Friday, Llanview Hospital, Room 403

Jennifer held Jack's hand, bringing it to her lips for a kiss.

"Well, the anesthesia hasn't kicked in yet." Jack said. "Sure hope it decides to start working before Dr. McBain opens me up."
Jennifer cringed at Jack's humor. "Jack, please don't joke about this. I'm scared enough as it is."
Jack smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind Jennifer's ear. "That makes two of us. Jennifer, I..."

A nurse and medical assistant entered the room with a stretcher. "We're ready for you, Mr. Deveraux."
"Oh..." Jennifer said, looking at Jack. She watched in silence as they carefully moved him onto the stretcher and inserted another IV.
"Well, I guess this is it, Miss Horton." Jack said with a smile.

Jennifer followed them out into the hallway, pausing at Jack's side.
"The potion's starting to take effect now. I guess I'll be out soon." Jack said weakly.

"Jack..." Jennifer said; her voice almost desperate. Jack took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "What were you going to say before?"

"Jennni...fer..."
She stroked his hair. "I'm here, Jack."
"Jenn...i...fer... If I... don't... wake up... Abby... love her..."
Jennifer looked away as a sob escaped. "Jack Deveraux, you listen to me. Dr. McBain is going to do everything he can, but you have to do your part. Fight, Jack. Fight for me, for Abby. Fight for us."
"Can't..."
"Don't say that, Jack. We've been through too much together." Jennifer's voice broke as she said the words. "I love you."
"Love... you... Miss... Horton..."
She leaned over and kissed him, seconds before he fell asleep.

"Oh God..." Jennifer looked up to find Dr. McBain smiling at her.
"Good morning, Mrs. Deveraux."
"Um... Good morning, Dr. McBain." She said in a quivering voice.

Michael smiled knowingly. "Okay, well I guess we're just about ready here. The surgery should take a few hours and I'll keep you updated on his progress."
Jennifer held Jack's hand slowly letting go when the stretcher turned the corner.
"I love you, Jack... please be okay..."

The hospital seemed eerily silent as Jennifer walked back to the waiting room and sat down.
"Oh Jack..."

Her fingers trembled as she opened her cell phone and dialed Steve's number.

"Johnson."
"Steve... It's Jennifer. They just, um, took Jack into surgery. Dr. McBain says he'll be out in a few hours."
"How are you holding up, Hon?"
Jennifer choked back a sob. "Oh God, Steve. I don't... I don't know if I can handle this!"

"Look, Jen... everything will be fine. What did Dr. McBain say?"
"Just that the surgery would take a few hours and he would take good care of Jack."
"And he will. Look, like I said before... Marcus wouldn't recommend anyone he didn't think was the best. I'll give him an update and I'm sure he'll call you, okay?"
"Okay, but..."
"Darlin' I know it's scary. God knows I've put Kayla through hell at times, but Jack's strong. He'll pull through this."
"What if he doesn't, Steve? What if..."
"Just try to relax, Jen. Everything will be fine. And Kayla said to tell you that Abby loves and misses you. She's having a lot of fun playing with Stephanie. I just love watching the two of them together."
Jennifer gasped, unable to believe she'd momentarily forgotten about her daughter. "Tell Abby... that Mommy and Daddy love her too."
"I sure will, Hon. I'll call you later to see how things are going. But if you need me, don't hesitate to call."
"Okay. Bye, Steve."
Seconds before she closed the phone she stopped;

"Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
She could hear the smile in his voice. "I love you and Jack, too. Always remember that."
She closed the phone and sighed, forcing herself to keep her mind off of Jack and the surgery.

"Excuse me... Is Dr. McBain around?"
Jennifer opened her eyes to find a red haired woman talking to the receptionist. She looked at her watch, amazed to see how much time had passed. She must have fallen asleep.

"He's in surgery right now, Marcie. He won't be out for a couple of hours." The receptionist said.

"Oh..." The woman, Marcie, looked crestfallen. "Oh... Okay. I guess I'll just sit here and wait for him."
She walked over to where Jennifer was thumbing through a magazine and sat down.
"Hi." Marcie said when she saw Jennifer.

"Hi." Jennifer replied hesitantly. "Are you a patient of Dr. McBain's?"
Marcie smiled. "He's my boyfriend."
"Oh... you're lucky. He's a nice man."

"Thank you. I really love him a lot."
Jennifer could see the color rise in Marcie's cheeks when she talked about Michael. The woman was younger than Jennifer, as was Dr. McBain. The thought of them together made her smile.

"Are you a patient?"
"No, no. My husband is. He's in surgery right now. He has a virus." Jennifer said, amazed that it no longer hurt to say the words.

When she looked at Marcie, she noticed tears in Marcie's eyes. She reached out and put her hand on Marcie's arm. "Hey, are you okay?"
Marcie nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean..."
"No, it's okay." Marcie said brushing away a tear. "It's stupid to be upset anyway. I should be over it by now."
"Over what?"
"My boyfriend Al died of an infection a few years ago. An infection that I gave him."

Jennifer gasped slightly, refusing to be swayed by this disheartening information. She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks. Um, there were these kids at school who hated me so much that they hit me over the head and threw me into a dumpster."
"Oh my God... that must have been horrible." Jennifer said, wincing at the thought.

"Yeah... it was awful. If Al hadn't found me..."
"I bet you were scared to death." Jennifer said.

Marcie shook her head. "Yeah."

Jennifer sighed. "I know that feeling... being terrified like that. Jack and I got into a fight one night-we were separated but living in the same house-for our daughter's sake-and I stupidly drove off in a rainstorm with my cousin's baby in the car. I was about to cross the bridge and just as I realized that it had been blown up, my car went over the edge. It's a miracle that I didn't land in the river."
"Oh my God..." Marcie said.
"And somehow Jack heard about it and he... saved my life."

"I can't even imagine..." Marcie said. "So where did you and... Jack, you said his name was?"
"Yeah."
"Where did you and Jack meet?"
Jennifer smiled, grateful for the happy memory. "He was the owner of The Spectator in Salem and I was a cub reporter. He was my boss."

"Salem? Oh... Then Jack must be the patient that Michael was so worried about..."
After the words were out of her mouth, Marcie wished she could take them back.

Jennifer's eyes widened. "What?"

"Nothing... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Marcie said.

"Please..."
Marcie sighed. "Michael had another patient that died from the XY virus and he is just afraid..."
"That Jack will die." Jennifer finished.
When Marcie remained silent, new tears slid down Jennifer's cheeks. Marcie reached out and touched Jennifer's hand.

"Hey... He'll be fine, I promise."

"I don't know what I'll do if..."

Marcie hugged Jennifer. "He'll be fine. Michael is a brilliant doctor. He cares about his patients and he won't let anything happen to them."
Jennifer smiled. "Thank you. Oh... How rude of me."
Marcie was puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Jennifer extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Jennifer Horton."
"Marcie Walsh. It's nice to meet you. I wish I could meet Jack. Maybe I'll come by and see him after. If Michael will let me, that is."
Jennifer smiled. "He'll like that. Thank you."