Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."

Chapter 10- Follow Your Heart

Having no idea that Jack had previously regained consciousness, Elizabeth woke, raised her head and found him still "out." Her eyes were red due to the tears that had flooded them as she gently took his hand and began to pray…

"Lord, I come to you today asking for your healing hand upon Jack's injured body. We know Lord that in you all things are possible. Please hold Jack's heart within yours, and renew his mind, body and soul.

Thank you, Lord for giving him another day to see the beauty of your creations and to feel the love of those around him. You know the state of crisis that he is in now. Please wrap him in your loving arms and give him the strength needed to heal.

In Jesus name I pray, and for his sake… Amen"

Elizabeth was scared; she'd never come this close to losing someone she cared deeply about before. She knew how she felt about him, but she wasn't certain that he was even willing to talk to her. However, none of that mattered now. The most important thing was Jack and his complete recovery.

She stepped away for a moment and stared out the window. In the distance she observed the Nightingale helicopter land as hospital staff rushed out to retrieve a cooler most likely carrying a transplant organ. It appeared that very few words were spoken as the medical staff retreated inside quickly and the helicopter took off again.

Elizabeth felt such sadness as she could only assume if others felt a mere portion of her emotions that they would be on the brink of despair.

She found her bag resting in a chair, opened it and smiled. She sat down, took a deep breath and attempted to process the emotions that were rushing through her like a violent tsunami, threatening to take her down.

"When you feel the weight of everything upon you; when the fear of what may come swallows you, and the darkness gives you the sense of being buried with no way out, you can either give up or feel your rebirth and the growth of better things to come."

Elizabeth closed her journal, thankful that she'd found her confidant tucked away in her bag. She sat by the window watching the cold rain as it slapped against the glass and prayed that this gloomy weather was not an indicator of bad things to come.

She walked over to the chair in the corner and placed a blanket over Charlotte who was still sleeping. She glanced at her watch, 12:23am, and realized that Snitch had been locked up in her apartment since earlier in the afternoon.

She hated to, but after all this was an emergency. She started to dial her neighbor April's number, praying that she would be able to take Snitch out for her. Suddenly she realized that April and her family had left town for the holidays, and no other neighbors had a key to her apartment.

She glanced back at Jack, unaware that when she slept he had briefly woken up. Now she was awake and he appeared to be as he was previously, unconscious.

"Charlotte," Elizabeth whispered.

"What…what…what's wrong," she jumped out of a dead sleep.

Elizabeth put her hand on her arm, "Shh, it's nothing. There's been no change."

Charlotte looked devastated, "Oh, why hasn't he woken up?" she asked.

"I don't know, but his body needs to sleep, so we can wait," Elizabeth commented. She squatted down beside the chair, "I have to go home for a short while. I completely forgot about my dog, but I'll be back. Do you need anything?"

"Just come back," she stated.

"I'll be back; I promise. If you need anything, call me," Elizabeth stated.

Elizabeth grabbed her bag, walked over, bent down, kissed Jack's cheek and squeezed his hand before rushing out the door. She ran down the hall to the elevator, thinking that the faster she made it home, the sooner she could return to him.

She ran to her car but momentarily sat behind the wheel trying to catch her breath. Her tears began to fall in a steady stream as her chest tightened and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She suddenly realized that he may not want to see her; he may not be thankful that she was there, but truly none of that mattered. At this point, Jack was all that mattered.

It was pitch dark when she arrived at her apartment. Snitch barked nervously as Elizabeth opened the door, obviously surprising her as she lay stretched out on the sofa.

"Come on girl; we need to go," Elizabeth stated as they ran down the hall and out to the fenced in pet area.

Thirty minutes later she had taken Snitch out for some exercise, fed her, packed some food to take back to the hospital, and was running back toward the parking lot.

"Elizabeth…" Jack weakly called out, before finding himself alone in the room. "Maybe…was it real?"

Charlotte walked into the room and immediately found him with his eyes open. Rushing to his bed she carefully hugged him, her hands pressing against his body as if she expected part of him to be missing. "Okay, you're all there."

She observed tears slipping from the outside of his eyes, "What's wrong?"

She received no answer, "Jack, are you in pain? Do you need the nurse?"

He initially struggled, trying to sit up, but quickly realized that any movement was unwise. "I…thought…she…" he mumbled as his eyes focused in on the bottom section of his bed, moving back and forth as if he were deep in thought.

