Golden

Chapter 16: Bruises

I sit down in a chair next to the bed and hold his hand.
"I really fucked up didn't i?" He asks with a nervous laugh. "I felt the pop then got hit and tried to not go down on it, but it was hard. It hurt so bad."
"You're a fighter Jimmy, yes this sucks but let's look at the brighter side of things ok." I say optimistically.
He shrugs and everyone comes back in.
"How you feeling Jimbo?" Ben Garland asks coming in with a get well balloon and teddy bear.
"I've been better Benny." Jim says. I love how they have nicknames for everyone.
"It's so good to see you again Ana." Laken says coming over to give me a hug.
"I've missed you all so much." I say looking at everyone in the room.
"Training camp wasn't the same without you on the sidelines." Warner says messing my hair up.
"Oh I'm sure it was." I laugh off taking his hand off my head.
"Nah man I missed the frozen yogurt truck you'd get on Fridays." Ahkello says making everyone laugh.
"I'll be back next season, we both will." I say looking at Jimmy who nods at me.
Most of the guys head back to the hotel Claire insists on staying but I have George take her back to the hotel too. We're left alone until Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch come into the room.
"Visiting hours are over." Jimmy jokes making them laugh.
"How are you feeling bud?" John asks patting Jimmy's shoulder.
"I've been better." Jimmy he sighs.
"We'll get you back up there Jim. Don't worry we'll fix it." He says and Jimmy nods.
"Thank you."
"Please let me know if you need absolutely anything." Kyle says. "You too Ana. Thank you for coming."
"No problem." I smile shaking their hands before they leave.
I get in the bed carefully and lay with him. Hearing his heartbeat relaxes me in a way I didn't know I needed.
"I saw you kicked ass this morning." He finally says.
"I did." I answer with a laugh. "No one talks to me like that on national television and gets away with it." I add with a smile before looking up at him. "But I will say that my readers-"
"Fans." He corrects...that's weird I have readers not those.
"My readers are complaining about me being in a relationship with you."
"What?" He asks. "Is it because of the—"
"They think it's odd how much I advocate for my immigrants when I'm dating someone employed by the NFL."
"Ahhh." He says nodding his head. "What are we gonna do about that?" He asks.
"It's very simple." I say nuzzling closer to his chest. "You quit." I joke making us both laugh. "No but I know you don't share their moral compass. I would like for you to do more for the community."
"I will do whatever you want me to baby." He says. I reach up to give him a kiss. Our lips part and he brings a hand to my cheek pulling me closer to deepen the kiss.
"I've missed you so much." He says when I rest my forehead against his.
"Would you like a blanket? Maybe some dinner?" A nurse asks walking into the room.
"No, we're not staying." Jimmy says.
"The doctor is advising you stay overnight so we can watch the swelling." She responds.
"Absolutely not. I have to go back to California my team doctor and surgeon are going to treat me."
"Mr. Garoppolo please calm down, I would advise you stay."
"Go get John." He says looking at me. I want to argue but rather not. I rush out of the room and find him at a vending machine.
"Hey he's not staying overnight right?" I ask.
"Absolutely not." He says. "We're getting everything ready to transport him on the jet.
"Okay then come with me." I say and he talks to the nurse.
In a matter of minutes he's being transported to the airport by ambulance it's a little dramatic and he's probably in a lot of pain, but he's working through it.
Once we're on the jet a nurse gives him some more pain medication and he falls asleep.
I sit next to him and see how peaceful he looks. These next few months are going to be rough with surgery and physical therapy and just accepting what happened. I knew when he joined that dating an NFL player would be hard, this was the risk, waiting around to pick the pieces up.
"He's going to need you more than ever." Kyle says sitting next to me.
"I know." I nod. "I knew this was always a possibility, but I didn't know it'd be an ACL tear. He should've just stepped out of bounce." I shake my head.
"Nobody knows that more than him. I think we're just going to have to take it in stride, just take the season as it comes and we'll get him healthy again." My eyes tear up and he puts his hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be tough these injuries always are, but you just have to be there for him. I know it's a lot to ask and you're a busy woman, but it would mean a lot to the team if you helped out at home. I mean again we'll do the best we can when we got it we just need him to be full of support when we're not with him." He asks.
"Of course Kyle, I was actually texting with his brothers and I think I want them to be in the bay so that when I'm not there they will be."
"That's a great idea, we'll send for them." He says nodding his head.
"That would mean so much." I say holding his hand.
"Anyway we can do to help we'll do it." He says before going to sit with John.
I move to lay with Jimmy on the makeshift bed they created for him. He scoots over to make more room for me and I smile.
"I should've stepped out of bounds." He sleepily says.
"No baby, you did the best you could in the given situation. Injuries happen players always want extra yards but you're going to be fine." I reassure.
"This sucks." He sighs and when I look up I see his eyes are red and glossy. He has a cut on the bridge of his nose that I hadn't noticed yet.
"It's okay." Is all I can say to him, I don't really know how to help. I know nothing I say will be beneficial.

