Ghost Woman Chapters 16
Pairing/Characters: Don/OFC-Elle, Alan
Rating: Pg-13~Don Angst + H/C
Summary: Elle realizes just how much she and Don care for each other at the hospital
Spoilers: None really but I do try to incorporate canon as much as possible
Notes/Warnings: Thanks to sororcula for betaing. Any other boo boos are mine!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs. I just like to play with them.
Elisabeth opened her eyes and tried to move. She hissed in pain. "What the...?" She tried to think where she was. "Oh, yeah. Hospital."
"Ah, Sleeping Beauty's awake?"
Elisabeth looked over towards the voice that had spoken. It was Mario. He was sitting in a wheelchair next to her bed. She grimaced in pain. "Great, the first thing I have to wake up to is your ugly mug."
He snorted. "Argh, don't me laugh, woman. Injured man here."
"Hmm? It looks like you're better off than I am."
"Yeah, about that. Thanks."
She nodded. "Anytime." She hissed again in pain. "On second thought, never again. You're on your own."
"I'll remember that. So, I see that your boyfriend sent you flowers."
She followed his finger where he pointed. There was a vase with purple irises and daisies on a table with one red rose in the center. "He's not my boyfriend."
Sighing in annoyance, Mario replied, "Don't be a fool, woman. You love him as much as he loves you."
"Mario," she warned.
"Naw, not this time, Elle. I'm not going to stay silent. Don't screw this up. That Fed loves you and you love him. You have a chance at a future with someone and you go and throw it all away. Well, I ain't having it. When he shows up here, which we both know he will, you better beg for him to take you back. Hell, I'll beg him for you." He wheeled his way out of the room, mumbling, "Fool woman."
She rubbed her temples and sighed back into the pillows. She looked at the flowers that he had sent.
"You want to read the card, honey?"
Elisabeth looked up and saw that a nurse had come in.
She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I would."
The nurse smiled at Elisabeth as she chattered on, "Well, those are some pretty flowers, if I say so." She handed the card to Elisabeth. "I'm your nurse for the day. My name is Jo. I'm gonna take your vitals and then help you to freshen up."
Elisabeth nodded as she read the card. It read simply:
My thoughts are never far from you.
The Fed.
P.S. where's my cupcake?
She felt tears forming in her eyes and tried hard to blink them back.
Handing her a tissue, the nurse kindly said, "Okay, let's get you to the bathroom. Your friend brought some things from your place--a change of pajamas and toiletries."
"What? I'm sorry, what friend?"
"The FBI agent, the one who brought you the flowers. He sat here for a couple of hours earlier this morning while you were sleeping."
Surprised, she said, "He did?"
"He sure did." The nurse nodded at Elisabeth. "The agent your boyfriend?"
"Uh, after the way I treated him, probably not."
"Well, the way he sat and watched you, I have a feeling that he thinks otherwise." Jo started prepping to help Elisabeth out of the bed. "I think you just gotta give it a chance. Okay, you ready to walk to the bathroom?"
Elisabeth stood up with Jo's help and groaned in pain. "After I get you back in bed, I'll get you more pain medicine." Once in the bathroom, the nurse said, "Okay, I'm going to help you wash off."
"Jo, please. Please let me try myself. I promise I will call out if I need you. Please?"
She nodded. "Okay, you can sit there on that ledge in the shower. I'll change the dressing on your hand and chest when you come out. I'm going to leave the door open a crack, but you go and give a yell if you need me." Jo helped her out of the hospital gown and maneuvered the IV pole out of the way so Elisabeth could take a quick shower.
Elisabeth stepped gently into the shower but grunted in pain. She sat on the ledge and allowed the warm shower water to pulse over her for a moment. She took out the soap from the toiletry bag and washed up quickly since the pain was becoming intense. She washed gently over her abdomen and chest, her hands gentle on the dark bruises. She squeezed a small amount of shampoo out and washed her hair. She rinsed off. The shower must have taken her only about five minutes, but to her body it felt like an eternity.
She turned off the water and knew she would not be able to make it any further without help. "Jo? I think I need help now."
The nurse smiled. "Okay, here, let me help you dry off."
Jo helped her put on a nightgown out of the overnight bag Don had brought for her. She helped her back into her bed and helped combed out her wet hair. "Would you like me to braid you hair so it won't bother you?"
"Yes, I'd like that."
Jo finished tying back Elisabeth's hair and pulled up the blankets. "Pretty as a picture."
Elisabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, real pretty."