"Who honey?" she asked, feeling completely blessed that he was now awake.

"I thought I saw Elizabeth, but I guess I was just…"

"She was here. Did you wake up before?" she asked as she wiped his eyes before kissing his forehead. "I love you Jack."

Jack was paying little attention to his mother. His thoughts were on Elizabeth. "Are you sure she was here?"

"Jack, I went to her apartment and she drove me back here," she stated.

His expression turned somber, "Maybe she felt like she had to come."

"Jack, she was standing at the door waiting on me before I finished telling her what had happened," Charlotte revealed. "She came here because she cares about you. And I suspect that you care about her a great deal too. Am I right?"

He tried to move slightly in bed but winced in pain.

"Do you need the nurse?" Charlotte hovered over him.

"No," he sounded weak, but definitive. Jack looked at his mother, "I don't know if she'll forgive me."

"Well, I'm going to call her and let her know you're awake," Charlotte stated as she picked up Jack's cell phone off the table and dialed Elizabeth's number.

"I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling
I'll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I'm home."

Suddenly Elizabeth's phone began playing the ringtone she had set for him. They both looked at each other before glancing on the table where she had forgotten her phone.

"She cares a lot about you Jack," Charlotte stated as if he was unaware. "Please don't let what happened before keep you from opening yourself up to her."

Jack started dozing, finding it difficult to keep his eyes open. "Go get some dinner; I'm going to rest for awhile."

Charlotte sat beside his bed thinking about how he had totally lost track of time. "Hmm, sending me to get dinner at 2:50am," she thought as she watched him drift off to sleep.

She stepped out of his room and Jack's nurse, Simone, directed her to their break room where she found various food and drink machines. She grabbed a pack of nabs and a drink and took a seat in a chair by the TV.

"Mrs. Thornton," the nurse called out as Elizabeth slipped back into his room.

Simone had other patients to check on and assumed that Elizabeth would notice that Jack, her husband, was now awake.

Elizabeth sat her bag down and took her seat beside the bed. His eyes opened, startling both of them. She initially took his expression as one where he didn't want her there.

"I'll go find your mother," she stated as she quickly jumped up.

"Wait," he reached out for her… "Ow…" he grimaced.

"Jack, are you okay?" she asked as she rushed back to him.

He closed his eyes hard, hoping that if he weren't looking at his injury that it somehow wouldn't hurt. He was sorely mistaken.

"Don't go," he managed a whisper.

She sat back down and took his hand in hers.

"Please, don't go," he stated again.

"Shh, I'm not going anywhere," she replied as she found it impossible to hold back her tears.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry…"

"Shh, Jack we can talk later. Please rest now," she pleaded with him.

In his mind he heard himself say it; he could feel it, but why weren't the words he needed her to hear passing through his lips?

Elizabeth sat by his bed as his eyes closed and he drifted back to sleep.

Charlotte walked back into Jack's room. She stopped short when she heard Elizabeth's voice. She turned to leave, not wanting to eavesdrop on their private conversation.

As she reached the hallway, nurses and doctors were appearing from everywhere rushing to the room next to Jack's. She stepped back into the room and stood quietly.

"Sleep now Jack; you need your rest," Elizabeth whispered as her fingers swept the hair from his forehead. "We'll have plenty of time to talk once you're stronger," her voice was soft and shaky and her eyes were tear filled.

"Elizabeth," Charlotte stated as she walked up behind her. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No thank you. I'm fine," Elizabeth replied before the flood gates opened and her tears began to fall.

Charlotte knelt down and wrapped her in her arms. "Shh, it's okay. Let it out," she stated as both women were now in tears.

Jack slept for several hours before waking to find both women deep in conversation. "Hey, he called out softly. What are you talking about?" he asked.

Elizabeth walked over and took his hand, "You…"

"Mom, would you see if you can find my nurse?" he asked.

"Jack, are you okay?" both women spoke in unison.

"Let me push the nurse-call button," Charlotte stated as she reached for the controls.

Jack managed a slight smile, "Mom, I'd like to talk to Elizabeth alone, please."

"Oh…I'm sorry. Do you need your nurse? Are you in pain?" she asked.

"I am, a little, but I want to talk to Elizabeth first," he stated as he watched his mother walk out of the room.

"Jack, we can talk later. If you're in pain you need your medication, and to rest," Elizabeth stated.

He swallowed hard as he struggled to move.

