"You okay, sweetie? Here, let me help you up."
"Tara, I'm fine," Willow replied tetchily as she slowly lifted her legs from the car and stood up, "Leave it."
Willow only had to stay 8 days in the hospital before she was deemed fit enough to go home, but was told she had to recuperate for at least six weeks before she should attempt to go back to work, a fact she wasn't happy about but figured she had to accept.
"Are you sure?" Tara asked, stepping back when Willow just glared at her, "Okay. Just, um, let me know if you need help with anything."
Willow sighed and reached for her wife's hand.
"I'm sorry. I just don't want to be treated like a baby."
"I know," Tara nodded, putting a hand on her wife's shoulder, "And I'm not trying to. But remember what the doctor said, you're gonna need some help while your body keeps healing."
"I know."
Willow grumbled her response, remembering the list of tasks she'd been told to avoid, mainly involving any lifting, and knew herself she'd have issues with even simple things like putting on a t-shirt since she struggled with lifting her arms over her head.
Even though she'd been reassured numerous times otherwise, she hated the thought of being a burden.
"You're not," Tara said, sensing what the redhead was thinking without needing her to say it, "And I'm not gonna tell you again."
Willow managed a weak smile as Tara shut the car doors and slung the two overnight bags from the backseat over her shoulder as they walked towards the house. That was one thing Willow was happy about, she wouldn't be running a marathon any time soon, but she could walk with relative ease, having made sure she got a walk around the hospital every day she was in there.
"So everything's set up upstairs in our bedroom for you," Tara said as she opened the front door and dropped the bags on the floor, "I had your dad move the TV up there and Buffy got loads of books from the library. I figured it'd be easier since we don't have a bathroom downstairs."
"It's good to be home," Willow said with a smile as she looked around the foyer, "That hospital bed was so uncomfortable. I can't wait to sleep in our bed, with you beside me again."
Tara smiled and shut the front door.
"I know how you feel. My hotel bed was comfier than the hospital one but it still doesn't compare to ours."
"I kinda wouldn't mind a nap," Willow replied sheepishly, stifling a yawn.
She was still on strong painkillers and got tired quickly and easily, but was told that was a good thing since rest on top of her daily exercises and eating right was the quickest way to recuperate.
"That's a good idea," Tara nodded, "I'll go make a smoothie and bring it up to you."
"Okay," Willow replied, walking to the foot of the stairs and wincing slightly when she tried to move her body too quickly up them, "Um, baby? Do you think you could...?"
Tara rushed over and wrapped a hand around her wife's waist, helping her step up the first stair.
"Thanks," Willow mumbled, her tone obviously embarrassed.
"Willow, this isn't the only thing you're gonna need help with," Tara said softly as they slowly ascended the stairs, "Please, please ask for help or you're gonna end up hurting yourself. Remember what you said after you woke up? We take care of each other. You've taken care of me loads of times when I've had the flu. Just a few months ago, remember? Even if you were Ms. Grumpy when you got it yourself."
They got to the top of the stairs and Tara gave up her hold while Willow gave her a wry smile.
"Mrs. Grumpy," she replied, sticking out her tongue before adding, "And anyway, you're cute when you sneeze."
Tara scrunched up her nose in a way that made Willow feel like her heart was melting as they walked into the bedroom.
"There's some fluffy pyjamas in here," Tara said, going over to the dresser, "Do you want monkeys or zebras?"
Willow sat on the end of the bed and gave a small smile.
"You know, it's weird that you still have pyjamas with animals on them when you're 25 years old."
Tara took the zebra printed pjs out and turned back around, an eyebrow raised and a half-smile on her face.
"Willow, these are yours. You bought them a couple of months ago when there was a sale on at JC Penney. And," she said as she stood beside the bed next to where Willow had sat down, "You're 25 in just a few weeks. So no age jokes. You got zebras."
"I was gonna ask for those," Willow admitted sheepishly, "But anything's better than those hospital gowns."
Willow stood up again and pushed the loose pants she'd put on for leaving the hospital down a bit until they fell to her ankles and she stepped out of them, then sat back on the bed and pulled the pyjama bottoms on.
Tara silently held the redhead's arms out straight in front of her, knowing her wife was embarrassed that she needed help with such seemingly menial tasks and gently pulled her t-shirt over her head and down her arms, before slipping the pyjama top over each shoulder and buttoning it up.
"I'll make sure there's plenty of button-down shirts in the dresser," Tara said quietly, the unspoken sentiment that Willow would be able to dress herself if she wore those.
"I love you," Willow replied in a whisper, overcome with sudden emotion at how considerate and kind Tara was being.
"I know, beautiful," Tara responded and leaned over for a chaste kiss, cupping her wife's cheek, "I love you too."
