***Willow Pond***
Jonathan and Jennifer were sleeping. The whole house was quiet, as it should be at 3 a.m.
They didn't hear someone slip onto the grounds, and climb over the gate. They didn't hear someone stand in their driveway and open up Jennifer's Porsche. And they had no clue that someone put a device under her driver's seat.
After it was done, the figure walked away into the darkness.
***A few hours later***
Jonathan woke up when the alarm went off and held Jennifer a little tighter. He hated having to get out of bed each morning, when he could lie in bed and hold her.
He kissed her gently and got up and went to shower and get dressed.
She was sitting up when he got out of the shower, and she went downstairs with him.
She made him some breakfast and some coffee to go.
"What is your day like darling?"
"Writing an article, missing you".
He chuckled. "Try not to miss me too hard".
She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
"If you promise to come straight home to me, it's a deal".
She kissed him. "What's your day like?"
"Well, I have a board meeting this morning, but other than that, I will be in the office all day".
"We could have lunch today if you'd like".
"Sure. Where?"
"How about The Bistro at 1?"
"Perfect".
She kissed him a few times, and then he pulled back.
"If we don't stop, I'll still be here at home when it's time to go to lunch".
She giggled and kissed him again.
"Do we know what time Max will be home?"
"He said by mid-morning".
"He must have really enjoyed his poker tournament".
"I just hope he broke even. It's been nice having the house to ourselves, though".
"Yes, it has". She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you, sailor. See you at 1".
He headed out the door, and she headed upstairs.
She had been writing her article on companies who are committed to dumping waste in an environmentally friendly way. She had several companies to research, and had already researched about 10. She set about calling her sources.
Most of the companies were extremely forthcoming and helpful, and sent her documents on email without her having to ask twice.
However, one company, Cyntrax, wouldn't answer questions, wouldn't give her documents, wouldn't help her at all. She was going to try to reach them again.
She contacted a private investigator that she had worked with in the past, and asked them for information.
She decided to ask Jonathan to let her have one of his investigators.
She got showered and dressed and headed out to meet her husband.
She was in the driveway, and had just locked the house. She used her key fob to remote start her vehicle. Just as she got to the driver's side door, it exploded. She was thrown about 50 feet, and had burns all over her body from the waist up.
Luckily for her, the automatic sprinklers kicked on, and she just so happened to be lying right next to them.
***About an hour later***
Max pulled up to the house and came through the gate.
He drove up the drive and parked by the house, and was getting out when he saw the sprinklers were on.
"Why are the sprinklers on at this time of day?"
He noticed that there was smoke coming from Mrs. H.'s Porsche, and that her windows were missing.
And then he saw her lying over in the sprinklers.
He got out and ran to her, but he couldn't move her.
He ran back to the car, and called 911.
"We need an ambulance at 3100 Willow Pond Drive. Please hurry!".
He stayed on the phone with 911, until the ambulance arrived.
"I'll follow you guys to the hospital".
They were taking her to Cedars Sanai.
He called Hart Industries.
"Kelly, this is Max. I need to speak to Mr. Hart, right away".
She put him through.
"Mr. H., Jennifer is being taken to the hospital. Cedars Sinai. You need to come now, and Mr. H., it's bad. It's pretty damn bad".
***Cedars Sinai***
They brought Jennifer in, and immediately took her back. Max was told to wait in the main waiting room.
Jonathan found him there.
"Max, what happened? How is she?"
"I pulled up and she was lying on the yard, over in the sprinklers. And they were on, Mr. H. Full blast. And her car, all the windows are blown out, and there was smoke coming from the front of it. I didn't investigate that, though, I was so focused on Mrs. H."
"It's alright Max. Did she say anything?"
"Not a word. They told me she was breathing and had a pulse but that's all they said. I didn't ride with her in the ambulance, because I wanted to call you on the way".
"Thanks".
They sat and waited for the doctor. Waiting wasn't exactly Jonathan's strong suit.
He paced, he sat and stared at the wall, he was wringing his hands….Max was drinking coffee like it was going out of style.
Finally, about 2 hours after they had brought her in, the doctor came out to speak with them.
