couples_therapy || 44.1. Mistletoe
44.1. Mistletoe
Co-written with paramedically
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Ali was softly stroking her fingers through Andrew’s hair when she saw the signs that he was going to wake up. A soft flicker of eyes and a tiny pained noise indicated his awareness of his body was returning. She watched him closely, a faint smile of relief on her lips and when his blue eyes groggily cracked open just a little bit, she put her finger to his lips. “Look up, sweetheart,” she encouraged.
Andrew’s eyes were the only thing that moved when he looked up. He was too scared to move anything else because the pain was already starting to make itself known with an aching throb through his gut. In all honesty, he felt like he had been hit by a bus. “Mistletoe,” he noted hoarsely with the brief look and smiled weakly, catching her eyes again. The small sprig of plant was attached to bar over the bed and tied there with a red ribbon.
“Mistletoe,” Ali confirmed and rose so she could press a soft and lingering kiss to his dry lips. She moved on to kiss his forehead and then smoothed his hair down fondly. “You had me worried, Connor. You aren’t supposed to go and rupture an appendix on my watch,” she teased.
Andrew went to laugh but it was swallowed by a choked gasp as his hand went to the incision site at his side. “O-Oh shit,” he hissed and any hint of his smile was gone in favour of squeezing his eyes closed in pain.
Ali caught his hand before he could grab his stomach. Lachlan had told her the horror story of when he tore his stitches post-operatively and ended up with a staph infection in the wound. It landed him back in hospital for two weeks, the whole time of which he spent trying to get back out of hospital and having vital parts of his anatomy threatened by his then girlfriend but now wife. She kissed his fingers instead and sat on the edge of his bed. She brushed his hair back off his face. “You’ve got a rough couple of days ahead of you, sweetheart. Got to get back on your feet after the surgery but then you should start feeling better. The positive part of all this is that you’ve scored yourself a few weeks off work while you recover.”
“Score,” Andrew mumbled and swallowed to wet his throat. “Are you okay? Is Jamie? I kept you up… I’m sorry. I thought it was just a bug. I still feel crap.”
“Yes, well, you and surgical anaesthesia don’t have the best relationship. You might not remember but in Recovery when you were coming to, you were sick all over the place. It’s not surprising you don’t feel so well. And we’re both fine. You focus on you, sweetheart, and let me take care of you.” Ali picked up a cup of water from the tray and held the straw to his lips. “Slow, small sips to wet your throat only,” she directed.
Andrew sipped gratefully on the cool water, fighting not to just swallow the whole thing in one go. “I vaguely remember.” He rubbed his head and blinked slowly. He felt drugged up to the eyeballs and realised he probably was just that. It would take about twenty four hours for the anaesthetic to wear off completely. “And you already have your hands full, love.”
“Not full enough,” Ali insisted. She kept a hold of the cup in case he wanted some more. “Your Mum is on her way but she got stuck in pre-Christmas traffic. Luke and Tab are waiting for her down in the main foyer. There are a couple of things I want to talk to you about, but only if you’re up to it. It’s nothing that can’t wait. How are you feeling? Still a little sick? Sore as all fuck?”
Andrew managed something that resembled a smile. “What you said. Really tired. But talk. What’s up?” he murmured and felt around for her hand.
Ali pressed her lips together and debated whether to raise her thoughts. She took his hand and put it up to her faze to nuzzle his fingers. “Well, firstly, I want you to come and stay with me while you’re recovering. You won’t be able to be alone when you initially get out of hospital anyway, but I don’t have work and I can take care of you. Unless you want to stay with your Mum, which is okay. I’ll totally understand that,” she added as a tweak of uncertainty niggled in her gut. “But I… I’d like you to stay with me.”
“How can you be so sure I’m not going to be a pest?” Andrew asked and then stopped with a gasp when a throb of pain made itself know in his stomach. “Fuck… or chances are I’ll complain extensively.”
“You’re allowed to. It’s barely been a couple of hours since you had your gut sliced open,” Ali told him and went back to stroking his hair in an attempt to soothe him in a little. “You know I’ll kick your arse if you’re too much of a pest.”
Andrew smirked. “Point,” he agreed. “How much will you kick my arse if I say no?”
Ali held her fingers up close together. “Just a little bit. I really would prefer if you stayed with me. We can keep each other company. But no picking Sunshine up for you over the first few days. You’re not splitting those stitches. I’m warning you now, I have a complex over that.”
“I’ll be good,” Andrew promised breathlessly. The pain was zapping what little energy he had. He tried to move to get a more comfortable position, but it was a mistake and tears made themselves known in his eyes. “What’s the second thing?”
Ali reached up to dim the lights above his bed. She kissed his cheek. “When you wake up, sweetheart,” she promised. “You need to rest.”
“No. How am I supposed to sleep with that on my head?” Andrew protested sleepily.
“A little thing called drugs,” Ali laughed. “Sleep. I’ll still be here when you wake up. Scouts honour.”
Andrew smirked as he lost the battle to keep his eyes open. “You would look totally hot in that uniform…”
Ali was smirking herself as she tucked the covers snugly around his chest. “Be a good boy and you might just get lucky,” she whispered and watched as the drugged sleep claimed him again.
