Robin's Nest

by Melissa Stevens

  "Climb up and sit back." I waited while he did as I requested, then climbed onto the bed. I nudged his knees apart so I could settle myself up against him, half-lying as I leaned one side against his chest. I knew I was curling against him like a scared child, but at the moment, I didn't care. "Do you mind?" I looked up at him, afraid he might be uncomfortable, "I just want to be close." I curled my legs under me.

  "Not at all, I like this." He lifted one knee and braced his foot against the bed while his other leg was bent at an angle against the bed, almost as though it was curled around me, protecting me.

  The position made me feel surrounded and secure, I liked it. A lot. "Now, I'm ready for you to tell me."

  He wrapped his arms around me and I curled my free arm around his waist, so we were both holding on to each other as I laid my head on his chest. It was as though he knew I needed the reassurance of his touch. Maybe he did.

  "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

  "Yeah, I think I need to, I'm pretty sure you need to share it, even if you won't admit it. So spill, or am I gonna be forced to call Bruce and get the details from him?"

  Robin took a deep breath and let out a sigh. I felt him press his cheek against the top of my head for a moment before he started to speak. "I hadn't been in the house for ten minutes when the phone rang. It was Bruce, telling me you'd been in an accident and he didn't know yet if you were hurt or how badly." His voice was distant, and somehow I knew in his mind was more there, in that night than in the room with me.

  "I didn't even think, I just started running. Maybe somewhere in my mind, I knew you hadn't been gone long and you couldn't be far, I don't know. Since I didn't have the truck, it was either, run or wait for someone to come get me. I wasn't waiting.

  "It took me a few minutes to make it to the accident. It was right in a cut through a hill and when that driver veered into your lane, you had nowhere to go. No way to avoid him. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened while we were there. The ambulance hadn't gotten there yet when I arrived, but they weren't far behind. There was someone about a half mile behind the drunk driver, whose name I don't even know. They saw the whole thing and called it in.

  "You were still in Jeep when I got there, I wanted to pull you out, but Bruce wouldn't let me. He made me wait for the paramedics. You were unconscious and covered in blood. We know now that it was a lot of little cuts, nothing serious, but I couldn't tell that then." The arms around me tightened, I squeezed the arm I had around his middle, hoping to reassure him that I was okay.

  "They wouldn't let me pull you out of the Jeep, I understand why now, but at the time, it like to drove me crazy. When the ambulance got there, the EMT's put you on a backboard and loaded you, there was no way I wasn't going to be in there with you. I told Bruce to get a hold of your family and I rode to Mt. Graham with you. The EMT's were busy but kind and at least I could touch you, be with you. I was terrified.

  "By the time we got to the hospital they'd determined that the blood was probably nothing serious, but we still didn't know if you had a neck injury or why you were unconscious. When we got to the hospital, they made me wait in the hall while the doctors worked on you. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

  I didn't know what to say so I just laid there and let him talk, my arm around him and my head resting on his chest.

  "Sophia and the boys showed up about half an hour after we got to the hospital. I told them what I knew, but it wasn't much. They did the first CT there, not that they found anything. But not finding anything was good news too."

  When you hadn't woken up by the next morning, we started to get worried. Between the five of us, we bullied the doctors into transferring you here. I don't know who Sophia called, but when it didn't look like they were going to let you go, she called someone. A few minutes later they were more than happy to transfer you anywhere we wanted." He rubbed the bottom of his chin back and forth over the top of my head, for a moment before he continued. "They didn't want to let me in the ambulance for the trip, but I wouldn't let you go alone. They tried to tell me you were unconscious and wouldn't know if I was there or not, but all I could think was, you would know and what if you woke up and no one was there? When your cousins stepped forward and told them either I rode with you or they all would, they decided one was better than three."

