Paul was recovering physically from the injuries he suffered at the hands of Jill, but he was having dreams in which the scene from his confrontation with her were being played over and over. And each time it ended the same way. But Linda was a constant presence once school was done for the day.

Finally, it was the day of Paul’s discharge from the hospital. His parents, Linda and her parents, and Todd and his parents were there. He had been in there for five days, and he couldn’t wait to get back to his own bed. 

There was a knock on the door. It was Jill’s parents coming to make sure Paul was alright. He thanked them for their concern, and said he was. He also made a very unusual request. He asked that everyone other than Jill’s parents to leave the room. 

There were confused looks on the faces of everyone, but Paul’s request was honored. Soon it was just Paul and the Robbins alone. Paul wasn’t much for beating around the bush, so he just asked once again how Jill was doing. 

The Robbins were surprised by the question, but they told Paul that she was having issues getting acclimated to her new surroundings. They were going to see her after they left the hospital. But they were totally stunned by Paul’s next question. He wanted to know if he could visit her when the situation calmed down.

Jill’s parents asked him why he would want to do that, considering what had happened. Paul wasn’t quite sure of the reason. He just felt an urge within himself to talk to her face to face. But only when she was ready.

The Robbins considered the request, although they couldn’t offer any promises. Jill would have to be totally comfortable with her new environment for any meeting to occur, and even then there would be no guarantee that she would remain calm enough to see him, considering that he became the object of her rage. 

But the Robbins had to leave to see Jill. Paul thanked them for visiting, and told them that he hoped to hear from them soon. Once the Robbins left, everyone else came back into the room. Linda’s first question was what had happened. Paul gave her a warm smile and said everything was fine, and that he would explain later. It was Saturday, and he would need to get used to the crutches he would need for his ankle. His headaches, caused by his concussion, went away. 

The doctors came in for one final check up. Everything was normal. They called for the nurse to bring the discharge papers that Paul's parents would need to sign. The doctor reminded Paul that if he experienced any unusual pain or discomfort he was to come back to the hospital. Paul said he would and thanked the doctors for treating him.

The nurse brought the wheelchair into the room. Paul saw that it was built for an Alpha. He asked the nurse if they had a smaller one for him to use. She smiled and apologized, explaining that they did have Beta wheelchairs, but no Beta sized hospital staff to wheel him out. Paul understood. The nurse was an Alpha, and he couldn't imagine that it would be comfortable to bend over so far as to be able to wheel a Beta sized chair without risking a strained back.

So into the chair he went. Due to hospital policy, Linda wasn't allowed to ride with him. Paul felt like a newborn sitting in dad’s chair without support. Paul was tempted to lay down across the seat, as he could almost fit his entire body from side to side. But he shifted to one side so that he could brace his body for the trip to the parking lot.

Paul's parents and Linda helped him into the back seat of the car. Linda wouldn't be able to ride with him, as his parent’s car was too small for her, so she asked her parents to wait, and left with them.

Once Paul arrived home, his dad helped get him set up with the crutches, and he gingerly made his way into the house and then his bedroom. Paul was tired, and his ankle hurt. He laid down on his bed. 

Before he knew it, it was 4pm. Paul had slept for most of the afternoon. He got his crutches and made his way out to the living room. His parents were watching TV. His mom asked how he was feeling. Paul told her that he was feeling fine, which was true, for the most part. He didn't tell her that his ankle hurt like hell. The doctor told him it would be normal for the ankle to hurt for at least 2 weeks, but it was a sign of healing.

Paul went into the kitchen and grabbed the phone and called Linda. Her mom answered, and Linda excitedly grabbed the phone from her and asked how he was doing. Paul told her the same thing as he told his mom.

It was a good two hours later when Paul's mom came into the kitchen to make dinner. It was at that point that Paul and Linda hung up. For Paul, it was great that he could talk Linda without doctors or nurses coming in to check vitals or examine his head or ankle. And he thought that he was going back to school on Monday, and that would present other issues for him to tackle.