Percy: A Hathaway House Heartwarming Romance Read online

  “And sometimes it’s just nice to do something that’s menial. It’s mindless, and you don’t have to focus on it because you already know how to do it, like riding a bike, so it’s no pressure, no extra stress in your day.”

  “Agreed,” he stated. “Just never been anything that I’ve really needed to do.”

  “You might find something you like that’s good for you. That’s why some people do puzzles or crosswords or just something mindless to take them away from the scenario that they’re dealing with daily.”

  “Maybe.” Percy shrugged. “I can’t say I’ve ever found anything like that which works for me.”

  “Or that you haven’t tried to find something yet because you haven’t needed to,” she noted shrewdly. He looked uncomfortable, even as he lay in the bed, as if stiff and sore. “You are obviously in a lot of pain. Do you want me to get you a nurse?”

  He looked up at her and asked, “How can you tell I’m in pain?”

  “Just the way you’re positioned in bed.”

  “You’re the second person to comment on how uncomfortable I look. It seems normal to me.”

  “It’s normal because you’re out of tune with your body,” she noted. He glared at her. “Sorry.” She held up a hand. “And I’m known for being blunt.”

  “Generally I don’t mind blunt,” he muttered. “But it’s a little rough when everybody here seems to know something about me that I don’t even recognize.”

  “And again,” she stated, as she walked toward him, “everything inside you is out of alignment. I’ve been here long enough to know.”

  “And are you like a physio or a doctor or something, when you’re not pushing laundry carts around?”

  Chapter 2

  “Nope, I’m the purchaser for the place,” Giada replied, chuckling. “Dani’s job got too big, and she had to split off a bunch of her job duties to other people.”

  “A purchaser?”

  She smiled, as she leaned against the small table at his bedside. “Yes. I’m responsible for keeping stock of everything on the property, of everything in the place. And watching the budgets.”

  “Interesting,” he murmured. “So it’s a business-type job.”

  “Yes, and again that’s not a negative in my world.”

  “No, it doesn’t have to be,” he replied. “I don’t even know what I’m thinking anymore. I’m sure this place needs a lot of supplies.”

  “You have no idea.” She laughed again. “It’s huge. And getting bigger all the time.”

  “Well, I’m here now,” he noted, “so I’ll add to the usage of toilet paper and soap.”

  “And, if you need anything special,” she murmured, “tell me.”

  “Special?”

  “Absolutely. Something that would make this place easier or a little bit more like home for you. You only have to let me know.”

  “That’s not normal,” he stated.

  “No, it’s not, but we don’t run Hathaway House like it’s normal,” she murmured. “Same as with the food.” At that, his stomach growled. She smiled. “Have you made it down there yet?”

  “No.” Percy shook his head. “I won’t be making it anywhere today.”

  “How about I get you a tray?”

  He frowned. “No, I think doing laundry duty is enough. You don’t have to be the waitress too.”

  “Hey, you,” she said, pointing at him, while smiling, “you don’t know enough about how this place works yet to make that kind of a decision. Honest to God, we all do whatever we need to do to make it work.”

  “I can’t ask you to get me a tray,” he protested.

  “And why not?” she asked, giving him a flat stare. She watched as the color rose up his neck. “Or I can wheelchair you there, and you can pick out something for yourself.” She watched the immediate negative reaction on his face. “Got it. In that case, I’ll go find you some food. Do you want a hot cup of coffee?” When she mentioned coffee, she saw the want in his eyes. She nodded. “Okay, so coffee it is. How do you take it?”

  “Black,” he replied instantly. “And I really, really would appreciate a cup of coffee.”

  “Oh, that’s a done deal for me too,” she murmured. “I start my day with that every morning. I’d be lifeless without it.”

  He smiled. “Well, that’s nice to know that we have something in common,” he mentioned, with a gentle chuckle. “Now if only … Do they have other food there too?”

  She understood what he meant. “Yes. Are you on a special diet?”

