GL - A FEW DAYS AWAY - Chapter 27
TITLE: A Few Days Away
FANDOM: Guiding Light
PAIRING: Otalia
SUMMARY: Set mid-friendship, this is a hurt/comfort piece as I'm a hurt/comfort junkie. Olivia, Natalia and Emma decide to have a few days away...hopefully more interesting than the summary suggests. Please request before archiving.
RATING: PG for mild violence
Author's note: This is my first ever attempt at fanfic so I'm having to gather a lot of nerve to post it. With very deep thanks to my Canadian Buddy, Critic2000, who beta'd and prodded for this story to see a conclusion and provided insightful and useful comments throughout. I know most of Europe loves her for providing us with Otalia clips as soon as possible but to me, she's my very dear friend. (Course, the clips help ;o))
ADDITIONAL NOTE: Apologies if this isn't everyone's cup of tea but huge thanks again for those that are sticking with it, even if it's not going in the direction most probably hope or want it to go... but I have stated it's a hurt/comfort piece and it will remain in that vein throughout - you have been warned ;o)
Thank you for your continued interest, I know there is a lot of very good fic out there so I'm touched when you stop by to read mine. You've all been very kind - huge thanks
DISCLAIMERS: I do not own Guiding Light or any of the characters.
( Chapter 1 ) ( Chapter 3 ) ( Chapters 4 & 5 ) ( Chapter 6 ) ( Chapter 7 ) ( Chapter 8 ) ( Chapter 9 ) ( Chapter 10 ) ( Chapter 11 ) ( Chapter 12 ) ( Chapter 13 ) ( Chapter 14 ) ( Chapter 15 ) ( Chapter 16 ) ( Chapter 17 ) ( Chapter 18 ) ( Chapter 19 ) ( Chapter 20 ) ( Chapter 21 ) ( Chapter 22 ) ( Chapter 23 ) ( Chapter 24 ) ( Chapter 25 ) ( Chapter 26 )
I was tempted to say they're not out of the woods yet but...
Chapter 27
Chocolate, the great dispeller of tension and for improving one’s blood sugar levels.
“I told you these would come in handy.”
“Uh huh, not sure as magnificent at planning as you are that you had this in mind though.”
“Point,” Olivia acknowledged, the combination of having treated her shoulder, resting for a bit and a sugary goodness confection all serving to make her feel more human again and in part holding the mammoth headache that had been building at bay.
“How much further do you think it is?”
“Back to the cabin? Not far, maybe fifteen, twenty minutes tops.”
“Really? That close?” Natalia had been dreading another hour’s walk.
“I think so. Wanna race? I’ll give you a head start,” Olivia waggled her eyebrows at her.
Snorting and shaking her head, Natalia was pleased to see the return of Olivia’s playful side.
“What? You don’t think you could beat me? Is that what this is?” Olivia humorously harangued.
“Oh I could take you,” Natalia eyed her opponent and turned to face her fully, “but first we’d have to level the playing field.”
“And how would we do that?” Olivia leaned in to match Natalia’s posture.
Natalia appeared to consider for a moment, “How about you put a stone in your shoe?”
“Hm, sneaky. I see what angle you’re coming from.”
“You do do you?”
“Oh yes.”
Their heads very close together they stared intently into each other’s eyes. A beat.
“Not exactly the way these days away were supposed to go is it?” Olivia’s eyes broke away and commenced a study of Natalia’s face.
“Not really, no.” Suddenly shy of such close, intense scrutiny, Natalia turned away.
Olivia sat back, empty wrapper crushed in her palm and placed back into the bag. She started to laugh.
“What? What is it?” The recent mercurial nature of her friend making Natalia wonder if Olivia had finally lost it.
“I’m sorry,” Olivia finally managed to gasp out, “It’s just I was imagining us both bandaged head to foot and Emma thinking she’d gone away with two ‘mummies’”
A giggle at first and then Natalia joined in, the laughter acting as a better stress reliever than any medicine ever could.
“That was terrible.” Natalia said.
“Yeah, I know.”
The laughter having died down Natalia took in Olivia’s rosier complexion and queried, “Are you ready to move on now?”
“Sure, let’s do this. We still have to go get Emma.”
