Body Guard

Greg:
I nodded at him. "I'll see about that safe then," I told him. It didn't surprise me that he had a safe full of anything he might need to find Julie. Clearly he would turn the world upside down looking for her.

"Why don't you go on in there?" I told him. "She was pretty upset when she left here last night." I told him, without getting too detailed about the crying that happened the entire drive back to the manor and then probably continued when she disappeared into her room.

"Yes sir. I can imagine it was..." My manueverability was still a bit lacking but I managed to turn around and then wheel myself into the hospital room. I took a slow look around the room that I'd been living in for the past two weeks. I wouldn't miss this place. Not in the slightest. But I was certain that all this had been necessary.

I wasn't a religious person. I'd simply never had time for such things. If however there was a higher power, I was grateful. If it wasn't for this chance I'd never have been able to get a second chance. A second chance with someone special to me. It was after all these thoughts my gaze slid over to Jules.

She was standing by the bed and I smiled weakly at her, "Hey Jules."

Julie:
I looked up from the folder when I heard the door open and smiled at the sight

"Hey! Look at you!" I said. I hadnt seen him out of the bed and moving on his own since the accident. It was nice. It wasn't as good as walking, but it was a start. He looked tired but moving that wheelchair after not moving anything in weeks, it was probably tolling.

I closed the folder and held it up. "You signed it," I stated.

"I've got cool wheels. Supposedly they have backpacks designed for wheelchairs. I think I'll get one eventually. Make it look cooler and give me a place for all my stuff." I flashed her a smile that faded away when she held up the folder.

I looked down at my lap, fidgeting with my clothes by picking at imaginary bits of thread. "Yeah. I didn't ever want to see a contract again and yet...I didn't want to go away from you. Thank you..."

Julie:
I nodded and set the folder down on the table and took my usual seat. It was weird to be eye level with him again and I took in as much as I could.

"If there's any concerns you have about this one, you can tell me. Or a lawyer, if you're more comfortable with that. I wont fight it, whatever it is, we'll fix it." I assured him. He looked uncomfortable so I tried to give him an out.

"I can paint flames on the side of it. Make it look like you're going real fast," I smiled and bit my lip. After last night, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was overjoyed at seeing him take the next step...in the form of a wheel chair.

“Ha funny. No I’m okay with it’s looks. It’s a temporary thing anyway. But if you really wanted to do something for me...”. I eyed her closely for a moment. How long had she been hiding away? Working on the contract was sure to be just another excuse not to go outside much.

“When was the last time you went outside. Like actually outside and not just on a trip here. When was the last time you left your safe little bubble?” I cut to the quick of it, folding my hands in my lap and staring right into her eyes.

Julie:
The smile melted off my face and I winced a little at the intensity of his eyes. I should have seen this coming, but I figured with him being in here, he'd have other things to worry about.

"Well...I've been busy," I tried. It was a weak excuse and I knew that he knew that. "And that's not even something that I can do for you." I said, hoping to get off on a technicality. It was an effort that I knew was in vain.

Sighing softly I tucked my chin and thought for a long moment. "Jules you can't live your life in seclusion forever. And I'm sure you know this. Hell I'm not willing to go through this whole argument all over again." I looked up at her and smiled faintly, "Lets go grab a burger. My first real meal. If you feel up to it, we can eat it there. If not? Then we can eat it on the grounds at the manor."

Julie:
I looked at him in surprise. "Wait you can leave right now?" I asked. "You can come home?" It was hard to imagine him not in this hospital room. I jumped up and shoved the folder with his new contract into my purse.

"Why didnt you say that first? All this silliness about me going outside..." I mumbled, as I looked around the room to see if anything needed to be grabbed.

"Well, I still have to fill out a bunch of paperwork, but yeah I can leave today. I also have to stop by a pharmacy...I still have pain pills I want to take for a bit longer." Scratching my cheek I smiled sheepishly at her.

Taking hold of the wheels I backed myself up a bit before saying, "Not silly. Necessary."

Julie:
I stuffed a few more things in my purse, making sure when we left the room, we wouldn't have to come back.

"Are you sure you have everything? Where's your video game thingy?" I asked, lifting up the blanket to check underneath it.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes with a smile at his comment. The goal was to play it off, like it was no big deal that I never went out. I guessed it would work for about an hour before he'd bring it up again. "Yeah, yeah, you can be a mother hen later," I joked. "Would you help me look around and make sure you're not leaving your stuff behind? I'm gonna tell Greg we have to stop at a pharmacy!" I told him.

I stepped outside and let the door close behind me. I quickly explained that Cody could leave with us today and told him about stopping at a pharmacy for pain medication. "The one on Larkfield Road had a drive through, so we don't have to get out of the car for it." I told him. He gave me a look so I made sure my smile was extra wide. Then I went back in the room. "Ready?" I asked.

"Oh, damn. Right." I wheeled over to the bed, digging under the pillow to grab the console. I glanced over my shoulder and the closed door. Mother hen? Right. Back to the normal then. Shaking my head I turned my attention to the room, finding a few things here and there. Without a place to put them I simply gathered them in my lap.

Turning back around I wheeled over towards the door just as she came back. "Yeah I think I found everything. Now paperwork time."

Julie:
I held the door open so he could wheel himself out and then held out my bag. "Do you wanna put your stuff in here for now?" I asked, noticing the small pile he had on his lap.

