"Cooper................. just....................eyes"

I can feel things in a real fuzzy kinda way, and I think someone is talking to me but no matter how hard I try I cant make out the what they are saying. I'm so tired, I think I’ll just sleep and try again later.

***** ******

This time I can feel more, everything is sharper. It still feels like I'm swimming in concrete, I try and roll to get more comfortable the fire up my leg stops that real fast. The pain is so intense, I can feel my heartbeat harder and faster, and my head gets even fuzzier. Maybe next time.

***** *****

I can make out sentences now; there are people around me talking quietly. If I try hard I can understand.

"'…as the last vampire turned to dust the dark slayer turned to her blonde slaying partner, the battle lust almost making her eyes glow. Buffy couldn’t help but notice just how sexy her slaying sister was at this moment. Eyes alight with lust, nostrils flaring as if they could smell her arousal.

"So you still think a low fat vanilla yogurt is enough to satisfy the ol’ after slayage H+H B?" The little blonde slayer couldn’t help the small whimper of need Faith’s smoky voice caused.

"Faith I............"

It seemed to take all my energy to open my eyes, but I had to know who was reading me Buffy the Vampire Slayer slash. I had never told anyone about my little harmless addiction. I focus on the blurry figure until it comes into focus better. Wow a beautiful angel, hang on a second. If I was dead and hanging out with angels I’m sure my body wouldn’t hurt as much as it does, and somehow I cant see angels reading hot and horny lesbian Buffy the Vampire Layer fanfic. I focus a little harder. Liz????

"Cooper, you’re awake!! You has all so worried, let me get a nurse…." She paused as I shook my head very gently so Quasimodo doesn’t start with the bell again.

"You can’t leave me hanging, finish the story, does Faith get the girl or does Buffy have a panic attack and run back to Deadboy or Beefstick?" I say quietly. It feels like someone rang the damn bell with my head and then used my mouth as a kitty litter tray.

"Ok, but as soon as I'm done I'm getting the nurse." She starts reading again, finishing with Faith getting the girl, I think Liz skipped the steamy bits though. I even managed to stay awake. I feel a lot better now I have had a chance to wake up.

"I really need a drink." My voice is so scratchy, must have swallowed some of that damn kitty litter. A straw is put to my lips and I take a glorious mouthful. I don’t think anything has ever felt as good. I get a couple more sips in before she takes it away.

"Not to much yet, I’m going to get the nurse now ok. I'm really glad your ok Cooper, you had us all really worried." I can feel her soft hand on my cheek and she presses a kiss to my forehead before heading to the door. I wonder why Liz is here; the last time I saw her was kinda, ok, absolutely mortifying and completely humiliating. The nurse comes in before I can think much about it though, it’s kinda nice to have someone who at least looks like they care about me around, so I think I will just pretend it never happened.

"I'm Jason, and I’ll be your nurse for today. Can you tell me your name, how old you are, who is hotter, Britney, Christina or Pink, today’s date and your favorite Star Trek character." I think I like this guy, he’s more camp than Emmett is on Queer as Folk.

"Cooper Benson, 21, Pink of course, last time I was conscious it was Sunday the 24^th of May 2003 and I have to go with Bel’anna Torres from Voyager." As I answer his questions he checks my blood pressure and my pupils.

"Good choices, I also would have accepted Seven of Nine or Tasha Yarr as well for the Star Trek question. Tasha Yarr was just sooo butch with that big gun of hers on Next Gen and if you had said Captain Janeway, well there would have been nope hope of recovery, that voice could shatter diamonds. Well all your vitals are fine, how are you feeling otherwise?"

"A little fuzzy and my leg is killing me but I'm guessing that’s normal by the size of the cast and all those cables."

"You got that right Sugar, and today isn’t the 24^th its now Friday the 30^th, you’ve been out for a while Cupcake. Dr Bradshaw is on her way to have a chat with you. And your friends will be so happy; you are our most popular guest. There is always a parade of cute women in here to read to you and keep you company, too bad I’m on the wrong side of that fence. The hot little blonde is out there letting them know now so I’ll be back after the Doc’s visit to get you all clean and gussied up for your visitors ok." I just nod as he flounces out of the room.

