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I was there because I love you.
Because I love you.
I love you.
His words were the only thing on her mind the next morning as Olivia sat in her bed waiting for her doctor to arrive for the daily check-up. Fitz had always been so willing to wear his heart on his sleeve where Olivia was concerned, and this time around was no exception. She wondered if he had really meant to say those words, or if they were simply something that had slipped out in the heat of the moment. But even if they had, wouldn't that still mean that he meant them? Then again, he'd called Olivia a mistress in the heat of the moment. Did it mean Fitz had meant that too? She couldn't remember ever being so thoroughly confused by a man.
"Morning!", Olivia's nurse chirped as she entered the hospital room with Dr. Stuart in tow.
"Good morning.", she smiled in return, although it was slightly forced. "Good morning Dr. Stuart."
"Ms. Pope.", he nodded, walking up to her bed and checking the charts that the nurses had updated several times a day. "You are looking much better."
"I feel much better. It's taken a while but I think I am finally ready to start moving outside of this bed."
In the background, Emma snorted, but continued to check Olivia's blood pressure in silence. Quite frankly, she was not surprised that her patient had brought this up the moment she'd had a chance and she really hoped Dr. Stuart would finally allow her to take her first steps since the accident.
"So I've heard.", Dr. Stuart smiled. "Here's what I would like to do. I want to run another scan on your brain today just to be 100% sure that you are clear. Your speech is fine and your hand-eye coordination is excellent as well, but I don't want to take any risks when we do let you get out of bed. We'll be doing a few tests on your lung as well, to see if you are on your way to full lung capacity. Once we're through with all of that, and as long as everything comes back clear, you are welcome to get out of bed."
"That's the best news I've heard in a long time.", Olivia beamed.
"It's going to be a few hours before we will have all the results back, so please don't expect to be walking before later tonight.", the doctor informed her. "Also, you need to understand that you have been off your feet for two weeks now, so taking that and your injuries into consideration, those first steps will not be easy. You are going to have to let a nurse help you and you may even need the support of a walker in the beginning."
Olivia huffed, but understood. She would do whatever it took to get back on her feet, and if that meant allowing people to help her along the way, she would gladly welcome that help.
"Emma will take you down for the scan when they are ready for you. I will see you later on with the results, Ms. Pope."
"Thank you so much, Dr. Stuart."
Hours later, Olivia found herself back in her room, poking the undefinable object on the plate in front of her. She wasn't one to complain, but the hospital food looked so unappetizing that she considered skipping dinner again. A good glass of wine and a bowl of popcorn didn't seem to be an option, but Olivia would have settled for anything other than this. She sighed and pushed the tray out of the way. A nurse entered the room then, an older one that Olivia had only seen once before.
"Not hungry, Ms. Pope?", she asked and Olivia shook her head slightly.
"If you could leave it here, I might have a few bites later."
"Sure, sure. But I didn't come here to pick up your tray. I am here to make you walk."
Olivia almost squealed. The temporary bad mood that the sad excuse of food had provided was completely forgotten, and she quickly pushed the white sheet off her body, exposing her legs. She wiggled her toes and moved her feet, almost as if she was trying to warm them up and get them ready to do their job for the first time in what felt like forever.
"You might not be quite this excited once we get you up and standing and everything hurts.", the nurse smiled, moving the single chair in Olivia's room closer to the window to allow them more space to work with.
"I don't even care anymore. I am just so ready to get started.", Olivia replied, her smile growing wider.
Truthfully, she was a little bit scared because she was not sure what she could expect. Olivia's legs had not been injured and she didn't think they would cause her any pain, but she knew they would definitely be weak.
"Alright then, Ms. Pope, let's get started! Here's how this is going to work. We'll move you to sit at the edge of your bed and from there you can slide down until your feet hit the floor. I will support you when you get up, and if you are feeling okay, we'll try walking."
Olivia nodded her head eagerly and wiggled her way towards the side of the bed, carefully swinging her legs over the edge. As soon as she did so, she realized how heavy they truly felt. Her smile fell momentarily but she reminded herself that no matter what, anything would be better than lying in bed day in and day out. Her feet touched the cold floor and Olivia moved her toes until they found her slippers that the nurse had pushed close to the bed for her.
