INTO THE WILD
By Emom
These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
Anger is one letter short of danger. ~Author Unknown
A/N: The first part is a tiny step back to see what was going on in L.A., then back to current time. You guys never cease to amaze me with your encouragement. Thank you so much! Your reviews are adrenaline to my fingertips. Keep talking to me, there's more to come :)
CHAPTER 10
It seemed like the nightmare would never end and every phone update even more heart-breaking than the last. Hank had spent most of the day working in his, trying to catch up and even get ahead if possible, knowing that the future was uncertain. Chet's early morning wake up call had left him with an unsettling mix of grief and frustration. Knowing there was nothing he could do only heightened the feelings and delving into work provided limited distraction. In the end, the floors could be paced here or in Fresno and until the shift ended here would just have to do. So far it had remained quiet, both in calls and conversation for the station. Hank acknowledged it wasn't necessarily a good thing as the hours seemed to painfully crawl by. Was it terrible to hope that a good call might distract everyone?
Down in the day room the men tried to keep busy with chores or any activity that kept their minds occupied. No one wanted to be the one to bring the topic up. The topic that no one could get past, must less forget, yet there was a growing need to vent in some way. Tensions were building by the hour.
"Ahhh!"
Hank heard the yell from down the hall, jumped out of his chair and dashed through the bay. Upon rounding the corner he found Mike holding a napkin to Marco's hand.
"What happened?" Hank asked. This was not the kind of distraction he wanted.
Marco was angry. "I told Chet to throw this knife out."
Hank glanced down at the dining table where Marco and Carter were cutting up vegetables for dinner stew ingredients.
"Easy pally. How bad Tom?"
Mike pulled the napkin back as Tom walked up to them.
He looked closely at Marco's hand. "Pretty sure that's gonna need stitches Cap," Tom answered.
"Damn it," Marco swore.
"Carter, Brice, go ahead and take him in with the squad. I'll put us 10-8 til I hear from you." He put his hand on Marco's shoulder. "Get it taken care of and hurry back."
Marco knew by the tone of Hank's voice that it wasn't an 'order' as much as it was a 'we need to stick together right now' request. He nodded to his Cap and headed out of the bay with the Medic's while Hank notified dispatch.
So much for keeping occupied.
"It doesn't look too bad Marco, just a few stitches and we'll have you back to work."
Dr. Kelly Brackett worked at cleaning up the cut in the man's palm while Dixie gathered the suture supplies.
Even here, the air was solemn.
"Heard anything new guys?" Dixie asked of the three men.
Marco shook his head. "Last we heard from Chet was this morning. They were taking Roy off the heart by-pass."
Kel looked up. "Maybe that means he's made some progress." He had already been in touch with Dr. Dasanti inquiring about Roy's condition as soon as they heard the news.
"No, Chet said something about he wasn't tolerating the medication they were using, and he had to come off." Marco looked at Dixie. "It doesn't sound good."
"Kel and I are going up there tonight when we get off duty to check on him."
For some reason that made Marco feel better. "Good," he said with a small smile. "At least Joanne's up there with him now."
"I still can't believe all this happened," Kel said as he finished up the stitches and dressing. "Still no word about Johnny?"
"Nothing," Marco replied sadly.
Dixie rubbed his shoulder. "Johnny's tough. If he went to get Roy and the other's help, he won't stop until he does."
Hank walked into the day room to find Marco and Tom finishing up the half done stew so it could simmer until dinnertime while Brice and Carter were watching TV. He doubted they even knew what was going on in the show seeing their blank stares at the screen. Even Brice had been unusually silent though the shift. Mike lounged on the couch with Henry. There wasn't a hint of energy in the room. Mike looked up to see his Captain in the doorway. The dark circles under his eyes told the story of how hard all of this had been on him, his face etched with distress that was wearing on them all.
"Cap?" Mike asked, his tone catching everyone's attention.
Hank's shoulders slumped. "Got an update." He shuffled his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Chet just called." The silence was heavy in the room. Hank looked up to them, trying to hold it together as their Captain and leader. "Joanne's been told they don't expect him to survive the day. Apparently, they've called her back to be with him."
Their heads hung low in quiet contemplation. Hank didn't elaborate because there wasn't anything else to say, and he wasn't exactly handling the news well himself.
"Cap, we should," Marco started then stopped knowing the answer.
Hank understood. "I know pally. We all want to be there for him and Joanne." He felt the same tug. "We'll head up as soon as we're off shift in the morning."