The doctor stepped in to check on her while the nurse was re-wrapping the bandages on Elle's fingers. He also updated her on her condition. He added he would be back later to check on her, before leaving with a reassuring smile.
Jo came back into the room with a water pitcher and a cup. "You slept through lunch, but dinner will be passed around soon. I'll be back with a snack and some juice if you'd like."
"Yes, please."
There was a knock at the door and Don said, "Can I come in?"
Unable to look Don in the eye, she said, "Yeah, sure."
Jo gave Elisabeth a reassuring smile. "I'll be back in a bit." She patted her patient on the hand and stepped out of the room.
Don gave Elisabeth a tentative smile. "Hey."
"Hey yourself."
He stepped further into the room. "How you feeling?"
"Like a Mack truck hit me and then backed over me five or six times."
"Still cracking jokes, I see." His lips twitched at her comment.
"Yeah, well, you know me."
Don wondered to himself, "Do I?"
Feeling the unspoken thought, she looked away for a second before saying, "Um, thank you for the flowers. I love them, they're beautiful."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like them."
"Of course I do. You remembered what my favorites are. That is really sweet."
He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not a totally inept boyfriend."
She picked at her blanket . "You sure you still want call yourself that?"
He sat on the edge of her bed and said, "If you want me to." He took her hand and brought it to his lips.
"Thanks again for coming when I called."
"Changing the subject, I see?"
"Yup. Yup, that's clearly my plan."
He let out a little snort. "Have you talked to the doctor yet?"
"Yeah, he said I should be let out in a day or so."
"Yeah, he mentioned that to me. He also said that you would maybe need to stay with a friend for a few days since you would be in a lot of pain and need some help getting around. I told him that you would probably stay with me."
"You did?" She looked at him.
"Yeah, I did. I mean, only if you want to."
There was a long pause before she answered, "Yeah, I'd like that. I mean, if you're okay with it."
"I am."
They sat in silence for awhile, barely meeting each other's eyes, till finally Don spoke. "Maybe when you are feeling up to things, we can talk about us. No pressure or anything, just talking."
Elisabeth said quietly, "I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Wiping the tears that had spilled down her face, he whispered in her ear, "How could I not?"
"Don, I want to tell you something. I... uh..." She stopped talking, her voice caught in her throat.
Don understood what she was struggling to tell him. He put his finger to her lips. "I know. Me too, ghost. Me too."
Rating: Pg-13~Don Angst + H/C
Summary: Elle realizes just how much she and Don care for each other at the hospital
Spoilers: None really but I do try to incorporate canon as much as possible
Notes/Warnings: Thanks to sororcula for betaing. Any other boo boos are mine!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs. I just like to play with them.
Elisabeth opened her eyes and tried to move. She hissed in pain. "What the...?" She tried to think where she was. "Oh, yeah. Hospital."
"Ah, Sleeping Beauty's awake?"
Elisabeth looked over towards the voice that had spoken. It was Mario. He was sitting in a wheelchair next to her bed. She grimaced in pain. "Great, the first thing I have to wake up to is your ugly mug."
He snorted. "Argh, don't me laugh, woman. Injured man here."
"Hmm? It looks like you're better off than I am."
"Yeah, about that. Thanks."
She nodded. "Anytime." She hissed again in pain. "On second thought, never again. You're on your own."
"I'll remember that. So, I see that your boyfriend sent you flowers."
She followed his finger where he pointed. There was a vase with purple irises and daisies on a table with one red rose in the center. "He's not my boyfriend."
Sighing in annoyance, Mario replied, "Don't be a fool, woman. You love him as much as he loves you."
"Mario," she warned.
"Naw, not this time, Elle. I'm not going to stay silent. Don't screw this up. That Fed loves you and you love him. You have a chance at a future with someone and you go and throw it all away. Well, I ain't having it. When he shows up here, which we both know he will, you better beg for him to take you back. Hell, I'll beg him for you." He wheeled his way out of the room, mumbling, "Fool woman."
She rubbed her temples and sighed back into the pillows. She looked at the flowers that he had sent.
"You want to read the card, honey?"
Elisabeth looked up and saw that a nurse had come in.
She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I would."
The nurse smiled at Elisabeth as she chattered on, "Well, those are some pretty flowers, if I say so." She handed the card to Elisabeth. "I'm your nurse for the day. My name is Jo. I'm gonna take your vitals and then help you to freshen up."
Elisabeth nodded as she read the card. It read simply:
My thoughts are never far from you.
The Fed.
P.S. where's my cupcake?
She felt tears forming in her eyes and tried hard to blink them back.
