Chapter 8

Lulu woke up the next morning with her head throbbing and her lungs aching. She could see Dante standing at the door of her hospital room on the phone. He hung up and turned around to see she was awake.

"How are you feeling?" Dante asked as he sat in the chair next to her bed.

"Fine." Lulu said, not wanting to complain. She was uncomfortable and just wanted to be home in her own bed.

Dante could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't fine. "Lulu, it you are in pain you can tell me. Should I get a doctor?"

Lulu started to cry. "I'm just sore and I want to go home and sleep in our own bed. I'm sorry, I'm being a baby." She said as she wiped her tears away feeling stupid.

"You are not being a baby. You have been nothing but brave through this whole thing. It's okay to admit it if you are in pain or if you are scared. I know I'm scared. I almost lost you." Dante said as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I just want this whole thing to be over." Lulu cried. Dante climbed into bed with her and wrapped her in his embrace. She put her head on his chest and just cried as he stroked her hair. He wanted to reassure her and tell her he would keep her safe but he did that last time and he failed. Instead he just let her cry. Once she had pulled herself together she sat up to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Lulu, you don't have to always be stoic and brave. Something terrible happened to you. You are allowed to be upset."

"I love you." She said as she leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

"I love you too." He said as the nurse came in to give Lulu more pain medication. After Lulu took her pills, Dante asked when the doctor would be by to update them on Lulu's condition.

"He should be by shortly. According to her chart she will be able to go home tomorrow as long as she is breathing okay." The nurse left and Lulu looked forlorn.

"I really want to go home today."

"Baby, you have to stay here until they have cleared you. I can't let anything happen to you because you left the hospital too early."

Lulu sighed. She knew he was right and that she was being a brat. She was rattled by everything that had happened and just wanted to be at home with Dante.

"I'll tell you what. I'll have my mom run by the loft and get some of your things to make you more comfortable - some pajamas and your toiletries. She can also stop and get you some magazines or a book if you want." Dante said, trying to appease her.

"I don't want her to go out of her way. I know I'm being a brat." Lulu said.

"Come on, you know she would love to help. I'm going to go tell her, she is out in the waiting room." Dante got up and motioned to his mom from the door. They had a brief conversation right outside the room and Olivia smiled and went on her way.

"She is happy to do it. She likes feeling helpful." Dante said. "She is going to bring me a change of clothes too."

"Dante, I would just tell you to go sleep at home but I really don't want to be by myself."

"There is no way in the world I would leave you here. I also informed security to be on the look out for Delores. When my mom comes back, we are going to change and then we are going to cuddle up in this bed and watch a movie. Until then you should rest. You must be feeling drowsy from the pain meds."

"I do feel tired. Will you lay here with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course. Scoot over." Dante said as he climbed back into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Lulu relaxed in his arms and quickly drifted off to sleep.

About an hour later, Olivia came by with a bag of their clothes and toiletries plus a stack of magazines for Lulu. Dante extracted himself from Lulu and went out in the hall to talk to his mother.

"How is she doing?" Olivia asked handing Dante the bag.

Dante sighed. "She is okay. She's trying really hard to be strong and brave but I can tell that she is shaken up. I just want her to be able to feel however she feels without trying to put on a front for me. I'm already so proud of her for saving herself. I don't know if anyone else in that situation would have been able to do that."

"She is an amazing woman. I know you can help her through this." Olivia agreed. "Well, I'll leave you two kids alone. Here is some lunch and other snacks." She said handing him another bag that was full of food."

"Thanks Ma" Dante said as he gave her a hug.

He went back into Lulu's room and set up lunch on the tray next to her bed. Shortly after she woke up.

"Hey." She said as she sat up. "That smells like your mom's cooking."

"She brought us lunch and some snacks along with clothes and some magazines for you." Dante said as he got out her clothes.

"She is the best mother-in-law a girl could ask for." Lulu said as she looked over the lunch.

"Do you want me to help you into these clothes before we eat?" Dante asked.

