Count On Me - Sequel (Laughing into Love)

Chapter 25: Changing Things

Melanie stays with Brian in his room for the next 5 hours, only leaving to grab Lenny when Brian asks for him. He tells her she needs to get some food and asks for him to call his parents. He doesn't want them to come to the hospital to see him but tells Melanie to tell them they can come by his place when he's discharged tomorrow. When Melanie is finished with the coffee she got and the call she made, she makes her way back to Brian's room. Although she wasn't allowed to stay past visiting hours, she kept herself in the waiting room, needing to be close by in case something happened. Lenny went home around midnight, wanting to get a few hours before coming back at 6. When the morning comes and visiting hours are on, Lenny and Melanie head in together to see Brian. Brian and Melanie share a kiss and she confesses "glad nothing bad happened last night. How you feeling?"

"If you can believe it, worse then yesterday. It hurts to even breathe." He manages to muster out, clearly struggling more today from his injuries.

"I'm sorry babe, I'll be here for whatever you need." She rubs her hand up and down his arm.

Brian has to go back for a few more tests and wait for the results before he's okay to discharged so Melanie and Lenny head back to the waiting room. Melanie catches Lenny at the tail end of a conversation "what do you mean you can't cancel? You're going to have to! He's Injured and won't be able to fly for at least 8 weeks." He nods quickly and fake smiles as if what the person just said was some kind of nice gesture and replies "yes, we will reschedule. Bye!" He looks up at Melanie and shakes his head "I just about have to tell all these people he died in order to get them to understand he can't travel for these things. Ugh."

"Hey, can I help with anything? Sal gave me the day off so I'm free." She offers her help, kind of hoping he takes her up on her offer. She's worried sick about Brian and staying busy would be great.

"Oh my god, you wouldn't mind? You're saving my ass! I have so much to move around and get and I don't know how I'd get it all done before he's checked out!" He talks quickly, as he does when he's stressed or excited.

She smiles and nods "I'd love to help, whatever I can do."

He moves some papers around and pulls out his checklist. He reads through it "I need to figure out whose going to fill in for him during filming, I need to reschedule and cancel two magazine interviews, pick up his personal belongings from his Jeep, feed the cats, pick up the prescriptions, and figure out everything car and medical insurance involving this accident."

"Okay, breathe now" Melanie reminds him. "I really don't want to leave the hospital without him so why don't you get his belongings, feed the cats and pick up the medication. I'll take care of the phone calls. I wouldn't worry too much about the insurance stuff until everything else is taken care of."

"That would be amazing! Oh! Mel!" He stands up and hugs her tightly "thank you! I can already feel my stress levels go down and my back acne clearing up."

"TMI Lenny" she chuckles and rolls her eyes "give me your list of calls to make."

"Here," he passes over a few papers with numbers of anything involving interviews or gigs he has scheduled for the next 8 weeks "I'll be back soon!"

Lenny is on his third errand before returning to the hospital when his phone rings. He answers it and Brian asks "where are you? I can have visitors again and no one's here."

"Melanie and I are finishing up the list of things we need to do. I'm almost done just need to feed the cats!"

"Wait, Melanie's helping?" Brian's heart picks up. He asked Lenny to pick up his personal belongings because he knew Melanie couldn't find the letter.

Brian worries what Lenny has her doing but he easily clarifies "she's doing all the phone calls, rescheduling your meetings and such. I did the errands."

"Oh, okay. Cool. Well thank you Lenny, I really owe you big time." Brian thanks his assistant.

"When don't you?" Lenny jokes "see ya soon!" He hangs up the phone and pushes Brian's house door open to take care of his last errand.

Brian asks a nurse to get Melanie in his room for the results and she comes in, just finishing up a phone call. She apologizes "sorry, I told Lenny I'd help him. And guess who agreed to take over for you as you heal?" She smiles wide.

"Joey?" Brian asks, knowing his friend would step up if he could.

"Yes! But I also got Kevin and Bryan to agree to do an episode each!" She smiles wide, proud of her accomplishment.

He tries to sit up in he bed a bit "how'd you swing that?"

She shrugs "well now that comic book men is over they have more time on their hands. As soon as Kevin's finishes writing his new movie he'll let the producers know and Bryan said he could do next week."

"You're amazing, you know that. Come here" he asks her to come to the side of the bed.

She shakes her head "you just have great friends. Of course they all wish you a fast recovery and to get better soon."

"I love you" She smiles softly, wanting to kiss her passionately, but knowing he doesn't have the energy or strength to truly show her just how much at the moment.

She kisses his forehead and the door opens, Dr. Leo walking with a file in hand. He comes to the end of the bed and explains "everything is alright and looks good considering the damage. You still are very weak and could be confused for a while when waking up, you hit your head pretty hard but there is no internal bleeding, that's good. Remember, you have to stay in bed for a minimum of 14 days while your ribs heal. I can't tell you how many people come back in with further injuries because they don't listen. After that, it will be modified. You can start slowly taking 5-10 minute walks. You need a check up in then as well. My nurse will come in and explain everything else to the two of you. Are there any more questions I can answer for you?" He goes through everything quickly, but since it's the same information as yesterday, neither have a question and he shakes both their hands before leaving to return to his other patients.