Mel sits at the bar, watching her husband work. Husband. There's something thrilling about seeing a wedding band on Jack's finger and knowing he belongs to only her. She loves that now when people, especially women, come into the bar from out of town that they know he is taken. Jack is charming, friendly, and handsome, and he seems to have an effect on everyone he meets. She smiles as she watches him move around the bar with confidence, chatting up the customers, genuinely concerned for their well-being.
This is how her eyes happen to be fixed on Jack when the sound of a glass shattering startles her. Jack freezes where he stands, bracing himself against the nearest table as he stares off into space for a few breaths, before composing himself and acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He disappears immediately into his office, closing the door behind him. Mel slips off her stool and follows him. She knocks and enters without waiting for a response, only to find him filling a glass with whiskey and lifting it to his lips.
"Jack," she says, and he pauses, looking expectantly at her. "Talk to me. Don't do this."
His expression darkens. "There's nothing to talk about," he snaps.
Mel frowns, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "I hate seeing you like this. Do you think you're hiding it from me? Because you're not. Jack, you're going to be a father. You're a husband now. We need you."
Jack flinches at her use of the word 'we', and he places the glass down on his desk and sighs. "I had a flashback," he admits. "The sound of breaking glass does that sometimes. I go back to a time when I was hiding in this building from enemy fire, they were shooting out the windows. I didn't think I was going to make it out of there alive. And when I have a flashback, or a nightmare, or I start to think too much about what happened, the alcohol takes the edge off, and I feel like I can breathe again."
Mel walks over to him pulling him up by the hand out of his chair and embracing him, her face tucked into the crook of his neck. "Can you breathe now?" she asks gently, placing a kiss at the base of his throat.
He swallows, "Yes," he admits, threading his fingers through her hair.
"You're my safe place, Jack," she tells him. "I want to be yours, too."
"You are," he says firmly.
"Then I want you to do something for me," she says.
"Anything," he replies.
"I want you to see someone about this. I think you are suffering from PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's really common for vets, because of everything you've experienced and witnessed. You don't have to live like this, Jack," she says.
He sighs, "Mel," he begins, but she crosses her arms over her chest, challenging him back. "Ok," he acquiesces.
"I'll go with you if you want, to support you. Some treatments involve meds, but not all. Mostly it's going to be helping you to work through the trauma so that you can live a healthy life," she explains. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Jack. You are the strongest, bravest man I know. What you saw and experienced is beyond comprehension."
He takes a step towards her, wrapping her in an embrace. "I love you so much," he whispers into her ear.
"I love you more," she counters.
"Not possible," he replies, kissing her.
This is how a week later they find themselves in session with a therapist that Mel found after doing an online search. Dr. Flanigan specializes in PTSD and is located not far away in Clear River, so Mel immediately books an appointment. She and Jack sit together on a comfortable sofa facing Dr. Flanigan.
"So what can I do for you today?" Dr. Flanigan says, looking between Jack and Mel. Jack looks anxiously at Mel, who takes it as her cue to begin.
"Jack is a former Marine," she explains, "And he has been having flashbacks and night terrors that put him right back in the war. We recently got married and we have a child on the way, and I encouraged Jack to come here today. In the past he has dealt with it by drinking or bottling up his feelings, but I know it isn't healthy for him, or for us."
"I see," Dr. Flanigan says, looking at Jack. "Do you agree with what Mel has said?" she asks him.
Jack nods, "Yes. It is difficult for me to talk about what happened. Then I have to relive it. And I am not the kind of person who wants to focus on the past, but it just seems to keep coming up. When I least expect it, suddenly I'm back there. The drinking, it takes the edge off when things get really bad."
"Do you think you have a problem with drinking?" the doctor questions.
"Yes and no," he admits. "Yes, because I know that drinking isn't a good way of handling stress, and no because I don't think I'm addicted to it. Maybe only addicted to using it to help me with this."
"Do you think you could stop drinking if you wanted to?" the doctor wonders.
"Yes," he says.
