Chapter 36

Jesse was getting annoyed with this whole thing. She hated that she couldn't talk and the tube down her throat was causing issues. She knew that the longer it stayed down the more damage it could cause but the doctor was being very stubborn and he was positive that her lungs were just too damaged to handle breathing on her own. She watched as her friends laughed and were playing a card game. It was annoying her that she had to lie flat on the bed and wait for her lungs to heal and she couldn't participate in the things that they were doing.

"Hey mama, how are you feeling today?" Slater asked as he kissed Jesse on the forehead.

Jesse gave him an annoyed look and picked up the pen and paper. She wrote her answer on it and handed it to her husband who chuckled when he read it. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better but there was nothing that would make her feel better.

"Hey Jesse the guys have decided that it's time for us to start families." Kelly said smiling as she walked over to the other side of her friend's bed.

Jesse arched her eyebrow as she glanced between her friend Kelly and her husband who was grinning widely.

"Zack and I just think that starting a family now is what would make everyone feel better." Slater said with a smile. "I can't wait till we have our own kids mama."

Jesse wrote something down on the pad of paper and handed it to her husband who laughed out loud as he passed it around. Everyone else broke out in smiles and then the pad of paper made its way back over to Jesse who was not thrilled that everyone was laughing at her.

"Jesse I love you and I can't wait until we start a family." Slater whispered in her ear, making it clear that no one else could hear what he was going to say.

A few days later Jesse was thrilled that the tube was finally pulled out of her throat and she was sitting up in bed and drinking water for the first time in days. She was rubbing the back of her neck when the hospital room door opened and someone she didn't recognize walked into the room.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" Jesse asked sweetly. Her voice was still hoarse and she winced at the scratchy sound of her voice. She grabbed her water and took another sip, trying to soothe her scratchy and sore throat.

"Jessica Spannow. Wow I must admit when I heard you were here in this hospital I was in shock. I mean Stephen, he has his way of handling things, but he could never really take care of his own problems." The man said sitting down on a chair and glaring at Jesse.

"I'm sorry, I don't know you or what you're talking about." Jesse said nervously. She kept her eyes on the man but glanced out of the corner of them at the nurse call button and wondered how long it would take for someone to get there. However if she pushed that button it would bring a nurse and if this man was dangerous it could cause more of a problem than help her. She didn't want to put anyone else in danger. She was racking her brain, trying desperately to figure out who the man sitting in front of her was but there was nothing in her brain that was helping her figure him out.

"We never met but I have heard a lot about you. From what I was told you were set to marry Stephen and then suddenly you changed your mind." The man said with a major glare.

"Well I guess I got a little tired of getting beat up all the time. It can really make someone change their mind about wanting to marry a person or even be around them or talk to them when they are constantly hurting you." Jesse said sarcastically.

"Well not that it matters anymore, anyway. Stephen is out of the way from what I hear. That's just fine with me, now I can inherit his family money and there is no one to contest it. I guess I should be grateful to you for taking care of my problem for me." The man said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So what are you doing here? If all I did was help you, and I don't even know you, then there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Jesse asked nervously.

"Well there normally wouldn't be except it appears that Stephen's family really liked you and they left you some money to make up for their son hurting you. They wanted to make sure you went through medical school whether you stayed with Stephen or not. I have managed to kill most of the family members and anyone else that might get some money and so that just leaves you taking 10 million dollars from my money. That's way too much and I just can't let that happen, you understand?" The man said leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.

"What if I give you the money and we pretend that we don't have a problem?" Jesse asked biting her lower lip. "I really don't want any money from that family, it would remind me way too much about Stephen and that is something I don't need."

"I don't think anyone would just let that happen. Do you think your husband would let you walk away from 10 million dollars?" The man said shaking his head.

"I die and then he inherits my money and you won't be able to kill him. Slater will let me make the decision about the money." Jesse said desperately trying to talk her way out getting killed. She had survived so much and now she finally had a chance to be happy and this guy was determined to kill her.

"Let me think about that." The man said as he reached in his pocket.

Jesse was sure that this was it and that she was dead. She closed her eyes and started picturing her friends and her husband. Her mind flashed to seeing him at the altar as she walked down the aisle and she felt the tears starting to fall from her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath and waited to lose her life.