A/N: I apologize for the amount of time it has taken me to update. I do read your reviews, don't think I don't. Schools just been crazy, what with this being the last week before Christmas break and all (I.S.U.'s, exams, and essays) hope you enjoy it though!
Cheers!
Jessica's weak grasp of the life she had once led not even a year ago totally disintegrated in one blink of her blue eye the first week of December, December fourth to be exact, she knew she would never and could never forget the date. First off she knew it wasn't good news when the principal called her down to the main office from her third period Auto class. She hadn't do anything wrong, she had been on time for every class, hadn't skipped, and had finished all her work with time to spare.
When she saw her uncle standing beside the principal, she quickly she took in a deep breath and literally had to force the air into her suddenly constricted lungs to keep her knees from buckling.
"Your uncle has come to pick you up, Jessica." Mr. Steel, the principal, began even before she had got to the two. "Don't worry about your backpack and homework. I'll take care of it." She nodded but didn't say anything as she followed her uncle down the hall.
Luke knew Jessica had completely lost all touch with reality when they passed her mustang and got into his car across the way from it without even a word. He knew that it was just going to get tougher for the kid once they got to the hospital so he too kept his mouth shut.
The already unbearably cold weather seemed to dip even more when Jessica got out of her uncle's Charger at the hospital and immediately came in contact with a somber looking Cooter and Roscoe; they stood side by side in front of the hospital's entrance. Roscoe was a pale as sheet and Cooter's normally bright blue eyes were dull and rather red. Jessica figured it must have taken all he had to just smile at her. "Hi kid."
She knew it took all he had to smile because it took all she had left to nod in acknowledgement as she silently passed the two men and entered the hospital. She found the seat closest to the entrance and collapsed into it. She put her head in her hands and just closed her eyes. She didn't want to be here.
Jessica knew the trio had entered, she knew her uncle was coming towards her. She felt as he put his hand gently on her knee, she knew he was trying to talk to her. She knew she didn't want to listen.
Cooter watched the one sided conversation from the corner, but stepped forward and placed his hand on Luke's shoulder when the conversation lulled. "C'mon, Luke, leave er be for a while."
"No," Luke shrugged away from Cooter's hand. "I won't, Cooter. She's got to understand this,"
"She will, Luke, jus-"
"No!" Luke spun on his heels and cast daggers at his friend. His usually calm blue eyes were burning with an unadulterated fiery of something that neither Cooter nor Roscoe could decipher. "She's got to understand what's happenin, Cooter, don't you get it?" He swung his arm back carelessly and pointed at Jessica. "Her father's dyin', probably tanight, an she's out her sulkin in her own world…probably didn't hear one wo-"
Suddenly Jessica spoke; she gritted her teeth together as hard as she possibly could and in quite a dangerous tone of voice she all but growled her order. "Shut up."
It took Luke a while to realize his niece had spoken, but as soon as he did, he spun around and stared. "What?"
Jessica raised her head to stare back at her uncle and set her jaw. Her bangs quickly slipped in front of her face and quickly cover her eyes, but unlike the countless times before, she didn't bother to move them away. Even in the sterile white light of the hospital corridor her eyes shone brightly. "Ya heard me. Shut. Up."
Luke's face suddenly fell. "Jess, I'm so-"
"No, I don't want ta hear it!" Jessica shot to her feet. "You're sayin I don't understan. I don't understan what, Uncle Luke? I don't understan that my daddy's dyin," she shrugged, "an quite soon. Are ya sayin that I don't understan that not even a year ago he was healthy?" She shoved her finger in her uncle's chest and narrowed her eyes. "I think you're the one that don't understan! I probably understan better than any of ya. You saw him when he was already starting to get sick. I," she turned the finger on herself. "Me, I had to watch him all but deteriorate right in front of me without even knowing what was wrong with him. Do ya know what I did the night I found out? I went out back an kicked an punched anything I could get my hands on until my toes were broken and my knuckles were raw an bleedin'. I understood then and I sure as hell understand now!" She shoved him once more, this time with her open hand and stormed away.
Three severally stunned men watched her disappear through the doors of the hospital once more, but neither one of the men felt like chasing after her. They knew she needed time to cool down and so did they, but they all hoped she cooled soon. Each man didn't dare to fathom what she would do if she didn't get to say her goodbyes because, frankly, it scared them too much. Both not knowing what she would do and knowing the end of was so near.