You and Me, Always.

Remembering

"Bucka? Bucka do you remember me?" Aljaz whispered, huge tears forming in his eyes; tears of happiness for the first time in a long while. "Yes, bucko. I remember you. I remember everything." Janette replied weakly, still trying to regain her strength from the treatment. Well, everything except how Jo died. Aljaz thought. He pulled Janette in close to his chest, in the first embrace in what had felt like years but had been three months. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his back, hugging him too. She remembered all the times they had done this before and it brought a smile to her face. She felt as though her identity had been returned to her. They both sat, in each other's arms, tears of contentment in their eyes.

***

"Bucko, are there any bananas?" Janette asked Aljaz as she sat up in her bed munching on her first piece of toast in a long time. Aljaz threw her a look of pretend annoyance, before announcing "First thing she asks for when she wakes up is a banana... Yep, that's my Janette." Shaking with laughter, he passed her the best looking banana from the fruit bowl and walked towards her. "You can only have it if you kiss me first!" He teased, lifting the banana high above his head. Janette smiled and leaned her head towards his, before their lips touched. It had been their first kiss in three months, and Janette was instantly reminded of the little moments of magic ghat occured each time they did so. Pulling away, she placed her hand on his cheek, her nose touching his, and whispered, "I love you, bucko." Aljaz returned a huge smile, one of those that made his eyes disappear. They both giggled, enjoying each other's company after so long.

***

"From this point onwards it should only be about a week or so until Janette can be discharged from hospital." Doctor Oswald explained, to Aljaz's joy. "However, she will need to be in a wheelchair for a couple months afterwards, and then have physiotherapy too if she wants to dance again." Aljaz nodded, simply happy that Janette would be returned to him. He turned around to look behind him, and there she was, lying asleep with a little smile pasted on her face. The nurses had washed and curled her hair, then brushed it out to make it wavy, and seeing in laying on the pillow, all tousled nicely, made her look more like 'Snow White' than ever.

*A Week Later*

"Come on baby, we're going home!" Janette squealed, signallung to Aljaz to pass her her floral dress that he had chosen for her. It was her favourite.

She slipped it over her head and Aljaz helped her zip it up. He then bent down and picked her up, placing her into the wheelchair that was waiting, and lay a light flowing scarf that he had unfolded over her lap. He then whizzed around the room collecting the various items of theirs that had gradually become scattered, placing them all in the bags he had collected a few weeks ago. Janette watched him, giggling at hus struggle to fit the excess of stuff into the now overflowing dance bags.

He zipped up the final bag and placed it in the little storage compartment underneath Janette's wheelchair seat. Taking a final look around the room, "Let's take a picture of this." He suggested. "So we can mark the fact that we got to this day, leaving the hospital." Janette agreed and Aljaz wheeled her into a nice position in the sunlight, and crouched beside her. He whipped out his phone and took a few different photos, and one final one of the two of them together in the room which they had practically called home for so long. Reacing his phone in his pocket, Aljaz then began to wheel Janette towards the door. She pushed it open with her arms, now both fully functional.

Upon opening it, they were greeted by the whole team of nurses and doctors who had cared for Janette during her stay, and a large banner marked 'Congratulations!' on it, words which they all also shouted in unison. Janette raised her hands and covered her mouth in shock and happiness. On her lap was a huge bouquet that Doctor Oswald had placed there, along with a card with her and Aljaz's names on it. Janette turned to Aljaz and looked concerned, "We didn't get them anything!" Aljaz laughed a little, re-entered the room to Janette's surprise, and when he emerged again, he came bearing a large champagne bottle, some chocolates, flowers and multiple cards. "Thank you all so much. We wouldn't be here without you." Aljaz proclaimed, handing out the gifts to the team who graciously accepted them. "Especially me." Janette piped up, "I would quite literally not be here without you. Thank you." She added, before smiling. The team gathered aroung, pulling her and Aljaz into a group hug. They pulled away and Doctor Oswald stepped forward once more, "Take care. We're all so happy for you." They waved furiously as Aljaz and Janette made their way down the corridors of ICU for the final time.

Stepping out into the front patio of the hospital, Janette looked around and smiled. "It's all still here!" She said to Aljaz excitedly. "Of course it is. It's been waiting for you." Aljaz replied, pushing her out into the world that she had been missing.