I Believe in You

Coming Home

Conrad was released from the hospital a little over a month after he was attacked.
"Meghan, seriously. I'll find somewhere to stay." He tried to insist as I wheeled him out to my car.
"You're not going to be homeless, Conrad, and that's final. Chloe and I have plenty of room. Besides Chloe feels really bad about what happened." I answered locking the wheels on the wheelchair.
"Come on. Lean on me." I opened my car door.
I pulled his left arm over my shoulders gently to help him stand.
"It's not her fault." He sighed leaning heavily on me.
"I know that. I've told her that a dozen times. She thinks she should have known he wouldn't let it go. Should have warned you."
I helped him into the car.
"Do you need me to help you with the seatbelt?"
He shook his head.
"I got it."
I nodded and closed his door.
"These are his pain medications. Try to convince him to take them. He's been stubborn." Nurse Alex said handing me a bottle of pain medication.
"He's got a lot of healing to do. Try not to let him push himself too far."
I nodded.
"Thank you, Alex."
"You're both going to be incredible doctors." She smiled at me.
Conrad's eyes were closed the entire way back to the dorm but I could tell he wasn't sleeping.
"Talk to me." I urged.
"I just don't want you to have to go through so much trouble for me." He sighed looking out the passenger side window.
"Conrad." I shook my head.
"I'm in this. I'm all in. One hundred percent. I'm here for you." I reached out and took his hand.
"No one I've been with has cared this much. To be fair I've never been beaten and stabbed before." He muttered.
"There's just something about you I can't shake. You're special, Conrad." I smiled.
I pulled up outside the dorm room.
"I'm not special." He sighed.
"I'm not worth all this."
"Stop that." I turned to look at him.
"You are worth it to me." I reached up to touch his face.
"What did I do to deserve you?" He asked kissing the palm of my hand.
I smiled at him.
"Let me help you get inside."
He nodded.
I could tell he was still reluctant but decided to just take it day by day.
Chloe met us at the front door and helped me get him to the couch.
"You have a couple options." I said sitting down next to him.
"You can sleep in my room with me or Chloe and I can take the master bedroom and you can have your own room."
"I don't want to cause problems. I can just sleep here on the couch."
"No, Conrad. Especially not while you're still healing. You need to sleep in a bed." I insisted and Chloe nodded emphatically beside me.
"Okay. Okay. I'll sleep in your room with you." He sighed.
"Chloe can sleep in my room if you'd feel more comfortable sleeping on your own."
He shook his head.
"No. It'd be better for me to sleep next to you." He said taking my hand.
"I figured you'd say that." Chloe said.
"I went to the house last week and got your things. They're all in Meghan's room."
"You didn't have to do that." He sighed.
"I wanted to. You shouldn't have to go back there especially since they're still there." She said grimly.
"I still can't believe that." I sighed laying my head gently on his shoulder.
"Let the judicial system work." He whispered kissing my head.
I nodded.
"I'm going to make dinner." Chloe stood up.
"Thanks Chloe." I smiled at her.
"It's your birthday. I'm not going to make you cook." She winked at me.
"You didn't tell me it's your birthday." He said sadly playing with my hair.
"I didn't think much about it. I've already got the best gift." I answered.
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"You. You're still here." I whispered looking up at him.
"You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere." He assured me.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"I'll get it." Chloe called from the kitchen.
"Yes, sir. They're right through here." She said coming into the living room.
"Meghan, Conrad, this is Dr. Adam Scott." She introduced a middle aged man with grey hair and green eyes.
"We've spoke on the phone." I smiled at him.
"He's the one who told me you were hurt." I told Conrad.
"I came to discuss your eligibility for graduation in June." He said.
"Please, sit." I motioned to the chair next to the couch.
Dr. Scott sat down and looked at us.
"Typically, neither of you would be able to graduate with out completing another two and a half months of rotations. However, I've reviewed each of your Step one scores. Two eighty, Mr. Hawkins and three hundred Miss. Bishop."
Conrad looked at me eyes wide.
"Due to how impressively you both did the board has decided to allow you both to graduate in June and begin your residencies."
I breathed a sigh of relief and Conrad took my hand.
"I just wanted to come here to tell you both myself and to see how you're doing, Conrad."
"I'm okay, considering. Thank you." He smiled.
"I'd also like to let you know that the three men who attacked you have been expelled. We don't tolerate that behavior here."
He stood up and shook Conrad's hand before shaking mine.
"You are both welcome to continue your rotations but you don't need to. We just want you to heal." He looked at Conrad.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"I'll see myself out, Meghan. Stay with him." Dr. Scott instructed.
"Yes, doctor. Thank you."
I leaned back into him, careful not to hurt him.
"It's relieving to know I don't have to try to push myself to get back into rotation." He said quietly nuzzling my hair.
Chloe brought us bowls of mac and cheese.
"I hope this is okay. I'm not much of a chef." She giggled.
"It's perfect, Chloe. Thank you." I smiled at her.
"Personally, I don't care what it is as long as it's not hospital food." Conrad laughed.
After dinner Chloe sent us into the bedroom so she could clean up.
She'd hung all of his shirts in my closet and set up a dresser for his pants and things.
"She really went above and beyond." He smiled kind of sadly.
"She said that she's known you a few years."
"That's true but we met through Christian. I never thought she'd be in a position to choose between us."
"You didn't put her in that position. He did."
"I know. Doesn't make it any easier."
I nodded sitting next to him on the bed.
"My dad told me you were awarded the Medal of Honor." I looked at him.
He sighed and nodded.
"That's true too. In 2007, I lead a group of men out of battle to safety. I didn't think I deserved a medal for that. I still don't." He shrugged.
"Will you take one of these so you can sleep?" I asked motioning to the prescription bottle on the desk.
"I don't want to get hooked on them." He sighed.
"I don't want you to be in pain because you're worried about getting hooked on painkillers." I answered.
"Okay, but just one." He conceded.
"Just one. I just want you to heal."
He nodded and took the small pill with no water.
"Come lay with me." He reached for me.
"Okay." I smiled climbing into our bed.
I stayed on his left side as to not press on his still healing wounds.
"I want to do something for you for your birthday." He sighed as he held me.
"You did. You fought your way back to me. You fought to survive. I couldn't ask for anything more considering what's happened." I rested my chin on his shoulder.
"Promise me you won't plan anything for my birthday next month. We'll start fresh at our anniversary in November." He urged.
"Okay. Okay. That's fair. Get some rest Conrad. I'll be here when you wake." I curled up at his side gently running my fingers through his hair until he faded to sleep.