"Lisa baby, relax." Sonny says reaching out to stroke her hand that was resting on the edge of his bed. "We just gotta have a little faith that what they have to say will be good. That I can make a recovery."
Lisa leans forward and gives Sonny a quick kiss. "I guess I shouldn't be this worried, it's your injury and your recovery."
Sonny nods. "It is. But I am sharin my life with ya. And I know you're here for me my love." Sonny pauses. "I guess what I'm tryin to say is you're in this right beside me."
"I am here for you." Lisa smiles. "Whatever you need. You got me though the whole cancer thing and I fully intend on doing that for you."
"Thanks babe." Sonny returns her smile. "That means a whole lot." He looks her up and down. "Ya are lookin real good today baby."
"Oh, I am." Lisa smirks.
"Mmhmm." Sonny slowly nods. "Them legs lookin all tanned and toned."
"Maybe I wore this dress just for you." Lisa pauses. "Or maybe I wore it because it's stupid hot out."
"I'm just gonna sit over here and forget about the second half of your statement." Sonny chuckles.
"You would." Lisa shakes her head.
"Excuse me for bein extremely attracted to my beautiful girl." Sonny smiles reaching to rub her knee. "I thought ya liked how much I drool over ya."
"I do." Lisa giggles. "I was just enjoying giving you a hard time."
"Ya keep that shit up and it'll be a little more than a hard time you'll be given me." Sonny chuckles.
"Really, you're lying in a hospital bed unable to walk and you're thinking about sex." Lisa questions.
"What else and I supposed to think about? My busted ass back?" Sonny huffs. "I would much rather think about ya naked and on top of me."
"Well, if your back wasn't busted maybe I would think about making it a reality, but I'm not willing to hurt you." Lisa says sounding more displeased than she meant to. "Plus, your doctors should be in her any minute."
"Since when are ya afraid of someone seein us up to no good?" Sonny asks. "Ya ain't exactly the shy type."
Lisa shakes her head. "Since they are Navy doctors and as much as our little bubble is okay with us, that doesn't mean everyone else is. I feel like it already looks a little off that I'm here, no need to add to it."
"Why ya always gotta be the smart one." Sonny chuckles.
"That's one of the many things you happen to love about me." Lisa grins.
"That it is my love." Sonny smiles. "I can't help but notice ya didn't bring me any breakfast today. I'll tell ya what, I don't appreciate that."
"God you're a pain in the ass sometimes." Lisa says eyeing him. "And for your information I was planning on getting you whatever you wanted for lunch, because I'm such a loving and kind fiancé."
"That ya are baby." Sonny winks. "In that case, a steak and some mashed potatoes sound real good right about now."
"And would you also like a side of onion rings to munch on too?" Lisa asks already knowing he would say yes.
"Does a bear shit in the woods? I mean, come on Davis."
"Uh-huh." Lisa shakes her head. A knock at the door interrupts Sonny and Lisa's conversation. "Come in." She lets out a deep breath and thinks, this is it.
A group in whitecoats walk into Sonny's hospital room. A doctor who appeared to be in his late forties stepped forward and extended his hand to Sonny. "Senior Chief Quinn I am Dr. Richards, and I will be leading your recovery."
"Nice to meet ya sir." Sonny returns his handshake. "Thank ya for takin care of me. And please call my Sonny. I think we all know I'm not in the Navy that cares too much about ranks or callin people by them."
"Spoken like a DEVGRU guy." Dr. Richards chuckles. He turns his attention to Lisa. "And you are?"
"Lieutenant Lisa Davis."
"Nice to meet you too Lieutenant." Dr. Richards says. He looks back at Sonny. "And just to confirm, it is okay that we discuss your injury and care in front of the Lieutenant?"
"Yeah." Sonny nods. "She's my best friend, she's been there for every other injury."
"Alright then, let's get to business." Dr. Richards says. He turns to the group standing with him. He points to the woman standing closest to him. "This is Dr. Harper, and she is in charge of psychical therapy. Her team will be the ones getting you back of your feet." He goes down the line. "This is Dr. Moore, and he is nero. His big job is to monitor the swelling in your spinal cord. Next we have Dr. Williams, and she is ortho and specializes in spinal injuries and spinal surgeries. And lastly we have Dr. Wright, who is a psychiatrist."
Sonny looks around at the group. "Wow, didn't realize the Navy thought I was worth this much."
"Sonny that's not funny." Lisa scolds.
