As long as we both shall live [Tom Hiddleston]{EBT book 3 of 4}

I'm coming home

"Normally I would insist on staying and helping you, Tom." Amy said. "But I'm pretty sure Kate is itching to help you, so just buzz if you need me, ok?" Kate giggled and blushed, and Luke followed Amy out the door.
"Finally alone," Tom said.
"Don't get any ideas, Hiddleston. One thing at a time." She opened the bathroom door and Tom walked in, the fact he was wearing only pants making it easy for Kate to undress him. Amy had removed his monitors, leaving small pink circles where they had been stuck to his skin. Kate turned to leave and Tom grabbed her arm, pulling her to him and kissing her hungrily, leaving him almost breathless.
"God I can't wait to get you home," he said, running his fingers down her back.
Kate closed the door behind her and got him some clean clothes while he showered. She sat on the bed and waited, hardly able to believe the difference since yesterday, and wary that he would try and take everything too fast and get sick again. Lost in her thoughts she didn't realise he was done until he walked out of the bathroom wearing a towel. "Sorry I was bringing your clothes in and got distracted," she said, handing him jeans and a tshirt.
"What were you thinking about my darling? You were frowning."
"You, and how impatient you are. You have to promise to do what the doctor says. Take it slowly, rest, get better. I can't go through all of this again, Tom."
"I promise, Kate." He put his arms around her shoulders and she kissed his chest, making him groan in frustration.
"You want some help with your clothes?"
"If I want to go home I have to do it. I'll tell you if I do." He came back just as Kate was starting to wonder, dressed and looking less like a patient. "Ta da! I never thought I'd need a nap after just getting dressed. This is going to take some getting used to." He sat down on the bed and lay back, closing his eyes just as Amy opened the door.
"I'm impressed, Tom. Did he have help?" She asked Kate. Blushing, Kate looked down at the floor.
"Not to put his clothes on, no."
Amy laughed. "OK. Um, I need to take some blood and then we're going to radiology for your tests."
Tom sat up on the edge of the bed. "Can I walk this time?"
"Nope. But I can promote you to a wheelchair."
"Can I push myself?"
"No." She turned to Kate, "is he always like this?"
"Yes." Kate said. "It's endearingly charming and infuriating at the same time. I'll wait for here until you get back." She kissed him lightly on the forehead and ruffled his hair with her fingers.

Just after they left Kate's phone rang. "Hey Zach,"
"Hey, you sound good this morning. How are you?"
"Yeah I am good. I think Tom is coming home today, Luke is here, I'm going back on tour. Life is going on, I think."
"That's so good to hear. So he's doing well?"
"This morning, yes. Yesterday was awful but they warned him it would be. Today he's up and about, dressed and ready to go home!"
"I'm so happy for you guys, that's fantastic. I'm just between scenes and thought I'd check in so I'd better get back to it. Give Tom a hug, or something, from me."
"I will."

Kate passed Luke in the hall. I'm just ducking out for a minute, are you going back to Tom's?"
"Nah I'll wait and see if he's coming home. I had a few hours sleep. Where are you going?"
"There's a florist down the road, I'm going to get some flowers for Amy."
"I'll go. You can't just walk down the street with all the people sniffing around out there. The news has started to get out that Tom isn't on set, people saw the ambulance, you're here instead of with Ed. We'll do a release this afternoon, until then you stay here."
"Oh. OK. I didn't even think about that."
"That's why I'm here," he said, turning and walking down toward the door.

The afternoon dragged, the clock ticked away slowly and Tom had dozed off sitting up in bed waiting for Dr Porter to return with his results. Kate and Luke were playing cards quietly at the table and it was obvious Luke was preoccupied because he was losing every hand.
"What's on your mind, Lukey?"
"Just Tom. What I'm going to say in the statement. How the film will pan out." He sighed. "And the huge pile of scripts waiting for him on my desk. I've read them and I'm pretty sure he'll want to go for all of them. Which is great, plenty of work and all that. But he is going to burn himself out again if he keeps this up. And then there's you, you two are going to get married and it will just get more hectic. You'll want to see more of one another, you'll both be working more, then there will be babies-"
"Jesus, Luke. Slow down. How about one week at a time. We can both work on slowing him down, but if he wants to go for every part, let him. I'm not going to let him burn himself out, even if I have to give up my own career to be sure."
Finally Dr Porter opened the door and Tom's eyes snapped open. "Can I go home?"
The doctor laughed. "Yes. But there are some conditions. No work for the rest of the week. After that, half days, and the medic on set will supervise you and you will listen if he tells you to do something. Nothing strenuous, and I mean nothing. No exercise, nothing that will increase your breathing for another 10 days." He looked at Kate and raised his eyebrows. "Are we clear?" Realisation dawned on her face and she nodded solemnly. "If you have any doubts, come straight back in. Any headache that doesn't resolve in a couple of hours or affects your vision, come straight here."
"Got it. Thank you so much doctor, for everything."
"My pleasure, Mr Hiddleston. Take care of yourself."