Jordan arrived at the hospital early Sunday morning after first stopping at Kirsten’s to pack some clothes. Kirsten had told her where to find the spare key and the items she wanted. She was early for visiting hours, but the nurse recognized her and waved her in.
She was pleased to see Kirsten sitting up attempting to eat her breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and oatmeal with her non-dominant right hand. “You have quite the appetite. Your tummy must be feeling better.” She picked pieces of dropped food off the front of Kirsten’s drab hospital gown.
Kirsten smiled brightly at her. “I’m famished. I haven’t had a decent meal since lunch on Friday. And before you ask, my headache is low-level, and my eyes are feeling better. I’m ready to blow this Popsicle stand.”
“I can’t wait to bust you out of here. How’s your arm?”
“It’s okay, still sore. The orthopedist assigned to my case came by about an hour ago. He said the swelling is down and wants me to come to his office on Tuesday for a cast.”
She sat next to Kirsten on the bed after she’d moved the table that was holding her food. “Looks like you’ll need some physical therapy after you get the cast off.”
Kirsten put her finger on her chin and looked up. “Hmm. You might be right. I wonder if the ortho can refer me to someone good.”
She playfully pinched Kirsten’s side, making her giggle. “I got your referral, baby.” Jordan grabbed the spoon and began feeding Kirsten her oatmeal. “Let me help you with that. Looks like you’re wearing more food than you’re eating.”
She was nearly done feeding Kirsten when Dr. Gaffney walked in. “What’s up, Doc?”
Dr. Gaffney and Kirsten both moaned. “How original, Jordan,” Dr. Gaffney said drolly.
She smiled. “I’m sorry. So, what’s the good news? Can I take my girl home?”
“You can take your girl home. It will take a while to get the discharge papers complete, but if you want to help her get dressed, you can. Kirsten, if your headache or vision worsen, I want you to come see me immediately. If you start feeling confused or having slurred speech, memory loss, or any of the other symptoms listed on this paper, come see me immediately. Do you understand?”
Even though the question was directed at Kirsten, they both nodded.
Dr. Gaffney continued. “We’ll remove the bandage from your head before you leave. In fact, let me do it now.”
Dr. Gaffney unwrapped the gauze from Kirsten’s head and removed the bandage that covered the wound as Jordan stood closely behind. A faint sense of nausea bubbled up in her stomach when she saw the neat row of staples that closed the two-inch gash on Kirsten’s temple. The hair around the cut had been shaved, and Jordan shoved her hands into her pockets to hide the shaking.
The thought that Kirsten’s injuries could have been much worse made Jordan’s guts twist and writhe. Head injuries were always tricky, and she had seen the damage they could do when she had done an internship on a neuro floor when she’d been in school. The fact that Kirsten would be able to go home in a few hours brought a rush of adrenaline through her body. She took a deep breath and tried to use humor to ease the worry in Kirsten’s eyes as well as her own discomfort.
“That’s it? That little cut needed all that gauze?” She looked at Kirsten and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. Obviously, Kirsten didn’t find her comments funny. “Honey, really, it’s not that bad. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.” She brought Kirsten’s hand to her lips. “You even make lacerations look sexy.” The smile that graced Kirsten’s mouth relieved Jordan’s anxiety.
“I used staples to close the laceration,” Dr. Gaffney said. “When I checked the wound yesterday, it was looking good. It still looks good. Damn, I do nice work. Okay, don’t get your head wet for another few days, then you can wash your hair. I want to see you next Monday in my office, so I can take the staples out. Do either of you have any questions?”
They both shook their heads, making Dr. Gaffney chuckle. He shook Jordan’s hand, then Kirsten’s. “Kirsten, I’m glad you’re feeling better. You take care of yourself, and I’ll see you in about a week. Jordan, take care of her.”
Jordan smiled and looked at Kirsten. “I promise, Doc.”
Once Dr. Gaffney left the room, Kirsten patted Jordan’s knee. “Help me get dressed.”
Jordan smirked. “Huh, usually you ask me to do the opposite.”
Kirsten wrapped her good arm around Jordan’s neck and pulled her closer until their lips nearly touched. “I promise, as soon as I’m better I’ll be asking you to take them off again. I just want to get into your bed and have you hold me.”
