Chapter 31
Lisa woke up to Jack grunting. She could tell he was trying to be quiet but was unable to succeed. "Jack? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm just a little stiff from sleeping. I'll be okay." He was putting his shirt on when he gasped from the pain.
"You are not okay. Get back into bed. I will get Amy to do chores this morning. You don't need to be going anywhere." Lisa got up and started to leave the room.
"Lis, don't bother Amy. I can take care of this." Jack didn't want to bother Amy.
"No, you can't. How are you going to carry heavy buckets of water with your back hurting like that? No. Go back to bed." Lisa left the room and went to get Amy. She hated to wake her up, but she also knew that Amy would understand.
Jack started to come out of the bedroom. "Don't bother Amy. She has enough on her plate."
"You get back in that bed, or I'll get someone to come hog tie you." Lisa threatened.
"Fine." Jack turned around and went back to bed. He knew when Lisa got that tone that he couldn't argue with her anymore.
Lisa knocked on Amy's door quietly. She then opened the door just a bit and called out in a very quiet voice, "Amy, can I get your help with something?" She could hear Amy moving around and getting out of bed, so she went into the hallway to wait for her.
Amy came out of her room looking very groggy. "What's going on? Is Grandpa okay?"
"Well, sort of. He's in a lot of pain and tried to go out to the barn to do chores. I woke up to him making noise because he was in pain," Lisa explained.
"Oh, Grandpa." Amy shook her head at her stubborn grandfather's antics. "Okay, I'll take care of it. Thank you for making him go back to bed. He would have hurt himself worse trying to carry heavy water buckets."
"That's what I said. Thank you, Amy." Lisa turned and went back to check on Jack and go back to bed.
Jack heard Lisa talking to Amy. He was annoyed, but if he was being honest, he was thankful that she was going to do the chores. He was in pain, but he would never admit it was as bad as it was. He hated feeling weak.
Lisa walked back into the bedroom and shut the door. "Amy is going to take care of your chores. Get some rest."
Jack scowled at Lisa and laid down.
Getting frustrated with grumpy Jack, Lisa said, "Okay, I know your pride won't let you admit when you're hurt, but there is really no shame in it. People get hurt and need help all the time. You help me out all the time because I'm injured. Why is that okay, but the other way isn't?"
Jack didn't have an answer for Lisa. He just wanted to be grumpy about being hurt and didn't like that Lisa was making him examine why he was so upset.
Lisa got back into bed. After lying down and getting herself situated, she said, "Since you clearly don't want to talk about your back, can I ask how you slept?"
Jack took a breath and sighed. He was starting to feel bad for how he was treating Lisa. She really did just want to help him. In a much softer voice than he had been using, he said, "I slept just fine. It was nice to be in our bed and next to you. I've missed that."
"I have to admit that I sleep better next to you. Whether we're here or sitting up on the couch. It makes me wonder if I subconsciously remember you because I felt that way even that night when we got home from the hospital." Lisa hadn't intended to share that information with Jack, but it just came out.
"Yeah?" Jack reached over and held Lisa's hand. Jack noticed that Lisa referred to Heartland and as home more and more. It gave him hope that she saw Heartland as her home.
Lisa felt her heart race when Jack held her hand. They were in a very intimate place. She couldn't help but wonder what their love life had been like. In a burst of spontaneity, Lisa brought Jack's hand up to her mouth and kissed it.
Jack leaned over and kissed the side of Lisa's head. When he went to move to his side again, his back spasmed. "Ow…oh…ah…"
Lisa got up to see if she could help. "Jack, what's going on? Are you okay? Can I help?"
Jack couldn't really speak because he was in so much pain. All he could get out was "back spasm."
Lisa ran to get some water and ibuprofen and brought it back to the bedroom. "Jack, you need to take something for this. Can you move at all?"
Jack tried to sit up but was struggling. Lisa gave him her good hand and tried to pull him up that way. It wasn't really working. She hated to get Lou up, but she needed help, and Amy was all the way in the barn. Luckily, Lou was coming out of her room as Lisa was coming to get her.
