tests and that Alex wasn't allowed to come.
"No! I'm not going anywhere without Alex. I'll take your tests, but now without Alex right beside me."
"Princess it's fine. You'll only be gone a short while."
"I don't care Daddy. I'm freaked out by everything that's happened to me. I refuse to loose my comfort too. Alex is the only reason I'm able to hold it together even a little."
"Pipes, look at me. I'd love to come with you but I can't. It's a restricted area and they stopped me when they did the initial tests when you arrived."
"That's not acceptable! Dr. give her temporary clearance. I need her with me."
"Let me see what kind of magic I can work. I'll be back in awhile."
"Piper why did you put such an unnecessary demand on the Dr. A few minutes away from Alex isn't a big deal."
"A couple of weeks ago I would agree with you Daddy. But so much has changed in the last week. Now more than ever, I only feel completely comfortable with Alex. Last time she wasn't the team member protecting me, someone got to me. How the hell did Polly get anywhere close to me?"
"Alex, please explain."
"Sir, I was meeting with you. I went straight back to Piper. I was maybe fifty feet away when I saw Polly trying to drag Piper. I've been super focused on Piper and you said you wanted to interview the team, so I haven't grilled any of them to find out what happened. And you haven't sent me your assessment on that particular area yet sir."