Richonne (Short Love Stories) The Other Side of Love Part II (Chapter 41)
A/N: Thanks for the support everyone. I truly appreciate you. Also, much appreciation to Zeejack and Ezillyamused for their help with this fic.
Michonne is in the midst of a conference call when her assistant, Jeanette, appears at the entrance summoning her. She excuses herself and follows Jeanette to her desk. She smiles when she notices Shane, looking behind him wondering where Rick is. Her eyes come back to Shane, taking in his sweat covered face, his sad eyes, the smears of blood on his arms. "Shane? Where…..where's Rick?"
"Michonne…..I'm sorry but…..there was an accident," he begins.
She reaches for Jeanette's desk, trying to anchor herself as she falters. "Acc….accident? Is he….he's not….." She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to comprehend this.
"He's in surgery so we need to get to the hospital right now," Shane relays.
She nods automatically. "Hos…hospital. Ok." She swallows nervously, her throat going unbelievably dry as she struggles to breath. "I'll…I'll just get…..my purse."
Jeanette holds her large purple handbag in front of her. "Here you are Mrs. Grimes. It's gonna be ok. I'll be praying for you."
Her co-workers appear in their doorways, looks of sympathy and concern marring their faces. Her boss rushes to her side, his lips moving but she can't decipher what he is saying.
Michonne looks down at her bag, wondering what she's supposed to be doing. She can't seem to think let alone move. She feels paralyzed, unable to breath as what she feared the most is punching her right in the face. She grabs the bag and tries to put one foot in front of the other but falters yet again.
Shane steps in on her other side, taking her by the waist. The small smear of blood on his cheek is her undoing. Rick's blood. She clutches her stomach, trying her best to hold it together but the tears come anyway, streaming down her face as she makes her way out of the office.
She's not sure how she got to the car, but they're inside and moving….fast. The siren is going and Shane is zooming through each and every red light to get her there. She can't help but wonder if he knows something she doesn't as he is determined to get there as quickly as possible. She covers her mouth to stifle a rising scream, fear clutching every organ in her body.
Shane is talking, relaying to her what happened but she only understands every other word as her internal screams are blocking out any and everything that tries to get in.
Please….God…please…. She pleads over and over again.
They get there in record time and rush inside only to be told he is still in surgery and they would have to wait. They also could not get an update on his condition. They move reluctantly to the waiting room and observe as other officers are already there, some arriving after them.
Michonne immediately thinks of Ms. Gladys but she can't call Rick's mother and tell her this. She looks to Shane and quietly asks him to contact his parents and hers. She feels so wound up and the pressure builds to a point that she feels near implosion. Her breathing is too fast and she fears she is hyperventilating. She shakes herself, trying to gain control, telling herself she has to be strong for Rick but she is crashing and crashing fast. She needs to move, to get out of that room before she completely loses it but she is frozen, rooted to her spot. Her head is swimming as she continues to try and catch her breath.
She is brought out of her panic as she notices more medical staff rushing past them hurriedly. They are all moving towards a room down the hall. Is that…..
Shane detains one of them and asks, "Hey what's going on? What's happening?"
"The officer coded. The doctor requested more equipment and another surgeon pronto. We're doing everything….." The nurse races off, disappearing into an area down the hallway.
Michonne stands and starts to walk down the hall, following the nurse. She can hear Shane call her name but she keeps moving. She bursts through the double doors and wants to scream as she witnesses the doctor using defibrillator paddles on a patient. She can't tell if it's Rick but she has to know. She moves further into the room before a nurse steps to her and tells her she can't be in there.
"Rick. Is that Officer Grimes?"
"Ma'am…please. You can't be in here," the nurse repeats firmly.
"Is that my husband?"
Shane appears and takes Michonne by the waist, pulling her out of the room.
The last thing she sees is the patient's hand flop to the side of the table, appearing lifeless. She screams her husband's name as Shane practically picks her up and carries her out of the hospital.