They knew though. It would probably be too late then.
Johnny sat huddled next to the fire, his legs and arms pulled up around him with even his face nearly covered. It still surprised him each night how bitter cold the temperatures turned at dark. Maybe it was the whipping winds that cut through all layers of clothing, right to the bone or maybe it was the knowledge of how utterly alone they were in the middle of nowhere. The physical wear and tear on their bodies was getting harder to ignore each day. Scratches, cuts, bruises seemed to cover them head to toe despite their layers of clothing. The malnutrition was delaying healing, and the cold was dragging them down in energy and competence. He knew they couldn't do this much longer.
At least for the first time in days they had some protein in them. Something more substantial than crackers and water was readily devoured leaving only bones that they burned in the fire for their safety. Around them, the winds had picked up again as dark enveloped them, but at least the snow was holding off for a bit longer. He watched Jason stand up from the fire circle and head through the trees.
"I wouldn't wander too far," Johnny told him.
Jason just grumbled and waved a hand at him; however, Johnny did notice that he stayed within visual check. One thing they had sacrificed long ago was privacy. They'd been lucky so far, very lucky to not encounter much wildlife, and Johnny wanted to keep it that way. The hour wasn't late, but they were so far past drained it didn't matter. Johnny stood up to stretch and felt a wave of nausea over come him. He barely had time to turn from the others when everything he ate came right back up. Mark came to his side. Johnny didn't even stand up until the waves stopped, and only empty retches remained. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"Guess my stomach didn't appreciate the menu options." He stood up and wiped off the sweat that beaded on his forehead.
So much for dinner.
Now bed was his only priority, and their complication named Jason would mean another night with poor quality sleep. He held dearly to the thought that his first night at home, in his very own bed, would be nothing short of a slice of heaven after so many nights of sleeping on rocks, sticks and snow. So as he and Mark tried to figure out how to sleep with tied up hands and a cranky gunman held up in the corner of the tent, he prayed for sunrise to come sooner than later.
Johnny grimaced at the gnawing in his stomach and the aches all over his body. When he decided to face the day his first site was Jason sitting up with his head resting on bent up knees, the gun held in his dangling arm. The potential opportunity was there, just like so many other times. The question remained the same, Can I do it with no one getting shot? This time he was on the opposite side of the tent, with Mark sleeping between them. He had some idea of what lay between them and rescue and the thought of trying to carry an injured man made him cringe. Johnny tried to fight back the idea that it didn't matter if the body was Jason, that they could just leave him. It just wasn't who he was. Deep down he knew that even if Jason got hurt he would do everything in his power to get him to help. With this deepened resolution he knew the only way to get back home was to get them all back home, one way, or another.
"Jason," he called out.
The man's head rose pretty readily. "Yea?"
"Sun's coming up."
"I know and you gotta go pee."
Johnny almost smiled. The man did have a sense of humor. "You know me so well."
Jason rolled his eyes before standing up and swiftly planting his foot into Mark's side. Johnny jumped up as Mark moaned in pain. "Stop! We're already making terrible time because we're exhausted and hungry. Adding pain isn't going to get us there any faster!" He was livid while he observed Mark standing up rubbing his ribs.
"You okay?" He couldn't even help him up considering his hands were still tied.
"I oughta," Mark muttered under his breath.
Jason moved right up to his face. Being about six inches taller added to the intimidation move. "Oughta what, marine boy?"
Johnny threw Mark the loudest 'don't' he could without opening his mouth.
Mark didn't budge and just looked up. "I oughta get this tent packed up before we can go," he said through gritted teeth.
"That's what I thought smart one." Jason then took his hand and shoved against Mark's chest as hard as he could, knocking him to the ground with a loud grunt. Without looking back, he waved the gun for Johnny to turn around and be untied.
Johnny kept his eye on Mark and his mouth shut. It was clear Jason was easily antagonized this morning, and Mark was guaranteed to be the one getting the short end of the stick. They just couldn't afford any more injuries. The tensions ran high as they packed up and got ready to move out again. The friction between Mark and Jason was becoming worse each day, and Johnny prayed the two could make it just a little bit longer before going after each other.
Johnny scoured the area, in a better light, for anything edible they could use. Picking's had been almost nonexistent on the mountain, but down here in the woods there was more potential. Anything he felt was safe he shoved in his pack. Heading out the first thing Johnny noticed was an improvement in the winds, constant but light, and much more tolerable. It lended hope to the possibility of some air search time for the rescue teams. There was minimal snowfall as they headed through the woods, and the morning sun made some appearance through the trees.
