Chapter 13

            AJ moaned as his head tossed to the left, his nightmare making him very uncomfortable.  His leg jerked, his head turned again and then it jolted him from his sleep.  He looked around quickly making sure he wasn’t in his car anymore.

“Hey.” Chelsea said and he looked at her shocked.  She sat down beside him on his bed, he was surprised to see her there, he was up earlier for breakfast and she wasn’t there.

“When did you get here?” He asked calming himself.

“An hour ago.” She said as she took his hand.

“How are you? Kevin called last night said you had an attack, I called this morning but he said you were still sleeping.”

“I’m ok now.” She replied with a light smile, her eyes drifted down to their hands.  He knew something was wrong, he wondered if it was the headache she had last night, and then he remembered his journal.

            “Come here.” He said as he lifted her arm and gently pulled her towards him.  He noticed she hesitated but she gave in and carefully slid beside him.  She rested her head on his shoulder and laid her arm gently on his stomach.  “Mmm, that’s better.” He sighed as his fingers drifted through her hair.  “Did you like your flowers?” He asked as he looked down at her.

“I did, thank you.” She said as she looked up at him.

“I think you were right about what you wrote in my journal.” He said as she sat up a little and looked at him.  “I think we need to decide where we want to go and the hell with everyone else.”

            “You do?” She asked.

“Yes and in fact I’ve already told Kevin that I want you to come live with me.” He told her and her eyes widen, he was shocked to see a small hint of relief or maybe even hope in them.  “With what you said in Kentucky, I want you to feel at home, safe, and normal.  If you stayed in Kentucky or even moved to Kevin’s those boys could just walk in at any minute, but at my place you can just let the bell ring and not think twice.”

“Alex are you sure?” She asked a little shocked he wanted to do this.

“I’m sure, as long as you want to.” He said as he brushed his fingers down her cheek.

“I want to I do, I want to get away and just have it be us for a while.” Chelsea said “I don’t ever want to feel like I’m losing you again.” She said as she started to cry.  AJ frowned and slowly sat up wrapping his arms around her.

“I’m ok now Chelsea.” He said as he held her letting her cry.  “I’m so proud of how strong you’ve been, it makes me feel better knowing that if something does happen you’ll be able to handle it.”  She pulled away and looked at him.  “Three months ago you wouldn’t have been able to handle this.” he lightly smiled as he brushed her tears away, he looked into her eyes, and then he leaned in and kissed her.

Their lips pulled apart but their foreheads remain touching.  “I love you Alex.”

“I love you to Chelsea.” He replied as his hand rested against her neck. “You think Anne will be ok with it, Kevin wasn’t so sure.”

“She will be, I think she’ll understand and Kev’s probably hesitant because of the drama it’ll cause with Tim and Gerald when they find out, plus what his Mom will say.” She tilted her head, thinking.  “She’ll understand.”

AJ smiled at her as he sat back easing the tension on his ribs, and it also eased the pain.  He motioned for her to lay back down and with a light grin she slid beside him again.  Closing his eyes AJ took in the moment, the smell of her hair, the way she held him, even if it wasn’t as tight as usual, and how he felt.  Before the accident he did have what some would say, second thoughts about him and Chelsea but he pushed them away, working and focusing what was best for her. Was it worth what it was putting her through, putting the Richardson’s through or even him?  Then he woke up with a tube down his throat, pain all over his body, and when he was ready to freak out, she was there.  He remembered her touching him, telling him not to touch the tube, telling him he would be ok.  He remembered how he felt when he woke up, fear, panic, the un knowing, and that was the feeling he hated the most but it went away when he saw her, he knew, as long as she was there he would be alright. 

“Hey Chels?” AJ said quietly.  When there was no answer he tilted his head to look down at her.  “Out cold.” He smiled and lightly kissed her forehead. Laying his head back against his pillow he closed his eyes and joined her.

June 14th 2009

            I’m awake and able to concentrate enough to write.  It’s been a wild week.  It’s hard to grasp the fact I almost fucking died, sometimes I think it was just a dream and then I look around.  I see the monitors, the wires and tubes coming from me, and I remember how it felt to wake up.  Not knowing what was going on, having this thing down my throat and then I saw her, like the Angel she use to be.  I guess it took mass head trauma to knock some sense into me but I get it now, want I want and she’s the only who can give it too me.

            I’ve talked to Kevin and I’ve even talked to Anne.  I told them both how I felt, that the way Tim and Jerald were acting was not good for Chelsea.  I told them I already talked to Chels about it and she wants to move too.  I don’t want her to have to worry about anything; I don’t want to worry about this shit anymore.  

His door opened and he looked up from his journal.  He frowned a little when he saw it was his Doctor and not Chelsea back from breakfast.  Closing the book he set it beside him as his doctor walked over too him.

“How would you feel about going home today?” The Doctor said as he sat down.

“Seriously Doc?” AJ said shocked.

“Your CAT scans came back and everything looks good.  I’ll send you down to the therapy room; you can do all the exercises at home. While you’re down there I’ll write up your papers and you should be able to leave when you get back.” The Doctor told him.  “But there are some rules we need to go over.”

