“Daddy, does your leg hurt?” Kenna asked Chris, looking at the halo that still was around his leg. “Can I kiss it and make it better?”
“No,Kenniebear. It doesn't quite work that way,” Chris said, giving her a small smile, “but thank you baby.” He'd been home all of five hours and halfway wished he was still in the hospital. The kids had been happy to see him, smothering him with hugs and kisses after being told to be careful of his injuries.
It wasn't his kids or even Melissa, who'd made sure he was comfortable as she could make him in his chair and gave him his medication and a kiss and left him alone to try and relax. It was his sisters and mother who'd come to see him out of the hospital that were making him crazy. Every time he'd get comfortable and almost asleep, one of them would ask if he was okay, if he needed anything. Kenna ran off to play with Hadley and a couple cousins and he closed his eyes.
“Chris, you feeling okay?” Kate asked, coming to sit in Melissa's recliner, looking at him.
“I would be if people would leave me alone and let me sleep,” he mumbled, not opening his eyes. “I love you, but go away. Take my wallet and give it to my wife and tell her to take everyone out for dinner and then, I don't know, do something fun. Go to the park, go to a movie, get ice cream...Just get out of my house for a few hours.”
He didn't see Kate's face fall a little, but he did hear her sigh. Chris opened one eye. “You all act like I can't do anything without someone up my ass. It hurts like a mother fucker, but believe it or not, I don't need someone to go with me while I go take a piss.” To reinterate the point, Chris lowered the footrest on his recliner and reached for the cane that the doctor had prescribed him. He liked it better than the walker event though it took him a few minutes to get up. A sheen of sweat covered his face and he glared at his sister and then Taylor who'd come in the living room.
“Do you want any-”
“Leave it alone, Tay,” Chris got out, moving slowly toward the master bedroom, cutting off his youngest sister's question. He could hear music softly playing when he got to the door and opened it slowly to see Melissa rocking Cameron. He came in their room and sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand over his face. “Weston, do you love me?” he asked softly, hearing Cameron whine and her whisper something.
Melissa looked at her husband who was sweating from the exertion of just walking and nodded. “You know I do, Kirkpatrick,” she replied softly, shifting the blanket over their son as she continued to rock him.
“Then for the love of all that is Holy, take my family and get them out of our house for a few hours. I told Kate for you to take my wallet and everyone go out to eat. Do something..I want the house to myself where I can sleep. I love my sisters but they are driving me bat shit crazy.”
“They're worried about their big brother, Chris. What are you going to do when it's just me and the kids? We're going to make noise and the only reason the girls aren't hovering is because they have their aunts and cousins and your Mom and Step-Dad here,” Melissa pointed out. She didn't want to make him mad, but it would be different until he could rest in a bed.
“I know, but it's...different. I'm exhausted and now I have to get up and make it to the bathroom...” his voice trailed off and he looked at his wife. Chris was wearing a pair of sweatpants with one leg cut out to make room for the metal around his leg. He pushed himself awkwardly off the bed with his one good arm and the cane, biting his lip. “Fuck,” he swore softly, looking down. “Come help me..please.”
Melissa nodded, thankful that Cameron had fallen asleep, putting him down in the middle of their bed before moving to Chris' bad side and helping get him to the bathroom. “Need help with anything else?” she asked.
“I've been pissing on my own for the last forty one something years, baby..I think I got that part,” he told his wife, kissing her temple before she let him go. Chris hurt and wondered if he could get more medication. Or take more, especially when his leg hurt. The fleeting thought had entered his mind once or twice to see how many he could take at once. That thought surprised and disturbed him. He wasn't suicidal, just tired of hurting. Everything hurt all the time.
Chris looked at himself in the mirror and made a face. He'd never thought of himself as a guy who girls thought was 'hot'. Women liked him, sure, back when NSYNC was the biggest thing ever and his name got them one step closer to Justin or JC. Of course his self confidence was now subjected to what was staring back at him. A forty-three year old who was now incapable of listening to music on headphones or dancing around with his daughters when they watched old NSYNC videos. Albeit, it had been a little slower, but he remembered the moves. His left eye focused behind him to see Melissa slip into the bathroom and put her arms around his stomach and hug him lightly. “This sucks,” he told her softly, his left hand moving to cover hers. “You sure you want me like this?”
“Like what? I see my husband...the man I love. Your cast will come off and that halo will be taken out and off your leg. You're still Chris Kirkpatrick. That didn't change,” Melissa told Chris as he frowned at her in the mirror.
“You make it sound so easy. You're not the one hurting if you even move slightly. That can't even get dressed without help or drive a vehicle or play an instrument...see out of one eye. My depth perception sucks,” he told her. Sucking in a breath, he saw the hurt on her face and then her attempt to cover it up. Chris was thankful when she didn't try to argue with him.
“I'll go see where everyone wants to eat at,” Melissa told Chris softly, letting herself move away from him and picked up Cameron and put him down in the pack n play that was in their room, covering him with a blanket. She watched Chris looking at his son and loved that moment. Slipping out of their bedroom, she said a quick prayer that everyone would cooperate to go out. Melissa wasn't sure she could handle more stress with more family members and Chris not resting. She could tell he was exhausted and hadn't even been home a full day. It was going to be a long healing process and she just prayed they'd all get through it.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^
Chris was settled in his chair, the house silent. He'd napped for about forty-five minutes and now was awake. And bored. He'd watched enough television in the hospital that it wasn't even interesting at this point and time. He awkwardly went through the magazines on the table beside his chair and then reached for the object underneath them. He smiled at a little when he pulled it out. It was his and Melissa's wedding album full of pictures and their engagement announcement, along with notes from their friends. He was sure the girls had wanted to look at it at some point; giggling over pictures of them.
