"Well, well, well. It's true what they say about 'all good things coming to an end'," Kermit said dryly. "I knew this model patient routine was too good to last."
"Shut up and get me my clothes. Wait. Help me up first."
"Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, Peter, but if you can't get out of bed by yourself yet, what makes you think you're ready to go home? I mean, it's only going to be for what? Two, three more days?"
"I have been here for going on three weeks, and I want to sleep in my own bed again. I want to hold my wife in my arms, which they won't let me do here, and I'm just cranky, all right? Now help me out of here."
Peter put his hands around the back of Kermit's neck, and allowed his friend to pull him into a sitting position. Pivoting on his bottom, he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Kermit started going through drawers, finding what articles of clothing he could and handing them to Peter.
Peter was about to start dressing himself, when an outraged voice sounded from the doorway. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"
The two looked guiltily over at Kacie, who was standing white-faced just inside the door.
Peter took a deep breath and decided to bull his way through the situation. Standing up, he turned to face her and growled, "I'm going home. Today. Now. I've been here long enough."
"Dr. McClanahan said two more days minimum. He said you're starting to run a low grade temperature, which means you could be coming down with some kind of infection. You are staying right here until he releases you."
"I am sick and tired of lying in this hospital bed! I want to be home with you and get life back to normal!"
Kermit felt as if he were in no man's land between two warring factions. He looked back and forth between the Caines, trying to decide whether to enter their 'discussion' or not.
Before Kermit could open his mouth to speak, Kacie hissed at him furiously. "How dare you help him try and kill himself like this!"
"Oh, Kacie, come on!" Peter protested. "Leave him alone. He's helping me because I asked him to. I feel fine and I'm going home."
"Not until you have a medical release, you're not!"
"Look!" Peter shouted. "You might be my wife, but you can't tell me what to do. I am getting out of here whether you like it or not!"
Kacie reeled from the force of Peter's irritation. She staggered back against the wall, her voice shrill with sudden hysteria. "No-o-o! How can you do this to me? How can you take this kind of risk? How much more do I have to lose, Peter?!" Her legs suddenly folded under her and she slid down the side of the wall sobbing brokenly, "How...much...more?" She sat in a heap, hands tangled in her hair as she wept.
Peter and Kermit were frozen, stunned at the unexpectedness of her reaction. Before they could move, McClanahan stormed through the door, fire flashing from his eyes. Sweeping the room with a steely stare, he pointed at Kermit first. "You! Out!"
The normally authority-averse ex-mercenary was only too happy to flee the scene. {Dammit, Peter, I'm going to get you for making me a party to this!}
Peter's face was ashen, and he took a few steps toward Kacie. He halted at the barely controlled wrath of the doctor who planted himself firmly in his path. "You! Back into bed. Now!"
"But..."
"NOW!"
Never taking his eyes off the quivering figure in the corner, Peter clambered clumsily back into his bed, the doctor helping him into a relatively comfortable position. He was feeling very foolish, very nauseous, and very, very chastened.
McClanahan went over to Kacie and bodily lifted the weeping young woman to her feet and over to Peter's bedside. Kicking the chair closer to the bed, he settled her into it.
The doctor glowered at Peter. "Fix this!" He turned on his heel and strode from the room, closing the door behind himself firmly.
"Kacie...I..." Peter couldn't find words to continue. He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.
She immediately crawled up onto the bed and lay by his side, one arm curled around his right shoulder and the other touching his right collarbone, careful not to jostle him. Her lead lay on his shoulder as she shivered next to him.
"Sweetheart," he whispered hoarsely, "I am so sorry for being such a stubborn, self-centered, insensitive..."
She put her fingers over his mouth. "Don't talk. I need you to hold me." She took a shaky breath. "Just hold me."
Wrapping his right arm around her shoulders, Peter kissed the fingers at his lips before entwining the fingers of his left hand with hers and pressing her hand to his chest. It was impossible to tell who was clinging more tightly.
Peter was shaken by the extremity of Kacie's reaction, as well as the foolhardiness of his own behavior. {My God, I have never once considered how I might make my family feel when I disobeyed a doctor's orders. Jesus, Caine. When are you going to grow up?}
Kacie soon stopped quivering, and her breaths ceased to shudder through her.
He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "I love you," he whispered around the ache in his throat. "I'm sorry I scared you."
She sniffled and spoke quietly. "I'm sorry I flipped out that way. Just, please, don't ever scare me like that again. I couldn't bear it if I lost you, too."
"I just wanted to be home and with you."
"I want that, too, Peter. But we can't yet. I won't take the chance on something happening to you, too."
"Nobody will make you leave, will they? I mean, come in here and say I can't hold you like this?"
"Are you kidding? Not with your reputation, and after the scene I just made. No nurse in their right mind will want to come in here with the two of us wackos."
Peter smiled grimly to himself. {Nurses are never eager to come in here even when it's just me.}
"I love you, Peter." He felt her eyelashes brush his collarbone as she blinked.
"Love you, too, Hon." {You just scared the hell out of me, but you've convinced me to behave myself -- at least for a few more days, anyway.}