AN: Long time no update, I know, I'm sorry. Computer exploded internally and had to get shipped away to apple HQ. Good news is that it's back with some glitches but running regardless so yes I should have updates running smoothly again. But I have exams so yeah, we'll wait and see. :P
Chapter Thirty.
Miley.
"Home?"
"Yes. You can go home." The Doctor repeated.
Nick's face instantly lit up, "Right now?"
"Yes, I've finished your paperwork so all you have to do is go out and sign the release forms, then pick up your prescriptions." The doctor looked at me, "You'll have to sign the forms too, I told Denise that yesterday assuming she'd be the one here."
"Did you tell her Nick was leaving today?" I asked pointedly a little confused.
The doctor nodded, "Yes I did. I told your brother's too Nick."
I nodded and turned to my boyfriend, who was looking genuinely happy for the first time while I was feeling only one raw emotion. Relief. I was taking Nick home, to our home, and I was going to have to thank Denise for allowing some time with him alone before all the well-wishers started rolling into my apartment. She'd clearly decided I was capable enough to look after him, a role I was going to take seriously.
"Right well it's been a pleasure Nick," The doctor announced offering his hand, which Nick took very skeptically. "And I hope we never ever meet again." Nick gave him a blank look, while I smiled and nodded in agreement understanding the humor while Nick chose to ignore it.
"Thank you Doctor," Nick mustered out a little reluctantly.
I smiled standing up offering my hand to the Doctor as well, wanting to make up for Nick's lack of thankfulness. "Thanks for saving Nick's life. You did an incredible job." I proclaimed shaking his hand.
He smiled at me brightly and winked. "It's my job."
He smugly gave one final nod before he turned strutting out of the room.
Nick snorted the second the door closed and looked at me, "It's my job God he's such a prick." Nick hissed pushing the sheets down.
"Nick you could have been a bit more polite." I responded seriously.
"He could have stopped staring at your chest."
My eyes widened, "He wasn't, he was-"
"Miley he's been doing it the whole time. You just haven't noticed." Nick snapped back and I just stood there feeling a little less thankful now.
I watched carefully as Nick moved his legs out of the bed, while I specifically stood back letting him do the work. I'd tried to help Nick two days ago with his rehab and he'd lost his shit at me. Nick wanted to be independent and who was I to impede on that? I knew he'd ask for my help when he needed it and the nurse told me that it was best to just let him make mistakes that caused pain because then he'd learn his limits. I wasn't so sure about that, but I knew what it was like to be constantly smothered with attention. It made me angry. It made me feel weak and I was guessing Nick felt the same.
"You are going in the wheelchair." I stated grabbing the handle and pushing it towards him.
Nick instantly shook his head standing up awkwardly, "I can walk."
"No, you are going to let me push you-"
"No. I'm fine Miley okay?" He stated determinedly stepping forward.
I watched him struggle to balance, something the Doctor said would recover with time but at the moment he had a tendency to lean directly to the floor. Nick took a few more steps, while I literally had to hold myself from grabbing him until finally I couldn't take it.
Without a word I grabbed his arm and with one push he was in the wheelchair,
"Miley I-"
I just looked at him, not speaking giving him a glare until the anger eased. "Fine, but only to the car. We are not taking this with us." He hissed through gritted teeth as I smiled nodding.
"Fine by me. Now let's roll!" I smiled at him excited, only for Nick to roll his eyes.
"Just take me home, and do not crash into-DOOR!" He yelled as I whammed the side of the wheelchair into the corner of the door, resulting in a wince from Nick. I just laughed and leaned down kissing his head.
"Sorry baby, okay let's goes home. Say goodbye to your room."
"Goodbye god forsake place." He announced a smile reigniting on his face.
It took thirty minutes to get from the fourth floor to the car park. Nick now had five different pills, all of which seemed to a similar shade of white that he had to have at multiple different times. We also had three different emergency contact numbers all for different reasons and the nurse had told us the wheelchair wasn't an optional piece to take home. It was coming with or without Nick's permission for at least the next two weeks. With that his mood had got shitty again and I was welcoming the moment I could just lay down beside him and get some sleep so we'd both wake up without an aching neck in a pissed mood.
"Oh my god," Nick whispered as I pushed him through the car park.
"What?" I asked confused unlocking my car.
"This is your BMW?" Nick proclaimed in awe. "You didn't tell me it was a twin turbo 335i?"
I rolled my eyes, "Oh my car, right I forgot you haven't seen it yet." I mumbled smiling to myself happy I'd decided to bring the car after all. Nick just turned and looked at me with possessed eyes.
"Let me drive." He hissed.
I snorted, "Not a chance in hell."
