So, let's see how Holly's doing :)
Some M-rated content in this one ie. smut.
I'll edit later, if needed.
xoxo
Gail had been pacing nervously up and down the hospital hallway, after the EMTs wheeled Holly out of the ambulance and straight to the doctor. Gail had managed to grab her sweats, before storming into the ambulance ignoring all protests shouted her way. She had given everyone a scathing glare to shut them up and plopped down on the side bench, refusing to budge and reached for Holly's hand.
Gail saw a red-headed nurse come out of Holly's room and bolted to meet the woman. "Excuse me, how's Holly? Holly Stewart? She told me she was fine, when we rode here, but she was really.. reallt dazed and she was bleeding a lot and I.. And I.." The striker trailed off swallowing difficultly, hot tears stinging her eyes.
"Hey, Gail. Holly's okay. She bumped her head and that resulted in a concussion." The nurse hesitantly squeezed the blond's shoulder.
"Concussion? What about all the blood?" Gail asked whispering hoarsely.
"Holly had a small cut on the side of her head. Head lacerations tend to bleed a lot, but it wasn't anything serious. She's okay." The nurse assured gently.
Gail met the woman's eyes. "So she's going to be fine?" She breathed a sigh of relief and felt herself relax slightly. She just needed to see Holly. She wiped the corners of her eyes on her sleeve.
"Yes, she is. She might experience headaches and nausea, but a few days rest and she'll be fine." The nurse smiled. "You can go see her, after the doctor's finished. I heard Holly kicked ass at the game, before getting herself in here?"
"She was on fire, yes." Gail eyed the woman curiously. The woman looked familiar somehow. "I'm sorry.. do I know you?"
"We've met." The woman smirked. "I'm Stacy. Holly's.."
"Ex." Gail finished.
"Well, I was going to say friend." Stacy pointed out chuckling.
"We'll go with that.." Gail smiled a little. "I didn't recognize you without your team wear. You work here? What about Ottawa?"
"I don't play at the moment. I hurt my knee early in the season and decided to take a break."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"No need. I like it here." Stacy said, before seeing the doctor come out of Holly's room. "You can go in now. Holly's probably sleeping. I'll come check on her little later."
"Okay. Thanks." Gail said letting out a deep breath and heading for the door.
.
Gail pushed the door open and stepped into the softly lit room. She kept her eyes on the floor, until she heard the door click shut behind her. She took a breath and lifted her head up. Her eyes latched on the figure resting on the bed.
"There you are." Gail whispered wetly as she moved closer.
Gail took another deep breath and exhaled slowly, wrapping her fingers on the edge of the bed. She stood frozen for a moment gazing down at the sleeping brunette. Holly seemed unharmed. Tears of relief fell on Gail's cheeks. She took a shuddering breath, willing herself not to breakdown compeletely and ran her finger over the side of her girlfriend's face.
The blond leaned in placing a soft kiss on Holly's forehead. "You're okay." She croaked out quietly.
"Mmmm.." Holly hummed, but didn't wake up.
Gail smiled a little, before nuzzling her face in the crook of Holly's neck. She inhaled the scent of Holly and then exhaled. "Don't ever scare me like this again." She breathed in Holly's hair.
"I won't." Holly murmured half a sleep making Gail wrap her in a half-embrace and cry silently.
.
Gail sat on the couch of Holly's hospital room, while Holly slumbered. The blond was tired, but didn't want to sleep in case Holly needed her in the middle of the night. Gail checked her phone feeling it vibrate and tapped the green icon on her phone noting that it was Chloe calling. The team had probably just arrived home in Toronto. And Gail knew Chloe was worried about Holly and had decided to send a message to her, but Chloe beat her to it by calling.
"Hey." Chloe said softly after Gail picked up.
"Hey Price. Holly's going to be okay." Gail said straight away wanting to alleviate Chloe's anxiousness.
"Oh, great." Chloe sighed relieved. "I know it's late, but.. Can I talk to her?"
"She's sleeping. I don't think I should.."
"Please, let her sleep. I'll talk to her later. But you said she's okay?"
"Yeah. Holls will be fine. She has a concussion and they want to keep her here over night and do some more tests tomorrow, before they let her leave."
"You'll be flying home tomorrow then?"
"No, not yet. Holly's parents just came here and brought our things from the stadium.. So, um.. we're staying with them for a few days. Holly needs to take it easy."
"That's good. Holly's lucky to have you all. And that'll be fun. For you I mean. A few days with the in-laws and your sick girlfriend.. Yay. Though.. I guess It's good, that you have some back up being nurse." Chloe finished pondering.
