As the sound of the heart monitor beeped beside him, John Ross sat stonily silent in Taylor's hospital room, just staring at her. Her red hair was fanned out on the pillow, a bandage covering the gash on her face. She had already started to bruise, purple and black blossoming all over her golden skin. She still hadn't woken up, but the nurse had assured him that she was just getting her strength back and that she would wake up once she had recovered sufficiently. He looked down at the floor, wishing that he could go back and make sure she never got on that rig. He laid his hand on top of hers, leaning on the side of the bed. "Taylor, baby, please wake up. I don't know what I'm gonna do if I lose you too." He dropped his head into his hands, willing himself to stay strong. Then he felt pressure on his hand, looking up quickly to see Taylor shift slightly before she opened her eyes. "John Ross?" "I'm here, Taylor." The redhead cleared the fog in her head, looking up at him. "What happened?" "There was an explosion on the rig, and you fell down the stairs. You're okay, just bruised and scraped." Tears immediately clouded her vision as she heard what had happened, Taylor reaching out to take John Ross's hand. "What about Pamela, are the babies okay?" "They died, Taylor." The redhead gasped in shock. "Oh my God. John Ross, we have to find out who did this. There has to be justice for those babies." There it was, the steely determination she showed when she had a plan. She looked like her normal self. He decided he should drop the bomb on her then.
"Taylor, you have a special guest. Someone's who been dying to see you."
The redhead's eyebrows crinkled, her eyes searching his face. "Who?" "Your mother. Your real mother." The blood drained from Taylor's face. "My mother...is here?" John Ross nodded. "Sylvia Lovegren. She's waiting down the hall." The redhead swallowed hard. "Bring her in." Her hands shakily went up to rearrange her hair, trying to make herself presentable. After a moment, John Ross returned with Sylvia, better known as Sly, in tow. "Mother." "Taylor Grace, my darling!" Sly enveloped Taylor in her arms. The redhead remained still. "Don't hug me. After twenty one years, you decided to come back just to hug me?!" Her voice rose two octaves, her face hardening like a stone. "You abandoned me on my father's doorstep when I was eight years old, and now you come back and act like the doting mother you never were?! Get her out of here! NOW!" The tears began rolling down her cheeks, Taylor throwing the box of tissues by her bed at her mother. "Get away from me, you evil bitch! How dare you show up here?!" Sly retreated, trying to reason with her daughter, before John Ross quietly explained it would probably be better to give Taylor a minute to calm down. Once Sly was headed back to the waiting room, he went straight to Taylor, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him. "Shhh, it's okay, baby. Just calm down." Taylor held onto his arm, crying into his chest. "Keep her away from me, John Ross! Make her stay away from Dallas!" John Ross had never seen his fiancee so vulnerable, laying here and begging him to make her mother stay away from her.
Running a soothing hand over her hair, John Ross kissed her forehead. "Taylor, it's alright. I promise, she'll be far away from you by this afternoon." He held her close to him, the tears eventually drying up. "She abandoned me, John Ross. I was eight years old, and she took me to my father's house, dropped me off on his doorstep with my suitcases, and told me to have a good life. It hurt me, and left me with a screwed up view of life. I honestly hate her." John Ross rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, listening. "Don't worry, baby, she'll never be in your sight again, I promise." Taylor toyed with her engagement ring, trying to regain her composure. "Just don't tell anyone else that she's my real mom, okay?" John Ross nodded. "Okay, it'll be our secret." Taylor managed to calm herself, taking a deep breath, John Ross kissing the top of her head. "Do you want anything, baby?" She shook her head no. "Just give me a few minutes alone? You've been here all day, go get yourself some coffee, check on Christopher and Pamela. I'll be fine." Once she convinced John Ross to take a break from watching over her, she waited until he was out of her room and the door was shut before an evil grin spread across her face.
She had been hoping her mother would come back to Dallas. Revenge was a very fun thing for Taylor, and she intended to launch her own private vengeance agenda against Sylvia Lovegren. Harris Ryland and Cliff Barnes were still at the top of her hit list, but Sylvia Lovegren had just moved up to right underneath them. Her mother would pay for all the pain she had caused Taylor, and the redhead would not rest until her world was perfect.