Chapter Nineteen
Mimi and Jason stood at the emergency room reception desk, holding hands tightly. Jason had insisted that Rory and Nick go on to the house and take the luggage with them, promising to call as soon as they had any news about Josh. After just a couple minutes of waiting, the woman they had spoken to upon their arrival returned with very little information.
"Mr. Masters, your brother is currently undergoing some tests. I don't really know the status of his condition yet, but we should have some more information soon."
Jason ran a hand through his wet hair and nodded. "So what do I do?"
The woman looked at him sympathetically, having dealt with frantic family members every single day of the week. "Take a seat in the waiting room, relax... and a doctor will be out to see you very soon."
Jason nodded and Mimi led him to the chairs, and forced him to sit down. Both of them were soaking wet, and Mimi kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Stay right there, I'm going to go get some towels."
She hurried back to the desk and asked the woman if they could have something to dry off with, and the woman quickly returned with two white towels. Mimi sat in the chair next to Jason and put the towel in his lap. But, Jason failed to pick it up. He was staring straight forward, not even looking at her, lost in the thoughts that were plaguing his mind.
Mimi sighed softly and put her towel aside. She picked up the one in Jason's lap and began gently patting him dry. She wiped the raindrops off of his skin, and began running the towel over his hair. "Jason... I -- I know that nothing I can say is going to make this any easier for you. But, you HAVE to believe that he's going to be okay."
Jason turned his head and looked into her eyes. "He HAS to be okay. I can't lose my brother."
Mimi nodded and began drying herself off. "He will be. We don't even know how bad his injuries are yet, so there's no reason to be scared. Okay?"
"Mimi -- I... I..."
Mimi could tell he was struggling for words so she ran her towel through her hair and then put it aside. "Do you need something? Should I go get you a cup of coffee to help warm you up? What is it?"
Jason shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning up into a weak smile. "No... No... I just need you."
Mimi smiled back at him and wrapped her arms around his chest, as Jason wrapped his arms around her in return. "I'm here... I'm right here."
She sighed softly as she laid her head into the curve of his shoulder. They would wait together, and no matter what happened, they would go through it together. He truly did need her, and that was a feeling unlike any that Mimi Lockhart had ever known.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(An hour and a half later.)
"I'm looking for the family of Josh Masters... Is there a Masters family member out here?"
Mimi and Jason whipped their heads around and saw the young doctor in the white coat walking into the waiting room. Jason waved him over and the doctor took a seat across from them. "Are you Josh's family?"
Jason nodded, his forehead creased with anxiety. "I'm his brother, Jason..."
The doctor thrust his hand forward and quickly shook hands with Jason. "I'm Dr. Snyder... I've been treating your brother since the ambulance brought him in."
"How -- how is he?"
Dr. Snyder smiled reassuringly and continued. "He's very lucky, Mr. Masters. Very lucky."
Jason exhaled loudly, the weight lifting from his shoulders as Mimi smiled and gripped on to his arm. "He's okay then?"
"He's got a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs, a concussion. He looks a lot worse than he is. He's a little cut up and bruised, but he's okay. The seatbelt and the airbag... saved his life for sure."
Mimi felt tears of joy spring to her eyes and she kissed Jason on the cheek quickly. "See... I told you... Everything is fine. He's going to be okay."
Jason nodded and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. They had only been at the hospital for a brief time, but it had been the most frightening time in his life. From the moment he saw Josh's SUV on that tow truck to the moment the doctor came and sat across from them, Jason was more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. But, Mimi had been there to reassure him, and to take care of him. And her mere presence was the exact kind of comfort he needed.
He brushed his hand through her hair and smiled happily at her before turning back to the doctor. "Can I see him?"
"We're transferring him to a room right now. We just want to keep him for at least 24 hours to observe his concussion. But, as soon as we get him in a room upstairs, he's all yours."
Jason smiled in appreciation and shook Dr. Snyder's hand again. "Thank you, doctor... Thank you."
Dr. Snyder nodded and quickly exited the waiting room, heading back to the ER to attend to more patients. Mimi was smiling happily and she threw her arms around Jason. "Oh thank God... I'm so glad he's going to be okay."
"Mimi..." Jason paused and brushed her cheek with his hand. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but now wasn't the time. It would have to wait. "I -- I was so scared. I've never been that afraid before..."
Mimi nodded in understanding, knowing how hard it was for him to admit that to her. "I know... But, you don't have to be afraid anymore."
"Thank you... Thank you for being here."
Mimi grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Where else would I be? Wherever you go, I'll be there too."
Jason smiled and held her tightly. "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."