Lou was surprised to see Lisa so early in the morning. "What's wrong? You look upset."
"It's Jack. He's having terrible back spasms, and I can't pull him up to a sitting position so that he can take some medicine. I was just coming to get you to help me." Lisa turned and went back to her bedroom, knowing that Lou would be hot on her heels.
Lisa and Lou worked together and got Jack sitting up. He looked miserable, and Lisa felt terrible for him, but he was able to take some ibuprofen and drink some water. They helped him lie back down and let him try to relax while he waited for the meds to kick in.
Lou signaled for Lisa to follow her to the kitchen. "I'm going to make some coffee. Do you want some?"
"Yes. I woke up to Jack trying to go out and do chores. I made him go back to bed and woke up Amy to let her know what was going on. I wish that I wasn't in a cast. I would have gone out to do chores myself, but alas, I cannot." Lisa sat down at the kitchen table. "I'm exhausted. I was planning to go to work this morning, but I'm going to stay home now. There isn't much happening at Fairfield today anyway."
Lou got the coffee started and joined Lisa at the table. "I'm sorry that Grandpa woke you up so early, but I'm glad that you were there to make sure he didn't go out and do chores. He would have, you know?"
"Oh, I know. I threatened to hogtie him if he didn't go back to bed. He wasn't very happy with me, but I don't really care. He was being ridiculous." Lisa really didn't understand Jack's insistence to not ask for help.
"It's just like old times. Grandpa has an injury and tries to do more than he should, and then you yell at him and make him behave." Lou began laughing at the whole situation. "I love him, but he is so stubborn."
"Incredibly stubborn. I don't understand why it's okay if I need help, but not him. I asked him and he wouldn't answer me. If the ibuprofen doesn't help, he needs to go see the doctor." Lisa was done coddling Jack's feelings when it came to taking care of his health.
"I agree. Dr. Virani will be able to talk some sense into him if it comes to that. She's good at it. She called him virile once. I almost threw up, but I think she knew how to play to his ego and get him to take his health more seriously." Lou rolled her eyes at the memory.
"Yeah, no one wants to hear someone say that their grandfather is virile." Lisa wasn't going to share her thoughts on the subject with Lou, but she didn't disagree with Dr. Virani. She had some questions about the doctor, but she was afraid of how it would make her sound, so she kept them to herself.
"No, they really don't want to hear that," Lou agreed. She turned to look at the coffee pot. "Coffee is ready. You go first. You've been up the longest."
Lisa grabbed a cup of coffee and then went to check on Jack. When she walked into their bedroom, Jack was lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. Lisa thought he looked miserable. "Jack, how are you feeling?"
Jack turned his head to look at Lisa standing next to him. "I'm fine."
"Liar." Lisa wasn't going to let Jack get away with pretending he was fine when he wasn't.
"I don't want to be fussed over. I'm fine. Stop feeling sorry for me," Jack snapped. He hated it when people felt sorry for him. He'd rather just be alone than see people pitying him.
"I don't feel sorry for you, Jack. I just don't like seeing you in pain. I'd think that you would understand that after watching me be in pain after the accident. You don't like it when I'm in pain and want to make it better. Well, it's the same for me with you. I don't like seeing you in pain and want to make it better. There's no prize for struggling through this instead of just accepting help. You let me know when you're ready to cooperate. I'll be in the living room." Lisa left their bedroom and sat down on the couch in the living room. She was so frustrated by Jack's stubbornness.
Jack knew that he needed to apologize to Lisa, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He heard his great granddaughters getting up and ready for school, so he just stayed in bed. He hated being injured and not being able to do things like normal.
After Lisa finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink, she took a deep breath and went back to talk to Jack. She was frustrated by his behavior, and she needed him to knock it off. He was still just lying flat on his back, looking at the ceiling when she entered the room. She shut the door so that they could have a little privacy while they talked. "Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?"
Jack just grunted. He was in pain and wanted to be grumpy, but he knew that he wasn't being fair to Lisa at all.