  "Sophia, Nate and Robert followed in the Suburban while Quinn stayed behind to take care of the animals. We got you here, with all the test results from Mt. Graham, and Dr. Montez couldn't tell us much more. He said there was no physical injury to your brain and you would wake up in time. Whether it would be a day, a month, a year or even several years, he had no way of knowing. We just had to wait." He squeezed me against him for a moment then relaxed his hold on me again.

  "I stayed with you the whole time. They tried to drag me away, they tried to get me to go eat, to go sleep at the motel, but I couldn't. I talked you, asked you to wake up, I bargained, demanded, ordered, begged, made promises and I apologized."

  "Wait a minute, you apologized?" That one confused me. "For what?"

  His voice turned soft and filled with remorse. "It's my fault you were there, my fault you got hit, my fault you're here. If I hadn't been so stubborn about replacing that damned pickup, none of this would have happened."

  "I see how you might feel that way, but it's nonsense. If I was fated to be in a car accident, it would have happened eventually. Anyway, maybe I needed the wakeup call." I tightened my arm around his waist, hugging him.

  "What do you mean by wakeup call?" He sounded curious.

  "Maybe I needed something to wake me up and make me take a look at what I have, actually see and appreciate what I've been taking for granted." I fell silent, leaving us both to our own thoughts.

  When Nurse Deborah came in a while later, we were still sitting together on the bed.

  "If the two of you are good and stay quiet, I'll let him stay." She gave us both a stern look. "Any funny business and out he goes, all right?"

  "Funny business?" I gave her a mischievous grin. "I'm totally unprepared for funny business, I have no fireworks, no toilet paper for the trees and no paint for the water tower."

  She rolled her eyes and gave me another stern look. "You know what I mean."

  "Yeah, I do," I said. "Don't worry, we'll behave ourselves."

  She gave me an approving nod. "Do you need anything?"

  "I've got everything I need, right here." I patted Robin's chest.

  She grinned, "If you need anything, call, or send him to get me." She turned to leave the room.

  "Will do," I called after her, "and thank you."

  Robin looked down at me, amusement clear in his eyes. "Fireworks, toilet paper and paint, huh? Been plotting more escapades while you were bored?"

  "Not really, but I wanted to her to know we wouldn't be up to the 'funny business' she was worried about."

  "What makes you think we won't?"

  "A couple of things, the first being, we never have. Not even during that teenage curiosity stage, we just didn't see each other that way."

  "And the other?"

  "If we decide to take things in that direction, we won't want the first time between us to be in a narrow hospital bed. Especially when anyone could walk in at any time."

  "If?" He frowned and a line formed between his brows. “Are you not sure what you want?"

  "No, but I'm through taking things for granted, especially you and what you might want or feel."

  "I appreciate the consideration, but I think we agree on this one. It will happen, when we're both ready." He bent and laid a gentle kiss against my lips. "But you're right. It won't be in a hospital bed or anywhere else we might be interrupted." He placed another soft kiss on my mouth. This time I returned it, opening my mouth against his and drawing him deeper in to the kiss. I let him know without words that I was done being treated like one of the guys and I returned his interested. All too soon, I pulled away, breaking the s
weet but intense kiss.

  "Wow." I laid my head back against his chest. "But we promised to behave." My ear pressed against his chest let me hear his heart, it beat as rapidly as my own.

  "So we did, but my leg is gonna fall asleep if we stay like this much longer. We need to see if we can find some way we can both fit on this bed comfortably."

  I tilted my head back so I could see his face. Moving the arm from across his waist, I reached up and brushed the hair away from his eyes, as I thought for a moment. "Are you more comfortable on your side or your back?"

  "I can sleep either way, but if we can manage it, I think my back would be better tonight." He said, his eyes never leaving mine.

  "I was hoping you'd say that." I started to pull away. Moving until I was kneeling in front of him, I reached for the button to adjust the bed, and dropped the top half until the bed lay almost flat. "I sleep on my right side, so scoot to your right." As soon as he got near the edge and a space opened up, I turned by body and lay on my side in the space next to him.