"Jack stop. Please, you're going to hurt yourself. Please lay quietly. I'll sit right here," she promised.

His eyes watered and she assumed it was from the pain. She held his hand as he slowly settled down.

"Hi Mrs. Thornton; I'm Patricia. I'll be your husband's nurse until Simone comes back this evening," she stated as she checked Jack's IV's and injected his pain medication into one.

As the nurse was talking, Elizabeth could see the effect Jack's pain medication was having through the expression on Jack's face. His wincing eased and his eyelids looked heavy as he attempted to fight the sleep. She knew that she needed to explain the "Mrs. Thornton, and husband" references, but it appeared that that explanation would need to wait.

His eyes resembled dime slots as his voice was slow and slurred. He seemed to struggle with himself, wanting to stay awake but each blink of his eyes seemed to get longer and longer between openings.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up; I promise," she whispered.

She heard him take a deep breath and as he exhaled, it was as if everything negative in his body rushed out. She was holding his hand as she felt him completely relax and he was again asleep.

Elizabeth held his hand in hers, pressed it gently against her cheek as she whispered, "You have to be okay, Jack. I've never felt this way about another man, and I'm just not ready to let you go.

"Elizabeth, why don't you go and get some breakfast and I'll sit with Jack for awhile," Charlotte offered as she quietly stepped back into the room.

"No ma'am. I promised him that I would be here when he woke up; I can't leave," she stated as her tears and emotion overwhelmed her.

Charlotte bent down beside her, "Honey, he would want you to take care of yourself. I will tell him that you'll be right back."

"No," Elizabeth was emotional; her voice was sharp and louder than she'd intended, but she immediately apologized. "Jack thinks I lied to him before; I need to be here when he wakes up."

"Okay, I understand. What would you like, and I'll go get it," Charlotte offered.

"Thank you Charlotte, but I don't think I can eat anything right now. Besides, I brought some food from home if you're hungry," Elizabeth stated as her eyes remained on Jack. She turned away and looked at Charlotte, "How are you able to be so calm?"

"Oh dear, I'm scared to death right now, but my fear isn't helping him. So I have to summon all of my strength to be there for him…for you," Charlotte replied.

"I'm sorry; I'm making things worse for you and I shouldn't be," Elizabeth remarked as a whimper from Jack drew her attention back to his bed.

Charlotte pulled a chair up beside Elizabeth and took a seat. She reached over and gently took her free hand, "We'll stand strong together, okay?"

Elizabeth turned slightly in her seat, "He means a lot to me, Charlotte," Elizabeth's gaze returned to Jack.

Charlotte put her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders, "I know."

"You do?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth, I've seen the way you look at him, and the truth is, he has the same look in his eyes when he looks at you," Charlotte advised.

Elizabeth got up from her seat, took the clean cloth from the table and wetted it down at the bathroom sink. She rung out the excess water and walked back to his bed. She took the rag and gently wiped across his face.

Charlotte sat quietly watching Elizabeth as her fingers gently brushed his hair from his forehead. She prayed that they would work out any differences they had, as it was apparent to her, even if it wasn't to them, that there was a great deal of love there.

Elizabeth refused to leave his room, promising him and herself that she would be there when he woke. However, it seemed that as soon as his eyes opened, the nurse was there with medication which would again knock him out.

She hated to do it, but with the holidays, most of her friends were traveling and unable to take care of Snitch for her. So, she contacted Four Paws and made arrangements to board her through the first of the year.

Several days passed; although Jack continued to improve, he slept more than he was awake. There was never a lack of visitors as the waiting room stayed full with officers who stopped by on their way to work, or following their shift on their way home. They took shifts to make certain that he was never alone. However, with Charlotte and Elizabeth around, there was truly no chance of that happening. In addition to the officers, Lee stopped by every morning, and he and Rosie checked in on Jack every evening.

Jack's eyes again opened and the first person he saw was Elizabeth. Truly the only person he saw in the room filled with people, was Elizabeth.

He wanted to talk; however, they never seemed to be alone. On the occasions when they were, although he knew what he wanted to say in his mind, the pain medication he was on made his words sound jumbled as they passed through his lips. Making no sense at all, he was frustrated, but Elizabeth sat quietly shaking her head up and down as if she understood.

Elizabeth knew that his injury was serious and rest was something that his body desperately needed. However, he struggled to remain awake, still wanting and needing to talk to her.