Mimi sighed softly and snuggled up closer to him. It was starting to seem like every day she learned something new about Jason, or a new part of him was exposed to her. The false bravado he had during in high school was slowly washing away, but for her eyes only. Only Mimi really knew the more vulnerable, scared side of Jason Masters.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A short time later.)
Jason pushed through the door of Josh's hospital room, with Mimi following directly behind him. Josh was sitting up in bed, and Mimi immediately noticed that Dr. Snyder was definitely right. He looked a lot worse than he was. His arm was wrapped in a cast, and a large gash on his forehead was covered in a bandage, with the rest of him covered in bruises and scratches.
Josh turned to look at them and managed a weak smile. "Heyyyyy... Spring break is really going great so far, right?"
Jason walked towards the bed and gave half of a hug to his injured brother. "Bro, you look... awful."
"Thanks Jase... I really appreciate that."
Mimi came forward and stood at the side of his bed, smiling happily at Josh. "Hey Josh..."
"Mimi... See, I told you. I told you I wasn't perfect."
She laughed softly and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "Yes, you did. But, did you have to prove it like this?"
Josh grinned and winked at her. "Anything to prove a point."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his brother sternly. "If you ever speed on a rainy day again, you won't have to drive your car into a pole, because I'll kill you myself."
"Hey hey... Wait a minute... Who is the older brother here?"
"You are... But for once, you were the one who did something dumb... and not me."
Josh chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Mom and Dad are going to love this... Did you call them?"
Jason shrugged slightly. "Eddie probably did. We've been calling over to the house to keep everyone updated. I just talked to him. He didn't mention calling them, but he probably did."
"The car is... My car is dead."
Mimi rolled her eyes and snickered. "What is it with guys? They get into a car accident and all they care about is how their car is."
Josh replied defensively. "I love that car, Mimi. I've had it for almost four years. It was my high school graduation present and I love it."
"Pathetic. Truly pathetic."
Josh looked to Jason for help. "Uhm... She's not supposed to be mean to me. I'm in the hospital."
Jason threw his hands up in surrender. "I can't take sides. You are my brother who has picked on me my entire life and she is my girlfriend who I love. It's too close to call, bro."
"That's okay... They gave me pain pills for my arm and my ribs. I probably won't even remember this in the morning."
Mimi smiled and laid her hands on the rail of his bed. "Then maybe we should leave... I'm sure the doctor wants you to get your rest... And, it's starting to get late..."
"I -- I have no problem with that. I'm feeling okay, they just want to keep me here to make sure I don't have brain damage." Josh paused and then pointed at his brother with a warning. "Jason... Don't even begin to make a joke about my potential brain damage."
Jason grinned wickedly, keeping his comments to himself. "Fine, fine, I'll keep my mouth shut. I guess we'll go back to the house, and be back first thing in the morning."
Josh used his good hand to quickly clasp hands with his brother and nodded. Mimi interjected with her own reassurances. "If you need anything before the morning, just call the house and let us know. Okay?"
"I promise, Mimi. You two... don't worry about me... This vacation *will* get better. I swear."
Mimi nodded, and they quickly said good night to Josh and left his room. It had been a long night already, and both of them were worn out physically and emotionally. Their vacation sure didn't start out they way they thought it would, but it was already getting better. Josh was safe and already on the road to recovery, and she hoped his accident was just a tiny bump in the road, not an omen of worse things to come.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(At the House)
Jason was already in the large bed underneath the covers when Mimi returned from the bathroom. She was already in her shorts and tank top that she wore to bed and slid under the covers next to him. Entwining her legs with his, she nuzzled closer to him and gave him a soft kiss on his bare shoulder.
Jason sighed softly and rolled on to his side so he could hold her close. "You know... If I wasn't so sleepy, this would all be incredibly sexy."
Mimi's green eyes widened and she pouted slightly. "You mean... I'm only sexy when you're awake?"
"No, that's not what I meant... I just... As sexy as you are, not much would be able to keep me from falling asleep very very soon."
"I know, I know... It's been a long night. The flight from Salem wears you out enough, but with sitting around the hospital for a couple of hours... I'm just as tired as you are."
Jason nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Yes, it has been a long night. But, it made me realize something about you."
Mimi stared at him curiously, her eyebrows pursed together in confusion. "Oh yeah... What's that?"
"How much I need you, Mimi. And something like that... admitting that I need you... it's not easy for me to do. I've never had anyone I could rely on except for Josh. Until you. I'm happy that Josh is okay, but I also know that if the situation was not a good one... I would have you there, and you would get me through whatever happened."