Nick just looked at me devastated, "But you said you would-"
"I said you could, not now." I responded simply opening the door. "Now wriggle your ass into the passenger seat and admire how color coordinated the upholstery is- I picked it out myself."
Nick just looked in complete shock his mouth still wide open, "This must have cost your uncle a fortune Miley. You realize that right?" I nodded grinning.
"I know, but like I said. He owed me and I was a spoilt child. Now get in."
Nick finally got in his mouth opening and closing in complete wonderment, while I packed away the wheelchair and all the prescribed meds and paperwork. By the time I got in the car I was verging on falling asleep, I knew that was hardly a good thing considering I was driving but thankfully in New York City getting above 20 miles an hour was almost impossible and at least if I crashed it wouldn't be at high speed.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Nick asked still hopeful.
"No. No way. I'm good." I reinstated turning to ignition on.
I was right. Forty minutes later we'd moved a total of three blocks. It was torture because neither Nick nor me had the energy to speak at the moment. Every second I was literally forcing my eyelids open, yawns slipping from my lips by the minute.
"I'm happy we're going home." Nick announced after a moment.
I smiled looking across at him, "So you should be. It'll be good to just relax."
Nick nodded in agreement, "I'm just looking forward to being some place familiar, to waking up and seeing you still asleep instead of analyzing me like I'm some text book." I lightly slapped him,
"Hey, I was worried, I am worried." I corrected.
"You shouldn't be, I'm okay Miley."
Nick looked at me deadly serious. "I am okay."
I nodded but I didn't respond because he wouldn't be okay until I thought he was and I didn't. He wasn't okay, not yet.
Nick turned and looked out the window as finally traffic started moving a little. But as I looked at Nick his eyes were following something, his head turning to see a last glimpse of a person or shop as we drove forward.
"What you looking at?" I asked turning left finally seeing the apartment complex in the horizon.
"Oh Nothing." Nick replied quietly as I frowned.
"You sure?"
"Uhuh,"
I nodded and went back to absently staring at the car in front of me.
"I can't believe we're going to Europe..." He started with a grin, "It's going to be incredible."
"I know, it'll be good for us to get away from here." I proclaimed thinking about it, "I just wish we could go right now."
"And miss the wedding of the century, mom would kill both of us."
"That she would" I agreed smiling, "But it's something to look forward to at least."
It took another hour to get home, and by the time I finally opened the front door all I could think of was sleep. I pushed Nick slowly through the apartment, and towards the bedroom as his head suddenly shot up looking at me.
"Miley we went past your room." He proclaimed looking at me concerned.
I frowned for a few seconds confused only to realize, "Oh, oh…yeah I…oh." I murmured awkwardly biting my lip, "I moved while you were in hospital. I got rid my parents stuff and moved into their bedroom. I hope that's okay, I mean we can always go back to the other room if you think it's weird but this is our home now so I thought we deserve the master bedroom."
Nick just looked at me and smiled after a moment, "It's fine Mi." I smiled and kept pushing too tired to question him further as I opened the door.
I pushed Nick right up to the bed and yawned, "I'll go get your meds, you need to take…one or two, or three I don't know. I'll go work it out. Will you be okay getting onto the bed or do you want help?" I asked.
Nick reached out taking my hand, as I looked at him through complete exhaustion, "Miley I'm fine, the pills can wait if you want to sleep."
"No I'm awake. I'm good." I lied squeezing back, "I'll go get them."
I went back to the kitchen and sorted through the pills until I found the right ones returning to Nick to see him perched up in bed looking at his phone. "Mom says she'll bring us dinner tonight so we don't have to cook- is Thai okay?" I nodded absently putting a glass of water on the bedside table with tablets.
"I better go clean the lounge if she's coming," I murmured disappointed.
Nick laughed and reached out to me, "Okay zombie, it's time for an intervention. You're going to get into bed and we'll let mom judge your lack of cleaning this one time okay?"
I groaned, "No I-"
"Miley get on the bed."
I complied closing my eyes falling face first next to Nick into the pillow. He laughed and moved his hand to my back rubbing it gently. "I'm proud of you. So proud. And you don't need to worry about me, because I'm going to be fine. We're both going to be okay. Just get some sleep."
"I love you," I whispered as Nick kissing my head.
"I love you too beautiful."
Nick.
Miley was completely out.
No, actually, she was more than out. She looked dead.
If it wasn't for her chest slowly moving up and down I would have been conducting CPR right about now, because I'd never seen someone go from being awake to completely unconscious in less than a minute. I mean it was obvious she was exhausted, but hell the way she just dropped onto the bed and fell asleep was unnatural. However, sleep was good. She needed it clearly.
