Chad threw his pants, shirt and shoes on when Taylor yelled at him. Pepper was awake. Troy called Taylor and told her that she was awake. When she said jump, I hopped, skipped and jumped, grabbing my wallet, stuffing it and my phone into my jeans pocket, throwing my jacket over my shoulders. Taylor's mother was in town helping out with the baby because of all the stress, so they told her where they were going and left. It didn't take us that long to get to the hospital.
Once we had parked, he pulled out my phone to give Troy a call. He had texted him, telling him he was down the street at the café. Sliding his phone back in his pocket, he called out to Taylor who was already heading toward the hospital doors.
"Go on ahead, Taylor. Troy is at the café. I'm gonna head down there with him."
She stopped, even though all she wanted to do was get up to Gabriella's room. "What the hell? Why isn't he upstairs with Gabriella?"
Chad shook his head. "I don't know. Just go on. I'll go get him and we'll meet you up there."
Taylor turned, waving her hand dismissively. "Whatever. Just go get that boy! Tell him he should have kept his ass put! Gabriella needs him!"
Shaking his head, he headed off down the street and to the café. Coming inside, Chad saw Troy sitting at a booth. The hostess asked if she could help Chad and he pointed to Troy, telling her he was meeting him. She nodded and let him go in and sit down. Sitting down across from Troy at the booth, Chad let out a heavy breath.
"Ok, so why are you here and not over at the hospital with Pepper?"
Troy took a sip of his coffee, setting the mug down. "Because she deserves space. She doesn't know me, or love me, or even care who I am. I can't force myself on her. Small doses, fine, but I already pushed her, telling her that we were together and that we had a daughter. She basically shut down when I told her. She told me to go make my calls so I did and gave her some breathing room. Is that so bad? I mean is it a capital crime?"
Troy may have been snapping at him, but he already felt guilty about it. "She doesn't know me and I wanna give her space. That's all. She has that right. She just woke up she doesn't need me hovering over her. She needs time to breathe. Besides, if you're here, Taylor's already there. Either way, she doesn't need me breathing down her neck too."
Chad shook his head, ordering a coffee from the waitress as she came over before turning his head back to Troy. He never in a million years thought she would wake up not remembering everything. That's what Troy was telling him, right? She woke up and she doesn't have any idea who anyone was. It was a lot for Chad to take in, but he knew that if he let Troy know that he couldn't wrap his head around it, it would just be more stress on him. Chad could handle it.
"No. I mean, yes, she does." Sighing heavily, he continued. "I mean, I wouldn't look at it as breathing down her neck. She's the woman you love. You need her in your life and right now, Pepper needs you more than she probably ever has." He leaned back in the booth. "All I know is if this was Taylor in Pepper's position, God and Heaven forbid, I would never leave her for a moment. Never."
"You know, Chad, I'm not you," Troy groaned, truly irritated. But in all honesty, it wasn't just with Chad, but just with the situation. "She needs space. I want to be the person she turns too. You don't understand do you? She doesn't know me, not even a little, and as a stranger crowding her will only push her away. I'm sorry I'm not handling it your way, but I didn't realize I had to, and I sure as hell didn't think you'd fucking sit there and judge my actions and try to fucking bitch at me for doing shit a different way!"
Troy snapped loudly, making the people around them stare. He let go of an angry breath, trying to keep calm. "I'm sorry," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm stressed out. I apologize." He knew it was a dick move, but he didn't like how Chad was judging him when he already felt shitty as it was. He felt like he was making the right choice even if he didn't.
"Uh..." Chad shook my dreadlocked head, leaning back forward. "No. You know what? You're right. No need to apologize. You know Pepper the best, and you're right, we're not the same. We don't handle anything the same. If you think this is the best way to handle things, then that's the way they should be handled."
Chad knew he'd never leave Taylor alone, because he didn't want her to think he turned his back on her later when she did remember, but Chad wasn't going to say that out loud, not when Troy was already upset as it was. "I won't give you any more advice. I'm the one who should be sorry. I couldn't begin to understand what you're going through right now."
"Don't be. You just don't get the way I feel because you aren't in my shoes. I'm sorry I snapped, but I've been holding all this anger in forever. I wish like hell I could find the bastard who took her from me. She's here, you know, sitting in front of me, finally awake, but she's not her. And I have all this guilt because I was terrible to her. I was the reason she was in that place in the first place. The reason she left. The reason she walked in that store and got shot at. Me. Nobody else, and I have to live with that and I have to live with memories she doesn't have, memories she may never have." He took a long sip of of his coffee, emptying it. "I have to live with all of this and I have to learn how to tread lightly with her, to not upset her, because she may never remember me and I don't want her to run away forever. Especially not away from Tori."