"I know you probably won't admit it, but that's what has been going on here. You're feeling sorry for yourself, so you interpret any care or concern as feeling sorry for you. That's not what's happening here. I care about you, so I'm concerned for your well-being. It's the same for Lou and Amy. You are their grandfather, and they love you and want to keep you around for as long as possible. Surely you can understand that." Lisa had just about had it with Jack's stubbornness and grumpiness.
"I know," Jack said quietly. "I'm sorry, Lis."
"That's not good enough. You need to let us help you instead of fighting it." Lisa wasn't ready to forgive and forget quite yet.
"You're right." Jack reached for Lisa's hand. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you earlier. That wasn't fair. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just mad at the situation, and I took it out on you. Will you forgive me?"
LIsa looked down at their joined hands and sighed. "The petty part of me wants to tell you where you can stick your apology, but the other part of me is willing to forgive you."
"Which part are you going to listen to?" Jack was smiling a little bit.
Lisa pursed her lips. She wanted to stay mad at Jack, but he was making it difficult. "I haven't decided yet."
Jack chuckled. "Well, let me know when you do."
"Oh, I will. So, you seem to be feeling better." Jack wasn't even close to joking with her earlier.
"The ibuprofen is starting to work. I'm still in pain, but my back is not spasming anymore."
"That's good. Lou and I were discussing taking you to the doctor if they didn't start working soon. We may still take you if the spasms happen again. You might need something stronger or some muscle relaxers. I'd give you some of my meds, but that wouldn't be legal."
"I don't want to go to the doctor. I'm fine," Jack insisted.
"You will if you need to." Lisa wasn't going to let Jack get away with being stubborn and grumpy to the point that he let his health suffer.
"Fine. Whatever." Jack didn't like a fuss being made, but he knew that he probably didn't have a chance if Lisa and Lou were on the same side.
"I'm going to go eat some breakfast. Do you want anything?" asked Lisa.
"Coffee and toast sounds good. I want to get up to eat. I don't like eating in bed." He started moving like he was trying to figure out how to get up without hurting himself.
Lisa saw Jack struggling and asked, "Do you need help getting up?"
"I want to say no, but you'll probably yell at me again if I struggle too much without asking for help," replied Jack.
Lisa made a face at that. "You're making me sound mean. I just want you to be safe and not hurt yourself worse. Is that so bad?"
"No, I'm glad that you care about my well-being." Jack began to realize that he needed to get up sooner than he thought. "So, I was going to stay in bed until my breakfast was ready, but I need to use the bathroom. Can you help me up?"
"Sure. I'll try. I might need help, too, though." Lisa got right up next to the bed and bent down to put her left hand behind Jack to help him sit up. It didn't work, though, and she backed away. "I can't pull you up like this. I can't get any leverage with one arm. "
"Well, you being so close did take my mind off of my pain for a moment, so I'll take it," Jack said while smirking.
Lisa laughed. "I see the pain hasn't slowed down your flirting."
"Never." He was never going to stop flirting with his wife. He loved her too much.
"Okay, Romeo. I'm going to go get some help. See, asking for help isn't that difficult." Lisa went to find someone to help.
Jack hated to admit that she was right and that he was being ridiculous about the whole thing. Once Lisa and Lou got him up, he made his way to the bathroom very slowly.
LIsa turned to Lou after Jack went into the bathroom and closed the door to say, "I think he needs to go to the doctor. He's in more pain that he's willing to let on."
Lou nodded. "I agree, but good luck getting him to agree to it. Okay, I promised the girls that I would drive them to school today. Amy is still around. If you need any help getting grandpa to the doctor, just let me know. I'm going to be at Maggies this morning, but I can come home if you need me. Come on, girls. We need to leave now so that you're on time to school!"
While Jack and Lisa were eating breakfast, Tim walked into the house. He saw the couple eating and sat down with them. "Amy said you hurt your back yesterday?
