A/N: Sorry about the slight lag between updates. My grandma is very sick right now, so I'm a little preoccupied. She's never been sick a day in her life, she's been the picture of health. We met her for dinner last Monday, and my Mom mentioned that Grandma Star's skin looked a little yellow. No one thought anything about it, everyone insisted it was the lighting. She said that she felt fine. That was last Monday.
This Wednesday, I got a call from my Dad while I was at school, letting me know that Grandma Star had collapsed and been taken to the hospital. I saw her that afternoon, and she looked HORRIBLE. Her skin was unbelievably yellow, and she was so weak she could barely sit up. This change had come in the course of a week.
The doctors are running all kinds of tests. As far as they can tell, the yellow-ness is coming from a problem with her liver. There is a mass or something blocking the tube-things (forget what they're called) between the liver and the kidneys, so all the gross bile that the kidneys and liver usually filter out of the body are backing up into her bloodstream and other places. She had surgery this morning to put in a stent (straw-like tube) to help drain some of this stuff. It's helping a little, but not much. The doctors are not sure what this mass is; they think it could be cancer. We are all very worried and upset. Please keep my grandma and us in your prayers.

ANYWAY, this Author's Note is positively gigantic, so I'm going to shut up now. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 21

Jon smiled as he pulled his satellite phone from his pocket and dialed a number. He knew just who he wanted to call.

"Karen Hayes."

"Karen," Jon said in surprise. "I was hoping to reach my wife. Did I dial your cell phone instead?"

"No," Karen assured him. "You dialed the right number. I'm spending the day at your house. Erin has a nasty cold, and I volunteered to watch Morgan so she could get some rest."

"Well, that was nice of you. You really didn't have to do that, you know," Jon told her.

"I wanted to," Karen replied firmly. "Besides, you should know by now that I'll take any opportunity that I can to sit for Morgan. Now," she added, "how are things on your end? How's Jack?"

"He's doing well, all things considered," Jon said, sinking into a chair. "Megan is taking great care of him, like she does for all of my team. She says that the infection in his leg is going down, and that the gunshot wound is beginning to heal."

"Well, that's good news." Karen sounded relieved.

"It is. Megan's keeping Jack supplied with painkillers and antibiotics, and we're all making sure that he's well-fed and comfortable. He seems to be regaining a little of his energy; he's sitting up in a chair. We had a nice talk about family and home. I assured him that my team is doing everything they can to get him back to the US as soon as they can."

"I know that's the truth." Jon could practically hear Karen's smile. "Have you heard anything from Eric Meade?"

"Nothing from Eric, but Neil McAllister touched base with me a few hours ago," Jon reported. "He said that everything went well, and that Eric took off safely. If all goes well, he'll be landing here in about fourteen hours."

"What's the next step?" Karen asked. "Do you have any plans yet?"

"Of course we do. I'm wounded. Do you really think that little of my planning ability?" Jon teased. "We're Delta Force. We always have plans for the next several steps."

"My apologies," Karen laughed. "I didn't intend to insult you. What is the next step in your plan, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eric will land at an old abandoned airfield outside of Shanghai," Jon told her. "He'll meet up with his contact, a man named Henry Austen. Henry has a plane for him that's big enough to hold all of us, so Eric will switch planes. We'll meet them at their airfield, load ourselves and our gear onto the plane, and head on home to the good old USA."

"Sounds like a good plan," Karen agreed.

"Thanks. I'll keep you updated. Now," Jon added, laughing slightly, "Could I possibly speak to my wife? Or to Morgan?"

"Of course." Karen turned away from the phone. "Morgan!" she called. "Come here, sweetheart. Your daddy's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

Jon smiled as he heard an excited squeal and a volley of running feet. Seconds later, he heard his daughter's voice. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, pumpkin," Jon said warmly. "How are you?"

"Good," Morgan said cheerfully. "Karen's here, and she's playing with me. Mommy's sick," she added sadly. "Her nose is runny, and she's sneezing a lot. She says her head hurts. Her voice is all scratchy, too. Yuck!"

"Yuck," Jon agreed. "It's no fun being sick."

"But I'm helping," Morgan announced proudly. "I've been bringing her tissues, and Karen helped me bring her a snack. We had graham crackers and apple juice, and then we read stories."

"You're a very good helper," Jon told her. "Thank you."

