Recovery

Recovery - Ch 25

Recovery - Ch 25

Lesley's warning that Rick's nightmare might stay with him for a while proved to be true. It seemed to mostly happen when Rick was alone but this overwhelming urge to see Lesley would suddenly overtake him and he'd stop whatever he was doing to seek her out. He did manage not clutch her to him as he'd done the night he'd had the nightmare but just holding her in his arms and feeling her pressed tightly to him filled him with such a sense of relief that he'd relax immediately.

Lesley understood what Rick was going through, as she had experienced it herself after having her own nightmares. It was different for Rick though, Lesley knew, Rick's dream demon images were of a different caliber, not any less terrifying, but different in that he'd been forced to watch unspeakable, heinous things happening to her. She hadn't asked him to elaborate, even if he'd been willing to, Lesley wasn't sure that she wanted to know what his dream demon had shown him, so when Rick came to her, she would hold him in her arms and softly tell him that she was okay, and how much she loved him.

As Lesley predicted, the visions of nightmare were fading and the time between them was slowly lengthening. Today though, Rick was in his office and reaching for a file on his desk when out of the corner of his eye he saw the photo of Lesley on the credenza, the image that slammed into his mind came so fast and so hard that it shocked him and he inhaled sharply as he automatically clenched his stomach, trying to ward it off. It shot away as fast as it appeared but the afterimage it left had Rick taking a deep breath, unconsciously laying a hand on his rapidly beating heart, and simultaneously reaching for the phone to call Lesley's office. He let the phone ring six or seven times before disconnecting and trying the hospital clinic. When the nurse on duty said that her shift had just started and hadn't seen Lesley, Rick hung up and pushed back from his desk chair. He turned to look out the window as he tried to convince himself that she was fine; he knew that Lesley wouldn't have left the hospital without telling him, he hadn't asked her not to of course...not when she was finally free from the McDermott's and their threats, but he knew Lesley wouldn't because she fully understood what he was going through but.... Rick moved to pick up the photo of her on his credenza and gently traced his finger over her face. She looked beautiful, nowhere near how stunning she was in real life, but as Rick focused on her, the ghost image from the dream slithered back in and one image superimposed onto the other. The sudden overwhelming urge to see her, to make sure she was okay had him placing the frame back and heading for his office door before he thought any more about it.

Lesley was standing in front of the Lobby Nurses' station talking with Audrey when Rick came off the elevator. She saw the look of absolute relief on his face when his eyes fell on her and stopped her conversation with Audrey in mid-sentence to tug Rick to the lounge before turning to him, "are you okay?" she asked as she gently ran her fingers through his hair and cupped his cheek.

"I'm fine now," Rick said as he tried to smile but the ghost image suddenly skittered along his nerve endings; he shuddered once then gave up and pulled her into his arms. "Just let me hold you for a minute, okay?" he asked into her hair. When Lesley's only response was a simple nod as she tightened her arms around him, he gave in completely and clutched her to him.

"It's okay," she whispered in his ear. "I'm right here and we're both safe."

Rick relaxed against her after another minute or two and eased away to look at her, "I just want to look at you.... you're so beautiful," he said as he lightly traced a finger over his face, just as he'd done with the picture of her up in his office.

Lesley smiled gently as she studied his face. The tension was gone from his features. There was love for her shining in his eyes, making them soften as he gazed at her.... but.... there was still a slight shadow in them as well. "Sit with me," she said and took his hand.