Mr. Basketball Ch. 14

"Yeah," Teagan said.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk to you earlier," I offered.

"You aren't the first and you won't be the last," she giggled.

"You're awake," Thom cheered.

"Dad," I cheered back. "Damn it's good to see you."

"Yeah? Why is that?"

"It just is," I offered.

"Can I get a quick set of vitals and then I'll be out of your way?" the nurse asked.

"Have at it," I sighed. "When can I get out of here?"

"I don't know? You have another MRI to see how much the swelling has gone down. But I will say this, you are one of the few I've seen come out of it this fast."

"I'm still drawing some blanks," I offered. "I can't remember past August."

"Let me get some vitals then these two can try and help you remember something."

She did her thing before reminding me I had the MRI scheduled and that she would be back in a little while to get me. After that I sat with Thom and Teagan and listened to them talk about the past few months. Slowly things started to come back.

"I lost my job at the doctor's office," I said. "Do I still have my coaching job?"

"Yeah," Teagan said. "Do you remember how the girls did last year?"

"We finished third," I sighed. "What a letdown."

"But this year, we are going all the way," Teagan said. "Taylor was so let down last season. She has been working very hard the past few months."

"Where is the little workhorse now?" I asked.

"School," Thom replied. "She will be here once she gets out. I already texted her and let her know you were awake and asking for her."

"What about Tess?"

"She's been here but it's hard for her," Thom sighed. "She is having a hard time seeing you like this."

"Tell her I'm fine. I'll be out of here shortly."

"She will be happy to hear that."

"What about my mom and dad?" I asked. "Where are they?"

"Your mom will be here tomorrow," Teagan replied. "Sam was thinking about coming too but she has to get the time off from school. I'll find out tonight who is coming."

"How are they taking it?"

"Worried but hopeful. She will be thrilled to know you are up and talking."

"Up?" I asked. "How bad off am I? I moved yesterday and everything hurt. What else is broken?"

"You have some staples in your head where you hit the side of the car. You have a few bruised ribs, a few cuts and bruises on top of that. Your leg has a few stiches in it too. None of the airbags went off in your car so you hit your head pretty hard."

"Where was I when I got hit?" I asked.

"On Elm Street at the light," she answered. "You had the green and the other driver didn't stop. He T boned you and pushed you all the way into the park. He must have been flying down the road to push you that far."

"Is he ok?"

"Bruised, scared and very sorry but fine other than that."

"I've talked with a lawyer just in case," Thom offered. "I know that's not you but I wanted to make sure just in case, you know?"

"As long as I walk out of here holding her hand I don't care."

"And you will baby," Teagan smiled her perfect smile.

"Mr. Tillman?" the nurse called.

"Can you just call me Jake?" I asked. "Mr. Tillman sounds impersonal to me."

"Ok, Jake, it's time for your appointment. Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" I asked.

"No," she giggled.

"I'll be right here when you get back baby," Teagan assured me.

"I'll check in later," Thom offered. "I got to get to work."

"Somebody has to do it," I laughed.

I started getting wheeled down the hallway towards the elevator.

"Nancy?" I asked, hoping I was right.

"Yeah?" she smiled.

"Sorry I was a jerk."

"It's fine Jake. Like I said, you aren't the first and you won't be the last. At least you are apologizing."

I smiled. "Tell the other lady in the room I heard you."

"Heard me doing what?" she asked confused.

"When you took the tube out. I heard you talking, barely, but I heard you."

She smiled. "I'll let her know."

I was taken to the MRI room and got started. I was told to relax and remain very still. I ended up sleeping through most of it. I was wheeled back to my room after I was finished and continued my talk with Teagan. We talked half the day away until Taylor showed up.

"Jake," she cheered. "God it's good to see you talking."

Seeing Taylor walk into the room brought mixed emotions for me. I loved her as my sister and I was happy that everything was ok with her. The other part of me flinched a little and remembered the vision and seeing her for much more than just that. The burning question entered my mind again. Had we done something? I wasn't going to ask her, I'd just feel her out and see if she gave some sort of indication that maybe we had.

