Chapter 10

A Week later….

Juliette Barnes sat in the study of the Bell Mead house that she shared with the others wondering how to handle the media once more. It has been a few days since the operation, and Rayna had yet to wake up from her coma. The doctors were saying that it was a matter of time and that Rayna was the only one that could break the coma. The sound of one of Juliette songs filled the study as the DJ announced that it was one of the new hits from the cross-country singer who had put her tour on hold for the time being as she wants to be with her family who was going through a difficult time. Juliette smiled at the thought that they thought she was the perfect person, a few months ago she was nothing in their eyes. Her thoughts were broken with a knock on the study door, wondering who would be here now she slowly lifted her eyes from the papers in front of her.

There in the doorway of the study stood none other than Avery Banes, he looked like he hadn't changed at all dressed in his dark jeans, black button down and naturally his leather jacket. This was the man she was in love with and had declared it to him, only to see his old girlfriend waking into the living room looking like they had just had sex. "Hi Avery" said Juliette not moving from her seat. "Juliette" said Avery stepping into the study. "What brings you to Nashville, I thought you were heading out on some road trip with your latest girl" asked Juliette with a smile. "I thought you could use a friend, and besides someone had to come give Scarlett a speech on her bad husband choices" answered Avery. He immediately regretted the fact that he had said Scarlett name when he saw the look on Juliette face. "Yes, I think a few of us were surprised when we heard about that marriage" said Juliette looking down at her papers again not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes. "The two of them shouldn't have gotten married in the first place, he will only cheat on her again" said Avery. "Not like you wouldn't help her do the same" said Juliette looking up from her papers with anger in her eyes. "Juliette, I came home to be here for you not to help Scarlett cheat on her new husband get that in your head" said Avery. "Well, I am fine" said Juliette. "Good, I will see you later then" said Avery walking out the study. Juliette heard the back door slam a few moments later clearly he was just as hurt as her by the words that had just fell. Juliette felt tears running down her cheeks, she wanted to be able to hurt Avery just as much as he had hurt her but instead things got a bit messy.

Deacon sat in the chair next to Rayna bed as he had been doing for the last week since she had returned from her surgery and been in a coma. "Lexie, it has been a week why hasn't she woken up" asked Deacon looking at the young doctor who did the checks on Rayna. "It might be that she is taking longer to wake up due to the fact that her body needs more rest" answered Lexie. Deacon took a breath and moved in his chair a bit before taking Rayna hand again. "Maybe, I just want her with me" said Deacon. "We all want that, how are the girls" asked Lexie. "They doing ok, Teddy took them skiing with Peggy family" answered Deacon. "I will never understand how that man's brain works" said Lexie. "You and me both" said Deacon. "Well I will see the two of you later then" said Lexie walking out of the room to go do her rounds. Deacon looked at the love of his life lying in bed before he closed his eyes again to take a small nape. He sometimes wonders if things would ever be the same again for the two of them.

The early morning sun shined into Rayna eyes as she slowly opened them, feeling like she had slept for months on end. Taking in her surrounding she remembered that she was in hospital after her surgery. Her eyes drifted to the man who was seat in the chair next to her bed, he looked like he had been sitting there for a long time. It was clear that he hadn't shaved for a few days and it looked like he clearly didn't care how he looked. "Babe" said Rayna stroking his arms. Slowly his light blue eyes started to open and look at her. "Darling, you awake" said Deacon smiling down at her. "I am" said Rayna. Deacon sat there looking at her for a moment before he got up and kissed her. Rayna felt his tears on her cheeks as she pulled away from him. "Babe, what is wrong" asked Rayna trying to stay awake. "You were in a coma for a week" answered Deacon sitting down again. "You need to call Lexie and tell her I am awake, before I fall asleep again" said Rayna. "No need, I am right here sleepy head" said Lexie walking into the room. Rayna smiled at her as she started doing her checks to make sure everything is fine. "All ok" asked Deacon with a small smile. "All is ok, why don't you go home and get some rest" answered Lexie giving him a look. "I agree with Lexie, I am going to rest my eyes again for few hours and by the time you come back I will be awake" said Rayna. Deacon looked at the two women wonder how he got to this point. "I guess I am going home to shower" said Deacon. Rayna smiled at him as he leaned down to give her a kiss before walking out of the room, he looked like he was going to prison or something. "I will see you in a bit, I have two more patients to check on" said Lexie heading out of the room. Rayna simply node her head before she drifted off to sleep again.

