AN: Ok everyone, Jericho is now my new favorite show, and I'm so not happy it doesn't have its own page yet but that will hopefully change soon so.. Anyways, we'll make due.
So anyways, when I watched Heart of Winter I was wishing I could see all the things in between, and then the recovery, so I thought I'd write it out. This chapter is basically just what I imagined happening once they got Jake out and took him back. So, its nothing new exactly, but if you're like me then you'll like to read it. However, after this chapter, I'll write new things, things that I would like to see happen. So anyways, bare with me.
This is also my first Jericho fanfic.. So be easy.
Ships: Not really anything in here. Slight mention of the Jake/Emily relationship, but not really. See, I like the Heather/Jake ship, its just that I like to stay true to the show, and right now, Heather isn't there and there is definitely something still there between Emily and Jake, whether it will play out or not. So anyways.. Bare with me here too.
They were practically flying down the road, trying to make it back to Jericho as fast as they could. It was obvious that Jake was hypothermic so they had no time to waste.
After getting the truck off of him, they had rushed Jake to the back of the truck where Eric, Gail and one of the volunteers continued to talk to him and keep him as warm as possible. They would have preferred to have him an ambulance, or even room enough for him to lay inside one of the trucks, but there wasn't, so the back of the truck was their only option. Besides, at the speed they were going, they would be in Jericho very soon.
Gail had positioned herself very close to her freezing son, in hopes that her body heat would help keep him warm, while Eric fought the wind and worked to keep his brother's many blankets on him. The volunteer was on his knees, gun in hand ready for anyone who tried to stop them from getting Jake back.
Jericho was in sight now, and it was only a matter of time before they reached the medical center. Before She had come back to get Jake, Gail had dropped Mimi and Stanley off and told them to get April ready for Jake, so they were expecting him.
Eric's mind was just scattered. He hadn't really seen his brother like this ever, and it was very weird. Jake had always been the tough older brother that would protect him if it was needed. Yes, Jake had made some very bad decisions in his lifetime, but he had always been there for Eric no matter what, and besides, there was no doubt that Jake was a changed man now.
He had been trying to avoid eye-contact with Jake, not wanting to see his brother's empty, pained gaze, but he found himself looking at Jake's face now, and felt fear in the pit of his stomach.
"Mom," he yelled over the wind. "His eyes…"
Gail looked down at her son quickly and noticed his eyes were shut again. She panicked for a split second, then started the rub his face a yell his name more. She was amazed she had missed his closed eyes being so close to him.
"Jake! Come one, Jake, don't do this to me!"
His eyes moved a little, but didn't open. Eric looked up and saw Mary Bailey's bar and knew they were very close to the medical center. He looked back down at his mother and Jake, whose eyes were still closed and gave a quick, silent prayer of thanks as the truck screeched to a halt.
"Hurry!" Eric yelled as he leaped out of the side of the truck. His body was freezing and stiff for the icy wind, but it didn't slow him down.
He rushed to the back of the truck and pulled down the tail-gait. A few others, including his dad were now standing beside him, pulling the board under Jake from the truck.
"Johnston! He won't wake up!" Gail wailed as she followed her son out. She would have liked to continue to hold his hand and be at his side, but they were taking him out so fast she couldn't keep up. But she knew it was for the best.
She looked up and noticed April, her stomach getting bigger everyday, standing at the door. Once they were almost in with Jake, April came out to meet them and ran beside them the rest of the way into the center.
Gail was now out of the truck and on her way in the center when she heard her name. She turned around to see Emily Sullivan running towards her.
"Mrs. Green! Was that Jake?" Emily looked cold and worried.
Gail just nodded her head, not wanting to give all the details while her son was in there.
Emily seemed to pale more than she already was.
"What.. What's going on?" She said in a worried tone.
Gail didn't know how to answer her. What could she say? He was hypothermic, but was that it? She just shook her head again, tears clouding her vision and pointed towards the door, telling Emily to just go inside with her.
They both rushed into the clinic, frozen to the bone and found Eric standing in the waiting area, looking confused and worried at the same time.
"Eric.." his mom said quietly and she came up beside him. It had been a couple of days since she could look at her youngest son without thinking poorly of him for what he did to April, but that didn't matter right now. Actually, it wasn't just Jake that was on her mind as she saw Eric's face, white and gaunt.
Eric turned to his mom and saw Emily Sullivan behind her.