“No problem.” AJ said nodding quickly.  He thought for sure he would be stuck here a few more days. 

The Doctor told him walking was to be as minimal as possible for the next week or so, do his exercises three times a day and refrain from going up and down the stairs, stay on the couch all day and go upstairs to sleep.

“No worries here.” AJ said with a smile when they had finished talking.

“Alright.” The doctor smiled.  “The nurse will come get you in a couple of minutes.”

AJ smiled and rubbed his hands together with excitement at the realization he would be going home.  Home to his bed, with no beeps, and no people walking or running by his door.  Right away he started packing up what he could.  He thought about writing in his journal some more but figured he’d save it for when he went home.  A smile broke across his face again.

“Home” He sighed.

“Are you sure you wanna stay down here?” Kevin asked as he helped AJ sit down on his couch.

“Yeah, I’ll go up when I want to crash, he said I could I just can’t go up and down.” He told his friend.

“We’re back!” Kristin shouted.

“Did you get everything?” Kevin asked as he walked out of the living room.

“Yep” Chelsea said as she dropped her bag on the floor.  “Where is he?’

“In the living room.” Kevin said with a nod.  She smiled at him and then headed down the hall.

“Have you talked to your Mom yet?” Kristin asked.

“Yeah, I talked to her when we were having lunch back at the house.” Kevin said.

“What did she say?” His wife asked as she wrapped her arms around his waste.

“She’s a little upset, I think it’s more that she couldn’t provide Chelsea someplace where she felt safe but she understands why their doing it and she hopes Chelsea can finally move on.”

“Do you need anything?” Chelsea asked as she sat down beside AJ on the couch.

“I’ve got everything I need right here.” He said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around her.  She lightly smiled as they both leaned in and kissed.

“Damn you two we haven’t even left yet.” Kevin said as him and Kristin walked into the living room.

“Well what are you waiting for?” AJ asked after they had pulled away. 

“We’re going.” Kevin said rolling his eyes as Chelsea stood up lightly laughing.  The two hugged and she walked them to the door.  “If you need anything call, if you have a headache call, if you…”

Chelsea interrupted him.  “I know I know…call, I’ll be fine.” 

She closed the door and locked it after Kevin and Kristin left.  Taking a deep breath she let everything sink in.  He was home, he was relaxing, and he was very much alive.  Walking down the hall she went into the living room and sat on the couch.

“How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Little stiff and sore in the chest, head still hurts a little, but either than that I’m good.” He said with a light smile.  “How are you doing?” He asked in return.

“I’m good.” She said with a light nod.

“Really? You’re not just saying that so I won’t worry?” He asked.

Chelsea lightly shook her head.   “No, I’m ok really, I’m here with you.”

AJ smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her closer to him.  She laid her head on his shoulder as he took her hand into his.  “So this is it, this is the point where we say good bye to all of the sounds, and all of the sites. We’ve both have had enough heartache to last us three lifetimes, this is the point where we move on, with or without them, and this is the point where we both become happy.”

“You and me.” Chelsea said with a light smile her lips drifted a feather width from his.

“It’s going to be hard.”  AJ told her their eyes locked onto each other.  “Tim and Jerald are going to keep pushing and not to mention the baggage that comes with me.”

“And like I said, I don’t care.  They want me to get a life, well I had one and it was taken away from me.” She told him.  “I spent thirteen years accepting that, that life was gone and then out of no where I get it back, nothing and I mean nothing will take it away from me again.”

“Well Doctors orders, I’m not going anywhere.” AJ joked and they both laughed.  When their laughter stopped they hugged.  “I love you Chelsea.” He lightly smiled as the words flowed from his mouth with no hesitation and no second guessing.

“I love you too.” She replied.

June 14th 2008

I’m home, no longer in that fucking room with the machines, no people running down the hall as I sleep.  It’s funny; I’ve wanted to get home, into my bed and sleep.  Without people running passed my room, coming into my room to check on me, and without the noise and the beeps of those fucking machines but I can’t sleep.  I get up and walk over to my closet, I look inside and beside my stuff is her stuff.  I look at my dresser and no longer do my sun glasses, jewelry and hats sit by themselves.  I stare at my bed and see her sleeping.  I still wonder if it’s a dream.  After everything I’ve been through, after all the people I hurt, what have I done I wonder, to deserve this second chance.  Why were my wishes and prayers answered?  I may never know but I won’t take it for granted.  Maybe I needed to go through everything so I could be ready for her.  Be the strong person she needed, that she still needs to help get her life back.  If you had asked me a year ago if I was that person, I would have told you no but now I know I am and I will be.  I don’t know what the future holds, maybe this time next year she won’t be sleeping next to me, maybe she will be, I don’t know, no one does. I try not to go there when I think about our future.  I’m just glad I can think and dream about a future for the two of us.  I’ve never wanted to protect someone so much, I’ve never wanted to love someone so much, and I’ve never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with her. Maybe this time next year I can say, “This is my wife, Chelsea.” I guess only the Sun, the Moon and the Stars truly know what lies ahead, but I know I’m ready for anything.

Alex.