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Post by slyn11 on Apr 15, 2012 19:34:39 GMT -5
A/N: So Brady and Melanie got a little too chatty and warranted a chapter of their own. I am trying to stick to my goal of keeping chapters in digestible chunks. This is the chapter I posted a sneak peek for in the discussion thread. It is an unassuming little chapter, but actually if you read between the lines much is foreshadowed. I love a good anvil.
Thanks to all the readers and comments I truly appreciate you all.
Be sure to check out my discussion thread for commentary, sneak peeks, and spoilers. I love to share.
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Chapter 4 -
The line went dead, Chloe was gone, and all the air went out of the room with her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had managed to keep it together in front of him, allowing only a few tears to escape as she watched him react to the sound of Chloe’s voice. It had been agony seeing his smile grow, his dimples deepening, the longer Chloe remained on the phone. Philip hadn’t been this happy since he had woken up. It wasn’t like Melanie could be upset that Philip was happy, only a grinch would deny a man that had been in a coma for months any source of joy. But why did that joy have to come in a tall, dark haired, bosomy, blue eyed package?
She was doing it again, allowing herself to get all worked up over Chloe. She was trying so hard to trust him, to hang on to all the things he said the night of the accident, about how he felt about her. It just was really hard to keep her insecurities at bay when he kept bringing up Chloe or when his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the sound of her voice. He was giving smiles to Chloe, albeit over the phone, that he had not once given to her since he came out of the coma. Melanie was starting to worry that maybe Philip had given up on them, somewhere in his mind while he was in a coma. Maybe he thought they were still breaking up and that’s why he was being so distant with her.
He had been giving her small little shy smiles and tentative touches all week. It was as if he were almost afraid of her. Yet other times he was joking with her and having fun. He really seemed to enjoy her steady stream of one way conversation, and he loved beating her at the memory game on the Speak & Spell. There was something odd about Philip that she couldn’t quite figure out. The doctors so far hadn’t found anything wrong with him, but it still was too soon to rule out any permanent brain damage. When Philip fell from the car, he hit the ground pretty hard, it was more than plausible that some of his brain cells could have been destroyed. The results of his scans wouldn’t be in until later, so all Melanie could do was wait, and hope Philip was okay. She hoped his strange behavior was just his attempts at readjusting to life, and not a sign of anything worse.
Ironically, she missed Philip more now than before, since he had been awake. She no longer spent nights in his room, uncomfortable with the scrutiny she received from his constant flow of visitors. It was like someone barging into her bedroom unannounced. So Melanie had began to spend more time at home, with Parker and Maggie. Her days were still filled with Philip though, he was her number one patient, and she was right by his side whenever he didn’t have visitors or examinations. He seemed to need her there, looking to her uncertainly whenever the doctors began their prodding, at times grabbing her hand when blood was drawn or when skin was pinched. Those were the times when Melanie felt most at ease. She had been taking care of Philip for months, it was natural to her to be the one to hold his hand through his recovery. At least he wasn’t pushing her away in that regard. He seemed to appreciate her as his nurse. It was just his other needs, the ones she couldn’t seem to meet, that were killing Melanie. His emotional attachment to Chloe, the sadness in his eyes when he asked about her, the loneliness she seemed to sense from him, even while she was in the room. Philip was searching for something. It was something that Melanie was slowly realizing she wouldn’t be able to give him.
She had called Brady under the pretense of thanking him for helping her get in contact with Chloe, but really she just needed him. Philip and Brady had always had this strained relationship teetering between love and hate, but when the chips were down they were always there for each other. They counted on each other. And Melanie had grown to count on Brady too, he was just as much her brother as Max was, maybe even more so, because he had been by her side through everything, good and bad. So even though Brady didn’t always approve of her choices when it came to Philip, he always understood. No one else knew the depths of her feelings for Philip like Brady did.
Brady must have been reading her mind, or perhaps he heard something in her voice, because not fifteen minutes later Brady had arrived at the hospital, with hugs and coffee. Melanie had looked up in surprise when she saw him approach, he hadn’t told her he was coming to the hospital. He just smiled sheepishly as he opened his arms to her, coffee cup in each hand, and let her squeeze his torso tightly.
“We could go out for coffee instead of torturing ourselves here with this sludge,” said Brady Black as he handed Melanie a cup of coffee before taking a seat beside her.
“That’s okay.” Melanie blew on the steaming hot coffee. “I’m immune to it, it almost tastes good to me now.”
Brady scrunched his nose up in distaste as he took another sip. “That’s some powerful imagination you have there, Mel. No way is this stuff even remotely good.”
“You can go out and get something if you want,” she shrugged. I just don’t want to leave him.” Melanie looked over toward Philip’s door. She had been sitting out in the waiting room for hours, the doctors had kicked her out to do more tests.