"Of course... I love you. I'm always here for you when you need me. I always will be."
Jason smiled at her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I also... I thought that I could lose my brother tonight. I could have, if it wasn't for a seatbelt and an airbag. And, my whole life, he's the only person I've ever cared about. Now I have you... and Mimi, I can't lose you either. I know that for sure now. I just can't lose you..."
The moonlight was filtering in through the windows and Mimi saw something she had never seen before. Tears were welling up in her boyfriend's eyes. He had been truly afraid tonight, and it had just served as a reminder as to what was most important to him.
"It's okay, Jase... That's not something you should worry about. You're not going to lose me."
A couple of stray tears trickled down his face and Mimi leaned in to kiss them away, as Jason sniffled. "I love you, Mimi... I never knew it was possible to feel this way about someone, but now I understand what being in love is all about. I love you, I trust you, I want to make you happy, and I need you more than I've ever needed anyone... And, I don't ever want this feeling to end."
"Then it won't. I feel the same way, Jase, I do. And, I will never let that feeling go away... Not for either of us."
Jason kissed her on the lips briefly and smiled. "Thank God for you, Mimi Lockhart... You've changed my life."
Mimi shook her head. His life wasn't hers to take credit for, and she knew it. "No, you changed it... I was just there to hold your hand."
"Well, either way, I'm glad for it."
"Me too. My life has changed too, Jason... It really has. All because of you. I mean, I can hardly recognize myself anymore."
Jason grinned and brushed the tips of his fingers over her cheek. "You're the same Mimi you've always been. You just never allowed yourself to shine before."
Mimi buried her head into the curve of his neck and sighed softly. They both began to drift towards sleep, as Mimi had blissful thoughts running through her head. She had felt loved by family and friends in her life, but never had she felt needed like this.
And Jason was thinking the same thing. He knew that she needed him just as much as he needed her. They were two lost souls who had found solace with each other. And, if ever one were to lose their way, the other would find them. Now, more than ever, they were both beginning to feel that they were two pieces of one soul who were only complete when in each other's arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Not my best work, really. But, I tried to get across Jason's need, fear and vulnerability and Mimi's positive effect on all of that. Or... I could have just royally screwed up my entire story. You be the judge. :)
Give me lots of feedback, good or bad. I gotta know if I did an acceptable job... I'm feeling a little uneasy.
-Hope-
Mimi and Jason stood at the emergency room reception desk, holding hands tightly. Jason had insisted that Rory and Nick go on to the house and take the luggage with them, promising to call as soon as they had any news about Josh. After just a couple minutes of waiting, the woman they had spoken to upon their arrival returned with very little information.
"Mr. Masters, your brother is currently undergoing some tests. I don't really know the status of his condition yet, but we should have some more information soon."
Jason ran a hand through his wet hair and nodded. "So what do I do?"
The woman looked at him sympathetically, having dealt with frantic family members every single day of the week. "Take a seat in the waiting room, relax... and a doctor will be out to see you very soon."
Jason nodded and Mimi led him to the chairs, and forced him to sit down. Both of them were soaking wet, and Mimi kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Stay right there, I'm going to go get some towels."
She hurried back to the desk and asked the woman if they could have something to dry off with, and the woman quickly returned with two white towels. Mimi sat in the chair next to Jason and put the towel in his lap. But, Jason failed to pick it up. He was staring straight forward, not even looking at her, lost in the thoughts that were plaguing his mind.
Mimi sighed softly and put her towel aside. She picked up the one in Jason's lap and began gently patting him dry. She wiped the raindrops off of his skin, and began running the towel over his hair. "Jason... I -- I know that nothing I can say is going to make this any easier for you. But, you HAVE to believe that he's going to be okay."
Jason turned his head and looked into her eyes. "He HAS to be okay. I can't lose my brother."
Mimi nodded and began drying herself off. "He will be. We don't even know how bad his injuries are yet, so there's no reason to be scared. Okay?"
"Mimi -- I... I..."
Mimi could tell he was struggling for words so she ran her towel through her hair and then put it aside. "Do you need something? Should I go get you a cup of coffee to help warm you up? What is it?"
Jason shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning up into a weak smile. "No... No... I just need you."
Mimi smiled back at him and wrapped her arms around his chest, as Jason wrapped his arms around her in return. "I'm here... I'm right here."
She sighed softly as she laid her head into the curve of his shoulder. They would wait together, and no matter what happened, they would go through it together. He truly did need her, and that was a feeling unlike any that Mimi Lockhart had ever known.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(An hour and a half later.)
"I'm looking for the family of Josh Masters... Is there a Masters family member out here?"