"It's good to be talking again," I replied.

"He's been asking for you all morning," Teagan offered.

"You have?" Taylor smiled. "Why?"

"I couldn't remember why I was here and I thought that somebody else was in the car with me when I got hit. Teagan said it wasn't her so I thought there was a chance that it was you."

"Wasn't me," she said. "I didn't find out about the whole thing until the next morning when mom came in and told me. I came to see you but you were still in pretty bad shape. I didn't get to see you until that evening."

I nodded.

"You sure look a whole lot better now than you did before," she continued.

"I feel better too," I chuckled.

"Everyone has been praying you get better. The whole team stopped by the other day to check on you. We can't wait for you to get back in the gym. It just isn't the same without you."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You know you have to take it easy though," Teagan warned. "No running around until you are cleared by the doctors."

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed. "I'll let my body dictate what I can and can't do."

She just sighed.

"Did you bring me anything to eat, Taylor?" Teagan asked.

"You texted me too late. I was already here."

"Is it ok if I leave to get something to eat?" she asked me.

"I'm not going anywhere," I joked.

"I'll be right back then."

"So...how have you been?" Taylor asked.

"I've been better, that's for sure."

"I can imagine. But hey, you are getting better and you are going to out of here soon."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"We have been shooting around without you. Coach Rob has been there every day working with us."

"I knew I could count on him."

"Yeah, it's not the same without you though."

"What else have you been doing?"

"Just keeping busy," she sighed. "Trying not to think about everything."

"Everything?" I questioned.

"Yeah, you know? You being in a crash and almost not making it. It's been scary. Teagan has been a nervous wreck for the past few days."

"I'm sure you have been too."

"Not as much as her. What would she do without you Jake? You are her everything, she would be lost without you."

"Get out of here," I joked and waved my hand at her. "I'm a walking heartache, she would be just fine without me."

She just rolled her eyes at me.

"I know," I sighed. "I'd be so lost without her too."

"Thanks for keeping her company while all this was going on," I offered. "You're a great sister to both of us."

"Thanks Jake," she smiled her big smile.

"What am I going to do without you when you head off to college?"

"You probably won't even notice I'm gone."

"Yeah, probably not," I teased.

We both laughed a little before we moved onto something else. We had a casual conversation about the past few days and things in general. She gave no indication that we were anything but brother and sister. I dismissed the thoughts in my head knowing that they were nothing but my imagination.

*

I spent another two weeks in the hospital recovering and getting better. I had a continuous string of visitors stopping by every day. Mom and Sam showed up the next day and spent three days with me before they headed home again. Teagan stopped by every day and kept me company in between the appointments and the therapy I was getting. Thom visited every morning before going into work. Rob stopped by a few times. Mr. Hart even showed up.

I tried to let go of the dream/nightmare I had while I was out. The whole time I had wished so badly that Teagan was back and not gone. Now here she was, back in my arms and just as perfect as she was the day my dream started and I had the accident. Life was giving me a second chance with her. That's how I started looking at it.

It came as a surprise when I was released. The doctor came into the room and asked if I was ready to go home. Of course I was, but I had been asking since the day I woke up so I thought this was another, well you are getting better but it's going to be a couple more days, kind of question. He said I was ready and let me sign my discharge papers. Just like that I collected my stuff and walked out.

It felt good to walk out of the hospital and actually feel the sunshine on my skin. I was holding Teagan's hand as we walked to the car. That was the best part of leaving. Walking out of the hospital holding my wife's hand. The smile on my face was about as big as hers.

It was low key when I arrived home. It was almost the same as I left it. I walked into the house and took in the smell of home. Everything was neat and clean, just the way Teagan always kept it. I went straight through the house and out to the backyard. I had been inside for far too long and I wanted to enjoy the perfect late October day.

That was where I spent most of the day. Just sitting outside with my wife and relaxing. I fielded several phone calls as word spread about me getting out. Sam was the first call I got. We must have spent an hour talking on the phone before I hung up. My dad was the next call I got. Then it was my mom. Then it was Randy.