“And miss out on the chance to talk with you? Not a chance. It feels like ages since we’ve hung out.” Brady rubbed her shoulder affectionately.
“Maybe that’s because you’ve been spending all your time in bed with Nicole.”
Brady sighed. “Mel, let’s not even go there. I’m not discussing Nicole with you.”
“Good. I don’t want to hear about your tawdry little affair anyway.”
“Nicole’s barely married, and for the record we’re not sleeping together.” He took off his leather jacket and put it on the seat behind him. “Anymore,” he added.
“Trouble in paradise so soon?” asked Melanie sarcastically.
“It’s complicated.”
“It always is when you’re doing another man’s wife.”
Melanie hated being so judgmental. Normally she wouldn’t even care what or who Brady did. But after being the victim of a cheating spouse, her outlook on life had changed. It didn’t seem right for Nicole and Brady to be carrying on behind EJ’s back. Even someone with as shady a reputation as EJ, didn’t deserve to be lied to. Besides Brady was a better man than that.
Brady shot her a look. “Can we not do this in the middle of the hospital waiting room?”
“Fine. I just worry about you. You seem like you’re drifting these days. I need you as my rock, I can’t have you losing it over some baby stealing slut.”
“I’m good. Really,” he said patting her knee when she looked over at him skeptically. “The one you need to focus on is Philip. He’s looking better everyday.”
“He is doing better too. It feels like such a cliché, but it truly has been a miracle.”
“I’m so happy that finally something went right for this family. We keep getting hit after hit. It was high time for some good news.”
Melanie nodded her head and smiled. “Thanks again Brady for helping me call Chloe.”
“You’re welcome. I guess since I dipped my toe into forgery and fraud I should just jump all the way in,” he chuckled, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.
“It’s only illegal if you get caught anyway.”
Brady shook his head and smiled. “I think my Uncle Bo would have something to say about that.”
“Bo hasn’t been back to see Philip yet. You know since the day he woke up.”
He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Really? I wonder why.”
“Hope told me he’s been busy and there was another stakeout or something.”
“You say that like you don’t believe it.”
“I just think it is hard facing someone when you are filled with so much guilt. I think he’s worried Philip is going to blame him for what happened.”
“That’s ridiculous. Philip’s not like that,” scoffed Brady. “Besides he hasn’t done that to you has he?”
“He’s only tried to bring up the accident once, but that could change once he gets his voice back.”
“Any idea when that might happen?” Brady asked.
“He’s been getting therapy to strengthen his vocal cords, so it could be at any time,” she replied.
“You must be so anxious for that.”
“I am. I really need to hear his voice again. I miss it. I actually missed everything about him, but I really miss hearing him talk. The way he says my name used to give me shivers.” A slight smile formed on her face as she remembered. “It’s crazy. I have known Philip for a few years, married the man, and he still gives me butterflies.”
“Not crazy. Love. We should all be so lucky to find someone that makes us feel that way.”
“I am pretty lucky, aren’t I?” she asked, smiling.
“I should say so,” he grinned. “Not many women can say they landed the crush they stalked and harassed for months.”
“Hey!" she exclaimed. "I didn’t stalk him. I was just persistent.”
”Wearing him down, until he bent to your will?” Brady teased.
“More like helping him face the truth, that I was the only woman for him.”
“I think he got that message loud and clear. Finally. He’s all yours.”
“Yep, mine,” Melanie responded softly.
“So why did you do it?”
“Do what?” Melanie asked turning to look at him.
“Call Chloe? I couldn’t believe it when you came to me about it.”
“Philip needed to talk to her.”
“Philip needed to talk to the woman he cheated on you with and you just let him?” Brady asked incredulously.
“You know it is more complicated than that Brady. They have a son together.”
“Philip doesn’t know that.”
“Well I do. He was asking about her so much, raising his blood pressure. I just wanted to make him feel better.”
“So you were just taking care of him?” Brady asked drawing his words out slowly.
“Right, as his nurse and his spouse, it is my job to make sure his needs are met.”
"Enough with the Stepford wife act. Did you want to claw her eyes out or what?"
“He smiled and was happy. So I was happy. Let’s leave it at that.” Melanie stared into her coffee cup.
“What are you not telling me?” asked Brady looking down trying to meet Melanie’s eyes.
“Nothing,” Melanie said shaking her head, trying to rid herself of all the doubts. “Chloe just reassured him that she was okay and that she would see him soon.”
“You look like you want to throw up. Tell me what else happened.”
Melanie paused, unsure whether she should tell Brady anything about the call. ”It might just be in my head, I’m not sure. But it seemed like he was sort of flirting with her.”
Brady’s jaw dropped. “Flirting? With a Speak & Spell?”
“I know. Weird huh? I think I’m just being paranoid.”
