Fic: Conditions of Recovery (7/?)
Title: Conditions of Recovery - 7/?
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Mike/Tina, Brittany/Santana
Word Count: 1000 this chapter | 7410 so far
Summary: Sequel to Broken Bones, Scars and Show Choir, which can be found at the directory here. Mike and Brittany are both recovering from their injuries sustained in the attacks. The conditions of recovery affect them both greatly, as well as their growing relationships.
"There were garden gnomes," Brittany said, with a big smile that Santana thought was the most beautiful thing in the world. How had she almost given this girl up? How had she come that close to losing her? "And this animal, I think it was a llama. Isn’t that a weird dream to have?"
Santana sniffed. Brittany's surgery was relatively common and she had come out of it just fine, but part of her wanted to cry. She didn't cry. What had Brittany done to her? She leaned forward and hugged her close. "It's a fantastic dream," she said, shaking his head a little bit. "I was worried about you, chica. So worried."
That made Brittany light up. "Kiss?"
Santana obliged her, kissing her slowly. "I missed your lips," she said sweetly, and it was true. She had missed Brittany's lips in an incredible way. She missed the way it felt to kiss her and hold her close and just say that she loved her. "I missed getting to love on my pretty girl and I don't care who gives me crap for it anymore okay?"
"I look so ugly right now," Brittany said giggling, "so I really can't be your pretty girl right now, but maybe tomorrow."
"Hush girl, you are beautiful every second."
“If I’m so beautiful then do you mind kissing me again?” Brittany asked, seriously.
"I never mind kissing you," Santana said, her lips dragging over her perfect girls. Brittany was one of the best kissers in the world and she wasn't saying that because she was madly in love with her. "I never ever mind."
They kissed slowly, tenderly, Santana half leaning over Brittany's bed, half sitting on her side. "I love you Brittany," she said.
The way that Brittany’s eyes lit up made everything worth it. “I love you San, I love you.”
The kissing was very slow, sensual and loving. Santana, who usually demanded sexuality out of even the most innocent kiss, just wanted to feel Brittany again. She ran her hands down Brittany’s side, staying clear of any of her injuries. Brittany made a small, sleepy sound of appreciation and she knew that she was making Brittany happy.
A cough alerted Santana to another presence in the room.
The nurse looked a little bit flustered - such was the nature of Lima, Ohio. Santana backed off while the woman checked Brittany’s vitals, drew blood (ugh, which totally made Santana flinch) and checked her bandages. “I am so tired of being poked!” Brittany declared, genuinely frustrated. It was a quick change from being cuddly and happy, to being upset, but Santana understood Brittany’s moods more than anyone else.
“Baby,” she said, resuming her spot at Brittany’s side. Brittany scooted over so Santana delicately scooted up beside her on the bed.
Brittany groaned and leaned her head into Santana’s shoulder. “I’m missing parts now you know? Bones and stuff? I also have a metal thing in my leg from the last surgery. I’m being all torn to pieces and I really want the missing pieces back and the robot stuff out of me.” It seemed almost comical, but at the same time Brittany was crying, leaning against the other girl’s chest.
Santana could feel the tears. She delicately wrapped her arm around Brittany and leaned up into her shoulder, kissing her neck lightly. "I know you're tense and stressed and...done with this," she told Brittany, low. "We all are a little bit strained, but it'll be okay."
Brittany leaned up and turned herself, as much as she could with her injured leg. She kissed Santana back. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said honestly. “You always made me stronger, San, better, and I’m not sure who else could be with me and be so amazing.”
Santana could have spent the rest of the evening kissing Brittany, making Brittany smile, but unfortunately, a doctor entered the room shortly after. He was one of the many doctors that Santana had seen over the course of Brittany’s injuries. “Hello,” he said as he walked inside. “Brittany, dear, are your parents here yet?”
“Mom was getting Dad coffee,” Brittany said vacantly, leaning into Santana’s side.
“I’d like to wait to speak to you until they’re here,” the doctor said hesitantly, and Santana knew that wasn’t good. Her heart dropped into her feet and she just knew that something wasn’t right about what the doctor was about to say. She looked to Brittany and of course her girl seemed completely oblivious to it.
She swallowed and kissed Brittany on the cheek. “I’ll go get her parents,” she said, knowing that with the way a hospital worked, they couldn’t afford for the doctor to move onto some other task.
“Thank you.”
Santana walked out of Brittany’s room and into the hallway. She found Brittany’s mother pretty quickly. “Mrs. Pierce, the doctor said that he wanted you and your husband in the room before he spoke to Brittany,” she said. Like Santana, the woman seemed to understand that this wasn’t a good sign and nodded.
“Let me get my husband.”
Santana knew that she probably should have let her girlfriend’s parents return to the room alone, but she couldn’t. She had never been polite, or followed many social expectations of her. She returned to the room with them and resumed her spot, tucked into Brittany’s side.
“I’m sorry to inform you of this, so shortly after your knee surgery, but the underlying nerve damage to your left leg was determined to be very extensive.”
“What does that mean?” Brittany asked quietly.
“Well, unfortunately it means that you will very likely be unable to walk unassisted. Of course physical therapy will be extremely helpful, but I want to have you fitted for a brace and walking aids as soon as possible.”
Santana’s heart broke. Her vibrant, powerful Brittany, the dancer, the girl with all of this power - unable to walk properly for the rest of her life all because of a stupid choir competition.
