STORY: Adjustments, part 5 of ? (It's a long one LOL) FANDOM: Remember WENN AUTHOR: Michele Savage (1998) RATING: NC-17, M/F, hurt/comfort SUMMARY: After Hilary is brutally attacked and left for dead, she and Jeff have some healing to do. SETTING: 1942, Pittsburgh FEEDBACK: Would be muchly appreciated. :-) ARCHIVE: Hetsketeers. (anywhere else, let me know before archiving please.), Sockii, this can be archived at Rest Is Silence too. :-) DISCLAIMER: Remember WENN and its characters are copyright Rupert Holmes, Howard Meltzer and AMC. No infringement is intended. The story is mine as are any original characters. When he walked into the room, Hilary was alone and sitting on the same chair she occupied earlier. He noticed she was wearing a white dressing gown with red trim and a matching red belt tied at the waist. She smiled when she saw him. "You look beautiful." He remarked as he walked to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead. He pulled another chair around and sat closely to her. "Thank you. Mary was kind enough to get this for me. The gown beneath it matches. It's a lovely set." Hilary said as she gazed at her husband and tried to hide a smile. "What?" Jeff asked, having recognized the look. "I have something to tell you." She hinted, her smile widening. "Dr. Jamison gave me some wonderful news today. News that we both needed at this time." Jeff pursed his eyebrows in confusion, "He thinks your shoulder will heal normally?" He guessed. "He isn't sure about that yet." She answered, "No. That wasn't the news." She took Jeff's hand and was surprised to feel her eyes tear up. "Darling what is it?" Jeff asked, now concerned when he saw her begin to cry. She laughed, trying to stop herself from crying. "Pumpkin, I'm two months pregnant." Jeff blinked, "What?" he asked with a smile. She nodded, "The doctor told me yesterday and I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure that I wouldn't lose this baby. He told me today that according to test results he received this morning we have a very stubborn baby here that wants to be born." Her tears started fresh when she saw a tear track itself down Jeff's cheek. "Mittens," he said and gingerly pulled her into an embrace. "I can't believe this." "Me neither. It's a miracle I didn't lose the baby when--" she hesitated, "well, it's a miracle." Jeff pulled back, "Now you are going to do everything the doctor tells you right? Don't push yourself too hard." She rolled her eyes and smiled, "I love you, Jeffrey Singer." "I love you too, Mrs. Singer." He repeated and kissed her. "So everyone knows now?" Hilary asked as she settled back into her bed that afternoon. Jeff had just informed her that an article about her attack had been in the paper. "Yes. I have no idea how the press knew. Someone here must have told them." Jeff said. "I've told Mary not to allow anyone that we don't know in here. She knows all our friends and acquaintances, so that shouldn't be too difficult." "Good." "Um-- Scott asked me if you wanted visitors. He said the gang has been asking to come see you." Jeff mentioned. "I told him to give it a couple days." "I'd like that, thank you Pumpkin." Hilary answered as she arranged her gown to be more comfortable when she lay. "Darling, could you reach closer to my feet? The tail of this gown in bunched up behind my knees." "Sure." Jeff said as he pulled the balled up material away from her knees. "There. Is that better?" "Much, thank you." She said as she lay back and closed her eyes to take a nap. Jeff sat on the edge of the bed and watched over her as she slept. He tenderly rubbed her arm, keeping her aware that he was there. She'd started having nightmares a few days ago. He worried that she'd toss too much and tear open the cut on her chest. He found that if he sat with her and kept in some sort of contact with her arm, she was able to sleep through the night. She didn't know, of course, that he hadn't had a full nights sleep in three days. He'd just cat nap here and there while the doctor was examining her. As he watched her, he couldn't help thinking that if he'd just left O'Malley's with her she wouldn't be in this bed. The thought hurt especially now that he knew she was carrying his child. His eyes began to water as he recalled the night he and Ron found her in that alley. He knew it would be a long time before that image would fade. Hearing a noise near the door, Jeff wiped his eyes and turned to the source. "Did I come at a bad time?" Mackie said quietly, having noticed Hilary was asleep. Jeff stood and walked to the man, "No, actually you came at a good time." He whispered, "Watching her sleep sometimes causes my mind to wander to places I'd rather it not go." "I brought these for her." Mackie said as he handed Jeff the vase of roses he held. "She'll enjoy them." Jeff replied, "let me put them on the table by the bed so she can see them." He walked back to the man and gestured for him to sit on the small couch, I don't want to leave her alone while she's sleeping. If she wakes, I want to be here." "How is she doing, Jeff?" The two men spoke softly, so they wouldn't disturb the sleeping woman. "Physically, she's healing. We aren't sure yet how her shoulder muscles were affected." Jeff explained, "The other--well, she's started having nightmares. She's still panicky about being touched, unless she's aware of where and when you are touching her. You know Hilary, she hides it with a brave face, but I can tell its eating her up inside." Jeff rubbed his face tiredly, "Mary said she is beginning to open up to her." "That's good." Mackie responded. He clapped Jeff on the knee, "How 'bout