  “No, except I’m always hungry these days.”

  “That’s a good sign,” she noted. “It means your body’s healing.”

  He frowned at her again.

  “That’s all right. They’ll figure it out here, and they’ll get you on the straight and narrow again. Now when it comes to food …” She looked at her watch. “It’s two-thirty. How about something like a cinnamon bun, or do you need real food? Like a bowl of soup and a sandwich?”

  He studied her to see if she were serious and then shrugged. “Something a little more solid would help. I didn’t eat any breakfast because I was traveling this morning.”

  “And you came by ambulance?”

  He nodded. “I gather that’s the most popular way.”

  “Well, it’s the best way,” she noted. “I’ll leave my cart here and go see what Dennis has on offer.”

  “Dennis?”

  She laughed. “Dennis runs the front of the kitchen. Whatever you want, he’ll get you.”

  “Well, if you see Dennis, and he’s got any food, I’d appreciate it.”

  And, with that, she turned and walked back out again and headed toward the dining room. As she pushed open the doors to the dining area, Dennis was vacuuming. He saw her, shut down the vacuum, pulled out his earplugs, and she heard Beyoncé coming through, loud and clear. She smiled at him. “Listening to anybody as high energy as her, I wonder that you aren’t dancing while you do this.”

  He chuckled. “Well, if you hadn’t come in, I probably would be dancing any moment. What can I do for you?”

  “Anything for a new arrival? He didn’t have breakfast, hasn’t had lunch, and he was hoping for some real food. However, I think light is the way to go. I suggested soup and a sandwich, but I’m not sure if that’s even doable. However, he definitely wants a black coffee.”

  Dennis frowned, as he walked to the back. “I’ve got a few things here that might work for him. I knew we had a couple people coming in today, but I hadn’t heard that they had arrived.”

  “He’s in room 314,” she noted. “I think he’s a friend of Aaron’s.”

  “I think you’re right. Not that that’ll make any difference around here, but I do know that Aaron said to treat him right.”

  “Of course we’ll treat him right,” she replied. “We treat them all right. The question is whether we have anything to offer him right now or whether he needs to wait a little bit.”

  At that, he stared at her in shock. “Wait? For food? I mean, you did come to me, right?” She laughed again. “I’ll take it to him, if you’re busy,” Dennis offered.

  “He probably should meet you anyway, but he’s too tired and beat for a trip to the dining room.”

  “In that case, I’ll come back with you, introduce myself, and we’ll see what he wants for dinner.”

  “Well, right now, I’m pretty sure he could use something to hold him over.”

  He agreed. “I’ve got a nice beef and barley soup back here. Let me get him a bowl to take with us. What about food allergies?” he asked over his shoulder, as he headed into the kitchen.

  “Not any that he mentioned.”

  When Dennis returned, he had a large bowl and off to the side was a big thick ham and cheese sandwich. It looked like every vegetable under the sun had been tucked between the two slices of bread. She stared at the sandwich in awe. “How come things like that aren’t on offer when I come in for lunch?”

  “The
y are,” he replied. “You just have to ask.”

  She shook her head. “I would never ask you for special dishes. You’re always so busy as it is. I won’t add to your workload. I work here too. I’m not even a patient.”

  He gave her a hard glance and wagged a finger at her. “And I don’t ever want to hear you say that again because, without the staff, we are nothing.”

  “Got it,” she admitted, with half a sigh. “And I do get that. I just feel bad taking food that’s supposed to be for the patients.”

  “There’s enough food for everybody, the staff included. You know that’s how it works.”

  “I … know,” she hesitantly agreed.

  “It’s because of your particular job,” he noted, shaking his head. “You know what the bills look like, so you’re always trying to keep your portion down.”

  “You know what? You could be right,” she admitted. “Just like the rest of us, we’re invested in this place, and we want to make sure it runs for a very long time.”

  “You’re not kidding,” he declared. “Now”—and he picked up the tray—“lead the way.”