  Robin automatically put his arm around my back, giving me his shoulder for a pillow while he held me against his side.

  "Perfect." I snuggled a little closer, laid my left arm over his chest and bent one leg over his.

  "I agree. I could get used to this."

  "We'll see." I pulled the sheet up over us. I wasn't cold, but the hospital gown didn't cover enough to suit me, especially when people would be coming into the room while I slept. I closed my eyes and realized that I was perfectly calm and relaxed. The warmth of his skin and the feel of his arm around me made me feel safe and I drifted off to sleep.

  6

  I woke when I heard the door to my room open. I opened my eyes to see it was morning and Nurse Nancy coming to check on me.

  "Oh! The night nurse said Debbie let him stay, but I didn't expect this!" She still wore a grin, letting me know she wasn't upset.

  "She came in a few times to check on you," Robin said to me, "but you were sleeping so well, we were careful not to wake you."

  I felt his voice rumble through his body where my cheek was still pressed against his shoulder, it made me warm inside. "Oh, Sorry."

  "Don't be, I enjoyed it. Obviously, the sleep did you some good. You look a lot better today. You have your color back and the light in your eyes I've missed so much."

  I didn't know what to say, so I turned to the nurse. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble, but do you know when Dr. Montez might be around with my test results?"

  "He usually does morning rounds between seven and eight."

  "What time is it now?" I glanced around the room, looking for a clock.

  "Its six-twenty-five," she said, reading the clock that hung on the wall over the bed. "Do you need anything this morning?"

  "No, thank you. I'm good. I think I'll get dressed while we wait for the doctor, if that's all right?"

  "That's fine. Breakfast will be served in the next hour or so as well, in case you're hungry, or you can get something from the cafe if you'd rather."

  "Thanks again." I waited until she was gone then turned to Robin, who still had one armed around me. "I guess I better get dressed so I can be ready if he releases me." I climbed off the bed, then paused to lean back over Robin and give him a quick kiss before grabbing the shopping bag from the chair and heading for the bathroom.

  Dressed, I came out of the bathroom to find Robin sitting in one of the chairs, putting on the last of his shoes. He looked up when I opened the door.

  "They're the right sizes," I tugged at my new clothes, "but they're a little loose."

  "You look fine, no one will notice. Loose means you'll be more comfortable for the ride home." He stood and gave me a quick hug. "You've lost a little weight, but not too much. You're fine."

  "If they let me go home today, Mister Optimistic." I grinned as I went to the bed, I pulled my spare glasses from the case he'd put there the night before and put them on. After taking the hairbrush off the table, I went to a small mirror on one wall. As I started brushing out my hair, I caught a glimpse of Robin at the edge of the mirror. Something about the way he stood made me shift slightly, so I could get a better look without him realizing what I was doing. I watched him more closely and noticed that he was watching me with eyes that had pooled with tears. Concerned, I turned from the mirror. "What's wrong?"

  He looked away, blinking quickly. "Nothing, nothing's wrong."

  "Don't lie to me." I approached him. Laying my hands on either side of his waist, I gently shook him. "Now tell me what's wrong."

  Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I was so scared." His voice was barely over a whisper. He opened his eyes but he didn't look at me, instead he looked over my head, eyes unfocused as if he was staring at some distant, non-existent object. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up and I'd lost you forever. Seeing you standing there, brushing your hair as if nothing was wrong, I was struck by an intense wave of relief." His eyes moved to focus on my face again. "See, there really was nothing wrong." He gave me a vague smile. "I was being overly emotional and now that you've made me admit it they're going to revoke my membership into the real men club. Shame on you." He finished with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

  I ignored his levity. "I know my not waking up for so long was scary, even if I didn't experience it the way you did." I slid my hands from his sides around to his back and pulled him close, until I could lay my head on his chest. I let him hold me for several minutes, until he pulled away.

  "Go finish getting ready." He murmured against my hair.