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Her husband hovers above her as he balances on his hands, his body moving against hers. She smiles up at him as she lifts her legs, her thighs cradling his waist, her hips rocking in rhythm to his. She cups his face gently, the love she feels overwhelming her as he fills her like no other. She closes her eyes and thrashes her head from side to side as the feelings take over, her body seeming to dissolve into a thousand pieces as she orgasms. Her hands drops from his face to his shoulders, down to his powerful biceps as she clings to him helplessly.
She opens her eyes and suddenly he's not there. "Rick? Where are you?" She grabs the sheet and pulls it up to cover her nakedness as she quietly leaves the bed in search of him.
She opens the bedroom door and steps into the hallway, calling his name again. She descends the stairs and finds him in the kitchen fully dressed, stirring something on the stove. She is about to approach him when she hears a familiar female voice and laughter. She looks over and sees herself, sitting at the kitchen table, laughing and talking with Rick as usual. She scoffs and frowns with confusion.
More laughter and amused voices draw her to the living area where she sees herself and her husband yet again. This time they are watching a movie and eating popcorn. The panic starts to set in as she is unsure what all of this means. "What's happening to me?"
She races back up the stairs to their bedroom only to see another version of herself, dressed in the same black dress she wore to Tyreese's funeral. She is curled up on the bed, crying with a framed photo of Rick clutched to her chest. "No….no…..no…..NOOOOOOOO!" She screams as her vision blurs and goes black.
Michonne jerks awake, looking around frantically at her surroundings. She is home, in their bed but she's not wearing a black dress. Her relief is short lived as she sees her dad sitting in a chair nearby, seemingly asleep. She starts to panic again and pinches herself in an effort to ensure she's not dreaming. "Daddy? Daddy? What are you doing here?"
He sits up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Hey baby girl. You feeling ok?"
"I…I think so. Where's Rick?"
Her father looks at her cautiously. "Are you sure you're ok? Rick….he's in the hospital. Remember? He…he had an accident."
"Hospital? Accident?" She looks down at her lap, recognizing the dress she wore to work that morning and the memories come flooding back. Shane coming to her job to tell her about Rick, the ride to the hospital, the…."I need to go. Why are we here? Why aren't we at the hospital?"
"You kind of had an episode and Shane had no choice but to get you out of there." He sighs as he rubs the back of his neck. "We can leave as soon as you're ready."
She wrings her hands anxiously as she remembers what she saw at the hospital. "Daddy….is Rick….is he ok?"
"Your momma said he's out of surgery but they're keeping him in intensive care overnight just as a precaution," Walter relays.
She sighs with relief as she scrambles out of bed hurriedly. "Let's go."
Her dad drives her to the hospital despite Shane's offer to come and get them. They arrive promptly and Michonne ignores the stares and looks of sympathy from those in the waiting room as she makes her way to her mom, Rick's parents, and Shane. She can barely hold the tears at bay as she hugs them all before asking after Rick. The next rotation of visits for ICU was in another two hours but Michonne could not wait. Shane had spoken to the doctors and the nurses who allowed Michonne in to see her husband.
She walks into the room slowly and shakes her head sadly as she witnesses how helpless he looks, how pale his skin is. He is on a breathing machine, tubes running across his nose, an IV in one of his arms. She collapses in a nearby chair as her knees go weak. She inches closer to the bed and lightly touches his hand. She takes a few deep breaths as she continues to hold her emotions at bay, the relief that he is alive overruling everything else.
"I thought…..I thought I had lost you," she tells him as she sniffs quietly. "I've…never been so afraid…in my life. But….I know…you're a fighter. A good one and you're…not…gonna leave me. You wouldn't….do that." She wipes her face with both hands before grasping his again. "I love you….so much." She leans over and kisses his hand, resting her head on the bed as she cries softly.