  She led him back down to where the patient was. “I don’t even know his name,” she admitted. “I was delivering towels and blankets and spoke to him a bit.”

  Dennis looked at her, laughed, and asked, “What are you doing delivering towels and blankets?”

  “Two of the housekeeping staff called in sick today,” she replied.

  At that, Dennis rolled his eyes. “Yep, that explains it. A couple illnesses around town have hit people pretty hard. I know we’re not the only place that’s been hit.”

  They were already at the door. She tapped it gently, stuck her head around the open door again, and announced, “Food delivery.” She stepped inside.

  Dennis followed, and he walked closer to the small bedside table, placed his tray there, and shifted it closer to where the patient was.

  Giada stepped forward. “This is Dennis. He’s the one who runs the kitchen. If there’s anything you want, you just tell him.” Then she looked down at the patient, the man who even now stared up at the huge man at her side in surprise. “I didn’t catch your name when I was first here.”

  He looked at her now and replied, “I’m Percy.”

  “Good. I’m Giada, and, like I said, this is Dennis.” Then she studied the position of Percy’s bed. “You can’t eat like that though. I can either help you reposition the bed or do you have the remote?” She looked around for it and saw it on the window ledge. She walked over, grabbed it. “Here. You can adjust the bed as you need to.” He grabbed the remote with relief and pushed some buttons to shift the angle of his bed. She watched as some of Percy’s pain eased back. “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned this earlier.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “Why? I am mobile,” he noted. “I have crutches and a wheelchair. I could have got it myself.”

  “You could have,” she agreed cheerfully, “but I think, after today’s travels, even just lying in bed is enough effort for anybody.” And, with that, she stepped back. “Dennis also wants to know what you might want for dinner. So you guys can chat about that, while I head back to the office.” She smiled at Dennis. “Thanks for bringing in the food.” She gave them both a three-finger wave and left.

  Percy stared up at Dennis. “Now that she’s gone, could I ask a favor?”

  Dennis looked at him immediately and asked, “What’s up?”

  “I need a little help shifting over to the left,” he admitted. “I’ve kind of gone numb.”

  Immediately Dennis walked over to the left, and, gently using his hands, slid them under Percy’s knees and behind his shoulders and slowly shifted him over a few inches.

  As soon as Dennis did that, Percy whispered, “Thank God for that. The pain was killing me.”

  “Do you get the paralysis much?”

  “Too much,” Percy admitted. “It’s nerve damage, kicks in and off again. Sometimes it’s not bad, but the trip today was a little more than I had bargained for.”

  “It often is,” Dennis agreed. “One of the hardest responsibilities we have is getting people to understand that this journey can set you back. It can set you back a little bit, or it can set you back a lot. And we don’t do anything harsh for the first few days. We don’t, in fact, do anything for those first few days in most cases,” he noted, with a smile, “because of the trip.”

  “That’s good to know,” he shared. “I was a little worried that I’d have to get up and show what I can and cannot do tomorrow.”

  “Nope, you do what you can do, and you tell them when you can’t do something,” Dennis stated calmly. “They’ll know if you’re lying or if you haven’t been pushing yourself enough. They’re really good at seeing that,” he noted. “But, when you’re still injured, and you’re not handling the trip very well, do not overtax yourself, or it’ll send you right back to the VA hospital. And we don’t want that, if we can avoid it. So I’ve got food for you now,” he noted, “and I hope that this selection is okay. I brought you a beef and barley soup and a big sandwich. And, if you tell me what you’d like for dinner, I’ll make sure I get a tray down to you. I can’t guarantee it’ll be delivered by me, but I’ll make sure I get one to you.”

  “And that would be awesome if you could. I don’t know what kind of food I can even ask for.”

  “Is there anything you like?”

  “Everything,” he stated. “I’m always empty these days.”

