Disclaimer: I don't own the guardian, no money from this
Author's Note: Thanks to all my readers for reading and especially hgriss and christyzachman for reviewing :) This chapter isn't really that great but in the next chapter Nick's gonna get to home, hooray! Also sorry I didn't update sooner but my Dad wanted his laptop back before I went to school so I'm uploading this in recess quickly. So anyway read on and please review :)
Burton walked into LSP nervously, he had been there many times before but never as an employee, even if it was only temporary. Emily saw him and waved him over.
"Here's your next case, you can use my office if you need, any questions ask somebody else because I gotta go to court," she said as rapidly and quickly as she could.
"But..."
"Ask someone else, I really have to go," and without another word he walked off and left leaving Burton with yet another new file. He already had 12 open cases in like a week! Nick had been right, this was very different to being a coperate lawyer but he wasn't about to give up...
Nick opened his eyes to find himself still in the hospital, Lulu was reading Anne a story and his Dad was frowning over casefiles. He glanced up at the clock, damn! Had he really slept that long?
"Hey," Nick said drawing their attention, the turned to look at him smiling. Nick was amazed how happy he was to see them there, with him even though they were busy.
"Hey son, glad to see you're awake," his Dad beamed at him.
"Yeah. Are you thirsty?" Lulu inquired concerned.
"Dada! Dada!" clapped Anne happily.
"Actually, I've gotta tell you something. I would of told you earlier but I was asleep..." Nick took a breath before continuing, "in half an hour I'm going into surgery-"
"Surgery! Why?" his Dad asked looking puzzled.
"They're giving me a skin graft because my hand... the skin is necrotic, it's dead, it needs to be cut away and replaced," Nick was impressed he managed to say that with a straight face. Lulu and his Dad looked horrified however.
"That sounds horrible," moaned Lulu.
"I don't have much of a choice," Nick replied sighing, "I'll be fine, don't worry," Nick forced a weak smile at them. They went silent but still looked worried, except Anne who smiling as she turned the pages of the book.
"Hello," said Greyson cheerfully as he entered the room carrying a clipboard, "I just came to get you for the surgery,"
"I thought you said it was half an hour?" his Dad complained.
"Oh, sorry that clock must be slow. Very slow," commented Greyson, "are you ready Nick?"
"Ready as I'll ever be..."
Lulu yawned and stretched in the seat, Burton glanced up at her from the file he was reading.
"If you're tired Lulu, just go home," he told her bluntly.
"I'd rather wait till Nick wakes up," Lulu answered stubbornly, "how's it going at LSP?" she changed the subject tactfully, heaven forbid Nick to wake up and find them arguing.
"Good. Fine. Different, very different, I can see why you and Nick are always complaining about it. I'm drowning in cases at the moment," Lulu couldn't help but laugh as Burton spoke, he looked at her curiously.
"You'll get used to it Burton," she replied when she'd finally stopped laughing. Quietly she sipped her water and sat back in the chair.
"About you and Nick..." Lulu turned to Burton as he began speaking, "are you together again?"
"Yes," Lulu said simply and Burton nodded slowly, they both turned as Greyson peeked his head in the door.
"Nick probably won't be awake till morning, you might aswell go home," Greyson gave them a smile as he spoke.
"How soon do you think he'll be able to come home?" Lulu asked hopefully.
"With any luck... maybe two weeks at the very least," he answered the question levelly before stepping fully into the room, "when he does go home, it would be best if he was staying with someone,"
"He's gonna stay with me. He agreed," Lulu cut in swiftly before Burton could argue, he still scowled at her however.
"Right... You do realize your gonna have to help me with stuff. For awhile his hands will have limited or no functionality and the wound dressing will have to be changed, monitering his medication... It'll take a while for him to recover and he may never completely," Greyson told them, Lulu appreciated his honesty.
"I know, but we'll get through it," she answered still feeling hopeful and eager for him to be come home.
"Nick's a fighter and we'll be there for him. It'll be fine," Burton added to which Greyson smiled again.
"Good, I'm glad. Now seriously go home and get some sleep, he probably won't be awake till midday at the earliest,"
"Okay," Burton and Lulu reluctantly agreed before collecting their stuff and saying goodbye to Nick.
"Remember to call us, the second anything changes, the very second, you hear me?"
"I will Mr Fallin, and don't worry, the skin graft went very well. Goodnight," Greyson smiled at them again before his pager beeped, he quickly checked it, "ah, sorry gotta go, Mrs Rose just went into cardiac arrest," and he hurried off to attend this matter.
Lulu pushed the stroller into the parking lot, closely followed by Burton.
"Goodnight," she called as they headed in the opposite directions in which they'd parked their cars.
"Goodnight," he called back.