All things considered, Natalia thought it more prudent that Emma came to them but that battle could wait, at least until they made it back to the cabin.
***
In a quirk at last of good fortune, Olivia finally found a stick sturdy and large enough to aid Natalia.
“Better late than never,” she commented as she inspected it for any bugs before handing it to her hobbling friend.
“Thanks,” at once delighted to be able to stand on her own again, Natalia began moving along at a quicker pace.
“Hey, slow down, unless you’re trying to get a head start?”
“Pfft. Just trying it out for speed.”
“Not much further now anyway, I’m more for long distance.”
“You are?”
“Sure, somehow it seems so much sweeter when it takes a long time to get there.”
Indeed, after only a further five minutes at their improved pace, the cabin came into view.
***
Crossing the threshold into the cabin, Natalia immediately began making her way to the kitchen.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”
“Um, to get a drink?”
“Tsk, tsk, no you don’t. You sit yourself down there and put that leg up. Bad enough you’ve been walking on it for the last two hours or more, it needs to be elevated.”
Halting at the vocal commands, Natalia turned towards the couch before flopping back onto it with a heartfelt sigh of relief and was almost startled when Olivia took her leg and gently eased it onto the cushion that had already been placed thoughtfully on the table in front her. Her foot was then cradled again as Olivia removed her trainer with the utmost care.
“I’ll go get one of those icepacks,” Olivia informed as she stood from her recent inspection of the offending ankle, “What would you like to drink?”
“Olivia, you don’t have to wait on...”
“Shh,” a finger raised to indicate silence, “you’ve done more than that for me so, answer the question.”
“I’d love a coffee.”
“One coffee, coming right up.”
“Thank you.” She watched Olivia head into the kitchen and though grateful to finally be sat on a comfy surface that wasn’t crawling with bugs of any kind, it went against her nature to sit there and let someone else take care of her. I should be doing something.
Olivia returned with an icepack, “Coffee will just be a minute.”
“Okay.”
“Here,” Olivia said as she placed the icepack over the swollen joint.
“God that feels good,” Natalia sighed out.
“I bet. I’ll go get the coffee.”
Returning for a second time, Olivia handed Natalia a coffee and took a seat next to her on the couch, a sigh issuing forth like an echo of Natalia’s earlier one as she put her head back and closed her eyes.
“Thanks,” Natalia took the coffee and sipped. “Wow, is that cimanon?”
An eyebrow raised as Olivia opened her resting eyes to look at Natalia. “Cinnamon, yes,” she smiled.
Rubbing her nose in embarrassment, Natalia smiled back, “I’m tired, give me a break. This tastes wonderful, thank you.”
Olivia lifted her head, “’s okay.” She looked at her watch, “Give it ten minutes and then we need to see about picking Emma up.”
“Um.”
“What?”
It was Natalia’s turn to play with her coffee cup. “I was thinking that, well I can’t drive at the minute and you,” she hesitated long enough to allow Olivia to interject.
“I can drive, what’s the problem?”
“Olivia, you passed out earlier today, not much more than an hour ago in fact and I um... I really don’t think you should be driving.”
“I’m fine. It was an aberration and it’s not like we have to go that far.”
“I just think...”
“It’ll be fine, honest.”
Natalia evaluated the woman before her again before grudgingly relenting. “Okay, fine but we’re going to need more than five minutes.”
“We are?”
“Have you looked at us?” She indicated their attire and general appearance.
Her mouth pulled into a variety of shapes as she inspected their current look, Olivia commented, “Too eighties?”
She deflected the cushion aimed at her.
***
Having taken the time to finish their coffees, which for Olivia, after sinking deeply into the welcoming soft couch was the only thing currently keeping her awake, Natalia began to lower her leg and squirm forward to start getting ready to go.
Rousing herself Olivia queried, “Where are you going?”
“We need to get ready and...”
Rubbing her face to restore some semblance of alertness, Olivia said, “Wait there a minute, I want to properly strap your ankle and I need to wash out that cut.”
“Cut?”
“On your face?”
Natalia raised her hands to her face, “Oh that, I’d forgotten. It’s just a scratch.”
“Maybe so but we need to clean it. Can never be too careful, can we? Wait there and I’ll get everything.”