It had been one of the happiest days of his life, along with the births of his children. The first picture was of Melissa getting ready, Addy applying some lip stick on her. Then the next was one of him and Joey. His friend had a serious look on his face, tying his bow tie so it would lay right. Of course that was after a few choice curse words.
He smiled at a picture the photographer had taken. It was him standing at the door that said “Bridal Party” on the outside on a piece of paper, the door open just slightly and him with a smile on his face.
Chris ran his fingers down the palm of Mel's hand, reassuring her.
“How about I be the last voice you hear tonight?” she whispered.
“And every other night for the rest of the nights that there are,” he responded, smiling at the reference of the song he'd written with Lance that was hers.
“That's a good place to start.”
“How about we go get married, Mel?” he asked, feeling better than he had a few minutes before. He hadn't had doubts, but Chris just needed to hear her voice.
“I think that's a good idea,” Melissa replied. “I love you, Chris.”
“I love you too, Mel.” Chris squeezed her hand and felt her fingers linger on his. “See you in a few minutes, Weston.”
“My last name won't be Weston in about twenty minutes.”
Chris chuckled and nodded. “I love you,” he told her again before letting her hand go. He was more than ready to make her his wife. He went toward where he was sure the guys were waiting. Smiling sheepishly, he shrugged at Adeline who was pointing at him.
“Please for all that is Holy, tell me you didn't see the bride?” she hissed, pulling on his arm to hurry him up. “You know the wedding was supposed to start twenty minutes ago.”
“I had to go say hi,” he told Addy, chuckling when she gave him a dirty look before going back toward where Melissa was. “I'm going, I'm going.” Chris opened the door to where the men were waiting. It wasn't just JC, Justin, Joey and Lance. His best man was one of his best friends from high school, plus Paul Weston who was waiting with them to go walk his daughter down the aisle.
“She wouldn't have run off, son,” Paul told his almost son-in-law with a smile. “Was she ready?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Chris told him with a smile. “Let's go get me married, boys.”
“When someone asks if there's an objection, I'm saying yes. You're marrying way above you, Kirkpatrick,” Justin said, squeezing Chris' shoulder good naturedly. “I'm fuckin' happy for you dude,” he half whispered.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Chris looked at another picture, one of them dancing. He had no idea if it was the first dance or not. Melissa had taken dance lessons from Courtney as well as Joey and Justin and him. Surprisingly, Justin was the most patient, declaring that she was the female version of Lance when it came to learning steps. Joey had laughed at that, but Chris had appreciated his help when they would find an empty room backstage to practice in. He knew it was important to Melissa to be able to have a real first dance instead of just shuffling around on the dance floor, so beyond rehearsal and sound check and a full show he was dancing. And it was worth every minute.
“How will you know if I love you for life? How will you know? Girl, you will know when you look in my eyes..I could never hurt you, I would never break your heart. And I'll love you til the day that I die, gonna love you for life..” Justin Guarini's voice serenaded them as they celebrated being married.
“How are you Mrs. Kirkpatrick?” Chris whispered, looking at his wife with a smile.
“I'm not sure I can be any happier,” she told him, kissing him softly.
They ignored the cat calls and whistles, Chris shaking his head at their friends after he broke off the kiss. “You sure we can't just go up to our room? Leave the rest of them to their own devices?” he asked with a bigger smile and a heated look. He knew they were both exhausted from the last week of trying to get everything done and just nerves. They'd agreed to go to their room and crash after the reception.
“And leave Justin and Joey down here with a dance floor to themselves?” Melissa looked at Chris like he'd gone crazy. “Along with food and alcohol, cake..As much as I love you and as tired as I am, there's no way in hell we're going early. Suck it up, Kirkpatrick.”
He raised an eyebrow at her as she smirked at him. “Now it starts. We haven't even been married an hour,” Chris teased. “Remind me to put you in your place later, baby.”
“I hope that's underneath you,” Melissa grinned wider as Chris' eyes widened at the sexual innuendo.
“We're not getting any sleep on our honeymoon...You remember I'm old?” Chris told her as they moved across the floor.
“Quit whining. I promise to make it worth any sleep you lose,” Melissa held his face lovingly. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too...” he pulled her closer, his lips brushing her forehead. Chris was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with his wife, starting a family. It had been worth the wait since he was younger, the past broken relationships and everything he'd been through to get to this point. He was sure life could only get better.
“Yeah right,” he muttered to himself at the last thought, shutting the photo album. Chris never saw this coming and wondered if life would be anything like it was before. Shifting in the chair, he grimaced and groaned when his right leg didn't want to move. He reached over with his left hand and tried to physically move it and let out a yell when the Halo pulled on his skin and the bone. The pain was nauseating and it pissed him off. It was at that moment, Chris was thankful his pills were put up because if he could have reached them, he would have taken the whole bottle.
Story Tags: chris
