STORY: Adjustments, part 8 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.


      Two days later, Hilary lounged in her hospital bed reading a magazine 
and listening to the radio.  She laughed when Mackie flubbed a line and 
Maple made it worse by not catching his mistake and read her next line 
flawlessly. Which made his mistake stick out all the more.

       She looked up when she heard someone walk into her room. Dr. Jamison 
walked in and greeted her.  "Hi Doc." She said happily, "How are we doing 
today?"

       "Well enough that I think I can spring you from this joint." He 
answered as he walked to her bedside.  "Let me take one last look at your 
shoulder."

       "Ah, home," she said as the doctor checked her healing wounds, "I 
remember home. Vaguely."

       The man laughed. "Let me see you lift your arm to the side."

       She lifted as far as she could before the pain was too much. "Almost 
above my ribs. Getting better."

       "Yes it is." He agreed, "now try to the front."

       Hilary brought the arm to her front and tried lifting. The pain 
always came in sooner and she couldn't tolerate it past her stomach. 
"That's the hardest part."

       "Just keep doing your exercises and maybe we can get that muscle 
loosened back up." He told her. "I still can't guarantee complete usage." 
He sat on the edge of the bed and explained, "See in order to repair the 
damaged muscle tissue we had to lose a little bit, so it's shorter. The 
only way to rebuild the tissue is to keep flexing it and using it."

       "I understand," she replied, "I just--" A brief flash of sadness 
crossed her features, "Well, I'll adjust."
The doctor smiled, understanding. "As for the little one, I see no 
complications."

      "Wonderful." Hilary smiled proudly, "Can I go home now?"

      "I don't see why not. I do want to see you in my office in a couple 
weeks. Just to check to see how you are doing." Dr. Jamison stood and 
started for the door, "Why don't you call your husband, have him come pick 
you up and I'll send a nurse in to get you ready."

      "Thank you, for everything Doctor." Hilary sincerely said, "I know 
Jeffrey would say the same."

      He smiled, "You just take care of yourself. I'll send Mary in." He 
left the room leaving Hilary alone to begin packing.

      The first thing she did was get dressed. Jeff had brought one of her 
dresses from home, knowing she'd be released soon. He had also been slowly 
taking things she no longer needed home.

      Once she finished dressing, she put on the sling. Dr. Jamison had 
told her that he still wanted her to wear it until the pain completely was 
gone. He didn't want her to accidentally tear the healing muscle by using 
the arm without thinking.

      Once she had the remaining clothes packed in her suitcase, she moved 
to the phone to call Jeff.  As she picked up the receiver she had a 
thought. She could easily call a taxi and have him drive her to WENN. That 
way Jeff wouldn't be interrupted at work. Plus, she really wanted to prove 
to herself that she could do things on her own.

      She phoned for a cab and then waited for Mary.

      "I hear you've been set free." Mary said as she opened the door.

      "Yes." Hilary replied enjoying the thought. "It's time for me to 
rejoin the
land of the living."

      "Is Jeffrey on his way?"

      "No Mary, I called a cab. I need to do this myself." Hilary explained 
while closing her suitcase.

      "Are you sure, dear?" The older woman asked.

      "I'm positive." Hilary assured, "Don't call Jeff, please. I want to
surprise him."

      "I won't." Mary looked around the room, "Do you have everything?"

      Hilary glanced the room over, "Looks like it. Jeff took the flowers 
and extra things home yesterday." She lifted the closed suitcase off the 
bed, "It's just me and my suitcase."

      Mary walked her down to the discharge area and Hilary filled out and 
signed the necessary papers. Seeing the cab, Hilary walked into the bright 
warm late April sun. She took a large breath of the first fresh air she'd 
felt in over a month. The cab driver opened the door for her and she 
turned, "Thank you Mary. I don't know what we'd have done without you in 
our lives."

      "You don't think about that, sweetie." Mary hugged her. "Now you get 
going. I'll drop by tomorrow to see how you are doing."

      After hugging the woman, Hilary stepped into the cab and sat. She 
told the driver where to go and soon they were on their way. The farther 
they got from the safe haven of the hospital, the more nervous Hilary 
became.  *You can do this* She took deep calming breaths and contented 
herself to watching the road pass by.

      Soon they'd arrived. The driver parked the cab and walked around to 
open her door for her. She jumped slightly as the whoosh of air hit her 
when the door was abruptly opened. She sat for a second, chiding herself. 
The driver extended his hand to help her from the vehicle. Hesitantly she 
crossed her left arm across herself and took his hand. He gently helped her 
from the car, handed her the suitcase and closed the door behind her.

      "Put it on our tab." Hilary explained, "The name is Singer."

      The driver nodded, tipped his hat and left her on the curb. She stood 
and stared up at the building. Several people passed her on the street, and 
she felt out of place. A few men tipped their hats as they passed, the 
women nodded a polite greeting. Gathering the courage to go inside, she 
started walking across what to her seemed like a sea of strangers.

      Keeping her mind on the goal of getting inside the building, Hilary 
accidentally bumped into an older man. She turned sharply at the sudden 
jolt on her side. Seeing the agitated look on the man's face, she quickly 
apologized. He grumped an acceptance, told her to watch where she was going 
and moved on.

      Finally across the sidewalk, she realized the dilemma of how to pull 
open the door with one arm in a sling and one holding a suitcase. Seeing 
her problem, someone on the inside of the building opened it for her.

      "It's good to see you Miss Booth," The front receptionist said as 
Hilary walked past the girl. "Can I help you to the elevator?"

      "No, no thank you. I can manage." She walked through the lobby, 
noting that people stopped to look at her. Most of these people she'd seen 
daily, now some looked at her with sympathy, some with curiosity or scorn. 
A few had turned away from her in disgust. Intending to ignore the 
busybodies, she pushed the button on the elevator.

      As she stood waiting, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was 
being watched. Turning slowly, she could see no one. It must be her fear, 
she thought.

      The doors slid open and she stepped in, followed by two men and a 
woman. They each told the operator what floor they were going to, and 
Hilary stepped into the corner where she could see everyone. The ride was 
completed in silence, the woman leaving two floors before hers.

      Now she was alone in a closed space with three men. She reminded 
herself over and over that it was just two more floors.

      "--looks heavy." Hilary started when she realized one of the men was 
talking to her. "Oh, no. It's just clothes, I can manage thank you." She 
politely refused.

      The car opened on her floor and Hilary stepped out quickly. She took 
a congratulatory breath. "I did it." She laughed, "I did it!"  She squared 
her shoulders, and walked to the front door of the station. She set the 
suitcase down and pulled open the door. Propping it open with her foot, she 
picked the case back up and walked inside.

      "Hilary!" The surprised Gertie said, "What are you doing here?"

      "I work here." She retorted.

      "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

      "I was released today." She leaned slightly, "They said I was cured." 
She moved the slinged arm a little, "Well, mostly cured. Jeffrey on the air?"

      "You know he is." Gertie answered with a sharp tinge in her voice.

      Furrowing her brow, Hilary shrugged the comment off and walked down 
to the green room.

      Jeff glanced up from his script to see Hilary enter the room across 
the hall. "I'll be right back, uh, Captain." He handed Mackie the loose 
papers and left the studio.

      He pushed through the doors to see Hilary and Maple hugging. "Why 
didn't you call me?" he asked.

      Hilary turned, "I wanted to do it myself. To prove that I could."

      Jeff pulled her into his arms, "And you did okay?"

      "I did okay." She repeated.

to be continued...

Biz


Bizarra@infinet.com