Hello people! Well, here we are, this story has come to an end :(
I really want to thank all of you who remained reading this fic. I would really appreciate that this time you gave me a review to let me know if you liked it or hated it, anything! I know this is not a Jate or Skate fic as many of you may like, but I really believe that writers are supposed to be original, and that's what I tried with this story. There's a lot of great Jate fics out there, so I just tried to make something different. So, if you like this, please recommend it and encourage others to read it.
Anyway, in a very Lost-ish style, I split this finale-chapter in 2 parts :p Here you have the first one, enjoy...
Foxy4ever dear, you are NOT a bad Jater, you just get it baby! ;) Thanks for everything...
Chapter 52, part I
Jack felt he was choking, and that made him awake. He got up hit the upper bunk bed. He rubbed his head, disoriented. He looked around. What was he doing in the on-call room? He frowned. Right, now he remembered. He had received a call from the hospital soon after 2:00 AM. Derek needed help on an emergency operation. That's why he was scrubbed. After the surgery he decided to catch some sleep before going home, 'cause otherwise he would fall asleep in the car. He still felt drowsy and exhausted. His feet called his attention. Those sneakers… he would've sworn he had thrown them away. He shook his head and stood up, leaving the room.
It was almost dawn when he went to the locker room to change. He took a shower and got dressed. When he was ready to leave, he found Derek sitting on one of the benches. He was devastated. He was sobbing loud, and the echo resounded in Jack's ears.
– Derek, what's going on? –he asked afflicted by Derek's state.
– I couldn't save her Jack… I couldn't… –he replied in tears.
Jack knew he must be referring to the patient Derek was operating on soon after he walked into the ER. Derek was trying to save a female covered in blood from head to toe. Her blood pressure was dropping severely when Jack helped him stabilize her. Soon after, Andrea entered the ER and announced that another patient had just been admitted with a massive concussion and a broken back. Both doctors agreed Derek would stay with the girl, and Jack would take care of the other patient.
– Derek, you know these things happen, you did your best… –Jack assured, trying to comfort him.
– It wasn't enough… I tried so hard Jack, but I just lost her… She was only 26 years old… And I couldn't tell him…
Jack frowned, disconcerted. – Tell who?
Derek raised his gaze and met Jack's eyes. – She was Patrick's fiancée.
– What? –he asked more confused and jaw-dropped. When did Patrick have gotten engaged? Oh boy, was he talking about Marion? – What happened to Marion? –he asked back, frantic.
– She had to tell him. I wasn't able… I didn't have the guts.
Jack didn't understand a damn. Was Derek talking insanity due to post traumatic stress? What the hell was going on? – Listen, I'll go check on Patrick. You're going to be okay?
– Tell him I'm so sorry… –Derek pleaded, sobbing again.
As Jack wandered the hallways looking for Patrick, he started feeling dazed. There was something in the air. It was like he was in another place, but yet he was at the same old hospital he had always worked at. When he walked in front of the Intensive Care Unit, he ran into Marion, who was evidently upset and jittery.
– Jack, now it's not a good time… –she told him.
– What?
– We had to sedate Patrick. He's a total mess. If he sees you, he's going to jump you. We should better wait till the medication takes effect. But right know you can't walk in… –she warned.
– What the hell are you talking about? Why would he want to jump me? –he asked in disbelief.
– He says you were the one supposed to work on her… –Marion said with teary eyes.
– But I didn't know he knew her… I didn't even know he was engaged…
– He's not himself right now, Jack, try to understand. –Marion stated, not noticing he had just said he didn't know about Patrick's engagement.
He nodded in agreement, but still he didn't know what was happening. He went to Andrea and asked her for the patient's report, but she didn't have it. Yet she told her that the minute he left the ER, the girl's blood pressure dropped again. She had wrecked her car bad and was deeply injured when she was admitted. Her ribs were broken, and one of them had perforated her left lung. Her thoracic cage was totally collapsed, therefore most of her vital organs were damaged. Then an internal bleeding started, and that made her heart finally give up.