"Jack, don't get upset. We'll have plenty of time to talk. You need to rest now," Elizabeth stated as she ran her hand up and down his arm until he slipped back to sleep.

Elizabeth took this opportunity to slip out and run Snitch by the boarding facility. She rushed back and took her seat before Jack woke again.

Several hours passed; Elizabeth continued steadfast, her body refusing to move from his side. Knowing that she couldn't get Elizabeth to take a break, Charlotte left for a short walk and to get some fresh air.

Elizabeth dozed, but never closing her eyes for more than a few minutes at a time. She jumped slightly during one of her resting phases when Jack took hold of her hand.

"Have you gotten any sleep?" he asked.

"I'm fine Jack," she replied.

"That's not what I asked," he responded.

"I've slept some. How about you; how do you feel? Do you need the nurse?" she asked.

He managed a weak smile, "I just need to talk to you."

"Okay, you wanted to tell me something…I'm listening," she stated as she scooted her chair closer to the bed.

Suddenly the door opened and numerous voices were heard before the faces were seen coming around the curtain.

"Jack, you look great; well, at least better than you looked the last time we saw you," Mark Jacobs stated, referring to finding Jack lying in the street with a bullet wound in his chest, as several other brothers and sisters in blue followed him into the room.

Elizabeth stood, backed away and released Jack's hand as the officers gathered around his bed. Her face looked flushed as the visual of Jack lying in the street suddenly struck her.

She stepped out and headed for the waiting room, hoping to find it empty or in the very least, quiet. She opened the door and found it relatively empty, but far from quiet.

A family in the waiting room was dealing with a tragedy of enormous proportions as they decided the plans for their young son, thirty years of age and the victim of a drunk driver. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but couldn't help listening in. They discussed how he had completed three tours of duty in the war torn areas of Iraq, and Afghanistan; how he had fought proudly for his country, just to return home three days ago, leaving his family to now deal with his eventuality and desire to be an organ donor.

She took a seat by the window, as far away from the family as possible but it still felt too close, invading their privacy without meaning to. She grabbed her bag and stepped back into Jack's room. The number of people surrounding his bed kept her from even seeing him. She grabbed her jacket and headed for the hospital courtyard where she would hopefully find some peace.

"Elizabeth," Charlotte called out as Elizabeth entered the elevator. "Are you leaving?"

Elizabeth stepped back out into the hallway, "No, I'm not leaving. Jack's friends are in there with him now, so I thought I just take a walk."

Seeing the tears in Elizabeth's eyes, she commented, "Are you okay?"

Elizabeth stopped and leaned against the hallway wall, "I walked into the waiting room and into a family's worst nightmare. There is so much sadness here."

Charlotte walked up and put her arm around Elizabeth, "Is Jack's job scaring you?"

"I'd be lying if I said 'no,' but…"

"But what dear?" Charlotte asked.

"I happened upon a family whose son served several tours overseas…"

"That had to be hard on everyone," Charlotte interjected.

"I'm sure it is, but like Jack he put his life on the line every day, only to come home and be killed by a drunk driver," Elizabeth looked away as she attempted to conceal her tears.

"Oh dear, that's so sad. I hope they can find comfort in their church and friends," Charlotte stated as she pulled her close and held her. She could feel Elizabeth's body shaking as the tears she had held tight for days broke free.

"I need some air. Would you please tell Jack that I'll be back in a little while?" she asked.

"Of course; you take whatever time you need," Charlotte replied as she watched her enter the elevator.

Charlotte walked into Jack's room; Mark stood and gave her his seat.

"Thank you," she offered as she quickly took the seat.

Although Jack enjoyed seeing his brothers and sisters in blue, there was something missing in his expression. He kept glancing toward the door; Charlotte saw it; she knew what he was missing, or rather who he was missing.

She reached over and took his hand gathering his attention. "She went for a walk; she'll be back," she whispered.

Elizabeth walked out into the courtyard and took a seat. There was a slight chill in the air, mainly due to the weather, but enhanced by the fear that she was allowing to overcome her.

She dug deep down into her bag and pulled out her journal, feeling the need to put her feelings into perspective. She opened her leather bound monogrammed book and flipped to the first blank page. She looked at the emptiness contained there as she took a deep breath and attempted to convey her thoughts and feelings onto the paper…

"Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's the uneasiness you feel as you gaze up into the once blue sky only to see a dark angriness that threatens your emotional calm. Sometimes it's irrational, totally without basis, yet you refuse to release it. Still other times it the knowledge of the dangers around you and you find yourself simply waiting for the devil to come knocking.

