Post by onyxfyrefly on Mar 12, 2012 6:51:29 GMT -5
The next morning Neil was asleep when Dr. Carter made her last rounds so he would have to wait until Dr. Rogers was free. Mercy relayed this information to Neil as she brought him breakfast and he hid his smile. He’d been awake when Dr. Carter had stopped by but had pretended to be asleep. He wanted to make sure he could see Mercy before he was released.
“Do you know what time Dr. Rogers will be stopping by?” Neil asked while finishing his breakfast.
“She’s got a pretty full schedule so you may be here for awhile.”
“And what does your schedule look like today?”
Mercy raised an eyebrow at Neil’s words. Was he…flirting with her? “I don’t think I’ll be too busy. Did you have any plans?” she teased.
Neil laughed and shook his head. “I was actually just wondering if I could go for a walk or something. I’m going stir crazy!”
Mercy laughed and shook her head. “I can probably manage that. Let me finish my rounds and I’ll see what I can do.”
An hour later Mercy reappeared and Neil beamed when she stuck her head in the door. “Alright, rock star, let’s go.”
Neil hated how weak his legs were when he tried to stand and blushed with embarrassment when Mercy had to steady him on his feet. At least he could wear his own clothes instead of the humiliating hospital gown and his ego thanked the stars.
They slowly made their way down the hall and Neil began to appreciate his weakness, Mercy kept one arm wrapped around his waist the entire time that they walked.
The were about halfway down the hall when a small voice made them stop. “Mercy?”
Turning, the nurse was surprised to see her youngest patient standing in the hall. “Sam? What are you doing out of bed?”
“I had a bad dream,” said the small girl with a sniff.
Mercy knelt down and pulled the girl into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
The girl nodded and Neil watched as Mercy cuddled the child close as she spoke about her nightmare. He didn’t have a lot of experience with the medical field but he knew that most nurses wouldn’t take time to do what Mercy was doing for Sam.
After several moments the child stopped speaking and Mercy wiped her tears away. “Feel better?”
Sam nodded then spotted Neil over Mercy’s shoulder. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Neil, he’s a patient here too.”
“Where were you going?”
“We were going for a little walk before Neil goes home.”
Sam nodded then beckoned Mercy closer so she could whisper in her ear. Mercy turned and smiled at Neil.
“She wants to know if you’d sign her cast.”
“Of course,” replied Neil with a smile.
“Yay!” exclaimed the child. “Lots of people have signed it already and Mercy was the very first one!”
Mercy handed Neil a pen and he bent down to sign the hot pink cast that covered the girl’s arm from wrist to shoulder. “Thank you!” she exclaimed when he had finished.
“Now back to bed with you, young lady,” said Mercy. “I’ll be back to check on you later, okay?”
“Okay! Bye Mercy! Bye Neil!”
The two waved as Sam disappeared back into her room. “Still up for that walk?” asked Mercy.
Neil nodded and the two began their slow progress down the hall. He wondered why Sam was still in the emergency wing of the hospital instead with the other long term patients but one glance at Mercy’s face silenced his questions. Neil had seen the fading bruises on the child’s fair skin and knew that her condition had gotten to Mercy.
After about five minutes of walking Mercy pushed open a door and led Neil outside into what looked like a courtyard. It was still early in the day and the Texas heat was a little more bearable. They found a small bench and Neil sat down with a sigh.
“Are you alright?”
The singer nodded. “I’m fine, I’m not used to feeling so tired.”
“It’ll get better, a few days of bed rest and you’ll be making the ladies swoon in no time.”
Neil blushed at Mercy’s words and the nurse laughed. The two sat in the courtyard for nearly twenty minutes, chatting about this and that, before Mercy’s phone chirped. “Dr. Rogers is getting ready to start her rounds, we better get back.”
Swallowing a sigh of disappointment Neil slowly stood and leaned gratefully against Mercy as she led him back to his room. Laying back on the bed it took him a moment to catch his breath, he felt like he’d just run a marathon.
“Take it easy, I’ve got to make my rounds but I’ll make sure to stop by before you leave.”
Mercy was true to her word and stuck her head in the room while Sharon was helping Neil gather his few belongings. “Good morning, Sharon.”
