The Lonely Hearts Job
Chapter Four: Home Care
As she looked over the paper work she was signing she couldn't help but wonder where the past three weeks had gone. When she had come she didn't think she would stay this long. They had all convinced her to stay & the look in Nate's eye's when she spoke about leaving had really tug at her heart strings. But today was the day he was being released & she hadn't yet made the decision to stay & help him adapt to life back home. When they asked her she would look away & change the subject. But now as she signed the last piece of paper she knew she would be asked she herself still didn't know what she was going to do. She stood up & walked to the nurses station laying the clipboard down a young nurse looked up at her, 'Is that all?', she asked. 'Yes that's all.', replied Andi. 'The doctor is in with your fiance.', she said. They were all standing outside the door when she approached. 'I think their waiting on you.', said Hardison. Andi nodded & than knocked on the door. 'Come in', she heard Nate say. She opened the door & let it shut behind her as she stepped inside the room.
'As I was just telling Mr. Ford, it's important that he not try and do anything to strenuous. I would like for him to stay in bed as much as possible. He's informed me that you live in an apartment where the bedroom is upstairs. If at all possible I would prefer for him to only go up and down the stairs twice a day. This is just for the first week.' 'Thank you doctor, we'll make sure he follows your instruction's.', said Andi, realizing than that she had just made her decision. 'Mr. Ford, your free to go, let me get a nurse to get you a wheel chair. I want to see you back in one week.' 'Yeah.', said Nate. 'I'll be calling to schedule that.', said Andi. 'Very well, see you in a week Mr. Ford.', said the doctor & than he was gone. It was than that she felt his eye's on him. She was looking down realizing he didn't have his shoes on & went to go pick them up off the floor where she had laid them the night before. She knelt down & started to put them on & that's when she felt his hand on the top of her head. She looked up, tears filling her eyes, 'You don't have to do this.', he said. She stood up & took his hand in her's, 'I want to.', she said. He wiped a tear that had fallen on her cheek & kissed her, just than the door came open & all their friends piled in the room. Andi fell to her knees & began tying his shoes. 'Uh, the nurse is on her way, we all good here?', asked Hardison. 'Yeah.', said Nate.
A few minutes later a nurse came walking in with a wheel chair. Andi helped her put Nate in the chair & than Elliot took over wheeling him out, all the while Nate holding Andi's hand as they exited the hospital. With the help of Elliot & Parker they got Nate in the car. When they got home it was them who helped Nate up the stairs & into the bed. When he was tucked in nicely they all said their good-bye's & Sophie told Andi to call if she needed anything. After they were all gone Andi went back upstairs & sat at the end of their bed. 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?', she asked. 'No I'm fine.' 'Are you sure? I can make you something eat, the doctor said you can have solid foods. How is your bandage, when did we have to change that again? I can't remember what he said. Where are the paper's?', she asked searching frantically around the room. She located the discharge paper's & started to read them as she sat back down on the bed, he took her hand & she smiled at him. 'Say's here I shouldn't touch the bandage. Your not allowed to get it wet. If you need to be bathed I have to give you a sponge bath.' 'I think I'll be okay until I can get in the shower.', he said. 'No it's fine, I'll have Sophie run to the store and get that water less shampoo, I've used it before and it's great. I'll call her later. You really do need to eat.', she said. 'I know, but can we just sit here for a while?', he asked. She set the paper's down & looked over at him. 'Of course, do you want to watch tv?', she asked. 'No I just want to sit.' She didn't know what to do, all her instincts were telling her to get up & do something, she could feel a lump in her throat, it was the same way she had felt the night he had gone into surgery. But she knew she couldn't fall apart like that in front of him, she had to be strong.