"He… they're back there," he pointed down the hall to a door where people were coming in and out of carrying blankets and some others things.
Gail didn't say anything else, just made her way down the hall.
Emily, on the other hand, was still dazed. She had been on her way to the shelter with Roger when she saw the Green's truck zoom past her with what looked like three people in the back yelling Jake's name. She was it stop at the medical center and saw them take someone inside on a board.
She had turned to Roger and told him that she would meet him at the shelter then ran to Mrs. Green, her heart pounding.
And now she was standing with Eric Green, both silent and lost in thought.
"Eric," she said softly. "What happened?"
Eric had been rubbing his eyes when she asked the question. He lowered his hand then looked at her and shook his head.
"From what I understand, they were out looking for food when someone ran them off the road. The truck flipped over and pinned Jake down by the foot." Emily gasped and Eric paused.
"Oh my God, how long were they out there?"
Eric shook his head again. "A couple of hours."
Silence fell over them. They both knew how cold it was out there and how hypothermia could do to a person.
"Did he.. Fall asleep," Emily asked, hoping that she would get a good answer.
"He stayed awake for a while. I think he might have on the way here though," he paused. "He wouldn't open his eyes so… I don't know."
Emily nodded then fell silent. Ever since Roger had shown up, her thoughts had been so mixed up. She knew she still had feelings for Jake, but she had so wanted Roger home, to know that he was ok and that he still loved her. Now, she wasn't so sure. Of course, she wanted him to be alive and everything, but with him back, being with Jake didn't seem possible anymore.
They stood there for a little longer, just thinking about all kinds of things but were interrupted when Gail came running down the hall.
"Mom! What's going on?" Eric yelled as his mom ran past him and out the door. Eric exchanged a look with Emily, then both hurried out the door behind Gail.
"Mom!" Eric yelled again.
Gail did not turn and look at him, just kept rummaging through the volunteer's truck, which was larger then their own.
"He's ok for right now," she yelled from the truck's interior, "But April thinks it will be better if he came to the house. It's warmer and less crowded."
Eric nodded.
"Wait, they're taking him there now?"
Gail finished her job, then left the door to the back seat of the truck wide open.
"Yes," Gail said quickly, then ran back to the medical center's door which now had people gathered on the other side of it, carrying the same board with the same blanket-covered man on it.
Eric and Emily stepped aside as he was carried to the truck. Before they got him in however, Emily got a good view of him.
His eyes were half-open and he was mumbling things like "I'm ok, I can walk..". Emily shook her head at his stubbornness, knowing full well he was in no shape to even talk, let alone walk. Beyond that, he looked hideous. His face, which was the only part of him that was actually visible under all the covers, was covered in cuts and blood, which only made his face look that much more white. He was visibly shaking violently, no doubt from the cold.
But then he was slide into the back of the truck and was quickly gone as Gail and April took off in that truck, leaving Johnston, Eric, Emily and a few of the people that had helped standing, watching the lights disappear into the night.
"That boy is as stubborn as a mule," Johnston said under his breath in an exasperated, yet slightly proud voice. Eric and Emily both smiled a little at the comment, knowing how true it was.
Johnston stood for only a moment more, and then looked at Eric and Emily. The others had already started to go in. Johnston caught one of them before they left and told him that he would bring their truck back in a little while. The man nodded then left.
He turned back to Eric.
"I'm going to head to the house now. Emily, you can come along if you want."
Eric and Johnston looked at her expectantly. She held her breath. She was still shocked at everything that had just happened, and how bad Jake had looked. She didn't want to see that again. She couldn't see that again.
She shook her head slowly.
"No.. uh, Roger's waiting on me. Just.. Just take care of him."
Johnston nodded then headed towards his truck. Before he got in, he turned to Eric, who was still standing in the same spot.
"You coming?" Johnston yelled over to him.
Eric stood, looking at his dad, thinking about what he should do. He wanted to go see his brother and help out and everything, but that would mean he would be with April, have to see her with her growing belly. The belly the housed his unborn baby. He just didn't know if he could handle that.
"Eric, it's up to you, but this is your brother we're talking about here."
With that, Johnston got inside the truck and waited for a second. Eric made his decision, then got into the truck alongside his dad, and then they were off.
Emily watched them go, then said a silent prayed as she made her way back to the shelter where her fiancé was waiting for her.
