When they pulled into his drive, Sara got out and opened the door for Jim and helped him out. He had crutches but hated using them as he thought they made him look feeble and crippled. He hobbled inside the house and plopped himself down on the couch, his leg propped up on a pillow and his back against the armrest. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table, across from Jim, she took his hand in hers and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes before she began to speak. He hated to see her cry, and even more so, he hated to see her cry over him. He had been in an accident, like hundreds of other people every day. It was a bad one, granted, but Jim saw it as just another of life's trials...could they get through it? He believed they could and in doing so, come out all the stronger for it.
In hospital he had been doing very well with his physical therapy and was told by the doctor that he could have his casts off within weeks. He'd, no doubt, need a cane for a bit, until his leg got stronger, but Jim was trying to stay positive about things, he'd leave the worrying to Sara.
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Four weeks later and as Jim and Sara sat in the doctor's waiting room to get Jim's casts off, he decided he'd want to save the arm and chest cast, as it had been signed by nearly all the lab personnel and some officers. He liked to joke about it, when he'd fall asleep from the pain pills and wake with a new drawing or signature, he'd growl, "Vandals". He'd been going in to work after two weeks at home, stating that he was going stir crazy, but limited himself to desk duty. So while he sat at his desk looking over case reports and doing paperwork, Sara would go to work, do her job and when shift was over she'd drive to the precinct and pick him up, bringing him to what had become their home. Sara had all but moved out of her apartment and it was this that Jim wanted to address. He loved having her around and if he wasn't mistaken, and he didn't believe he was, she liked being with him. There had been no real further discussion of them as a couple, but at the same time there was what seemed to be a silent understanding that they were. There were the little things like hugs, kisses, cuddling on the couch or in front of the fire, hand holding and some very sexually frustrating make out sessions. I say sexually frustrating because as Jim was in his cast it would have made anything carnal in nature kind of on the difficult side...plus, which, Sara wanted to wait until he Jim was 100 before they became truly romantic.
"Mr. Brass."
Jim snapped his head up at the calling of his name and hobbled over to the tech who held the door open for him as Sara followed. Seated in a chair, waiting for the doctor, Sara turned to Jim and smiled.
"So now you'll be fully functional"
"Does this mean the sponge baths are over?" he asked jokingly
"Not if you don't want them to." she replied
Jim smiled wide and it was then that the doctor came in and readied himself for removal of Jim's casts. It only took a few minutes and once they were off it was shocking to see how much weight he had lost. His chest cast having been removed first, you could tell by the pale skin and slight flabby condition of his body...Sara made a mental note to fatten him up again post haste. Doing a few range of motion exercises, both Jim and the doctor were impressed, his back and arm had full mobility. As the leg cast came off, again, the paleness and loss of muscle tone were present and Sara made the same mental note again. Standing up and crossing the room and back to his seat, Jim seemed to be 100. Sitting back down, he answered as the doctor questioned him.
"I think you're good to go"
"I've been taking my calcium supplements for the bones and vitamin E oil for the scars"
"Yeah, those have healed nicely. If you keep up with the oil application I see no need for plastic surgery, but I want you to use a cane foe a few weeks until your leg gets stronger."
"I've already been using one. I hate those damned crutches, so limiting." he replied
"I want to see you again in one month to chart your progress. So you're free to go."
Virtually jumping up, Jim grabbed Sara and they all but flew out of the office and to the truck in the lot. Climbing behind the wheel, Jim had to get used to driving again, and as Sara strapped herself in, Jim did the same and slowly they drove home, Jim's home.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Sitting on the couch, Jim turned to Sara and took a deep breath as what he had to say was kind of on the important side. Taking her hand in his, he rubbed lightly and offered a pseudo-smile.
"I think you should move in with me, here at my house."
She was a bit taken aback, but not totally surprised. In recent weeks her apartment had been gradually getting more and more empty. Now she was basically paying rent for a place she was no longer at. Smiling, she accepted.
"Sure. I've only got a few things there anyway, but are you sure? I mean this is a big step." she replied
"You've been here for months now. I don't see much of a difference between you staying here and living here."
"Ok, then. I'll let management know that I'll be out by month's end and I'll call Goodwill to pick up whatever I don't need here like pots and pans and other stuff like furniture."
That having been settled, they lay down for a well deserved nap, as it was both their day's off. Though it was only midday, they were both quite tired. Jim was glad to have the casts off, but to tell the truth he was a bit apprehensive about the saw and how close it got to his skin when the doctor was removing said casts. He could feel the hot air produced by the motor and blade and even reached out for Sara's hand at one point. She had had casts as a child and knew exactly what Jim was feeling, but now that he was free of his bonds he was finding it kind of on the difficult side to move without them. Toward the end he had been putting weight on his leg, limping through the lab and precinct, but now that he was without them he noticed that he was still walking as though he still had them.
Laying in bed, spooned up together, they fell fast asleep and didn't wake until the early hours of the following morning. So as not to screw up their sleep schedules, they both took some knock out pills and the next time they woke it was late morning...they'd have to go in to work later that day. Jim was the first to wake and as he climbed out of bed, being careful not to wake a still sleeping Sara, he took a shower and grabbed a shower scrub brush to get rid of the pale, flaky skin on his leg, chest and arm. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he could see that the majority of his chest hair was gone and his muscle tone was severely lacking. He made a mental note to make full use of the weight bench and weights in his garage as soon as possible. Having shaved and completed his morning routine, he made for the kitchen to brew some coffee and surprise Sara with some breakfast in bed. He suspected that by her weight she would be asleep far longer than he was.
Breakfast in bed tray in hand, Jim entered the bedroom and saw the beautiful sight of his lady love asleep on her back, her arm crooked over her eyes, blocking out the sun. Sitting beside her and setting the tray over her lap, he gently brushed his thumb across her cheek until she woke, her eyes foggy and straining to focus. Once she was fully awake, she smiled when she saw Jim and looked down to see the food in her lap. Sitting up in bed, she smiled.
"If this is how I can expect to wake up on a regular basis, then I'm yours forever." she said, taking a sip of coffee
"Not on a regular basis, but not a rarity either." he replied