Yes, he was worried about Tori, but he didn't know how he'd ever live without her. She was his soul mate, his soul mate that he had had to live without for ten long years, and now they had been separated again for the second time due to choices one of them had made. He knew it was his fault shew as laying in that bed. If he never would have fucked Sharpay like he had when she told him about Tori, they wouldn't be in this position and Lily wouldn't be laying in that bed not knowing who she was.
"I don't know what I'd do in your shoes, man. I'm sorry." Chad leaned back again as the waitress sat down his coffee, turning to ask Troy if he'd like a refill or anything else.
"Yes, please. That's all." Troy told the waitress and she poured him another glass before walking off. Troy looked back at Troy. "Don't be sorry. No need." Troy took a slow sip. "How are things on your end?" He needed the subject changed so he changed it.
Chad nodded. "It's been tough these last few weeks," he was honest with him, but he wasn't going to actually come out and say it was because Pepper was in the hospital. "Taylor's had a tough time dealing with things, but I've been right there for her. She told me last night that no matter what I'll always be her number one."
Troy forced a smile. "Of course you are. It's Troy and Gabriella and Taylor and Chad always." I laughed, trying to push past the gut wrenching feeling he had because his connection with Gabriella was messed up right now. "You know how people make up those... shipper names for celebs when they're together. Like Brangelina? What if we're..." He thought for a moment. "Ummm... Troyella and Tad? Soul mates for life." I laughed, feeling it a little more and taking a sip of his coffee. It felt good to laugh. "We should probably head over to the hospital soon. I don't want to leave her alone for too long."
Chad nodded his head, still laughing from what he said about their celebrity couple names, he almost choked on his coffee. He loved the names. They were perfect, actually. Clearing his throat, he answered, "Yeah. Sure. Anytime you want to go."
Troy stood up, tossing some money down, and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go." He walked to the door with Chad and headed down the street to the hospital.
"How is she, man? I mean, aside from not remembering things?"
"She seemed okay physically and the doctor said she seemed okay but they were doing tests. She's okay. She seems confused, which she would be, considering she has no idea who she is, but she's okay."
Troy hoped so anyway. He hoped he wasn't talking out of his ass. They headed inside the building, over to the elevator and took it up to the fourth floor.
Taylor was grateful Troy had given the hospital instructions to let her in. She wasn't family and she wouldn't be allowed in if she wasn't, despite being her best friend and her manager. She came up to the room, smiling at Dominick when he turned his head toward her. He looked tired, but she was grateful he was here, doing his job.
"Hey..." She rubbed his shoulder. "I'm going to go in and say hi.."
Dominick nodded and let her walk in. She stepped inside the room and Dominick shut the door behind her.
"Gabriella?" she asked, letting go of a very slow breath. "How... are you?" she asked, slowly.
Gabriella looked over at the girl who had just walked into the room from where she had been looking toward the window. She called her Gabriella, seeming to know her, not like the nurses who had been in to see her or the psychologist who came in to introduce herself. The medical staff seemed to come and go so quickly around there.
"I'm alright. A little... everything's a little confusing to me. I guess Troy told you. Taylor, is it?"
Taylor nodded slowly sank into the chair beside the bed, staring at her. "You really don't remember anything?"
Gabriella shook her head gently, giving her a soft smile. "No, I am sorry. I don't." Gabriella looked at her more closely, hoping to remember, but she didn't. She didn't remember anything. "Troy said you called me G, I guess for Gabriella." She shook her head again, looking down at her lap. "Not even that, that name seemed familiar to me. I don't remember my life." Looking back up, she rolled her shoulders slightly in a shrug. "I don't remember my life, people, places I've been, anything like that. A psychologist was in here earlier, she said that is normal for head trauma victims. It could be temporary and last a few days, or a few weeks, but they can't be completely sure until they can run some tests." She was being matter of fact with Taylor because she didn't know what else to do or say.
"Oh... well, hopefully it doesn't last forever. Not that I won't love you or anything.." Taylor took a deep breath, calming herself. "Okay I'm going to stop because I'm talking out of my ass and I don't think it will do much good. I bet you got people walking around you like they're on egg shells right?"
Gabriella nodded her head a little and Taylor shook her head.