"Huh?"
"Holly's not.. the easiest person, when she's feeling under the weather."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She's pretty whiny. And can get pretty aggravating too." Chloe snorted. "You'll manage, I'm sure. Get some rest."
"Goodnight Chloe."
"Goodnight Peck." Chloe smiled. "Tell Holly I said hi and that I love her lots."
"I will."
.
After the call Gail had been lounging on the couch playing with her phone and vigilantly keeping an eye on Holly's sleeping form. 30 minutes or so later Stacy came once again to Holly's room greeting Gail with a nod. The blond was sitting next to Holly's bed and holding her hand. The brunette was slumbering peacefully.
"Holly?" Stacy prompted petting Holly's cheek gently.
"Stacy? Give it a rest.. I'm fine. Stop hovering." Holly spat tiredly trying to slap her friend's hands away from her face.
"I need to check on you every 30 minutes for a few hours. You know that Holly." Stacy said patiently and leaned back closer to her grumpy patient.
"Stacy... Stop it... Gail.. Honey.. make her leave me alone." Holly whined pitifully as Stacy shone a light in her eyes. "I want to sleep."
"She needs to check on you Holls." Gail stood beside the bed and caressed Holly's arm gently.
"You're siding with her?" Holly whispered with a choked up voice. "She's woken me so many times already.. And you let her.."
"It's for your own good, babe. That is what matters to me. Stacy will wake you.. just a couple of times more, right?" Gail looked at Stacy, who nodded and gave Gail a soft, encouraging smile.
"Just a few times more and then you can sleep uninterrupted until morning." Stacy promised Holly. "Everything looks good. Go back to sleep."
"Finally.. Okay.. Go away now.." Holly muttered, closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.
"I'm sorry. She's tired. And.. Cranky." Gail shrugged apologetically.
"Yeah. You'll have fun with her for the next days."
"That's what Chloe said." Gail's brow crinkled.
"She'd know. Chloe has lived with Holly for years." Stacy smiled almost gleefully, before schooling her expression to a more neutral one. "You can sleep on that couch. I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket." She said pulling the door open.
"Stacy?" Gail said making the redhead pause at the door. "Thank you. For everything tonight."
"Don't mention it." Stacy smiled. "Just take good care of her."
"I promise I will."
.
On the next day Holly had been released from the hospital after passing the tests the doctor's wanted. Holly's parents, Celeste and Robert, had come to pick the girls up and driven them to the house. Holly had been napping most of the day, while Gail kept hovering around her. When the blond had been sure Holly was sleeping peacefully, she had gone down to the kitchen to help Holly's mother. Holly had later eaten the offered soup and bread with some coaxing from her girlfriend.
"Hey." Gail balanced the little tray with Holly's desert on her arm and pushed open the door to Holly's room. "How are you feeling?"
"I talked to Chloe. She told me to tell you, that she and Traci think you've gotten all mushy with nursing me like this." Holly relayed the message shrugging. "Now I'm bored." She finished.
"I'm not mushy." Gail denied. "I brought you your yummy desert. I made it with your mother. It was… surprisingly fun. I really like your mom." She showed the tray with the plate resting on it.
"She likes you."Holly gave a little smile, before quickly averted her suddenly disgusted eyes from the plate.
"How's your head? Did you remember to take your meds? Was your food tasty? And.. What is that?" The blond fired off and ended her ramble with pointing an accusing finger on the book in Holly's hands.
"Why are you asking all these questions?" Holly huffed. "It's… A big book." She shrugged evasively.
"A big medical book. You should be resting! Not reading this.. this brainy stuff. You'll hurt your big, bruised brain. Put it away." Gail ordered sternly putting down the tray and yanked the book from Holly's hands. "Here take this." She offered the brunette some reading.
"People magazine?" Holly snorted with an eyeroll, but started leafing through it anyway.
"Only light reading for you babe." Gail nodded. "And here.. Eat this. For desert."
"No. I hate jello." Holly crumbled with conviction and crossed her arms across her chest pouting.
"Your mother said you'd say that.." Gail smirked.
"I am not eating that. I want chocolate pudding." Holly demanded crinkling her brow. "Or ice cream. Not jello. No." She lowered her eyes back on the magazine.
"Not feeling the love. At all." Gail huffed with an eyeroll. "You'll have this jello. I made it with love. It's filled with vitamins. It's good for you."
"If God wanted peaches to float in mid-air, he would've filled them with helium." Holly snarled keeping her pout intact. "I'm not eating that jiggly mound of vile, disgusting goo. Nope. No way. Not eating it."
