Tommy-
It was hard to keep his mind on healing. After more than a full week in bed, per doctor's orders, Tommy was about ready to go crazy. He'd done every single thing Chris had asked of him and yet the guy still wouldn't let him start using his wheelchair again. He knew that it took a while to recover, but all of his vitals were great and he barely ever felt pain in his chest like he had before.
I feel much better than I did the first time I was recovering.
Granted, he'd been in a coma for a while, which had probably helped, but things just felt different this time. Like he truly was healing better.
It's probably because I don't have an infection this time. The idea hit him like a smack in the face. That had to be it. I didn't know that it wasn't supposed to be so painful so I tried to hide the worst of it.
He wouldn't dare tell Christopher his theory, though. The man had already beaten himself down daily for not catching the infection early on. If he didn't pass out from exhaustion every time he slid into bed beside him, Tommy knew that he wouldn't sleep because of the stress.
Hearing the front door open and Skipper's quiet greeting bark drew Tommy's attention to the bedroom door. His heart monitor sped up, broadcasting his excitement, but Tommy was so used to the machines that he didn't pay it any mind. His eyes were glued to the door, as if he were Skipper, waiting for his master to come home and simply acknowledge his presence.
When the bedroom door finally opened after Chris took the dog out, Tommy couldn't keep the eager smile from his face. He knew he looked as bad as he had the past few weeks, as he wasn't allowed out of bed and looked like he hadn't bathed in the same amount of time, which would have been true if Christopher hadn't gotten bath wipes. He was desperate to take a simple shower, but he knew that he had to keep being patient. First, he had to get Christopher to just allow him to get out of his bed.
Just like he did every time he got home, Christopher went right to the machines and read each of the charts from the time he'd left to check for any problems. When his tired eyes closed for a moment and the wrinkles in his forehead vanished, Tommy knew that he was doing well.
Christopher opened his eyes a moment later and, after setting his bag down beside the bed, climbed right into Tommy's waiting arms. It was part of the ritual they'd developed since he'd returned from the hospital. At first, Tommy had to remain lying down, but as he got stronger, he started sitting up as soon as Christopher got home each day. He knew that it worried the man to do it while he was gone in case he strained himself too much, too early, so they came to an agreement that he could do it as long as Christopher was home to watch over him.
The man was careful as he settled into Tommy's arms. At first, he'd been frustrated by his incessant gentleness, as if he would break on the outside because of his internal injury, but after a while Tommy grew to accept that the man was just being extremely careful because he honestly cared that much.
Sliding his arms around Christopher, Tommy released a relaxing breath as his tense muscles unwound. He hated staying put and it stressed him out to not move for so long, but just having Chris come home each night and allow him to hold him, even for a short time, made it all worth it.
After several perfect minutes of only the monitoring machines humming in the background, Tommy nuzzled the man's hair and whispered by his ear. "How was work, love?" His hands moved slowly as he spoke, feeling Christopher's ribs through his worn doctor's coat. He would make sure that Chris ate a good bit for dinner tonight, he was getting too skinny.
"I missed you." Christopher replied as he settled his head beneath Tommy's chin and sighed. Tommy knew that the man had his eyes closed and was using their short time together before he had to make dinner to unwind and destress from his day.
Giving the beautiful man in his arms a squeeze, Tommy chuckled. "I miss you everyday..." He began. When he let his words trail off, Christopher chuckled, leaning back just enough to meet Tommy's eyes through his own disheveled gold bangs. "This is the part where I'm supposed to tell you no." Christopher said with a tired smile.
Tommy offered a boyish grin of his own at Christopher's words. He knew that the man wouldn't allow him to get out of the bed, even if he so desperately wanted to take a simple shower or pee in the toilet instead of the catheter he had been forced to use for far too long. When he lifted his worried gaze from where it had settled on the blanket in his lap to Christopher's eyes and saw the smile lighting them up, his mouth dropped open and hope finally flickered in his belly.
"I'm a horrible doctor but when a patient is miserable, it can affect their ability to heal, so..." He looked away, licking his lips.
Tommy reached out and grabbed the man's face, then yanked him forward until their mouths collided a little harder than he'd intended. He felt Christopher's hand on his thigh as the other man caught his balance, but he didn't even try to pull away. Tommy eagerly furthered the kiss, slipping his tongue between Chris's lips. The heart monitor grew in tempo, spurring Tommy on. He was just about to lean down, pulling Christopher down right beside him, when the other man reluctantly pulled away.
Licking his lips, Tommy forced himself not to grab for Christopher again, but he was struggling. "We have to be careful about this." Christopher said when he managed to catch his breath. Tommy swiped his tongue along his lips two more times before reigning himself in enough to grudgingly nod.
When Christopher leaned back further, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Tommy followed without a second thought. His chest hurt a little with the unaccustomed movement from having been stuck in bed for so long, but he didn't let it show on his face. This was his chance, and he wasn't going to blow it.
"I know you're worried that I'll tie you down if you show any pain, but please, I promise I won't overreact, but you have to tell me if you hurt at all. Please?" Christopher said, his voice nearly pleading.
Tommy couldn't even consider trying to hide what he was feeling anymore. Christopher was giving him a chance, but wanted honesty. It was the least he could give the man after he'd looked after him for so long and stayed by his side.
"Okay. It hurts a little, but nothing anywhere near being really painful like before." He said as he carefully slid himself to the edge of the bed and let his legs hang over the edge for the first time in weeks. Just having his feet on the carpet, the change of texture, was a relief.