Jake could only think of one time when he had felt worse than this, and that was something he never wanted to think about again.
The truth was, his brain was not working correctly right now, and he could understand why for the most part. But it was very clear to him that he was absolutely freezing. He couldn't make his body stopping shaking, and it hurt.
He didn't remember the ride to the medical center, knowing that he had been overcome by weakness and fell asleep, but he had woken up in the medical center and had seen his mom and his dad and April and some other people had been standing over him, calling his name and putting different things on top of him.
It had all seemed like a daze at that point, but things began to clear up slowly. He remembered April saying something about taking him to his own house, and he wondered why. And then suddenly he was being moved by those people.
It didn't feel right at all. He didn't want people carrying him around like that. He could walk on his own. He tried to tell them that, but he wasn't sure if they heard them.
He wasn't too sure of anything that had happened that night to be honest.
He had even thought he had seen Emily there right before he got into this truck, but that couldn't be true because she was probably safe and warm next to Roger.
He squeezed his eyes shut against that thought, but was forced out of that position by April's voice, telling him to open his eyes.
That was one thing he knew had happened throughout the night: people telling him to open his eyes and stay with them.
It didn't bother him or anything, because he knew they were right and he needed to stay awake, but that was so hard. His body ached and he was so tired and cold.
But he opened his eyes and saw April staring back at him, smiling a nervous smile. He tried to smile back, but wasn't sure if that worked out. He then looked at his mother who was turning back every-so-often to look at him, as if checking to make sure he was still alive.
He loved his mom so much and knew he had hurt her and made her worry about him so much in the past years that he hated doing this to her now. It actually wasn't really his fault this time, because he hadn't voluntarily been trapped under an overturned truck, but he still wished he could do something to stop her worrying.
Finally, he felt the truck stop and saw April and his mom get out of the truck and go to his doors. Then he saw his Dad and Eric there too, ready to carry him in the house. But not this time, Jake thought. He was sick of people having to carry him around everywhere.
"No," he said softly, the state of his own voice startling him. "I..I… c…can walk.." he managed to get out despite his excessive trembling.
He saw them smirk and then he was taken out of the truck. He closed his eyes again, feeling embarrassed.
"No you don't, son. Open your eyes."
Jake opened his eyes again, and looked up at the sky. The snow and wind was still going pretty strong.
They got him into the house pretty quickly and then began to talk to each other.
"In here is fine, he should stay close to the fire," April said.
He saw the light from the candles dancing on the walls and felt like sleeping so bad. But he knew that if he closed his eyes again, they would have a heart-attack and tell him to open them again. So he just kept looking around.
He looked to his side and saw April helping to carry him, and got very angry.
"No," he said defiantly, "You sh.. shouldn't be doing th.. This w.. with that b… baby." Jake tried to sit up but his body protested.
"Stop it Jake, I'm fine. Besides, we're here."
Jake felt himself being lowered onto the couch He sighed. He really hated being treated like this. He knew they weren't trying to be make him feel bad or anything, but he hated the feeling of people worrying about him and using their time to try to help him. He just didn't feel comfortable like that.
The removed the board from under him and then tightened the blankets on him.
It was just then that he noticed the room starting to brighten, and realized it was morning. He saw April getting different things, then felt something warm against his face.
The warmth felt good, but the fact that she was rubbing his cuts didn't. But he didn't say anything, just let her continue. He looked around at the others.
His mom was standing over him, running her hand through his hair, he couldn't see his dad, and over in the corner of the room stood Eric. Eric had a very odd look on his face. He seemed scared and sick at the same time. Then Jake understood why as his gaze fell briefly on April.
That, of course, only made Jake feel worse because he knew the only reason Eric had come was to help him, otherwise Eric would have tried to stay away form April.
Eric then looked at Jake, who smiled and tried to tell his brother that he could leave without saying anything, but was slightly shocked when Eric looked away.
"Alright Jake, I need to look you over real fast, and then we can talk about sleeping, ok?"
"Ok. But if you ex…pect me t..to stay a… awake then you sh.. Should let me s… sit up."
This was very true. Apart from the fact that his body and mind was tired from everything it had just gone through, he still had gone a full night without sleeping once and it was all taking its toll on him. April and his Mother exchanged looks, then April nodded in agreement.
They both helped him sit up, and although it was painful to be moved around, he felt more confident that he could stay awake now.
