Chapter Three

She grunted under her breath as Ned tried to help her sit up

Her bare legs and stale, painted red toes now dangled over the side of the hospital bed

"You ok?"

"If this means getting out of here, yes"

Ned didnt question her comment. She was in mode. Ready to leave.

"I thought you would like something comfortable to wear home so I stopped at your apartment and picked up a few things"

"Thanks" Alexis said trying to maneuver herself to be comfortable

"Ill have the nurse come and help you get dressed"

Alexis was stunned for a moment that he had suggested getting the nurse. He had seen her naked a million times

She had forgotten he didnt see her naked anymore

"Uh no, no Ill uh Ill get dressed myself it will just take me a second"

She held out her hand for her clothes and Ned handed them right to her realizing the odd situation of not being "allowed" to see her naked anymore

"Ill um wait outside... call me when youre done ok?"

Ned made his way to the door and Alexis watched him leave

She went to lift her left arm forgetting it was in sling. She raised her right arm wincing at her sore muscles and pulled at the string around her neck from the hospital gown

A simple task that wore her out

She sat there for a moment frustrated with herself

"Come on Alexis!" she mumbled to herself

She tugged at the hospital gown again

"Alexis just let him be there for you. No one expects you to just snap back"

Jaxs words were going to haunt her

"Ned!"

Ned quickly opened the door and slipped his head through

She looked frustrated

"I need help"

Ned looked relieved to hear her asking for help

He locked the door behind him

"You should have just asked me"

"You should have just assumed" Alexis said getting in her jab back

Ned stood there for a moment

"Ok how do you want to do this?"

Ned was thinking how she may not want him to see her naked

He wasnt thinking

"I just want to get dressed and go home ok"

"Ok"

Ned reached for her gown where it had began to fall around her shoulders

She suddenly stopped him

"Um I, I maybe, I can get dressed myself" She was stumbling, she was shaking, nervous

He hadnt been thinking. She hadnt thought about it either until then

She herself hadnt seen her own body

She hadnt seen the way she looked, the battle scars

Ned backed away he took a deep breath in and then a deep breath out

"Well do this together ok?"

Tears had already welled up in her eyes

He slowly pulled at her gown and waited patiently as she lifted one arm after the other

He thought he would be sick

Her beautiful naked body

A body he physically and mentally once worshiped

The bruised and battered, he knew she would heal but seeing her at that moment he realized what may have been going through her head the last few days

The horror, the memory she was wearing on her skin like a medal from war

She turned her head from him

She didnt look down at herself but she knew from the sadness in his eyes

Suddenly she felt his cheek to hers

He needed to be consoled as much as she did

They were there in silence for what seemed like forever before she broke it

"I just want to get dressed and go home, just go home"

He would be stronger that he was

He slipped the sweat pants on her as if she were a fine porcelain doll and the sweat shirt, the sweat shirt was his... his alma mater

She felt herself breathe a sigh of relief at the fabric touching her skin, his scent illuminating from her body

She tugged at the sleeved and then held them tightly in the palm of her hands as if they were her old familiar security blanket

"Ok Ill go get the nurse so we can get out of here ok?"

Alexis shook her head agreeing

Then Ned did the only thing he knew to do

He gave her a consoling kiss on the forehead and promised to be right back

******************

Alexis could proclaim herself to be the paperwork queen

If she wasnt before she would be after that day. She signed one release form after another

She didnt care she wanted out of General Hospital

"Ok Alexis there are a few things we need to talk about before you go" Monica said making sure she made eye contact

Alexis first instinct was to dodge the conversation but she only shook her head to agree

"You understand the prescribed pain medication?"

"Um hmm"

"I dont think we need to have the not doing too much talk?"

Alexis only gave a pained look in response

"You have instructions on how to take care of your cast"

"No problem" Alexis answered quickly

"Ok then, one last main thing. I want you to have some therapy sessions"

"What!"

"Alexis what happened to you isnt just going to go away. Im sorry"

"Therapy doesnt work for me. I can handle this! Please dont make me do that group I was rapped thing... please"

"Alexis Im not sending you to group therapy. You need help through this"

Alexis eyes began to water. As of late she couldnt seem to stop the tears from flowing

"Monica please"

Alexis wasnt at her usual arguing best

"Alexis I cant make you go but I think its best"

Alexis looked at Ned

Ned knew to interject

"You know I think Alexis, you need to get home and be able to think clearly. Right now you just want to get out of here. At least say you will consider it and we will leave it at that for now. Agreed?"

Monica looked down at Alexis

"Agreed" Alexis said willingly

"Good.." Monica said satisfied. "and Alexis, as a friend if you need me, you know where to find me"

"Thank you" Alexis said sincerely

******************

Alexis tried not to even make eye contact with John, the door man to her apartment building though she had endless late night conversations with him when she couldnt sleep of after having Kristina just pacing the lobby floor to get her to sleep

"Its good to have you back home Ms. Davis."

Alexis made a quick polite glance saying "Thank you" quietly and smiling

The elevator seemed to take forever. The longer she stood up the more her body ached

Home sweet home

Ned held open the door for her

Just the way she had left it

She walked in slowly not letting Ned lag too far behind

She turned to her desk, eyeing the list sitting clearly on top

"My list"

"What?" Ned questioned

"My Christmas list. I forgot it. I remember trying to think of everything I wanted to get Kristina because I forgot the list I made..."

It dawned on her she had lost all of Kristinas presents

"I, I lost them. I dont know where they are! What happened to them? Ned!"

