PTSD
A couple of days later AJ was just starting to talk again but still in the Vegas hospital. Punk was literally glued to her bedside. When she fell asleep he was there, when she woke up he was there but he was clearly changing since he was always wearing something different. She still had more tests to do but so far everything was looking good and no signs of brain damage which was a small miracle.
"How's your throat today?" He asked placing a small ice chip into her mouth.
"Better but still soar." Her voice was still pretty raspy. "Don't you want to rest?"
"I am resting." He said nodding towards the small folding bed rolled up in the room.
"Even my dad left already." AJ smirked.
"He had to get back to work, I don't." He said placing another ice chip into her mouth.
"How was your fight?" She asked him and he looked at her as if he was crazy.
"You think I fought?" He asked her seriously.
"It was a big fight." she pointed out.
"I didn't fight AJ." He said to her. "You know I can't fight without you in my corner."
"Are you mad at me?" she asked him and he looked at her nervously. "You just seem upset. I thought it was lack of sleep but clearly you're sleeping."
"I am mad." Punk said putting another chip into her mouth and she was growing annoyed. "It's not your fault though."
"I didn't think my hand was going to get stuck." AJ said to him. "I barely was under the drain it just sucked me in." She said to him and he ran an ice cube over her chapped lips to keep them moist as well.
"It was just an earring." He said to her.
"It was important to me." She reminded him.
"Nothing is more important than your safety." Punk argued. "I don't care what you dropped down there."
"Don't I a get out of jail free pass since I'm the one in the hospital?" She asked innocently.
"Yea you do." He said to her. "You didn't just scare me, Paul was paler than you were. The doctors thought he was going to have a heart attack."
"I feel bad." She frowned.
"Don't feel bad just promise me you'll never do something like that again." He pleaded.
"I'm never going into a pool again." AJ said to him seriously. "I thought I was dead."
"You remember?" He asked her and she nodded.
"You know when people ask what would be worse? Burn or drown to death I experienced the drown one and I don't think I could ever forget it." She said to him. "I kept thinking about you."
"What were you thinking?" he asked her.
"It was stupid." She said shyly.
"Tell me." He encouraged.
"I swear I saw you." She said to him. "Right before I closed my eyes you were swimming to me."
"I met the paramedic and lifeguard that got you out and trust me I don't like either." Punk smirked.
"I should thank them." AJ said to him.
"I thanked them." Punk assured her. "I wanted to do something more, give them some cash or at least tickets to a fight but they refused. They came by to check in on you a few times too."
"There's still some good people in the world." she said with a weak smile.
"I would have kissed their feet if they would have let me." Punk admitted and AJ giggled lightly but then grabbed her throat. "The doctor said your throat would hurt for a little bit." he warned her.
"Yea no kidding." She mumbled.
"Did you hear me talking to you while you were out of it?" he asked her.
"I don't remember anything." She said to him.
"Are you sure?" he asked and she eyed him.
"I'm really sure." She smirked. "Did you tell me some deep dark secrets?"
"No." He said cracking a smile.
"When is your fight going to happen?" She asked him.
"Why are you so worried about that?" He asked her.
"Because it was such a big fight for you." She said to him. "And I ruined it."
"I haven't even thought about it. Everyone has been really cool about it from what Paul has told me." Punk said to her. "See that huge bouquet of roses?" he asked pointing at the beautiful red roses. There were actually a ton of flowers in the room but she noticed the red roses and nodded. "Those are from Tommy."
"That was nice." She said to him.
"It was." Punk had to agree. "Paul said he's been very vocal to the media about not fighting me until I know you're ok."
"I am ok now." She reminded him.
"I just need some more time." He said to her. "I had never been more scared in my life."
"Same here." She admitted. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see you or kiss you again."
"There's something I said to you a few days ago that I want to say again." He said shifting in his chair nervously.
"Uh-oh." She sighed as he placed the cup of ice chips down.
"No it's a good thing." He said to her. "I had this all planned out in a much grander way." He admitted wondering if this was the right thing to do.
"What's going on Phil?" She asked quietly.
"I got you this." He said pulling the small box out of his sweatpants pocket and she eyed it.
"Is it replica earrings?" she asked him.
"Give it up with these earrings now." He warned her and she stuck her tongue out at him. He could tell this was really the last thing she was expecting. "I don't think this is a good spot to do this but one thing that I learned from your accident is that tomorrow isn't promised."
"No it really isn't." she agreed. "But I plan on being a lot more careful." She assured him with a smirk.
"Good because I'm going to need you around." He said to her seriously.
"You're so romantic." She teased.
"Look, I love you." He said simply. "I love you so much that I can't even describe what I was feeling or thinking when Paul told me what happened. You came into my life and that was it for me. I never looked at another woman again. You're so beautiful on the inside and out that I pity every man on this planet who will never get the chance to be with you."
"Phil." She whispered unable to contain her smile.
"I mean every word." he said to her seriously. "I started thinking a few months back about a lot of things and came to a decision but like I said I wanted it done right and proper."