Liz comes back after a few minutes and I finally remember a question I forgot to ask.

"Liz, why am I here? What happened?" She looks like she is about to throw up.

The question hits me and I feel the bile rise as I again watch Cooper go down on the grass amid a tangle of arms and legs. How do I tell her what happened?

"The last thing I remember was warming up for the soccer trial. Then there’s nothing."

"You were involved in an incident during the game. You got tackled pretty hard, and didn’t get back up." I'm trying soooo hard to not get angry about it. Cooper doesn’t need that.

"Tackled? It’s soccer not rugby! We don’t tackle in soccer its against the rules. They would have been sent off the pitch for it." I watch as a myriad of thoughts and feelings travel across her face until one stays. It’s a look of sickening disappointment.

"It wasn’t an accident was it? It was done on purpose." She states rather than asks.

I nod my head "It was awful, it’s like it happened in slow motion. Three blue players started running towards you, and then they all kind of collided with you at once, all four of you went down together. It was horrible, they hit you so hard Cooper, they wanted to hurt you." I can’t help the tear that escapes.

"You were there and saw it?" she asks sounding really surprised. I just nod and wipe my eyes. "Why?" The question is asked out of simple curiosity, like a young child asking why is the sky blue?

"My best friend dragged me along to watch a friend of hers play."

"Oh." Is the simple response "Who?"

"Number 11 on the red team, my friend Robin met her when she sold her a house, they became friends, so Robin wanted to come along for moral support."

Cooper smiles at that. I can’t help but return it.

"Well good afternoon ladies, good to see you awake Cooper. I'm Rose Bradshaw, and I'm the Neurologist here."

*Dr* Bradshaw looks disgustingly young to be a doctor of any kind. She looks no more than 25, about a foot taller than me, long sun bleached blonde hair, perfect tan, perfect teeth and glittering blue eyes; she also looks at Cooper like she is a 3 course meal.

I think I hate her.

"Could you wait outside while I talk to my patient here?" She asks me politely.

Yup I hate her.

"Epilepsy? How can I be all of a sudden epileptic? Wouldn’t signs have shown before now?" I ask in disbelief.

"Well it seems there were signs that have been ignored, like minor seizures in high physical and mental stress situations? Strange reactions to bright flashing lights? Your roommate told us that you hated nightclubs because it made you fuzzy and gave you headaches, and that you have had some ……… difficulty in your romantic life. For the last week we have had you on some anti seizure medication and it seems to have had a positive effect, so as long as you’re on the medication you shouldn’t have any more problems."

Well shiver me timbers me hearty’s. Whadda you know, I take a pill and everything is supposed to be fixed. It almost feels anti-climactic, like I would know really. But there is just something so wrong about such a simple fix. It just seems like a cop out.

"So if you ever need to call me, for any reason, just call." The Doctor almost purrs in my ear before leaving her card on my bedside table. If my leg wasn’t suspended by a pint sized Golden Gate Bridge I'm sure I would be running for the hills away from this blonde succubus. Where is a slayer when you need a demon killing rescuer? She flashes me a smile that must have cost more than her medical degree before closing my door behind her. Like I wanna date my head doctor. Euuugh.

"All-righty then, ready for a sponge bath?" Jason asks seductively while waggling his sandy eyebrows at me. "So Cooper, when was the last time a boy got you this undressed?" He asks cheekily.

"Before I could walk or talk, so feel privileged." I joke back. Even thought the fact that this should be a really awkward situation, we laugh and joke our way through. It doesn’t seem so undignified when it’s a campy little twink who is cracking jokes about how big my feet are. He finishes up drying my ‘Studly’ feet, as Jason refers to them, when there is a hesitant knock on my door. Jason thoughtfully pulls a sheet up to my chin before saying it was ok.