Andrea also told him Patrick's shift was over and Derek's was starting when the patient came in. Soon after, Patrick came back from the Emergency Zone frantic, covered in blood, trying to stop the bleeding of the girl on the cot, shouting himself hoarse because he knew her. That's why he wasn't allowed in the ER. He was removed from the Intensive Care Unit and Derek was left to handle the situation. Then Patrick went to Andrea and begged her to call Jack. He's the only one who can save her, he told her hysterical.
When Patrick learnt Jack was finally in the ER, he felt a little relieved. He agreed on leaving the Unit and wait at the doctor's lounge. Varya and Marion were waiting with him. Then Marion had to join Derek in the ER, 'cause Jack had to take care of the other patient that had been admitted.
It was 4 minutes after 4:00 AM when Derek and Marion had no choice but to call the patient dead. When they left the ER, Marion told Derek that girl was Patrick's fiancée between tears. That's when Derek collapsed.
The whole scene, Andrea stated with teary eyes, had been heartbreaking. Then Marion went to the lounge. Patrick's screams could be heard all over the hospital. He blamed Derek and Marion and Jack. Why the fuck did he left the table? Oh God, please! No!, were some of the things he yelled.
– This is so sad, Dr. Shephard… she was such a nice girl… –Andrea affirmed with a broken voice.
Jack was stunned. Even Andrea knew this girl. Who the hell she was? Why everybody knew about her but him? He had definitely been away from his friends and their lives, he thought.
But now it was time to see Patrick. He had to let him know that he wasn't aware of that girl being his fiancée, and that Derek had done everything humanly possible to save her, but she was totally broken from the crash.
He found him still in the lounge, totally numb, paralyzed. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the couch, his head and arms between his legs. He was wearing jeans and a white shirt still covered in blood. He looked extremely young, more than usual. Jack walked in, silent, and sat beside him, taking a deep breath. He didn't know what to say.
– It's nobody's fault. I know it… –Patrick finally pronounced, breaking the silence. – But I wished you had worked on her instead of the other patient… That way I'd be sure there was nothing left to do…
– Patrick, Derek did his best. Of course there was nothing left to do, I'm so sorry… We all are very sorry… –he assured honestly.
– We were having dinner at our new house tonight… She was so excited about moving to Malibu… But she didn't know the roads, that's why she ended on the freeway… God Jack, what am I going to tell her family? –Patrick sobbed.
Jack went mute. That was sad. He wanted to ask him about this sudden girlfriend, but he thought that was not the right moment. The best he could do was sitting there in silence, giving Patrick his sympathy and company.
About half hour went by, but it felt like a decade for Jack. He remembered when Kate died and how he felt back then. It was the worst and most devastating sensation ever, and he wished Patrick didn't have to go through it, but at the same time he was grateful he had survived that tragedy and moved on. Patrick would see the light again for sure, he thought.
– You make my worst day brighter just by looking at me… –Patrick uttered almost in a whisper, his gaze lost.
Jack stared at Patrick. – What? What did you just say?
– That's what she answered every time I asked her why she loved me…
A shiver ran through Jack's spine. He immediately stood up and rushed to the ER, but the patient had already been removed. An asphyxiating feeling of fear invaded his body. One… two… three… four… five… He hit the Nurses' Station.
– Where is she? –he yelled at Andrea.
– Where's who? –she asked, scared by Jack's look.
– The patient!
– She… she was moved to the morgue…
He felt his heartbeat speed to the point of pain. He crashed into the morgue slamming the doors in front of him. He found two men around the table, probably from the funerary services. One of them stopped him from approaching, placing one hand on his chest. – Excuse me sir, are you family?
– I want to see her…
– I'm sorry, but only family, the police or doctors can see the body.
– Get the fuck away from me! –he said, pushing the man violently. The other man stepped back from the table, afraid of him.
Once he could approach, he removed the sheet to reveal the face behind it. His hands were shaking. His legs literally crumbled. – God no! What the hell is this?! This is not happening! –he took her in his arms and held her against his chest. She was still wearing the engagement ring, and they had put on her the red dress. She looked ethereal. – Brooke! What kind of sick joke is this?! –he snapped to one of the men.
– Call security! –the man demanded to his partner.
– Sir, you can't touch this body! –the other one yelled.
He had to be dreaming. He gently placed her on the table again and looked around in frantic panic, tears rolling over his cheeks, like waiting to wake up of that outrageous nightmare. But nothing happened. He was still there, she was still dead.