  Dennis looked at him in surprise. “That’s better than what we often get told. So many times we get guys here who have lost their appetite and can’t eat or too many body functions were difficult, so they were refusing to eat, or sometimes the pain meds they were on affected their appetite. So, if you’ve got an appetite, we’ll feed it,” he stated. “Are you up for beef, chicken, fish?”

  “All of the above,” he murmured. “And I sure could go with like a baked potato or some mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables. I really do like my vegetables. But I especially crave protein right now.”

  “And you need the protein for muscle building,” he noted instantly. “I didn’t bring the coffee though.” He frowned at that. “I think she promised you a coffee.”

  “She did, but I guess it got forgotten,” he said. “That’s all right. I can wait.”

  “Nope. You tuck into the food. I’ll go grab the coffee and return. I’m just cleaning up in the dining area anyway.” And, with that, Dennis booked it from the room. Percy stared at the tray, managed to push it a little bit closer, lowered the bed level a bit, so the food was easier to reach, and he stared at the sandwich in awe. “The fact that it’s even holding together is amazing.”

  He picked up a spoon, with not very high expectations. He took a sip of the soup and froze. Then another sip and another. “Dear God,” he whispered, “it’s food. Like it’s really food.”

  Female laughter lifted toward him.

  He looked up to see an older woman in the doorway, smiling at him. “That’s one of the best surprises when you come here.” She waved at him. “Keep eating. Nothing like having a hot meal, especially when you’re hungry.” He nodded and kept an eye on her but proceeded to keep eating the soup. “I’m one of the doctors on your team, and I’ll see you on a regular basis.”

  “Doctor of?”

  “Psychiatry,” she replied gently. He winced. She nodded and smiled. “And that is a response I’m quite accustomed to getting. Not to worry. We’ll get to the problems that you have to deal with in due time.”

  “What makes you think I have any?” he asked, challenging her.

  “Well, you’re here. You’re recovering from something traumatic,” she explained. “Therefore, you have something to deal with.”

  “Is it that simple?”

  “Absolutely. Figuring out what other issues you’re dealing with? Not so much.” She shrugged. “However, we will get there, and we’ll do it in your time, in your space, so that you don’t
get stressed over it all.”

  “Is that even possible?” he asked, studying her carefully. She had salt-and-pepper hair, a buxom frame, but her no-nonsense direct approach was very appealing.

  “Absolutely,” she declared. “Now finish your meal because the food here is delicious, and we want to make sure you get as much as you need to eat. Dinner is supposed to be a Spanish theme tonight, I think. I heard talk of paella.” She smiled. “And I absolutely love paella.” And, with that, she was gone.

  Chapter 3

  Giada headed back to her office. She had her own close to Dani’s.

  As she walked past, Dani looked up and said, “We have a new patient.”

  Giada nodded. “I just met him.” She stepped into Dani’s office. “He looks a little overwhelmed. He’s a friend of Aaron’s. And I know we get new patients on an almost daily basis, but I know that this guy’s important to Aaron. Not as if we didn’t get a heads-up that he was coming,” she added, with a tinkling laugh.

  Dani winced. “I made it a little bit heavy, didn’t I?”

  “That’s all right. You know that nobody will suffer, and we’re all aware that he needs help.”

  “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t even have mentioned it, so he gets treated the same as everybody else.”

  “It’s all good,” Giada said, with a wave. “Dennis is getting him food right now.”

  “Oh, good.” Dani checked the wall clock.

  “He needed something, and I promised him coffee and then completely forgot, when I got into the kitchen. Dennis was helpful enough to make up something and to take it to Percy’s room, and then I disappeared and forgot the coffee.” She gave an eye roll. “Well, it gives an excuse for one of us to go check on him again. I think I’ll leave that in Dennis’s capable hands. I was delivering towels and blankets.”

  Dani looked up in surprise.

  Giada shrugged. “I know we’re short-handed today. I was down there counting inventory, and Simone was looking for somebody to give her a hand, so I just spent a half hour with Percy.”