“Bring some bandages for your shoulder as well,” Natalia called out after Olivia’s retreating form. Oh sure, worry about someone else’s health.
When Olivia returned, she was armed with a bowl, cloth and various first aid items.
Taking the cloth, she dampened it and applied a small amount of soap before lifting it to Natalia’s face; Natalia raised her hand, “What are you doing?”
“Taking care of you for a change.”
“Oh.”
The hand fell back and Natalia locked eyes with Olivia as the older woman gently began washing her face, the cloth soothingly working its way over the contours and landscape of her brow, her eyes, circling to gently dab at the marring scratch before continuing down the slope of her nose, the roundness of her cheeks, then dipping at her dimples and finishing with her chin.
“You okay?”
Natalia reopened her eyes, unaware of when she’d closed them and nodded briefly.
Olivia smiled and reached for a cotton ball to apply some antiseptic, “It’s not so bad,” certainly not as terrifying as Olivia had at first believed it to be when she had finally found Natalia earlier this afternoon. “Do you want a plaster on it or let the air get to it?”
“Does it need one?”
“Hm, maybe.”
“Plaster it is then.”
Thinking Olivia was done as she carefully applied the band aid; Natalia was surprised when Olivia moved to the other side of the table and began to unwrap the makeshift bindings of earlier.
When Olivia reached for the bowl, Natalia only just stopped herself from asking what she was doing again but she wasn’t quick enough for Olivia not to have heard the intake of breath, which earned her a quick glance from Olivia, before she began the process of washing Natalia’s foot and ankle.
The warm water, gentle application of the cloth and feeling of cleanliness was divine. When she felt the towel around her foot, her eyes opened to see Olivia concentrating intently on drying her off without causing any further discomfort.
Taking a new bandage, Olivia began to expertly bind her foot and ankle, the compression and support offering a new level of nirvana.
“Better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Your turn now.”
***
Insisting that Natalia keep her foot elevated for as long as possible, Olivia changed the water in the bowl for a fresh supply and dutifully sat where Natalia could reach her without twisting.
Shrugging out of her jacket that she had been reluctant to remove, the full extent of her injury could clearly be seen by the now brownish stain at the shoulder of her ruined t-shirt.
“Are you okay to take that off or should we cut it?”
“Might as well cut it, I don’t think I’m ever going to wear it again.”
Removing the t-shirt and sliding it away from the injured area, Natalia began to peel away her ad hoc strapping and tugged on the last of the tissues which had welded themselves to Olivia’s skin.
Olivia looked away.
“Are you alright? You’re not going to faint on me again are you?”
“I’m good.”
Mimicking Olivia’s actions, Natalia took the cloth and began to cleanse Olivia’s arm and shoulder, conscious of the blood trail circling around Olivia’s breast towards her stomach.
Olivia shivered.
“You sure you’re alright?”
Olivia only nodded.
Not wholly convinced but also not wanting to prolong this any longer than she had to, Natalia examined the wound now the surrounding area had been cleaned.
“What’s the prognosis? Am I going to have yet another scar?”
Even though it was spoken with levity, Natalia could tell it was forced.
“What do you think? Get enough of them to make an interesting game of tic-tac-toe or maybe I could be the ‘Illustrated Woman’ but with scars instead of tattoos?”
“Stop it.”
Olivia stopped.
“Just stop it.” Natalia reached for Olivia’s chin so she could turn her to look directly into her eyes. “You are a beautiful woman Olivia,” the grip tightened as Olivia tried to turn her head away, “You are and anyone who cannot see past these,” she indicated the marks against her flesh, “or see them for what they truly represent, then they don’t deserve to be seeing them at all. Do you understand me?”
Olivia’s head dipped.
“Do you?”
A nod.
Releasing her so she could continue dealing with the injury, Natalia continued, “You probably should’ve had stitches on this but I think, even though it’s obviously a little angry at the abuse it’s had, it will heal up with no problems.”
Olivia cleared her throat to speak again.
“Thank you Dr Rivera.”
“My pleasure Nurse Spencer.”
“Nurse? You outrank me?”
“Naturally.” A full on dimpled smile erupted. “Now, let’s get this shoulder wrapped up and then we need to get going.”