"Let me go get a few things, and I'll be right back, Mrs. Green, you should try to warm some water or coffee or anything you can, ok?" April said. Gail nodded then turned to Eric.
"Watch him."
Jake rolled his eyes. He wasn't a kid, and he wouldn't fall asleep. But he took this opportunity to talk to Eric.
"Eric, c… come h.. here."
Eric nodded then rushed to his side.
"You d.. don't have to st... stay."
Eric's face changed quickly. "Oh.. No Jake.. I… it's ok. I'll stay…"
Jake laughed a little. "Eric… its f… fine. Really."
Eric nodded and then retreated back to his corner as April and his mom reentered the room with their supplies. Eric looked to Jake, who nodded and smiled, letting him know it was ok to leave.
Eric gave a smile of gratitude then mouthed "I'll be back." Jake nodded then watched him slip out of the room. He was glad that the others didn't seem to notice.
"He's better off here then the med center. We're still on emergency power, and it's warmer here." Jake just sat there while they continued to drape blankets around him. Then his mom held a steamy glass to his mouth, probably of water.
"Here honey," she said gently as she tipped the cup into his mouth. "How about his injuries?"
"Well, the cut on his head isn't very deep, and neither one of his legs are broken. Very lucky."
"I'm freezing," he said without thinking. He was too tired to try to stop himself, and it was very true.
"I'll go get you some more blankets," his mother said quickly, then left. April continued to dab the warm cloth along him neck.
"You're still hypothermic. It's just going to take a few hours for your body to stabilize." He felt April grasp his shoulder, and knew she was right. He wouldn't be feeling very good for a while.
He heard more footsteps at the door, but figured it was just him mom back with the blankets, but then he heard that voice he had been fearing.
He wasn't completely sure if he had talked to his father last night, but he knew that there was a good possibility that he had told his father things he had never wanted him to know during those moments of weakness.
"Can we have minute."
It was then that Jake was certain that he had in fact told his Father about what happened in Iraq. His heart dropped.
"Sure," April answered then left.
His dad slowly made his way over to him, and then took a seat by him. There was silence, and Jake feared what was coming.
"Dad.." he said, acknowledging his father's presence.
Johnston looked at his son, and for the first time in a very long time, he saw him as a little kid, and his heart truly went out to him. He hated seeing him like this, trembling and his face still bloody. He knew that Jake wouldn't want to talk about what was said out there, but this seemed like the right time. After all those years of thinking that Jake was out there somewhere living an unproductive life, to find out that all along, he had be in a war, and experiencing unspeakable things , Johnston had to tell him this. Had to speak to his son.
Jake continued to shake uncontrollably and would glance up at him a few times.
"What I told you out there…" he said, then paused. Johnston could see the pain in his son's eyes, and felt his heart hurting for his oldest. Jake then turned and looked him in the eyes.
"Please forget it," he pleaded, "Please."
Johnston then had a mental fight with himself on whether or not to continue his talk, or just leave his son alone. But, he knew he had to finish what he had started.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
He watched Jake's eyes divert to the ground, and knew this was only getting worse.
Johnston took his time, making sure he chose the right words.
"I've seen a lot of things in my time, Jake. I've been to war. I know what war can do, I know what man can do- terrible… terrible things." Johnston paused and looked his son in the eyes. "I know what I did. You can talk to me."
Johnston had no idea how Jake would take this, he really didn't. He had always loved his son with all of his heart, but he hadn't had a real talk with him for years, and never about anything like this. However, he didn't expect the reaction that came.
Jake's face tightened and he lowered his head and started to cry. Johnston heart ached now. He knew exactly how bad this was hurting Jake, he knew how bad he never wanted to think about it again. But he also knew what it could do to his son if he never talked about it.
Johnston watched his son, smothered in blankets, shaking and crying. He reached up and began to rub Jake's head. Soon, he felt tears in his own eyes. He moved over to Jake and kissed him on the head.
"When you're ready son, when you're ready." Johnston felt the tears and knew it was time to get out of there. He left, his son still crying and trembling.
Jake sat there, dazed and confused. He was just so tired, so cold, in so much pain, and to top it all off, he had just had a real conversation with his father for the first time in years, but it was about something that had been tearing at him for so long now.
He sat alone, the tears not stopping. He didn't have the strength to stop them from falling. He heard his mom come into the room, and she quietly put the blanket on him then put her arms around him and brought him into a warm embrace.
