peaceonearth | Not all sunshine and roses

Sam didn't really remember much after he hit the gymnasium floor besides the pain being excruciating. He had been numb during his doctor's appointment and close to his most comfortable at home with the pain pills to take the edge off. He might have scared his parents when he woke up in the guest room and attempted to make his way back upstairs to his more familiar bedroom. Otherwise, the painkillers had done exactly what they intended to do and helped sleep until his surgery could go through. The anesthesia was more potent, and in post-op Sam was high as a kite. Names and faces were only slowly coming back to him, if he had assistance.

Ruby's face was no different. His eyes gave away that he didn't recognize her, but his gut instantly felt warm. He could at least put his finger on the fact she was trustworthy, the same as his last visitor had been (Melissa). But unlike his mother, he felt twitter patted as well. "Who's there?" Sam answered on his end as he believed this was the start of a joke, his eyes follow Ruby to where she sits.

The question has him look taken aback, slowly concerned about what he potentially missed out on. "What puppy? There hasn't been a puppy. I think I missed the whole puppy party."

Ruby sees the bewilderment in Sam's eyes, but it's one of the expected side effects that will go away within an hour or so. She can't help but smirk and chuckle a bit. "You're the puppy," she tells him. Sorry, if she doesn't take his 'who's there' question seriously. Later, he'll be in pain so it's good for him to enjoy this now.

"Do you need some water or anything?"

In response to her words, he looks mystified down at his own fingers to make certain he does not now have paws. Much slower than normal it comes back to him that she calls him that. Someone does at least. "I don't want that to be my name," he protests. "What about...Lance. Lot. That's a better name for me, don't you think?" He looks at Ruby so seriously, not long after sounding out how to say Lancelot correctly. It's better that she doesn't take much that he says so seriously. The doctors gave him more pain relief than an average person would get due to his height and athleticism.

He hears her question but needs a moment to process an answer. "Juice. Apple, probably. I also like Ginger Ale. Do you think either of those will make my heart stop beating?" He means that ever since she came into the room his heart has been beating more loudly in his ear and it would be nice for it to slow back down. But what he adds, just as slowly as everything else, is "You're beautiful, I thought you should know that."

Ruby can't help but laugh. "If we're talking actual names and not terms of endearment, I'm partial to your actual name, Samuel." her voice drops a little and she says his name the way she always does with that slight purr in her voice.

Her brow furrows, taking his question wrong. "I definitely am not giving you anything that stops your heart, but I think you are safe with ginger ale." She's just turning to retrieve the soda when he speaks again. She turns, a smile on her lips then leans in to press a kiss against his forehead. "You're biased, but I know," she teases. "Be right back," she assures him as she steps out to get the ginger ale.

Ruby returns a few seconds later with a can of ginger ale and a bendy straw. She holds it so that he can take a sip before putting it on the nightstand next to his bed.

He lifts his head from the pillow and rolls it back on the cushion after a moment, blowing out air. "I'm very confused right now. I like it when you say my name, but Sam is way better." The purr in her tone had definitely sped up his heart rate again. Dizzy would be one word to describe what he was feeling in his chest, or fluttery. He's not sure which descriptor applies best at the moment. "Say it again," he insists. For good measure, he wants to know if that's why he feels light headed.

It then certainly must help that he's not all there because he doesn't take what she says as anything but assurance. "Oh, in that case, I'll have ginger ale. You're the best." He lays back completely while she retrieves the soda pop. He can't help but turn his head to get a better view of her and make a happy noise when her lips press to his forehead. His whole day has been made as evidenced by the wide smile that grows on his face. "No, yes, maybe. How can you tell?" He says seriously, quickly devolving into the babbling boy with the giant crush that he is/has. "I haven't shared any of my other thoughts other than that you're beautiful. Really, really, really beautiful. It's crazy how beautiful you are." He puts his hand over his heart as if that can get it to slow down or stop. "I- uh, alright. Don't be long." He lets her leave but rolls his head to watch her go, respectfully. Mostly.

He is encouraged by her holding the can up for him that he takes a large sip. And he swallows. "That tastes like paradise."

Ruby can't help but chuckle at that. "Don't worry, Puppy. It'll get better." Yes, she knows he said he likes Sam better. She smirks at his request "Samuel, or Sam?" she teases. She reaches out and pushes his hair off his forehead. "The anesthesia will wear off in a little while. You had to have surgery on your knee, but you're okay. Your parents will get to take you home soon."