Mimi and Jason whipped their heads around and saw the young doctor in the white coat walking into the waiting room. Jason waved him over and the doctor took a seat across from them. "Are you Josh's family?"
Jason nodded, his forehead creased with anxiety. "I'm his brother, Jason..."
The doctor thrust his hand forward and quickly shook hands with Jason. "I'm Dr. Snyder... I've been treating your brother since the ambulance brought him in."
"How -- how is he?"
Dr. Snyder smiled reassuringly and continued. "He's very lucky, Mr. Masters. Very lucky."
Jason exhaled loudly, the weight lifting from his shoulders as Mimi smiled and gripped on to his arm. "He's okay then?"
"He's got a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs, a concussion. He looks a lot worse than he is. He's a little cut up and bruised, but he's okay. The seatbelt and the airbag... saved his life for sure."
Mimi felt tears of joy spring to her eyes and she kissed Jason on the cheek quickly. "See... I told you... Everything is fine. He's going to be okay."
Jason nodded and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. They had only been at the hospital for a brief time, but it had been the most frightening time in his life. From the moment he saw Josh's SUV on that tow truck to the moment the doctor came and sat across from them, Jason was more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. But, Mimi had been there to reassure him, and to take care of him. And her mere presence was the exact kind of comfort he needed.
He brushed his hand through her hair and smiled happily at her before turning back to the doctor. "Can I see him?"
"We're transferring him to a room right now. We just want to keep him for at least 24 hours to observe his concussion. But, as soon as we get him in a room upstairs, he's all yours."
Jason smiled in appreciation and shook Dr. Snyder's hand again. "Thank you, doctor... Thank you."
Dr. Snyder nodded and quickly exited the waiting room, heading back to the ER to attend to more patients. Mimi was smiling happily and she threw her arms around Jason. "Oh thank God... I'm so glad he's going to be okay."
"Mimi..." Jason paused and brushed her cheek with his hand. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but now wasn't the time. It would have to wait. "I -- I was so scared. I've never been that afraid before..."
Mimi nodded in understanding, knowing how hard it was for him to admit that to her. "I know... But, you don't have to be afraid anymore."
"Thank you... Thank you for being here."
Mimi grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Where else would I be? Wherever you go, I'll be there too."
Jason smiled and held her tightly. "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."
Mimi sighed softly and snuggled up closer to him. It was starting to seem like every day she learned something new about Jason, or a new part of him was exposed to her. The false bravado he had during in high school was slowly washing away, but for her eyes only. Only Mimi really knew the more vulnerable, scared side of Jason Masters.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A short time later.)
Jason pushed through the door of Josh's hospital room, with Mimi following directly behind him. Josh was sitting up in bed, and Mimi immediately noticed that Dr. Snyder was definitely right. He looked a lot worse than he was. His arm was wrapped in a cast, and a large gash on his forehead was covered in a bandage, with the rest of him covered in bruises and scratches.
Josh turned to look at them and managed a weak smile. "Heyyyyy... Spring break is really going great so far, right?"
Jason walked towards the bed and gave half of a hug to his injured brother. "Bro, you look... awful."
"Thanks Jase... I really appreciate that."
Mimi came forward and stood at the side of his bed, smiling happily at Josh. "Hey Josh..."
"Mimi... See, I told you. I told you I wasn't perfect."
She laughed softly and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "Yes, you did. But, did you have to prove it like this?"
Josh grinned and winked at her. "Anything to prove a point."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his brother sternly. "If you ever speed on a rainy day again, you won't have to drive your car into a pole, because I'll kill you myself."
"Hey hey... Wait a minute... Who is the older brother here?"
"You are... But for once, you were the one who did something dumb... and not me."
Josh chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Mom and Dad are going to love this... Did you call them?"
Jason shrugged slightly. "Eddie probably did. We've been calling over to the house to keep everyone updated. I just talked to him. He didn't mention calling them, but he probably did."
"The car is... My car is dead."
Mimi rolled her eyes and snickered. "What is it with guys? They get into a car accident and all they care about is how their car is."
Josh replied defensively. "I love that car, Mimi. I've had it for almost four years. It was my high school graduation present and I love it."
"Pathetic. Truly pathetic."
Josh looked to Jason for help. "Uhm... She's not supposed to be mean to me. I'm in the hospital."
Jason threw his hands up in surrender. "I can't take sides. You are my brother who has picked on me my entire life and she is my girlfriend who I love. It's too close to call, bro."
"That's okay... They gave me pain pills for my arm and my ribs. I probably won't even remember this in the morning."