"Then I'd like you to try," she says. "If you feel the urge to do it, you're going to tell Mel, or give me a call anytime, day or night, and we will work through the feelings that are making you want to drink. Because ultimately, Jack, that is what you need to do, is find a healthy way to cope. Face those feelings head on, turn them into something positive that you can live with. We can't erase your memories or your experiences, only how you react to them."
"I understand," he says.
For the next hour, Jack slowly opens up more to the doctor, telling her more than he has told Mel about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan than he has told Mel the whole time they've been together. She doesn't say anything the whole time, she only holds his hand.
As the session comes to an end, he turns to Mel and says, "Thank you."
"For what?" she asks.
"For loving me," he replies. "For being here. I never would have had the courage to come here if it weren't for you."
Dr. Flanigan smiles at the couple, "Jack, you did great today. And I want you to continue talking to Mel about this, ok? Not all the time, just as memories surface, or as you feel comfortable. And no drinking, ok?"
Jack nods and shakes the doctor's hand, thanking her as they turn to leave with a promise to return next week. As they climb into the truck, Mel looks at her husband.
"Wow," she says. "I had no idea," she whispers.
"It's not a burden I want you to bear," he replies. "You've been through enough."
"Jack," she says, reaching over the console for his hand, "I love you. And this is a part of you. It isn't a burden. Do you have any idea how proud of you I am? Serving our country, protecting all of us, it's the most honorable thing a person can do. And you do everything so selflessly. You are the most amazing man I've ever known."
He reaches for her, kissing her deeply before releasing her and gazing into her eyes. "Thank you."
Just then, Mel gasps, he hands flying to her abdomen.
"What is it?" he asks, worried.
"Jack!" she exclaims, grabbing his hand and placing it on her belly, "Can you feel that? The baby is moving! It feels like butterflies!"
He tries desperately, but he can't feel anything. "Don't worry," she tells him, "In a few weeks you'll be able to feel it too."
Jack's phone pings with an incoming text. It's from an unknown number.
New wife and a baby too! Just heard the news! Congrats, man. I'm so sorry for everything. You have always been there for me and I let you down. I am glad you are finally happy.
"What is it?" Mel asks, noting Jack's puzzled expression.
"Brady?" Jack asks, handing her his phone so that she can read the text herself.
"Probably," Mel replies. But what is he apologizing for? Going to work for Calvin? Because in the end he did the right thing with Spencer."
Jack doesn't say anything for a long time, staring at his phone. Eventually he types back.
Thanks, man. Come home. Mike will find a way to protect you. If you need a lawyer, Brie will help. Just come home.
He waits to see if the message is delivered, and when it is, he releases the breath he didn't realize he was holding. His phone pings again.
No can do. I don't think you'll forgive me if you know the truth.
"The truth about what?" Mel wonders. "Do you think he knows who shot you?"
Jack freezes, his expression serious. "Mel! What if it was him? Whoever did it either didn't intend to kill me, or just had terrible aim. Brady trained with me, he could shoot a moving target out of the sky. He doesn't miss. But what if Calvin told him to take care of me or else, and he did it to appease him. Not his fault if I survive, right?"
"Oh my god," Mel says, her eyes widening in horror.
Jack picks up his phone and dials Mike's number.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Even armed with the new cell phone number, Mike is still unable to track Brady's whereabouts. They were able to locate the last cell towel pinged by the phone, but that was as far as the investigation takes them. The small town of Virgin River is flooded with cops and investigators as they continue to try and crack the case. Calvin may be in prison, but he won't talk. And many of his associates fled. At this point, they could be anywhere.
Mel is just starting to show, and Jack thinks she's never looked more beautiful. Her skin is glowing, her curves are more pronounced, her is hair thick and shiny. Most of all, she's happy, which brings out a completely new side of her.
Jack notices immediately when one of the investigators takes an interest in his wife, seemingly undeterred by her wedding ring. He remembers being in the same predicament, the only real difference is, he's standing right here as her husband, where Mark was not physically present. Jack knows that Mel can handle herself and he also knows that Mel is completely devoted to him, so he doesn't pay the guy, Scott, much attention.
Mel, on the other hand, just finds Scott annoying. He's always trying to talk to her or sit beside her when she comes to the bar. The investigators again grill both her and Jack about the details of the night of the shooting, something she doesn't want to relive.
