t & j [one shots]

sky high blue

"No way," Joe protests. "I've had enough Richard Alwyn meatballs to last a lifetime."

"Oh, come on," Taylor rasps, fluttering her eyelashes about. "Can you please do it for me? It'll be a meatball bonding moment."

Joe's about to say no, but in his slightly inebriated state, he just can't resist. His girlfriend's mischievous grin is too hard to pass up.

He surrenders his mouth and feels Taylor slide a meatball in.

"Thanks for taking me to meet your parents for dinner," she says a bit more soberly than expected. Her face looks rather emotional like she's trying not to cry all of a sudden. "I had the best time. I love all of your family traditions and how you all made sure to include me."

Joe pulls her in for a meatball kiss. "I mean in many ways you're like my family now, so it only makes sense. What's mine is yours, love."

*** 

"You sure you don't want to sleep in your own bed for the night?" Liz says slowly. "You haven't gotten much rest, darling. You can come home with us and sleep in your old room."

It's nearly 10:00pm and the Alwyn clang is disbursing from the hospital with Andrea and Scott in tow.

"I can't leave, Mum. I won't be able to sleep away from the hospital. Thanks for the offer though, and for everything really. I really appreciate it," Joe asserts.

Liz smiles weakly and presses a kiss to her son's forehead. She knows that her son is grown now, in his thirties, but she's terrified about leaving him in these circumstances. Joe's strong, has skin as tough as tree bark, but she can't help but fear that this'll push him over the edge. He's always struggled with depressive episodes, but she started to relinquish her woes about his ups and downs when he met her. Her unrelenting enthusiasm and earnestness seemed to light a fire in Joe, bring a constant source of warmth to his life. But now that candle is flickering and Liz doesn't know how much she can take.

"I'm gonna be okay, Mum, really, I promise," Joe heaves.

Liz nods hesitantly and gives him one last squeeze. "Alright, well just give us a ring if you need anything."

Joe hugs his in-laws goodbye as well and then he's back to the window, back to staring at her and her beautiful complexion.

He must've fallen asleep at the window, because he wakes to one of the nurses shaking his shoulder.

"You're Mr. Alwyn, right?" she says hurriedly.

Joe groggily flashes his hospital bracelet, still not fully jolted to consciousness yet. "Yeah, um, everything okay?" he quavers.

The nurse inhales and Joe prepares himself for the worst. "I was just checking her vitals and the EEG shows that your wife's brain activity is getting stronger. She's probably going to wake up any minute now. Would you like to come into the room?"

"Oh my God, yes, yes! Oh, yes!" Joe exclaims tearfully. He can hardly contain his excitement as he rushes over to her bedside and presses his lips to her cheek.

"Is she? Does this mean?" Joe asks the nurse wearily, too scared to get his hopes up or jinx his wife's progress.

The nurse smiles. "You've married a fighter," she says warmly. "I can hardly believe it myself. All of a sudden she flipped a switch and her oxygen levels and heart rate went up. The EEG technician and head cardiologist will be in soon to monitor her, but the odds are in her favor now. It looks like she'll make a full recovery. And I don't say that lightly. I mean it."