Liz’s blonde head peeks in shyly "I ahhm got this for you, I cant imagine that hospital issue sleepwear is all that comfortable and I know it gets a little drafty. So I got this down at the gift shop." She hands a paper bag to Jason before retreating.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" He opens the package and pulls out a large, men’s sleep shirt. He nods thoughtfully before slipping the shirt over my head. "That should be a lot better to lounge around in bed in." He’s right, the soft flannelette feels so much nicer that the scratchy thing I had before. "Well Studly, I think we’re about done here. Do you want me to send in that gorgeous woman of yours to keep you amused?"

"My what? She’s not, we’re not....." I wish, I think to myself.

"Yet Studly, yet is the word you’re after. She has been here reading to you for the last 6 days and even thought to get you some comfy sleepwear, so she obviously cares about you; besides she is gorgeous and that’s always a bonus." He says with a wink before prancing out of the room.

"Hey there Spunky, you can go back to your girl now, we’re all finished." The cute blonde nurse says scaring the crap out of me, I was well and truly lost in my own head.

"My what? She’s not, we’re not....."

Jason bursts out laughing at my poor articulation. "You two are adorable, idiots, but adorable." He shakes his head but still smiling as he walks off down the hallway.

"Im way too old to be adorable Kid." I tell his retreating back. He stops mid stride before turning back towards me.

"Only if you think so Liz. Life is complex and you never know who will come along and be the perfect fit. Besides what’s a few years between friends and lovers?"

"A few years? Who are you kidding? Even if anything was to happen, and it won’t, I’m sure someone younger and more exciting would come along and be too tempting. I wouldn’t want to live that way."

"So what your saying is that you’re too insecure to give it a chance? Give Cooper some credit, she seems to have her head on right and doesn’t seem the type to be as shallow and opportunistic as you seem to think. Maybe I was wrong about you two, I thought with the chemistry you have together it was only a matter of time. Now I think Cooper can do a lot better."

I just lost all the wind in my sails.

I flop into the seat behind me.

"I’m 36, what would a college kid want with me? How could I ever compete with 20 year olds?" I ask quietly before I can censor my own thoughts.

"Sometimes the race is won before it’s even started. Just think about it Liz."

"Liz can I ask you a question?"

"Ahhh, sure." She answers as she turns to face me instead of staring out the window.

"Ok, well I guess I’m just curious and all, but why are you here? I mean the last time we really saw each other it was kinda awkward, and I was just wondering why? After all you don’t really know me but you’ve still been here looking out for me the last week and I was just wondering....." Ok, I know I am officially babbling. Way to go Coop, show off that suave side why don’t ya. I am such a geek. Tie me to a bed and send in a beautiful woman and just watch my geekiness ooze out of my mouth. Maybe I’ll ask the nice doctor, not the scary demon one, if there is a procedure to fix it, then again it’s probably terminal in my case.

Liz seems to think for a second before answering, she doesn’t look offended at least.

"Well I don’t think there is an easy answer for that really. I remember when I was a senior, I was the catcher for our Softball team when my appendix burst. I spent a week in hospital and I nearly went insane with boredom and frustration. I never forgot how horrible it was not having anyone around to help keep me distracted, everyone I knew was too busy or lived too far away to spend much time in a hospital. Now I am a woman of leisure, thanks to you, I have employees to look after the bookstore, leaving me with plenty of free time; so consider this my way of paying it forward or back in this case."

"So you’re doing this because you want to pay back some karmic debt and think you owe me something?" I don’t think I like the answer she gave me. I was kinda hoping for something else, what should I expect really? I am a dork after all.

"No Cooper, it’s not just that, it’s arrgggh. Complicated. Look I know I don’t know you that well, but I think I’d like to. I know your teammates and your coach are busy with school and training, and Robin seems to think you would drive the nurses crazy if you were kept in here confined to bed and alone, so she asked me to come and keep you company. But I want you to know I would have done it anyway. Your a good person Cooper, you came and rescued me from the ex from hell, let me keep my dignity and self esteem in tact in front of her. I also heard what the nurse said about your.......The woman who gave birth to you, and well I couldn’t in all good conscience let you stay in here alone. I know what it’s like and it’s awful. For the record if your mother showed up here now I would bitch slap her into next week for being such a heartless bitch and not being here when she should have been."

Wow. I dont think anyone has ever threatened my mother before. But I definitely like it.