"Hey there, pretty lady," Scott greets her as he pulls up a chair, sitting beside her as she waits for her lunch at a table. Mel does a quick scan for Jack, but thinks he must be in his office.
"Hi," Mel says politely, "Any leads yet?"
"No," Scott says, "We tracked the phone, but Brady must have tossed it out. At this point he's our prime suspect. We've been interviewing Calvin's guys that we captured to see if any of them know anything, and so far all signs are pointing to Brady."
"Do you think it's my fault?" Mel asks. "I talked to Brady that day. I wanted to know what happened to Spencer to help Jack, so I went to Emerald Lumber to find Brady. Other guys were there and saw me, so maybe it got back to Calvin."
"That's currently what we think," Scott replies, and Mel's face falls. "And then Calvin ordered Brady to kill Jack, and because of their history, Calvin injured him instead, and then fled."
Mel begins to cry. "Hey," Scott says, reaching for hand in an attempt to comfort her, "It's ok."
Mel retracts her hand immediately. "I'm happily married," she reminds him.
"Marriage isn't forever," Scott replies.
"It is for me," Mel says, standing up and walking to find Jack. She sees him working on paperwork at his desk.
"Scott is a jerk," she says, sitting down across from him.
"Why now?" Jack says, smiling at her.
"He tried to hold my hand," Mel explains. "Because I was upset. He said they now think that I'm responsible for the shooting because I went to Brady that day."
Jack's eyes narrow, "But that's not what Mike told me. Mike said that Jimmy couldn't get over the fact that Brady was winning Calvin's favor, so he convinced Calvin to test Brady's loyalty by ordering Brady to kill me."
"What?" Mel says, "Then why would Scott tell me something different?"
"I don't know," Jack responds. "It's ok, Mel. It wasn't your fault."
Mel smiles at her husband. He's been doing so well since they started going to Dr. Flanigan. He hasn't been drinking and he started opening up to her more about what happened in while he was a marine. She is very proud of him. She stands, leaving him to his work. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this," she tells him.
"I know you will," Jack says, winking at her as she returns to her table. Scott is still sitting there sipping his drink.
"How are you doing, sweetie?" he says to Mel, "Everything ok with Sheridan?"
"Yes, everything is ok with my husband," Mel replies, emphasizing the last word. "So, do you want to explain why you lied to me just now?"
"I, uh," Scott stammers.
"Because I don't appreciate you making me feel terrible for no good reason," Mel replies. "I am completely in love with and devoted to Jack. I'm pregnant with his baby. He's it for me. And if you can't figure that out, then you are a pretty terrible detective."
Jack laughs as he walks out of the office and toward his wife, "I'm gonna have to side with Mel, here," he says. He looks at Scott, "And as the owner of this place, I'm asking you to leave."
"Look, Jack," Scott begins, but Jack holds up a hand, silencing him, and points to the door.
Scott gets up and leaves, and Jack turns to Mel. "Be honest," he says, "Was I a creep like that? Hitting on a married woman?"
"Well, technically I wasn't married when we met," Mel clarifies.
"True, but you were wearing a ring, and I didn't know that," Jack responds.
"Scott is pathetic, but you were handsome and charming. You always put my needs first. You took the time to get to know me. You waited until I was ready for something more. You're nothing like Scott."
"Wait, I was handsome and charming?" Jack teases her, "And what about now?"
"Let me show you," she replies, smiling mischievously at him as she leads him up the stairs to his room.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
When Mel wakes up in the night again crying from yet another nightmare centered around the shooting, Jack knows that she might also benefit from talking to Dr. Flanigan. Mel insists that she is ok, that they are just nightmares, but Jack worries about her. At his next appointment, he decides to bring it up to the doctor himself.
"Mel has been having frequent nightmares about the shooting, or something bad happening to me. I worry about the level of stress it's putting on her, especially with the baby coming," he explains to the doctor.
"I see," Dr. Flanigan says, turning to Mel, who is frowning at Jack. "How do you feel about what Jack said?"