  I went back to the mirror and finished with my hair, pulling it up into a high ponytail using one of the hair bands I'd found in the bag when I got dressed. Sometimes Aunt Sophia knows me better than I know myself. I turned around and looked at Robin, sitting in the chair, watching me. "You're turn." I pointed the top of the brush at him.

  He held one hand out. "Give it here."

  "Nope, my job. You brushed mine last night, now I get to do yours." I moved to the back of his chair and started pulling the brush through his hair.

  Robin didn't have a traditional men's haircut, instead his hair was short enough it didn't need a brush on the back and sides of his head but the top was several inches long. Without styling, it fell to mid-cheekbone. When he bothers to style it, it looks nice, but most of the time he just shoves it back and puts a hat on to hold it out of his face. That morning, as I ran my brush through it, I enjoyed a silkiness like I had never felt anywhere else. I loved sliding my fingers through it and letting it fall to either side of his face. I played with it for several minutes and he didn't say a word, before I took mercy on him and moved back to the bed. There, I sat down to wait for my breakfast and the doctor.

  It was nearly eight o'clock before Doctor Montez made it to my room. There was a soft knock on the door as he stepped inside.

  I smiled. "Good morning, Doctor. Tell me you have good news for me," I was as chipper and hopeful as I could manage.

  He chuckled. "I do. Everything looks good on your tests and, unless you've had any problems that the nurses haven't told me about, then we have no reason to keep you."

  "No problems here." I tried to control my relief. "I feel great, not even a headache this morning,"

  "Even better." He smiled back. "I'll let the nurses know we can let you go. It usually takes an hour or so to get all the paperwork done, then you can be on your way. Do you have a ride? I know that Robin here came in on the ambulance with you."

  "Yes, Sir, we do. My family is waiting to find out if I'll get sprung today before they leave the motel. I'll give them a call and they'll probably be here before the paperwork’s done."

  "Sounds great," Doctor Montez replied. "The nurse will give you a list of things to watch out for, but I don't foresee any problems. Take care and avoid any more blows to the head." Doctor Montez shook my hand and then Robin's, then left the room.

  I called Aunt Sophia, as Robin had talked to her while I was dressing, a
nd let her know I was being released. She said they would check out of the motel, then come and wait with us. They should be to the hospital in less than an hour.

  ***

  A little while later Nancy brought me a stack of paper to sign, my release paperwork and the discharge instructions. The latter listed what to watch for and what to do should anything on the list occur. Basically, standard discharge papers, plus some extra because I hadn't filled out admission paperwork, some of that was in the stack too. She removed the needle from my IV, and I got started on the stack of papers. I signed my name and wrote out the date, adding bits of information here and there, while Robin and I talked to Nancy.

  "How long have you two been together?" Nancy asked with a smile.

  "Together, as in a couple?" I made sure that's what she meant.

  "Yeah."

  "Um," I looked to Robin for confirmation, "about fourteen hours."

  "Sounds right." Robin said.

  A disbelieving look crossed her face. "You're kidding me." She looked back and forth between the two of us. "The two of you weren't seeing each other before the accident?"

  "Nope." Robin said. "We've been best friends almost all our lives, but we've never dated, at least not each other. This accident was an eye opener," he met my eyes, "for both of us."

  "Wow, I never would have guessed." She watched us both. "I've seen people with all kinds of relationships come through here with different injuries and illnesses. Very few show the kind of devotion that the two of you have." She paused for a moment, watching us both. "Generally, the only ones who stay full time are newlyweds, before the kids start coming. Because once they have kids you have to spend time with them too, and some parents tend to stay with kids, if they can. Sometimes an adult child will stay with a parent like that, but very few others." She turned to me and continued, "Robin has been insistent that he wasn't going anywhere and no one could force him to, but at the same time, he hasn't been difficult. Every doctor and nurse on the floor at least knows of him. We all assumed they'd removed your ring before you were transferred here and you two are married, until he said no. Then we thought you must be engaged, but no one has had the nerve to ask."