Fear has the ability to awaken a plethora of emotions within us, pushing us forward, or leaving us behind, dragging our feet, not wanting to venture too far from what we've known all too well. It's paralyzing; it eats away at your soul, closing you down emotionally, consuming all of your inner space, allowing little room for joy and happiness."

Her hand rested on the book as she contemplated life and love. She knew how she felt about him, but she also was aware that he was upset with her for days just before he was shot. She felt certain that he cared for her, but love…she wasn't so certain. However, she hoped that he was willing to put the "Ben episode" behind them and move on.

She took a cleansing breath, glanced back down on the paper and continued writing…

"I love you…those three little words can spark excitement or cause us to run for the hills. The words mean everything to some, yet for others they flow passed the lips as freely as water through a faucet, with no real meaning attached. The fact is love is a precious emotion, which should be held tight within our heart, not given to another without clear thought and consideration. However, life is short and once we are certain, we are tasked with being honest, expressing ourselves and taking the chance that they too may feel the same.

Life is exciting and thrilling, yet scary and unpredictable. To fear for the safety of loved ones is normal. To await their homecoming from a dangerous mission is expected. However, to close yourself off to something that may be beautiful just because you fear the unknown possibilities is like closing all of the blinds in the house on a gorgeous spring day…no light gets in, and you simply drown in the darkness."

Elizabeth closed her journal, took a deep breath and exhaled as she released many of the residual feelings of fear and nervousness that her writing didn't calm. She gathered her things and headed back into the hospital and to the man that she knew without a doubt was her future.

Although Jack knew that Elizabeth was simply taking a walk, a much needed break, he couldn't help but wonder how she was handling things emotionally. It seemed that the dangers of his job weighed heavily on relationships, both his and those of his fellow comrades. So, while everyone worried about him, he couldn't help worrying about her.

"She's here," he thought to himself, "So that must mean something."

He'd wanted to talk with her alone, to tell her how he felt about her, but would his proclamation be too much for her to handle? Would it come across that the words were only being said because of what happened, or given their prior relationships, would it seem too soon?

Elizabeth observed several police officers as they left his room passing her at the entryway. "Thanks for stopping by," she mentioned as they stepped out into the hallway.

Elizabeth stepped just inside the room but stopped short when she heard Charlotte and Jack talking. Suddenly the room was quiet.

Before Elizabeth stepped farther into the room, Charlotte broke the silence, "What's wrong, Jack? Are you in pain?"

"No," he quickly replied, but he looked distant, almost as if he weren't there.

"Then what is it? Do you need your nurse?" she asked.

"No, please don't call the nurse. Every time they come in here I get medication and the next thing I know I lose several hours," Jack stated as he carefully sat up in bed. "I need to talk…"

"What is it Jack?" Charlotte asked.

"I love her mom," Jack blurted out as Elizabeth stood just outside the door and smiled.

"I know you do, but what has you so upset?" she asked.

Jack looked worried as his brow furrowed, "I saw the look on Elizabeth's face when Mark mentioned how much better I looked than the last time he saw me. She was scared; she slowly excused herself, but she looked flushed, like the seriousness of what happened suddenly hit her."

Charlotte took his hand, "Jack you need to talk to her."

"I know, and I've been trying. It just seems like there are always people in the room, or my medication kicks in and whatever I say makes no sense," he advised her. "And then there's…"

"There's what?" she asked.

"The last time I saw her before this I was so ugly to her. I was upset and I wanted to hurt her, and I think I did," he stated, his voice sounded somewhat defeated.

"Why do you think you were ugly to her?" Charlotte asked.

Jack looked down before turning his attention to the window and away from his mother, "You were right; I'm always expecting something to go wrong. I guess Angela taught me that."

"She's not Angela," Charlotte commented.

Jack turned back to his mother, "I know. Mom, I thought I loved Angela…"

Elizabeth heard Angela's name and started to leave. She wanted to hear what he had to say, but it wasn't about her; it wasn't right to listen in.

"But what I feel for Elizabeth is so different; it's stronger, deeper, and I…" Jack stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and hesitated slightly before continuing. "I had a dream that we got married and we had 2.5 children."

"2.5?" Charlotte asked.

"We had 2 and she was pregnant with the third when the nurse woke me up for a blood draw," Jack smiled.