"What are you talking about?" she asked him.
"You're already my family." He said to her then opened the box. "But I want to make it official." AJ's eyes almost popped out of her head. The ring was huge but she couldn't even see it she was in shock from what he was asking. "And before you say no because you think I'm only doing this because I feel guilty I'm not." he said cutting her off. "I would never ask you if this wasn't something I wanted, well I thought I wanted to marry you but it turns out I need you to marry me." he said to her honestly.
"Am I dead?" she asked him slowly.
"No." He said simply. "If you were dead you wouldn't feel this." he said slipping the ring on her finger. "I want it all with you. I want to marry you and I want to have kids with you."
"What about retiring and traveling?" She asked him. "You had plans."
"Why can't we do all of that married or with kids?" he asked her. "And who knows how I'll feel at that point all I know is I thought all of my plans were over a Friday night when you jumped into that pool."
"Are you really sure?" She asked nervously and he let out a small laugh. "This isn't some sort of PTSD from my accident?"
"I had that ring made up weeks ago. I spent months perfecting it specifically for you." He assured her. "You're making me nervous AJ." he warned her.
"Of course I'll marry you." She whispered and grabbed his face as strongly as she could and gave him a tender kiss. "But you know I'm committed to you without the ring too, right?"
"I know." He said to her. "It's just one of the many reasons I want to marry you. I'm hoping this motivates you to be extra careful in the future as well. You do realize it's not just your life on the line its mine?"
"It's not." She said shaking her head.
"I told you Friday night, you die, I die." He repeated and she felt so badly. "There is no me without you."
"Don't talk like that." She sighed. "You'd bounce back."
"Don't you know me at all?" He asked seriously.
"I know what you mean." She said understanding him as well. "I would feel the same. But now you know how nervous I get before you step into the cage."
"Big difference from being a professional fighter and drowning in a pool." He corrected. "You weren't breathing AJ." he informed her. "You were so pale I barely recognized you. You were lifeless." he was beginning to choke up.
"Do I look better now?" she asked hopefully.
"Your color has slowly came back." He noted. "You're eyes are opening and you're smiling."
"I'm also engaged." She reminded him as she stuck out her hand to admire her ring.
"Take it off before you go swimming." He warned her. "You technically died for an earring I don't know if the ring is too much for you."
"I told you I'm never swimming again." She said to him.
"You love to swim." he argued.
"I don't want to talk about this right now." She said to him. "Let's talk about the wedding."
"Already?" he asked her.
"I can't focus on your fight, can't call to check in on the renovations of the store so this is where we are." She shrugged.
"We're in Vegas we can just get married here." Punk joked but AJ didn't find it funny. "I was kidding."
"Were you?" She asked him. "Because I kind of like that."
"Really?" Punk asked unsurely.
"Unless the idea of it scares you." She said quickly.
"After last Friday nothing could scare me." He said to her.
"You're still really shook up." She frowned.
"Yea." He admitted. "It's going to take some time. Maybe once you're out of the hospital."
"I can ask them to rush these tests." She said to him.
"You'll do no such thing." Her warned her.
"You must be sick of looking at the hospital walls." She said to him.
"I'm not looking at them at all." He said looking her directly in the eyes. "And I could stare at you forever and I plan on it."
"I love you." She said holding back tears. "Thank you for staying here with me."
"Where else would I be?" he asked.
Three days later AJ was back at the Vegas hotel but Punk had put her on bed rest. She thought it was very sweet but now she was starting to go nuts. He had only just started to allow people to visit her. The only person she hadn't seen or spoken to was Paul who she would have thought he would be the one to see her first.
"Where is Paul?" AJ asked as Punk carried in her dinner for her and presented it to her on a tray.
"He was here, he didn't come in?" Punk asked surprised himself.
"No." She frowned. "I knew he was mad at me."
"Why would he be mad at you?" Punk asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I ruined your fight." She reminded.
"You didn't ruin anything no one thinks you did. Even the critics who hate me don't blame you." Punk assured her.
"Paul isn't just your manager, he's my friend and business partner." She said to him.
"He has been working on the pet place for you." Punk said to her.
"Why won't he talk to me?" She sighed pushing her food away.
"No, no." he said shaking his head and pushing the food back to her. "Eat."
"I thought he would have at least congratulated us on the engagement." She mumbled.
"He did." Punk said to her. "I spoke to him the night I did and again today."
"Oh." She said quietly looking at her food.
"I think he's really shaken up." Punk admitted. "He is the one who found you at the bottom of the pool. And not for nothing, Paul really likes you. He doesn't have family or many friends he spends holidays with us he' was really shook up. He's coming back tonight with pictures of the progress on the pet store."
"Pet palace." AJ corrected.
"Of course." He smirked.
"I want to go home." She said to him.
"The minute we go home you're going to be running around with Larry and working at the 'pet palace'." Punk pointed out. "I need you to relax."