"You're quite irritating, when you're sick." Gail groaned narrowing her eyes to thin slits. She puffed out a breath. "Buuut.. I love you anyway." She said smiling softly, before her eyes widened and she fell silent. Oops, she thought inwardly. Oops.
"Oh?" Holly exhaled straightening up a little. She dropped the magazine from her grip. Gail swallowed a lump from her throat. "You do? You love me?"
"Um.. I said it out loud, did I? Well... I do." Gail whispered hesitantly, gauging Holly's reaction. The brunette looked happy. "I love you Holls." Gail said softly.
"Gail.. I love you too." Holly whispered, her face beaming with happiness.
"That's.. awesome." Gail breathed with a goofy smile.
"It is." Holly gave Gail her own goofy smile back. "I love you." She repeated. "I've loved you for a while now.. I haven't dared to say it earlier, because.. I didn't want to scare you or.. something."
"Same for me. I think.. I fell for you, when we first met." Gail admitted keeping her eyes on Holly's. "I love you."
"I love you." Holly said again. "I really like saying it out loud like this. Not just in my head."
"Me too. And.. If you really, really love me, you'll eat this jello I made with my own little hands." She grinned and shook the dish making the jello jiggle. "I made it for you." She pressed on trying to hide her smirk.
"Uh.." Holly crinkled her nose, eyeing the treat with hesitation. "Kiss me." She puckered up her lips trying to distract Gail from pushing the Jello issue.
"I will. Many times." Gail smirked happily. "After you've eaten."
"Hardass.. Give it.." Holly sighed in defeat and put out her hand.
"Good girl." Gail praised. "You'll get huge amount of sloppy kisses for this."
"I won't accept anything less." Holly shoveled a spoonful in her mouth.
"So?" Gail followed Holly's eating in interest.
"This is actually quite.. edible." Holly shrugged.
"High praise from you." Gail snorted. "Jello hater."
.
Later that night Gail's phone buzzed on the sofa table. She had been absentmindedly leafing through some old magazines, while Holly slept and the Stewarts' were getting some groceries. Gail picked up the buzzing device and tapped the green icon.
"Hey mom." Gail said smiling softly.
"Gail? I just talked to your brother. Is your Holly okay?" Elaine asked anxiously. "He said something about a hospital?"
"She'll be fine mom. Holly has a concussion and needs to rest for a while. We are at her parents' house."
"Thank heavens'. Are you alright?" Elaine breathed and Gail heard her mother sit down.
"I am." Gail quickly said, but then took a shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "But I was.. Mom.."
"What sweetie?"
"I was so worried. I've never felt so helpless and scared." Gail said in a teary voice. "I can't lose her. I won't survive it. I think.. I love her too much."
"You can never love too much. Never. And you didn't lose her. Holly is okay. Everything is okay." Elaine soothed.
"I know. I know." Gail sighed swallowing hoping to calm down. Holly was alright and sleeping upstairs. "I know everything's okay. I'm just tired and.. emotional."
"Of course you are. You should take a little nap. Rest."
"I will. Soon, when Holly's parents come back from the store."
"So this whole thing wasn't just some scheme to get out of dinner with us?"
"Mom! Of course not!" Gail screeched appalled.
"Take a breath - I'm joking darling." Elaine chuckled. "My feeble attempt to lighten the mood."
"I appreciate it.. Thanks mom." Gail snorted.
"I love you darling. Your father and I can't wait to see the woman, who's captured our wild daughter's heart."
"I love you too mom. We'll come to dinner."
"You better."
.
A couple of days later Gail pushed the door to her apartment open and ushered Holly inside. She helped the brunette out of her coat and steered her to sit on the plushy couch. Then Gail proceeded to organize their things by running around her apartment. Laundry in the washer, clothes in the bedroom. Shower bags in the bathroom. Miscellaneous items on the coffee table.
"I'm perfectly fine now Gail. I can help." Holly smiled at Gail zig zagging from place to place. "I could have gone home and you could rest in turn."
"No way. You're not going anywhere. I want you here, so I can keep an eye on you. I don't want you to keel over with only Chloe to help you. I want to be with you."
"You're so sweet." Holly grinned happily. "And totally mushy."
"Am not. I'm badass." Gail pouted playfully.
"Yes. Obviously." Holly smirked and pulled Gail into a tight hug. "You've been great Gail. I really appreciate all your help. Thank you." She said seriously.
"You don't need to thank me Holls - I love you."
"And I love you. Badass. Relax. Go take a bath." Holly ordered smiling softly and poked Gail to get her moving.