Rob stopped by once school got out. We spent a good hour just sitting there talking before Thom and Tammy came over to start dinner. Mr. Hart stopped by just as Rob was leaving. He was glad I was getting better and only hoped I would be ready for basketball. I promised him I would be ready before he left to get home himself.

The whole family, minus Tara, joined us for dinner. It was good to sit there and actually eat a home cooked meal for the first time in weeks. Teagan had been bringing me food while I was at the hospital but it wasn't the same. Sitting at the table with the people who loved me made me smile. I still had some trouble remembering everything that I had lost. Something somebody said or seeing something would trigger another flashback and I would put together another piece of the puzzle I was missing. I wasn't too concerned about it. The fact was my wife was here, alive, and very happy to have me come home. That's what I focused on, not the stuff I couldn't remember.

It was probably about seven thirty when I started to feel rather tired. I had pushed myself to stay awake all day long and this was the first time I had made it through the day without a nap. I excused myself and retired to my bed upstairs before they left. Teagan said she would be along in just a little while. She wanted to clean up from dinner before she joined me.

As I walked past the wedding photo I had to stop and take a look. It brought up that night that I had broken the lamp then later on had to go and rescue Taylor from the party. I wondered how old Jeremy was doing these days. I never did ask about him but it did make me think about it.

I climbed the stairs as I smiled about the picture again. I loved that smile and her slightly seductive look in that picture. I tossed my shirt into the hamper and turned to get into bed. I chuckled as I saw the lamp sitting there on the night stand. I guess it got a second chance too. I slipped into bed under the covers and smiled at how good it felt to be back in my own bed.

I woke up when Teagan came into the room. She smiled at me softly as she went to her closet and began to strip her clothes off. I took in the soft features of her body as she dropped everything into the dirty clothes basket. She came out of the closet and went to the dresser to get a night shirt out. I watched her walk across the floor with a smile on my face.

Each step made her breasts bounce with that light shake. She smiled at me watching her before she bent and searched through the drawer for the shirt. I took in the soft curve of her ass as she stood there and searched. The tight muscles on her legs flexed as she reached and pulled out her choice. Just a small flash of her cunny met my gaze as she turned and pushed the drawer close.

She turned my way and smiled at me again as I watched her dress. She bundled the shirt up before raising her arms above her head. Her breasts flattened out some but still had a visible rise from her chest as the shirt started to fall over her face. She was covered as she tossed the hem around and let it fall all the way down her butt. Her nipples pressed hard against the fabric as I watched her walk to the bathroom.

I heard the sink running as she brushed her teeth and brushed her hair. She finished quickly and shut the light off before finding her way into bed. Her body snuggled close to mine as she got comfortable and held me. Her fingers traced my chest as she lay there looking at my eyes. I studied her eyes and couldn't help but smile at how green and pure they were. Those cat like eyes that I loved so much.

"What are you thinking about?" she questioned.

"You and how much I love you."

"Yeah," she smiled her perfect smile.

"How much I missed you. How empty I felt without you. How much you mean to me. How I want to make you feel special each and every day."

"There's plenty of time for that. We have the rest of our lives."

"You'll never understand how helpless I felt when I was out."

"It was all just a dream," she sighed tenderly. "Nothing but a bad dream that wasn't real. It's all over now. You're home, I'm here, and neither one of us are going anywhere."

"I know," I smiled at her confidence. "It will just take me a little time to get over everything."

"I'm just glad your home. It's been hell sleeping in this bed without you for the past couple of weeks. I miss holding you."

"I'm glad I'm home too. That hospital bed sucked."

She giggled as I pulled her closer to me. My fingers found her thigh under the covers. Her warm skin against my fingers felt perfect now. I traced her skin from the hem of her shirt down as far as I could reach. I felt the tightness of her skin and her muscles as my fingers slid slowly back and forth. Her hand started to trace my chest again as we laid there and rested.

"I'm sorry about the ass I turned into before the accident," I whispered.

"It's ok baby. You're home, that's all that's important right now. Everything will work itself out. Every couple fights. It's what you do after the fight that's important."