"Phil I have no broken bones." She reminded him. "I wasn't shot or ran over I swallowed too much water and I miss Larry."
"Here." Punk said pulling out his phone and passing it to her. "Dean sent me that picture of Larry and his couch."
"Larry chewed up his couch!" AJ said trying not to laugh.
"We'll be home soon." He promised her.
"Have you given anymore thought to what we discussed in the hospital?" she asked him.
"Yea I have and I love you to death and will sponge bathe you with pleasure but no I will not wear a nurses uniform while doing so." He teased in a serious voice causing her to burst out into laughter.
"I meant the Vegas wedding." She clarified.
"I want to marry you as soon as possible." he said to her.
"I'm sensing a 'but'." She sighed.
"But I kind of had this vision of you walking towards me in a beautiful white dress." he said with a soft smile. "We don't have a lot of friends or family but I want them there too. We can do it in Chicago the week we get back unless you really want to elope otherwise I'm ok with that too."
"No you're right." she agreed. "I would like my dad to at least be there."
"I thought you would. He was very excited when I spoke to him." he said to her.
"You spoke to my dad about our engagement?" she asked surprised.
"I asked his permission weeks ago." Punk told her and she was stunned.
"I can't believe you did that." She said to him.
"Your dad loves me." Punk remarked smugly.
"How could he not?" she teased.
"I need you to eat now." He said to her. "Then you need a bath."
"I told you no baths." She said to him.
"You said no pools." He corrected.
"No pools of water in general." She said to him.
"You love baths." he frowned.
"Please don't push me on this right now." She sighed.
"Fine." He said to her. "I just thought a bath would be more relaxing."
"Nope." She said looking down at her dinner. "Did you get food."
"Nah, I'm just going to eat off your plate." he smirked grabbing a fry and placing it into his mouth.
When Paul came by later Punk let him in and looked at he pictures of the pet palace.
"It looks good." Punk said to him. "Did the electrician come? Is everything up to code?"
"Yea everything is good." Paul said to him. "It should be up and running a few weeks sooner then expected. I'll send you the pictures and you can show AJ."
"Show her yourself." Punk said pointing to the closed door.
"I don't want to bother her." Paul said brushing it off.
"She wants to see you Paul." Punk said to him. "She thinks you hate her."
"Why would I hate her?" Paul asked almost disgusted. "It's me she should be mad at. Speaking of." he said reaching into his jacket pocket and in a clear small baggy was AJ's earring. "They found when they cleaned the filters."
"You should give it to her." Punk said to him.
"I can't face her." Paul said to him.
"Why?" Punk asked.
"I just can't." Paul argued.
"I thought I heard you." AJ said opening her bedroom door.
"I'm going to take a quick shower, keep an eye on her." Punk said to Paul before he could protest.
"Hi Paul." AJ said walking to him.
"AJ." He said avoiding her face.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked sadly. "I'm sorry I ruined Phil's fight."
"You didn't." Paul said to her. "Here." He said passing her the earring.
"I'm actually relieved." She said with a smirk. "Why aren't you looking at me?"
"I can't even say it." Paul said to her walking to the door but AJ jumped in front of the door and blocked him from leaving.
"We're business partners and we're family." She said and that caused him to look at her finally. "Talk to me and tell me why you're so mad."
"I could never be mad at you, I used to think Punk was just whipped when he said he couldn't stay mad at you but it turns out you have that affect on all men." Paul joked.
"So what's wrong?" She asked.
"I can't swim." Paul said to her.
"So?" AJ asked.
"I saw you at the bottom of the pool and I couldn't jump in to get you because I can't swim." Paul admitted.
"You're not a lifeguard." AJ pointed out.
"I should have tried." Paul said to her.
"It wouldn't have changed anything." AJ argued. "And I'm fine."
"You weren't when they pulled you out of the water and you were basically dead." Paul said to her. "I cant get it out of my head. You didn't have a pulse at first, you weren't breathing, your lips were blue-"
"I'm fine now." AJ reminded him. "Didn't you alert everyone I was in the pool?"
"Yea." Paul nodded.
"Didn't you sit with Phil for hours in my room?" She asked him and again he nodded. "You did all you could possibly do and then some. I don't blame you I blame myself." she held up the bag so he could see it. "I almost died for this. Look how small it is."
"I told you not to go in." Paul reminded her quietly and she gave him a smile.
"I remember." She said to him. "Thank you for taking such good care of Phil when I couldn't." She said and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you for being alive." he responded holding her just as tightly.
"No sweat." She teased pulling away. "Now show me all the updates on the palace."
"Phil said no work for you." Paul said to her and she rolled her eyes. "You've spent a majority of your relationship taking care of him, let him do it for a change."
"It's over protective." AJ said to him.
"Only because he loves you so." Paul smirked.
"Just let me see the pictures I swear I won't ask questions." She said tugging on his arm.
"Fine." Paul sighed giving into her as most of the people in her life did...the future Mrs. Brooks was a very lucky woman.