"Almost forgot what the sun looked like," Mark said to no one in particular.
"Never know how long it will be around at this elevation. Enjoy it while you can," Johnny called back to him.
Mark closed the space between him and Johnny. "So, who's waiting for you when you get back home?"
Johnny thought about it. "Just friends." He pictured his A-shift family and wondered if they were out helping in the search.
"No girlfriend or wife?"
Johnny chuckled. "Oh no, definitely no wife. No current girlfriend either. What about you?"
"Same. Family mostly. I had already said goodbye to all my friends."
Johnny slowed down, so they were walking more side by side with Jason just behind them. "That's right. You were headed to boot camp."
"Well, I was, but I don't know now."
"Man, I know things are kinda out of control right now. Just don't go making any life changing plans until we are back home, okay?" Johnny knew none of them were thinking at full capacity in these conditions.
"Military," Jason scoffed.
Mark stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Got something to say?!"
Johnny quickly stepped between the two men and shoved both arms out as Jason rapidly moved forward. "Look, can you two just stay out of each other's space for two or three more days?" He was on the edge of pleading for some rational sanity.
Jason placed his hand on the gun tucked in his belt. "I got no problem."
"Johnny," Mark started, his eyes narrowed and full of anger.
He met the younger man eye to eye. "I. Need. To. Save. Roy."
Mark understood what those few words meant to Johnny. "I know." He relaxed his body and turned back around releasing a deep breath.
"Thanks," Johnny said as he once again took the lead. He had enjoyed the conversation to pass the time, but not at the cost of war.
Joanne woke to the gentle nudging of the nurse.
"Mrs. DeSoto?"
She felt utterly exhausted, no longer sure of how long she had slept with her head resting on the side of Roy's bed. She sat up and scooted back into the chair. "How is he?"
The nurse smiled. "He made it through the night."
"But now? Is he stable?"
"Still critical," Dasanti said behind her. "I can't explain how he made it through the night, but he did."
Joanne smiled. "Roy's stronger than you think."
He returned the smile. "So I keep hearing. I can't make any promises at this point. His vitals are still struggling, and his labs are far from normal. However, he's still here fighting."
She reached over and took her husband's hand. "That's all we can ask of him."
"The nurses are going to change his dressings, so this is a good time for you to get some breakfast. He also has visitors outside waiting for an update."
Joanne kissed Roy on the cheek. "I'll be back soon baby, keep fighting for us."
Heading out of his room was the first time she realized the sun was up and shining, it was a beautiful day outside. Although her heart was heavy with the 'what if's', she refused to let the little light of hope die out.
Passing through the double doors she was shocked at what greeted her. The waiting room was now crowded, and it was almost all of their family and friends. She then realized that she had never come out to update Chet through the night, and it showed on their faces, the terrible unknown. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she started crying immediately at seeing so much outpouring of love for her and Roy. Mike stood with Chet, and Hank's wife Emily stood with him. Her sister sat with Marco and his mom while Kel, Dixie and Joe were standing by the window. They watched her emerge from the doors and begin sobbing. Hank and Emily reached her first and took her in their arms to comfort her, guiding her to a seat. The others came closer to offer their support.
"Jo?" Emily asked. They had known each other for a few years, meeting through their husbands and the station, then becoming close over time.
Emily didn't want to ask the question. It was the one question that weighed so heavily on them.
Joanne got control again and looked up to everyone knowing they needed to hear that he wasn't gone. "He fooled them all; he made it through the night."
"Yes!" Chet exclaimed.
The others shared their joy also.
"He's strong Jo," Dixie told her.
"Yea, the doctor says he keeps hearing that," Joanne chuckled. "I stayed with him all night. I just couldn't leave him."
"He needed you there," Emily told her.
"How's he doing?" Kel asked, kneeling down beside her.
She knew this was one of the few who could explain things better to her. "He's in critical condition still. The doctor says he still doesn't think he can pull through all this. They said he wasn't really hurt much in the crash, but the cold." She paused and pushed the tears back. "The cold was too much for him."
"I'll talk to the doctor and get an update on him since I'm his physician. I wanted to check on you first."
She took his hand. "Thank you Kel," she looked up, "and Joe, Dix. I don't know what I'd do without all you here to help me get through this."
"Joanne, Emily's going to stay here with you today while we go back to join the search," Hank told her.