"Okay. I'm ready.", Olivia breathed, looking up at the nurse.
"I will support you on this side and you can push yourself off the bed with your right hand, alright?"
"Sounds good."
Finally, Olivia was standing on her own two feet for the first time in weeks. And it hurt. Her legs felt weak and wobbly and the upright position was putting a strain on her upper body. She knew that the nurse's support was more than needed, but having her experienced hands under her arm and around her waist was uncomfortable. Giving up, however, never even crossed Olivia's mind. She slowly shuffled one foot forward, then added the second one. Repeating the same movements four more times, Olivia found herself in the middle of the small room – and completely exhausted.
"Are you ready to move back to the bed? You don't want to over-do it the very first time."
"Just a couple more steps?", Olivia asked, trying to push herself just a little bit further.
She knew that she couldn't push it too far, but she was not ready to give up yet. It felt like she had walked a mile, but Olivia knew that in reality, she had barely moved at all. Her foot was carefully inching forward again when a deep voice literally froze her in place.
"I've got it from here.", he spoke softly, his presence in the room instantly overwhelming.
Olivia felt her nurse step away without complaint and her helping hands were replaced by his much larger ones. Her heart nearly stopped beating when they gently wrapped themselves around her slender waist. Olivia barely registered the quiet click of the door closing behind the nurse. The tall body behind her felt like a brick wall and despite her nerves, Olivia felt more secure now than when she had to rely on the nurse for support. She could feel the muscles in her thighs quiver after having gone unused for so long, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand up, let alone walk for much longer. Instinctively, Olivia placed her own hands around his wrists, because she needed something to hold on to.
"What are you doing here?"
"That questions is getting old now, don't you think, Ms. Pope?", he replied, and Olivia could hear the smile in his voice.
"Fitz…", she warned, but before he could answer her again, she hissed in pain as her left foot slipped slightly.
"We need to get you back to bed, Livy.", Fitz whispered, carefully ushering her forward.
Olivia took a couple of steps in silence, fighting the growing pain and the feeling of utter exhaustion and weakness. She stopped with the bed still half a room away, and Fitz' hands tightened around her waist. He had long since sensed that Olivia was fighting to keep walking, but he knew she would never admit it to him.
"If I pick you up, will it hurt you?"
"What?", she asked, surprised.
"If I pick you up right now to help you into bed, will I be hurting you?"
"No.", Olivia breathed, not knowing if that would hold true or not, because quite frankly, nobody had ever picked her up while she was recovering from serious injuries.
His body dipped slightly behind her, and Olivia felt his right hand move down her leg before wrapping around the backs of her knees. Fitz' other arm curved around her back and finally, he lifted her body into his arms. Olivia hissed in pain, but he quickly adjusted her in his embrace to make her more comfortable. For a moment, the President simply stood there, letting her weight settle into his arms. Olivia was pressed into his chest, and it was the best feeling he'd had in longer than he cared to remember. A hesitant hand moved up his chest and eventually wrapped around his neck. Neither of them spoke as Fitz took Olivia over to her bed with two long steps.
Lowering himself to sit on the edge of the bed, Fitz kept her in his arms and leaned in to speak to her. Olivia's face was caught between his head and shoulder, and in a moment of temporary insanity she allowed herself to inhale the scent that was so him, so Fitz.
"We cannot keep doing what we've been doing, Liv.", he whispered into her ear, his breath warming her sensitive skin there. "These broken conversations and over-the-phone fights are only making all this worse than it already is, so I came here to really, actually talk. About everything. Are you ready for that?"
"Yes.", Olivia replied, and Fitz breathed a sigh of relief.
He shifted with the intention of moving Olivia's body into her bed, but she stiffened in his arms.
"Fitz?", she asked quietly, and he felt the movement of her lips against his neck. "Before we… before we talk, can we just stay like this. Just… one minute?"
"Always.", he shivered, getting lost in the feeling of her body curling itself tighter into his safe embrace.