69- Cheer Up

"Why did you even want to go out all of a sudden?" Ryan grumbled.

"Because I told you," Scott replied gently, "staying cooped up inside isn't doing either of us any good, and I thought of a few errands I need to run."

Scott was wheeling Ryan down to the parking garage where his parent's car was waiting. They'd swapped vehicles shortly after Ryan got out of the hospital, since it was easier to get Ryan's wheelchair in and out of their SUV than Scott's sedan. It was waiting right near the elevator where they'd parked it in the handicap spot, with the temporary disability tag prominently hanging from the rearview mirror.

"But do I really have to go too? I'd be fine by myself for a few hours." Ryan pouted, reaching up to pull his knit cap a little lower. "Bringing me along is only going to slow you down."

"Aww, come on! Getting some fresh air will do you good!"

"But I can get fresh air when you have to take me to that psychiatrist appointment next week…"

"You're right! We can go for some fresh air then, too!"

Ryan did NOT want to leave the apartment this morning. Shortly after breakfast, Scott had suddenly sprung this idea on him, and wouldn't let him out of it. After their little incident the day before Ryan was feeling just a little better, but he didn't want to go out in public! He didn't want people to see him like this! What if they thought Scott did this to him? What if something happened and he was totally useless because he was stuck in the stupid wheelchair? Why wouldn't Scott even tell him where they were going?

"I want you to know I strongly protest to this." Ryan grumbled as Scott lifted him into the vehicle's front seat.

Scott kissed Ryan's cheek. "Well, we already cut up one of my shirts to get you dressed, why don't we count this as a trial run for when you ACTUALLY need to leave the house?"

Ryan continued pouting as Scott buckled him in and started loading up the wheelchair. He was indeed wearing one of Scott's shirts, which had been cut down the back to make it easier to get on and subsequently safety pinned back in place. And he was wearing a nicer pair of Scott's pajama pants, was zipped up in Scott's coat, and was stretching out a pair of Scott's lounge socks. In fact, the only thing he was wearing that was his was the hat, which he insisted he wasn't leaving without. His hair had grown back a little around his head injury but it didn't cover it completely, and it looked weird having that one short patch buzzed into the side of his head. It was such an ugly scar. He'd been told there were some spots under his casts with stitches. He was sure those would scar too. They'd probably be just as ugly…

Scott finished loading the wheelchair and the backpack he'd filled with anything and everything he thought Ryan might need while they were out. He could tell Ryan was only putting up a token of a fight against this, but after yesterday it was clear how much both of them needed to get out for a little while. It just conveniently happened to occur at the same time Ryan's ring was ready. Scott hoped having it back would help boost Ryan's spirit some. And he had another idea he thought of this morning he hoped would help a little, with the assistance of a restaurant search on his phone to find a place that was wheelchair accessible.

"Why won't you at least tell me where we're going?" Ryan asked when Scott got in the driver's seat.

"Because we're going to a bunch of places, and they're all a surprise." Scott winked as he backed out of the parking space and drove off.

Ryan stayed quiet nearly the whole way, brooding out the window. Not even Scott singing offkey to the radio could get him to crack a smile. Sure, yesterday he complained about not getting to go to work and how much just sitting around was getting to him, but that didn't mean he wanted to get dragged along to whatever this was… Actually, he wasn't too sure what he wanted anymore, other than getting some of his independence back.

After a bit of driving through the city, they arrived at their first destination. Scott pulled up to the front of the building, parking in the only handicap spot.

"A florist?" Ryan asked dubiously. "Why?"

"Because we need flowers, of course!" Scott smiled.

Then began the process of unloading the wheelchair, and setting it up, and unloading Ryan, and getting him set up… Ryan could feel the eyes of the passers-by on him. It was embarrassing.

Scott had a bit of trouble managing both the shop's door and Ryan, but a lady nearby gladly held the door for them. Scott thanked her, but Ryan looked away. Inside the store, the aisles were too narrow for them to get through without risk of damaging the displays, but thankfully what they were looking for wasn't something they'd need to go further into the shop for. The store clerks were quick to offer assistance, and Ryan fairly quickly figured out what their next stop would probably be.

"Hot Stuff, you pick out whichever arrangement you think your grandparents would like." Scott indicated the display wall of artificial cemetery flowers.

"Maybe… That one?" Ryan picked one of the smaller ones, but it had some gold glittery stuff that caught his eye.

They made the purchase, and an employee helped them with the door. Then began the process of loading Ryan back into the car, then loading the wheelchair… This was only the second time today, and Ryan was already over it. Couldn't Scott see what a hassle this was?

On the drive to the cemetery, Ryan happened to think of a very important problem.

"Cuddle Bug, how are you going to get the flowers up there? You can't reach it on your own."

"Don't worry! I borrowed a ladder!"

And sure enough when they got there, after Ryan and his wheelchair were unloaded, Scott pulled out a folding step ladder, draping it on the wheelchair handles before they made their way over to the monument. Ryan was given the important task of holding the flowers. They weren't the only group out today, there were at least two other families paying their respects to their departed loved ones. Ryan wanted to curl up and disappear.