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Mike/Tina, Brittany/Santana
Word Count: 1000 this chapter | 7410 so far
Summary: Sequel to Broken Bones, Scars and Show Choir, which can be found at the directory here. Mike and Brittany are both recovering from their injuries sustained in the attacks. The conditions of recovery affect them both greatly, as well as their growing relationships.
"There were garden gnomes," Brittany said, with a big smile that Santana thought was the most beautiful thing in the world. How had she almost given this girl up? How had she come that close to losing her? "And this animal, I think it was a llama. Isn’t that a weird dream to have?"
Santana sniffed. Brittany's surgery was relatively common and she had come out of it just fine, but part of her wanted to cry. She didn't cry. What had Brittany done to her? She leaned forward and hugged her close. "It's a fantastic dream," she said, shaking his head a little bit. "I was worried about you, chica. So worried."
That made Brittany light up. "Kiss?"
Santana obliged her, kissing her slowly. "I missed your lips," she said sweetly, and it was true. She had missed Brittany's lips in an incredible way. She missed the way it felt to kiss her and hold her close and just say that she loved her. "I missed getting to love on my pretty girl and I don't care who gives me crap for it anymore okay?"
"I look so ugly right now," Brittany said giggling, "so I really can't be your pretty girl right now, but maybe tomorrow."
"Hush girl, you are beautiful every second."
“If I’m so beautiful then do you mind kissing me again?” Brittany asked, seriously.
"I never mind kissing you," Santana said, her lips dragging over her perfect girls. Brittany was one of the best kissers in the world and she wasn't saying that because she was madly in love with her. "I never ever mind."
They kissed slowly, tenderly, Santana half leaning over Brittany's bed, half sitting on her side. "I love you Brittany," she said.
The way that Brittany’s eyes lit up made everything worth it. “I love you San, I love you.”
The kissing was very slow, sensual and loving. Santana, who usually demanded sexuality out of even the most innocent kiss, just wanted to feel Brittany again. She ran her hands down Brittany’s side, staying clear of any of her injuries. Brittany made a small, sleepy sound of appreciation and she knew that she was making Brittany happy.
A cough alerted Santana to another presence in the room.
The nurse looked a little bit flustered - such was the nature of Lima, Ohio. Santana backed off while the woman checked Brittany’s vitals, drew blood (ugh, which totally made Santana flinch) and checked her bandages. “I am so tired of being poked!” Brittany declared, genuinely frustrated. It was a quick change from being cuddly and happy, to being upset, but Santana understood Brittany’s moods more than anyone else.
“Baby,” she said, resuming her spot at Brittany’s side. Brittany scooted over so Santana delicately scooted up beside her on the bed.
Brittany groaned and leaned her head into Santana’s shoulder. “I’m missing parts now you know? Bones and stuff? I also have a metal thing in my leg from the last surgery. I’m being all torn to pieces and I really want the missing pieces back and the robot stuff out of me.” It seemed almost comical, but at the same time Brittany was crying, leaning against the other girl’s chest.
Santana could feel the tears. She delicately wrapped her arm around Brittany and leaned up into her shoulder, kissing her neck lightly. "I know you're tense and stressed and...done with this," she told Brittany, low. "We all are a little bit strained, but it'll be okay."
Brittany leaned up and turned herself, as much as she could with her injured leg. She kissed Santana back. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said honestly. “You always made me stronger, San, better, and I’m not sure who else could be with me and be so amazing.”
Santana could have spent the rest of the evening kissing Brittany, making Brittany smile, but unfortunately, a doctor entered the room shortly after. He was one of the many doctors that Santana had seen over the course of Brittany’s injuries. “Hello,” he said as he walked inside. “Brittany, dear, are your parents here yet?”
“Mom was getting Dad coffee,” Brittany said vacantly, leaning into Santana’s side.
“I’d like to wait to speak to you until they’re here,” the doctor said hesitantly, and Santana knew that wasn’t good. Her heart dropped into her feet and she just knew that something wasn’t right about what the doctor was about to say. She looked to Brittany and of course her girl seemed completely oblivious to it.
She swallowed and kissed Brittany on the cheek. “I’ll go get her parents,” she said, knowing that with the way a hospital worked, they couldn’t afford for the doctor to move onto some other task.
“Thank you.”
Santana walked out of Brittany’s room and into the hallway. She found Brittany’s mother pretty quickly. “Mrs. Pierce, the doctor said that he wanted you and your husband in the room before he spoke to Brittany,” she said. Like Santana, the woman seemed to understand that this wasn’t a good sign and nodded.
“Let me get my husband.”
Santana knew that she probably should have let her girlfriend’s parents return to the room alone, but she couldn’t. She had never been polite, or followed many social expectations of her. She returned to the room with them and resumed her spot, tucked into Brittany’s side.
“I’m sorry to inform you of this, so shortly after your knee surgery, but the underlying nerve damage to your left leg was determined to be very extensive.”
“What does that mean?” Brittany asked quietly.
“Well, unfortunately it means that you will very likely be unable to walk unassisted. Of course physical therapy will be extremely helpful, but I want to have you fitted for a brace and walking aids as soon as possible.”
Santana’s heart broke. Her vibrant, powerful Brittany, the dancer, the girl with all of this power - unable to walk properly for the rest of her life all because of a stupid choir competition.