You're Halfway Gone

                                    

                                          
"Nate. It's ok."
Jonah pats my shoulder as the elevator door opens. I look around the familiar place. Home. I'm not staying here. I'm not sleeping here. Julia is at PT for the next hour and then has to go down for bloodwork. I'm just coming home to get some clothes and decompress a little. And to shut Trisha up from nagging me. 
Now that I'm officially discharged from the hospital's care, I can come and go as I please. Jonah will monitor my blood pressure and help me do things until my ribs are healed completely.
"This is a good thing.  This is self-care. You need a minute away from that place." Jonah puts down his keys while I look around. 
It's been weeks since I've been home. The house is clean. Jonah is like me, a bit OCD when it comes to keeping things tidy.  I can tell where Jonah does his computer work and where Trisha does hers, on the other side of the dining room table. 
The nurse's folders are neatly piled next to his laptop whereas the personal assistant has my bills displayed haphazardly around her laptop.
Trisha visited James until a few of his sisters came to see him. She then left to give them time with their brother. Her laptop is here, which means she's probably down at the gym. I bet Paul is sick of being her shadow by now.
Jonah watches me take in being home and then gives me space.
"Ok. I'm behind in submitting charts, so I'm gonna use this time to get that done. I'll check your blood pressure in about an hour and see how you're doing." Jonah heads to the dining room table, and I head to my bedroom.
My bed is made, but I can tell Trisha has taken over my room. She's living out of a suitcase and her clothes and shoes are scattered. I shake my head at my messy best friend's stuff and kick off my shoes. The minute I lay on my bed, I sigh. It feels good to be home. In my comfortable king-sized bed and not a hospital bed with beeping sounds and monitors everywhere.
My eyes were already closing when the bathroom door swings open, and a completely naked Trisha comes out.
"Shit!" She notices me right away, and I laugh, barely jumping at her sudden arrival. Trisha scrambles to grab the towel and wrap it around her wet body. 
"Oh, please. I've seen you naked a million times." I smirk at the bombshell.
"Yeah, yeah, ok, Playboy. But you're home. This is a good thing, right??" She sits down next to me and slaps my hand when I pretend to grab the top of her towel to peek down. "Knock it off. You're with Julia."
"I'm not staying. She's in PT and then has to go get bloodwork done, so I instead of sitting there staring at James, Jonah took me home for a bit. And I have no fucking clue what's going on with Julia. You know that.  She's with nobody and everybody at the same time" I prop up my pillows and scoot up closer to the headboard, so my ribs are comfortable. "Looks like you took over my room, yeah?" 
"What are ya gonna do about it? Kick me to the curb??" Trisha holds on to her towel and leans back next to me, also leaning on the headboard.
"Never. The room is all yours."
"That's what I thought. But seriously, Nate. How ya holding up. This whole thing has been a shitshow, hasn't it?"  She nestles under my arm using my shoulder as her pillow and I feel myself stir knowing she's naked under that towel. 
God I could go for some real sex right now. Not half assed sex in a hospital bed hoping no one gets caught.
"I should be asking you the same thing. How are YOU holding up here?"
"You know..."
"No. I don't Trish." I look down at her, but she stares across the room at nothing. I can tell this has all been a lot for her.