I just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely reviews!
I`m not the best writer but I thought this would be a nice way to pass the time while waiting for Season 3...is it June yet?
I named the story after a song called "Lift me up" by Christina Aguilera. It is really beautiful so give it a listen if you like!
Hope you all enjoy! x
Tom stepped into Rachel's room with a wheelchair ready to wheel her out. She was seated on the bed dressed in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt ready to go.
The minute Rachel saw the wheelchair she protested, "Oh, no there is no way I'm being wheeled out of here, I'm perfectly capable to walk thank you." Tom chuckled at her stubbornness and was about to disagree with her when he suddenly came up with the idea to play along. "Ok doc, as you say so, no wheelchair." he pushed the wheelchair to the side of the room and gave her a smile, "Ready to go?" Rachel nodded confidently and slipped of the bed, she made her way towards him and stopped by his side, "Lets go."
As they walked down the hall Tom stayed by her side, slightly behind her. He knew she wouldn't make it out of the hospital on foot, not because he didn't believe in her but just because her body wasn't used to moving around yet. He noticed her pace slowing and her breath becoming increasingly labored. She folded her right arm into her body as if it were in a sling and stopped as they waited in front of the elevator. He was worried about her, she wouldn't admit it but she would have been far better going out in that wheelchair.
...
Dammit, of course he was right. Rachel could feel her body slowly fatigue making the journey through the winding halls to the elevator. Her legs weren't used to walking so much. She had hardly moved in the past week and to think she would be able to walk proudly out of this building was stupid on her part. She stood in front of the elevators and felt Toms presence a few steps behind her. She felt weak and uneasy on her feet, as if her legs were turning to jelly. She didn't need to think twice about her next move. Rachel took a couple steps backwards until her good shoulder rested on his chest. They both didn't say a word, they simply just stood there until the elevator doors opened. Tom reached towards the bag she was holding and strapped it across his shoulder. He then reached around her body and held her waist gently to guide her towards the elevator doors, her weight still resting against his side.
As soon as the doors closed Tom had a word with her. "You don't need to pretend with me Rachel. Its ok to be hurt and its ok to rest... Just let yourself rest."
Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. She didn't know how to rest, for the past year it had always been about getting things done and having to prove herself. When she arrived on the Nathan James she promised herself that she would never let her guard down, she was the person people depended on, who the world depended on. She had worked so hard for so long and its almost as if she had forgotten how to just breath. Tom was giving her permission to rest and as she lay against his side she felt protected and comforted by that. The elevator opened and they walked slowly at her pace towards the car waiting in front of the building. He assisted her into the back seat and then walked around to the other side to sit beside her. The car pulled out of the hospital towards wherever Toms place was. Rachel always got a little car sick seated in the back so she rested her head once again against his shoulder and let her mind and body relax. It was nice to have someone to lean on. There was nothing romantic or sexual about it, he was just being the support that she didn't know she needed until now.
...
He finally got through to her. This whole time he had told her to rest and give herself time to heal but she had challenged him every step of the way. Her head was rested against his shoulder with her eyes closed, he assumed she had drifted to sleep because of the steady rise and fall of her drive to his place was a short 10 minutes from the hospital so he wasn't sure if he wanted to wake her upon arrival. He decided against it, assuming that she needed all the rest she could get.
He had set up the spare room and stocked the fridge and pantry with food for the both of them. The President had also given him time off to care for Rachel but he would still be able to complete work on his computer and make calls when he needed to.
The driver pulled up to the entrance of his apartment complex and Tom looked down at Rachel to see her still in a deep sleep. He lifted Rachel's head to rest on the car seat and got out to move to her side. He opened her door, undid her seatbelt and supported her knees and back to lift her, making sure her head didn't hit the roof on the way out. She immediately nestled into the warmth of his body while he walked towards the entrance. Rachel was so light that it didn't take much time or effort to get her to his apartment.
His apartment was on the top floor and offered a great view of the city, his kids and father weren't expected for a couple of weeks as there was a lot of organizing and packing to do. It gave Rachel more time to heal and return to her usual self without the disruption of children, not that his children were disruptive, but it might be easier for Rachel to have a few weeks of peace. Sam and Ashley had not spent a great amount of time with Rachel but he knew they looked up to the woman who saved there lives.
Tom headed for her room to put her down to sleep. He didn't know what side of the bed she liked so he took a guess and moved to the right side to gently set her down on the mattress. He removed her sneakers and tucked her legs underneath the covers, he was familiar with this process as he had done it plenty of times with his own kids. He lifted the covers over her body and made sure to place a pillow against her shoulder for comfort. As Tom stared down at her he couldn't help but notice how childlike she looked, he moved a piece of hair away from her face and traced her cheek with his thumb. He hated seeing her in pain and all he wanted was for her to get better. The next couple of weeks were going to be hard on her and he was going to be by her side each step of the way.