Before she could reach the hallway her name was again spoken and she stopped in her tracks. Maybe it still wasn't right not to make her presence known, but she couldn't move. Every fiber of her being was tuned in wishing that she could make out everything that was being said.

"So honey, how does Elizabeth fit in to things?" Charlotte asked.

"I have never cared about anyone as much as I care about her. I care about what she thinks, how she feels; what makes her tick, and anything that is important to her," he answered quickly.

Charlotte smiled but could tell by his expression that he still had things to say; things that were bothering him, and he needed to release them.

"But mom, you know as well as I do, some people can't handle this life," he cautiously stated. "I just don't know if she's…"

Charlotte jumped in, "Jack you need to talk to her. Be honest with her; tell her how you feel. I think she'll surprise you."

Elizabeth stepped into the room, "Charlotte would you mind if I talked with Jack alone please?"

"Certainly," she stated as she grabbed her purse.

As Charlotte walked passed Jack's bed she stepped back and hugged him, "Be honest with her," she whispered.

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked.

"Why is this going to be a hard conversation?" he responded.

"What, you're answering my question with a question?" Elizabeth replied.

"Elizabeth, I want to apologize for what happened at your program the other night," Jack watched her expression.

Elizabeth was fiddling with her hands in her lap as she responded, "Jack, it hurt that you just left; that you wouldn't let me explain, and that you assumed that I had lied to you. I didn't lie to you; I wouldn't lie to you," her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Jack stated as he reached out and took her hand.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Of course…"

"Who were those girls you were sitting with when I came to see you?"

"Were you jealous?" he asked.

"Was that your intent?" she responded.

Jack looked down at her hand as his fingers brushed across her skin, "No, and I went upstairs after you left."

"Alone?" she asked. "No wait, don't answer that. It's none of my business."

"Yes, I was alone. The truth is, Elizabeth, I don't want to see anyone but you," he admitted.

Elizabeth was nervous. She stood up and started walking around the room. Jack's chest tightened and it had nothing to do with the surgery he'd undergone days before.

"What's wrong?" he asked, not certain that he wanted to hear the answer.

She stood by the window watching the Nightingale helicopter land with a seriously injured or ill patient. She stopped momentarily as she watched the gurney removed from the chopper and taken into the hospital.

"Jack, when your friends were here before…"

"Here it comes," he thought. He didn't want to listen; he'd heard it all before, but only this time, she was quickly becoming important to him. Not the "I want to spend some time with her" important, but more like "I don't see my life without her in it" important.

He took a deep breath and waited for that other shoe to fall…

He observed tears forming in her eyes, "Elizabeth…"

She cut him off, "Jack please let me say what I need to…"

"Hi, Mr. Thornton; I'm Bianca and I'll be your nurse tonight. Do you need anything?" she asked as she rushed into his room on her rounds.

"No, I'm fine," he quickly responded, wanting to get back to his talk with Elizabeth.

"Jack, you are a brave man and I am so proud of you for putting yourself out there, risking your own life to protect the lives of others," the tears started to slip from her eyes. "But Jack…"

"Please don't do this; don't walk away; give us a chance," his voice was firm but tender.

"Jack, I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't worried about you when you're working. This right here is a prime example," she started to explain.

"You're going to do it…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You're going to walk away; you're going to walk away and not even give us a chance," Jack sounded defeated.

"No Jack, it's not what you think," she assured him as she turned toward the window drawn by the sound and the lights of the Nightingale helicopter taking off for another run.

Her tears were no longer hindered as they slipped easily down her cheeks and her voice wavered. She took a deep breath and continued, "Jack, I have this visual of you lying in the street, all alone, and I wasn't there for you."

She turned away, "Elizabeth," he gained her attention with just the sound of his voice. "I'm good at what I do. Well, it may not look like it now," he stated as he glanced around his hospital bed, "but I'm a good officer."

She smiled, "I know you are, and you make a difference with those you come in contact with. But Jack, your job is very dangerous…"

"Elizabeth…"

"Please let me finish, Jack while I can…"

He shook his head up and down and remained quiet, hoping that she wasn't about to walk away, but already feeling the loss as if he knew she was.

"The fact is, yes, your job is dangerous. However, I heard a family in the waiting room talking about a young family member who completed three tours of duty overseas and returned home safely each time," she stated. She saw the confusion on his face as he tried to anticipate where this conversation was going.