Meanwhile, Shane is conversing with his boss and some other officers about the shootout. He learns that the guy Rick took out was actually some hot shot millionaire who made his money not only selling cars, but pushing drugs. He employed gang members, giving them legitimate jobs in an effort to cover up their illegitimate ones.
Phillip Blake lost his wife in a horrific car accident caused by a high speed chase involving APD hence his personal vendetta against local law enforcement. Add that to the fact that APD was hedging in on his drug business and Blake felt the need to retaliate viciously.
Caesar Martinez was the man Shane killed. He had an extensive police record and was a known leader of a notorious gang in the area. The third man who shot and killed Curry was Milton Mamet. Apparently, he was some sort of science genius and the investigators haven't been able to piece together why he was wielding a weapon.
The chief is already speaking highly of their actions, as well as Graves and Curry. Shane is hopeful that with the elimination of those key players, the war against APD will cease. He also hopes he can give his best friend and partner the good news face to face real soon.
Michonne takes turns with their parents and Shane visiting and sitting with Rick as he remains unconscious and unresponsive. All of his vital signs are good so the doctor orders him moved to a regular room after almost two days in the ICU. She is saying good bye to their parents who are going to their house for a short break but will return later when Karen and Sasha appear. She greets them with hugs as she waves goodbye to the parents and escorts Karen and Sasha in to see Rick.
An hour later, the room is finally quiet and it's just her and him as she sits and reads to him quietly. He loves keeping up with the news so she reads from the newspaper trying to keep the stories upbeat and positive. The doctor has assured them that he would wake up in his own time, that no prodding was needed from them but she can't help herself. She lowers the paper and stands, looking at his peaceful face as he continues to sleep.
She smooths his hair back as she caresses his forehead. She smiles as she notices his stubble is looking thicker. She cups his face. "Alright Grimes, you're starting to look a bit rough around the edges. You better wake up so you can get to the barber shop." She watches intently for a sign, anything that lets her know he heard her. When he doesn't respond, she closes her eyes briefly with a deep sigh but refuses to give up.
She places a hand on his chest. "Babe….please…..wake up. I really need you to be ok. Please." She resumes her seat and picks the paper up to start reading again.
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Laughter. He can hear laughter. He tries so hard to open his eyes but realizes he can't. "Why? What's wrong with me?" He can feel the movement of his eyes beneath his lowered lids and wonders why he feels so trapped. He attempts to speak but….nothing. His breathing increases as the panic starts to roll through his body. "I can't talk, I can't move. I…" She laughs again and he latches on, wanting and needing to concentrate on the sound, anything to alleviate the swelling panic.
"Michonne. It's Michonne. She's here….wherever here is…and she's talking about when we first met and how tongue tied I was." He remembers that vividly, how she basically led their conversation and made him feel more comfortable. Before he knew it, hours had passed and neither wanted to step away. He needed that comfort now. So much. He attempts to respond, tell her he remembers everything about that day, but nothing happens. "Paralysis? Is this what this is? Am I paralyzed?" He thinks harder, trying to piece together what happened. The memories come in flashes, flashes of Curry's lifeless, bloody body, flashes of the teenaged girl on the stair landing, flashes of gun fire and then…..Michonne. He saw her smiling face so clearly. He needs to see her again, touch her again.
The struggle is real as the silent screams come, as the frustration hits him like a fist to the gut. "No, this can't be happening. This cannot be happening." Her voice grounds him again. She speaks with fondness, the love in her voice so poignant and profound. He has to find his way back to her, no matter what. "A plan. I need a plan." He makes every effort to calm down and after deciphering that he was lying in a bed, he hones in on the other sounds around him. He detects a television playing quietly, the beep of some sort of machine, muted voices…..they must be in a room of sorts. Next, he concentrates on the smells….something medicinal, maybe even some sort of cleaning agent. The door opens and his wife is greeting someone. "A doctor?" They talk about his progress as Michonne asks question after question. His heart drops to hear the despair in her voice. "I'm ok, babe. I swear I am."
