Sorry, an unexpected little hiccup between updates (gory details on profile page), hope this chapter is all right, will update as quickly as possible without effecting the integrity of the story; the same goes for all my stories.
BTW, I do have two new things up: my debut into the Young Justice fandom, "A Kiss is Just a Kiss," the first chapter of a Robin-centric three chapter minific and also a one shot, "It's Not My Fault!": the scenario was given to me by .Faith-a-saurus., and the piece was her prize for receiving an honorable mention in the RobStar First Kiss Contest. Imagine a time when Robin finally tells Starfire his secret identity, only to have her accidentally find nude photos of Dick Grayson on the Internet... I did my best to torture Robin for Faith because she does it so well!
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Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.
Some notes:
Even for the thirty year old patient, a bedfast individual can lose up to ten percent of muscle mass a day while incapacitated. Decline as well as recovery are multifactorial, and would be effected by nutrition, muscle mass, genetics, blood chemistry, follow up care in the community, etc.
Beavers is an optional rule of Backgammon involving redoubling.
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Double Take
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Chapter 83
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Richard got under the covers with Kori, wearing just his silk pajama bottoms as he always had, but feeling more than a little apprehensive for a number of reasons, the very least of which was her well-being.
"Are you comfortable enough, Star? Is this mattress all right for you? Are you warm enough?"
"I like it so much, I am so comfortable thank you... The home care nurses did ask for the bed of hospital... I am physically rutha... but the best thing for me is to be with you," Kori replied as she snuggled up against Richard.
He was concerned about her weakness but hadn't want to get into bed before she had awakened from an earlier nap. Even if it was his bed, he felt he needed her permission. Richard gathered her up in his arms, holding Kori gently and felt so content. It amazed him that she was there in his bed after everything they'd been through. He was so thankful.
He had planned to start filling her in on everything that had happened over the previous two months over the next week or so, and was told to follow her lead. She would either ask, or have snippets of memory, but for the moment he was happy to hold her, letting her get rest and for the two of them to be together.
"Why did you arrive for your slumber so the early, Richard?"
To make it easier for her, he spoke to her in Tamaranian, "I wanted to be close to you my beloved Koriand'r, I waited until you awoke and then I came to bed. Are you sure there is nothing I can get you?"
"Now that you are with me, I am content."
Kori fell asleep immediately in Richard's arms and he took time to study her. She was nearly gone on the Stryker stretcher just days before; she was so much better than she had been but there was still so far to go to get her back to the woman she was at her thirtieth birthday less than three months before.
His mind went over and over things, reliving again all their times together since their reunion in April, how he had changed because of her, and also ruminated over how he had failed her before she left.
It was a long time before he slept.
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The next few days there was only steady improvement in Kori health but also in Richard's hand. Even though Richard could easily go into the hospital for hand therapy, the therapist came in when Kori's did. Kori had nutritional support as well as nursing, physical and occupational therapy. In spite of her total incapacitation for a time, she was bouncing back wonderfully. Still, it would take time.
Richard redoubled his efforts on his hand with Kori back in his life. He had neglected it at time, his self-destructive streak had reared it's ugly head, but now he wanted to return to his career and he also never wanted to remember that horrible night that he hurt his hand.
The night that almost cost him Kori.
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"Kori, you look well," Xavier Red said during a scheduled visit. He insisted on visiting Dick at home to see the progress on his hand.
"I understand that I owe you a debt of the gratitude."
"The person who saved you was the man you're standing beside."
Dick averted his gaze.
"I do not understand. They told me you were able to get the IV's going by doing two cutdowns and otherwise-"
"But Dick was the one that figured out that it was anthrax."
Kori gasped and turned to her boyfriend. "Why did I not know that Richard?"
"You may have been told when you first woke up, Kori, but it's not important, all that's important is that you keep improving, and you are."
"But Richard-"
"We'll talk about it later, we're holding up Dr. Red."
She smiled and nodded. "Of course, but it seems that I owe my life to the both of you."
