Chapter 31

“get some rest Jon I'll see you later ….” I said as I walked out of the room. I turned to watch him it broke my heart having to leave him there but I had to go home and rest up; so I could help him get back on his feet. To get our band back to the way it used to be. He waved at me sadly as I closed the door . I was glad that Jon had been moved down to critical care instead of ICU it meant when we visited him we could stay longer. When he was in ICU we could only see him for a few minutes and only one at a time. Now we all could be with him though Doc Markus said not too excite him too much as Jon still needed rest.

He was still on the ICU floor so if there was a problem they could keep an eye on him. Doc had arranged for him to have a TV though to stimulate the boredom, Maybe he would get a room mate when he was moved off the ICU floor? then again maybe not, as we had to keep security so tight around him.  Closing the door to his room I turned down the hall way and met up with Lainey who had my bag,
"Hey, thanks,"
" your welcome, so straight home is it?"
"I guess yeah,"
"So who is looking after you now you can leave?"
"Me, why?"
"No Richie, did Dr not explain?"
"Explain what, he has released me, I thought I'd be good to go?"
"No, not quite how it works, Doc agreed to your release you as long as it was into the care of a family member or with a hired nurse."
"Damn, so if I have no one appointed..."
"Yep you can't leave."
"Seriously? ... you are telling me I can't go?"
"Not unless you have someone to look after you... I'm sorry, as head nurse that is the last thing I have to check before counter signing your release forms...."  
"Ok, erm how about I hired you? you said a hired nurse?"
Lainey laughed, "Yeah that's right, but from a nursing agency, I can't I am contracted to the hospital." I was just about to try and sway Lainey to come work for me, when ma and pa arrived, with a wheel chair in tow. 

“ready to go Rich?” Carol asked as she had a wheelchair setting by her.

"Am I? "

"If you have a carer plan in place, if not I cannot counter sign Richie"

"oh its all arranged dear, Richie is coming to stay with us." 

my eyes bulged in my head, as I choked on hearing the news from ma, why hadn't this been explained to me before. I watched as ma and Lainey went off to sign the final papers, admitting defeat I sat in the wheel chair and pa placed my bag on my knee.

Ma returned and Lainey too, "All fixed your now good to go, make sure you take it easy Richie, your check-up appointment is noted and ma has it."

I looked down at the floor, feeling like a little kid, I just mumbled my thanks. Lainey squatted down by my side, "Hey, its not forever, two weeks at most, and least you will eat decent food.... and don't worry bout jon, I will take good care of him..."

I managed a weak smile and said goodbye.

Ma stood at the side of me as pa pushed me towards the elevator, "you are ok right rich?"

"Yeah, just concerned I'm leaving Jon. we have been through so much..." part of what I was saying was true and part was missing Lainey every day and not getting the chance to ask her out.

“he'll be fine son … Lainey promised to keep a good eye on him... you liked her and trusted her, stop fussing”

I know" I muttered, but there was a lonely ache in my heart, one that I was struggling to hide.  

Carol lent forward and kissed the top of my head as we left

“your such a good boy Richie...”

I just kept quiet as we left to go get something to eat . I had to admit I was starving the food here left a lot to be desired.

In the car on the way to restaurant ma and pa chatted to themselves and occasionally I joined in, but for the most part, I sat quiet my mind thinking on Jon, the band and Lainey. I even thought

I thought about smuggling something in for Jonny to eat, then scratched the idea, he was on a strict diet right. the last thing I wanted to do was impede his recovery.

Pa pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and we headed inside.

We were shown to our seats pretty quick and handed our menus we chose our meals and gave the order, I poured a glass of water from the pitcher and took a sip when Ma jovi looked at me. “Richie you are good about coming to stay with me and Jon for awhile....” 

"Sure," I was not keen and it showed,  Sure they had just put me in their will but now they had set about organising my life,  i felt like a kid... all I wanted was to get back home. I had to try and talk them out of it.

“  Look I am grateful really I am, but there really is no need I can look after myself, I don't want to impose on you guys, not after all you have done for me.”

Ma was deaf to my pleas,

“Sweetheart though you are healing you still need to be taken care of for a couple weeks since you can't lift anything … and we want to …. I have made up Jonny's old room... and you can stay in there so when he comes home you can bunk together...”

Pa cleared his throat “though that won't be for awhile...... as he's going to be in the hospital for a bit and then moved to the rehabilitation hospital once he's ready for it...” he took a sip of coffee after it was poured.

 

I tried again, “really you don't have to … I can take care of myself …. “ I smiled at them,

“Richie we know we don't have to but we want to …. you've done so much for us let us do this for you please...” Ma begged me.

“I can't take care of Jonny right now …. and its killing me seeing just how much he still has to go through before he'll even be home...” She whispered.

 

I grasped that discussion I had wanted to figure out a way to help. “yeah Jon said that they told him he had to relearn to walk and build strength again. Relearn how to walk WHY?”

 I thought about it over and over, then the answers. Came, he had been bed bound for six months his muscles had wasted, they needed to be strengthend to be able to hold his weight, it was terrible but had to be done, I swore I'd be there to help him along and now I'd just go with the flow and stay with ma and pa until I could live alone again, as lainey said it was only two weeks after all.