A half an hour later she awoke to the sound of someone sitting down in the chair next her bed and resting their feet on her bed. "I guess rounds are done" said Rayna not opening her eyes. "Yes, and besides I am off the clock now" said Lexie getting more comfy. "Let me guess you didn't get much sleep this last week" said Rayna. "Something like that, but you should see Ms Barnes she looks worse than your fiancée" said Lexie. "Why I thought she would be on tour right now" asked Rayna slowly opening her eyes. "Tour has been put on hold till feather notice, she has been looking after the girls and become the official family spokesperson, she is not so bad after all" answered Lexie. "Sounds like she has finally started to grow up, she is a good person and I am glad that she is in our lives more permanent" said Rayna closing her eyes again. "I was glad that she was here for Deacon and the girls, they need it with the media and all" said Lexie closing her eyes. "Imagine if someone walked in here now, they will think that two of us are sleeping or praying for something" said Rayna still with her eyes closed. "Let them think what they want, I have been here most of the night and I am married to the boss" said Lexie with a smile. Rayna couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the young medical student that phoned her mother telling her that she was marrying the grandson of Harper Avery Foundation.

Her mother was so upset about it, as he was not the type of man that she saw her daughter marring anytime soon. "How is that husband of yours these day, I know you said something about him not being quite the country man" asked Rayna. "He is trying his best to settle in still after three months, but his son is coming for the holidays so that might help" answered Lexie rubbing her eyes wanting to stay awake. "You don't seem too excited" said Juliette from where she stood in the doorway. Rayna opened her eyes and looked at the young women standing in the door, she remembered what Lexie had said about her looking tired. Juliette was dressed in a pair of jeans, with a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers. She looked more tired than either of the two of them in the room. "It's not that I am not looking forward to him visiting, it's just hard cause his mother use to work with me at Grey Slone Memorial back in Seattle" answered Lexie. Rayna watched as Juliette kicked of her sneakers and got into the bed at the end. "Comfy" asked Rayna. "Very" answered Juliette. "Lexie, I am getting married to a man that I told myself I would never really love again and we share a child that I hide from him for more than 14yrs, what I am trying to say is I understand where you coming from but also forgive him for what he has done cause we all make mistakes" said Rayna.

"You have a point, but it's still hard" said Lexie. Both women node their head at her and wonder what more could be said. "Have the two of you talked about it at all" asked Juliette.

"He works longer hours than me, and besides he is out of town at the moment on business in Seattle" answered Lexie. "When he gets back the two of you need to talk, and I mean really talk" said Rayna. "I will do that but for now I think I am going to head home for a few hours of sleep" said Lexie getting up from her chair. She said her goodbyes to the other two in the room before heading out the door.

Rayna turned her head to look at Juliette for a moment before she spoke. "What is on your mind, cause I know it can't just be me keeping you awake" asked Rayna. "Avery came by the house a few days ago" answered Juliette. Rayna wonder what had happened as she had told her sister to call Avery when things got really bad for Juliette. "Let me guess the two of you had a mini war" asked Rayna. She knew the two of them didn't get a long for a while now, hence the reason why he wasn't the band leader for Juliette band anymore. Rayna did her best to keep the two of them out of one anthers hair. "I just told him that Scarlett was married now, so there was no sleeping with her" answered Juliette looking down at her hands. Rayna smiled to herself, did Juliette really think that Avery and Scarlett would get back tougher. They were best friends now, and wouldn't do anything to mess that up. "He will never sleep or date Scarlett again, as they are friends now and don't want to spoil that" said Rayna. "Well four months ago, I went to his apartment to tell him that I was in love with him only to find her standing there in his shirt looking like they had just had sex" said Juliette. "We didn't sleep tougher, he was there for me due to Gunner having one of his wild nights again" said Scarlett from the doorway of the hospital room. Both women turned to look at her, she looked like she didn't sleep much but deeply in love with life as always. "Scarlett O'Conner, as I live and breathe" said Rayna with a crack in her voice. Both the other women turned to look at her when they heard the crack in her voice. "When you have stones on your lungs that affect your vocal cords you will have a crack in your voice" said Tandy as she walked past Scarlett. "What I wake up for a few hours and then the whole world comes to visit" said Rayna with a smile. "We could always leave" said Juliette. "No, I want to hear more about the Avery situation" answered Rayna. Juliette looked at Scarlett who had now moved from the door to sit down in her uncles chair. "Juliette, Avery and I are best friends we have a history sure but we will never go back there as I have moved on as has he" said Scarlett playing with her wedding band. "I thought when I saw you that night, that the two of you have hooked up again" said Juliette. "Believe me, the two of us have not hooked up again since before I started dating Gunner, and besides I am a married women" said Scarlett with a look of shame. "Besides, he flight back here to be here for you" said Tandy. "I don't know if he will ever date someone like me, I mean come on I am the star that nearly fell of her high seat and he is one of the biggest upcoming acts under the Highway 65 label" said Juliette. "He is in love with you, even I know that and I have been out of the game for a few months" said Rayna. Juliette just shook her head and changed the subject to something totally different leaving the other women to wonder if she felt more than she was letting on.