"I won't do that with you. I'll be myself." She stood up, taking Gabriella's hand and shaking it. "I'm Taylor McKessie-Danforth, your best friend and manager, and we've known each other since you moved to Albuquerque, but neither of us remember that, so I say we've known each other forever." Sh let her hand go. "We've pretty much been so close we just call each other sisters. So, it's nice to meet you, G, which is what I call you, and you call me Tay. So even if you don't know me, it's nice to meet you." She smiled, sitting back down.
"It's nice to meet you too, Tay," Gabriella said, using the name she said she called her. It seemed easy enough and seemed comfortable enough to call her that. Gabriella didn't see calling her Taylor. That didn't seem comfortable. "Thank you for not walking on egg shells with me. I'd rather you just act like nothing was wrong with me. I'm still me... I think. I'd like you to talk to me like you always did and act with me like you always do."
"Is there things you wanted to know?" Taylor asked, trying not cry, but a tear slid down her cheek. "Sorry, I'm just... You have no idea how bad I wanted you to wake up. How terrible I've felt about you... about this... about you being here. I begged for this moment. It's a lot not to just toss my arms around you and thank heaven above for such a miracle. I won't but still..." Taylor couldn't help but smile brightly.
Gabriella sat up a little, smiling for her. "You can hug me. I want to go about my life like nothing is wrong with me. Whether I've forgotten things that I may never remember or if they come back to me, I don't want it to keep me from living my life or from people living their lives around me." She lifted her arms. "We can hug."
"Really?" Taylor asked with tear-filled eyes. She moved forward, hugging Gabriella tightly, but not too tight that she hurt her. She hugged her forever it seemed before pulling back and looking at her. "I'm so glad you're awake and okay. Even if you don't remember, at least your alive and here and looking at me." She wiped her face dry. "I love you, G."
Gabriella smiled at her, softly, but she smiled. She couldn't tell her she loved her, but Gabriella was sure she did, and maybe telling her that much would make her feel better. "I don't remember loving you, but I know that if we're as close as you and Troy say we are, I love you." Gabriella gave her an apologetic smile. "Ummm, Troy was here when I woke up. He told me we have a daughter. I could tell that talking about things with me made him nervous, and I kinda felt bad. I don't want any of you guys that he said is my family and close friends to feel anything but normal with me. But... he said that I... that he and I have a daughter... I feel bad that I don't know any of you, but I don't even know how to be a mother. I don't know if you'd know how, but... Do you... think you could help me?"
"I could help you," Taylor said, smiling softly, nodding. "I haven't been a mother that long. Regina's only a few months old, but I'm willing to help anyway I can." She smiled brightly. "You're my sister. Sisters help each other."
Gabriella smiled, really grateful because she really didn't know any about being a mother. "And what about my parents? Where are they? I haven't heard anything about them? Do you think someone should call them? Tell them I'm alright or something?" Gabriella was actually surprised that they weren't here like Troy was, or gotten here as quickly as Taylor.
"Your parents are losers," Taylor didn't hold back. She said she wasn't going to walk on eggshells with her and she meant it. "They aren't here because they're a waste of skin. But the truth of the matter is they're dead. Truth be told though, they haven't been parents to you ever. Troy's parents are really your parents and I'm sure they'll be here soon. They've been at your house taking care of your sister and Tori." Taylor smiled brightly. "Tori's your daughter, but I'm sure Troy told you that already."
Gabriella shook her head softly. "Actually, he didn't. I mean... He started talking about her and I have to admit that it made me feel a little nervous. He might have caught onto how I was feeling and he left."
The door opened and Troy came back in followed by a man with long braids in his hair. Gabriella supposed this was Chad, considering Troy had mentioned the four of them. He looked like he could be Taylor's husband. Taylor stood up, walking over and taking Chad's hand.
"We'll go now, sweetie," Taylor told her, wiping a few more tears away. "We'll be back tomorrow. Get your rest."
Gabriella smiled, nodding her head softly. "Thank you for coming, Tay."Taylor smiled and turned to walk out of the room with Chad.
Chad called back, "Welcome back, Pepper. I'm glad you're up."
As they walked out of the door and Dominick closed the door behind him, Troy heard Taylor grumble at Chad for calling her Pepper. "She doesn't know who Pepper is, silly. Don't confuse her."
Troy smiled at Gabriella, still standing across the room from her. Gabriella hoped he was alright and he didn't feel like he had to walk on eggshells with her anymore.
"Hi." She sat up slightly in the bed more. "The psychologist came to talk to me. I can't believe how many questions she asked in the few short minutes she was here." She laughing a bit and patted the bed, asking, "Come sit with me... please."