He didn't fight it, not having the strength to, but also because it felt so right. He cried on his mom's shoulder until he was too tired to remain sitting. He didn't care how the others felt about it, he was going to go to sleep.
He brought his head up but it felt so heavy. It started to roll. He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
"Mom…" he whispered.
Gail stood up but kept one hand on Jake noticing how he was starting to sway.
"April," she called in a semi-loud voice.
April came down the stairs and looked from Jake to Gail.
"He's about to fall asleep…"
April nodded then came to them. She put her hands on Jake and looked him over quickly.
"Yeah, I don't think we could keep him up any longer, but he isn't doing as good as I would have hoped," she said aloud, but regretted it after Gail's face became more worried.
"No, he's ok, its just his body isn't warming up as fast as I hoped it would," she stopped and looked around the room.
"We need to get him as close to the fire as we can. Does that chair recline?"
Gail looked over to the chair April was referring to, a nice plump and comfy chair sitting next to the fireplace, then nodded.
"Good, he can sleep there and hopefully get warm."
"Johnston," Gail bellowed.
Johnston came around the corner, looking alarmed.
"Help me get him over to the chair," Gail said to her husband, motioning for April to go sit down. "You've done a lot already."
"I'm fine.."
"That is my grandchild you're carrying around," Gail said, cutting her daughter-in-law off.
April smiled then put her hand on her stomach.
Johnston had already got on one side of Jake, and his wife on the other. Together, they raised Jake from the couch and practically dragged him over a couple of feet to the chair. He seemed to be asleep already, that or too tired to put any effort forward. They did however hear him groan when he put some weight on his ankle.
Once he was sitting comfortably in the chair, Gail put the rest of the blankets on top of him, then kissed his forehead. Her son was home, and was at the moment, safe.
She smiled, her eyes slightly watery, then turned to April.
"His ankle, or foot or.. Will he need something on it?"
April took a moment to think about this.
"I'm not entirely sure. We'll see when he wakes up. I did hear him groan and there's no way it couldn't hurt after what happened. We'll see when he gets up."
Gail nodded then sat beside her. They both sighed, agreeing that it had been a crazy night.
Gail placed her hand on April's knee.
"You need to get some rest yourself," she said in her motherly tone.
April smiled wearily.
"I know, but I need to keep an eye on him and.."
"I can keep an eye on him, besides, I won't be able to sleep anyway."
April smiled again and nodded.
"So, what do we do now with him."
April took a deep breath.
"Well, the problem is, I'm used to treating hypothermic patients with putting them in warm rooms, and eventually warm water, but there's no warm place in town. And it would be way too much trouble to try and warm up enough water to give him a bath. So… we have just have to play this by ear and keep him as warm as possible."
Gail nodded, knowing this was true. They hadn't been in a position like this where they had no power, and without it, it made everything much harder.
"Come to think of it, I should get back down to the med center in case anyone else comes and needs me.."
"Well, that sounds fine right after you get some sleep for yourself…"
"Mom.."
"Don't "Mom" me. I already told you I'm not letting you be unreasonable with that child in your stomach."
April smiled and nodded. She loved her mother-in-law and admired that woman for being able to put up with some of the most stubborn men she had ever met.
"Ok, well then I might sleep here on the couch, if you don't mind. Just, check on him every-so-often make sure he's responsive. Maybe even dab his face with a warm rag, you know the drill."
Gail nodded, then got up.
"Get some rest dear."
April nodded then laid down across the couch. It wasn't long and she was out. Gail looked from her to Jake, smiling at them and wishing Eric was here as well. Then she realized he was gone. She couldn't remember him leaving, let alone the last time she remembered seeing him there. Everything had just been so crazy that she hadn't noticed.
He helped bring Jake in, then… she told him to watch Jake. He must have left when she came back in the room. Either way, she still wished he was there. She wanted her whole family at her house.
She looked back over to Jake, who was barely visible under his mountain of covers and felt a dire urge to go wake him up and talk to him, just to make sure everything was ok, but she resisted the urge knowing he needed to sleep.
She left the room and went to find her husband.
EN: Ok so, there it is, a really long story. I do want to write more and I think it will start with Stanley, Mimi, and Bonnie over at the Richmond farm because I love those guys. So, just send some reviews and I'll post it! Thanks everyone!