Something in the Way You Move [O'J]

Recovery

Danny's POV

I wake up in a bed. Now, this would be perfectly normal, except that I'm at a hospital...right? I sit up and look around. How did I get back to my flat? Why did I come back to my flat? How long have I been sleeping? I grab my phone and check the time. 10:30 AM, December 10th. I notice a less-than-pleasant smell, which, after finding nothing different or new in my room, I deduce must be coming from me. I get up and get in the shower.

An hour later, I get out of the shower---I needed to think in peace. I dry off and change into some clean pants. Then I look over myself in the mirror. My eyes widen as I take in the new, full beard that dominates my cheeks and neck, accompanied by a mustache. Damn, when was the last time I shaved? I reach into my cabinet and pull out some shaving cream, grinning as I remember Callie's prank. Since then, I've hidden a can in my closet, just in case. I shave quickly and put on a jumper before heading out into my kitchen.

I throw open the nearest cabinet in search of food. I can't remember the last time I've eaten, and it feels like my stomach is trying to eat itself. Maybe it is. I make myself a sandwich and wolf it down. Not that it put a dent in my hunger or anything. I eat the majority of food in my flat within an hour and sit back contentedly. Then I grab my phone and text Mark and Glen to meet me in the studios in half an hour. I throw on a coat and scarf and walk to the studios.

I'm playing around with some of the equipment when they run in, looking baffled. I stop what I was doing and Mark immediately starts interrogating me.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Did you actually sleep?"

"Yeah. I was quite confused when I woke up in my own bed earlier today."

"Have you showered?"

I give him a look that says did you really have to ask that question. "Yeah. Shaved too."

"So we see. Did you eat?"

"Most of the food in my flat, yeah."

"Good. So what did you call us here for?"

"Thought we could bang out a song."

"Are you up to it?"

"No, I was kidding. Go home," I say sarcastically. "Really, though, I'm fine." We then launch into a debate of which song to record, since we already have the instrumentals recorded for all of them. After fifteen minutes or so, we all agree on a song. After a few hours, we manage to get the lyrics properly recorded with the music and sit down to do some editing. A few more hours later, and it's done.

"I think that's the fastest we've ever done a song," Glen says.

"Yeah, I think so too," Mark says, nodding agreement.

"So you guys want to go get something for dinner? We could call Rina and Jessie to join us," I suggest.

"Way to change the subject, Dan!" Mark remarks. I stick my tongue out at him and he smacks me. "But yeah, sounds good to me. Glen, what say you?"

"I say that it sounds good to me too."

"Then I shall call Rina and Jessie. Where are we meeting, Danny?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"It was your idea."

"True." I think for a few seconds. "Ooh, how about Chinese?"

"Works for me!" Mark calls up Rina and Jessie, and they agree to meet us in half an hour. We put on our coats and head out to the restaurant. We wait outside for them, probably looking like creepers as we just stand in front of the door, but oh well. Thankfully, within five minutes, they arrive. We head inside and sit down.

We all chat for a few minutes before a waiter comes and takes our orders. We continue talking and laughing until we start getting dirty looks. We are definitely the most raucous table in the restaurant, so we turn it down a notch. Barely. Soon, though, our meals arrive and we can't talk. We eat until we're full to bursting before Mark pays (the five of us played rock-paper-scissors to determine who pays, just like the mature adults we are---winner got to pay since we all insisted on it) and we all head our separate ways. Well, Mark and Rina go home, Glen goes home, and Jessie and I are left there.

"You seem much better today," Jessie tells me, leaning into me as a cold wind blasts through London. Her coat is pitifully thin, so I take mine off and drape it over her shoulders. "Danny, you'll catch your death! Put your coat back on!" she protests.

"I'll be fine, Jess! And going back to your previous statement, I feel a lot better today. Did I really fall asleep with my eyes open yesterday?" I ask.

"I didn't see it personally, but Glen says you did. And that it was creepy as shit!"

"It sounds creepy." We walk in silence for a few minutes before Jessie asks, "Do you want to see Callie for a few minutes and then we could head back to mine?"

"Sure, sounds like a plan." We continue walking until we reach the hospital, by which point my hands have gone numb. I flex them slowly a few times to get blood flow back in them as we walk to Callie's room. We open the door and sit on either side of her. She's still in a coma. No surprise there. We talk for about ten minutes before we decide it's time to go. Jessie bids her goodbye first, kissing her and squeezing her shoulder---not the one that was shot, mind---affectionately. I lean over her then and kiss her cheek. I stand back up and run my hand through her hair a few times whilst murmuring, "Good night, Callie. I love you."

Jessie takes my hand and we leave. I know that this could become the norm if Callie doesn't wake up. I shake my head at the thought. Jessie notices and asks, "What's up?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," I reply absentmindedly. My thoughts are still in the hospital room even though each step I take brings me further away.

"Something's bothering you, Dan. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were, Jess!"

"So what's bothering you, then?"

I sigh. "The thought that this could become the norm---like today could become the routine---it's unsettling."

"You mean if Callie doesn't wake up?"

"Well, yeah."

"She'll wake up, Danny. She's strong."

"I hope she does." At this point, we arrive back at Jessie's flat. We watch a movie during which Jessie falls asleep on my chest. I kiss her head gently and murmur quietly, "I love you, Jessie." Soon enough, my eyelids grow heavy, too heavy to keep open, and I fall asleep.

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So...I didn't really know what to call this chapter, so I just settled on "Recovery" because Danny's recovering from sleep deprivation?