"Sure," he said, walking over and taking a seat with her. "I hope you didn't mind but I haven't slept well in a long time so I ran down the street to get coffee. That doesn't upset you, right? You don't feel like I deserted you or anything, right?" He was worried slightly after what Chad said.
Gabriella shook her head slightly, a little confused. "No. I don't... I don't feel like that. I have no reason to be upset. Do you need to sleep? How long have I been out? Have you been with me the entire time? Is that why you haven't slept?"
"Ten days... and I haven't slept because my anxiety has been high. I've been worried about you. Sleeping doesn't come easy. That's not your fault. Honestly. I was so edgy I couldn't sleep. Don't worry about me."
Gabriella let her shoulders lift in a soft shrug. "Why shouldn't I? I mean, you said we are together, right? And we share a ... a daughter. Just because I can't remember things about my life, people and such doesn't mean I don't have feelings. It means a lot to me that you were here for me." She gave him a soft smile. "It means a lot that Tay came when she did too."
"I appreciate you worrying about me but I'm fine," he said honestly. He was now that she was awake. "You've been overloaded with enough today."
"I'm alright. I promise you." She smiled softly at him, tucking her hair behind my ear, giving a disgusted look. "Oh, my! My hair needs to be washed." She bit my lip, narrowing her eyes softly on him, feeling a little bit of a butterflyish feeling in her stomach. "Um... Do you think you could wash my hair for me? I don't know if I could do it. I don't know how bad my wound is, and I can't see it if I'm going to wash my hair..."
Troy's eyes opened wide, his heart doing it a flip at her question. He coughed, trying to find his voice. "Sure. I mean, I could call Taylor back, but sure, if you really..." he cleared his throat. "want to?"
The thought of seeing her naked, the way things were, her not remembering them being together and especially after what had happened last time they had been together. He had told her that Sharpay was pregnant with his child. It had been the reason she had run off. Troy hated himself for it. It's not as though he felt uncomfortable seeing her naked, but she didn't know what things were like between them and she didn't know about Sharpay. That was what made him feel uncomfortable.
Gabriella swallowed. Her heart was starting to beat a million miles a second, but she didn't know why. After all, if they were together, this shouldn't be that big of a deal, right?
"You're my... lover, right? We share a daughter. I don't see why you can't do it. And I really don't want to wait. It's really nasty. Ten days? That's a lot of nastiness."
"Sure."
Troy slid off the bed, pulling her covers back and lifting her up off the bed. He brought her cords along, knowing the nurse said they were set up for things like this and carried her toward the bathroom. Thankfully it was a tub so she could sit and not get too winded. He helped her on her feet and held her upright while he untied the ties of her hospital gown. Making sure she was standing up on her own, he turned and pulled the faucet in the tub onto warm water, letting the tub fill with water.
"Can you step in the tub? Or do you need my help?"
The butterflies kept flitting in her stomach, causing her to bite her lip more and more. She pulled the gown off and laid it on one of the towel bars, reaching forward for the bar for handicapped access into the tub.
"I may need a little help," she told him, feeling a little weak.
"Yeah," he told her, swallowing hard. Lifting her up some, her set her down in the water and smiling. "There you go." He turned and grabbed the soap to wash her up. "Okay, I can see the wound so I'm going to try and avoid it okay? Just relax and enjoy." He grabbed a plastic pink cup on the counter before scooping up some of the water, pouring it over her head to getting her hair wet. He was trying not to stare, but it was kinda hard, considering she had such a beautiful body.
Gabriella had to close my eyes so she didn't focus on his eyes and the way he was looking at her. She couldn't remember being naked in front of him – she didn't remember him – so how could she ever remember being naked with him? But she knew she had to have been at least once, considering they had a baby. A daughter. Swallowing, she thought they could talk about her. It would keep her mind off the way her stomach was feeling.
"Can you," she spike quietly, taking a deep breath to try to steady herself, "tell me about... Tori? Is that her name? Our daughter?"
"I sure can," he said, smiling, putting a little bit of shampoo onn her head, gently scrubbing it in. "Her name is Victoria and we call her Tori. She's smart. Sassy. She loves sports. Especially basketball. She's not a huge fan of girly things. She likes them, but she much prefers getting dirty. She's got a mouth on her. Sometimes I think she needs a bar of soap to munch on.." They both laughed a little. "She's beautiful. My eyes. Your hair. My smile. She's perfect. And she loves us. She misses you." She had been angry at her mama but she did miss her. All the time. "Oh, and she likes stuffed animals. She got that from you. It's the only thing about her girly."