Scott didn't pay the other people any mind, he just set the brakes on Ryan's chair and opened the ladder to get the flowers replaced. It was still a stretch, and Ryan shouted at him to be careful. I mean, the last thing they needed was for Scott to get hurt too.

With the floral replaced and the old ones disposed of, Scott moved the ladder next to Ryan and sat on it, prepared to stay however long Ryan wanted to. He wrapped an arm around Ryan's shoulder and planted a kiss on his cheek. Ryan looked up at the flowers for a while, but Scott couldn't make out anything in his expression. They weren't there for more than five minutes before Ryan said he was ready to go, complaining that he was getting cold.

Ryan had to suffer through getting loaded into the car again. Surely Scott couldn't have much more planned for today, right?

"You know what?" Scott asked, "I'm hungry. Are you hungry? You ready for lunch? I found a new place I want to try."

Ryan wasn't particularly hungry. He hadn't had hardly any appetite at all for a while. He agreed anyway. He might as well start playing along. It occurred to him that maybe this whole thing was less about getting him out of the house, and more about Scott needing to get out of the house. Maybe Scott felt guilty about admitting he personally needed a break or something? Playing along was the least Ryan could do.

Scott drove out to a side of the city Ryan had never been to before. I mean, there was a lot of the city Ryan had never seen before. When you lack money and transportation you tend to go only where absolutely necessary.

"So, where's this place you want to go, again?" Ryan asked dubiously.

"Don't worry, according to the GPS it should be just around the corner up here."

Ryan couldn't help but feel a little curious. He strained forward just the slightest bit, trying to get a first glance at this next surprise. They pulled into a parking lot for a strip mall that had several food options, but the one Scott parked in front of was for something Ryan would have never expected.

"Middle Eastern food? We're eating here? I didn't even know the city had a place like this…"

"If you don't want it, we could go somewhere else?" Scott offered.

"No… This is fine…"

Thus, Ryan was once again subjected to being unloaded and set in the wheelchair. He tried not to let it bother him. Still, why would Scott pick a restaurant like this? It's not like he'd shown any interest in Middle Eastern food before, well, except for when he was asking about Ryan's grandmother's mamoul cookies…

A young hostess was quick to open the door for them before Scott even had to reach for it. It was warm inside the restaurant, but Ryan waited until they'd been seated at their table, at a semi-private banquet area at Scott's request, to ask for the coat to be taken off. Ryan wouldn't let Scott take the hat off. They were given a bowl of hummus and some warm pita to snack on while they looked over the menu.

"They've got shorbat adas?" Ryan asked in surprise.

"Let's see, that's the lentil soup, right?" Scott confirmed. "Is it any good? I'll admit, the closest I've come to eating any of this kind of food was street vender falafel."

"My Nana would make it sometimes, but she used the red lentils in her recipe. Hers was always good. It just takes so long to make, I don't think I've had any since before she passed…"

"Why don't we get that, then? You can tell me how theirs measures up to what you remember?"

Ryan surprised himself by agreeing, and they shortly each found themselves with a bowl of steaming, creamy-looking soup in front of them. It certainly smelled good. Scott restrained himself from asking Ryan if he needed help, especially after the look Ryan gave him when he picked up the spoon with his three working fingers. Scott did help him by moving the wheelchair closer to the table though. Ryan actually smiled as he ate the first spoonful, once he figured out how to actually get it to his mouth. Scott was ready to do anything to see that smile again…

Only after Scott was sure Ryan would manage to feed himself okay, hunched over awkwardly as he was, did he take his first taste. It was good, and spiced with things he couldn't readily identify.

"Is it good?" Scott asked once Ryan had found his rhythm.

"Not as good as Nana's, but it's close." You could hear the contentment in Ryan's voice.

Ryan surprised Scott by nearly finishing the whole bowl. Scott made a note to check if this shop did delivery. One more weapon in his arsenal to try and keep his fiance happy. The wait staff was friendly and checked on them often, and at the end of the meal they were each given what looked like a small folded over pancake, "on the house."

"Oh! You'll like this, trust me!" Ryan seemed genuinely excited as he bit into his and crumbles of filling fell out.

It was a glimpse of Ryan acting almost like his old self. It almost brought a tear to Scott's eye. Almost. He didn't want to risk embarrassing Ryan on accident. Things were suddenly going so well. He bit into his own treat and was indeed happily surprised by the spiced nut filling. He wondered if his dad could reproduce this as well…?

Scott paid for the meal, leaving a generous tip and a nice note for the staff that read simply:

[Thank you. This is the first time he's smiled in a long time.]

The staff held the door for them as they left, and Ryan had one more pleasant surprise for Scott as he was loaded back into the front car seat.

"Thanks for this." Ryan whispered, kissing Scott's cheek.

"For the meal?"

"For trying so hard to cheer me up. I love you."

Scott returned Ryan's kiss on the lips. "I love you too."