"THIS TIME AROUND"
By: gb
Chapter 39
"Now, Mr. Williamson, you should eat all of your lunch so you can keep up your strength." Gillian said sweetly to her patient.
Mr. Williamson had one leg in traction along with both arms. Gillian was assigned to feed him lunch.
"If you want me to eat," he said irritabally. "Then feed me real food and not this slop! After all, you people are charging me an arm and a leg for all this- no pun attended."
"Pun?" asked Gillian, giving him a spoonful of food.
"Never mind, " he said, struggling to swallow. "Look, Mrs..." he looked at her id. "Mrs. Lavery. How about you being a sweetheart and getting your hands on a nice cheeseburger and fries for me- or better yet, a pizza with lots of toppings?"
His eyes were glazed over at the thought of all that food!
"Oh, I don't think so, Mr. Williamson," she pulled out his diet card from her pocket and was studying it. "None of those things are on your list."
"Forget the list," he said. "We'll just make this our little secret- I'll make it worth your while..."
He was smiling at her now, obviously imagining himself to be some sort of charmer, but Gillian did not return his look.
"I think you'd better just stick to your strained vegetables and this mushed fruit and milk." Gillian told the much older man matter of factly, clearly not taken with his attempt to try flirting with her to get what he wanted.
Mr. Williamson continued to grumble and complain and her patience was sorely being tested. But she remained sweet and smiling and he, obviously taken in by her enthusiasm for her job, continued to eat.
She was wiping his chin after some milk when Ryan burst into the room!
"Ryan!" Gillian exclaimed, forgetting all about her patient.
"Princess!" Ryan said excitedly. "Thank God! I've been looking all over this hospital! I've got to talk to you!"
He turned to her patient.
"Hi," he grinned. "Go on eating- don't mind me."
"Ryan, I'm working," Gillian tried to explain. "
"But this is important! I talked to Hayley. She told me what happened- please don't be
mad!"
"Mad?" Gillian asked, confused. "She told you? I don't want-"
"To listen to Hayley anymore- I know." Ryan interrupted. "That's what I wanted to say to you. You see-"
"Look," Mr. Williamson cut in. "Mrs. Lavery, I'm still hungry. This clearly disturbed patient will have to wait his turn."
He glanced in annoyance at Ryan.
"I'm not a patient!" Ryan turned to him. "I'm her husband!"
He pointed to Gillian.
"Congratulations! I'm happy for you," Mr. Williamson said impatiently.
He turned to Gillian.
" Young lady, I want my lunch!" he said stubbornly.
"Ryan, darling, I'm sorry, but I can't talk right now." Gillian tried to give her patient another spoonful of food.
"Baby, you gotta listen to me!" Ryan pleaded.
Mr. Williamson opened his mouth, but Gillian turned the spoon away at the last minute and put it back on his plate.
Turning to Ryan, she said, "I AM listening, love."
"I love it when she calls me love in that accent of hers!" Ryan said to the patient, all excited now and forgetting himself for a moment.
Mr. Williamson just gave him an irritated smile.
"Gillian, I love you," Ryan said to her now.
"I love you, too." she answered back, reaching out to stroke his cheek.
"And I'll love both of you if I can just get some food!" Mr. Williamson whined.
He tried to move his arms towards his plate when Gillian didn't respond, but with both arms in casts and positioned away from him, all he could do was wiggle around and make the traction chains jingle.
"Gillian, what Hayley says doesn't matter- not to me. She's my best friend, but you're my life!"
Seeing the patient struggle, Ryan picked up the spoon and began feeding him.
Gillian got up and turned to face him.
"That's what I'm trying to say, Baby. I'm not mad at Hayley- not any more. I'll always be jealous and I'll always hurt some, I think, but I don't want that to come between us."
"So you're not breaking up with me again?" asked Ryan hopefully, wiping Mr. Williamson's chin. The man was quiet now that he was being fed.
"For being a caring person?" asked Gillian. "Ryan, you broke my heart and I'll always remember that. But it's unfair of me to keep making you pay for that and I'm sorry I did."
