Kenny rolled his wheelchair into Caitlin's room.
"Knock, knock".
She smiled as she saw him. "Hey", she said in a whisper. Her voice was slowly starting to come back but not completely and all she could do was whisper.
"How are you"? he asked.
"I'm OK. How are you doing"?
"Alright I guess. I have a big scar that will make the girls think I'm badass".
He paused for a moment. "You have no idea how sorry I am about everything that happened. I was reckless and careless and it put your life in danger".
"We both knew that it was a dangerous operation Kenny. I don't blame you".
"But I called you out to Paterson".
She remained quiet for a while. She hadn't known that. "You did what you thought you had to do. I should have been honest and open with you".
"There's going to be a disciplinary hearing. They're going to fire me".
"I doubt that. After thorough investigation, they'll realize that you were only following protocol".
He cocked his head to the side and kind of smiled. "I was right, wasn't I"?
"About what"?
"You meeting someone"?
"Yes, you were right".
"And that's where you went every night. To be with him".
She nodded. "At first it wasn't like that, I was going to a place of solace. I don't think I was really ready to fully go back undercover, at least not an operation like that. Then things changed and it wasn't the only reason I went anymore".
"I understand".
They both paused for a moment.
"Do I know him? Is it Jay? You too were close in the past".
"It's not Jay, but you do know him".
At that moment, Alvin arrived at the door of her room. Kenny looked at him then at Caitlin. He suddenly realized he had just gotten the answer to his question.
"You get better alright"? he said as he turned the wheelchair around.
"Yeah, you too. I'll see you around".
Kenny stopped his wheelchair as he reached Alvin. "You take good care of her, OK"?
"That's my plan", said Alvin smiling.
Kenny wheeled himself out and headed back to his room as Alvin joined Cat.
"Hey gorgeous. How are you feeling"?
"Better, my voice is coming back slowly".
"I hear that. It's great news".
He kissed her and when he pulled back, she put her hand on his cheek and eyed him.
"Hank knows", simply said Alvin.
"He punched you"?
"What you thought he would take me in his arms and give me a great big hug"?
Caitlin frowned. "No. But I didn't expect him to physically assault you. I'm sorry".
"You have got nothing to apologize for and neither do I. I told Meredith".
"What"? said Caitlin a bit taken aback by his action. Telling Hank was one thing but when she thought back to all the trouble she had in the beginning with Laura, the last thing she needed was another angry ex-wife on her back. "Why"?
Alvin took something from the inside pocket of his coat. "Because of this". He opened the newspaper and showed her.
At first she seemed shocked, then angry and then she laughed.
"What is it"?
"No wonder the nurses and Will looked at me funny every time they came in here. It makes sense now. So not only do Hank and Meredith know but the entire city of Chicago! Well, I guess we don't need to worry anymore about going public".
He laughed. "No, I guess you're right". He took her hand in his. "Look that is why I went to talk to Meredith. I owed her that much, for her to hear it from me. I'll admit that she was flabbergasted when I first told her but the more I told her how I felt, the more she was OK with it".
"She's a good person".
"Yes she is".
"Maybe you should marry her", joked around Caitlin.
He smiled, he loved how she could be so carefree and joke around in those kinds of situations. "I've got someone else in mind".
She suddenly got serious. "Al…".
"Hey, I wasn't proposing. If I was, it would really suck. I'm just saying that who knows, maybe one day".
She eased up. It wasn't that the thought scared her. She'd hardly ever been of afraid of anything in her life, let alone commitment or marriage, but it just seemed premature. "So, what now"?
"Now, we wait for you to get discharged and I take you home, where I am going to take good care of you, until you've fully recovered".
"What about work"?
"I put in my request for a couple days of leave. I think I need to have things blow over for a couple of days".
"Do you ever think it will really blow over"?
He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm hoping that Hank and I will see eye to eye. In the end we both care about you and love you. That's got to count for something".
"You may have to come to terms with the fact that nothing may ever be the same between you two".
"I'm aware of that and I'm OK with it. Having you in my life is far more important".