Ch16.
Alex had slept next to Olivia in her hospital bed for the second night. Without words they had both found a comfort in having each other.
Olivia felt safe.
Alex felt like she could protect Olivia.
They had both awoke not to long after the sun had risen that morning.
They said their good mornings and gone through Alex's now ritual line of questioning about how Olivia was feeling.
But they mostly had spent the morning, before any interruptions by the doctor or nurses or seeing Martin, in silence.
Alex lay beside Olivia holding her, letting her fingers drag gently back and forth over her skin, just holding hands feeling their pulse run through their fingers.
Nothing really needed to be said out loud that morning.
They said everything they needed to just lying there beside each other.
"Good morning," Nurse Maggie said peaking her head through the door as she made her way in to Olivia's hospital room.
Alex immediately sat, climbing out of bed.
"Today's the day Ms. Taylor!" She said smiling at Olivia and then to Alex.
"Maggie… call me Kate." Olivia reminded her.
As Olivia reminded herself.
Maggie smiled. "Ms. Kate, today we're getting you out of bed." She said wide-eyed.
"I'm ready!"
Alex looked at Olivia shaking her head, but proud Olivia had laid in bed as long as she had.
"Well how about we start slowly? We'll get you sitting up in the chair over there, and then you and Ms. Caroline can have breakfast together. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Olivia responded politely though how big of a deal was it to sit up and have breakfast?
"Shall we give it a try?"
Olivia nodded yes, and Alex stood out of the way, watching as Maggie helped her.
Maggie raised the back of the bed and then took Olivia's "good arm" in to her own.
"Ok, you use me as leverage and I'll help swing your legs over the side of the bed." Maggie instructed.
Got it. No big deal.
"Ready?"
Olivia nodded again and suddenly realized she was tugging Maggie's arm more than she would have thought she needed to.
"It's ok, slow and steady," Maggie coached.
Alex watched in concern that it was such a struggle just for her to sit up.
Olivia sat up and Maggie helped as promised swing Olivia's legs over to the side of the bed.
Olivia sat there for a moment. Maggie and Alex watched the color drained from Olivia's skin.
Each of her legs felt like they weighed hundred pounds apiece and her head was spinning like she had spent the night before having one too many French Martini's.
"Kate, are you ok?"
Olivia could hear a soft voice calling the name she was supposed to respond to.
"Kate? Honey?"
Olivia looked up at Alex and in to her worried eyes, she then looked to Maggie.
"Sick," was all Olivia could manage to say.
Alex thinking quickly grabbed the pan on the bedside table.
And as if on queue, Olivia emptied the contents of her stomach in to the pan.
Alex stood strong for Olivia, taking her getting sick in stride.
"I'm sorry." Olivia apologized.
"It's ok baby," Alex said brushing Olivia's hair back and kissing her forehead, trying to comfort her, not caring that Maggie was there.
Maggie had grabbed a wet cloth and placed it at the back of Olivia's neck.
"This should cool you a bit, help with the nausea… Ms. Kate it's normal after being under sedation and having the head trauma that you've had to have nausea with your first real movements. It will pass I promise."
Olivia understood, but she still felt like she was frozen in her position on the side of the bed.
"Would you rather lie back down? Maybe try again later?"
"No, I'll be ok." Olivia spoke up, vowing to not be defeated by the task of sitting in a chair.
It was her chance to get out of bed, and that's exactly what she was going to do.
"Sit here for a minute longer… Ms. Caroline I'll take care of the pan," Maggie said taking to the pan to discard the contents and incase it was needed again.
By the time Maggie had come back Alex was at Olivia's side. Ready to help.
"You tell us when you're ready to stand." Maggie instructed.
Olivia made time to take a calculated breath and then looked at Alex, placing her hand in hers, and then to Maggie who gently took her hurt arm.
"Let's do this," Olivia said already worn out.
One hundred pound leg, another hundred pound leg to the floor, Olivia's bare feet hit the cool tile.
"You ok?" Alex asked checking as she felt Olivia's weight fall against her.
"Ok," was all Olivia could say.
"Alright, when you're ready, a few steps to get your legs about you and to the chair."
Olivia did as instructed.
One stiff leg in front of the other until she made it to the chair, both Maggie and Alex helped her sit down slowly.