TBC...
FANDOM: Guiding Light
PAIRING: Otalia
SUMMARY: Set mid-friendship, this is a hurt/comfort piece as I'm a hurt/comfort junkie. Olivia, Natalia and Emma decide to have a few days away...hopefully more interesting than the summary suggests. Please request before archiving.
RATING: PG for mild violence
Author's note: This is my first ever attempt at fanfic so I'm having to gather a lot of nerve to post it. With very deep thanks to my Canadian Buddy, Critic2000, who beta'd and prodded for this story to see a conclusion and provided insightful and useful comments throughout. I know most of Europe loves her for providing us with Otalia clips as soon as possible but to me, she's my very dear friend. (Course, the clips help ;o))
ADDITIONAL NOTE: Apologies if this isn't everyone's cup of tea but huge thanks again for those that are sticking with it, even if it's not going in the direction most probably hope or want it to go... but I have stated it's a hurt/comfort piece and it will remain in that vein throughout - you have been warned ;o)
Thank you for your continued interest, I know there is a lot of very good fic out there so I'm touched when you stop by to read mine. You've all been very kind - huge thanks
DISCLAIMERS: I do not own Guiding Light or any of the characters.
( Chapter 1 ) ( Chapter 3 ) ( Chapters 4 & 5 ) ( Chapter 6 ) ( Chapter 7 ) ( Chapter 8 ) ( Chapter 9 ) ( Chapter 10 ) ( Chapter 11 ) ( Chapter 12 ) ( Chapter 13 ) ( Chapter 14 ) ( Chapter 15 ) ( Chapter 16 ) ( Chapter 17 ) ( Chapter 18 ) ( Chapter 19 ) ( Chapter 20 ) ( Chapter 21 ) ( Chapter 22 ) ( Chapter 23 ) ( Chapter 24 ) ( Chapter 25 ) ( Chapter 26 )
I was tempted to say they're not out of the woods yet but...
Chapter 27
Chocolate, the great dispeller of tension and for improving one’s blood sugar levels.
“I told you these would come in handy.”
“Uh huh, not sure as magnificent at planning as you are that you had this in mind though.”
“Point,” Olivia acknowledged, the combination of having treated her shoulder, resting for a bit and a sugary goodness confection all serving to make her feel more human again and in part holding the mammoth headache that had been building at bay.
“How much further do you think it is?”
“Back to the cabin? Not far, maybe fifteen, twenty minutes tops.”
“Really? That close?” Natalia had been dreading another hour’s walk.
“I think so. Wanna race? I’ll give you a head start,” Olivia waggled her eyebrows at her.
Snorting and shaking her head, Natalia was pleased to see the return of Olivia’s playful side.
“What? You don’t think you could beat me? Is that what this is?” Olivia humorously harangued.
“Oh I could take you,” Natalia eyed her opponent and turned to face her fully, “but first we’d have to level the playing field.”
“And how would we do that?” Olivia leaned in to match Natalia’s posture.
Natalia appeared to consider for a moment, “How about you put a stone in your shoe?”
“Hm, sneaky. I see what angle you’re coming from.”
“You do do you?”
“Oh yes.”
Their heads very close together they stared intently into each other’s eyes. A beat.
“Not exactly the way these days away were supposed to go is it?” Olivia’s eyes broke away and commenced a study of Natalia’s face.
“Not really, no.” Suddenly shy of such close, intense scrutiny, Natalia turned away.
Olivia sat back, empty wrapper crushed in her palm and placed back into the bag. She started to laugh.
“What? What is it?” The recent mercurial nature of her friend making Natalia wonder if Olivia had finally lost it.
“I’m sorry,” Olivia finally managed to gasp out, “It’s just I was imagining us both bandaged head to foot and Emma thinking she’d gone away with two ‘mummies’”
A giggle at first and then Natalia joined in, the laughter acting as a better stress reliever than any medicine ever could.
“That was terrible.” Natalia said.
“Yeah, I know.”
The laughter having died down Natalia took in Olivia’s rosier complexion and queried, “Are you ready to move on now?”
“Sure, let’s do this. We still have to go get Emma.”