She figured the ginger ale would be better because of the bubbles, though she would have brought him apple juice if he'd asked for it. "I can tell because you're my boyfriend," she reminds him. "You're biased about my prettiness, and I like it." She sets the can on the stand next to the bed once he's through with it.

Sam can't help but find it hard to focus due to his attraction to her. He's more assured that he will be able to think straight when she tells him it will get better. "When you say it, it feels like will get better." He pouts lightly with her uttering his full name again but, true to his word, it doesn't offend him when she says it. "What do you want to call me?" he answers. He tries to lift his head to encourage her hand to comb more of his hair but in his loop behavior, tilts his head to the side where she's on to keep his eyes on her. "They didn't cut it off, did they? I can't feel anything." As troubled as he looks for a split second, he gives a little chuckle because of how light he feels all over.

The way he looks at her is like if she revealed they were married and he lost his memories of it all. Shocked at first, but an easy acceptance, and mind blown look deep in his eyes. "Wow." He goes over it in his loopy mind. "I must have said a lot of things you like," he decides. "If I'm your boyfriend, then am I allowed to ask if you'll come home with me too?"

He thinks about it for another moment. "Pretty please."

It's probably a bad thing that she likes his lack of focus when it's due to her. She chuckles softly. "I promise, it will get better." He's probably only got another half hour of extreme silliness before he starts to remember everything and even hurt a little. Of course, they'll give him pain pills for the pain, but they won't make him high like this. His inquiry makes her pause. "I usually just call you Sam, but sometimes it's Puppy and sometimes it's Samuel. Occasionally it's Nerd." She shakes her head at his question. "They didn't cut it off. I'm positive you'll start feeling it soon." Probably pain.

His reaction makes her laugh out loud. "You did," she assures him. She waits until the pretty please to break the news to him. "I will go home with you, but I live just down the street. I'll be at your house as often as you want."

It is probably a good thing than that even when he's not on drugs, his focus regularly slips around her. He closes his eyes this time, because when she says it twice, it is enough to make his whole body warm and fuzzy. The drugs will start to wear off by the time his parents get to go ahead to take him home. He will express some discontentment during the car ride when he can feel his leg vibrating with the speed and every minor bump or turn. He smiles and opens his eyes again to listen to Ruby give her opinion on what she likes to call him. It starts to make more sense what she meant before with talking about Puppies too and his lips form a 'o' shape while it finally begind to connect to before. "I like when you say it." He doesn't really clarify which one (namely Sam), but really it is all of them when she says it. He heavy sighs with relief as if the biggest worry of his lifetime had been lifted. "Good. I want to be able to walk with you in the park." He giggles. He won't like the pain or being bed ridden when he has more sense.

He smiles because her laugh seems like agreement, not unitentionally mocking. "That's a yes," he says, more to himself than herself, happily. He smiles a little more loosely, giving away what he thinks is a naughty thought. "In that case, you should stay the whole time. Or..or, or as long as you want, too. I want you there."

Almost as if the timing couldn't be better, Melissa steps in the room. Theodore was soon behind her. The look in her eyes, smile on each of their faces shared that the Doctor had given them the okay to take Sam home.

"Give it a little bit of time," she assures him. She's been working on her own compounds and teas for him to hasten his healing a little as well.

It definitely isn't mocking. Yes, she's laughing at him a little, but it's good natured. She chuckles softly at his suggestion. "Your parents might have something to say about that." She will spend a good deal of time at the house with him.

Ruby drives her own car back to their house and parks on the curb. She uses her key, goes through the front door to the garage to meet Sam, Melissa, and Theo so she can help them navigate him to the master suite on the first floor where they've temporarily moved Sam until he can manage the stairs.

"We won't tell them then." It seems like the perfect solution to what his parents might say. Of course weather he realizes it or not yet, his honesty will get the better of him once he's back to his senses too.

Part of the drive back, Sam wonders where Ruby went. By the end of it, he is in enough discomfort that he hardly notices Ruby at his side until the three of them settle him into bed at home. He has a little to say about in the unpleasantness of moving from the car. "I don't feel so numb anymore. I feel like a hundred bee stings." He does stiffin up once placed in the bed but Melissa knows exactly the direction to gently guide and smooth his leg to make the pain sensation lessen, even if just a little bit. Sam's head rests against the pillow further complaint before scanning his surroundings. The three of there let him know that it was going to be okay. She sighed in relief. His gaze lingers on Ruby most of all, which lead his mother to kiss his forehead and father to brush his hair assuredly before leaving the room, door wide open behind them. They realize the moment belongs to their son and his girlfriend.

