What if it All Happened Differently?

Recovering

"Mum?" asked Barbara, walking down the stairs of her childhood home and into the kitchen

"Good morning sweetheart" said her mother, turning away from the stove "You're up early, anything wrong?"

"My arm," said Barbara, leaning against the kitchen bench and watching her mother cook. "It really hurts. Adam's out like a light though, I checked on him on my way down"

"He'll need it" said her mother, piling pancakes onto a plate and taking them over to the table "Did you sleep well apart from that?"

"I guess" shrugged Barbara, following her mother and taking a seat in the spot she'd always had as a child "feels weird sleeping in an empty bed though"

"Well, you heard what the doctors said," said her mother, taking a pancake and cutting it up into smaller pieces. "For the first few days, it's best you two don't sleep together, as to not injure each other anymore"

"I know mum" sighed Barbara, she looked at her mother as she put a small bit of Nutella on every small bit of pancake "Uhh... what are you doing?"

"Well... you're not allowed to use your arm, and you only have your left arm, which is your non-dominant side, so I figured I'd give you a hand" she slid the plate over to her daughter "Here"

"Thanks" smiled Barbara, she took a bite "god, I'll never get sick of your pancakes"

"Thanks sweetheart"

"When's Liam getting back?" Barbara's 15 year old brother had luckily been out the previous day at a friends house for a sleepover, and he had yet to find out what to his oldest sister and brother-in-law.

"Anytime now" said Jill (oop- I'm gettin' lazy so Barb's mum is know being called Jill) "he said around 10"

"Ok" nodded Barbara "did you tell the girls?"

"No" said Jill "figured you should"

"Fine" said Barbara, she sat back and thought of what her younger sisters would think of what she'd done to herself. "can I go wake Adam up?"

"Sure" said her mother, standing up "take him back to your room, I'll bring up food for the both of you"

"Thanks mama" said Barbara. She kissed her mother on the cheek and walked off upstairs to the guest bedroom. She walked in and found her husband sprawled out on his stomach, his arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. Gently, Barbara sat on the bed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Adam? Sweetheart, wake up"

"Hmm?" Adam opened one eye and sleepily smiled at her "G'morning gorgeous"

"Hi" said Barbara, she rubbed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently "come with me"

"M'kay" said Adam, too tired to protest. He sleepily stood up and allowed Barbara to lead him down the hall to her childhood bedroom and he sat down on the bed. "You know what?"

"What honey?" asked Barbara, closing the door and sitting on the bed, picking up her laptop that her mother had so kindly grabbed from their house, along with her phone.

"I really like your bedroom" he said, relaxing back into the pillows "I always have, it's very you."

"Thanks" smiled Barbara, opening Stan and bringing up The Office, which they'd started watching together. Barbara then settled back into Adam's arms and he held her close, being careful to avoid her arm.

Barbara's mother walked into the room 5 minutes later and smiled at her daughter and son-in-law. "Hey you two, want food?"

"That'd be amazing mum" said Barbara, using her foot to pause the show and looking up at her mother "Liam back yet?"

"No" said Jill, placing the tray of food on the bed next to the couple "but do you want me to send him up? Or you want to come down?"

"Can you tell him what happened?" asked Barbara, taking another pancake and eating it "So he doesn't get too much of a shock"

"Whatever you want sweetheart" said Jill, she looked at Adam "You want anything Ad? Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea" said Barbara, then she added "Please" after Adam poked her in the side with a meaning look

"Ok" laughed Jill "Adam?"

"Coffee would be lovely, thank you" he said.

"Any particular way you want me to make it?"

"Oh anything you make is amazing, so I don't mind" laughed Adam, rubbing his hand along his wife's left shoulder, feeling her tense up a little. Jill nodded and left the room. Barbara grabbed 2 pancakes and shoved one in Adam's face.

"Here, mum made them. They're really good" Adam smiled and took it, making sure to leave one arm supporting her. "That one has choc chips in it, your favourite"

"She knows how to make me happy," said Adam. Barbara played the show again and settled down to watch the show, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm.

A little while later, once Adam had fallen asleep (again) Barbara gently extracted herself from his arms and walked downstairs in the hope of finding her mother. Sure enough, her mum was sitting at the kitchen table, on her phone reading something. Barbara walked over to the medicine cupboard they had and started rummaging in it.

"Oh hi Barb" said Jill, putting her phone down and looking at her daughter "What are you looking for?"

"Pain killers" mumbled Barbara, picking up a box and looking inside.

"When was the last time you had some?" asked Jill, walking over to her daughter and bringing the basket out of the cupboard.

"6 last night" said Barbara "I think they're wearing off, my arm absolutely kills"

"Well, you can have some more" said Jill, grabbing a glass of water and handing it to her "but remember that you have to wait the appropriate time between them before you have more ok?"

"Fine" mumbled Barbara, she swallowed the pills and frowned "It still hurts"

"You've got to give it time" said Jill "be patient"

"I can't" said Barbara, she went to the table and sat down "This sucks, I can't use my arm and I dunno when I'm gonna be back in work"

"Have you checked your emails?" asked Jill, sitting down "or even told anyone"

"I haven't told anyone" said Barbara "Lucky today is Sunday, or else I'd be screwed"

"You should probably contact someone," said Jill. Barbara nodded and put her head on the table, groaning. Jill reached out and put her hand on Barbara's back. "That bad huh honey?" Barbara nodded her head against the table. Jill sighed sadly but perked up when she heard the door opening.

"Mum?" called a boy's voice, they heard the thump of his bag hitting the floor and his footsteps as he approached the kitchen. "I'm back"

"In the kitchen" called Jill, still rubbing Barbara's back gently. Liam entered the kitchen and took in the scene before him. "Hi sweetheart, how was Tom's?"

"Fine" said Liam, he looked at Barbara and noticed the cast and sling "what the hell happened to her? And where's Adam? They're never apart, did he hurt her? I swear if he did, I'll kill him"

"No" said Jill "Your sister had a little accident yesterday, and it's resulted in her and Adam having to stay here for a few days"

"What happened?" asked Liam

"They fell through the floor"