He remained seated quietly for several minutes, taking inventory of how he felt and how well his muscles handled his body. When he felt that he would honestly be okay trying to move more, he looked at Christopher and grinned. "Can you get these machines off of me? And for god's sake, the catheter out?"
The sound of Christopher's laughter lit up Tommy's eyes and he leaned over, pressing a kiss to the man's cheek. "I love you." He wasn't sure if Christopher had been really awake the last time he'd said the words, but he wanted to make sure that he heard them as much as possible.
He wasn't surprised when Christopher just blushed and gave him a peck on the cheek in return. Tommy didn't expect him to say it right away. He was a complicated man with a lot of stress on his shoulders, committing to a relationship after all of the crap he'd been dealing with over the past month would be hard.
"Alright, let's get the ball rolling as best we can, hm?" Tommy said, his tone cheerful, because honestly, he was. This was his chance to show that he was healing and could be trusted to start doing normal things again.
He did his best to remain still as Christopher unhooked him from all of the machines and, as painlessly as he could manage, remove the catheter. That took a few minutes to regain his breath from, but Tommy wouldn't allow himself to miss the opportunity he was being given. When he felt that he could manage, he blew out a big breath and nodded.
Christopher reluctantly moved his wheelchair up to the bed, then helped Tommy slowly get himself into it. Surprisingly, it took less effort than he remembered the first time he was at this point in his recovery. It gave him hope that it really had been the infection that had taken most of his energy from him. He settled quite comfortably in the chair as he waited for Christopher to check his pulse.
"Elevated, but that's to be expected. How are you feeling?" He asked as he stood and got behind the chair, pushing it slowly toward the bathroom.
"Surprisingly well. I don't feel even half as bad as I did the first time I was recovering around this time. I'm not tired and my muscles held my weight decently." Tommy said as the chair stopped beside the toilet. Since he was already naked, Tommy eagerly began working his way from the chair to the toilet. Christopher supported some of his weight, but it was clear that he was also testing his ability to move on his own. Tommy was glad for the slight freedom.
When he was finally settled, he heaved a sigh and grinned as he leaned on his elbows and let his head hang with relief. "I don't suppose I can have a moment to use the bathroom?"
To his surprise, Christopher reached down and rustled his hair, then spoke. "Remove my hand from your head."
The request was a bit puzzling, but Tommy made himself straighten back up and reach up, pushing away Christopher's hand. He felt pressure against his palms right before he thought Chris would drop his hand, and had to focus to adjust and push back. His muscles were slow, but he was proud of the strength he still possessed. When he seemed to have passed that test, he lifted Chris's hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles.
"Turn to the right." Chris said as his hand slipped from Tommy's.
He did as told. It took a bit of effort to balance the shift in weight, but he managed it. Figuring that Chris would want him to turn the other way as well, Tommy did that, then looked up at the man with a hopeful smile.
"Alright." Christopher said as he disappeared from the room, only to return a moment later with one of the large blankets from the bed. He spread it before Tommy on the floor.
"Just use the restroom. I'll be back before you're done and waiting outside the door. If you have any issues; aching, light-headed, tired, call me immediately, understand?"
The sudden appearance of Christopher's recently-absent dominant side had Tommy fighting a blush as he nodded. "Yes sir." Christopher let a rare smirk slip before he turned and left, leaving the door slightly open, no doubt so that he could hear if Tommy needed him.
With the few precious moments of freedom he'd gained, Tommy let himself relax and use the bathroom. He didn't think that it would be such a big deal, but he was so grateful to be able to do something himself. He was also glad that Christopher didn't have to clean up after him for once. When he was finished cleaning himself up, he flushed, then waited.
He didn't have to wait long. Christopher walked in seconds later. "Still doing okay?" He asked as he leaned against the wall opposite where Tommy sat. He'd long ago gotten used to being naked in the other man's presence, so it didn't even phase him... at least, not unless Christopher intentionally let his eyes roam over his body.
"Yeah, I feel good." He said as he glanced at the shower for a second, before looking back up at Chris, hope in his eyes.
The stress lines reappeared on Christopher's face as he ran a hand through his messy hair. He's not ready. Tommy thought, only slightly upset at the answer he knew he'd get if he asked if he could take a shower.
"Actually, I am starting to feel a little bit tired. Perhaps we could try it tomorrow if I'm still doing this well?" He asked, hoping that Chris would take that option. Tommy desperately wanted a shower, but he'd waited a long time. What was one more day if it made Christopher feel more comfortable?
The worry lines disappeared and Christopher gave him a small nod. "Yeah, I think that would be best. If we can repeat what we just did, tomorrow, and you're feeling okay, we'll give that a shot."
Tommy nodded, actually feeling a little tired as the enormity of the situation finally settled on his shoulders. He was getting better, that much was definitely true. He was just starting to get his freedom back, and allow Christopher much more of what he'd lost having taken care of him. He was eager to regain his own abilities and return most of Christopher's time, but he knew that he had to be careful. So, he swallowed his wants and allowed Chris to help him back into the wheelchair after he kicked the blanket aside, then into bed.
"Dinner won't be ready for a bit, and I have the timer set to go off... wake me when it does?" He asked, looking up at Tommy hopefully as he settled against him on the bed. He knew that he was wanting him to stay awake so that he could see if the exertion of movement caused any problems, and didn't doubt that he'd already set the alarm on his fancy watch to the timer on the oven, but Tommy didn't mind at all.
The smell of meatloaf just beginning to cook teased Tommy's nose as he carefully leaned over and pressed a kiss to Chris's forehead. "Of course. Get some rest, love. I promise I'll wake you up as soon as the food's ready."
Christopher's lips pulled back into a slight smile, but the man's eyes were already closed before it could reach them.