"Okay."
"I'll make us something to eat, while you soak."
.
"Please confirm existence." Holly said knocking on the door bathroom door, before entering.
"Hey.." Gail said groggily. "Sorry.. I must have dozed off."
"Good thing you didn't drown in there." Holly shook her head and motioned to the tub Gail was soaking in. "So.. Um.. I could help you? Pamper you. Wash your hair? Or.."
"You don't need to."
"You took care of me, when I was sick. I know you were worried. I know you were stressed out. But you took so good care of me." Holly said sincerely. "Let me take care of you now. Gail? Let me help you relax."
"Fine. You can.. wash me." Gail drawled suggestively with a teasing glint in her tired eyes.
"Oh I can, can I?" Holly smirked closing the door.
"If you want?" Gail looked up under her lashes to Holly standing next to the tub.
"I want." The keeper husked starting to peel off her clothes, while Gail enjoyed the show roaming her eyes on the exposed skin. When Holly's clothes were scattered on the floor, Gail cleared her throat.
"Let's put some more warm water in." Holly said turning the knob as she slipped in the tub and released a satisfied sigh, when the water surrounded her.
"You're so beautiful." Gail sighed dreamily, raking her darkening eyes eagerly on the brunette.
"You are." Holly countered softly. "Turn around and lean on me."
"But I like looking at you."
"I know, but I want to touch you honey. Come on now." Holly ushered gently.
Gail turned and snuggled against Holly, pressing her back on the brunette's front. Both let out satisfied breaths. Holly wrapped her arms around Gail and kissed the blond's shoulder.
"I love you." Holly peppered gentle kisses along Gail's collarbone and her neck. When Holly let her hand wander on Gail's chest and palmed her breast, Gail shivered. "Are you cold?"
"No." Gail got out in a half a moan.
"Are you still stressed? Tense?" Holly whispered in Gail's ear, while her other hand ventured lower over Gail's twitching abdomen.
"Not for long.." Gail shuddered as she felt burning heat pool in her core despite the cooling water. "Are you sure this is alright? You're still recovering.."
"I'm sure. I'm fine honey." Holly assured. "Don't worry." She crooned as her fingers parted Gail's folds.
"Babe? You're.. sure?" Gail's breath hitched, when Holly's digits caressed her slit.
"I'm sure." Holly murmured teasing Gail's opening with her middle finger. "Just relax." She coaxed.
"Relax?" Gail grunted in disbelief, trying to get her girlfriend to touch her more firmly. "You're a tease.. Touch me.."
Holly teased Gail until the blond started squirming and panting with small whines. Only after Gail uttered 'please', she slid her finger inside her girlfriend.
"Yes.." Gail hummed, when Holly's digit entered her.
Holly decided on a slow, unhurried pace. She nipped the skin on Gail's neck and shoulder.
"Don't stop.." Gail begged pushing more strongly against Holly.
"Relax.." Holly thrust firmly in and out of Gail and curled her finger as she moved. The palm of her hand rubbed against Gail's clit.
"Oh.. Oh.. Oh.." The blond panted feeling her peak closing in. When Holly bit on her shoulder, Gail held her breath biting her lip.
"Hmm.. You're beautiful." Holly murmured, rolling Gail's nipple between her fingers, while her other hand remained buried between Gail's legs keeping up its steady movement.
"Holly.." Gail got out, before she clamped tightly on Holly's finger.
"Honey?" Holly prompted after a moment, when the clenching on her finger had diminished.
"Oh, God how I love you." Gail husked, when she managed to force her eyes open.
"I know." Holly smirked happily as she tightened her arms around Gail hugging the woman to her body. "I love you."
"You evil tease.. Let me take care of you.." Gail imitated Holly's earlier words. "You took care of me alright." She snickered lying spent against Holly's chest.
"Oh shush. You needed it. Stress can be very dangerous." Holly chuckled, gently rubbing Gail's shoulder with her palm. "Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Stress can contribute to health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. And also.."
"Wow, info dump! Now I know." Gail cut in and kept smirking. "Good thing you're an expert on stress relief methods." She purred as she pushed Holly's hand under water and between her legs.
"Again?"
"I'm still feeling a bit.. stressed."
"We can't have that." Holly purred ghosting her lips on Gail's neck. "Nope. You need to relax fully. You've earned it."
.
Thanks for reading :)
A/N And.. I stole a line from the classic tv-series 'The Golden Girls'!
A/N One more chapter to go! I hope to be ready to post the final part after the holidays. In 3 – 4 weeks I guess.
**** Happy Holidays and a happy new year to all *** :)