Chapter 6
Kate doesn’t even bother to finish the rest of Tennent’s voicemail. All that matters is getting to Lucy. Kate doesn’t care if Lucy is still mad at her. All that matters is that she needs to see her.
This can’t be happening. Kate thinks. Not again.
Kate tries not to panic as she sets the hospital as her destination in her phone's navigation app. her hands shake as she grips the wheel. The wheel is slippery under her sweaty hands, the direness of the situation setting in. She focuses all of her attention on driving instead of whatever awaits her at the hospital.
It’s a 25 minute drive. Kate can do that. 25 minutes and then she will see Lucy. She tries not to think about what she might find when she gets there.
A few curse words and car honks later, Kate arrives at the hospital. The traffic was ridiculous on the way over, but it is a Saturday night, so she isn’t too surprised.
She puts her car in park in one of the parking spots in the large parking garage, barely remembering to lock her car as she sprints in the direction of the stairs that will take her to the hospital lobby.
Kate opens the door to the hospital lobby and quickly scans the room, searching for Tennent or anyone else from Lucy’s team. The room is mostly filled with tourists, awaiting care for their variety of injuries. She even see’s one guy with the worst sunburn she has ever seen, but no Tennent, Jesse, Kai or Ernie in sight. Kate’s heart drops and she does everything in her power not to think of the worst.
Kate drops her hand to her knees and catches her breath for a moment before making her way up to the receptionist desk. “Hi, how can I help you?”
“Hi.” Kate says out of breath still, her voice quivering. “I’m looking for a patient. Lucy Tara.”
The receptionist eyes her for a moment and Kate hopes she doesn’t look as crazy as she feels right now. “Let me see here. I will just look her up in the system real quick.” Kate hasn’t looked at herself in the mirror yet nor has she had the time to. But, she can imagine how she looks. Hair a mess, sweat stained to her face and clothes. Come to think of it, her makeup is probably ruined as well from the tears that undoubtedly stain her face. But that doesn’t matter. What matters right now is Lucy.
“Yes, okay I have her down as an admitted patient.” The kind receptionist lady looks up at Kate. “Are you family? We only allow family members up to the room.”
“Um.” Kate tilts her head and averts her eyes from the receptionist. Shit. Well, she has lied all of this week to her friends so what’s a little white lie going to hurt. “Yes. Yes I am. She’s my fiancé actually. I’m Kate Whistler.”
Fake girlfriend. Fake fiancé. What’s the difference? There’s no going back now and Lucy needs her. That’s all Kate cares about. Now's not the time for moral high grounds.
“Perfect. Ms. Tara is in room 508.” The receptionist, Mary, says. Kate takes note of her nametag, making a mental reminder to send her flowers as an apology for lying. Mary makes a quick note on her computer. “Nurse Sophie will bring you up to your fiancé right away.” Mary gestures towards a kind looking nurse standing off to the side in light blue scrubs.
“Thank you.” Kate gratefully offers before following nurse Sophie into the elevator.
They ride up in silence, other than the normal how are you small talk. Kate has to try and steady her breathing. She reminds herself Lucy is not Noah. That she can care for someone and they will be okay. Of course, she doesn’t know that yet, but she doesn’t need to go to ultimate panic mode until she needs to. If she needs to.
When the elevator arrives on the fifth floor, Kate takes a deep breath and steps out of the elevator. Nurse Sophie leads her to the right. Kate watches as the numbers on the right make their way up.
502
504
506
508
They stop outside of 508, the room that Lucy is in. Nurse Sophie turns to Kate and gives her a soft smile before opening the door. “Lucy, you're quite popular. I have another visitor for you. Your fiancé is here.”
Kate walks in trying not to blush. She wasn’t sure what Lucy’s state was or if she was even going to be conscious. She didn’t think that her lie would be announced outloud.
All five heads in the room turn towards Kate. Tennent, Jesse, Kai, and Ernie all share a knowing look. But Lucy.
Lucy.
Lucy just sits there smiling with a stupid grin on her face.
Kate lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding at the sight of Lucy. She’s fine. Well not fine. She is a little banged up. A prominent bruise is starting to form around her eye that will in no time turn to a pretty nasty black eye. And her left arm is in a sling. But other than that she is okay. Lucy is okay. She’s sitting in a hospital bed, but she’s alive. She’s still here. It’s not like Noah all over again. Kate cared and everything is okay.
Tennent is the first to rush to Kate’s side as soon as nurse Sophie leaves the hospital room. She is aware she looks terrible, which is why Tennent is showing a concerned face. “Whistler.” Tennent says. “You got my message. I did say that you didn’t have to abandon your plans, you could have come tomorrow.”
“What?” Kate is clearly confused. The rest of the team looks just as confused but for different reasons. “You said you guys got an emergency case. And that Lucy was in the hospital. Of course I came.”
