An Unfortunate Mix-Up ✔️

Chapter 48: Post Surgery

Will walks into the room, taking a deep breath as he looks over his brother. 

He could only wonder what was going through his mind and how he was feeling. He also felt his own bit of worry. It was not often that he worried about his brother, if ever. Bullets were nothing new, and it seemed with Jay's pain tolerance everything just came easy. There was only other time they had brought him into the hospital before that where the same fear could be felt through every bit of his body. 

As a doctor, knowing everything deeper than most people, his eyes couldn't help but wander over to the vitals, reading the numbers, interpreting every bit of it. At least that part looked smooth. He just hoped the rest of the tests continued to follow the trend - as well as the feeling Jay was missing in his legs.

"What did Connor tell you?" Hailey questions, having felt Will's presence as soon as he entered the room. She had been sitting there since they moved him to recovery, holding his hand, waiting to see those pretty eyes once again.

"He did the surgery went wel-"

"We've known each other long enough, Will. Cut the crap." Will takes a deep breath, knowing he was not going to get anything over on Hailey. It was why she was perfect for Jay - they were both straight to the point, didn't accept crap or a blind over the truth. She could always see through the blinds he tried to put up when something was wrong, being caring in return to help - and that went both ways. 

"Anytime you do nerve surgery, it can be risky because it's complicated with everything else that is involved. The nerve is also not far from the spine, so you risk causing possible further damage. That said, he said they were able to go in, found the dead nerve that was being pinched causing the majority of his pain, and cut it off. Now we just need to wait for it to grow back. He will have pain throughout. He will have those shocking sensations. As far as his legs, that could be immediately - or could come as it heals." Hailey takes a deep breath, allowing Will's honesty to soak in as she took in every inch of Jay at the same time. She couldn't help but focus on certain words that he said throughout.

"Risking possible damage, shocking sensations, leg feeling may not come back." She finally allows her eyes to leave Jay and look towards Will, wanting to see his reaction to this next question as it plagued her mind. "Was the risk worth it, Will?"

"Absolutely. With the amount of pain he was in, and the fact he couldn't feel his legs at all, I would do it to myself in a heartbeat to not have to deal with that on a daily basis. He couldn't have continued on with the way it was, Hailey.  Besides, the other risks are things that none of the team are worried about - only have to say because it's policy, and you asked for the full truth." Hailey lets out a sigh, almost regretting that a little now as her mind couldn't help but wonder about those little details, having expected to see him awake by now.

"Did Connor say anything about when he should wake up?" Will shakes his head no, noting he had asked that question himself, including curiosity about the amount of sedative used for the procedure.

"He's going to be in pain when he wakes up. He's going to be uncomfortable. I just want to give you a heads-up because it isn't going to be pleasant - especially with the fact he won't take anything stronger than morphine and I want to respect that." Will knew the details behind the reasoning, having heard the full story in conversation with his brother and Mouse. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly resonated for why to not cross that bridge. "It may be better right now to let him sleep and let his body heal. How often does he take time for himself, and take care of himself properly? We both know medical leave is something that's not in his vocabulary." 

"Neither is hospitals, but yet you and Connor somehow convinced him to have surgery and more...." Hailey returns her eyes back to Jay, their hands locked together again, allowing the tip of finger to trace the wedding band on his finger. She had slipped it back on as soon as they met back up in recovery, remembering their process to always wear each others no matter what as a symbol of their love. "Jay...."

The pair froze, both of their eyes locked on his hand, as he gripped hers back in return. Will didn't want to think too much of it - knowing it could be a simple muscle reflex or part of a spasm finding it's way through his body. However, allowing his eyes to move up his body, he saw a pair looking back at him in return. 

"Hailey..." Jay whispers quietly, eyes locked on her as a smile forms on her face. She almost wanted to cry, knowing in her mind that was the first of many hurdles today.

"Hey," she simply replies, leaning in to brush her lips across his, wanting to offer whatever comfort she could. "How are you feeling?"

"Pain..." He goes to shift slightly in bed, though immediately deciding against that in noticing the look he was getting from across the room courtesy of his brother. "You were right. Connor is amazing." 

"Why do you say that?" Will wonders, having expected any other words than that out of his brother's mouth. However, he watched the strain on the face that followed, allowing his eyes to look down the length of his brother's body.

"I have feeling, tingling feeling," Jay answers as he looks down at his legs, focusing on them with every effort as he tries the same repetitive process once again. His efforts were rewarded, as his right leg slightly lifted after the bed -before he dropped it immediately in feeling the pain in his back grow immensely. "So much pain when I do it. Fuck!" 

"Step by step, one day at a time, and you'll get back to moving as normal as the pain will begin to dissipate as the nerve heals from the procedure." Will then walks over and takes the button that hung by the bed, slipping into his brother's left hand. "Promise me if the pain gets too bad that you will squeeze this and get relief. It's a morphine drip. It delivers you a dosage each time you squeeze - please use it."