I noticed Greg push off the wall and put his hands behind his back to wait for us to start moving.

"Oh sure." Taking her bag I peeked inside, curious to the contents before I started putting my stuff inside. A spare change of clothes, my game system, a book. With just those it was full enough and I figured it was easier to drape the soft jacket over my lap.

"Okay I think I'm good." I settled her bag on my lap next, making sure it wasn't going to move before grabbing onto the wheels again.

Julie:

We started for the elevator and Greg hit the button while I inspected how Cody was maneuvering. It looked difficult to steer the chair.


"Do you want me to wheel you?" I asked, not sure if that was overstepping.

I blinked at her offer. "Um. Well sure? I'm probably heavy...but if you wanted to try I wont stop you." Being honest with myself I knew I could use a hand. I still wasn't used to moving like this, and though I kept myself in shape my injuries had prevented anything of the sort. I felt weak.

I could reason it might be good for her to get a little exercise, but I'd read through the contract. There was no clause anymore about relationships...being close to her sound nice.

Julie:
I smiled and shifted so that I was behind his chair and pushed him when the door to the elevator opened. It wasn't so heavy. "I know you think that just because I dont work out that I'm weak, but I'll have you know that I have the upper body strength of at least a preteen boy," I joked as the doors closed and Greg hit the button for the ground floor.

When the doors opened again, I started pushing him in the direction of the main front desk to get his paper work.

I choked on the laugh, not expecting her little quip. "Preteen boy huh? I have some questions but I'll hold them for a different time...but I wasn't going to mention your strength. I'm just glad for the help."

When we pulled up to the desk I started to work on the paperwork, pausing on occasion to ask Jules some questions like if I had a mailbox set up at all. It took a while but after I finished I leaned back and sighed.

Julie:
I stood and leaned against the counter while he filled out his paper work, inserting any information that he asked and making polite small talk with one of the nurses on duty.

When he was finished, I took my spot behind him again and put my hands on the wheelchair. "You okay?" I asked, hearing the sigh. I started pushing the chair and saw Greg reach into his pocket for he keys. Within the last couple of days, Greg had switched the small car we had been using every day for a larger van that could hold the wheelchair. I hadn't thought of it and I was grateful that he had been paying attention.

I almost tuned her out, lost in my own thoughts. With a shake I tilted my head back to look up at her. "Hm? Yeah. Just...suddenly feeling tired all over again. Is it sad that I'm nervous about going back? Things are going to be different and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself."

Julie:
I frowned and pushed his chair outside, glad that it was at least a nice day out for him to see. "Well, don't be nervous. You don't have to see anyone you don't want to see." I told him. "And starting soon you're gonna be super busy with physical therapy. And then when you feel ready, we can set you up with an office and you can work." I said, hoping he didn't think he would spend the rest of his life sitting around in that chair.

"But before all that, you have so much relaxing to catch up on. Movies to watch, board games to lose at, books to read. Whatever you want. Not to mention, Luc has been dying to cook for you. She says I don't appreciate her like you do. Which is lies."

I stopped his chair outside the van and opened the back door and then paused. I turned to Greg, and then to Cody. "Does anyone have an recommendations for how to proceed?"

"That honestly sounds really nice. I do hope that you are going to join me in the shenanigans. And Luc and I have a very close relationship on food. We can at least appreciate the difference between seasoning things and drowning it in condiments." It had been a while since the great ketchup fiasco, but not something Luc or I would ever let her live down.

Looking at the car I sighed, "If you feel strong enough you can help me. If not Greg can. I need some assistance getting in and out of the car. It's not a hard procedure...just have to support my weight."

Julie:
I pointed at him and barely kept a smile at bay. I knew exactly what he was thinking. "Ketchup is a seasoning and I don't care what you or Luc have to say about it." I told him.

I decided to try to help him myself first and Greg could be on standby. I knelt down a little bit so I was more level with the chair and grabbed his arm to swing it around my shoulders, knowing I needed to use my whole body if this was gonna work. "You tell me when you're ready." I said.

(( Not going to lie I watched a 6 minute video on how to do it. The things we do for the story... ))

"No not like that." I slowly walked her through the process, trying to help as I could, though I had to admit I held onto her in my arms just a bit longer than was necessary for the transfer. It was awkward, hard, and yet we managed it.

Settling into the seat I puffed out a breath and then buckled myself in. "Well...could have been worse." Flashing her a sheepish grin I couldn't help the apology that followed, "I'm sorry for this..."

((I'm so proud of you cause I really didnt know how that was gonna go))

Julie:
I settled into the seat next to him, letting Greg sit by himself up front. I had annoyed him in the car enough for a lifetime and Im sure he was glad I had a back seat buddy now.

I was a little out of breath, but glad that it hadn't been nearly as difficult as I thought. Now at least we knew we could do it.

I frowned at his apology. "Don't be." I told him, seriously. "Just please don't apologize to me about any of this," I said. I buckled my own seat belt and hoped I didn't have to explain more. There was nothing he could do now that would warrant an apology, ever.

I had been doing a good job so far of keeping everything light hearted so when my seat was buckled, I turned back to him with a smile. "Besides, it could have been Greg you had to be all pressed up on," I said, loud enough for him to hear. I looked at the rearview mirror in time to see a smirk from my new body guard, but no real laughing yet.