Tennent laughs. “Well yes, but I also said she was going to be fine just a little banged up. I know you two aren’t exactly close.” Tennent looks as if she doesn’t quite believe that anymore. “You could have checked up tomorrow, but we are glad you are here. And I’m sure Lucy is too.” They both turn their heads towards Lucy and the guys who are in a conversation. It seems a little one sided as Lucy is rambling on about God knows what, hopped up on pain medicine.
Kate thinks back. Did she overreact because of her past with Noah? Did she read too much into Tennents voice? Now that she thinks about it, she didn’t finish the voicemail Tennent left her. She heard the word hospital and was on her way without another thought.
“She’s fine.” Tennent assures Kate with a quick rub to her arm. “Just a small concussion and they had to give her some pain meds to reset her dislocated shoulder as a precaution.”
“Kate.” Lucy happily shouts in her drugged up state. Apparently remembering that Kate is now in the room. “I mean my fiancé.”
“We are going to go down to the cafeteria and get some food.” Jesse thankfully offers and gestures for the rest of the crew to get up. Kate gives him an appreciative look and Jesse nods his head.
On their way out they all give Lucy a look as if she needs to explain all of this at a later time. Kate is just grateful they are giving them space. She makes her way over the bed and places her hand on top of Lucy’s.
Now that she has a closer look, her heart drops at the bruises sprawled across Lucy’s body. But, she’s okay. This can happen in Lucy’s line of work. It’s not crazy that she has bruises and a dislocated shoulder. Those are minor injuries and for that Kate is thankful.
“So fiancé, huh?” Lucy giggles. Kate rolls her eyes and feels heat rise in her cheeks. “You went from fake girlfriend to fake fiancé fast.”
Kate throws her head back in defeat. A playful smile sits on her lips. “I figured girlfriend wasn’t enough this time. I had to pull out the big guns.”
Lucy played with Kate’s fingers before looking up at her. “I’m pretty sure they would have made an exception for law enforcement.” Lucy giggles again.
Kate takes her hand from Lucy’s and lifts both of them to cover her face in embarrassment. “Oh. Well that’s embarrassing.” Normally she would be out of sorts at Lucy knowing how much she cared. But it’s different now. She want’s Lucy to know that she cares. “I honestly didn’t even think about that. I was too worried about you.”
“Yeah?” Lucy says, removing Kate’s hands from her face and placing them back with hers. Kate relaxes into her touch.
“Yeah.” Kate says firmly. No doubt in her voice.
Lucy grins, a sloppy smile plastered to her face. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you need to kiss me.” Still grinning. “You know, to play the part.”
Kate’s smile fades. It’s not that she doesn’t want to. Oh she wants to. But, it’s real now. So her face reflects the seriousness. But, she has no doubt in her mind about what she wants to do next.
Lucy notices the change in Kate’s demeanor and frowns. “Sorry I’m a little hopped up on pain meds right now. So ignore me.” She tries to play it off coolly.
Kate realizes her mistake and raises her lips into a smile. “That’s okay. Lucy on pain meds is kind of cute.” Before she changes her mind, she leans into Lucy and brushes their lips together. It’s a short, but sweet kiss, but Kate lets Lucy know how she feels with the kiss.
She pulls away and Lucy mumbles something about continuing this later once her pain meds wear off. And Kate nods in agreement.
Silently, Lucy shuffles over to make room for Kate in the bed, trying to hide how she winces in pain with the little movement, but Kate notices. Kate gets in beside Lucy and wraps an arm around her in comfort. Lucy snuggles in against her side, laying her head onto Kate’s chest.
“My feet are almost to the end of the bed.” Kate jokes and she feels Lucy laugh against her chest. “I’m so glad you are okay.” Kate whispers against Lucy’s ear. Kate lets herself enjoy the moment not caring about what is going to happen today, tomorrow, in a year. She just enjoys the presence of Lucy cuddled against her and the fact that she is going to be okay. That she is okay.
They lay like that for what feels like hours. But, Kate doesn’t care. She thinks that she could stay like this for the rest of her life even.
They don't talk much. She can hear all about Lucy’s case later. Rather Kate lets Lucy sleep off the pain meds. Kate herself even doses off for a few minutes.
A while later, Kate feels Lucy stir. She leans down and kisses Lucy’s forehead, getting a pleased mumble in response.
“Hey Luce.” Kate thinks it’s time they should talk. She knows she has already hurt Lucy enough and she wants her to know that she knows that. She doesn’t want to keep her waiting longer than she already has. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry.” Lucy looks up and Kate melts at the sight of her brown eyes. “I know I pushed you too hard and too fast. I know you have been through a lot. And I know you will tell me all about it when you are ready. I should have been more patient.”