Jack frowned. He didn't want to give Tim any ammo to use against him later, but he also knew that he'd find out from the girls, so he just went with the truth. "Yeah, there was a leaf on the steps that I didn't see, and it had been raining all day. My foot slipped right out from under me."
"You gotta be careful, old man. You don't bounce back the way you used to. I'll take care of the cattle by myself. I'm pretty used to it from when LIsa was in the hospital and had just come home. Don't worry about that." Tim poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a muffin from the counter. "Okay, I'll see you later."
Jack grumbled and said, "I told him he couldn't just come in here and steal our food anymore, but I guess he thought that just applied to ingredients.
"He is taking care of the cattle by himself today. I think we can let go of a cup of coffee and a muffin." Lisa didn't completely understand Tim and Jack's relationship, but she knew that they loved each other in their own ways.
"Okay, fine."
Once they were done eating their breakfast, Lisa asked, "Do you want to go back to bed or sit on the couch?"
"I can sit on the couch. Will you sit with me?" Jack gave Lisa a hopeful look.
Lisa laughed and said, "I'll sit with you. You're cute when you're trying to get on my good side. I will still insist on going to the doctor if your pain level doesn't improve. You can't use how I feel about you to get your way with this."
"How do you feel about me?" asked Jack.
"I like you, but you already know that," replied Lisa.
"I know, I just wanted to hear you say it." He smirked at his wife. He thought she was cute and enjoyed winding her up.
"Come on, Cowboy. Let's go sit on the couch." Lisa held her hand out to Jack and pulled him up from the chair in the kitchen. She saw Jack looking at her differently as he stood up. "What?"
"I like it when you call me Cowboy. I always have." Hearing Lisa call him that gave him more hope that they would be able to work things out between them in the end.
Lisa stepped closer to Jack and looked up at him. "Yeah? That's good to know."
Jack leaned forward and kissed Lisa's forehead. "Let's go to the other room. There are too many windows here."
When they walked to the living room, Lisa went to sit down on the couch, but Jack stopped her. Lisa turned to look at Jack and said, "I thought we were going to sit down on the couch."
"We will, I just want to do something first." Jack pulled Lisa into the bedroom, closed the door, and pulled her into his arms. When Lisa looked up at him looking confused, he bent his head down and kissed her deeply.
Lisa pulled away first. She wasn't prepared for the kiss, and she lost her breath. "Wow. That was what you wanted to do?"
"Yes. I've been wanting to kiss you ever since you tried to help me out of bed early." Jack ran his hands up and down Lisa's back. He was so in love with his wife, and he was thrilled that they were able to kiss again.
"We should go back to the living room so you can sit down and rest." LIsa started to turn to go.
"Can I kiss you one more time?" Jack was in a lot of pain, but kissing Lisa and holding her in his arms took his mind off of it for the moment.
"Okay." Lisa stepped back to stand in front of Jack and kissed him while Jack wrapped his arms around her again.. Her head was swimming as she kissed her husband. She really enjoyed being in Jack's arms while kissing him. It made her feel safe. Just as their kiss was getting more heated, Lisa's phone rang. She pulled away from the kiss to look at her phone and to catch her breath. Seeing it was Lou, she answered, "Hey Lou, what's up? She was at Maggies? Really? Okay, I'll get ahold of Amy, and we'll head over there now. Thanks for letting us know."
Jack looked at Lisa, confused. "What was that about?"
"Lou called to tell us that Dr. Virani was in Maggies this morning. After Lou told her about your back injury, she wants to see you, and she happens to have a cancellation. We need to leave now, though. I look like a mess, but we'll make it work." Lisa began looking around and thinking about what she needed to do before they left.
"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the doctor," argued Jack.
"You're a terrible liar. It's a good idea to get you checked out so that we can make sure we're doing the right things for you." Lisa wasn't going to let Jack get away with being stubborn about this.
Jack sighed. "Fine, I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"
"Nope. I'm going to call Amy and then we can go, okay?" Lisa pulled her phone out to call Amy and walked off, leaving Jack standing there.
To Be Continued
Author's Note: Thanks for all your reviews! I really appreciate them!