Tyne Patterson and Eli Roosevelt sat outside St. Thomas Hospital, looking intently at the motorcycles parked outside.
The sheriff turned to give the district attorney a piercing glare. "Do you know how pissed off he's going to be? Jessie's laying up there barely hanging on, and you want me to go in there and try to drag him away from her? An emotionally unstable Jax is a very dangerous thing, Patterson. It's gonna take heaven, hell, and earth to put handcuffs on that man."
Patterson huffed, done with Roosevelt's hesitations. "You have to do this, Roosevelt. If not, I'll have your marching papers on your desk by tomorrow morning."
As soon as Dr. DeVaughn exited the delivery room where they had finally stabilized Jessie, Jax was standing there, wanting answers. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, which the doctor supposed he was.
"Well, is she okay?" His voice was nervous, edged with panic. Dr. DeVaughn sighed, deciding to give Jax a glossed over version of what had happened inside the room. She couldn't tell him that they had lost Jessie twice while trying to stop the blood, that the second time they tried to revive her had been the most difficult resucitation attempt the doctor ever remembered in her entire career. Instead, she focused on the fact that Jessie was still alive, although barely.
"She's stable. We stopped the bleeding and managed to get her blood pressure and heart rate under control. They're moving her to a room now. But she's not out of the woods just yet, Jax." She paused a moment, her weariness showing as well. "Look, just give me a few minutes to clean up, and come down to my office. There's some things we need to discuss."
Moments later, Jax was sitting in the doctor's office waiting nervously for what she had to say. DeVaughn sat Jessie's medical chart down on the desk, looking at Jax stonily. "Jessie is in a very delicate condition, Jax. She lost a lot of blood during her delivery, a lot more than was good for her. She's very weak. She also hasn't completely recovered from the two attacks she suffered. The first one, when she was beaten, wasn't too bad, but there's still some internal damage that's most likely permanent. The second, when she was shot, was much worse. The gunshot entered her chest, very close to her heart, and the healing process took a very big toll on her heart. Her body is struggling to keep itself going, and her pregnancy and the stress that the twins put on her body didn't help matters much. The last few appointments she had, she told me she wasn't sleeping well and wasn't eating much. Jessie is very weak right now, and it's hurting her a lot."
Taking a moment to shut the file, the doctor pushed her glasses up on her head. "The best thing for Jessie when she gets out of here is relaxation. She needs to go somewhere peaceful and rest. The babies will probably be in the NICU for a week or so just to keep a check on them, so during that time she needs to go on vacation. If she doesn't rest and let her body recuperate, there could be serious consequences for her, Jax. If she continues to put strain on her heart, it could be deadly. It could kill her."
After his somber meeting with the doctor, Jax returned to the waiting room and slowly repeated what Dr. DeVaughn had told him to Weston. His reaction was very similar to Jax's.
"My sister can't die, Jax. We have to do something."
Jax nodded. "I know, but what are we gonna do? You know her just as well as I do, she's never going to want to leave the kids or me or the club for too long. She's not going to be able to relax."
Weston's temper flared a little. "I'll tie her to a damn chair if I have to, I'm not letting her kill herself," he paused a moment, an idea coming to him. "What if I take her back to Tacoma with me? She can stay there until the twins get out of the NICU, then I'll bring her back home. If I'm with her, I can keep an eye on her and make sure she's resting."
Jax thought about it, knowing Weston was right. The only way Jessie was going to actually go and relax was if someone made her. And who better to do it than Weston? After all, Jax would stay to take care of Thomas, keep a check on Abel, and handle the business. Abel's doctor had told Gemma earlier that the oldest Teller child would be able to go home soon because he was recovering well, so he'd be staying with Gemma for a few days since she'd be able to babysit him. Jax would take care of Thomas, to keep him away from Abel to avoid Abel getting sick from his little brother. The twins would be at the hospital, so they'd be taken care of. So Jax decided on it there and then.
Jessie would be returning to Tacoma with Weston.
Finally she was settled in a room, and the two men were escorted to see her. Gemma met them in the hall on the way up, Jax once again repeating the doctor's words. None of them seemed able to comment on the gravity of the situation as they filed into Jessie's room, the blonde looking like Sleeping Beauty in her bed. No one spoke as they settled in various spots around the room, Gemma in the window seat, Weston in the chair at the foot of the bed and Jax at her side. As they kept vigil, Jax fell into deep thought. Jessie looked like a china doll, her olive skin now alabaster, the sharp angles of her skull showing in her face. Dark shadows were prominent under her eyes, the blonde looking like nothing more than a shadow of herself. As Jax took in this sight, he couldn't help but start mentally kicking himself.
How could this happen, Jess? You're not supposed to be laying here, you should be up and running around bragging about the babies. I can't believe I let you get into this condition. I'm so sorry that I didn't notice how stressed you were, or that you were struggling. I promise you that when you come back from Tacoma, I'll make it easier on you. I'll take up more time with the boys, help out with the twins, whatever it takes. I just can't lose you, Jess. It seems like I've said that more times in the last few months than any man should ever have to say to the woman he loves. You're so strong, I guess I thought you could make it on your own. But when this is over, it's going to be different. I promise you, sweetheart, it's going to be easier on you. I promise.
As he brushed tears from his eyes, Jax felt a hand settle on his shoulder, and looked up to find Weston standing there. "Why don't we go get a cup of coffee? You need a break, and Gemma's here if she wakes up."
With a nod from his mom that she'd keep watch, Jax got up and followed Weston out, running his hands through his hair.
"Jax, she's gonna be alright. I know my sister, she's a fighter."
"I hate seeing her like that though. I feel so damn helpless."
The two bikers stepped into the elevator, heading down to the first floor. The ride was swift, and when the doors slid open, Jax stopped short as Sheriff Roosevelt almost crashed into him face first. The blonde biker's expression immediately soured as he saw the sheriff and the two deputies standing behind him.
"What are you doing here?"
The sheriff took a deep breath. "I'm here to bring you in for questioning, Jax. We recently found new evidence concerning Dr. Knowles' disapperance, and I'm afraid you have to come with me."
Weston caught Jax by the shirt just before the new father lunged forward.
"The fuck is wrong with you, Roosevelt?! Jessie's laying up there half-dead and you want me to go with you to answer questions about fucking Tara?!"
Roosevelt's hand drifted to his handcuffs. "Jax, I'm sorry. I'll try to finish it as soon as possible so you can get back to Jessie. Just come peacefully and it'll be okay."
Jax drew himself up to his full height, giving Roosevelt a deadly glare. "Fuck off."
He moved to walk by them, but Roosevelt grabbed his arm and Jax came around swinging. The sheriff and the two deputies immediately wrestled Jax to the ground, pinning him down and slapping handcuffs on him.
"Jackson Teller, you're under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and if you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"
Jax didn't answer, instead resisting as they hauled him outside. Weston stood there in shock, grabbing Roosevelt as he went to leave. "How long before he's gonna be back?"
"Whenever we let him go. But if Jessie wakes up, call me. I'll try to get him back down here."
All Weston could do was watch as Roosevelt followed them out of the hospital, starting to run his hands through his hair.
What the hell was going on?