Quickly, her demeanor changed. "You bring Johnny home Hank. I can't tell Roy..." she began to choke up again. "Don't make me tell him that."
Hank was also serious. "We'll bring him home."
As the 51 crew said their goodbyes, they left Joanne in the good hands of friends and family. There was nothing they could do to help Roy except to make sure his partner made it home too.
Hank pulled out of the hospital grateful for the early start that Shift C had given them by coming in early. They had already contacted Coop so he knew they were once again headed his way. He also confirmed to Hank that SARS was already on the ground searching and with the winds somewhat eased up he could return them to the crash site. The drive seemed quicker this time and in short time they pulled back into the familiar open museum and up to the log cabin. Coop was already standing out there waiting on them.
Hank strode up to him and extended his hand for a hearty handshake. "Good to see you again Coop."
"Same here fellas, same here. How's your friend and that young lady doing?"
"They've made it this far, still critical but in good hands." Hank didn't want to go into how critical things were when he left.
"I've got her all loaded up for you fellas. The search teams are already at the site and expecting us. The winds will be kind to us until this afternoon. After that, I have to return home. So if you plan on staying you'll need gear."
Hank looked back as Marco, Chet, and Mike tossed the last pack onto the pile. "We're prepared to stay."
"Good. Good," he said with a nod of his head. "I've been thinking about where Gage could have gone, you know, what trails he's using to get out."
"Really?" Hank asked, thankful that the man had continued to try.
"There are very few easy ways over those mountains. And when I say easy, I mean less deadly in this weather. After I drop you off I'm going to do some off grid searching of my own. I'll update you through Scharper if I find anything."
"I can't thank you enough," he answered, shaking his hand.
"I said we'd get your man back home, and I mean it."
Going straight from the truck to the chopper with their equipment they quickly loaded up and headed out. As they moved from the city into the mountains, they felt the temperature drop and watched the skies became more overcast. A light snowfall swirled around them as they approached the crash site. This time they could see the full impact of the crash, leaving them speechless at how much devastation had been lost in the dark that night. Now the site was busy with crews milling around at specific jobs, and Hank wasn't exactly sure who he was looking for after they unloaded. Slinging their packs on they headed past the triangle builds and to the broken plane in search of someone in charge.
"You must be Stanley," an approaching man said.
"Scharper?" Hank replied, recognizing the voice immediately, and he shook the man's hand.
"That's right. Damn good to meet you guys." He reached out to shake Mike, Marco and Chet's hand. "You're gut instinct was right on the spot here. How's the two you got out?"
"Critical, but still fighting."
"Good. One of those was your man right?" He said as they continued to work their way back closer to the plane.
"Roy DeSoto, yes sir. We're hoping to find Johnny Gage and the others now."
Scharper pulled out a document. "Yea, I see them here. Ten passengers, three crew." They now stood between the broken plane pieces. "Looks like they did one hell of a job trying to survive this." He stopped to point up. "We found the couple, such a shame. Moved them out this morning. Did you get a good look at what all they did?"
Hank shook his head. "It was so dark we didn't see very much."
The men looked around from where they stood. More details could now be seen this morning, the dried blood on the front half of the plane, the indented areas indicating trails, and the giant SOS that had previously been covered with snow. It was obvious how hard they had worked at using natural resources to survive. Hank and the others were proud of their friends.
The deputy stopped. "I'm assuming you didn't make it over to this side?"
"No, we just went into the plane," Hank replied.
The man nodded. "I just want you fella's to be prepared for what I'm going to show you."
They looked at each with an unspoken mutual support then followed him forward. Many of the plane parts that were previously snow covered over were now visible to be photographed and examined. They passed the broken seats which had obviously ripped from their base and thrown hundreds of feet away. Torn interior hull pieces, suitcases now opened, and items were scattered everywhere.
Scharper led them to a small area near the woods. "We've uncovered six graves over here. They even had crosses placed on them." He moved closer. "I need you to tell me if any of them are your John Gage."
Hank stiffened. They had been so focused on finding Johnny out searching for help that they had avoided the prospect that he could have been here all the time. Before them lay the bodies, now dusted free of snow. Frozen solid, as if time had stopped in an instant for each of them. They didn't even look real anymore, more like frozen in time wax figures, their faces twisted and bodies mutilated. The crew moved with trepidation from body to body, praying they didn't see a familiar face. At the end of the line, Hank shook his head no and couldn't decide if he wanted to scream for joy because Johnny wasn't there or for sadness of the horrific injuries he had just seen. Scharper led them past the graveyard, then past a large bonfire to a large tent in a grouping of several. Inside it appeared to be a tactical station or temporary headquarters, with an array of maps and radio equipment to aid in the search.