"When are you coming home?" Morgan demanded. "We miss you a whole lot."

"I know, honey. I miss you too." Jon swallowed hard against the unexpected lump that had suddenly risen in his throat. "I'll be home soon, I promise. But I have to help somebody first."

"You have to rescue that man, right?" Morgan asked. "I heard you and Mommy talking with Karen and that other lady. What's her name again? Oh, yeah. Audrey. I liked her. Are we going to see her again, Daddy?"

"Maybe. We'll see," Jon told her. "And, yes, I have to rescue somebody. His name is Jack. I have to bring him home so he can see his friends again, and so he can go to a hospital."

" 'Cause he has owies?" Morgan asked worriedly. "Does he need Band-Aids?"

Jon laughed. "I think he has enough Band-Aids. But, yes, he has some owies, so I need to take him to a hospital so he can get better. He needs to see his friends again, too. They miss him."

"Bring him home soon, okay?" Morgan requested. "I want you to come home soon."

"I'll try," Jon said gently. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Okay," Morgan agreed.

"I have to go now," Jon told her. "I love you, Morgan."

"Love you, too. Bye, Daddy."

"Bye, sweetheart." With that, Jon ended the call and replaced the phone in his pocket. Then, with a sigh, he went to re-join his team in the other room.

-o-o-o-o-

Los Angeles, California

Karen Hayes smiled as she hung up the phone. From what Jon had said, it sounded as though things were working out like they all had hoped. Jack was doing relatively well, and he was in good hands. If everything went according to plan, they would have a pilot and a plane in their hands within the next few days, and then they would hopefully be on their way home.

Karen replaced the phone in its cradle, and went to see what Morgan was up to. She found the child sitting in bed with Erin, with a stack of picture books next to her. Morgan was leaning against her mother's side, and a picture book was clutched in her small hands. Karen smiled as she listened to Morgan making up her own story to go with the pictures.

Erin smiled wanly as she gazed at her daughter through red, puffy eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said tiredly. "That was a very good story. Now, can you do Mommy a favor? Can you run downstairs and get me some more tissues from the bathroom?" Morgan nodded seriously, and scrambled down off of the bed.

Karen laughed as the little girl scampered past her, intent on her mission. "I'm sorry, Erin. I tried to keep her out of here so you could sleep," she apologized. "Did she wake you up?"

Erin shook her head. "No," she said hoarsely. "Sleeping is impossible. I've been lying here, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the medicine that I just took to start working." She sneezed, groped for a tissue, and irritably blew her nose. "I hate colds. And this is a bad one."

Karen smiled sympathetically. "Can I get you anything?"

Erin shook her head. "All I need are more tissues. Morgan's getting those for me. Thanks, though."

Karen sat down next to the bed. "I just spoke with Jon."

Erin brightened. "How is he?" She smiled sheepishly. "He always tells me not to worry, but I always do. I can't help it."

Karen nodded. "That's understandable. From what Jon said, though, it sounds like things are going well," she reported. "He says that one of his contacts has a plane and is en route to Shanghai. If everything goes according to plan, they should be on their way home soon."

"Good." Erin sounded relieved. "How is Audrey holding up, by the way?" she added. "Has she been told yet?"

"She's doing remarkably well, all things considered," Karen said. "She knows that Jack is out of Falun Dafa and in the hands of Jon's team. She won't fully relax until he's back on American soil, but at least she knows he's in good hands." She smiled. "Thank you for asking." Erin nodded.

Morgan came scurrying back into the room then, her arms laden with boxes of Kleenex tissues. "Here, Mommy," she announced, dumping the boxes on Erin's bed.

Erin smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart." She ruffled her daughter's hair. "I think your Aladdin video is downstairs in the living room. Why don't you ask Karen if she'd like to watch it with you? Mommy's going to try and get some sleep now."

Morgan glanced expectantly at Karen. "Will you watch it with me?" she asked eagerly. "Please?"

Karen nodded, smiling. "Aladdin was one of my daughters' favorites when they were your age. I'd be happy to watch it with you." Morgan's eyes lit up, and she dashed from the room. Karen looked at Erin, whose eyelids were already drooping. "Let me know if you need anything."

Erin nodded. "Thanks." A smile played on her lips. "I'm fine. Go have fun watching Aladdin." Laughing, Karen left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.