"Well, I told him it wasn't a big deal, and that these appointments are supposed to be for him," Mel replies.
"But what affects you affects me too," Jack interjects, and the doctor nods.
Dr. Flanigan looks expectantly at Mel, "It is understandable, after going through the trauma you went through before you met Jack, that the shooting would impact you in this way. How are you coping with what happened?"
Mel sighs, looking down at her hands. She knows if she looks at Jack she won't be able to continue. "I'm afraid of losing him," she admits quietly.
"Do you feel like that feeling interferes with your day-to-day life?" the doctor asks.
"Sometimes," Mel admits. "Mostly I feel it when we are apart, or if I don't know exactly where he is. I know it isn't healthy to always be together, or for Jack to have to tell me where he is at every moment. I don't want to feel this way, but I've already gone through what I thought was the worst. And now I realize that I haven't. I wouldn't survive losing Jack. Sometimes the fear of it is so strong it's paralyzing."
"I know this is difficult," Dr. Flanigan says, glancing between the two of them, "And you two have already been to hell and back. It is normal to worry about those you love, but not to the point where it prevents you from enjoying your life. I am not going to give you any clichéd advice that it will be ok, or the odds of something bad happening are low, but you both know that isn't true. What I will encourage you to do is the same thing I told Jack. Talk to him about how you feel. Work out a way that you both can feel safe with each other, understanding and respecting each other's feelings."
"I'll do anything, you know that," Jack tells Mel, reaching out to squeeze her hand. They both talk about ways to help Mel's anxiety, including adding apps to their phones where they can track each other's whereabouts, and checking in with each other throughout the day. Mel agrees to share her feelings more with Jack about her fears, and the two leave the office feeling better than when they arrived.
"I'm sorry," Mel says when they get into the truck. "I know you don't need any more stress."
"Hey," he says to her. "You're everything to me. Do you think I'm upset that you love me so much that you're afraid to lose me? Mel, I feel the same way about you. This is for both of us, ok?"
She smiles, and together they drive back to Virgin River.
Mel loves the way that she and Jack can have an emotionally charged conversation like the one in Dr. Flanigan's office, and then go back to discussing inane things like the weather, and what they are going to have for dinner. She's staring out the window of the truck, thinking, when he breaks the silence.
"Are you sure you're ok?" he asks, always worried about her.
"Yes," she replies. "You know, the longer we are together, the more connected I feel to you. Like I think I could sense now if something was wrong with you. That probably sounds crazy."
"Not at all," he assures her. "I feel the same way about you. Like that night you were attacked, something inside me told me to go see you at the clinic. It's why I just happened to be outside of Doc's at the right time."
She smiles, squeezing his hand across the console.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Just a few more minutes," Mel begs, snuggling closer to Jack in bed, slinging her leg over his waist. He groans as she begins kissing his neck and sliding her hands down his chest.
"You know I can't resist you," he sighs, capturing her lips with his as her rolls on top of her. "Are you sure this is ok?" he asks nervously, "I'm not like, crushing the baby or anything?"
Mel laughs, tracing his check with her fingertips, "No, of course not," she replies. "But if you're nervous, there's other ways we can do this," she grins, raising her eyebrows suggestively at him.
"Then I think we should try all of them, right now," he says, smirking back at her.
Later, Mel can't seem to wipe the smile off her face while she works, feeling completely in love with her husband. She's in the middle of prescribing an ointment for a patient suffering from eczema when her heart suddenly starts pounding, and she has a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knows instinctively that something is wrong with her husband. She snatches up her phone, excusing herself from the patient and dialing Jack's number. When there is no answer, she grabs her purse and runs out of the clinic.
It's slow day at the bar, and Jack finds his thoughts drifting to Mel and their amazing morning together. He just can't seem to get enough of her, and he misses her already. He smiles to himself as he dries the glasses at the bar and wipes down the counter. He looks up at the sound of someone entering, his heart beginning to pound when he registers that it's Brady.
"Jack," Brady says in acknowledgement, his hands concealed in the pockets of his jacket.
Jack stares at him, his stomach swooping in fear as Brady slowly removes his hands from his pockets.