Ryan was quiet as he spooned more food from the plate.
"You're just amazing, Gilli," he finally said. "You had a right. I hurt you and I'll never do that again."
Mr. Willliamson was enthralled by the drama that was unfolding before him as he ate and thought it was better than any TV soap opera!
"Ryan-" Gillian was cut off as Ryan put down the spoon.
"Gillian," he said. "I was a jerk to let you go. Please, just give me-"
"That's just it, Ryan," she cut him off. "I'm telling you-"
"Baby, I wanted to ask you-" he turned to her now.
"Oh, Ryan, shut up! We're better off if we don't talk much!" Gillian reached over and grabbed him (much to the delight of Mr. Williamson who watched as if he were in a movie theatre!) and throwing her arms around him, pulled him to her and kissed him!
Ryan's one arm went around Gillian's waist and his mouth melted into hers, warmth sealing them together.
When they broke apart, Ryan looked down at her and smiled. "I think you talk too much, Princess..."
He kissed the tip of her nose and he tried to put his other arm around her.
As he moved it, it accidentally hit one of Mr. Williamson's casted arms and he yelled in pain!
"Sorry!" Ryan released Gillian and tried to settle him. Gillian tried to help, but in her haste, pushed the button on the bed that moved it backwards sending the man jerking back and the food tray crashed to the floor!
The three of them shouted at each other, their excited words filling the room. Ryan and Gillian were yelling instructions at each other and pushing the man back onto the bed while Mr. Williamson was pleading for his life, swearing that they were trying to kill him!
"It doesn't go like that!" Ryan took the controls out of Gillian's hand.
"I know what I'm doing- give that back!" she demanded.
"You're gonna break it!" Ryan yelled holding onto Mr. Williamson with one hand while grabbing from Gillian's hand the next.
"Well then let go!" she shouted back, pulling from her end.
"Someone help me!" Mr. Williamson screamed out, watching their tug of war!
After several crazy minutes, they had just somehow gotten things settled down and Gillian calmed Mr. Williamson when the door opened and Dr. David Hayward came in scowling at them.
"What is going on in here?!" he demanded harshly.
"Nothing." Gillian said quickly hating David's very sight.
"Mrs. Lavery, you are supposed to be doing your job and that doesn't include visitors. Do I need to report you?" he sneered as if he'd caught her doing something illegal.
"Back off, Hayward!" Ryan warned.
"Well, now. The unsuspecting husband comes to the rescue. Still insisting on sticking with her, huh, Ryan? Well, you're a good sport."
Ryan refused to be baited, but Mr. Williamson apparently took an instant dislike to David's smug voice because he said, "Leave Mrs. Lavery alone. It's not her fault that the food here is so bad! I want something else!"
David saw the dumped tray and tried to calm the man down, but he was not listening. Ryan and Gillian sneaked out of the room.
They walked into the solarium when David caught up with them.
"Just a minute, " he told them and they turned around. "Gillian, don't think you're going to get away with anything. If I catch you conducting personal business while you're supposed to be working, I will report you and have you dismissed from here. Is that understood?"
"I won't let it happen again." she said quietly, hatred dripping from her eyes.
He nodded, satisfied to throw his weight around, but Ryan was not so easily dismissed.
"Why don't you go bully someone else, Hayward?" he said.
David taunted him. "The true storybook couple. Ryan, my boy, you're as loyal as a sheepdog. Very commendable, but one day, you'll see women like her aren't worth it. She's a nice distraction, but I'm sure women like your friend Hayley Santos are more preferable in the long run than trashy little golddiggers who claim fancy titles adn hauk themselves to the first available wallet they see. But then if you were making her happy at home, she probabally wouldn't be looking elsewhere."
He said it so calmly, so irritatingly easily that it enraged the listener only more!
The smallest tear escaped out of one corner of Gillian's eye. How could she have EVER
thought that he was a decent man?! He wasn't fit to clean the dirt off of Ryan's shoes!!
"Still sore because Gillian dumped you?" Ryan shot back. "Tough luck, David, but you can't blame her for having taste and standards- maybe one day, you'll meet someone who doesn't and you'll have a shot."