"That leaves three men missing, including your man," Scharper continued once they were inside. He walked over a table. "Now, according to the map you found in the tail section and ole Coop's thinking, we speculated your man might be heading here." He pointed to a tiny green triangle. "I've got a chopper out now doing a fly by visualization. There's no landing space there. " He glanced at his watch. "They should be back any time now."
"Is there any way we can get on the ground there?" Hank asked, pointing to the cabin. "I'd like to know if he made it that far."
He nodded and picked up the radio to communicate with the SAR chopper. Hank listened closely as the others focused on the map. When finished, he turned back to the others. "Blake says the winds are picking up again. He's headed back. There's no sign that anything's been disturbed at the station." The disappointment in the men's faces was unmistakable. "We'll try again in a couple of hours and keep an eye on the weather."
Hank looked at the map with the others. The news was more than disappointing it was devastating. It was the only real lead they had to where Johnny could have been heading, and now they were back to ground zero.
"We're doing ground searches, spiraling outward from the crash site looking for any signs of them passing through in case they went in a different direction, or even split up and went in multiple directions. We're also working on getting a man at the remote campsites that they could be heading for, the ones that have outside communication. It'd be their most likely target in searching for help."
"How can we help?" Hank asked.
"I'm going to split you up and send you to work with our teams. Check with Turner, he's in the blue ski suit out front; he'll get you hooked up and going."
The men shook his hand again and headed back into the bitter cold. Their hunt was far from over.
The roar could be heard well before they reached it. As they approached the river Johnny was a bit surprised at the activity of the river with the bitter temperatures they had been enduring.
"How the hell are we supposed to get across that?" Jason barked.
Johnny stood right on the edge of the water and looked upstream at the beautiful waterfall in the distance. Ice laced all the edges, and over the surrounding rocks, even sheets of it hung at spots on the falls. "Class three to four rapids I'd guess." He looked across to where they needed to be and then at the map in his hands. "Map shows a way across. It must be further downstream. Let's fill our bottles then we'll find the crossing."
"Mine's full. Let's keep moving," Jason quipped.
"Some of us drink our water to stay hydrated," Mark said under his breath.
Jason's features turned dark. "Maybe, if you take the river home you won't be thirsty anymore."
Mark approached him. "Is that a threat?"
Jason smiled. "Let's just call it a promise."
Johnny almost slipped on the rocks trying to hurry over to them before they threw each other in the river. "He's right. You need to stay hydrated. I don't know when our next water source will be."
Mark turned and began following the river downstream. Johnny followed with Jason closing the distance between them.
"You're young friend there better watch his mouth," Jason said to Johnny's back. "He's not a necessary part of this trip and if anything he's just a weight dragging us down."
Johnny stopped mid-step and pointed up to the east. "You see that mountain range right there? We have to get over it, and we're going to need Mark to help us do it. That is unless you have become an expert in rock climbing in the last week?"
"He needs to remember who's in charge around here."
Johnny nodded. "Yea, and that would be me, the only one that knows how to get us out. So I'm telling you, I need him to make it possible." He then turned and started walking again, not waiting for a response.
The river edge was very rocky making the journey as much crawling over rocks as stumbling over them. About two miles downstream Johnny spotted what they were looking for and headed straight for it.
"This just keeps getting better doesn't it?" Mark said as he pulled on the rope that was anchored to a tree on their side.
"It's only meant to be a guide rope, anchored here and there," he pointed across the river. "We'll clip on and it keeps us from being swept downstream. " Johnny started shedding some layers. "Drop down to minimal clothing then put everything else in this bag. We can't keep traveling in wet clothes, so we need to keep most of them dry." He pointed downstream. "The waters are calmer here, but they get rough again just around that bend before heading over another waterfall."
Without questioning, they did as instructed and stood shivering in the icy temperatures. Then knowing what Jason would expect he added, "Me, Jason, and then you Mark." He stood there in his white t-shirt and boxer shorts. The only thing they couldn't avoid getting wet was their shoes. "Watch your footing, as your legs become numb you're going to be more likely to fall. Pay attention."
