fic: Reality Sets In (Part III)
Title: Reality Sets In (Part III)
Author: rendrag45
Rating: PG
Summary: What Zach and Shaun discover at the hospital when they go to visit Jeanne in Portland.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to movie Shelter.
Returning to the waiting room, Zach sat down as close to Shaun as he could get without being conspicuous. Shaun was having none of that and put his arm around his shoulders. “How’s she doing, Babe?” he asked.
While it was obvious Zach had tears in his eyes, he bravely looked at Shaun and said, “Well, she’s breathin’. Other than that, I don’t know what’s goin’ on. I guess there nothin’ to do but wait until the brain heals enough for her to wake up.” That being said, Zach got up and approached the stranger by the fish tank.
“Hey, uh, I’m sorry about goin’ a little ape shit back there. Findin’ out I had a “brother”, along with all this bad karma with Jeanne, just got to me.” Zach smiled and offered his hand saying, “I’m Zach Kennedy, and this here is my partner, Shaun Andrews. We flew up from LA when I got a postcard from Allan saying’ Jeannie was in a coma.”
Shaun’s heart did a 360 degree flip when he heard Zach introduce him as his partner. He’d never thought Zach would be comfortable enough about their gayness to ever come out so openly to a complete stranger. Damn, that man really HAD changed.
Then he went over to the other two men, and shook hands with the stranger who said, “I’m Sam Windsor - no relation to the royals. I’m sorry I got so worked up, but I’ve watched Allan act like a Neanderthal for two months now, and I find the thought of him repulsive.”
Shaun and Zach sat down, one on each side of Sam, and Zach asked, “Did you ever see Allan hit Jeanne? Or push, or shove her?” Sam shook his head no, and Zach continued, “But you said he treated her bad. What did you see him do?” Zach persisted.
“Well, it was more subtle than that. I never saw him physically abuse her, but he ran her into the ground continuously with his snide remarks and crude, teasing comments. One time, about three weeks ago, I had a few friends over and I asked Jeanne if she and Allan would like to come over. We just had some junk snacks and drinks. I thought, being new in town, they’d get the chance to meet some nice people, including my baby sister, Tammy. I thought it might be nice for Jeanne to have some girlfriends. You know how women are. Can’t go shopping alone. Hell, they can’t even go to the bathroom alone!” All three men chuckled at the truth of that statement.
Then Sam continued, “But right away, things went sour between Allan and Jeanne. Everything Jeanne said got a smartass answer out of Allan. If she said it was a nice night, he’d say, yeah, if you liked to freeze your nuts off. Or, if she’d be in a conversation, he’d correct everything she’d say. And he never passed up an opportunity to put her down, call her stupid, ignorant, useless. I tell you, I was ready to do bodily harm to that jerk.”
Zach looked at Shaun. Both men knew this relationship between Jeanne and Allan was never going to last, but now that it was over, what did that mean for them? For Cody?
At that very moment an elderly green-scrubbed nurse burst into the waiting room: “Mr. Kennedy? Which one of you is Mr. Kennedy? Come with me, please. Hurry!” She twirled out the door and Zach ran after her, heading for Jeanne’s room.
Three nurses were flitting around her bed, and a portly, gray-haired man was bending over Jeanne shining a penlight into her eyes to see if there was movement. The nurse who brought Zach in approached the doctor and said, “Doctor, here’s Ms Kennedy’s brother. She started showing signs of eye movement right after he left her room. I think something in his voice triggered something in her brain. Is there any change?”
“Well, I can’t really tell. There is a lot of eye movement, and that’s always considered a good sign. I think we might see some change real soon. Son?”, he said, gesturing toward Zach, “come here closer to the bed. Put your hand on her shoulder, and talk to her. Just say anything. Squeeze her shoulder a bit so she can feel your presence and hear you at the same time. We’ll just kind of back off a bit and wait and see if she responds to you. OK?”