"No way in hell. I’m going home, to my own house and that’s the end of it." She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts like a 5-year-old. Even though her resolute stubbornness is frustrating, she looks so damn cute being all huffy.

"I’m sorry but I will not sign your discharge papers unless you have someone stay with you for the next couple of weeks at least. You need to give yourself some time to heal, not only did you badly break your leg; you had a serious head injury. Please at least consider your long term health." Dr Austen is telling Cooper. For the last week Cooper has been angry, frustrated and feeling like a prisoner of war. The 300 pounds of plaster they call a cast made doing anything impossible. All she could do was lie in bed watch Ricky Lake and Judge Judy. For someone as physically energetic and mentally agile as I have discovered Cooper is, it’s sheer torture. She has threatened charges due to breaches of the Geneva Convention to no avail. She even looked like she would cry when the doctor said she couldn’t even have her laptop due to hospital regulations. This morning Dr Austen changed the cast to a more standard affair, instead of the plaster monstrosity, so Cooper can now use crutches for minimal amounts of time. BUT, and what a butt it is, she will need some help at home for the next couple of weeks. Cooper and Dr Austen are butting heads when Robin decides she has had enough.

"Ok, how does this sound; Cooper will go home and Liz and I will take turns playing naughty nurse and French maid?" Rob in all seriousness.

You can almost hear a pin drop or a syringe seeing as we are in a hospital.

I shake my head hoping I’m no where near as red as I feel. I am positive that I am sporting a full body blush at the thought of strutting around in a skimpy nurse’s outfit, playing naughty nurse for Cooper. The volume of water I have wasted taking cold showers whenever flashes of that night with Cooper flash before my eyes would probably fill an Olympic swimming pool.

Mmmmm Cooper naked in a swimming pool.

Oh by the gods I need to get that out of my head. I can see it now; this will be a week in hell. You see Robin has it in her head that I might have a small crush on Cooper, I did tell her that I ran into Cooper at my bookstore, but I didn’t tell her about the debacle upstairs in my apartment. It just felt wrong. Telling Toni has made me feel guilty enough. Besides, I’m sure Toni will tell Robin everything soon enough, then I will have both of them playing matchmakers. So a week in close quarters with Cooper, then throw Robin into the mix and I’m absolutely positive that I will be totally screwed. And get your minds out of the gutter, I don’t mean the fun kind.

"Will you even wear the outfits?" Cooper asks trying to stifle a grin. Dr Austen has no such qualms and bursts out laughing.

"Well that sounds fine to me, I’ll go write up your discharge and prescriptions." She says as she tucks her pen back into her pocket and makes an exit. I on the other hand am standing here looking like a stunned mullet. I have this sinking feeling I have been recruited. How the hell will my resolve survive when I’m trapped in house with the object of my libidinous mental wanderings. Oh god, I’m going to die a slow and horny death I know it. In the hospital I can at least justify being here, sort of, but her house?

"Ok Liz? Liz?" Robin snaps her fingers in front of my face bringing me from my mortified stupor.

"Huh?" Oh way to go Liz! Dazzle them with your shining wit.

"Can you go get your car and bring it around the front, I’ll come down with Cooper as soon as the Doctor gets back."

"Uh sure." I make my way to the carpark wondering if there is any way i can get out of this. Not that I don’t want to help or anything it’s more of a suffocating claustrophobia and the sinking feeling that Cooper has been sent here just to torment me. I feel like an ass, as in a donkey, and Cooper is some sort of Karmic carrot. If the universe is going to send me someone that I cant seen to be able to resist, couldn’t the omnipotent almighty at least someone that didn’t make me feel like I should be registering myself as a sex offender. Ugggg maybe there is some medication that will keep my lecherous thoughts under control. I walk through the carpark for what seems to be miles.

I think I parked somewhere in Arizona. I should have packed a compass and a cut lunch.

A couple of weeks in close quarters with a pair of pierced nipples I fantasize about. I can and will keep my libido chained up and do my best to help out a ........... Friend. Who the hell am I trying to kid? I am in quite possibly the fifth or sixth level of Hell.