Johnny first secured his pack to the lead rope, keeping it out of the water, then his own clip before stepping into the freezing waters. The assault on his senses was instant and what was initially invigorating, kicking his adrenaline into full gear and his heart racing soon became shocking to his system. His first instinct was to hurry, get across as fast as possible, but as the water reached his chest the effects of hypothermia quickly escalated. The white water here was much calmer, but there was still a strong enough current to push against his body making it a struggle to keep his feet under him. More than once they slipped out, his arms grabbing for the lead rope to hold as he had to use all his energy to pull his waist back into alignment with his shoulders.
Half way through the river he was battling the fatigue. Between the numbing of his legs and the slowing of his reflexes, he found himself more than once going under and drinking mouthfuls of cold water. Locking the main rope in his armpit, he started sliding himself across to the other side. His legs were just too cold to obey his commands. When he reached the river bank rocks on the water's edge he grabbed on and drug his body onto them.
He could hear them calling his name on the other side, but they were being drowned out by the river noise, his teeth chattering and vicious shivering. He pulled himself out of the water and started drying his legs and rubbing them vigorously to get the feeling back in them. Looking up he waved Jason forward, a double fast wave, meaning 'make it fast'. His first priority was to get out of the wet clothing and into the dry layers as Jason began to enter the water.
Re-bundled he stood up and began pacing to help his body re-warm. He was sure he hadn't felt this cold since the plane had crashed. Suddenly, he seriously questioned his rationale for taking this course. What if Mark was right, and this was more than their bodies could handle? Johnny watched Jason knowing this wasn't going to go smoothly and with real fear that the man might not be able to do it on his own. With as much trouble as he had, and how he underestimated what his body could handle right now, he knew that Jason was even less prepared. He assumed the cold shock look on Jason's face was exactly the same one he had. Johnny then visually confirmed the clips were secure as the man began to push his pack across and follow it.
Then, when he was about fifteen feet down the rope, Mark entered the water.
Mark didn't even glance in Johnny's direction. He focused only on Jason and with swift movements he managed to reach Jason before the man could even focus on the fact that Mark was in the water yet. Johnny's heart nearly stopped as he comprehended Mark's intentions. He didn't even know if he should yell and alert Jason, so instead he froze, watching the scene unfold like a Sunday evening drama special.
Mark reached out to grab Jason by the head, pushing his weight down on him and forcing him under the water. Jason's reaction was protective and fierce, twisting around in the water, to come face to face with his attacker. They fought as the water swirled around them, pushing them around like rag dolls, their clips straining against the powerful current. It was hard to see who was in more control, if anyone even was. Both men thrashed about in the torrents, their heads intermittently disappearing beneath the waterline.
Then there was a gunshot.
Johnny dashed to the edge of the water, watching the two men struggle, then to his horror he realized a clip had broken, and a body was now loose. Quickly, it was overtaken by the rapids, pushed downstream faster than he could keep visual contact with it. He reached down and grabbed his pack then pushed deeper into the trees where the ground was more level and ran with everything he had parallel to the river. At the first break, he cut back to the bank and searched everywhere, out of breath and his heart pounding. Wanting to keep moving downstream he jumped up only to realize he was stuck, his foot now wedged between the rocks. He frantically jerked against the trap until his ankle felt like it was going to break and only then did he realize he wasn't alone.
There was heavy breathing behind him.
"Mommy!"
Joanne looked up and greeted her children with a huge smile that she felt down to her toes. She was so glad to see them. They ran straight into her arms, and she pulled them in close making Jenny giggle and Chris protest.
"Mom," he grumbled.
"I'm just so happy to see you two." She looked up to see her mom and had to fight to keep the tears back. Not here, not in front of the kids, she told herself. The warm hug from a comforting mother worked on her too and as the kids ran to see the other familiar faces they sat down together.
"How is he Jo?" She asked as she pushed the hair from her daughter's face.
"He's so sick mom. I just went back to see him and, and," tears started flowing. She saw the kids had moved over to Dixie and Emily as they worked to distract them. "What am I going to tell them?" It broke her heart to have to share this with them.
"You're going to tell them that their father is sick, very sick, but he's fighting hard to get well and see them."
Joanne nodded. "They won't let them back to see him. I don't think they could handle seeing him like this anyway."
"Talk to them. They know something is wrong. They're smart Jo, honey; they will be okay."
Joanne stood up and walked over to the others and smiled as she took the kids' hands.
"We need to talk about some things, okay?"
Walking down the hall, they came to a small area that opened up into large windows lined with bench seats. For the next half hour she talked to her kids, held them tight and cried with them.