Zach wasted no time in kneeling down at the side of Jeannie’s bed, grasping her shoulder, and leaning in to whisper to her. “Jeannie, you’re so close to wakin’ up. Come on, now, you can open your eyes. Just try it. Try it for me - Zach. That’s a girl. Think about me and Cody and Pop and the grocery store where you used to work. Think about your new job that you like so much. Think about your neighbor, Sam, and his sister, Tammy. Come on, now, try a little harder now. Try to wiggle your toes. How about your fingers? Can you squeeze my hand, like this? Do you feel that, Jeannie? Can you feel my other hand squeezin’ your shoulder? Come on, girl, try a little harder. Come back to us, Jeannie.”
“Hold on!” exclaimed the doctor. “I saw her left eye begin to open. She is definitely responding to you, Son. I don’t know if she knows what you’re saying, but something in your voice is getting through. Look! There it is again, The other eye this time. Let me get closer so I can see”, he said as he pushed between Zach and Jeanne with the penlight once again. Just as he was about to shine the light into Jeanne’s eyes, both eyes began to slowly open and she moaned softly, “Zach?”
“I’m here, Jeannie. I’m right here, waiting for you to wake up”, Zach said through his tears. Jeanne turned her head slightly towards the sound of his voice, and made an attempt to open her eyes a bit wider and attempted a weak smile, “Zach”, she whispered again.”
“How are you doin’?” Zach asked as he continued to squeeze Jeannie’s hand. He was just so damn happy that she was coming around after almost four days in a touch and go situation.
“Son, I’m going to have to ask you to step out now, so I can examine your sister. We’ll be doing another brain scan to see if we can get some more information about any permanent damage. Also, she needs some time to rest and adjust to the shock of coming back to consciousness after so long.
Stay in the waiting room in case we need you for about an hour or so; then, if everything checks out OK, you can go get some sleep. I know this news has taken a toll on you, too.” the doctor said kindly.
Zach kissed Jeannie’s cheek, then her hand that he still held in his, and said, “I’m so glad you made it, Jeanne. I’ll be right outside waitin’ if you need me.” He left the room with a definite lightness in his step, feeling the worst was over. Then a wave of fatigue swept over him, and he knew right that minute that he needed three things right away: food, sleep and, most importantly, Shaun.
Author: rendrag45
Rating: PG
Summary: What Zach and Shaun discover at the hospital when they go to visit Jeanne in Portland.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to movie Shelter.
Returning to the waiting room, Zach sat down as close to Shaun as he could get without being conspicuous. Shaun was having none of that and put his arm around his shoulders. “How’s she doing, Babe?” he asked.
While it was obvious Zach had tears in his eyes, he bravely looked at Shaun and said, “Well, she’s breathin’. Other than that, I don’t know what’s goin’ on. I guess there nothin’ to do but wait until the brain heals enough for her to wake up.” That being said, Zach got up and approached the stranger by the fish tank.
“Hey, uh, I’m sorry about goin’ a little ape shit back there. Findin’ out I had a “brother”, along with all this bad karma with Jeanne, just got to me.” Zach smiled and offered his hand saying, “I’m Zach Kennedy, and this here is my partner, Shaun Andrews. We flew up from LA when I got a postcard from Allan saying’ Jeannie was in a coma.”
Shaun’s heart did a 360 degree flip when he heard Zach introduce him as his partner. He’d never thought Zach would be comfortable enough about their gayness to ever come out so openly to a complete stranger. Damn, that man really HAD changed.
Then he went over to the other two men, and shook hands with the stranger who said, “I’m Sam Windsor - no relation to the royals. I’m sorry I got so worked up, but I’ve watched Allan act like a Neanderthal for two months now, and I find the thought of him repulsive.”
Shaun and Zach sat down, one on each side of Sam, and Zach asked, “Did you ever see Allan hit Jeanne? Or push, or shove her?” Sam shook his head no, and Zach continued, “But you said he treated her bad. What did you see him do?” Zach persisted.
“Well, it was more subtle than that. I never saw him physically abuse her, but he ran her into the ground continuously with his snide remarks and crude, teasing comments. One time, about three weeks ago, I had a few friends over and I asked Jeanne if she and Allan would like to come over. We just had some junk snacks and drinks. I thought, being new in town, they’d get the chance to meet some nice people, including my baby sister, Tammy. I thought it might be nice for Jeanne to have some girlfriends. You know how women are. Can’t go shopping alone. Hell, they can’t even go to the bathroom alone!” All three men chuckled at the truth of that statement.