I didn't though, I'd got enough in hospital to last me a lifetime.
I ran my hand up and down Miley's back wanting to talk to her, about anything and everything while we were alone. Yet I couldn't. I'd been selfish and tried to wake her ten minutes ago yet she hadn't budged. So instead I just watched her, trying to find the answers in her expression while keeping as close as I could to her. All I could think about right now was pulling her into my arms, kissing Miley senseless and telling her a million things that I still hadn't managed to say.
Yet I couldn't, not just because she was sleeping but because I wasn't ready to let everything out even though I wanted too.
So I let her sleep and kept my distance.
Instead I came up with a plan.
I waited half an hour just to be safe before I removed my hand from her back, and shifted off the bed. I gazed around the room impressed, I'd never been in here and I was happy the first time had been now. I had nothing to compare it to, so I wouldn't let it change me knowing the history between these walls.
I got to my feet slowly, and began my careful and steady walk to the door. I took my time and got changed, then moved to the kitchen where the keys sat exactly where Miley left them. I took them refusing to doubt myself and left the apartment knowing this needed to be done for her sake, because no matter how many times I said I was okay, I wasn't and I knew Miley was in that same process. I didn't know how I was going to deal, not yet, but I knew a way that worked with her and maybe it would help me?
The elevator ride was silent, something I was used to now while noise seemed the oddity when it had been so familiar before. I guess that could be said for a lot of things, and as I stepped out into the underground car park I could only continue to think about how much everything had changed, and how our lives wouldn't be the same again. But that didn't mean I could try and fight the present, things were different now and we had to deal with them the best way we could.
Starting with me stealing Miley's very sleek ride.
I couldn't help it, I smiled the second I pressed the unlock button and it's headlights lit up emitting a delightful sound to my ears. There was nothing more irresistible than a European car. Except maybe Miley…although it was close.
The second I got in, I didn't feel pain the adrenaline was kicking in and when I put my foot on the accelerator my heart burst with excitement. I needed this.
Of course the thrill was quickly killed by the traffic but regardless I gently rolled around the city streets to the exact location I wanted.
It was a shop I'd never seen until today.
A toy shop…
I found a car park by chance and literally thanked God for the luck I'd been bestowed and didn't waste any time lingering. I didn't want this adrenaline to wear off.
Noise was everywhere. The city alive in my eyes.
It made me almost feel normal again, if that was possible.
I winced opening the door to the small, yet cozy shop an overwhelming sound of a child screaming somewhere within and the smell of sugar everywhere. I smiled looking around the atmosphere feeling innocent to the world's problems outside. I turned my gaze to what had caught my attention on the way home, the display in the front window.
"Can I help you?" A young voice inquired.
I turned looking down to see a young girl, whose dark eyes instantly widened in curiosity. They zoned in on the bandage on my head, "What happened? Is there something wrong with your brain?" She asked bluntly.
I couldn't help but laugh, she was about seven or eight, the age of questioning everything without the slightest thought about the consequences. She was naïve, something I wished I could still be.
"Well, I was in an accident. I'm a cop."
Her eyes widened, "A cop?" The girl paled, "Am I in trouble? I didn't mean to push that girl over at school she just-"
"No, no" I responded shaking my head giving a small laugh, "I'm just coming in to buy something for my girlfriend."
"Really? What?"
Her eyes looked up curiously waiting for my response,
"A snow globe."
"Why a snow globe?"
She twisted her hair giving me a very confident look, "Because…" I began stopping thinking about it. "I want her to be able to see into it, and know she still has control over her life. That even when things are falling apart, she can still shake the snow globe and find her perfect world."
The girl looked at me, her dark eyes brightening a smile forming.
"Because when the snow clears, everything is still the same, right? It's perfect?"
I looked at her and nodded, never considering it that way. "Yeah, exactly."
"You must really love-"
"Honey, what are you doing? Go back and finish your homework. I don't want to get another call from the principle." An older female voice snapped as I looked up to see a fine featured woman, who was without a doubt her mother.
The girl just smiled at me and tuned away, ducking from her mother's outstretched arm that playfully tried to slap her on the way through towards the back of the shop.
"I'm so sorry, what can I do for you Sir?" The woman asked.
I smiled and motioned to the front of the store,
"The snow globes…" I inquired, "Do you have one of the city?"
She thought for a moment and then nodded smiling, "Yeah I do-"
"I'll take it." I added without further ado.
The woman smiled and me and nodded, "Okay, great, I'll go get it."
I watched her leave pulling out my wallet feeling good. Really good. I let the woman wrap it and paid giving a cheerful goodbye and spotting the girl out of the corner of my eye. I sent her a wink and took my leave very carefully.