Gabriella smiled up at him, reaching out her hand to touch him softly, even though it was wet. "Do you think... I'd like to meet her." Biting her lip, she thought out loud. "But I don't want her to see me all hospital-ed up... Do you think you could... I just don't want to scare her?"
Troy shook his head. "You won't scare her. She's on her way right now. With your sister. You won't scare her."
He smiled, putting her hand down in the water. He didn't want to explain to her what her touching him did to him, how it made him feel. He wasn't taking a chance with her, not when she just woke up and he knew sometimes he couldn't control myself. He lifted the water, washing the shampoo out and grabbed the conditioner. He was sure she could use some, dumping some in his hand before massaging it gently onto her head.
Gabriella still had the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, and she didn't think they'd go away, not while she was like this in front of him, but that was alright. She kinda liked the feeling. "Thank you, Troy... Can you... uh, make sure I don't mess up? Like, make sure I don't say anything stupid that would scare her. I want to be the mama she knows, not someone who doesn't know anything." She bit her lip, taking a breath. "But... uh, is it bad, lying to her, telling her I'm alright if I'm not really?"
"Yes. Trust me. I learned the hard way lying to Tori is a horrible idea. We need to be honest with her. She'd be mad if she found out someday we were lying, but I'll help guide you some if you want?" He dumped the cup over her head, rinsing the conditioner out before handing her the soap. "Here. Would you like to clean yourself?"
She nodded, taking the bar from him, but looking at it strangely. "I ... I don't think I like bar soap." She looked up at him, lifting her shoulders in a soft shrug. "I know I don't have the option here, but... do I use body wash or something like that? And a ... oh, what are they called, those little frilly things... mesh type things. Oh, I can't remember."
"A loofa I think is what it's called." He slightly chuckled. "And I don't think I've ever seen you use bar soap before, so yeah, I don't think you like it. You prefer body wash."
She sighed, starting to wash her body any how. This was way too frustrating for her, not remembering things. "I would like it if you'd guide me. I already asked Tay if she could help me, but we're Tori's parents, so you should be able to help me out as much or in a different way than they can, right?"
"I think you're probably right. And you can help me too, because even I need help every now and then." He told her, standing to wipe his hands on a towel.
Gabriella looked up at him quickly, her heart leaping in her chest. "Are you... Are you leaving?" She didn't want to be alone, but more importantly, she was sure she really didn't want him to leave.
"Huh? No. I'm just wiping my hands off and getting your towel ready for you. Don't worry." he said, smiling. "All done in there?"
She finished washing her body off, nodding up to him qnd reaching for the handicapped bar to pull herself up. She really was weak. Looking up at Troy, she pleaded to him with her eyes. "Help, please?"
Without saying a word, he took the few steps forward he needed to get to her, wrapping the towel around her and lifting her up, carrying her back in the room. He sat her down on the bed and went to grab a new gown where he had seen the nurse grab them, pulling one out of the drawer. Turning back to her, he handed it to her.
"Do you need help getting the gown on?" he asked, trying to ignore how beautiful her naked body was.
She looked up at him while she was drying off. "No... Well, maybe tying it." She handed him the towel. "Can you dry my hair?"
Troy nodded, sitting down on the bed next to her and taking the towel gently drying her hair off, letting the towel run softly through her dark curls. When he was satisfied it was nice and dry, handed the towel back to her and helped her tie the gown before pulling the covers back and helping her under them. "Tori and your sister should be here soon. Would you like to lay down and rest until they get here?"
Gabriella laid back down on the bed, looking back at him and taking a deep breath. "Troy... would you... nap with me? I know you're tired. You need your rest too."
Troy couldn't help but smile. "I never can say no to you."
He tossed her towel on the floor in the bathroom, flipped the light of and looked out at Dominick to make sure he was still there. He knew he would be, but he just had to make sure. Walking over to the bed, he laid down with her and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm so glad you're awake," he whispered against her damp curls, kissing her head. "You don't have any idea."
Gabriella couldn't begin to describe how happy that made her feel. She pulled his arms more around her, feeling safe and comfortable. "Make sure I wake back up. I don't want to sleep that long ever again."
"Promise." Troy vowed, closing his eyes as I hugged her more securely. "Never again."
It was odd. Even though she wasn't Gabriella, not really, this still felt right, more right than even when they weren't together. They could only go up from there. Gabriella closed her eyes,letting a soft yawn escape her lips before relaxing enough to fall asleep, even just for a little while. She may have been asleep for several days, but she still felt tired, so she wasn't going to fight it. Troy felt her relax more against his body, her breathing slowing. Before long, she was out which made it easier for Troy to fall asleep.