Chapter Thirteen

But here and now was not the right place or the right time but when she got him home…

The nurse had reported John's remarkable progress to his doctor and later that afternoon he scheduled an x ray to see how the bone was doing. He was healing at a quite fantastic rate which no one could explain but it meant that he could have a lighter cast placed on his leg which would afford him more mobility than the heavier full cast that had been applied at first.

Rose held John's hand as the old cast was taken off. The saw sounded quite horrific and John was convinced that the plasterer would cut his leg clean off and he really wasn't sure that he could grow another! Once his leg was exposed the doctor observed the wound and was just as astonished by the skins healing as he had been by the bones.

"Really good diet." commented Rose by way of an explanation but John shook his head. His theory was that the less they said about his rapid healing the less people may notice it at all.

A lighter cast was applied and John, much to his disgust, was wheeled to his room. Once there Rose excitedly called Jackie and told her their news. Jackie in turn was able to delight her daughter with the news that a room had been set aside and made ready for John's imminent homecoming.

"Has Melissa been yet to check on the pool?" Rose asked.

"No love but he is still in a cast so it will be a little while before he can use it."

"That's true."

"Can he come home tomorrow?"

"The doctor will call in again before he leaves but I expect him to say yes."

"Let me know OK?"

"I will Mum now stop fussing!"

Later that day Rose called Jackie to confirm that John would be coming home the next day. He was still sleeping a lot and Rose thought it best to not disturb him. She put his healing down to the Doctor's ability to place himself in a healing coma and she had decided that when John slept something similar was happening to him. She wanted to go home before he did, she wanted to check his room and make sure all was in place. He had to feel completely welcome and at home if he was to stay with her.

She pondered if this was what she really wanted or if she was just doing it out of sympathy or a sense of duty. She came to the conclusion that while it had started out due to a sense of loyalty to the Doctor now it was about John. Her feelings for him were running deeper than ever before and she planned on exploring them in depth.

She left a note for John propped up by his water jug simply saying that she needed to do some things at home before he was discharged and promising that she'd be back in the early morning to take him home. That done she placed a kiss on his forehead and quietly slipped out of his room and the hospital.

The tabloid press had found out about John's being admitted to hospital and she felt as if she was being watched as she hailed a taxi to take her home. Rose knew from her Father that he had put out a story that John was a visiting friend who had had an accident whilst staying with them. Well if they wanted or expected more than that they'd be sorely disappointed.

When she arrived home Jackie greeted her at the door,

"Oh you should have said you were coming home love is everything alright?"

"Yeah everything's fine I just have some things to do and to check on."

"Will you be home for dinner? Tony misses you."

"He's a baby Mum he doesn't miss me."

"I'm telling you that he does. You didn't answer; will you be eating with us?"

"Yes I will. John's asleep he needs a lot of that at the moment and tomorrow will be a big day so I left him a note…. There are some things I need to do here as well."

"OK I won't get inn your way. Dinner will be at 6 sharp."

"I'll be there Mum." Rose side stepped and made her way up the grand staircase and to her room. She noted gratefully that there was no trace of blood on the first landing but she also noted and grimaced at the cracked plaster where John had smacked his head. When she entered her room she closed the door and just stood quietly for a moment to gather her thoughts. What she really wanted to do was check on the room that had been set aside for John but with her Mother on the prowl that was going to prove difficult to do unobserved.

She reopened her door and listened carefully. All seemed quiet downstairs and she chose her moment to creep back down. She made it all the way to the room and silently eased the door open before slipping inside. It was the room that had been set aside as a playroom for Tony for when he was older. It was brightly decorated but thankfully the stencils Jackie had planned of numbers and the alphabet had yet to be added. The room did have its own small shower room and the large windows were covered with heavy drapes.

A large double bed had been moved in to the room and Rose noted that it was an adjustable bed meaning that John could sleep with his leg raised if that was more comfortable. She knew she should feel nothing but gratitude towards Pete and Jackie for arranging all of this but she felt more than a hint of regret that they had done all of this for John rather than her. There really was nothing left to do other than maybe add some flowers to the room. She decided she could do that now and exited the room as silently as she had entered it.

In the garden she picked a variety of flowers and added some foliage as well before returning to the kitchen and selecting a vase from the collection under the sink. She had just finished arranging them when Jackie came in to the kitchen.

"You'd better not let David see what you have done in his garden!"

"It's not his garden Mum it's ours."

"He does all the work."

"Well if you don't tell him I won't."

"Where are they for?"

"John's room. I just wanted to make it look nice."

"I thought it already did."

"Oh it does." Rose flushed but Jackie let her off.

"I don't mind you checking Rose. In fact it's sort of sweet."

"Don't get your hopes up too high Mum after what I did he might tell me to get lost."

"He won't."

"You sound very sure."

"He invited you in to his hospital bed. Rose he adores you." stated Jackie simply.

Rose nodded; she was embarrassed and backed out of the room with the vase held in front of her,

"I'll just go and put these in there. See you at dinner."

Jackie watched as her only daughter backed out of the room and all but ran to John's. She secretly smiled to herself and silently prayed that John wouldn't reject Rose as the Doctor had done.