Sonny shrugs. "Kinda thought it was funny, kinda meant it." He turns and looks at her and tell she is in serious Davis mode.
She rolls her eyes at him. "Ignore his dumbass, please."
"Let us get your scans pulled up and we will get started." Dr. Richards says. "Once he has Sonny's CTs pulled up he turns back to Sonny and Davis. "So clearly we all know you took a gut shot and then fell approximately 15 feet." Lisa and Sonny nod in agreement. "Sonny, your team did a great job patching you up in the field and trying to limit the movement of your spine."
"We ain't gotta tell Trent that, right." Sonny chuckles. "We will never shut up about it if we do."
"Sonny I am going to strangle you myself if you don't shut the hell up." Lisa says in her best disapproving voice.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop." Sonny says knowing she's at her wits end.
"Like I was saying, the care they provided you kept you from dying in that compound. Clearly you were rushed into surgery in the field hospital to stop the internal bleeding. The bullet did nick your aorta. If it hadn't been for the quickclot and blood that was given to you prior to arrival at the field hospital I do not believe you would be lying here today." Sonny glances over at Lisa as Dr. Richards is talking and he sees the tears threating to spill over. All he wanted to do was hold her and tell her he lived through it, and he is going to be okay. "Once they got you to Germany, they were able to do further testing and found the compression fractures in your vertebrae. The decision was made to put you into therapeutic hypothermia to try and stop the cord from swelling, unfortunately this did not fully prevent swelling. Within the next 24 hours you still developed swelling to your spinal cord, which is what is causing your mobility and sensation issues. We do believe the hypothermia reduced the cord compression. And since all of that was found you have remained stable. Any questions so far?" He asks looking between Sonny and Davis.
Lisa shakes her head no. "Nah Doc, we just wanna hear how I'm gonna get fixed." Sonny answers.
"Good, good." Dr. Richards nods. "In surgery in Germany they were able to repair all of the vascular damage the bullet caused. And very luckily no major organ damage was done. And as you know the bullet did lodge in your back, pressing against your spine. Again, luckily it was in a location that the surgeons felt confident they could remove it without harming you further and they were correct. Meaning, for now you are done with surgeries. Moving onto the spinal cord swelling. I heard yesterday that you are regaining some sensation and very minimal movement. I am very pleased to hear this, it is a promising sign. With that being said you still have a very long road of recovery and PT ahead of you."
Sonny nods. "I understand that Doc, and I wanna do whatever it takes to get me there."
"That's what I like to hear." Dr. Richards smiles. "Any questions?"
"Is this just a wait and see and do a bunch of PT thing or are there other treatments for the swelling?" Lisa speaks for the first time in a while.
"Unfortunately, these kinds of injuries are mostly rehab based. He is on a cocktail of antinflammatories and steroids. Which is the only proven medication therapy for cord injuries. But like I said, the fact that sensation and movement are already starting to return is a good sign."
"Okay." Lisa forces a smile. She hated this. She hated not having any control over the situation. She hated not being able to hold Sonny's hand right now. She hated not being able to fix it. "Thank you for everything. Sonny and I really appreciate it."
"Of course Lieutenant, this is what we are here for." Dr. Richards smiles. "We will let you get some rest Sonny, tomorrow we will start an aggressive PT regiment."
"Got it." Sonny nods. "And like Davis said, thank all y'all for this."
"Have a good rest of the day Sonny." Dr. Richards says before he and his team exit Sonny's room, leaving him and Lisa alone to process what had just unfolded.
"C'mere." Sonny says stretching his left arm out to her, inviting her to come sit on the bed next to him. "How ya feeling?"
Lisa gets up from her chair and gently sits down on Sonny's bed next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. "You're the one with the swollen spinal cord and you're asking me how I'm doing?"
"It's called I love ya Lisa. And I know ya hate it, but I do worry about ya. Plus, I saw the wheels turnin while they were talkin."
"I can't even tell you just how much I love you." Lisa leans her head up and kisses Sonny's cheek. "But you're not wrong, you know I don't like not being in control."
"I know baby." Sonny strokes her shoulder. "But ya heard how hopeful the doctor was. They have taken good care of me so far, no reason to think that will not continue."
"Yeah." Lisa nods. "You ready for me to go get lunch?" She asked wanting to change the subject.
"Uh, I, um... maybe just take a nap with me." Sonny says softly. "I think we both need it."
"I think you're right cowboy." Lisa says kissing his cheek again.