When Denise got home from the hospital, she was exhausted and emotionally spent. Getti was still in a coma after his motorcycle accident, Frank was pressing her regarding their relationship, and she ached for both men. Getti for a life cut short, Frank for a life lived so well that he seemed above and beyond her ability to treasure him.
Frank was on the sofa reading his morning paper. The kitchen didn't even smell like coffee but she knew he'd been up for hours.
"Hey, sorry I'm late. Things got crazy," she said going to him for a kiss.
"Okay," he said. "It's fine. You shouldn't be working so hard."
She gave him a small smile. "You tell them that and maybe they'll listen."
He touched her cheek and looked at her eyes, "How's your friend?"
She sighed. "Not good, he's on life support and it looks like he'll stay that way unless and until…he dies."
"That's hard," Frank said. "I waited for you to make coffee."
"Want me to make it?"
"Yours is better," he replied and followed her to the kitchen. Yesterday he'd confronted her about her feelings for this doctor, today, no matter what he just wanted to try and help her get through whatever this was.
Denise made the coffee and served him a cup, she sipped quietly at hers, she hadn't said much in a few days unless he spoke to her
"I had an idea," Frank said trying to break through to her. "When this thing resolves however it will, let's go up to my parents old place for a couple days, just us."
"Okay, yeah sounds good." She loved going places with him. That's what they needed, time alone together.
He smiled, "You don't have to push, if you're tired go to sleep honey."
"No, I'm okay," she said but he knew better; she was falling asleep where she sat.
He knew he'd have to take charge; he got up and moved her by the shoulder. "Come on honey," he said. "Come on."
She didn't try to resist, she was too tired to argue so she let him lead her to bed.
He sat her down on the edge of the bed, and pushed her back. "This is gonna stop, it's too much."
"No it isn't, I'm okay really," she protested.
"Well I cleared the whole day so I'll be able to be here with you," he said. "Want to take a bath first? Would you like that?"
"Yeah," she replied nodding.
He smiled and when she went to get up to draw it he pushed her down, "I'll do it, I'll do it, relax."
She nodded and Frank went to draw the bath for her and she just laid there, exhausted.
It had been a week since she slept, she hoped she'd sleep better with her husband with her but it only made it worse.
Frank came back to help her to the bathroom, he had never seen her look so tired, he hated that she was working so hard.
"You could have undressed honey," he said and touched her cheek. "So tired...Lift your arms for me."
She did as he asked and he lifted her shirt over her head, when he did she covered her now bare stomach with her hands.
"Does your stomach hurt?" he asked gently. "Is it sore?"
"No," she replied. "I'm okay."
He got her pants off of her too and left her in a bra and panties. Then he picked her up.
"I can walk Frank."
""It's okay," he said cuddling her close to him. He sat her on the toilet, "I put that lilac stuff in there that you like and I have a treat for you when you get out, okay?" He touched her cheek again and kissed her.
She nodded "Okay."
He left her to her bath, once he heard the CD player turn on her called Michael.
"Sir," Frank said when he answered. "When you have a moment I need a favor of a non-official nature."
"I have time Frank, I'm in civilian attire," Michael confirmed. "What's going on?"
"I'm worried about Denise," he told him. "She is not herself. She's quiet, she's distant, I just had to basically help her undress to get in the tub. Can you please find out what's going on at the hospital? Are they understaffed, what? I don't like this, she's is soooo tired I'm scared she'll be sick.
"Okay, yeah no problem, I'll find out for you," he said.
"I don't want her to know I asked, she's likely go off on me about not supporting her and we're having enough problems as it is," Frank confessed. "I'm glad I came early, I don't know what's wrong. See if Claudia Joy will tell you anything."
"Okay, sure, don't worry Frank. I'm sure she's just tired and working too hard," Michael offered as comfort.
"Denise doesn't get tired," Frank said. "She was carrying Jeremy, sick as could be, every meal like clock work, house spotless, insisted on waiting on me, now she just sits. Something is wrong."
