CHAPTER FIVE: THREE MUSKETEERS & A PUSH-MOBILE

“So... you three were in the habit of sharing your women.” Myla blurted out before she could stop herself. “And what am I? Chopped liver?”

Those were the first words she said to them immediately after they stepped into her room this morning. The doctor had kept her for observation, worried about her slurred speech and the large bump on her head. Myla hadn't seen them since the nurses chased them away late last night after visiting hours.

Myla started laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath at the pure shock plastered across their faces. “Oh my God, you should see your faces,” she managed through gasps of laughter. “I’m so glad the painkillers have finally kicked in, or I’d be in agony right now. Whew! Your faces, man.”

Suddenly, Myla sat up in bed, and her voice hardened, the laughter vanishing. “I will no longer let you shut me out again. I’ve tried to respect your boundaries, tried to understand how you felt after the surgeries, but I’m your wife, and damn it, I expect you to treat me that way. Not like someone you’ve lost feelings for but are just tolerating.”

Jared and Beck exchanged wary looks and quickly backed toward the door. Beck paused, mouthed 'whoop his ass, girl', before closing the door behind him.

“Myla! That’s not true! My God, how can you think such a thing? I love you,” Hayden protested.

“How can I think such a thing? What about the last two years you’ve been out of the hospital, Hayden? I know we couldn’t have sex, but you could've held my hand, kissed me once in a while, or just put your arm around me occasionally. Whenever I asked you how you were doing with your physical therapy, you shut me down and changed the subject. You even buried yourself in your study at mealtimes. Ninety-five percent of my meals were eaten alone or with your bestfriends! If not for them who gave me their warmth and showed their care in a hundred different ways, I wo...." She paused when her voice cracked and took a deep breath. "You fucking abandoned me, Hay.”

“It was to protect you," Hayden replied softly. "I was only half a man. I didn’t know whether I’d ever walk again or if I’d be able to make love to you like a normal man. I didn’t want you to have to deal with the pain-ridden mess I’d become, or the rage and frustration that would overcome me at the knowledge of the things I couldn’t do anymore. Christ, for almost three months I couldn’t even go to the bathroom by myself.”

“Protect me, my ass,” she snarled at him, fueled by the drugs in her. “Half a man? Give me a break. Even wheelchair-bound, you’re more man than any five thousand men off the street.

“And please, tell me I did not actually hear you say you were afraid you’d be unable to make love to me like a ‘normal man.’ Since when did you have this sudden urge to make love like a normal man? I seem to remember the conference room, and the pantry, and three other rooms in this very house that certainly do not qualify as normal. Come on, Hayden, define your concept of ‘normal’ for me.” She shouted into Hayden’s stunned face.

“And, as your wife, it’s my right to deal with your rage and frustrations and to even wipe your ass, if required. Don’t hand me any more garbage, Hayden. I’m giving you fair warning, I will leave you if you continue like this.” Myla swiped at the tears running down her face until Hayden handed her a tissue and pulled her into his arms as best as he could.

"And I will make sure I wipe you clean in the divorce," she mumbled into his chest.

He held her tightly, his eyes misty. “I'm so sorry that I did that to you, to us. But it was such a fearful time for me. There were many times I wished that I had died in that car crash."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I was wrong to handle things the way I did. I was wallowing in fear and despair and didn’t want you, or anyone else, to try to pull me out of it. I was so caught up in my self-hate and pity that I didn't think about how it was affecting you. Actually, deep down I was hoping you would leave me alone and not have to see what I'd become. I won’t try to push you aside this time, I promise.

“On another note, I would prefer to have a bidet installed rather than have you wipe my ass, if you don’t mind,” he said with a grin.

She shook her head with a watery chuckle. “You won’t get an argument out of me on that one.”

She finally managed to catch her breath and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Just as she was dropping the tissue, Jared and Beck came back into the room.

What she said before she unraveled slammed back, and her face reddened with embarrassment.

“Sorry about earlier, the ridiculous things Scott said yesterday have been echoing in my brain through the night, and whatever drug they gave me loosened my tongue." Myla looked from face to face with all the fake innocence she could muster. "So, have you boys come to take me home?”

The suspicious look Hayden gave her made her think maybe her acting wasn't all that good.

“Uh, Dr. Sorensen said I could leave. You’ve come to take me, right?”

Damn, that didn’t come out quite right.

She cleared her throat. “Home. I mean, you’ve come to take me home, right?”

Myla could feel her face heating up as they stared silently at her like there was something strange on her face.

Oh, for God's sake, why did every word out of her mouth suddenly seem to have a double meaning?

“Okay, never mind. Just leave, I’ll get dressed and call a cab... I have put my foot in my mouth enough this morning. Go on, out!” she shouted, covering her head with the bed cover.

They left silently, but their faces had an odd, pinched tightness that puzzled her. She rang for a nurse to help her dress.

It was a few minutes before one appeared, and she was laughing as she came into Myla’s room. “What on earth did you say to those three men?” the nurse asked with a grin.

“Why? What do you mean?”

The nurse helped Myla to the window and opened it as far as it would go. Myla could hear the sounds of masculine laughter. She looked out onto the park-like setting in the front of the hospital.

There, the three men were holding their sides and roaring with laughter. Hayden let out a belly laughter that nearly tipped his wheelchair over. Jared caught the chair before it could fall, and they erupted into fresh bouts of laughter.

Myla shrugged, she had no idea what she had said that was so funny, but she was very happy to see them so lighthearted. Ever since Hayden’s accident, they had all seemed so sober, so filled with responsibilities and problems. It was a sight to behold, one she wanted to see again and again.

With the nurse’s help, Myla dressed in the clothes Hayden had brought. The nurse insisted that Myla get into the wheelchair to be wheeled to the hospital doors because she’d taken a strong painkiller earlier and would probably be very dizzy and light-headed soon.

Myla reluctantly agreed, but she did get a kick out of it when Hayden maneuvered his big motorized wheelchair beside her smaller, dainty one as the nurse pushed her down the hallway.

Outside the hospital doors, Beck carefully scooped Myla out of her wheelchair, and before he could turn around, Myla looked at Hayden’s wheelchair and the wheelchair she’d just left.

“She’s going to miss you.” She mumbled. “I’m okay, musketeers. Is it one for all, or is it all for one? I can’t remember...”

“What on earth are you talking about, Myla?” Hayden’s brow wrinkled in concern.

“My delicate little push mobile really liked your big, beautiful electric monster there.”

Jared chuckled.

Hayden smiled faintly. "The medication they gave you must be the premium one."

“Will you hold my hand?” she asked him uncertainly.

“Baby, of course, I’ll hold your hand. You're everything to me, Mine. Always remember that.”

Myla took in a breath as she felt her eyes sting with tears. It has been a long since he called her 'Mine'. Maybe this would get better from now on.