Red commented throughout his examination of Dick's right hand about the improvements he was seeing suddenly, all the gains in the amount of motion and strength Dick had in it.
"We've finally turned the corner, Dick, this is wonderful." Xavier looked pleased. "Two weeks ago I would have written off the ER as a career for you-"
Kori gasped again and Richard put his left arm around her to reassure her.
"And now I think with some minor revision we may get full function back. Keep up with the therapy. Let's just splint intermittently throughout the day – say an hour on, an hour off and then on at night. Can I come by in a week, and check on you both?"
Dick smiled. "That would be fine. Thank you for coming out today."
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"That was very nice of Alfred to serve us dinner out here on the terrace."
"Being outside is good for both of us and it's not too humid this evening." Richard stood up and offered Kori his good hand. "Are you up for a short walk in the garden. No storms tonight."
"Yes, thankfully there will be no thunderstorms."
"I'm glad. They are almost daily this time of year, I know how tough that is on you."
"You have been here with me." Kori worried her lip and then stopped and looked up at Richard. "Richard, I have the mixed feelings about Dr. Red."
"So do I Kori. He saved my hand, and he was a, I guess good friend after I hurt it, but still, I don't know about him."
"I did not like him very much before. He was quite forward with me all those times. But then everyone said he jumped in when I was in the ER and did the cut-downs that helped save me and did the saving of your hand. And now he is most kind."
"Being a good doctor, a good surgeon doesn't make you a good person."
"I am aware Richard."
"Sweetheart, perhaps we should talk about my hand."
"I believe I am aware that you were the frustrated with yourself and hit your truck damaging both you and your vehicle, yes?"
"Yes, but can we talk about why?"
"I think we should talk about the fact that you saved my life and did not tell me, Richard."
"Kori-"
"I would like to get my memory back, and get the entire picture, but for now I am tired and I wish to go to bed. Perhaps in the morning we can discuss it more? Or prompt my memory? We have not tried the exercises over the last day or so ago."
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Richard stopped by the safe and got out his mother's ring before he was going to to bed. There was no way he could forget the evening that he gave Kori the ring that Richard's father gave his mother.
He prayed it would prompt Kori's memories... it had to.
The table was moved to next to the wall and the candles were placed one each on the bedside tables. On Richard's side of the bed on his bedside table was a small square black velvet box.
Richard greeted Kori at the door and took both of Kori's hands, turning them around and backing her up to the bed and sitting her on the edge. Kori noticed the box and her eyes grew wide, and Richard took a seat on the bed between Kori and the nightstand.
"I'm sorry it took me so long earlier to come get you, I looked quite a while to find this. It is one of the few things I have of my mother's," Richard said, unbidden tears in his eyes.
"I was born on March 21th, the first day of Spring. That is why my nickname is Robin because here in the US the Robin is a bird that is said to be the first sign of Spring. When I turned 1 year-old, my father gave my mother a ring he had made for her, a ring that he save up for all year to purchase."
Richard opened the box and inside was a gold ring that had in relief the image of a robin. It was unique and beautiful. Kori put a hand over her heart and tears of joy fell. She was so touched. It meant so much on a number of levels.
"Kori, I'd love for you to wear this ring as a promise that I want to, that I plan to spend my life with you. I will ask you to marry me someday, someday soon when all this insanity in our lives is over."
Kori's tears fell and she trembled.
"Kori, will you please wear this ring?"
She managed a nod and a smile.
"Kori, may I put the ring on?"
"Yes," she replied, her voice shaky. She put out her left hand and Richard slipped the ring on her ring finger.
Richard kissed the back of her hand, lingering a bit, and then held her hand to his cheek, before dropping her hand so she could admire the ring on her again, "Oh wonderful, it's a perfect fit."
"Indeed it is," she said softly, her voice still shaky.
"May I kiss you?"
Kori nodded and tackled Richard. They didn't surpass their agreed upon limits to their intimacy that night, nor did they get much sleep that night.
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When he got to the room, Kori surprised Richard with a sexy nightgown. A short baby doll in a soft aqua, it was a nice shade for her improving color and it was somewhat shear, outlining her curves; even her weight loss had not taken those away completely.