“I think I need to go in there and knock some sense into him,” said Brady rising to his feet.
Melanie frowned. “Great idea, beat up the guy with the head injury.”
“Clearly he has a screw loose if he’s flirting with another woman in front of you, Chloe no less.”
Melanie could hear the irritation in Brady’s voice. He always got so protective of her when it came to Philip. Melanie often wondered if that protective streak had more to do with their history with Chloe and less to do with her. It had felt at times that Melanie was caught in the middle of a pissing contest between the two men. Each of them wanted to prove themselves the better man.
“He can’t talk Brady. I’m sure I was getting it all wrong.”
“You have some of the best instincts around. Don’t ignore them.”
“I am just focusing on his recovery. Let’s just drop it,” she said lifting her red hair up, fanning the back of her neck to cool off. “We can deal with all the impending drama later.”
“Looks like the doctors are leaving,” said Brady turning his attention toward Philip’s door. Three doctors in white lab coats exited Philip’s room.
Melanie stood up beside Brady, taking the coffee cup from his hand. “Duty calls. I better get back to my patient.”
“Don’t pretend like you’re not excited to go be with him. It’s written all over your face.”
“That obvious?” asked Melanie over her shoulder as she discarded their cups in the trashcan a few feet away.
“Extremely. Philip must be overjoyed that you are looking at him like that again. He had pretty much thrown in the towel before the accident.”
“Well we talked things out while stuck in the car. He had swayed me then to take a second chance with him. I just never told him.”
It had been one of her biggest regrets. She had let Philip think that there was no chance for them the night of the accident. She shouldn’t have been so stubborn. She should’ve let him know that she wanted to be with him again. That was a big lesson learned for her out of all of this. Never let things go unsaid. Time is too precious, life too fleeting, to hold back how you feel.
“Now you can.”
“I just need the green light from his doctors that I can talk to him about the major stuff.”
“Like Parker?”
“Yes like that.”
“He’s in for a big surprise,” said Brady with a slight smile. “I wonder how he’ll take it all.”
“I think about that often. Sometimes I think he’ll be fine with it all, but other times, I’m not so sure. It’s a lot to take in at once.”
“With you by his side, he’ll be able to handle anything,” he said pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on her head.
“Are you sure that coffee wasn’t spiked?” Melanie asked stepping away from him. “I can’t believe you are being so positive about me and Philip as a couple.”
“Your love brought him back. How can I deny that?”
“Actually it was Chloe that brought him back. My months by his side didn’t do a thing,” she said sadly.
“Nonsense and you know it. Philip would be dead if it weren’t for you. I don’t care if at the moment he opened his eyes Chloe was there. It was you that fought for him, took care of him, did everything in your power to keep him with us. Don’t let Chloe take that from you.”
“I can’t help it. What does that say about my connection to Philip if he wouldn’t even respond to me?” she asked blinking back the tears in her eyes. “Deep down I must mean nothing to him.”
“How do you even know that he didn’t think it was you holding his hand? We don’t know how much he was aware of at the time.”
Melanie shrugged. “He keeps asking about Chloe. That has to mean something.”
“Let’s go ask him. Right now,” he said grabbing her hand and leading her toward the room.
“He’s not ready for that conversation,” said Melanie pulling back from him, before coming to a full stop. “I’m not ready for that conversation. We just got him back, let’s not stress him out yet.”
“I won’t stress him. I promise. I just need to ask him a few questions.”
“You’d have to get rid of Kate. The last thing we need is for her to know that Philip has been asking about Chloe.”
The absolute last thing they needed. Kate would make a scene, upset Philip, world war three would break out. The best way to keep Philip calm was to keep his mother calm.
“She’s in there? I thought he was being examined.”
“He was. Kate refused to leave. She’s in full on mama bear mode at this point. You know how worried she was about Philip. Now it’s like she doesn't want to let him out of her sight.”
Brady rolled his eyes. “I can’t deal with Kate right now. I guess all of this will have to wait.”
“Probably for the best.”
“You stay strong Mel,” said Brady hugging her again. “No more worrying about Chloe. Philip came back to you. Time to enjoy your miracle.”
“I’ll see you Brady.”
Melanie hesitated outside of Philip’s door after Brady left, feeling a bit apprehensive about going back in. She really wasn’t sure if she was up to watching Philip continue to fixate on Chloe. She hoped the phone call would curtail his interest in Chloe, but something told Melanie that it wouldn’t be the case. The world had shifted somehow since Philip had woken up, and Melanie could feel the turbulence ahead. Squashing down the rising dread in her stomach, she turned the knob on the door, and went inside. She couldn’t run away from a miracle, no matter how much her instincts were telling her to.
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Up next chapter 5 and Philip will be talking and licking...all sorts of good stuff...pinky swear.
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