Page 17 of Healing Daddy

JJ made it to bed and basically collapsed. Leary turned on the TV and found his comfort show. He kept the volume low. Leary stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed. It was way too early for him to sleep, but he wanted to be right there if JJ needed him. Plus, he still needed to brush his teeth and all that. He would give JJ a few hours to rest, and then he would wake him up to brush his teeth.

JJ scooted closer until his head was on Leary’s chest and his bandaged arm draped over Leary’s stomach. He mumbled something inaudible in his sleep and settled down.

Leary stared at him with love growing in his chest. It was obvious JJ had sought him for comfort in his sleep. His life felt whole in a way it never had. He could get used to this feeling.Leary was a little scared he was already past adjusted and had moved into he couldn’t live without this. Maybe he was a bit more than scared. Leary was terrified.

Chapter Seven

Henry:Iforgottomention before I left town, if you need anything, text Shawn. I left instructions with him to help however you need him.

JJ:Thanks for that.

Leary:Let me know if you need me to pick up anything on the way home.

JJ:Yeah… I’m not doing that. You already do too much.

Leary:*rolling eyes* Don’t be hardheaded. I want to do things for you.

JJ:Get back to work. I’m fine??

Leary:Fine.

JJ:Let me know when you’re on your way home. I made dinner. It just needs to be heated.

Leary:Awww. You didn’t have to do that. It looks like I’ll be out of here on time tonight.

JJ:So about ten minutes you’ll be on your way?

Leary:Yes.

JJ:Cool. I’m on it.

Leary: Let me know how therapy goes.

JJ:It was therapy.

JJ:I miss you.

Leary:I miss you too.

JJ:I can’t wait for you to get home.

Leary:Turns out I can leave early today. I’ll see you in a few.

JJ:Sweet.

Leary:Don’t forget your appointment.

JJ:I haven’t. I’m in the parking lot.

Leary:Good. See you soon.

Things got a little easier every day. Well, some things did. He still struggled with his fine motor skills. The prosthetic also looked extremely robotic. He could opt for silicone skin to make the hand look more natural, but the added weight made it even more difficult to control. There was a lot of tinkering involved he hadn’t truly considered. If motions happened too quickly or too slowly, doing intricate things felt unnatural. It took a lot of slowing things down, speeding things up, and looking for the sweet spot in between. JJ felt like he got a little closer every day. Mentally, the entire process was draining. He wished he could leave his mind at home to take a nap. Unfortunately, he couldn’tand there was a constant itch at the back of his brain that drove him insane. He just wanted to feel like a whole person again. Leary promised he would get there. JJ hoped he was right.

When JJ walked through the clinic door, smiles greeted him. He had gotten to know everyone over the past six months. Even Dr. Highman, whose first name turned out to be Ron, had grown on him. Once JJ realized Leary was genuinely unbothered by Ron’s antics, and Ron didn’t mean anything he said, their banter was actually pretty funny. Leary held his own. They were both witty as hell.

JJ checked in and asked the lady at the counter about her dog she had just taken to the vet. He was taken back to a room immediately while Katie chatted happily about the surprise party she had been thrown at lunch by her co-workers.

“Happy birthday. I didn’t know, or I would’ve brought you something.”