All muses referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,088
Co-written with paramedically
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Ali was softly stroking her fingers through Andrew’s hair when she saw the signs that he was going to wake up. A soft flicker of eyes and a tiny pained noise indicated his awareness of his body was returning. She watched him closely, a faint smile of relief on her lips and when his blue eyes groggily cracked open just a little bit, she put her finger to his lips. “Look up, sweetheart,” she encouraged.
Andrew’s eyes were the only thing that moved when he looked up. He was too scared to move anything else because the pain was already starting to make itself known with an aching throb through his gut. In all honesty, he felt like he had been hit by a bus. “Mistletoe,” he noted hoarsely with the brief look and smiled weakly, catching her eyes again. The small sprig of plant was attached to bar over the bed and tied there with a red ribbon.
“Mistletoe,” Ali confirmed and rose so she could press a soft and lingering kiss to his dry lips. She moved on to kiss his forehead and then smoothed his hair down fondly. “You had me worried, Connor. You aren’t supposed to go and rupture an appendix on my watch,” she teased.
Andrew went to laugh but it was swallowed by a choked gasp as his hand went to the incision site at his side. “O-Oh shit,” he hissed and any hint of his smile was gone in favour of squeezing his eyes closed in pain.
Ali caught his hand before he could grab his stomach. Lachlan had told her the horror story of when he tore his stitches post-operatively and ended up with a staph infection in the wound. It landed him back in hospital for two weeks, the whole time of which he spent trying to get back out of hospital and having vital parts of his anatomy threatened by his then girlfriend but now wife. She kissed his fingers instead and sat on the edge of his bed. She brushed his hair back off his face. “You’ve got a rough couple of days ahead of you, sweetheart. Got to get back on your feet after the surgery but then you should start feeling better. The positive part of all this is that you’ve scored yourself a few weeks off work while you recover.”
“Score,” Andrew mumbled and swallowed to wet his throat. “Are you okay? Is Jamie? I kept you up… I’m sorry. I thought it was just a bug. I still feel crap.”
“Yes, well, you and surgical anaesthesia don’t have the best relationship. You might not remember but in Recovery when you were coming to, you were sick all over the place. It’s not surprising you don’t feel so well. And we’re both fine. You focus on you, sweetheart, and let me take care of you.” Ali picked up a cup of water from the tray and held the straw to his lips. “Slow, small sips to wet your throat only,” she directed.
Andrew sipped gratefully on the cool water, fighting not to just swallow the whole thing in one go. “I vaguely remember.” He rubbed his head and blinked slowly. He felt drugged up to the eyeballs and realised he probably was just that. It would take about twenty four hours for the anaesthetic to wear off completely. “And you already have your hands full, love.”
“Not full enough,” Ali insisted. She kept a hold of the cup in case he wanted some more. “Your Mum is on her way but she got stuck in pre-Christmas traffic. Luke and Tab are waiting for her down in the main foyer. There are a couple of things I want to talk to you about, but only if you’re up to it. It’s nothing that can’t wait. How are you feeling? Still a little sick? Sore as all fuck?”
Andrew managed something that resembled a smile. “What you said. Really tired. But talk. What’s up?” he murmured and felt around for her hand.
Ali pressed her lips together and debated whether to raise her thoughts. She took his hand and put it up to her faze to nuzzle his fingers. “Well, firstly, I want you to come and stay with me while you’re recovering. You won’t be able to be alone when you initially get out of hospital anyway, but I don’t have work and I can take care of you. Unless you want to stay with your Mum, which is okay. I’ll totally understand that,” she added as a tweak of uncertainty niggled in her gut. “But I… I’d like you to stay with me.”
“How can you be so sure I’m not going to be a pest?” Andrew asked and then stopped with a gasp when a throb of pain made itself know in his stomach. “Fuck… or chances are I’ll complain extensively.”
“You’re allowed to. It’s barely been a couple of hours since you had your gut sliced open,” Ali told him and went back to stroking his hair in an attempt to soothe him in a little. “You know I’ll kick your arse if you’re too much of a pest.”
Andrew smirked. “Point,” he agreed. “How much will you kick my arse if I say no?”
Ali held her fingers up close together. “Just a little bit. I really would prefer if you stayed with me. We can keep each other company. But no picking Sunshine up for you over the first few days. You’re not splitting those stitches. I’m warning you now, I have a complex over that.”
“I’ll be good,” Andrew promised breathlessly. The pain was zapping what little energy he had. He tried to move to get a more comfortable position, but it was a mistake and tears made themselves known in his eyes. “What’s the second thing?”
Ali reached up to dim the lights above his bed. She kissed his cheek. “When you wake up, sweetheart,” she promised. “You need to rest.”
“No. How am I supposed to sleep with that on my head?” Andrew protested sleepily.
“A little thing called drugs,” Ali laughed. “Sleep. I’ll still be here when you wake up. Scouts honour.”
Andrew smirked as he lost the battle to keep his eyes open. “You would look totally hot in that uniform…”
Ali was smirking herself as she tucked the covers snugly around his chest. “Be a good boy and you might just get lucky,” she whispered and watched as the drugged sleep claimed him again.
All muses referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,088