"Mr. Hart, Mr. Brennan, Mrs. Hart is stable, but very critical. She has suffered burns from the torso up. The ones below the breast bone are very minor, and will heal in a day or so. The ones on her face, neck, and shoulders are more serious. They require dressing and medications. They will heal, just not as quickly. Her vitals are good, and her blood pressure is strong and in normal ranges, so that's promising. I got to tell you, she's extremely fortunate that she was able to lay in the sprinklers, because that washed away most of what caused the burns, which prevented further damage. No broken bones, and we are hoping that we got to her in time with the medicines to ward off infections. She is resting comfortably, and will have to be here for a couple weeks."
"Can we see her?"
"Sure, right this way. She's in and out, and might not make sense- but I promise you, she can hear you and understand what you say".
He went in to her room and went to her bedside. She had bandages wrapped all around her from her chest up to her head, and she had a few bandages on her face, but her head wasn't totally wrapped.
He grabbed her hand and held it.
"Darling, I love you so much… I'm here, and Max is here. We are going to get you through this".
She stirred a little bit.
She was trying to talk.
"Ex….plo….sion….."
"Yes, darling, there was an explosion. You are in the hospital".
She nodded.
"Car….."
"Your car? Your car exploded?"
She nodded.
"We will have the police check it out. Right now, your job is to rest, and focus on getting better".
She opened her eyes, and after a minute, focused on him.
"I…..love…..you".
"Oh, darling, I love you too".
He leaned forward and found a spot on her lips that wasn't burned or bandaged, and gave her a sweet kiss.
She had tears in her eyes.
"Darling, are you in any pain?"
"A….little".
"Well, we will get the nurse to give you something".
Max went to get the nurse so that Jonathan could ask them some questions.
Jonathan was brushing her hair out of her face, and kissing her forehead.
"I'm…..sorry…about…lunch".
"Shhh. Don't worry about that. You couldn't help it. I'm just glad that Max came home and found you when he did".
She nodded.
She grabbed the remote for the bed, and hit the button that would make her sit up.
After she was sitting up some, she lifted her hands and grabbed his face.
She held his face for a bit and rubbed his jaw, like he liked.
"Knight….in shining…..armor".
He chuckled.
"Damsel in distress".
She nodded, and he kissed her again.
He handed her the bottle of water that was on her nightstand, and she drank some.
The nurse came in, with Max.
"Well, Mrs. Hart, glad to see you are alert".
"Nurse, I am Jonathan Hart, Jennifer's husband. I would like to ask you a few questions"
"Go right ahead".
"Do you guys still have the clothes that she was wearing when she was brought in?"
"Yes, they should be right over here." She went and got a bag and handed it to him.
"Thank you".
"Sure".
"What is the treatment like?"
"She will get hydrotherapy every 4-6 hours, and we will change the bandages right after that. For the minor burns, we will apply an ointment, but for the more serious ones, we will apply an ointment and an antibiotic."
"Ok, can she eat, drink?"
"Yes, she can".
"Well, she hasn't had lunch yet today, so can you please get her something? And I am going to need a bed, because I intend to stay overnight with her".
"Ok, I will alert the doctor and be right back".
Jennifer leaned up to kiss him.
"Thank…you…darling". She was speaking barely above a whisper.
"I love you, Jennifer Suzanne".
He kissed her forehead and she leaned back against the bed.
An orderly appeared and had some yogurt and sliced fruit and several bottles of water for Jennifer. The doctor came in right as she had everything opened, and asked to speak to Jonathan in the hall.
"I will be right back, darling".
He kissed her forehead and then went to the hallway.
"Mr. Hart, I know that you want to stay with your wife, but she really needs to rest. We are going to be giving her some heavy duty pain meds and she will be sleeping so heavily that she won't even know that you aren't here, trust me. I think it's best if you went home and got some rest and came back in the morning. Maybe in a few days when she has improved, we can move her to a bigger room where you can stay with her all the time".
He didn't like it, but he reluctantly agreed.
"Thank you, doctor".
He went back in and sat down next to Jennifer.
"Doctor Walker says they are going to give you some heavy duty pain meds so that you will sleep and rest and be good as new."
She nodded. She was finished with her yogurt, and was picking at her fruit.
"Now for the bad news. Doctor Walker says I can't stay tonight, but I can maybe stay in a few days".
She hesitated and then nodded.
"I promise, I am going to be back first thing in the morning, and I will stay as long as they will let me. I love you, you know that."
She nodded.
"I….love…..you…..more".
His heart sank.
"Red, you are amazing."
He kissed her tenderly, and she wrapped her arms around him and started scratching his back.