Kate doesn’t respond quite yet. She is too astounded by how amazing of a woman Lucy is. How caring she is. Lucy is quite literally laying in a hospital bed and she still is putting Kate first. Maybe Kate is being rewarded for being some kind of hero in a past life, because she can’t possibly think of a reason why she gets the chance to love an amazingly kind and beautiful woman like this. And it is love. Kate isn’t sure of much, but she is sure about how she feels now.
Lucy looks concerned when Kate doesn’t respond. “And if you aren’t ready or any of that. That’s okay too. I can wait.”
“Lucy-” Kate wants to reassure Lucy that she does want this. She wants it so bad. “I’m sorry. I should be the one who's sorry. And you’re right I wasn’t ready and I will explain everything to you when I’m ready. But Lucy, I love you. And I don’t want to wait. If I learned anything from today, it’s that I still know how to care and I don’t not want to care anymore.”
“Yes, bad things happen, but good things happen too. This proves it. You’re going to be alright, I’m going to be alright. And sometimes love does win and I do love you Lucy. I know we kind of started whatever this as a lie, as fake, but the love I feel is real. It is. I love you and I am tired of not caring anymore. I want to care. I want to care for you.”
Kate’s still scared. God is she scared. She’s scared to care for someone this much again. To have her heart ache at the idea of someone leaving her again. But, as Grace reminded her, that’s what life is. It isn’t life if we don’t feel pain while at the same time feeling love. She knows that now. Today was painful and scary, but it was also beautiful and rewarding. Kate can’t just diminish it all. She doesn’t want to. Not anymore. And as she looks into Lucy’s glimmering brown eyes and runs her hands through Lucy’s curls, she doesn’t think not caring is even a possibility anymore. Not after what she knows now. Not after she knows how Lucy’s lips feel against hers and how she makes her laugh and feel relaxed like no one else ever has.
“Kate.” The softness in the way that Lucy says her name is all Kate needs to hear. She doesn’t care if she is coming off too strong. What matters is that she has said all of these things and doesn’t feel like running away. No, she feels the opposite in fact. She feels like staying here, in this moment forever. “I love you too Kate. So much.”
Kate doesn’t need to hear anything else before leaning into Lucy and crashing against her lips.
Their kiss is sweet and urgent all at the same time. Chasing each other's lips. Letting each other know how much they love each other.
_______
Lucy stays to Kate’s side as she leads them into Lucy’s apartment. Their hands locked together. Lucy doesn’t think they have so much as broken contact with each other the whole rest of the night that Lucy was in the hospital. Kate insisted that she take Lucy home so she could be around if she needed anything. And Lucy wasn’t going to resist a cute blonde woman begging to nurse her back to health. That would be ridiculous!
So Kate is here at her apartment and Lucy is pretty sure she left it a mess with clothes thrown all over after she had quickly packed for the weekend away a few days ago. She doesn’t really care though, her head is foggy from the concussion and the shoulder she dislocated hurts like a bitch now that she is off of the good meds. But, Kate is here. And that little fact makes Lucy smile and almost forget the fact that she is in quite a bit of pain.
Kate unlocks the door for Lucy and lets Lucy step into the apartment first, Kate following close behind. Lucy sighs in relief, her apartment isn’t as much of a mess as she thought it was. There are still clothes everywhere, but there’s no rotting food left on the counter or wrappers laying on the ground. That’s a win.
Kate closes the door and takes a look around the apartment before smiling down at Lucy. “Why don’t you go lay down in bed. I will bring you your pills and a glass of water.” Lucy nods and gratefully accepts Kate’s request.
Who knew less than 24 hours later her life would change so drastically. One minute she is pretending to be Kate’s girlfriend at a beach resort and the next she’s lying in a hospital bed not so much pretending anymore. Not that they have put a label on it yet, it’s been what? 12 hours since they have talked. But, Lucy knows what this is. She knows it’s the real deal. She loves Kate and Kate loves her. What else is there to talk about?
Lucy lays down gently onto her bed. Even with how much pain she is in right now, she can’t help but feel the happiness take over her. The most crazy thing about this whole thing is Kate. Kate! Is the one who is making her feel this way. The strict, annoying, woman from DIA. She laughs to herself at how much has changed in the last week. But, Kate has been amazing and caring and she’s here right now taking care of Lucy, no questions asked. Lucy can’t ask for much more at this moment.
Kate walks into the bedroom and places the pills into Lucy’s hand. She accepts them and places the pills on her tongue before washing them down with a glass of water.
“I want to stay.” Kate sits on the edge of the bed. “If that’s okay. I just want to be able to get you anything you need. I’ll worry if I’m not here.”
“Kate.” Lucy says and Kate shuffles herself onto the bed so she is laying next to Lucy. Lucy lifts her head from the pillow and chooses to place it on Kate’s chest so they are cuddling. “You can stay forever if you’d like.”