She watched him writhing in pain the following morning and she brushed her thumb across his forehead. She pressed his PCA and watched as he sighed with relief as the pain relief flowed through him.
She took his hand and kissed his cheek as he slept,
"I bought you this," Michael smiled as he handed her a cup of hot coffee, "how is he?"
"In a lot of pain this morning, he hardly slept... He's just drifted off now... How was the conference?"
"Same old... Will you be okay here?"
"I think so,"
He cuddled her gently, "Me and Soph will FaceTime you this evening,"
"Make sure I get a glimpse of Betty,"
Michael smiled, "of course... She was loving curling up by the fire a few days ago,"
"Don't let her get too hot," she pouted, before taking his hand and kissing his cheek, "thank you Michael, this would be so much harder without you,"
He placed his hands either side of her face, "you're strong, call me if you need me."
He woke a few hours later to see her with her legs up on his bed as she read on her kindle,
"What you reading sweetcheeks?"
"The chimp paradox... I'm learning how to control my inner chimp," she smiled, watching as he laughed,
"The physio came by... Do you fancy getting up?"
"Yes," he nodded, "for no other reason than I get to cuddle my girl properly,"
Getting out of bed proved tricky and Connie smiled from outside the curtain as she could hear him laughing with the physio. He had to roll onto his stomach, go up onto all fours, and step backwards from the bed. With three drains and a PCA it was no easy feat.
He opened the curtain and she smiled, placing her hands on his cheeks and kissing him gently,
"It's nice to be upright," he smiled, holding her too him. They walked slowly around the ward and he winked at Connie as she kept hold of his arm,
"Okay Jacob, back to bed... If your wife's still here you can get up again with her later,"
She settled back down beside him, running her hand over his forehead as he struggled to stay awake.
"You didn't correct her... When she called you my wife,"
She shrugged, "you always said you'd make me your wife some day,"
He ran his finger tips gently over her cheeks, pushing her hair behind her ear, "I meant it," she took his hand and squeezed it, "Go to sleep sweetheart... You did well this morning," she told him gently,
"Tell me a story," he asked her and she leaned forward, one forearm on the bed, her other resting on his forehead, her fingers running through his short hair.
She kissed his nose gently, "I came home from work after a horrendous shift and you handed me a glass of wine and pulled me into your arms," she smiled, as his hand took hers, "for the first time that day I felt calm and safe and like things would be okay... I hadn't even known you a week,"
She trailed her fingers over his forehead, "I remember wishing that I could come to you every day, you were so different from Sam, you cooked and ate and drank wine with me, without expecting anything more,"
"You never told me that," he smiled,
"Then the day after that we went to the charity ball," she told him gently, "you spent the night dancing with me and treating me like I was the only person you wanted to have in your arms... I knew then that I wouldn't be able to forget you,"
"You're the most kind and passionate and amazing man I have ever met," she smiled, "one night, when there were fireworks I watched you pick up Betty when she was scared and sit with with her until she fell asleep... I knew then that I wanted to have your children... You were so gentle and calm, I couldn't help but imagine you as a father."
He looked at her and she winked at him, "you'll be home before you know it,"
"Keep talking to me,"
She smiled, talking to him quietly until he fell asleep. She kissed his exposed collarbone gently, before pressing her lips against his forehead,
"So it turns out that I can't handle the thought of being without you," she spoke quietly, "so you need to get better... For me and for Soph."