"Darling, if you start that, I won't ever leave".
She gave him a half-smile.
"I…..ruined…..everything…."
"Darling, you didn't ruin anything. Why would you think that?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
"What do you think you ruined?"
"Car…..my face…..our lunch plans…..your day…."
"Darling…. You aren't responsible for this. We are going to find out who is, but I promise it's not you. And lunch plans being canceled aren't the end of the world. And you didn't ruin my day. If anything you made it better, because I get to spend more time with you. And your face, well that's my favoritest face ever, and it's just as gorgeous as it was when I left this morning".
"Do….I…..have…..burns….on….my….face?"
She was speaking slow and deliberate, and her voice was slowly getting stronger.
"You have a bandage at the top of your hairline, and one on the far side of your face, by your right ear. But that's it".
"Will…you….still….love…me….with….scars?"
"There isn't a single thing in the world that would ever change the way I feel about you….scars or not, you are always going to be the love of my life".
He leaned forward and kissed her.
The nurse appeared with Max.
"Mrs. Hart, it's time for your shot of pain meds."
Max came over and kissed her cheek.
"Take care of yourself, Mrs. H. I will see you tomorrow".
"Thank you…..Max….."
He squeezed her hand and then headed to the hallway.
Jonathan looked at Jennifer.
"Ok, darling, I will hold your hand while they give you this shot, and then I am leaving. But I'll be back first thing in the morning".
He held her hand and sang to her, and she didn't even notice the nurse had given her the shot.
He got her all tucked in, and kissed her a few times.
"I love you, and I will be back first thing in the morning".
She nodded, and ran her fingers through his hair a few times.
"I….love….you".
He kissed her again, and then left.
It about killed him to leave her, but he knew that she would rest better without him, since she was always worried about making him feel better when they were together.
***Willow Pond***
Jonathan had called the police and asked them to investigate how this happened. They were waiting for him when he pulled up.
He handed the detective the bag with her clothes on it from the hospital.
"Mr. Hart, we determined that someone placed a bomb under the front seat of your wife's car. It was rigged to explode when the car started, give or take about 30 seconds. Did she have any type of remote start device?"
"Yes, she did".
"Do you know if that's a feature that she uses often?"
"I'm not sure".
"Well, what we have gathered so far, is that based on the way she was found, she must not have been in the car when the blast happened. So, if she used remote start, then she was more than likely walking to the car after having started it, and maybe had the door open or was opening the door. The force of the blast was enough to knock her into the yard, and it also activated your sprinkler system. So, either she used remote start and wasn't in the car yet, or the device malfunctioned and she wasn't in the car yet. Either way, she was very fortunate".
He nodded. They were both very fortunate.
"We are going to have to tow your vehicle to the lab so that we can do a complete chemicals test on it. We have taken several pictures, for you to give your insurance person. And of course they can come view it at the lab".
"Thank you".
He took the business card from the investigator and then went inside the house.
The house was too quiet without her. Too quiet.
He made himself a sandwich, and then worked on some paperwork from the office before turning in for the night.
***The next morning***
He woke up and called the hospital, and spoke to the nurse.
"Mrs. Hart had a wonderful night, Mr. Hart. She rested all night long and was in no pain. I changed her bandages and she received hydrotherapy, which will help her heal. She should be awake within the next two hours, I would say".
"Ok thank you".
He hung up and showered and dressed. He packed her a bag with pajama pants, and her favorite pillow cases and her robe, and some pictures of them from her nightstand.
Max was sleeping in, so he left him a note that he had headed to the hospital.
He packed her laptop and the articles she had been working on and brought that with him.
While he drove to the hospital, he called his office and told his secretary that he would be in for the board meeting that day, but that was it, the rest of the time he was going to be with Jennifer.
***Cedars Sinai***
Jonathan had stopped and gotten her some of her favorite tea, and her favorite omelet from a breakfast diner they liked.
He brought it all into her room. She was still sleeping.
He pulled his chair up next to her bed and gently grabbed her hand and held it while he waited for her to wake up.
She was so angelic while she was sleeping.
About 20 minutes later, she woke up and immediately reached for him.
He kissed her a few times, and held her as close as possible.
"How are you feeling?"
"Ok….tired…."
Her voice was much stronger.
"That's the medicine, I'm sure".
"I missed you last night…."
"I missed you too, but the nurse said you slept well".
"Did you sleep? Did you eat dinner last night?"