"Jack, this young man returned home three days ago and was hit by a drunk driver. The family had gathered in the hospital to discuss organ donation," she sadly completed the story.

She continued, "The fact is that anything can happen at any time," she walked back toward his bed and took a seat.

His heart pounded while he found her to be uncharacteristically calm. She sat on the side of his bed and took his hand.

"Jack, whatever time we have I want to share it with you… I mean, that is if you want to?"

A smile finally returned to his face, "Can I talk now?"

"I don't know, can you?" She smiled back.

"If I laugh, will you not say that anymore? He asked.

"I'm sorry, yes, you can talk now," she stated.

He took her hand, "Elizabeth, I care a lot about you. I'm sorry for letting you down the other night, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you." He stopped and took a cleansing breath, "After I was shot," his voice became shaky as his eyes watered, "My only thought was of you. How I had things that I wanted to tell you…"

"Jack, shh, I don't want you to get yourself worked up. I'm here and I'm not leaving," she said as her own tears continued.

"No, I have to say this…I've been trying to say it for days, and I don't want to wait any longer. I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher," his heart opened and his emotions poured out.

She smiled, "I love you too. But Jack is it too soon?"

"I knew shortly after we met; I've never felt like this about anyone before," he admitted. "Elizabeth, I'm thankful for my other relationships, even Angela, because they got me to this point right here…they got me to you."

"Jack, I'm still not inclined to…"

He laughed, "Elizabeth, there are people out there that will say what you want to hear to get you into bed. I'm not one of them."

"I know that, Jack," she teased.

"What I said before still stands; I will not push you for more than what you feel comfortable with, and if I do, you let me know," he stated as he moved over in the bed to be closer to her.

He cradled her face and his thumbs gently brushed away the tears as they fell. He pulled her closer until their lips lightly touched. It was such a gentle, tender kiss which sparked real heartfelt emotions as they leaned back and their foreheads touched.

His lips met hers again, and although they had kissed before, this was different. There was a feeling of completeness, a warmth that washed over them. Their relationship was moving in a direction that each one desired; on a deeper more emotional level. They had discussed difficult topics, and felt stronger as a couple because of it.

Jack leaned back… "So, Elizabeth Thatcher, will you go steady with me?"

Elizabeth giggled, "I thought you'd never ask."

New Years Eve was fast approaching. Jack had made remarkable progress and his doctor was planning to release him.

"Good morning sweetheart. How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Fairly good, but I'll be glad when I can get out of here and get home," he replied. "So, how did my wife sleep?"

"I slept…wait, what did you say?" she asked.

He responded with a smile, "My nurse came in to check on me last night and I was awake. We started talking and she told me how lucky I was to have a wife who loved me as much as you do."

"Jack, I couldn't get in to see you…"

He started laughing, "I talked to mom this morning and she told me what happened."

"I hope you aren't upset," she replied.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, "Elizabeth, I can think of a lot of things that would make me mad. You being my wife is not one of them."

"Do you have any idea when they will be releasing you?" she replied.

"Well actually, it looks like I can leave tomorrow," he said with a smile.

"Oh Jack that's wonderful," she rushed over and hugged him.

"Oww, still not healed…" he winced slightly.

"I'm so sorry," she stated as she leaned down and placed a kiss on his clothed chest.

"Watch what you're doing or my chest won't be the only part of me hurting," he teased.

"Jack Thornton," she gasped.

"I can't wait to get home to my own bed," he stated as his hands smoothed out the sheets around him.

Elizabeth took a seat beside him, "You can't go home by yourself. What if you need something?"

"They will be releasing me with a nurse," he advised.

"Well, I hope your nurse is qualified, but like 70 years old and a man…" she teased.

"There's no fun in that," he joked.

She shook her head back and forth, "Mr. Thornton, you aren't supposed to be having fun. You are supposed to be recuperating."

"But having a pretty nurse around would help me heal," he laughed.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"Is it working?" he replied.

"Maybe…"

"It's a shame that you aren't a nurse," he commented.

"Wait, why can't you come stay at my place? I mean, I go back to work in a few days, but it would be no different than you being at your place all alone during the day," she suggested.

"Honey, that's sweet, but I don't want to put you out. Besides, you only have one bedroom," he stated questioning the feasibility of her offer.

"You can have my bedroom, and I'll sleep on the sofa," she responded.

"Are you sure?" he asked; he liked the idea, but how hard would it be to be with her, and yet not be with her?

It looks like he will soon find out…

To be continued…