"See, you did good." Maggie said proudly.
"I feel like I'm 90 years old."
Maggie chuckled.
"You're muscles will loosen up and we'll get that nausea under control."
The sound of a knock on the door made everyone's head turn as they saw the doctor come in.
"Kate I'm very happy to see you up and sitting in the chair this morning."
"Long haul." Olivia joked.
"I'll leave you to the doctor," Maggie said, "I'll be back in to check on you later."
Both Olivia and Alex said a thank you to Maggie before she left.
"Any trouble getting up and out of the bed?" The doctor asked.
"I got sick, and my legs feel like they weigh a ton but… I'm feeling a little better now." Olivia said, the color coming back to her cheeks.
"All to be expected," the doctor said sympathizing. "Well some good news is your latest MRI looks good and you don't seem to be having too troubling of effects from your head injury."
"Hard head I guess." Olivia said with a small, crooked smile.
The doctor smiled.
"I would like to keep you at least another day for observation since we have you up. As for your arm, expect to keep the cast on you wrist for at least 6 weeks. I would expect a little longer recovery time on your shoulder, but we'll see how it goes. And Kate, of course we need to re-administer a pregnancy test to be sure you're not pregnant…"
Alex tensed.
She could see that Olivia tensed as well though she gave the doctor no change in expression.
Any thing the doctor said now was lost.
"Alright any questions?" The doctor asked looking at Olivia and then to Alex.
"No, just ready to get out of here." Olivia said blankly.
Like run out of here.
"I understand. It will be soon." He said with a warm smile. "I'll check in with you later."
"Thanks doctor." Olivia said as he left she and Alex in the room alone.
Alone again.
This time with a completely different silence.
Tension.
"Liv?" Alex said finally as she crouched down beside Olivia in the chair and took her hand in hers.
"Hey, I would love a real cup of coffee," Olivia said before Alex could say or bring up anything. "Would you mind getting us some?"
Alex knew what Olivia was doing.
Ignore it.
Don't talk about it.
Shut out.
Shut down.
Protect self.
"Here's the nurse's button if you need it," Alex said giving in, and stretching the cord to Olivia.
Alex gave Olivia another kiss to the forehead, holding her lips against her head as long as she could as if to tell Olivia 'this is me trying to comfort you'.
"I'll be right back ok?" Alex said with a smile, though obviously faking it.
The door shut behind Alex and so did Olivia's eyes to the world if only for a moment.
AOAOAOAOA
"Two coffee's please," Alex said politely as she stood stoically waiting.
She could cry.
She wanted to cry.
She could, but she couldn't.
Not that she wasn't allowed, but she wasn't.
It wasn't her pain.
"Two coffees!" A voice rang out, breaking Alex from her thoughts.
Alex took the coffee in hand and made her way to the coffee station to add cream and sugar…
Her back poised, her breath steady, she walked.
She would be the rock, the foundation that Olivia needed.
She was in love with her no matter what.
She loved her.
And Olivia needed her now more than ever to love her.
Alex made her way down a short hallway before reaching the elevators.
Only one other person walked the hallway in the opposite direction of her.
Alex had kept her head down, but looked up to smile politely at the stranger.
Instead her expression froze.
His familiar face was imbedded in her brain.
He looked at her.
Alex physically made herself nod to not seem out of sorts, to raise suspicion.
It was him.
She knew it was him.
She walked a bit more quickly to the elevator, fumbling for her personal key card to the elevator.
She was panicking.
She tried desperately to continue to hold on to the coffee in her hands, though at this point her hands were almost shaking violently.
She stepped out of the elevator, looking around cautiously before entering the hallway where Martin stood not far from Olivia's hospital door.
"Martin."
Martin looked at Alex and the panic that covered her face.
Her shaking hands…
"What? Caroline what is it?" He asked hurriedly.
"He's here," she whispered to him. "He's here, it's him…" she said glaring at Martin.
Martin took hold of Alex's unsteady arm walking her to Olivia's door.
His voice low.
"Go in there, don't say a word about seeing him. Lie if you have to…" he said deliberately. "Keep calm, keep her calm. You stay in that room with her. Don't go anywhere. I will get my men to cover this hospital."
Alex shook her head understanding.
"Caroline, we'll have you both out of here as soon as we think its safe to move."