He left the morgue running. When he crashed into the lounge, Marion and Varya were there with Patrick, who was now standing up. Jack slammed him against the wall. – What the fuck is happening here?! Why you say Brooke is your fiancée? She is my fiancée! I gave her that ring, and the dress!
– Jesus Christ, Jack! Are you drunk? –Marion asked horrified. Both she and Varya were trying to make him let go of Patrick, but they couldn't.
– You think this is fucking funny?! –Patrick asked enraged.
– What did you do to her?! We're getting married on Saturday!
– For God's sake Jack! What the hell are you doing?! –Varya cried.
Then Derek came fro behind him and held his arms around his back, immobilizing him. Jack tried to unleash, but he couldn't. Now everybody was at the lounge, looking at him as he was a freaking lunatic. Still being hold by Derek, he noticed everybody's stares. Then he felt Patrick's cold fist against his face. – Are you fucking stoned you son of a bitch?! How dare you to speak that shit?! –Patrick shouted to his face, jolting him and trying to hit him again, whilst Marion and Varya tried to stop him.
– Patrick, please! –Marion begged.
– I'm sure your wife would love to hear you saying that crap now! –Patrick snapped.
Jack started breathing harder. When he closed his eyes and ran his palm through his face, he felt it. He looked at his hand. He was wearing his wedding ring. He began shaking. – This is not happening! –he claimed, releasing himself from Derek's arms and leaving the lounge before the stunned eyes of the people around. – Jack! –was the last thing he heard behind him, in Marion's voice.
He rushed to the parking lot, but he couldn't find his car. The keys inside his pocket were not his. He pressed the alarm control and followed the beep. He couldn't believe it. Kate's SUV was there. God, please, wake up!
– Come on, wake up, wake up… –he kept repeating to himself. That couldn't be happening. He sure was dreaming a very vivid, awful nightmare. The stress, the fight with Brooke, everything was paying off and altering his mind.
Even the road seemed different. He headed home. When he arrived, the place was static. Where were all the moving boxes? He rushed to his mother's room. – Mom?! Mom! –But there wasn't such room in the house, just a TV studio.
Then he walked into Brett's room and found his two year-old son sleeping placidly in his cradle. He laughed insanely. He was back in time, as if that was even possible. If he wasn't dreaming, he was drunk without a doubt. I sure got wasted after Brooke left, he thought.
– Jack! Where have you been?!
He turned around and froze when he saw Kate in front of him. – What are you doing here?
– I thought he had killed you! You were nowhere to be found! Are you okay? –she asked in panic, trying to touch him.
– What are you doing here?! –he asked back fiercely, making her get away and lean against Brett's door.
Kate looked at him astonished. – Why you ask me that? I live here! This is our home!
He covered his eyes and pleaded. – Stop haunting me!
– Baby, what happened to you?! –Kate asked desperate.
– Why you call me baby?! You never call me that, you are not like that! –he snapped furious. His shouts made Brett awake. Now he was crying. Kate rushed to the cradle to hold him.
– Where's Jackie?! –he said as he headed to his daughter's room.
When he walked in, she was already awake and sitting on her legs in the bed, like waiting for him. – What did you do? –he asked the girl, feeling afraid of her. But her eyes revealed doubt and fear as well. She had no idea what her dad was talking about. She remained silent, not daring to talk.
– What the hell is wrong with you? –an upset Kate asked from behind him. – Leave her alone! –she demanded.
He left the room before the innocent and hesitant eyes of his little girl. – Everything's okay sweetie, daddy's just a little tired… –Kate whispered in Jackie's ears, kissing her forehead and tucking her.
Then she followed Jack, who was now in their bedroom, walking around like a caged lion. He took the alarm clock from the nigh stand and checked the date. He rubbed his hair and took a deep breath. It couldn't be. It marked the day Kate died. – Jack please talk to me, what happened?! –Kate asked crying, frantic. Now she was really scared of his erratic behavior.
– I just… need some sleep… I really want to sleep now… –he stated, still believing he was in the middle of an endless and grotesque nightmare, which would go away once he awoke and the sun shined in the sky.