you? You doing all right?" Jeff gave a frustrating laugh and stood to walk out of the room. He leaned on his hand against the wall outside the hospital room. Mackie followed, sensing Jeff needed to talk. "Mackie every time I close my eyes I see her lying in a pool of her own blood in the mouth of that alley. I should have followed her out, dammit." Jeff said in a ragged voice. He stood straight and turned to lean his back against the wall. He crossed his arms and looked at the smaller man next to him, "You know what makes matters worse? She's pregnant." Jeff stopped when Mackie drew a surprised breath. "Yes, she's two months along. If I had known-- if WE had known that night, we'd have just eaten and gone home. We are just damn lucky she didn't lose this baby." "That's a bit of good news in all this isn't it?" Mackie said with a smile. He was glad to see Jeff return his smile. "Yes it is, but don't tell anyone." Jeff asked, "Let her do it. Maybe it will make her feel a little better to have good news for folks." The man smiled. "It's your news too." "It hasn't really sunk in." Jeff admitted, "I've been too preoccupied with Hilary's well-being, I haven't had time to sit down and really consider the fact that we're having a baby." He re-adjusted his stance, moving his weight to his other leg, "It's really unfair. I should be bouncing off walls right now thrilled at the prospect of being a father. Instead I'm in a hospital worrying about whether or not Hilary would wake screaming and injure herself further." "Life is unfair that way sometimes." Mackie said, "But it'll only get you down if you let it. Be happy, Jeff. In seven months you'll be holding a new life that you created with that incredibly strong woman in there and maybe all this will seem like a fading bad dream." Jeff took a long drawn out breath, "I know Mackie, but right now it's a nightmare that's all too real." He stood tall, "I should get back to Hilary." "I can come back later." Mackie offered, "I know Scott said to give it a couple days, but I wanted to see her." "It's all right Mack, she'll be glad to see you." Jeff assured. He walked around the man and quietly pushed open the door to her room. They stepped in and noticing she was still sleeping soundly, sat on the couch and talked quietly amongst themselves. "Have they caught the man yet?" Mackie asked. Jeff replied by shaking his head 'no'. "I talked to Officer Clarkson yesterday and he said they were able to get a possible description of a man who Joe said seemed out of place Saturday before last at O'Malley's, but without a way for Hilary to identify him, they can't be sure it's the same man. Other than that, they have no real leads." Jeff explained. "Clarkson said that the longer they go without catching him, the less likely they ever will." "How does that make you feel?" Mackie wondered. "Frustrated, angry, and in some ways a little glad I don't ever have to face him." Jeff admitted. "Because there are days when I think if I ever saw him, I'd tear him apart. And the thought that I could be capable of that scares the hell out of me." Hilary stirred and woke. Jeff stood and walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Did you sleep well, Mittens?" "Will the dreams ever stop," she asked in a quiet frightened voice. Jeff leaned across her body on his arm, and lifted his free hand to brush softly through her hair. "Did you have another dream, darling?" She nodded as much as she could and wiped tears from her eyes. Mackie watched as Jeff quietly comforted his wife. He fingered away a tear that formed in the corner of his eye. He'd seen them hate, he'd seen them love; but he'd never seen them like this. No, he recalled, he had seen them like this once before. During the quarantine, when Jeff was having his nightmares. A few of those nights Jeff's thrashing woke him up, but, usually he feigned sleep when Hilary was there to give them privacy. Some nights she'd just sit with him and rub his arm until it was nearly dawn, other nights she'd hold him and remind him that he was home. Now as he watched Jeff do the same thing, he realized just how necessary they were for each other. Silently he crept out of the room and left them alone. He could come back some other time to see Hilary. "What was the dream about, Hilary?" Jeff asked tenderly, hoping she'd at least talk about something. Out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen Mackie slip out of the room. He made himself a mental note to thank the man later. She closed her eyes, "I was walking with a baby and a man came up to us. His face was hidden, all I could really see were his hands. He tried to take her away from me, but I fought with him." Her soft crying became harder as she spoke, "He wasn't taking our baby." Jeff carefully gathered her into his arms and let her cry against his shoulder. "I wasn't going to let him take our baby." she repeated over and over. Jeff cradled her against his body, the arm around her back protecting her injuries. He held her head against his shoulder, gently rubbing his fingers against her hair. "No one is taking our baby, Mittens," he assured her quietly, squeezing his eyes against his own tears, "I'll make sure that never happens." "You will?" Her voice, so tiny and full of pain was nearly his undoing. "Mittens, I promise you that nothing or no-one will ever hurt you or our baby again." Jeff assured her with a voice more emotional than he'd intended. She began to sob harder, which in turn caused him to give in to his feelings and together they finally excised a bit of the shared pain. to be continued.... Biz (Ya'll still here? ) Bizarra@infinet.com