"I'm fine darling. Promise".
She reached up and stroked his cheek.
"Darling, do you remember anything about the explosion?"
She thought for a minute.
"A little".
"I spoke with the police. They said someone put an explosive device under your front seat. So they think you either used the remote start or it malfunctioned and the force of the blast blew you into the grass and turned the sprinklers on."
"I always do remote start".
"So, now we have to figure out who did this, and why".
She nodded.
"I brought your robe, pajama pants, slippers, your favorite pillowcases, and your favorite blanket, plus your laptop and the files you were working on. And I stopped and got you some tea, and your favorite omelet from Chuck's".
She kissed him. "So sweet to me".
She ate the omelet, and drank the tea and then tried to rest some more. He turned the TV to HGTV for her, since he knew it was her favorite station.
While she was eating, he changed the pillowcase on her pillow to her favorite one, and put her slippers on her feet. After she was finished eating, she shimmied into her pajama pants.
He took the omelet container and threw it away after she was done, and she patted the bed and kept telling him to come sit with her.
He finally crawled in bed next to her and she promptly wrapped her arms around him.
He held her close and kissed her head.
No matter what was going on, sometimes the best medicine was just each other.
***A few days later***
Jonathan had been spending every minute he could with Jennifer. They were moving her today to a new room, where he would be able to spend the night with her.
She was getting better each day, but she wasn't out of the woods just yet. She was still getting the hydrotherapy for the burns on her neck and shoulders, and still had to keep those bandaged and covered in ointment.
She was trying to finish her article, but she still couldn't find anything on Cyntrax and she couldn't get anyone at Cyntrax to talk to her.
Jonathan had a board meeting this morning, and then he was going to be in to spend the rest of the day with her.
He had given Stanley the task of investigating Cyntrax for Jennifer.
Jennifer was lying in her hospital bed, waiting on her breakfast to come. She had ordered 2 eggs, yogurt, and orange juice. She was really hungry, and the nurse had told her yesterday that her appetite returning was a good sign.
A new nurse came in and checked her vitals and asked her lots of questions.
"How did you sleep?"
"Well, thank you."
"Do you have any lingering memories of what happened to you?"
"Not really".
"Has the doctor told you about whether or not you will have scars or permanent damage?"
"We haven't really talked about it".
Jennifer was starting to feel very uncomfortable.
She looked at her nametag and noticed that the nurses name was Leslie.
Leslie finished taking her vitals and then told her to ring the nurse's desk if she needed something.
Jennifer was impatient waiting on Jonathan. She wanted desperately to wash her hair and soak in a tub.
They had been letting her have baby wipe baths, but it wasn't the same.
She leaned back on her bed and tried to get some sleep.
She was sleeping soundly enough that she didn't hear anyone come in her room.
She certainly didn't see anyone else standing near her with a pillow in their hands.
She was having a nightmare, and she started moaning.
The person with the pillow chose to come back later, since she wasn't sleeping deeply, and snuck out.
Jennifer heard the door shut, and woke up. She was confused. She knew she had heard the door shut, but there wasn't anyone in her room. Nothing in the room looked different, and nothing was out of place. It didn't make sense. If someone wanted to speak with her, they would have woken her up. But who would just come in and then leave?
She settled back against the bed and pulled the covers up around her, and fell back asleep.
As soon as she fell asleep, she started dreaming about the explosion again. She woke up with a start, and felt worse than before.
She grabbed the phone and called Jonathan's office.
"Hey Kelly, is Jonathan still in the meeting?"
"It's just about to begin".
"Can you see if he will talk to me for just a second?"
"Sure, let me check".
She put Jennifer on hold, and went into Mr. Hart's office.
"Mr. Hart, your wife is on the phone and she wants to know if you will talk to her for just a second?"
"I'll do more than that. Put her through, thanks Kelly. Excuse me, gentlemen, one second".
He picked up the phone. 'Hi, darling, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I guess. I just needed to hear your voice. I have been having nightmares and Jonathan, I swear someone came in my room earlier but when I opened my eyes there wasn't anyone in here. And this new nurse came in and was being very strange".
"Well, I think you are out of sorts, and you need to rest some more. As soon as this meeting is done, I will be there with you, I promise. Can I bring you anything?"
"How about some tea and my favorite lunch from the Bistro?"
"You got it. I love you, darling. See you soon".
"Love you more".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up.