"Yes but can you help me over to the bathroom. I would like to freshen up first." Lulu asked, embarrassed that she needed help even to get to the bathroom. Between the beating and the blast her whole body hurt.

"Of course, put your arm around my should here." Dante said as he helped her up. He patiently walked her over to the bathroom and got her inside. She used the facilities and then washed what she could with a face cloth and brushed her teeth. She tried to dress herself but couldn't balance and put her clothes on at the same time. She had to call Dante in to help her.

"I'm sorry. I just can't quite do it myself." Lulu said as he came in to help.

"Baby, don't be sorry. How many times did you have to help me when I have gotten shot or otherwise banged up? A ton of times. I'm happy to help you."

Lulu hated feeling so helpless and dependent on Dante even though he was being completely wonderful to her. She was silent as he helped her get dressed and then he picked her up and carried her back to bed.

After she was settled, he held her face in his hands so she would look at him. "Lulu, I know this is all really hard for you. What can I do to make it better? I'll do anything."

Lulu started to cry again. "There is nothing you can do. I close my eyes and I'm back in that warehouse fighting for my life. I feel stupid for getting into that situation and helpless because I'm stuck here in this hospital bed unable to do anything for myself. I'm scared and I just want to hold on to you for dear life but that isn't fair to you. It isn't fair that you are stuck here in this hospital while I fall apart or that you had to watch that building blow up thinking I was inside."

"You hold on to me then. Hold on as tight as you can. How many times did I cling to you when bad things happened? You're my wife Lulu. I would do anything in the world for you. I'm here to hold you up when things get hard just like you held me up many times before." It broke his heart into a million pieces to see Lulu hurting like this. Lulu just nodded as he wiped her tears. "Now you need to eat something and then we'll curl up here and watch a movie or you can rest." He pulled the table over her lap and they sat on the bed together to eat lunch.

"I feel better now that I ate." Lulu said as Dante cleaned up from lunch.

"I'm glad. I'm just going to change and then we can watch a movie." He went into the bathroom to freshen up and change. When he was done he came out and shut the lights off in the hospital room as Lulu looked at the movie choices. She picked a light romantic comedy that she thought might make her laugh and settled in with Dante to watch. They spent the rest of the day watching movies and resting. They looked through the magazines Olivia brought together and giggled over the ridiculous things in them.

By the time she woke up the next morning, Lulu was feeling less sore and more like herself. The doctor came to check her out one more time and gave her the all clear to go home. She was relieved, as she just wanted to recover in their bed at home. Dante helped her into the wheel chair and helped her out to the car to drive her home. When they arrived home they saw that Olivia had cleaned the place from top to bottom and done all of their laundry.

"What did I say about her being the best mother-in-law?" Lulu said as Dante helped her to the couch.

"Sometimes she can be a bit much but she always comes through when she is needed." Dante said.

"Has there been any news on Delores?" Lulu asked hesitantly.

"Nothing yet. Ronnie is on it along with a bunch of other guys. This is personal now that one of our own has gone bad. They don't like the reputation it gives the department so they want her found quickly. They have patrols in the area on the look out for anything unusual."

"I hope they find her soon. I don't want her to hurt anyone else." Lulu said.

"They will." Dante assured her.

"Will you help me into a bath? I need to wash the hospital off."

"Sure, I'll go fill up the tub and come get you when it's ready." Dante went into the bathroom. Minutes later he came out and helped Lulu into the bathroom and into the tub. "I'm just going to give you a little time to yourself. I'll be right out in the living room, call if you need me."

Lulu relaxed in the bath for about a half an hour until she was getting wrinkly and decided to get out. "Dante!" she called. "Babe, can you come help me?"

He didn't answer so she called again. She thought maybe he fell asleep on the couch so she would have to get herself out of the tub. She slowly got herself up and wrapped herself in a robe and then painfully shuffled out to the living room, using the wall as support. Dante was sitting in a dining room chair with his mouth-taped shut while Delores held a gun to his head.