“Good morning, Mercy,” said the producer. “Again I want to thank you for all of your help.”
“You’re welcome. Neil was by far the easiest patient I’ve had in a long time. Not one complaint from this one!”
Sharon raised an eyebrow and Neil laughed. “That’s because she bribed me with ice cream.”
“Ice cream? I’ll have to remember that,” said Sharon as she hefted Neil’s bag onto her shoulder. “I’ll go pull the car up.”
Mercy rolled a wheelchair into the room and Neil rolled his eyes. “Do I really have to ride in that thing?”
“Doctor’s orders,” said Mercy. “But before you go here is my card. If you need anything just give me a call, day or night.”
Neil took the card and smiled to himself when he saw Mercy’s cell phone number scrawled across the back. He allowed Mercy to help him into the wheelchair and twisted up to look at her.
“Just don’t run into anything, okay? As much as I enjoy your company I don’t want to end up in here with a broken leg.”
Mercy laughed and wheeled Neil into the hall. “I make no promises, rock star. But if you do break something I’ll make sure your cast is hot pink like Sam’s.”
Right on cue the little girl stuck her head out of her room. “Are you leaving, Neil?”
“Yep, I finally get to go home.”
“Can I give you a goodbye hug?”
“I’d love that.”
The little girl ran forward and hugged Neil around the waist. It was awkward due to her cast but neither one cared. “Will you come back and visit me? Mercy says you like to sing, would you sing for me?”
“Of course. I have to rest for a few days but as soon as I’m better I’ll come and visit, okay?”
“Okay! Bye Neil and feel better real soon!”
“Bye Sam!” called Neil as Mercy led him towards the exit.
“Looks like you have a new fan, rock star.”
Neil chuckled. “She’s adorable. Do you really think I’ll be able to come and visit her?”
“Hmmm…I’ll have to check with the nurse on duty. They say she’s a real tough cookie but I’m sure I can sway her.” Mercy winked and helped load Neil into Sharon’s car.
Before she could turn away Neil gently grasped her hand in both of his. “Thank you for everything, Mercy. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Mercy smiled and covered his hands with hers. “It was nothing, just doing my job. Take care of yourself, Neil, and call me if you need anything.”
Neil reluctantly let her hand go and Mercy waved as they drove away, disappearing in the busy morning traffic.
“Do you know what time Dr. Rogers will be stopping by?” Neil asked while finishing his breakfast.
“She’s got a pretty full schedule so you may be here for awhile.”
“And what does your schedule look like today?”
Mercy raised an eyebrow at Neil’s words. Was he…flirting with her? “I don’t think I’ll be too busy. Did you have any plans?” she teased.
Neil laughed and shook his head. “I was actually just wondering if I could go for a walk or something. I’m going stir crazy!”
Mercy laughed and shook her head. “I can probably manage that. Let me finish my rounds and I’ll see what I can do.”
An hour later Mercy reappeared and Neil beamed when she stuck her head in the door. “Alright, rock star, let’s go.”
Neil hated how weak his legs were when he tried to stand and blushed with embarrassment when Mercy had to steady him on his feet. At least he could wear his own clothes instead of the humiliating hospital gown and his ego thanked the stars.
They slowly made their way down the hall and Neil began to appreciate his weakness, Mercy kept one arm wrapped around his waist the entire time that they walked.
The were about halfway down the hall when a small voice made them stop. “Mercy?”
Turning, the nurse was surprised to see her youngest patient standing in the hall. “Sam? What are you doing out of bed?”
“I had a bad dream,” said the small girl with a sniff.
Mercy knelt down and pulled the girl into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
The girl nodded and Neil watched as Mercy cuddled the child close as she spoke about her nightmare. He didn’t have a lot of experience with the medical field but he knew that most nurses wouldn’t take time to do what Mercy was doing for Sam.
After several moments the child stopped speaking and Mercy wiped her tears away. “Feel better?”
Sam nodded then spotted Neil over Mercy’s shoulder. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Neil, he’s a patient here too.”
“Where were you going?”
“We were going for a little walk before Neil goes home.”
Sam nodded then beckoned Mercy closer so she could whisper in her ear. Mercy turned and smiled at Neil.
