Chapter 47

"Hey man having a good day? You weren't smiling like this before lunch...what changed?"

"Oh, hey Maverick, not gonna lie I had a rough start to my day and on my lunch break my girl called with really good news. Her MRI is much improved, they removed her feeding tube, and she should hopefully be able to come home in the next few days." My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. He reaches out to shake my hand, we shake hands and end with a sort of hug.

"Dude that is great news Jace. I am so happy for you. Look we aren't gonna be able to work tomorrow so why don't you go and surprise your old lady." I feel tears welling up in my eyes, 'Wow this day has turned out pretty damn good after all.'

"Are you sure? That means so much to me bro, thank you." He nods his head at me with a look that says get out of here before I change my mind. I shake his hand and run to my truck beyond excited to get to my girl. I speed home to shower before I rush to the hospital, hoping to get there before visiting hours end.

I shower quickly eager to be on my way. I get out of the shower dressing quickly throwing on my baseball cap not even concerned about even brushing out the hair that has begun to grow a bit longer than I usually like it. I spray myself with Scarlet's favorite cologne, I go to leave my room and see the sweater that I usually give to Scar remembering that she asked me to make it smell like me again and chuckle. I grab it also and spray it with my cologne bringing it with me knowing this would make her happy.

I run out the door almost forgetting to lock it behind me. I jump into my truck throwing the hoodie and my go bag that sits by my door into the passenger seat and shove the key in the ignition cranking it hard causing her to roar to life. I put my seatbelt on as I am driving in too much of a hurry to get there before it gets too late. I want to call her and tell her that I am on my way to see her, but I decide against it because I want to keep it a surprise, so instead I send a quick text to Ella while I am at a red light,

"Ella I am on my way there to surprise Scar She thinks that I am coming out tomorrow, but luckily there has been a change in plans. Please help her keep busy so she doesn't call. See you soon."

Camerone:

At the end of my shift, I make my way to Scarlet's room as I have done every night since she has been in here. I haven't been able to visit her since this morning unlike usual, for whatever reason it has been super busy today. I get to her room and walk to inside to see her sitting on the edge of her bed and my heart skips a beat and I begin to panic, the only thing going through my head is that she has finally had enough that she just wants to go home and doesn't care what the cost to do so is.

Just before I speak, I take a minute to compose myself hoping for the best and glance over her to see if I am missing something and I quickly discover that I indeed have missed something huge. She no longer is tied to the bed by her catheter, and she doesn't have her feeding tube anymore, instantly I feel relieved, and I feel silly for thinking that she would just walk out of the hospital in her condition.

"Scar Bear! Look at you, you are actually up and out of bed! And looky looky no more feeding tube! That must mean that there must be a damn good amount of improvement on your MRI." She looks at me and smiles as she attempts to fully stand but she is a little too weak to do so. Stella stands up and helps her to take a few steps towards me and I meet her halfway not wanting her to overexert herself. She wraps her arms around me, and I hug her back trying to keep her safe and upright at the same time.

"Bubba, I feel stronger, my head still hurts as bad as ever, but I am up! Not only am I up but I can eat by myself, and I can actually use the bathroom like a normal human being! I am trying to practice and get stronger so I can show Jace how much I have improved, I am so excited cause he will be here tomorrow." She smiles at me, and I can instantly tell that she has pushed herself too hard and her body is worn out.

"I am proud of you Scar Bear just please take it easy don't push yourself too hard you are still very fragile. Ok?" She continues hugging me, but I can feel her legs are trying to give out and I know that it is time for her to lay down again. "Ok Scar you gotta lay down and rest. You have done very good today and I am so happy to see how well you are improving. So lets take a rest and we can practice getting stronger some more tomorrow, ok?" She nods in agreement, and I feel as though I have for once won a battle and I feel rather accomplished till I hear something behind me.

I am just about to help Scarlet into bed again when I hear someone enter the room behind me. I turn slightly half expecting to see a nurse or her doctor, but I am surprised to see that its neither her doctor nor a nurse rather it is none other than Jace. He smiles at me as though he already knows how this is going to go.

"Well look at you Babygirl standing tall." Jace walks over to us, and he has the biggest smile on his face, a look of happiness and pride all at once, and I look at Scarlet to see that she is practically glowing with excitement.

"My Love! I thought that you were coming tomorrow!" I gently pass her off to Jace knowing that she is beyond ready to hug him. He easily takes her from me hugging her closely mostly supporting her weight like its nothing. He kisses the top of her head sweetly as if this is the best day he has ever had.

"I know Baby, originally I wasn't supposed to be here till tomorrow, but Maverick sent me here tonight. I am so proud of you, my love." He shares a glance with me, and I try to urge him to help her into bed with the slightest look. He squeezes her gently and I can see her legs begin to shake. I know that Jace understood my look and I know for a fact that he felt her legs starting to give out. "Here Baby let's get you back into bed, it's time for you to rest." He picks her up cradling her against his chest just before he lays her gently in bed and covering her. He turns to me giving me a hug and I can feel that the tension in his body has faded away. He hugs Stella next and shakes hands with James smiling the entire time.

"It's good to see you. I am glad that you got to see her on her big day." Stella sits in her designated chair next to Scarlet's bed.

"Well, I got very lucky to get the chance to make it here tonight. I just wish we had more then 30 minutes to visit tonight."

"Is it that time already? You just got here, and I haven't even gotten to see you for that long. I don't want you guys to leave me...not yet." She looks so sad that it makes my heart hurt.

"It's ok Babygirl we gotta go for just a few hours and we will be back first thing in the morning. I promise when you wake again, we will be here, and it will be as though we never left." Just as Jace finishes speaking her doctor walks in with her nighttime medicine including the really good pain medicine to help her to sleep.

"Alrighty Miss it is that time again. Jace, Stella, James, Cam we will see you tomorrow you know what time it is too." She gives us all a look like we should have been gone a long time ago. She pushes the medicine through Scarlet's IV line, and I see her eyes droop in exhaustion.

"Goodnight Babygirl, I love you. Get some rest." He gives her a kiss on her forehead just before he ducks out of her room.