"Okay, we'll find out," Michel assured him. "We'll find out and get it fixed. Focus on your wife. I'llhandle the intel."
"Thank you," Frank said and heard a noise from the bathroom sounding like glass on tile.
He hung up the phone quickly and hurried to make sure Denise was okay.
She was trying to pull herself off the floor and he saw a variety of bruising, some new some old on her body.
To say he was suprised would have been an understatment, he hadn't seen these bruises on her before
"Denise, you okay, Sweetheart," he said going to help her up. "What happened?"
"I slipped, I'm okay," she said and to his surprise she turned shy and tried covering herself.
He nodded and got a big body towel and wrapped it around her, "Better?" he asked then lifted her again and held her closer. "You're taking the night off, baby."
"I cant, I have to work," she insisted.
"No, you don't," Frank said. "I'm calling over there and you are getting your rest. You're falling a lot aren't you?"
She nodded only once.
"Not anymore, I'm home and right now you're gonna rest," he said. "Here." He put her in their bed just like she was, totally naked.
As soon as he put her down she got up to get clothes to put on.
"I was getting your clothing honey," he told her. "But it's just me here I've seen that before."
Again just a single nod.
He let it go and was happy when she got back in bed and didn't argue with him about taking off of work. Jeremy came home an hour into Denise's nap and let the door close loudly, Frank as on him like white on rice.
"Keep it down!" he scolded his son.
"Why it's noon?" he said going to get a drink. "Where's Mom?"
"Asleep."
"You're kidding," Jeremy said. "Mom's asleep?"
"Yes, she's exhausted."
"She doesn't sleep ever, Dad," Jeremy said. "She walks, she cooks, she cries, but she doesn't sleep."
"Criies?" he asked.
"Yeah," he said. "For like a week I'd come home when I knew she'd be here to eat or whatever, three times I'm picking her up off the floor, five times she's crying in your recliner, twice she's pacing the house like a madwoman and one of those times, she just dropped over and hit the floor. She won't see a doctor and swore me to secrecy. I'm sorry; I'm still trying to win her trust back."
"I know, its okay, but in the future that's worthy of breaking a confidence, she could be sick, okay?" Frank wanted his son and Denise to bond again but more he wanted Jeremy to realize when it was okay to break his word.
"What's going on with her Dad?" Jeremy asked. "I'm getting worried. She doing that with you, the crying and stuff?"
"I dont know son," he replied. "No, she isn't kinda wish she would though, she isn't doing anything, she's distant."
"Want me to try?" Jeremy offered. "I'm afraid of how she'll take it when..."
"When what?"
"When I deploy," he told his father. "Soon, not sure when but soon."
He nodded. "I'm going to try talking to her and see if I can get somewhere, I hate seeing her like this."
"I know," he replied. "I'm not hurting her Dad. I swear."
"I know you're not," he said and just then they both her Denise stirring in the bedroom.
"Don't tell he I told you," Jeremy said. "Please dad."
"I wont," he said and went to check on Denise.
"I heard voices," she said having pulled on her robe. She surprised him this time, she leaned into him.
He out his arms around her and held on tight, she laid her head on his shoulder but didnt say anything.
He kissed her hair and let her stay in his arms. "Go and get back in bed. I'll stay with you okay?"
"Okay," she said and went and got back in bed and curled into a tight ball.
He slid into bed beside her, "Uncurl yourself for me."
She did as he asked but didn't speak, she seemed scared.
"Roll on your stomach," he told her being gentle and soft in his words.
She again did as he asked.
He was gentle with his touch, slowly he rubbed her shoulders, her back, her neck, his hands were firm and strong, but gentle at the same time. "Just try to relax, I know it's hard seeing your friend like that. Try to relax just a little."
He did this for about ten minutes before he felt her shoulders start to shake.
"Dee?" he was concerned but on the same not if she needed to cry to feel better he was glad he was with her.
She didn't reply or even acknowledge him she just cried.
