What I Like About You
17
"So, Kennedy, you ready to go home?!" The nurse asked brightly a week later as she checked my vitals one last time.
Calum and my grandma hung by on either side of the bed both grinning.
"Beyond ready." I replied.
She laughed, shaking her head.
"Fair enough." She conceded. "Now how about you get ready to go while I go get your paperwork to discharge you?"
I nodded once and she smiled, leaving the room. Calum moved to help me, but I put a hand up to stop him, grinning.
"I've been practicing."
He grinned back, nodding. Him and my grandmother stood over me, just in case, as I slowly moved to get out of my bed and into my wheelchair myself with my one useless leg and crappy lungs. The cast on my arm coming off earlier in the week helped make the process easier.
It took a few minutes and a lot of effort, but I finally sat in the chair, breathing heavily, sweat on my brow, but a grin on my face.
Calum knelt down in front of me, grabbing my hand.
"I am so so proud of you, lovebug." He grinned, kissing my hand.
My grandmother bent, kissing the top of my head, silently saying that she was too.
I wanted to cry, but bit my lip instead, squeezing Calum's hand as the doctor walked in, paperwork in hand.
"Alright, Kennedy, we're going to be sad to see you go." He said.
I laughed, eagerly reaching for the paperwork.
He chuckled, handing me the clipboard to sign.
When I was done, he shook my grandmother's hand, then Calum's, then mine.
"Thank you, doctor. For everything."
He nodded one before slipping out the door.
"Alright, let's get you out of here." Calum said eagerly.
I laughed, nodding my agreement as he got behind me to push the chair as my grandma walked beside me, holding my hand.
When we got to the parking lot, my grandma looked down at me, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"I'm gonna hit the road, baby. Call me if you need anything, yeah?" She bent and kissed he top of my head.
"Thank you, Gram. For everything." I said, wiping a tear from my own eye as she nodded and turned to Calum.
"Now you listen here, Calum Hood." He gulped and I let out a watery laugh. "You take care of my baby, or there will be hell to pay."
Calum smiled gently, pulling her into his arms.
When they broke apart, my grandmother turned and walked toward her car.
"Alright, lovebug, you think we can get you in the car?" Calum asked gently.
"Don't think I can do it myself this time." I blushed, biting my lip.
"Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm here to help."
I nodded and he opened the door of the car.
"Ready?" He asked.
I nodded and he carefully lifted me up and into the seat. He then put the wheelchair in the back and looked over at me.
"How are your lungs? Do you need the inhaler? Do you...?"
I stopped his worrying with a kiss to his lips.
"I'm fine, Pup. Let's go home."
He smiled, running around to the driver's side and driving toward our new home, free hand intertwining with mine.
When we pulled up to the house, Calum got out and helped me back into the chair, pushing it up the, I was assuming newly acquired, ramp.
When we opened the door, I gasped in surprise.
Our friends stood in the living room, grins on their faces, a huge "welcome home" banner above their heads.
"You didn't think we wouldn't celebrate this, did you?!" Jaz laughed, wheeling over to me. "We're still here, and that's enough to celebrate on its own."
Calum squeezed my shoulder and I looked up at him to see him getting emotional.
"Pup." I said gently, getting his attention. He shook his head, plastering a smile on his face.
"Let's celebrate!" He cheered, making everyone else erupt in excitement.
I sighed, knowing we would have to have a serious conversation later.
Calum and my grandma hung by on either side of the bed both grinning.
"Beyond ready." I replied.
She laughed, shaking her head.
"Fair enough." She conceded. "Now how about you get ready to go while I go get your paperwork to discharge you?"
I nodded once and she smiled, leaving the room. Calum moved to help me, but I put a hand up to stop him, grinning.
"I've been practicing."
He grinned back, nodding. Him and my grandmother stood over me, just in case, as I slowly moved to get out of my bed and into my wheelchair myself with my one useless leg and crappy lungs. The cast on my arm coming off earlier in the week helped make the process easier.
It took a few minutes and a lot of effort, but I finally sat in the chair, breathing heavily, sweat on my brow, but a grin on my face.
Calum knelt down in front of me, grabbing my hand.
"I am so so proud of you, lovebug." He grinned, kissing my hand.
My grandmother bent, kissing the top of my head, silently saying that she was too.
I wanted to cry, but bit my lip instead, squeezing Calum's hand as the doctor walked in, paperwork in hand.
"Alright, Kennedy, we're going to be sad to see you go." He said.
I laughed, eagerly reaching for the paperwork.
He chuckled, handing me the clipboard to sign.
When I was done, he shook my grandmother's hand, then Calum's, then mine.
"Thank you, doctor. For everything."
He nodded one before slipping out the door.
"Alright, let's get you out of here." Calum said eagerly.
I laughed, nodding my agreement as he got behind me to push the chair as my grandma walked beside me, holding my hand.
When we got to the parking lot, my grandma looked down at me, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"I'm gonna hit the road, baby. Call me if you need anything, yeah?" She bent and kissed he top of my head.
"Thank you, Gram. For everything." I said, wiping a tear from my own eye as she nodded and turned to Calum.
"Now you listen here, Calum Hood." He gulped and I let out a watery laugh. "You take care of my baby, or there will be hell to pay."
Calum smiled gently, pulling her into his arms.
When they broke apart, my grandmother turned and walked toward her car.
"Alright, lovebug, you think we can get you in the car?" Calum asked gently.
"Don't think I can do it myself this time." I blushed, biting my lip.
"Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm here to help."
I nodded and he opened the door of the car.
"Ready?" He asked.
I nodded and he carefully lifted me up and into the seat. He then put the wheelchair in the back and looked over at me.
"How are your lungs? Do you need the inhaler? Do you...?"
I stopped his worrying with a kiss to his lips.
"I'm fine, Pup. Let's go home."
He smiled, running around to the driver's side and driving toward our new home, free hand intertwining with mine.
When we pulled up to the house, Calum got out and helped me back into the chair, pushing it up the, I was assuming newly acquired, ramp.
When we opened the door, I gasped in surprise.
Our friends stood in the living room, grins on their faces, a huge "welcome home" banner above their heads.
"You didn't think we wouldn't celebrate this, did you?!" Jaz laughed, wheeling over to me. "We're still here, and that's enough to celebrate on its own."
Calum squeezed my shoulder and I looked up at him to see him getting emotional.
"Pup." I said gently, getting his attention. He shook his head, plastering a smile on his face.
"Let's celebrate!" He cheered, making everyone else erupt in excitement.
I sighed, knowing we would have to have a serious conversation later.