Sam doesn't have anything to say but tries his best to focus that he is in good company. The pain is almost bare able.

Ruby knows that Sam's sense of honesty will keep him from lying to his parents. "Are you proposing I sneak in through your window?" she teases.

"The ice machine will help bring back the numbness," Melissa assures him while Theo gets it set up. Once it's over his knee and running, it should help a little with the pain. It will definitely keep the swelling down.

Once Theo and Melissa disappear, Ruby settles carefully on the bed next to Sam, jostling it as little as possible. "Do you want to watch a movie? Or I can read to you. I won't even complain if you fall asleep in the middle."

He nods so very certain of himself. At the same time, his eyes light up like that is the best idea he's heard in all of his eighteen years of life. "YES. That's genius," he exclaims.

The ice pack does help make the car ride more comfortable too. Melissa makes certain that the ice pack is placed over knee before she exits.

Sam is distracted the instant Ruby crawls into bed with him (the way he sees her get in might be more out of fantasy than reality) that he doesn't notice any jostling of the mattress. "Huh" He hears her but needs a moment to process. "I like it when your lips move. Will you just talk to me?"

She can't help but chuckle. "We'll discuss it," she promises him, preferably when he's a little more sober. She's not opposed to sneaking in through his window though.

Once the actual ice machine is on his leg it will make a world of difference: continuous cold with very little pressure and nothing hard to press against the knee. The pack is a temporary solution for the car ride. The machine hums quietly once Melissa leaves.

Ruby does tend to be intentionally sexy around Sam, but she's really just trying not to jostle the bed. She can't help but laugh at Sam's request. "I think I can do that." She settles in next to him and proceeds to tell him a Polish fairytale.

Try as he might to make it through her entire story, his eyes get heavy and mind drifts asleep. His head turns and falls against her shoulder.

It's a rough first week where time feels slow for Sam stuck between bed and the small exercises of his stage of recovery. Melissa dropped him off at PT and he asked her if she was fine if he had Ruby pick him up after. His mom said that was fine which brought one of the biggest smiles on his face that day. The other one came when Ruby popped in after the appointment. He had another few minutes to use the ice machine on his knee before he was ready to leave so he beckoned Ruby to sit. He moved his crutches from beside him to between his legs to make space.

"The Doctor, here, said it won't be long until I can do most of the exercises at home without supervision."

He needs the rest and she doesn't take offense to him falling asleep.

Ruby spends as much time as she can and as much time as Melissa will tolerate with Sam that first week. It's not as much time as either of them like, but when Melissa calls to ask if Ruby would be able to pick Sam up at PT that afternoon, she readily agreed.

Ruby perches on the edge of the chaise when Sam beckons her to sit and makes room for her. "That's fantastic news. Want to go to dinner with me to celebrate? I've already cleared it with your mom."

Over the next couple of weeks, Sam is in constant contact with Ruby via facetime or text on the side when she isn't over. It doesn't seem that way to him at the time but Melissa sees that Sam gets the rest he needs with between time they can see each other. The one thing that keeps Sam going is that he knows their distance isn't forever as long as he works hard and rests as much as possible.

Neither of them will have to sit there long to listen to the professional finish running through what to expect next. The man leaves Sam with the same pamphlet that he got when it all started. Everything is in there for their review. He folds it in half and pockets it. "Our favorite place?" He looks at Ruby with both a smile and a look dying to go anywhere but back to his secondary room right away.

Melissa might be taking advantage of his condition a little to keep him around a bit more than he has been. Honestly, it feels a little bit like the time they spent together before he turned eighteen, except Ruby wasn't required to put clothes on during their facetime conversations.

Ruby asks a couple of questions about how much Sam should limit his mobility. The response doesn't really surprise her. He's off pain meds so the answer is as much as his pain limits him. If it hurts, stop doing whatever made it hurt. Ruby nods in response. "Unless you've got another idea." She walks beside him toward her SUV and opens the passenger side door, closing it once he's settled inside. "I could go for some fries and a milkshake." If Melissa will allow it, Ruby would be happy to take Sam back to her place. They can discuss that over dinner.