He kept rubbing her back, the her arms and shoulders trying to let her know whatever it was he was there.
After a moment she turned around and reached for him so he could hold her.
He pulled her to him and wrapped as much of his body around her as he could, "What is it?' he tried again. "Or don't you know?"
"I don't know," she sobbed.
"That's okay," he told her quietly. "That's okay, you're okay. Let it out."
She cried harder and burrowed into his arms.
He didn't try to talk her down, he didn't offer words that would bring no comfort, he just let her cry.
She cried for over an hour before she couldn't anymore so she just laid in his arms finally feeling safe.
"Ready to talk about now?" he asked after five minutes of silence.
"No," she said quietly.
"Can you at least tell me what it is?" he asked. "I won't push jut tell me."
"I'm just tired," she said, more an excuse than anything.
"Dee, I've seen you tired before, you don't do this. You're body is covered in bruises all different ages," he sighed. "You fell before and things with us at night...not there, at all and you started us on that track again honey."
"I'm sorry Frank," she said and she got up and went to the bathroom and shut the door
He was going to follow her but the phone rang, Michael.
"Hello," he answered.
"Frank, I got a hold of a supervisor over there, he says she's been doing nearly 100 hours a week these last two weeks, all on graveyard and nights."
"Are they short staffed?"
"Nope," he said. "Half of it is unpaid"
""Okay, thanks," he said, now he was really worried.
"Claudia Joy seems to think she and this doctor got friendly and he came on a lot stronger than Denise was ready for and of course she's a married woman but if what you tell me about her before we met is true, she wasn't equipped to handle that type of pressure."
Frank was now furious. "Thank Michael."
"This is all rumor at this point," Michael said. "I heard other things as well, that she's involved with him and if so it's understandable why she's so distraught."
"Denise wouldn't do that," he said firmly. He knew his wife.
"She's been seen with him on his motorcycle on hers along side of him," Michael said. "Just don't want you to be played for a fool Frank. You're too good a friend and soldier for that."
"Thank you sir," he replied. "I'll straighten things out."
"Good," Michael replied. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."
"I will, thank you," he said again and hung up.
Denise came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, "I'm going to go to the hospital for a little while," she said. "Is it okay?"
"No Denise, you need ot rest," he said ready to do battle on this one if he had to do.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Really. Besides, I'm not working I'm..." she didn't finish. She knew he'd know.
"What?" he asked pretending not to know.
"Nothing."
"You're going to see him," Frank said. Aren't you?"
"Yeah,why?"
"Would you like me to go with you?" he asked. "Might be a smart move on both our parts."
"Why?" she asked.
"People...There's been talk Denise, about you and this man,' Frank said. "Things I don't believe but...can't hurt to dispel the rumors, can it?"
"I guess not"she said, even though she knew they weren't just rumors.
"Okay, I won't crowd you, I know he's your friend but I think our being seen near his room together will put an end to that type of thing," he said. "I love you, let me change shirts."
She nodded.
He drove her to the hospital in his truck and made sure that he held her hand and that as many people as possible saw them go to Getti's room. He even went inside with her for a few minutes then stepped back out.
Denise sat beside Getti. "He knows Getti, he knows what happened."
He flexed his hand; she knew it was just a spasm. "I love him so much," she said. "I do love him, but..."
She took a deep breath to keep from crying.
She was there about half an hour before she emerged. Frank was talking to someone outside, "So I try my best to support her when I'm here."
"You ready?"she asked.
"When you are," Frank said. "You okay, honey?" He kissed her temple. "Any change?"
"No," she replied "Let's go home."
He held her hand when leaving and she did snuggle to him. "Was that person asking about me and Getti?"
"No."
"What did they want then?"she asked.
"Some one that has seen your working ridiculous shifts and was concerned I wasn't taking care of business at home," Frank replied.
She sighed "I wish people would mind their own damn business."
"I'm being considered for a command Dee," Frank said. "It is their business."
"No it isn't," she snapped.