'Thank you for staying.', he finally said to her. 'It's not a problem, really.', she said. 'I know but after the way I was with you that night.' 'Nate it's okay really, I'm over that. If I wasn't I wouldn't be here.', she said. He smiled at her & touched her cheek with his free hand. She scooted closer to him & kissed his cheek. When she pulled back he saw that she had tears in her eyes. 'I'm okay.', he said with a reassuring smile on his face. 'I know, it's just I was so scared.', she said. 'I know and I didn't mean too scare you.', he said. 'I know and I'll be okay I will.', she said forcing a smile to the surface of her lips. She took a deep breath & let the last of her tears fall on her cheek. 'Let me go fix you something to eat.', she said getting up. 'Okay.', he said letting her hand go. She stepped outside their bedroom & let the door shut behind her. Before she lost control she walked down the stairs to the kitchen. It was going to be a long week.
'As I was just telling Mr. Ford, it's important that he not try and do anything to strenuous. I would like for him to stay in bed as much as possible. He's informed me that you live in an apartment where the bedroom is upstairs. If at all possible I would prefer for him to only go up and down the stairs twice a day. This is just for the first week.' 'Thank you doctor, we'll make sure he follows your instruction's.', said Andi, realizing than that she had just made her decision. 'Mr. Ford, your free to go, let me get a nurse to get you a wheel chair. I want to see you back in one week.' 'Yeah.', said Nate. 'I'll be calling to schedule that.', said Andi. 'Very well, see you in a week Mr. Ford.', said the doctor & than he was gone. It was than that she felt his eye's on him. She was looking down realizing he didn't have his shoes on & went to go pick them up off the floor where she had laid them the night before. She knelt down & started to put them on & that's when she felt his hand on the top of her head. She looked up, tears filling her eyes, 'You don't have to do this.', he said. She stood up & took his hand in her's, 'I want to.', she said. He wiped a tear that had fallen on her cheek & kissed her, just than the door came open & all their friends piled in the room. Andi fell to her knees & began tying his shoes. 'Uh, the nurse is on her way, we all good here?', asked Hardison. 'Yeah.', said Nate.
A few minutes later a nurse came walking in with a wheel chair. Andi helped her put Nate in the chair & than Elliot took over wheeling him out, all the while Nate holding Andi's hand as they exited the hospital. With the help of Elliot & Parker they got Nate in the car. When they got home it was them who helped Nate up the stairs & into the bed. When he was tucked in nicely they all said their good-bye's & Sophie told Andi to call if she needed anything. After they were all gone Andi went back upstairs & sat at the end of their bed. 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?', she asked. 'No I'm fine.' 'Are you sure? I can make you something eat, the doctor said you can have solid foods. How is your bandage, when did we have to change that again? I can't remember what he said. Where are the paper's?', she asked searching frantically around the room. She located the discharge paper's & started to read them as she sat back down on the bed, he took her hand & she smiled at him. 'Say's here I shouldn't touch the bandage. Your not allowed to get it wet. If you need to be bathed I have to give you a sponge bath.' 'I think I'll be okay until I can get in the shower.', he said. 'No it's fine, I'll have Sophie run to the store and get that water less shampoo, I've used it before and it's great. I'll call her later. You really do need to eat.', she said. 'I know, but can we just sit here for a while?', he asked. She set the paper's down & looked over at him. 'Of course, do you want to watch tv?', she asked. 'No I just want to sit.' She didn't know what to do, all her instincts were telling her to get up & do something, she could feel a lump in her throat, it was the same way she had felt the night he had gone into surgery. But she knew she couldn't fall apart like that in front of him, she had to be strong.
'Thank you for staying.', he finally said to her. 'It's not a problem, really.', she said. 'I know but after the way I was with you that night.' 'Nate it's okay really, I'm over that. If I wasn't I wouldn't be here.', she said. He smiled at her & touched her cheek with his free hand. She scooted closer to him & kissed his cheek. When she pulled back he saw that she had tears in her eyes. 'I'm okay.', he said with a reassuring smile on his face. 'I know, it's just I was so scared.', she said. 'I know and I didn't mean too scare you.', he said. 'I know and I'll be okay I will.', she said forcing a smile to the surface of her lips. She took a deep breath & let the last of her tears fall on her cheek. 'Let me go fix you something to eat.', she said getting up. 'Okay.', he said letting her hand go. She stepped outside their bedroom & let the door shut behind her. Before she lost control she walked down the stairs to the kitchen. It was going to be a long week.