The car ride home was hard. The adrenaline was gone and the pain was searing. I barely made it back to the garage before my body began to respond to the excessive use. I stumbled to the elevator and along the hallway, everything throbbing immensely. When I opened the door, I was relieved to have made it back in one piece but that was soon replaced with a another painful realization.
The sobbing brought to light the fact I probably should have left a note.
"I can't find him. I don't know what to do….I don't know." Miley cried.
I'd been gone for two hours and sometime during that Miley had awoken from what I'd thought was an solid unconscious state.
I could hear her crying from the bedroom, only interrupted by panicked breathing, "Denise, I've rung everyone and... he took my car. I don't know. Don't tell me to calm down- he's gone. Nick's gone and…Oh God what happens if something is wrong? What if he's hurt…I shouldn't have gone to sleep. Oh God this is my entire fault."
I sighed loudly. "Miley?" I called out.
There was silence as I took the opportunity to lean against the couch, easing the strain on my body.
"Nick?" Her voice squeaked out. "Nick?"
Her loud footsteps rushed down the hallway, as the door flew open slamming against the wall. It took five steps before she had her arms around me, strangling me into an agonizing hug.
"He's here, I'll…I'll call you back. Yeah, yeah he's okay I think." Miley responded into the phone she was cradling against her head. She pulled away looking at me up and down nodding. "Yeah, he's fine. Yeah okay, bye…"
Miley hung the phone up and just looked at me. She didn't say anything but I could see both the relief and anger in her tear filled eyes.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, too tired to explain myself.
"What were you thinking?" She snapped suddenly completely removing herself from me now, looking beyond furious, "What the fuck Nick? I…I woke up alone and you were gone. You took my car? What were you thinking? I thought…God I…." I saw her face fill with a hundred emotions at once, and she started crying again pulling me back into her arms.
"Don't you ever do that again?" She hissed, as I slowly wrapped my arms around Miley distributing my weight onto her unable to hold myself anymore.
"I'm sorry…I needed to do something. I need to-" I started,
"You're slurring." She whispered pulling away looking at me.
Her angry eyes turned to concern in a flash, as she slung her arm around my waist. "Let's get you to bed, and then when you wake up you can face both me and your mother and explain why the hell you thought taking my car was a good idea in your state." I opened my mouth to respond, but let her take control guiding me to the bedroom. It was obvious she hadn't noticed the bag in my hand, and I wanted desperately to lay down.
Miley angled me carefully down the hallway into the bedroom, letting me slide into a sitting position. It was only then her eyes saw the bag,
"What's that?"
I gave her a weak smile, leaning back letting the movement propel my arm upwards.
"For you…" I whispered closing my eyes.
"Me?"
"Yeah…"
I felt the bag slip from my fingers, as I forced my eyes open not wanting to miss this for the world. She looked at me uncertain as I nodded at her. Miley sniffled wiping the last tears away taking the box out, feeling how heavy it was before turning to me once more.
"What is it?" She whispered to me quietly,
"To help you, to help us."
Miley nodded and slowly pulled the ribbon and delicately began undoing the paper. She pulled out the plain cardboard box, eagerness welling in her eyes as Mi finally opened the box. I watched her, analyzing every inch of her expression. For a moment she was confused looking inside, only to then find clarity a confused smile spreading onto her face. Miley pulled out the snow globe her smile falling for a moment, as she looked at it remembering only to push through it. The smile returned, along with another sniffle…
"A snow globe of the city…" She whispered looking at me.
"To replace yours."
Miley shook it her eyes spinning around the contents, watching the snowy blizzard within the glass flowing around the buildings. "When you shake it, the city becomes clouded and disappears amongst the snow but when everything settles the city returns to normal. Our life, is like this at the moment…" I pointed at the snow now falling back to the bottom, "And if we wait…"
I watched as the last few pieces fell, "Someday we'll go back to something normal or close to it anyway and we'll be able to see our perfect world clearly."
Miley looked through the glass then slowly moved it down staring at me. Her lip quivered, the small smile still there, as she leaned forward pressing her lips against mine a tear falling onto my cheek.
"I love it, I love it so much Nick. You have no idea." She whispered kissing me again.
I smiled touching her cheek with the last of my strength,
"I do know. I understand." I kissed her, "Because it makes me have hope, the same thing it gave you. I know exactly what you're feeling."
Miley looked at me and grinned as I wiped her tears away.
"And it makes me completely sure that we're going to be alright."
Miley's grin grew and she leaned forward kissing me harder, letting her feelings show while I held her close the snow globe beside me keeping us both sane in a moment where clarity seemed so far away.