Mimi smiled and laid her hands on the rail of his bed. "Then maybe we should leave... I'm sure the doctor wants you to get your rest... And, it's starting to get late..."
"I -- I have no problem with that. I'm feeling okay, they just want to keep me here to make sure I don't have brain damage." Josh paused and then pointed at his brother with a warning. "Jason... Don't even begin to make a joke about my potential brain damage."
Jason grinned wickedly, keeping his comments to himself. "Fine, fine, I'll keep my mouth shut. I guess we'll go back to the house, and be back first thing in the morning."
Josh used his good hand to quickly clasp hands with his brother and nodded. Mimi interjected with her own reassurances. "If you need anything before the morning, just call the house and let us know. Okay?"
"I promise, Mimi. You two... don't worry about me... This vacation *will* get better. I swear."
Mimi nodded, and they quickly said good night to Josh and left his room. It had been a long night already, and both of them were worn out physically and emotionally. Their vacation sure didn't start out they way they thought it would, but it was already getting better. Josh was safe and already on the road to recovery, and she hoped his accident was just a tiny bump in the road, not an omen of worse things to come.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(At the House)
Jason was already in the large bed underneath the covers when Mimi returned from the bathroom. She was already in her shorts and tank top that she wore to bed and slid under the covers next to him. Entwining her legs with his, she nuzzled closer to him and gave him a soft kiss on his bare shoulder.
Jason sighed softly and rolled on to his side so he could hold her close. "You know... If I wasn't so sleepy, this would all be incredibly sexy."
Mimi's green eyes widened and she pouted slightly. "You mean... I'm only sexy when you're awake?"
"No, that's not what I meant... I just... As sexy as you are, not much would be able to keep me from falling asleep very very soon."
"I know, I know... It's been a long night. The flight from Salem wears you out enough, but with sitting around the hospital for a couple of hours... I'm just as tired as you are."
Jason nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Yes, it has been a long night. But, it made me realize something about you."
Mimi stared at him curiously, her eyebrows pursed together in confusion. "Oh yeah... What's that?"
"How much I need you, Mimi. And something like that... admitting that I need you... it's not easy for me to do. I've never had anyone I could rely on except for Josh. Until you. I'm happy that Josh is okay, but I also know that if the situation was not a good one... I would have you there, and you would get me through whatever happened."
"Of course... I love you. I'm always here for you when you need me. I always will be."
Jason smiled at her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I also... I thought that I could lose my brother tonight. I could have, if it wasn't for a seatbelt and an airbag. And, my whole life, he's the only person I've ever cared about. Now I have you... and Mimi, I can't lose you either. I know that for sure now. I just can't lose you..."
The moonlight was filtering in through the windows and Mimi saw something she had never seen before. Tears were welling up in her boyfriend's eyes. He had been truly afraid tonight, and it had just served as a reminder as to what was most important to him.
"It's okay, Jase... That's not something you should worry about. You're not going to lose me."
A couple of stray tears trickled down his face and Mimi leaned in to kiss them away, as Jason sniffled. "I love you, Mimi... I never knew it was possible to feel this way about someone, but now I understand what being in love is all about. I love you, I trust you, I want to make you happy, and I need you more than I've ever needed anyone... And, I don't ever want this feeling to end."
"Then it won't. I feel the same way, Jase, I do. And, I will never let that feeling go away... Not for either of us."
Jason kissed her on the lips briefly and smiled. "Thank God for you, Mimi Lockhart... You've changed my life."
Mimi shook her head. His life wasn't hers to take credit for, and she knew it. "No, you changed it... I was just there to hold your hand."
"Well, either way, I'm glad for it."
"Me too. My life has changed too, Jason... It really has. All because of you. I mean, I can hardly recognize myself anymore."
Jason grinned and brushed the tips of his fingers over her cheek. "You're the same Mimi you've always been. You just never allowed yourself to shine before."
Mimi buried her head into the curve of his neck and sighed softly. They both began to drift towards sleep, as Mimi had blissful thoughts running through her head. She had felt loved by family and friends in her life, but never had she felt needed like this.
And Jason was thinking the same thing. He knew that she needed him just as much as he needed her. They were two lost souls who had found solace with each other. And, if ever one were to lose their way, the other would find them. Now, more than ever, they were both beginning to feel that they were two pieces of one soul who were only complete when in each other's arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Not my best work, really. But, I tried to get across Jason's need, fear and vulnerability and Mimi's positive effect on all of that. Or... I could have just royally screwed up my entire story. You be the judge. :)
Give me lots of feedback, good or bad. I gotta know if I did an acceptable job... I'm feeling a little uneasy.
-Hope-