***Hart Industries***
Jonathan hung up the phone.
"I apologize, gentlemen. My wife is in the hospital and she's just a little out of sorts. As soon as we get this merger taken care of, I am heading to the hospital".
They got down to business. Stanley showed them on slides the company they were looking to purchase. It was a company named Stormco. They manufactured plastic containers in all shapes and sizes.
"This would be a great merger for Hart Industries".
After Stanley's presentation, they agreed to vote on it. The board voted that more information was needed, so Stanley was sent to investigate in person.
Jonathan adjourned the meeting, and met with Stanley about the company he was investigating for Jennifer.
He had a rather thick file of information for her.
"This was all I could find out".
"Thank you, Stanley. I will take it to her".
Jonathan packed up everything and headed to the hospital. He wasn't going to be in for the rest of the week.
"Kelly, Stanley and Richard are in charge if something comes up. I can be reached at Cedars, if there is an emergency".
"Ok, and give my best to Mrs. Hart".
"Will do".
He headed out and picked up her tea and lunch from the Bistro, and headed to her hospital room.
***Cedars Sinai***
Jennifer was sleeping, and didn't hear Jonathan come in. He set down her lunch and her tea quietly, and went over and placed her file on top of her computer. He leaned down and kissed her a few times, and she woke up instantly, and put her arms around him.
He climbed in bed and sat next to her and embraced her.
"How are you feeling?"
"About the same, just confused by everything."
He kissed her head and snuggled her close.
"I missed you".
"I am so ready for a different room so that we can stay in the room together. Scratch that-I want to go home!"
"I know, but the important thing is that you are healthy and healing".
The doctor came in to talk to her then.
Jonathan got up and sat in a chair next to the bed, and held her hand while they changed her dressings.
The doctor explained that she was healing well enough to be moved up a floor, and should be going home this weekend.
"Can I wash my hair and take a long shower?"
"Not too long. 10 minutes max. But, I will see about getting you some waterproof bandages so that you can shower and wash your hair."
After the dressings were changed, the doctor asked the nurse to check her vitals before they moved her upstairs.
"Oh the other nurse checked them. Nurse Leslie, I believe".
"Nurse Leslie?"
The doctor and the nurse looked at each other.
"Yes, Nurse Leslie".
"Mrs. Hart, we don't have a nurse Leslie on this floor".
***Upstairs***
The doctor had signed her release to another floor, and the nurse had ordered a wheelchair for her.
Jonathan packed up her things and carried them while the nurse pushed her upstairs.
She got all settled into her new room, and they ordered a bed for Jonathan.
"Darling, Stanley gave me this file for you. It's everything he uncovered on that company"
"Perfect".
The nurse took her dressings off and put some waterproof bandages on her burns that were still open. She happily jumped up and headed to the shower and Jonathan set a timer for her.
"Yell if you need help, darling".
He unpacked for her while she showered, and got her some fresh pajama pants and a fresh tank top.
The timer went off and he went to the bathroom to tell her.
She was already out, and drying off.
"Darling, can you put some ointment on my burns before I get dressed?"
"Certainly".
She was in the best spirits he had seen her in all week.
After he put the ointment on her, she turned and embraced him and kissed him a few times.
"You think if we stay in here, they will notice?"
"Yes, I do. Best thing to do is to get you home where nobody will notice".
He kissed her again.
She went and put on her new pajamas and tank top, and he helped her back into bed after she did. She ate her lunch and then his bed arrived, and he made it up while she finished.
They lowered the two inside bedrails, so they could sleep next to each other.
He had just wrapped his arms around her and settled in for a nap when the room phone rang.
It was Lt. Grey.
"Jonathan the tests came back and proved that it was a bomb, and the chemical they used was supposed to be extremely deadly."
"No clue as to who did it?"
"None. Any fingerprints or identifying marks were lost in the blast".
"Ok, so what happens now?"
"We will keep investigating, but without anything else to go on, we are kind of stuck.
"If anything else comes up, I will let you know".
They hung up. He filled Jennifer in.
"I just don't understand why someone would want to hurt me. I mean, you are the one that's more in the news than I am. You are the one that would have more enemies than I do, because of the business world. Not that it's ok for them to blow you up, but still…I just can't figure why they would want to blow up my car".
"I can't either, darling. And I also don't think it was random, either".
Jennifer got up and started working on her article again, while Jonathan napped some. The information that Stanley got for her was very helpful.