"Um, hello Richard," Kori said, her legs partially covered by the silk sheets, "I have gotten the second wind. I found the Backgammon game on your shelf and wished to know if I could challenge you to a game?"
A grin appeared on Richard's face. As much as he wanted to give her the ring again, it would wait. If she wanted a game of Backgammon, a Backgammon game she would get. "I wonder why we never played."
"Because you were afraid that I would do the kicking of the butt." Kori teased playfully.
"Oh you think so," Richard challenged with a brow arched.
"I am certain."
"Well, we'll just see about that."
"As they say, let the games begin."
Richard couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun; he then realized it was about the same point when Kori's last memories were. Even with the complications of getting her royal status outed, they were happy then and still had plenty of fun.
It was before all the time he was spending with Babs.
And in that moment, he was distracted by Kori, and he knew the little vixen was doing it on purpose, working her beauty to her advantage. Backgammon was not always a difficult game. If they were playing chess, he'd have been sunk.
"I did have a bit of a flash of memory earlier," Kori said after a roll of a six and a one, as she appeared to be carefully studying the board. They were playing best out of seven, decided on when Kori was up three games to Richard's one. She looked up briefly through her lashes with a sexy smirk before she her white checker hit his blot, placing it on the bar. "It was when I was on Paradise Island. I was there when I was younger with Donna, so it was a memory I could easily capture. I was thinking about that I had made an error, that we should have become lovers. I believe I wrote you a letter about it."
Dick's mouth went dry with what she said, although his competitive edge not letting him fully ignore his dire situation on the Backgammon board, as Kori was readying to cast off.
He found it suddenly necessary to adjust his position in bed. He considered if he should ask, and then chose to resist asking her about her current thoughts on consummating their relationship. She didn't have her memory, he had cheated, she had been so ill, she looked so good...
"You wrote to me? I didn't receive any letters."
"I... I thought so..."
"We'll work on your memory."
"Of course," Kori said lightly, as she bit her lower lip, leaning forward more than she had to, moving her other checker into her home board.
Richard couldn't believe how Kori was flirting with him and knew it was going to get worse; what was she going to suggest next, strip Backgammon? "Kori, you're about to bear off, you're going to win, I give up."
"Are you letting me just do the kicking of the butt and you are doing the surrendering? I am disappointed. Perhaps we should add one of the optional rules of the Backgammon game – perhaps the rule of the Beavers?"
"Oh my God, Kori!"
Kori dissolved into giggles. "Richard, what?"
"You know what!"
"Come over here and do the telling of me."
Richard paused. It was Kori's turn to arch an eyebrow at him. "Oh, okay, let me put the board away-"
"I'll help."
"Very well."
Given her mood, Richard was hardly surprised when Kori moved over in the bed, albeit gingerly and initiated some passionate kisses, not that he minded.
"I love you Richard."
"I love you Koriand'r," he replied in Tamaranian, already concerned he was too turned on, getting a bit overwhelmed with the idea that he might lose her again. He could not let this get out of hand until she knew everything...
Kori broke there kiss, and gave him a confused look and then a smile.
"What is it Sweetheart?"
"I definitely remember the letters, and I definitely remember about thinking that about getting closer to you. That I was thinking about it when I was away... that I... there was more, there was confusion between us, I was conflicted about going away. But I never wanted to... to break up."
"The doctor said not to force it, the memories'll come."
"Did we really were the broken up?" Kori said quietly.
"Yes, we were, but we both were confused. It was a mistake, a mess."
Kori paused and Richard held his breath, scared of what he might hear next. "You have said we have much to discuss." She snuggled in close to him. "I guess I really am the tired, but I have had such a wonderful time tonight."
"It has been fun. Hey, I love you." Dick kissed her gently.
"And we are together and not the broken up now?"
"Of course, we are very much together now and I am so happy."
"I am happy as well. And that is all that matters."
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To be continued...
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Thank you for reading and reviews are appreciated.