“She wants to know if you’d sign her cast.”
“Of course,” replied Neil with a smile.
“Yay!” exclaimed the child. “Lots of people have signed it already and Mercy was the very first one!”
Mercy handed Neil a pen and he bent down to sign the hot pink cast that covered the girl’s arm from wrist to shoulder. “Thank you!” she exclaimed when he had finished.
“Now back to bed with you, young lady,” said Mercy. “I’ll be back to check on you later, okay?”
“Okay! Bye Mercy! Bye Neil!”
The two waved as Sam disappeared back into her room. “Still up for that walk?” asked Mercy.
Neil nodded and the two began their slow progress down the hall. He wondered why Sam was still in the emergency wing of the hospital instead with the other long term patients but one glance at Mercy’s face silenced his questions. Neil had seen the fading bruises on the child’s fair skin and knew that her condition had gotten to Mercy.
After about five minutes of walking Mercy pushed open a door and led Neil outside into what looked like a courtyard. It was still early in the day and the Texas heat was a little more bearable. They found a small bench and Neil sat down with a sigh.
“Are you alright?”
The singer nodded. “I’m fine, I’m not used to feeling so tired.”
“It’ll get better, a few days of bed rest and you’ll be making the ladies swoon in no time.”
Neil blushed at Mercy’s words and the nurse laughed. The two sat in the courtyard for nearly twenty minutes, chatting about this and that, before Mercy’s phone chirped. “Dr. Rogers is getting ready to start her rounds, we better get back.”
Swallowing a sigh of disappointment Neil slowly stood and leaned gratefully against Mercy as she led him back to his room. Laying back on the bed it took him a moment to catch his breath, he felt like he’d just run a marathon.
“Take it easy, I’ve got to make my rounds but I’ll make sure to stop by before you leave.”
Mercy was true to her word and stuck her head in the room while Sharon was helping Neil gather his few belongings. “Good morning, Sharon.”
“Good morning, Mercy,” said the producer. “Again I want to thank you for all of your help.”
“You’re welcome. Neil was by far the easiest patient I’ve had in a long time. Not one complaint from this one!”
Sharon raised an eyebrow and Neil laughed. “That’s because she bribed me with ice cream.”
“Ice cream? I’ll have to remember that,” said Sharon as she hefted Neil’s bag onto her shoulder. “I’ll go pull the car up.”
Mercy rolled a wheelchair into the room and Neil rolled his eyes. “Do I really have to ride in that thing?”
“Doctor’s orders,” said Mercy. “But before you go here is my card. If you need anything just give me a call, day or night.”
Neil took the card and smiled to himself when he saw Mercy’s cell phone number scrawled across the back. He allowed Mercy to help him into the wheelchair and twisted up to look at her.
“Just don’t run into anything, okay? As much as I enjoy your company I don’t want to end up in here with a broken leg.”
Mercy laughed and wheeled Neil into the hall. “I make no promises, rock star. But if you do break something I’ll make sure your cast is hot pink like Sam’s.”
Right on cue the little girl stuck her head out of her room. “Are you leaving, Neil?”
“Yep, I finally get to go home.”
“Can I give you a goodbye hug?”
“I’d love that.”
The little girl ran forward and hugged Neil around the waist. It was awkward due to her cast but neither one cared. “Will you come back and visit me? Mercy says you like to sing, would you sing for me?”
“Of course. I have to rest for a few days but as soon as I’m better I’ll come and visit, okay?”
“Okay! Bye Neil and feel better real soon!”
“Bye Sam!” called Neil as Mercy led him towards the exit.
“Looks like you have a new fan, rock star.”
Neil chuckled. “She’s adorable. Do you really think I’ll be able to come and visit her?”
“Hmmm…I’ll have to check with the nurse on duty. They say she’s a real tough cookie but I’m sure I can sway her.” Mercy winked and helped load Neil into Sharon’s car.
Before she could turn away Neil gently grasped her hand in both of his. “Thank you for everything, Mercy. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Mercy smiled and covered his hands with hers. “It was nothing, just doing my job. Take care of yourself, Neil, and call me if you need anything.”
Neil reluctantly let her hand go and Mercy waved as they drove away, disappearing in the busy morning traffic.