Ned was confused for a moment

"Alexis, Alexis honey its ok, its ok well get her new presents. Its ok"

His words didnt console her

Ned watched as she began to panic more and more

He watched as her hands trembled

"Ned there gone. I found her the perfect things. Ned there gone, there gone"

He wanted to grab her but he remembered not to

He took her face gently in the palms of his hands making her focus on him

"Alexis its ok. I promise. I promise"

She was crying "You promise?"

She asked like an innocent child

"Its ok I promise"

Alexis looked down at the list and then sat it back down on the desk

"I need my baby girl ok?"

Ned shook his head

"Ill go get her I just wanted to get you settled first"

"Ill be ok when I see her. You know I will"

"I know"

He knew

"Look Alexis maybe it isnt such a good idea that you stay here"

She looked horrified

Disrupted life

"Im fine, Im fine"

"I know. Im just, I , I want you and Kristina to stay at the gatehouse with me for a while"

"Ned"

"Until you get better"

"Ned"

She was pleading

"Alexis you cant even lift Kristina right now"

Alexis breathing became more and more shallow

"Alexis... they havent caught him."

The truth

"You know you could have been just the next unlucky woman alone on the docks or someone could have been trying to kill you... they havent caught him yet"

Alexis didnt argue she only looked around her apartment

"Youre not obligate to do this"

"Im not obligated to do anything"

He was right they hadnt caught him and it scared her

"Will you help me pack some of mine and Kristinas things?"

Ned smiled shyly

"Just tell me what you want to pack... and thank you"

"No... thank you and I mean to tell you a whole lot more than I do"

************************

Her face, her sweet beautiful innocent face beamed at the sight of her

Kristina immediately reached her arms out for her mommy

Alexis wanted to grab hold of her and hug her

Alexis made her way to Kristina, Alice still holding her in her arms

"Hey baby"

"Alexis why dont you sit... and try and to hold her sitting" Ned suggested

Alexis made her way to the couch still holding her arms out to her little girl that couldnt understand why her mommy wouldnt just hold her

Alice tried to gently hand her over to Alexis

Alexis couldnt help but wince in pain trying to hold on to her baby girl

It was worth the pain

"I missed my girl so much"

Both Ned and Alice could tell Alexis was hurting. She couldnt disguise the look on her face enough though they both knew how much Alexis just wanted to hold Kristina

"Um Alice if you would stay a few more minutes I need to order us some dinner... do you mind?"

"No no go ahead Mr. Ashton"

Alice sat at the other end of the couch waiting to assist Alexis if she needed her

"Alice thank you so much for taking care of Kristina"

"It was a joy"

Alexis looked at Kristina "Did you hear that? Youre a joy!"

"Ms. Davis Im really glad youre out of the hospital"

"Thank you Alice. I really am too. I cant stan them"

"I dont want to not say the right thing..."

"Its ok" Alexis interjected

"I just hope and pray they catch and punish who did this to you"

Alexis swallowed hard

This would be the subject of conversation for a while

"Thank you and I hope they do too"

"If you need anything. If you need me to look after Kristina or just be your well, left arm I will be" Alice said giving a slight smile

Alexis smiled back, her smile easily warmed the room

"I will remember that. Im trying not to be so pig headed about asking for help... so thank you again"

Ned came back in the living room interrupting the conversation

"Dinner should be here in 30 minutes or so..."

"Well Ill head back to the main house. Alexis again dont hesitate to call if you need me"

"Thank you so much Alice for everything"

***************************

"I think all the excitement of having you back has put Kristina out like a light" Ned said after checking on her

Alexis gave a smile long enough to acknowledge she was listening

"Are you ok? Do you need something for the pain?"

Alexis didnt answer his question, only sat at the edge of the bed looking up at him

"Alexis whats wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing"

"Are you sure? You hardly ate any dinner and youve been almost silent all night"

Alexis bit at her bottom lip and let her fingers fumble with the material of the robe she was wearing

"Honey its ok..." Ned assured her as he sat down beside her

She hesitated for a moment

"I wanna see"

"What"

"I need to see. I saw my face in the rearview mirror... and I need to see what he did to me. What I look like"

Maybe you should get settled in. You shouldnt worry about the way you look. Your body will heal..."

Ned was making excuses

"I need to see. Will you help me?"

She had her mind set

"Ok" was all he responded

Alexis began to struggle to stand, he then helped

She walked straight to the bathroom. Before he could catch up with her she had already reached the mirror

"Lex!"

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" she whispered

"Alexis sweetheart..."

She was crying as she began to carefully run the tips of her fingers across her stomach and to the bandage covering her left rib cage. She let her fingers tug at her waistband of her underwear where dark midnight colored bruises protruded. Her legs bruised and clawed, her arms and elbows scraped, her back still imbedded with blood

"Oh my God, God she repeated

"Alexis come on, lets put on your pajamas"

Alexis turned to look at Ned. His distraught face

"You cant even look at me"

"Honey youll heal"

No breathing in or out between them

"Touch me"

"Alexis"

"I wont break"

"Please dont do this"

"Then tell me youre not afraid of what happened to me"

"Im not. I ..."

Alexis could see he was struggling and didnt mean to grill him. She was angry but certainly not at him

"Im sorry. I just want you to know you can touch me and I wont break. I need you to really believe Im ok, that I will be ok..."

She was pleading

He could tell she didnt believe it herself

"Im here for you and I do believe you will be ok. And I wont leave your side. I promise I wont until you and I are both certain you are ok"

Forgetting she was naked, forgetting that it was even her body she was standing there in...

She pressed her body against him

Ned wrapped his arms around her

She didnt care if it hurt for him to hold her so he did

He led her to bed covering her gently with the soft cotton sheets, he lie there beside her until she drifted off to sleep

He would keep his promise to hold her

He would keep his promise to not leave her side until she healed

He would keep his promise

END CHAPTER THREE