"You didn't even hear what I said," he sighed pulling back from her.
"No, what?" she asked.
"Forget it," he sighed, she'd hurt him. "Forget it, it's obviously not important."
"No Frank it is, I'm sorry honey," she said. "Tell me, please."
"I'm being considered for a command, it is important now, more than ever to attract the right attention," he told her. "And rumors that my wife is running around behind my back isn't going to help!"
"I'm sorry Frank," she said. "That's wonderful though, it really is."
He just nodded his head, "You want to eat or go home?"
She sighed, today was not going well at all and she had just made it worse. "Let's just go home."
"We can eat if you want," he said.
She just shrugged "Whatever you want to do is fine."
He got in the car and drove along the river, "Pick one," he said. "Any one you want."
"There," she said pointing to one of the new restaurants they had never been to before.
"Okay," he said a pulled in. He helped her out of the car and on the steps up to the door Frank saw what his son told him about, Denise fell over sideways landing on her hip.
"Ouch!"she cried when her hip hit the concrete.
"You okay, honey?" he asked all his anger gone for the moment. "What happened?"
"I don't know," she gasped sore. "I lost my balance"
"Can you get up? You think you broke something?" he asked. "You cut yourself?"
"No, nothing's broken but I'm going to have a hell of a bruise there," she said and tried to get up but fell again this time hitting her head on the pavement.
""Dee!" he was very worried about her. "Denise, look at me baby."
She looked at him holding her head. "I'm okay."
"What happens before you fall?" he asked her.
"I don't know, I'm just clumsy I guess."
"Lean on me," he told her. "If your leg hurts we'll go to the hospital."
"It doesn't," she said standing again and leaning on him to keep from falling.
"Let me see your arm," he looked her over for cuts, scraped and found only a tiny one on her elbow. "Let's go."
She nodded and he helped her inside.
"You eat here before?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
He ordered salmon and Denise chicken; to start they shared a plate of clams and salad. Frank had a couple of whiskeys and Denise only sweet tea.
Denise only at a few bites of her food then stopped and just looked at her lap.
"You're not full," he said. She did eat her whole salad but now her meal remained mostly untouched.
"Yeah I am," she said quietly. "I don't have much of an appetite."
He nodded, "We'll take it home," he said. "So when do you want to go up to the cabin?"
"Whenever you can get off of work," she said quickly.
"I'm on leave baby," he said. "We can go tomorrow if you want to."
"Okay" she said with more enthusiasm than she had in a while.
"Call when we get home and take the time off," he said. "It'll do you good to get some good air."
She quickly agreed.
They drove home and Denise took a week off of work to go to Frank's parents old place. They paid a caretaker to tend to it now after moving to the city. She missed visiting with Greg and Emily.
"Is it okay if I go lay down for a while?" Denise asked.
"Yeah, sure, let me see your hip first," he said. "Lie down and I'll look at it."
She nodded, she knew it was going to be bruised, it hurt like hell.
He had her lay on her side and looked at the area, it was purple and swollen, "Let me get some ice for you," he said. "Looks painful."
"It is," she admitted.
"Want some of that cooling gel on it, I'll be gentle," he said softly.
"Yeah," she replied.
He got the gel she used on his many bumps and bruises and with two fingers started to rub it into her skin; he was gentle, infinitely so...he rubbed it into her hip, the outer thigh and over the top of her leg to the inner thigh...
As he got close to the inner thigh she started to tense up and try to get away from him
"Did I hurt you?" he asked. "You're hurt there too let me see." He pushed her dress up and pulled her leg a little so he could see.
She whimpered and pulled away from him and got up prepared to retreat.
He let it go; he's get to the bottom of this soon, at the cabin, just the two of them.
She went to the bed room, shut the door and laid down and cried, she wanted so bad to tell him what happened, all of it but she couldn't, she just couldn't.
He let her have her time, his heart ached, maybe she didn't love him anymore, maybe his touch was just too much for her to bear. He slept in the chair that night.