"I'm going to fight for you like I promised," I said firmly. "You deserve your man as you put it."

"I know you will," she smiled. "You are my big, tough as nails, don't take no shit from anybody man on the outside, but on the inside you are soft and tender. That's the reason I fell in love with you."

"Here I thought it was because I was handsome and different."

"Yeah," she giggled. "That too."

I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. She moaned softly as my lips pressed against hers. It was a moan of relief. One that said I'm glad the past couple of weeks are over and we can start to move on from here. I kissed her a few more times. It wasn't a sexual kiss. It was a kiss of love that said I'm going to fight for you no matter what.

"I love you Jake," she whispered.

"I love you too Tea."

*

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed after a great night's sleep in my own bed with the love of my life by my side. Her warm skin against mine made me lay there for about a half an hour longer before I finally pushed myself carefully out of bed. I headed down to the kitchen and got a glass of juice out of the fridge and sat at the table for a minute to sip on it. I pushed myself away from the table and headed into the exercise room to find my guitar. It was leaning against the wall right where I had always left it.

I sat on the loveseat in the room and hoped I could still play. I strum a few cords and found my fingers finding the rights strings with ease. That was a load off my mind. The next thing I needed to do was to shoot a ball and hope I could still do that. That would come later in the week when I got back into the gym with the girls. We were behind as it was with me not being there. Rob was filling in but I knew he would have his hands full trying to run both the JV and varsity girls if I didn't get better.

I strum a few more cords before I started on my favorite song I had learned when I was younger.

"The preacher man says it's the end of time and the Mississippi river, she's a going dry..."

I stopped abruptly as a flashback started. It flashed through my mind as I let it run its course. I knew why we were fighting that night now. It made me feel foolish, selfish and very stupid. We had been trying for a baby, that was no secret, and we hadn't had any luck so far. Teagan wanted to see a fertility specialist to get some answers and some help. I took a hard stance on that and said if we were meant to have babies then we would do that on our own.

She brought it up again that night and I didn't want to hear it. I was in one of my moods again and I told her no way. It built from there and turned into a why are you always gone? Am I not good enough for you? Why are you like this? You drink too much. If you want to try and turn pro in basketball you can't be out drinking all the time.

We continued on for about fifteen minutes before I got mad and took off. I don't remember the crash but I remembered the events leading up to the wreck. I tore out of the driveway on my way to the bar to drink my sorrows away. I kept cussing about it and asking why my life had turned out this way. Why did I have to blow out my knee?

I chuckled to myself now as I sat there thinking about it. The fight wasn't funny, the idea of me turning pro was. I was too damn old to be trying to live that dream again. I was good but not great. I'd have to get myself in shape, try out for a developmental league team and hope I was good enough to catch the eye of an owner or a scout. Who was I kidding? I was meant to be a coach and pass my gift on that way. It was time I accepted that.

"I'm an idiot," I hissed to myself. "That's a good woman up there. You didn't deserve her but you got her. You better treat her better so she doesn't change her mind."

I started playing again and continued on with my song. I glanced up and saw Teagan leaning against the door frame watching me play. I stopped what I was doing and thought of a different song to play just for her.

"I'm hard to love, hard to love. No I don't make it easy, I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood..."

She smiled as I continued on and pointed to her as I played. She quietly walked into the room and sat in the chair at the desk as I continued on. I glanced down at the small gap between her legs as she sat there. The smooth skin of her pelvis met my eyes before I looked up at her face. She giggled lightly as she saw me looking between her legs.

She teased me now as she pulled them open then quickly crossed them. That was the same Teagan I remembered. Always a flirt and a tease and always knew what got me going. I finished that song up and never missed a beat as I went right into the next one.

"Baby why you wanna cry? You really oughta know that I, just have to walk away sometimes..."

She knew that song and smiled as I played it perfectly for her. I loved seeing that smile on her face. Sometimes I wondered why I took her for granted. She knew that I was telling her sorry but she was still playful as she sat there. I got another little peek between her legs as I finished and went right into the next song.