We arrive to California and head straight to another hospital where he gets more scans done.
Denise texts me saying they'd be here first thing in the morning and I sigh contently because they would probably comfort him more than I can. I'm not going to work tomorrow and I call to let Ali know.
"How is he?" She asks.
"Oh you know, as well as he can be, I guess." I respond.
"Hmm. Well send him my good wishes."
"I will, thank you for taking care of everything I'll see you soon." I say before hanging up.
Claire and George bring us pasta and I'm so excited I could kiss them.
"I've been starving." I say making them laugh as I eat quickly. I notice Jimmy is just tossing it around with his fork. That's so rude.
"It's not how Nana would make it." He sighs as he eats it, you could tell he's hating it.
"We could get you something else." George suggests. "Some Panda Express?" He asks.
"No George, thank you for bringing us food in the first place." I say subtly side eyeing Jimmy.
They leave for the night and I am contently full.
"This is a blessing in disguise." He quietly say.
"What?" I ask.
"This injury, I'm going to have surgery I am going to beat physical therapy's ass and I will be back on that field for OTAs next season." He confidently says.
"Yeah you are." I say and mean it.
—
"The surgery went great, we also fixed a couple small things that might have bothered him later. Expect a full recovery." The surgeon says letting everyone here know. Everyone cheers and Denise hugs the doctor. We're led to his room and I never want to see him like this ever again. Seeing the oxygen tubes and monitors on him is too scary for me. His knee is swollen and bruised. I don't like anesthesia sleeping Jimmy. He doesn't look like himself and I hate it. I sit next to him and begin to stroke his arm, I read touching people after surgery sometimes helps to wake them up faster. I move to stroke his hair and quietly calling his name.
After about 15 minutes he slowly starts to open his eyes.
"Ana." He hoarsely says before trying to clear his throat. I bring a cup of water to his lips letting him drink from the straw. "Ana." He says again. I the cup and move to sit on the bed by his side.
"What's wrong mi amor?" I ask looking at his tired eyes.
"I wanna marry you." He says making me gasp with a smile. I hear his mom clap and say yes.
"You do?" I ask.
"I really really do." He answers.
"Maybe that's a conversation for another day." I say pushing his hair back.
"Kiss me if you'd say yes." He says with a smile. I roll my eyes before leaning in to kiss him quickly.  "Damn." He lazily says making me laugh.
We're told he has to stay for an hour to make sure everything is fine so we all sit around watching TV.
TMZ comes on and mentions Jimmy's fling with...that lady. Everyone freezes and the story is told. She gave him a nickname, the energizer bunny because he's the only man who's ever made her tap out. I let out a breath.
"Excuse me." I say before leaving the room. I go to the cafeteria to buy some water. I have a seat and answer emails. I look up when my name is called I see it's Denise, oh god I really don't want to have this conversation.
"Hi sweetie." She smiles.
"Hi." I shyly respond.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that. Nobody deserves that." She sadly says sitting next to me.
"It's okay, I'm over it." I say trying to be brave, but her sad eyes cut right through my bullshit and tears roll down my face.
"Why can't she have the decency of keeping those things to herself?" I ask as she brings me in for a hug.
"Those types never do." She says stroking my hair.
"I want to forgive him and move past it, but these bruises just won't go away." I say moving back from her and bringing my hands to my face.
"They never will sweetie. Maybe in due time they'll lose their color but they'll always be there. Now I love my Jimmy, but I hate that he did this to you."
"Me too." I say. "It's baby steps right?"
"Yes." She nods with a small embarrassed smile.
"I love him Denise and I know my friends don't approve anymore, but the reason why I'm back is because he's never in the four years we've been together done anything to hurt me. Mistakes happen and I'm a pretty forgiving person. I genuinely believe in second chances"
"Thank you so much for giving him another chance honey." She says putting a hand over mine. "You couldn't have chosen a better time to come back."
We have some fries before going back into the room where she asks her sons to give Jimmy and I a minute. 
"I'm really sorry about that." He says.
"I know." I nod. "We both have bruises that need to heal. I'll help you heal yours." I motion to the knee. "And you help me heal mine. Deal?" I ask.
"You got it baby." He assures.
He's fitted for a knee brace and given his crutches which he complains about the whole time he uses them to the car.
This is going to be a long recovery.