The doctor examines Rick as usual, shining a penlight into his eyes as she lifts the lids. Michonne looks on, hoping for any sign of movement, hoping for any sign of anything. Only moments later, the doctor denotes no changes and informs Michonne that she will schedule an MRI for early am. She doesn't think it's needed but wants to garner his brain activity.
Michonne only agrees as the doctor continues and then excuses herself. She can be seen conversing with staff through the small glass pane in the door.
Michonne turns to her husband, smiling down at him and praying yet again for a full recovery real soon. She cups his face as she fights back tears. "Rick. I hope you can hear me. Please….come back to me."
He wants to bask in her touch, push his face into the warmth of her hands. The contact is so comforting, so soft….He gasps as he feels her lips touch his. The need to respond is so overwhelming and before he knows it, his eyes have filled with tears. The wetness escapes as he gives over to the emotions.
Michonne gasps and jerks up as she feels moisture on her hands. "Rick?" She notices the tears pouring from his eyes and immediately starts to cry with him. She drops her forehead to his. "It's ok. I'm here and everything's going to be fine. I promise. I love you. I love you so much." She glances toward the door and sees the doctor still there so she rushes over and swings it open. "Dr. Prescott!" She moves back to Rick's side as the doctor enters the room. "He's crying! Doesn't that mean something? Doesn't that mean he can hear me? Feel me?"
Dr. Prescott looks down at her patient and says, "Let's not make any presumptions just yet." She brings her eyes to Michonne's anxious ones. "I will say it's a very good sign. The MRI has been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 5 am. Let's get the results from that and go from there, ok?"
Michonne only nods as she tries to contain the need to shout. She is going to take this as the best sign ever and believe wholeheartedly that Rick is on his way back to her. She thanks the doctor and watches her leave before turning her attention back to her husband. She relays to him that she knows he can hear her and that she is going to be right there when he finally decides to open his eyes.
Later that afternoon, she shares the good news with her parents and with Shane. The latter warns her not to get her hopes up but she ignores him. The next morning, the MRI is administered just as planned. The results are given much later but only reveal what the doctor had already guessed. There is no abnormal brain activity and Rick appears to be just fine. They are going to have to practice patience and pray that he wakes up soon.
Two days later, Michonne is reading a newspaper article about an upcoming ceremony to commemorate fallen APD police officers and to observe the heroic acts of Officers Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh and Detective Ariel Graves at a city park hosted by the Governor's office.
She smiles at her parents and Rick's as she says, "See babe. You really need to wake up so we can attend this ceremony. It will be a sad time but also a time to celebrate. You and Shane were integral in putting a stop to this. Isn't this what you wanted? What you set out to do for Tyreese?"
Her elbows are propped up on the bed as she holds the paper in front of her. She jumps as she feels a brush against her skin. She drops the paper and looks down at her elbow to see two of her husband's fingers lift towards her elbow again. Her heartbeat increases as she continues to look down, unable to believe her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Her mother asks.
She ignores her, never taking her eyes off of her husband as she grabs his hand and his body seems to lift up as he takes a deep, sound breath. She swallows nervously as her eyes glide to his face.
He is staring right back at her as he whispers, "Michonne."
Epilogue: Ten days later, Rick attends the Governor's ceremony. He foregoes using any type of device to help him maneuver his way around although his wound (a bullet penetrated his side where the vest meets but offers little protection) is dressed tightly and still healing. Michonne observes proudly, alongside their parents and friends as he and Shane are honored. The danger will never be over, but the streets are a little safer as the Feds moved in to deal with the drug selling gangs. Rick will be in recovery for several more weeks, but his commanding officer already has a nice desk picked out for him as he will be on desk duty for a while.
Michonne is more than happy to get that news personally from the chief but realized that she and Rick needed a little more than that. The two of them are attending trauma counseling, individually and as a couple and she has also joined a support group for the wives of police officers.