Ryan's temper was barely restrained!
"It's no huge loss," David assured him, his eyes narrowing. "But don't worry, Ryan, someone else will come along soon and I hope you'll get to beat up the next guy who "bothers" your wife."
David laughed harshly, proud of himself and started to turn away.
"Well, David, this is your lucky day. You're gonna get your wish." Ryan's smile didn't reach his eyes.
His anger slipped its bonds and he was so fast, that neither Gillian nor David saw what was coming!
Ryan's fingers, which caressed Gillian so tenderly and sweetly, now curled into a tight fist and his well toned and incredibly muscled arm snaked out and connected on target with David's jaw sending him falling like lumber to the ground!
"Ryan, no!" Gillian screamed, trying to pull him back. "He's not worth it!"
Ryan wasn't listening. He waited for David to get up.
David staggered to his feet and took aim at Ryan. However, he was no match for Ryan who regularily pumped iron and was in fantastic shape. He easily ducked out of the way.
"Ryan, you're wasting time here," David said, still dazed. "There's no reason to put on a big show- we all know what she's like."
"Not one more word, Hayward..." Ryan threatened.
"Geez, some guys just love being chumps for any cheap-"
Ryan never let him finish.
"Yeah. That counts."
He pounded David's jaw hard, the sound going through the solarium as Hayward snapped forward like a bent twig, crashing into a table and chairs!
This time, Ryan also managed to knock a few teeth loose and David's jaw sagged as if it were fractured.
"That's the trouble with surgeons and people who have to work with their skilled hands, Gillian," Ryan taunted David. "They're very uncoodinated and they bruise so easily."
"I'm gonna sue you for assult, Lavery!" David assured him. "You're both crazy!"
He clutched at his jaw, obviously in pain.
"What will you do for witnesses?" Gillian sneered, holding onto Ryan's arm. "Because all I saw was you losing your balance and falling."
"Me, too." Jake Martin entered the scene, surveying the damage that Ryan had done.
"Isn't this cozy," David still continued to taunt. "The princess and her two clueless suiters. How charming."
"You really should be more careful, David," he said in mock concern.
He, Ryan, and Gillian started to walk away when Ryan turned around and had some parting words for David.
"If you ever threaten Gillian in any way again or say something to hurt her, I'll make it so a team of the best surgeons in the world won't be able to put you back together, doctor.
You're gonna have to be your next patient."
When the three of them were back in the hallway, Ryan turned to Jake.
"I appreciate your help back there."
"That was really for Gillan," Jake smiled only at her. "But you're welcome. It's always good to see David Hayward get his chain yanked once in a while."
Ryan walked quietly next to Gillian down the hall. The awkward silence got to Gillian and she stopped and held his hand.
"I'm sorry, Ryan," she said. "I'm sorry that my stupidity is always humilliating you. I wish I'd never laid eyes on that man!"
Ryan tenderly pushed the hair behind one of her ears.
"Your beautiful neck..." he whispered to her, stroking her soft flesh.
"I'm serious," she told him. "David's right. I am a slut- just cheap trash!"
"No," he told her calmly, stone-faced. "David's the trash who took advantage of the fact that you were hurting. If he had been decent, he would've turned you away. You're not cheap, or trash, or a slut. You just wanted some love. I don't ever want to hear you say these words about yourself again."
His eyes softened for her.
"I should've kissed all your tears away...better yet, I should've never caused them in the first place."
He drew her to him and as a tear now came out of her eyes, he brushed it away with his lips.
"Thank you for defending me." she said softly, hugging his waist, her head against his chest.
"It's my pleasure to defend your honor, Princess," he said. "He had it coming. Somebody should've taken him out a long time ago."
The kiss that came now was so gentle, so soft, it broke her heart which was racing as wildly as his own.
"He can't hurt us any more, Baby," Ryan told her. "Not if we don't let him."...
end of part 39
(to be continued...)
Next time: Alex calls on an old friend(some of you may remember as a GH favorite and hopefully this will be a treat!) and discuss a potential Ryan and Gillian explosive situation...