Sam hasn't minded his mother slip into bed next to him to put on a movie or two, but he has felt the difference in not visiting Ruby on the weekend freely. His lidibo hasn't exactly switched off either. He thought about how he couldn't wait to be 100% again this whole time in the same way Ruby had to resign herself to clothes too.

On his end of things, the answer the professional provides aligns with his hope that soon he can remove the brace completely. They also were filled in that the crutches would soon become more of a support rather than necessity, if not already. Sam said nothing to that as he wasn't sure completely if he was ready for that. He smiles with his eyes. "No. It feels like forever since I've gone there." He looks her up and down when she opens the door for him, appreciative. "What would I do without you?" His parents are his key supporters through this, but so is Ruby. He hums in response to fries and a milkshake. "Let me at least treat you, this time. Consider it a thank you for being with me through the last few weeks."

Which is why their facetimes have been a little spicier than usual.

Both Ruby and the Physical Therapist will tell Sam not to rush taking the brace off or abandoning the crutches, but yes; he won't be playing basketball soon or running, but he should be able to walk on his own slowly and for short distances soon. "Sink. Obviously," she tases him with a wink in response. "Gratitude noted and accepted," she tells him as she points the SUV toward the diner. Yes, she'll let him treat her this time.

He smiles at her answer because he's happy enough to never see himself living any other way without her. Thankfully, with her support, he has been able to accept that he likely will be out of basketball for the rest of the year. The spicy facetimes might be another reason why he's happy enough with his situation.

"I guess that makes you my life guard." Once they reach the diner, he slowly unbuckles himself and gets himself together to get out of the vehicle. It's a little work getting himself slightly ahead of Ruby, but he manages so he can maneuver around and hold the door open for her. The smell of chili fries and fresh baked good wafts out of the restaurant. But that's not the reason Sam inhales deeply when Ruby walks in. The scent of lavender is.

At least, for the most part, basketball is over. He's just missing out on the off-season stuff. They're fun, but she'll remind him how much fun spending the night with her is once he's feeling up to staying with her.

"I've even got the red swimsuit to match," she quips. Ruby moves more quickly so that she can be by Sam's side to help him get out of the car. Once they start toward the diner, Ruby realizes what Sam is doing and falls back just a little so he doesn't hurt himself trying to hurry. She goes to their regular booth once inside the diner, making sure he's got room to set his crutches out of the way. "You're getting around pretty good, Hop-a-long," she teases him as he gets settled in the booth.

The thing is that he feels like he is missing out on a sense of camaraderie with his friends. Of course they've all come to visit him (some more than others), but it is not the same as seeing them every day. Besides that, he hasn't felt alone or unable to cope. He does look forward to how much fun it will be with Ruby once he's cleared for some extracurriculars again.

It's nice that they're able to do this though. He had only expected to return to his room (the guest room) after the appointment so head to his toes, his entire body language lifted to better spirits once they were inside of the restaurant. His lip quirks to one side at her quip. "Yeah? I'd like to see you in it sometime." He's embarrassed to say but not as much as he once would have been. If see scoots in towards the window, he can sit next to her without having to work too much. From her, he knows those words are praise and a little bit of encouragement. "You think so? But you know I've been working atit every day. You're one of the people in my life that cheer me on. That's why I want to make this my treat." He pauses. "What did you say to my mom to get her to agree to this anyway?"

Once he's moving around better, Ruby will suggest they plan a night with his friends. She can go with them or he can go alone; whichever, he wants. Maybe if they're careful, they can discuss some of those extracurriculars tonight.

"Summer is coming up," she promises him. He really needn't be embarrassed. She scoots to the window so that he's got lots of room. Once he's settled, she'll scoot a bit closer to him. That's definitely praise, encouragement, and even affection. Ruby just shrugs. "I told her that you were doing well and it would be good for you to get out of the house. I also mentioned that she and your dad hadn't had a date night since this happened."

He would like that suggestion and would rather her join him with his friends. They could definitely try to see if anything extracurricular would be comfortable given how much he's healed thus far. There are no guarantees. But what matters to him is the time they're together.

He would have smiled no matter what she said, but something about summer and bathing suits helps him see a light at the end of his healing journey. "I hear Monroe Lake is a good spot. We can rent a house for the weekend." He brushes his hand over hers the moment she scoots closer. He isn't ready to order yet but when the waitress comes up he starts with just a coke as it's been a while. He turns back to Ruby waiting for her to order. When the waitress leaves, he picks up the conversation. "I think we all needed a little break so thank you. This is a date for us too, right?"

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