A/N: Here comes a lot combined into one chapter. I didn't realize that I put this much in. Oh well have fun. Remember, I am not Ms. Harris or Mr. Ball, so no actual say in what goes.
Chapter fourteen:
Beep, Beep, Beep. Eric and I get into a pushing match over the alarm. I groan and grab my stuff and head for the shower. A few minutes later, I am dressed and we are heading for St. Margo's. We make it to the room by six-thirty. They tell us that we will be waiting for the whole time.
"Hey babe, go get some coffee, I'll be here still. They haven't even come to do my work up yet." I shoo him out. He is back in record time, large coffee and egg sandwich in hand. We are talking quietly when my grandparents come in. He stands and offers his seat to my grandmother. Pastor comes and prays with us. She also gives us a blessing.
"I'll let the church know that you are getting married soon, two more months right?" We nod. The nurse comes and hooks me up to the juice. I start getting sleepy. Eric follows my bed out and leans in to kiss me "I will see you later baby. I love you." I am out.
I wake in the recovery room and feel like they ripped me from stem to stern. I know they didn't but I am still sore as hell. They notice my eyes and start checking me over for the move to my room.
Eric is pacing the hallway when they wheel me back. 'About damned time. I was so worried about her.' The nurses tell me that I need to go to the bathroom before I can leave, because of the gas that they use to blow my stomach up with. They ask if they can get me something. I ask for some peanut butter toast and some apple juice. Two hours later, I am on my feet and with Eric's help, I am getting dressed. They load me into a wheelchair and he wheels me to my car, which he helps me into. He says goodbye to my grandparents. I sit back and endure the short ride to the hotel. He parks and carefully carries me up to our room.
"Just get some sleep, baby. Mom is calling me." He sets me down. He climbs in bed with me as he talks to Freyda.
"Yeah, we just got back. We're in bed now. No Mom, I'm just holding her. I'll see you Sunday night. Love you too. I will. Bye Mom." He shuts his phone off and combs his fingers through my hair. 'I have you, just let yourself fade away. You need to sleep, if you want to heal. I will hold you in my arms until the others come and then we will see about dinner.'
"I love you so much it hurts me to be far from you now." He whispers right before I blank out.
Alcide shows up around five that evening. "Hey Sis, you look like shit." This earns him a glare from his brother. Eric and he give into my whim of walking around the mall. They pass their arms around my back to support me while I am walking. We drive over to Wal-Mart so I can get some band aids to cover my incisions while in the shower. They take me back and Eric helps me get ready for bed. He winces when he sees the spots. He kisses each band aid and lowers my shirt, before placing me in bed. He walks around to the other side and slides in carefully as not to jostle me. Eric wraps me in his arms and we go to sleep.
I am in and out of it for a few days. I don't even notice anyone unless I am up and doing my circuit around the room. Eric and I go to my checkup.
"I don't like that guy at all. He's a jerk to you." Eric tells me as we are leaving the doctor's after my checkup. I agree, but I am not going to tell him. The doctor did tell me that I am healing well enough to go to school on Monday. Sunday comes faster than either of us want.
I drive Eric to the Jetport and we say a sad, tearful goodbye. I cry the whole way back. ( A/N: I know, I know. Just bear with me.)
He calls me when he lands. He still has tears in his voice when he says hello. We talk about when the trip to Vegas will be. I am looking forward to it now with my whole heart.
Two weeks of talking and texting back and forth with both Eric and Pam about the wedding has made me forget about my birthday. It falls on a Friday this year. Pam keeps asking about my dress and why we need the cutout in the back. I am getting ready for my first class to start when there is a knock on the doorjamb of the room.
"Delivery for Sookie Stackhouse." a voice interrupts the conversations around the room. I turn around "Yes?"
"This is for you miss." He hands me a huge box. I put it on the desk by me. I open it to find a bouquet of Stargazer lilies inside, with a card. "To the beautiful birthday girl. I love you with my whole heart. Your cowboy."
My day picks up from there, even if I have to lug that huge box around. I call him after school lets out and thank him for my flowers. I stop to put them in a vase at my hotel room. Then I follow through with my plan.
"Okay Captain, this is what I want and I want it here. How much?" I hand my paper over and show him the placement I want.
"$200."
I hand him the money and my I.D. "Happy Birthday! Who is the rider?" He asks while he preps the site and I get ready for the pain. It hurts but not too much. "He's my fiancé"
"Congrats." He finishes, shows me how it looks and wipes me down. He tells me how to treat it and sends me on my way. In two weeks it will look perfect. Happy Birthday to me!
My tattoo scabs over and I stop using the A & D on it. It takes a week and a half to heal completely. Pam calls to tell me that my dress is done. "I still would like to know why I put this cutout in it, but it's your dress. I even made one for me. I like how it looks once it came together." She giggles.
Claudine finally bucks up the courage to ask me what I've done. I tell her I'll show her at lunch. When I lift the back of my shirt up, someone whistles. I look up to see Amelia walking by. "Went full skank on us, huh?" She sneers. I smile.
"Not as bad as you. Quinn break it off yet? He said he was planning it, when I saw him two weeks ago. I guess the guy you were screwing on the side here couldn't keep his trap shut. Compared to that, I doubt a tattoo on the small of my back is that sluty."
I am starting to hate how I've been put in between these guys and the whores in this town.
"Oh yeah, he was very nice, we haven't talked like that since we were kids." That shut her up. I don't know but it seems like I'm settling old scores lately.