She was able to finish the rough draft of the article, and was proofreading it when Jonathan woke up.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"How long has it been since the nurse came in?"
"I don't know, an hour maybe?"
"Think we have enough time to…get reacquainted?"
"Jonathan! We cannot do that in here…..what if they walk in on us?"
"If we are fast enough, they won't".
"I want to enjoy it".
He started kissing her neck.
"Darling…that isn't going to end well…"
"It always ends well for me…"
"Tonight….I will tell the nurse I have a headache and ask for some aspirin. After she gives it to me, then we can….get reacquainted".
She put her stuff back on the table and pushed it away, and then curled up in his arms.
He was kissing her and she was running her fingers through his hair… she was trying to control herself, but one thing led to another and before she knew it….they were giving in to their passion, right there in the hospital.
Thankfully, they weren't interrupted, and she was able to get dressed again before anyone entered her room.
Jonathan had redressed also, and was still laying in the bed next to her.
"Do you want hospital food for dinner, or do you want me to have something delivered?"
"I want something delivered…something yummy".
"How about La Scala?"
"You know me so well". She grabbed his chin and kissed him.
She leaned against his shoulder while he called and placed their order.
"I am so ready to go home….wonder when they will let me out of here?"
"Doctor said this weekend. Just a few more days."
"Darling…is it safe to go home?"
"Yes, I think so. I have been staying there all week and haven't had any problems".
She nodded, but she still felt uneasy.
The doctor came in shortly after dinner, and checked her wounds.
"How long till I can go home, doctor?"
"Well, as long as you keep putting the dressings and ointment on, I don't see why you can't go home tomorrow. You are healing very well. I don't think there will be any permanent scarring, and with your fair skin, you won't be able to really tell anyways. I will send the nurse in to teach you exactly how to do the dressings and give you some supplies. Now, for your at home instructions. No soaking in a hot tub or pool without a waterproof bandage till your burns are completely closed. Try to keep them covered in the shower as well. And your skin is very tender still, you will want to avoid large amounts of sun if you can. Other than that, you should be just fine".
"Thank you, doctor".
He shook hands with both of them, and then went to find the nurse.
Jonathan snuggled with her in bed, and she dozed on his shoulder a little. He woke her up when the food got there.
After they ate, he sat behind her and gave her a back rub, being careful to avoid the burns. She had the TV on HGTV, but she was really just focusing on Jonathan.
He brushed her hair for her, and cradled her in his arms. He had missed touching her and loving on her so much.
She fell asleep around 10, and he cozied up to her and fell asleep himself.
***The next morning***
Jonathan woke up first, and stared at Jennifer while she was sleeping. She looked so angelic.
She had slept all night long and hadn't woken up once. Both of them always slept better when they were together, except for when they were sick.
The nurse came in and checked her vitals and removed her IV, now that she was eating well. Jonathan ordered them breakfast from the cafeteria. He was laying in the bed, holding her, when movement outside the door caught his eye. He saw the same nurse walk by 3 times in quick succession, and every time she did, she looked into the room, caught his gaze and walked on.
She woke up just before their breakfast arrived, and he helped her get another shower.
He buzzed the nurse's desk, and asked them if they could bring her some scrub pants, and a fresh towel. She had no pants to wear home, so they were going to have to be creative.
She got out of the shower and he applied more ointment to her burns for her. She wasn't very talkative this morning.
"Did you sleep ok? Shower feel good?"
She nodded. "I guess".
After he was done, he embraced her, and kissed her a couple times.
"I'm sorry you have to take care of me, darling".
"Jennifer, there is nothing to apologize for. You didn't cause this, and even if you did, I would happily take care of you. In sickness and in health, remember?"
She nodded.
Their breakfast arrived so they climbed back in bed and ate, waiting for the doctor.
He showed up, examined her burns and declared her well enough to go home. He gave her some aftercare instructions and then told them as soon as they signed discharge papers, they were good to go.
Jonathan helped her get packed up, and the nurse gave her some scrub pants to wear home, since she didn't have any regular clothes.
They were packed in about 10 minutes, and he went to load the car while she waited on the discharge papers.
After he got the car loaded, he went back up to her room. It was completely empty. Jennifer was nowhere in sight.
He asked at the nurses desk, but nobody had seen her.
He looked in every room of the floor, but found nothing.
Jennifer was totally gone.