All things considered, Natalia thought it more prudent that Emma came to them but that battle could wait, at least until they made it back to the cabin.
***
In a quirk at last of good fortune, Olivia finally found a stick sturdy and large enough to aid Natalia.
“Better late than never,” she commented as she inspected it for any bugs before handing it to her hobbling friend.
“Thanks,” at once delighted to be able to stand on her own again, Natalia began moving along at a quicker pace.
“Hey, slow down, unless you’re trying to get a head start?”
“Pfft. Just trying it out for speed.”
“Not much further now anyway, I’m more for long distance.”
“You are?”
“Sure, somehow it seems so much sweeter when it takes a long time to get there.”
Indeed, after only a further five minutes at their improved pace, the cabin came into view.
***
Crossing the threshold into the cabin, Natalia immediately began making her way to the kitchen.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”
“Um, to get a drink?”
“Tsk, tsk, no you don’t. You sit yourself down there and put that leg up. Bad enough you’ve been walking on it for the last two hours or more, it needs to be elevated.”
Halting at the vocal commands, Natalia turned towards the couch before flopping back onto it with a heartfelt sigh of relief and was almost startled when Olivia took her leg and gently eased it onto the cushion that had already been placed thoughtfully on the table in front her. Her foot was then cradled again as Olivia removed her trainer with the utmost care.
“I’ll go get one of those icepacks,” Olivia informed as she stood from her recent inspection of the offending ankle, “What would you like to drink?”
“Olivia, you don’t have to wait on...”
“Shh,” a finger raised to indicate silence, “you’ve done more than that for me so, answer the question.”
“I’d love a coffee.”
“One coffee, coming right up.”
“Thank you.” She watched Olivia head into the kitchen and though grateful to finally be sat on a comfy surface that wasn’t crawling with bugs of any kind, it went against her nature to sit there and let someone else take care of her. I should be doing something.
Olivia returned with an icepack, “Coffee will just be a minute.”
“Okay.”
“Here,” Olivia said as she placed the icepack over the swollen joint.
“God that feels good,” Natalia sighed out.
“I bet. I’ll go get the coffee.”
Returning for a second time, Olivia handed Natalia a coffee and took a seat next to her on the couch, a sigh issuing forth like an echo of Natalia’s earlier one as she put her head back and closed her eyes.
“Thanks,” Natalia took the coffee and sipped. “Wow, is that cimanon?”
An eyebrow raised as Olivia opened her resting eyes to look at Natalia. “Cinnamon, yes,” she smiled.
Rubbing her nose in embarrassment, Natalia smiled back, “I’m tired, give me a break. This tastes wonderful, thank you.”
Olivia lifted her head, “’s okay.” She looked at her watch, “Give it ten minutes and then we need to see about picking Emma up.”
“Um.”
“What?”
It was Natalia’s turn to play with her coffee cup. “I was thinking that, well I can’t drive at the minute and you,” she hesitated long enough to allow Olivia to interject.
“I can drive, what’s the problem?”
“Olivia, you passed out earlier today, not much more than an hour ago in fact and I um... I really don’t think you should be driving.”
“I’m fine. It was an aberration and it’s not like we have to go that far.”
“I just think...”
“It’ll be fine, honest.”
Natalia evaluated the woman before her again before grudgingly relenting. “Okay, fine but we’re going to need more than five minutes.”
“We are?”
“Have you looked at us?” She indicated their attire and general appearance.
Her mouth pulled into a variety of shapes as she inspected their current look, Olivia commented, “Too eighties?”
She deflected the cushion aimed at her.
***
Having taken the time to finish their coffees, which for Olivia, after sinking deeply into the welcoming soft couch was the only thing currently keeping her awake, Natalia began to lower her leg and squirm forward to start getting ready to go.
Rousing herself Olivia queried, “Where are you going?”
“We need to get ready and...”
Rubbing her face to restore some semblance of alertness, Olivia said, “Wait there a minute, I want to properly strap your ankle and I need to wash out that cut.”
“Cut?”
“On your face?”
Natalia raised her hands to her face, “Oh that, I’d forgotten. It’s just a scratch.”
“Maybe so but we need to clean it. Can never be too careful, can we? Wait there and I’ll get everything.”