She helped Kirsten out of bed and held onto her when she swayed. “Let me get a nurse.”
“No, I’m fine. I guess getting up after being in bed for a few days made me dizzy. I really am feeling better.”
“Are you sure?”
Kirsten kissed her. “I’m sure. Now help me get dressed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
By the time Kirsten was dressed, an orderly had arrived with a wheelchair, followed by a nurse. The nurse gave Kirsten her discharge papers and instructions on what to do if she felt worse. Kirsten took a seat in the wheelchair and was taken to the curb where Jordan left her to make small talk with the orderly until she brought her car around.
Jordan was careful on the drive home, not wanting to go too fast or hit too many bumps in the road for fear of aggravating Kirsten’s headache. Once they arrived at Jordan’s, she helped Kirsten inside and was prepared to take her straight to bed before Kirsten stopped her.
“Honey, I’ve been in bed for three days. Can I sit out here in the living room?”
“Sure, but if you get tired, let me know. Do you want something to drink?”
“I’ll take some water. Can you do me a favor?”
“Name it.”
Kirsten gave her that smile that showed her dimples, and she nearly swooned. “Can we order pizza tonight from that place you love so much? I’ve been craving it all morning since I was able to eat breakfast.”
Jordan laughed. “Sure, baby.”
She ran to the kitchen to get Kirsten’s water, then she came back in, sat next to Kirsten, and put an arm around her.
Kirsten turned to her. “What happened to our picture? Where’s the frame?”
She averted her gaze, ashamed to look Kirsten in the eye. “It broke,” she mumbled.
Kirsten cradled her chin and made Jordan look at her. “How?”
She tried to look away, but Kirsten held her firm. She was disgusted with herself that she hadn’t given Kirsten a chance to explain what had happened and had lost control. Her eyes watered, and she quickly swiped her tears. “I threw it across the room on Friday afternoon when I thought you were leaving me to go back to John.”
Kirsten grabbed her hand. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry that’s what it looked like to you. Let me tell you what John and I talked about on Friday. He showed up unannounced as I was fixing our dinner. He apologized for the way he’d behaved and said he wouldn’t contest the divorce. He wants me to be happy, too, and he said if I decided to sell the house, we would split the profits.”
Jordan was dumbfounded. “He said all of that?”
“Yes. What you saw when you came to the house was John giving me a kiss good-bye and him wishing me the best. It was completely innocent, honey.”
“Christ, I’m such an asshole.” Jordan buried her face in her hands. This all could have been avoided if she had just trusted Kirsten. That admission left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Kirsten pulled Jordan’s hands from her face. “No, you’re not. You took a big chance giving your heart over to me after what happened between you and Kelly, and I see what it must have looked like from your point of view. But, Jordan, I love you, and I promise I will never hurt you like that.”
“I know that in my heart. I promise you that I will never run again. I’m going to have to learn to keep communication open with you. It may take me a while, but I promise I will always try my best.”
“I know that. Same goes for me.” Kirsten held the pendant Jordan was wearing in her fingers. “Do you like it?”
“I love it, and I promise never to take it off.” She kissed her gently. When she finally broke the kiss, she said, “Kirsten, I want to ask you something, and I want you to seriously think about it before you answer, okay?”
“Okay.”
Jordan had been going over this in her mind ever since she and Kirsten had declared their love for each other. She wasn’t sure if Kirsten thought it would be too soon or if she wanted to be on her own for a while since she was just ending her marriage. But Jordan didn’t want to spend another night without her, and the idea just made sense to her. Her mouth went dry before she was able to ask the question. She took a sip of water and cleared her throat.
She looked Kirsten in the eye. “Would you think about living with me? I never want to spend another night without you, and I want you in my life always. We can live here, or your place, or we can sell them both and buy something together. You don’t have to answer now. I just want you to think about it.” Her nerves had made the words sound like it was one sentence, and she had to take a deep breath. Wow. I didn’t know I could talk that fast.
Kirsten teared up. “I don’t have to think about it, sweetheart, I would love to live with you.”
Jordan pulled Kirsten into a fierce hug but was careful of her injuries. “You make me so happy, Kirsten. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”