Willow gave a small smile and Tara stood up, going over to where the TV had been set up atop their dresser and held up two DVD cases.
"Dead Poets Society or Toy Story?"
"Toy Story," Willow replied as she pulled the cover back and moved under it, sitting up in the bed against the headboard, "Will you watch it with me? You know when you weren't there the doctor said cuddle therapy was just as important as all the other stuff."
"Oh did he now? Well who am I to argue with doctor's orders?" Tara asked with a smirk as she put the DVD in the machine, "We should make maximum use of that rehabilitation technique before I go back to work."
Tara had been fully intent to stay off work until Willow was back to action completely but Willow was having none of it, saying that she'd just be sitting around the house all day and that she would need to be doing things on her own so she could return to fully-functioning human being status, so they'd compromised and agreed that Tara would take the rest of that week off as the redhead settled back into home and go back to work on Monday.
Alice would be starting at the office on the same day; she'd had to go back to Buffalo and serve two weeks' notice but had been granted the transfer with little issue and was spending weekends with Jesse until she could move completely, most of her belongings already there.
"I'm game," Willow agreed with a smile, before giving a small cough.
The cough reminded Tara that it was time for Willow's painkillers and she turned to face her wife.
"I'm gonna go get some drinks so we can enjoy the movie undisturbed. Are you hungry?"
Willow mused the question for a moment before giving a small nod.
"Maybe like an orange?"
Tara smiled and shot a wink in the redhead's direction.
"I'll make that smoothie. Anything else?"
"No, Nurse Tara," Willow said sarcastically before she grinned, "You'd look sexy in a nursing costume."
"Maybe," Tara grinned back, her eyes glinting with mischief, "But you're supposed to be resting and that would get you way too excited."
Willow had to concede that point with a giggle and watched as Tara left the room and heard the footsteps on the stairs. When the blonde was gone, she quietly undid the top button of her pyjama top and pulled back the bandage on the middle of her chest, sighing at the already-healing circular surgery scar.
She and Tara had talked at length about what had happened, especially when they learned Tara's father hadn't made bail and according to reports was still set to plead guilty, his twisted and perverted sense of ego surpassing the many lawyers who were telling him to plead otherwise and Willow had talked to the hospital counsellor about her experience.
All in all, considering the sheer magnitude of the events that had happened, Willow was holding up quite well emotionally; her actions had been rectified in her mind as she had been jumping in front of the bullet – she was protecting Tara and that was that.
Her only fears now were that Tara would start to resent her for their unexpected change in relationship – sure, they took care of each other, they always had, but Willow's sudden limitations were making her insecure.
Despite that, she had to trust that Tara would never lie to her and the blonde had made it very clear that she would never resent her and also had quelled another one of the redhead's fears without Willow ever voicing it – that Tara had felt some kind of sense of duty of owing towards the smaller girl because she had saved her life.
That fear had been quickly squashed in Willow's mind simply by the way Tara was looking after her – it was coming from nothing but love.
She loves me. She loves me and she's gonna nurse me back to full health so stop with this feeling like a burden stuff and accept that love.
Willow felt stronger as her new resolve set in her mind and heart and she patted the bandage back down just as Tara came back in the room carrying a tray with a pitcher of water, two glasses and another glass with a thick orange liquid in it.
Tara placed the pitcher and one glass on Willow's nightstand before filling the other glass with water and placing it on her own, then putting the tray on the floor and handing Willow the smoothie.
"Thanks," Willow said, taking a sip, "Yummy."
Tara smiled in return and quietly put a small strip that had two painkillers in it beside the jug of water, then walked back over to the dresser to grab the remotes and took the monkey-printed pyjamas out in the process.
"Can I borrow these?" she asked, smiling widely at her wife, "You look so cosy."
"Of course. You know you don't have to ask."
Willow popped the pain pills from their pockets and swallowed them down with some water before finishing the last of her smoothie as she watched Tara quietly get into the pyjamas before the blonde joined her in the bed.
"What's comfy for you?" Tara asked, kneeling on the bed.
Willow started adjusting herself in the bed, trying to find the most comfortable position to lie in.
"Um...maybe...if you sit..."
Tara sat back against the headboard and Willow adjusted herself some more so the blonde's arm was around her shoulder and she was cuddling her head into her wife's chest.
"This is nice," Willow said quietly as the opening credits of the movie opened, "Very nice."
Maybe it won't be so bad getting some extra TLC while I'm getting better.
"Yea," Tara replied, equally as quiet as she softly stroked the smaller girl's hair, "It is."
It won't always be nice getting through this, sweetheart. But I promise I'll try my best to make it as easy as possible.