Handing her a tissue, the nurse kindly said, "Okay, let's get you to the bathroom. Your friend brought some things from your place--a change of pajamas and toiletries."
"What? I'm sorry, what friend?"
"The FBI agent, the one who brought you the flowers. He sat here for a couple of hours earlier this morning while you were sleeping."
Surprised, she said, "He did?"
"He sure did." The nurse nodded at Elisabeth. "The agent your boyfriend?"
"Uh, after the way I treated him, probably not."
"Well, the way he sat and watched you, I have a feeling that he thinks otherwise." Jo started prepping to help Elisabeth out of the bed. "I think you just gotta give it a chance. Okay, you ready to walk to the bathroom?"
Elisabeth stood up with Jo's help and groaned in pain. "After I get you back in bed, I'll get you more pain medicine." Once in the bathroom, the nurse said, "Okay, I'm going to help you wash off."
"Jo, please. Please let me try myself. I promise I will call out if I need you. Please?"
She nodded. "Okay, you can sit there on that ledge in the shower. I'll change the dressing on your hand and chest when you come out. I'm going to leave the door open a crack, but you go and give a yell if you need me." Jo helped her out of the hospital gown and maneuvered the IV pole out of the way so Elisabeth could take a quick shower.
Elisabeth stepped gently into the shower but grunted in pain. She sat on the ledge and allowed the warm shower water to pulse over her for a moment. She took out the soap from the toiletry bag and washed up quickly since the pain was becoming intense. She washed gently over her abdomen and chest, her hands gentle on the dark bruises. She squeezed a small amount of shampoo out and washed her hair. She rinsed off. The shower must have taken her only about five minutes, but to her body it felt like an eternity.
She turned off the water and knew she would not be able to make it any further without help. "Jo? I think I need help now."
The nurse smiled. "Okay, here, let me help you dry off."
Jo helped her put on a nightgown out of the overnight bag Don had brought for her. She helped her back into her bed and helped combed out her wet hair. "Would you like me to braid you hair so it won't bother you?"
"Yes, I'd like that."
Jo finished tying back Elisabeth's hair and pulled up the blankets. "Pretty as a picture."
Elisabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, real pretty."
The doctor stepped in to check on her while the nurse was re-wrapping the bandages on Elle's fingers. He also updated her on her condition. He added he would be back later to check on her, before leaving with a reassuring smile.
Jo came back into the room with a water pitcher and a cup. "You slept through lunch, but dinner will be passed around soon. I'll be back with a snack and some juice if you'd like."
"Yes, please."
There was a knock at the door and Don said, "Can I come in?"
Unable to look Don in the eye, she said, "Yeah, sure."
Jo gave Elisabeth a reassuring smile. "I'll be back in a bit." She patted her patient on the hand and stepped out of the room.
Don gave Elisabeth a tentative smile. "Hey."
"Hey yourself."
He stepped further into the room. "How you feeling?"
"Like a Mack truck hit me and then backed over me five or six times."
"Still cracking jokes, I see." His lips twitched at her comment.
"Yeah, well, you know me."
Don wondered to himself, "Do I?"
Feeling the unspoken thought, she looked away for a second before saying, "Um, thank you for the flowers. I love them, they're beautiful."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like them."
"Of course I do. You remembered what my favorites are. That is really sweet."
He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not a totally inept boyfriend."
She picked at her blanket . "You sure you still want call yourself that?"
He sat on the edge of her bed and said, "If you want me to." He took her hand and brought it to his lips.
"Thanks again for coming when I called."
"Changing the subject, I see?"
"Yup. Yup, that's clearly my plan."
He let out a little snort. "Have you talked to the doctor yet?"
"Yeah, he said I should be let out in a day or so."
"Yeah, he mentioned that to me. He also said that you would maybe need to stay with a friend for a few days since you would be in a lot of pain and need some help getting around. I told him that you would probably stay with me."
"You did?" She looked at him.
"Yeah, I did. I mean, only if you want to."
There was a long pause before she answered, "Yeah, I'd like that. I mean, if you're okay with it."
"I am."
They sat in silence for awhile, barely meeting each other's eyes, till finally Don spoke. "Maybe when you are feeling up to things, we can talk about us. No pressure or anything, just talking."
Elisabeth said quietly, "I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Wiping the tears that had spilled down her face, he whispered in her ear, "How could I not?"
"Don, I want to tell you something. I... uh..." She stopped talking, her voice caught in her throat.
Don understood what she was struggling to tell him. He put his finger to her lips. "I know. Me too, ghost. Me too."