“Bring some bandages for your shoulder as well,” Natalia called out after Olivia’s retreating form. Oh sure, worry about someone else’s health.
When Olivia returned, she was armed with a bowl, cloth and various first aid items.
Taking the cloth, she dampened it and applied a small amount of soap before lifting it to Natalia’s face; Natalia raised her hand, “What are you doing?”
“Taking care of you for a change.”
“Oh.”
The hand fell back and Natalia locked eyes with Olivia as the older woman gently began washing her face, the cloth soothingly working its way over the contours and landscape of her brow, her eyes, circling to gently dab at the marring scratch before continuing down the slope of her nose, the roundness of her cheeks, then dipping at her dimples and finishing with her chin.
“You okay?”
Natalia reopened her eyes, unaware of when she’d closed them and nodded briefly.
Olivia smiled and reached for a cotton ball to apply some antiseptic, “It’s not so bad,” certainly not as terrifying as Olivia had at first believed it to be when she had finally found Natalia earlier this afternoon. “Do you want a plaster on it or let the air get to it?”
“Does it need one?”
“Hm, maybe.”
“Plaster it is then.”
Thinking Olivia was done as she carefully applied the band aid; Natalia was surprised when Olivia moved to the other side of the table and began to unwrap the makeshift bindings of earlier.
When Olivia reached for the bowl, Natalia only just stopped herself from asking what she was doing again but she wasn’t quick enough for Olivia not to have heard the intake of breath, which earned her a quick glance from Olivia, before she began the process of washing Natalia’s foot and ankle.
The warm water, gentle application of the cloth and feeling of cleanliness was divine. When she felt the towel around her foot, her eyes opened to see Olivia concentrating intently on drying her off without causing any further discomfort.
Taking a new bandage, Olivia began to expertly bind her foot and ankle, the compression and support offering a new level of nirvana.
“Better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Your turn now.”
***
Insisting that Natalia keep her foot elevated for as long as possible, Olivia changed the water in the bowl for a fresh supply and dutifully sat where Natalia could reach her without twisting.
Shrugging out of her jacket that she had been reluctant to remove, the full extent of her injury could clearly be seen by the now brownish stain at the shoulder of her ruined t-shirt.
“Are you okay to take that off or should we cut it?”
“Might as well cut it, I don’t think I’m ever going to wear it again.”
Removing the t-shirt and sliding it away from the injured area, Natalia began to peel away her ad hoc strapping and tugged on the last of the tissues which had welded themselves to Olivia’s skin.
Olivia looked away.
“Are you alright? You’re not going to faint on me again are you?”
“I’m good.”
Mimicking Olivia’s actions, Natalia took the cloth and began to cleanse Olivia’s arm and shoulder, conscious of the blood trail circling around Olivia’s breast towards her stomach.
Olivia shivered.
“You sure you’re alright?”
Olivia only nodded.
Not wholly convinced but also not wanting to prolong this any longer than she had to, Natalia examined the wound now the surrounding area had been cleaned.
“What’s the prognosis? Am I going to have yet another scar?”
Even though it was spoken with levity, Natalia could tell it was forced.
“What do you think? Get enough of them to make an interesting game of tic-tac-toe or maybe I could be the ‘Illustrated Woman’ but with scars instead of tattoos?”
“Stop it.”
Olivia stopped.
“Just stop it.” Natalia reached for Olivia’s chin so she could turn her to look directly into her eyes. “You are a beautiful woman Olivia,” the grip tightened as Olivia tried to turn her head away, “You are and anyone who cannot see past these,” she indicated the marks against her flesh, “or see them for what they truly represent, then they don’t deserve to be seeing them at all. Do you understand me?”
Olivia’s head dipped.
“Do you?”
A nod.
Releasing her so she could continue dealing with the injury, Natalia continued, “You probably should’ve had stitches on this but I think, even though it’s obviously a little angry at the abuse it’s had, it will heal up with no problems.”
Olivia cleared her throat to speak again.
“Thank you Dr Rivera.”
“My pleasure Nurse Spencer.”
“Nurse? You outrank me?”
“Naturally.” A full on dimpled smile erupted. “Now, let’s get this shoulder wrapped up and then we need to get going.”
TBC...