Then Sam continued, “But right away, things went sour between Allan and Jeanne. Everything Jeanne said got a smartass answer out of Allan. If she said it was a nice night, he’d say, yeah, if you liked to freeze your nuts off. Or, if she’d be in a conversation, he’d correct everything she’d say. And he never passed up an opportunity to put her down, call her stupid, ignorant, useless. I tell you, I was ready to do bodily harm to that jerk.”
Zach looked at Shaun. Both men knew this relationship between Jeanne and Allan was never going to last, but now that it was over, what did that mean for them? For Cody?
At that very moment an elderly green-scrubbed nurse burst into the waiting room: “Mr. Kennedy? Which one of you is Mr. Kennedy? Come with me, please. Hurry!” She twirled out the door and Zach ran after her, heading for Jeanne’s room.
Three nurses were flitting around her bed, and a portly, gray-haired man was bending over Jeanne shining a penlight into her eyes to see if there was movement. The nurse who brought Zach in approached the doctor and said, “Doctor, here’s Ms Kennedy’s brother. She started showing signs of eye movement right after he left her room. I think something in his voice triggered something in her brain. Is there any change?”
“Well, I can’t really tell. There is a lot of eye movement, and that’s always considered a good sign. I think we might see some change real soon. Son?”, he said, gesturing toward Zach, “come here closer to the bed. Put your hand on her shoulder, and talk to her. Just say anything. Squeeze her shoulder a bit so she can feel your presence and hear you at the same time. We’ll just kind of back off a bit and wait and see if she responds to you. OK?”
Zach wasted no time in kneeling down at the side of Jeannie’s bed, grasping her shoulder, and leaning in to whisper to her. “Jeannie, you’re so close to wakin’ up. Come on, now, you can open your eyes. Just try it. Try it for me - Zach. That’s a girl. Think about me and Cody and Pop and the grocery store where you used to work. Think about your new job that you like so much. Think about your neighbor, Sam, and his sister, Tammy. Come on, now, try a little harder now. Try to wiggle your toes. How about your fingers? Can you squeeze my hand, like this? Do you feel that, Jeannie? Can you feel my other hand squeezin’ your shoulder? Come on, girl, try a little harder. Come back to us, Jeannie.”
“Hold on!” exclaimed the doctor. “I saw her left eye begin to open. She is definitely responding to you, Son. I don’t know if she knows what you’re saying, but something in your voice is getting through. Look! There it is again, The other eye this time. Let me get closer so I can see”, he said as he pushed between Zach and Jeanne with the penlight once again. Just as he was about to shine the light into Jeanne’s eyes, both eyes began to slowly open and she moaned softly, “Zach?”
“I’m here, Jeannie. I’m right here, waiting for you to wake up”, Zach said through his tears. Jeanne turned her head slightly towards the sound of his voice, and made an attempt to open her eyes a bit wider and attempted a weak smile, “Zach”, she whispered again.”
“How are you doin’?” Zach asked as he continued to squeeze Jeannie’s hand. He was just so damn happy that she was coming around after almost four days in a touch and go situation.
“Son, I’m going to have to ask you to step out now, so I can examine your sister. We’ll be doing another brain scan to see if we can get some more information about any permanent damage. Also, she needs some time to rest and adjust to the shock of coming back to consciousness after so long.
Stay in the waiting room in case we need you for about an hour or so; then, if everything checks out OK, you can go get some sleep. I know this news has taken a toll on you, too.” the doctor said kindly.
Zach kissed Jeannie’s cheek, then her hand that he still held in his, and said, “I’m so glad you made it, Jeanne. I’ll be right outside waitin’ if you need me.” He left the room with a definite lightness in his step, feeling the worst was over. Then a wave of fatigue swept over him, and he knew right that minute that he needed three things right away: food, sleep and, most importantly, Shaun.