Discliamer: I do not own In a Heartbeat.
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOORRRY it took so long to get this out!!I know many of you have been wanting to kill me for waiting so long ~_~' Part 6 will take a while, but I promise you won't have to wait as long as for this one. Enjoy!
Jamie Abuse-5
The quiet sound was enough to get the attention of his mother, as she whirled around and raced back to his bedside. She picked up his hand and held it to her cheek. "Jamie, can you hear me?"
Another moan was her reply and the long, black eyelashes fluttered. The boy opened his eyes a crack, as he struggled to focus. The brown orbs snapped shut again as he was over come by a terrible coughing fit.
"Jamie?" His mother asked fearfully, when the coughing didn't subside. He continued to hack and wheeze, as it soon became apparent he couldn't breathe and his face was turning a slight blue. "Someone help! He's choking!" Karen screamed, as Jamie started to thrash about. Her cry did not fall on deaf ears, as the teen squad immediately woke and ran into the room.
"What's wrong?" Tyler said as they arrived in the room.
"He choking o the ventilator!" a pink-clad nurse yelled as she hurried in, having also heard the scream. "Hold him down! " Tyler and Hank held down their struggling friend as the nurse injected something into the IV. A few moments later Jamie stopped thrashing and again lay in a peaceful slumber. "Well, we can take this as a good sign," the nurse said, removing the ventilator. "If he's out of the coma, he's out of danger. All we have to do now is wait for him to wake up again."
A few hours later
Caitie Roth yawned and stretched as the minutes ticked by. 5:30. She had half an hour left of her shift. The teens had decided to take shifts by Jamie's bedside the rest of the night, and now it was Caitie's turn.
In the early morning, emptied rain clouds danced with the first colors of morning. Rays of light hit the wet grass and pavement, making each water droplet dance. The sun grew like a great glowing ball, slowly climbing over the horizon and giving it's warmth to the earth. It was this warmth, shining through the hospital window, that Jamie Waite felt at the edge of his consciousness. He took in a deep breath and noticed that the air smelled strangely..sterile, like when some one sprays to much Lysol. Jamie opened his eyes a little and was nearly blinded by the whiteness of the room . "Wha…?" was all he could mutter, as he took in the hospital room. This was enough to catch Caitie's attention, drawing her eyes away from the blank wall she had been staring at.
"Jamie! Your awake!" She shrieked as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Not so loud.." the boy moaned, making Caitie laugh. They heard a tap on the door behind them, and both looked up to see what it was."Are we interrupting something?" Val asked as the others tried desperately not to laugh. Caitie, then realizing she'd been holding Jamie just a mite to long, instantly released him with her cheeks flaming a bright crimson.
"So, have a good nap?" Tyler joked good-naturedly.
"I've had better." Jamie replied. This made everyone smile, and soon everyone was laughing and joking as if nothing had happened. Make that, almost everyone. Someone cleared their throat, making all heads turn in the direction of the sound.
"Um, excuse me…" Karen started. Jamie's eyes narrowed at the sight of his mother, standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice low and cold. Karen shuddered at the chill in her son's voice. "Uh, guys, I think we should get to school." Val said, feeling the mounting tension between mother and child. "But Val, it's Sat.." Brooke protested, but she was quickly silenced by her sister, as they left the two alone.
"So, what do YOU want?" Jamie asked, his voice still frigid.
"I came to see you. I heard what happened, and just had to make sure you were alright."was her reply as she came and sat by the bed.
"I bet that was the only reason." He muttered hotly under his breathe.
"Jamie!" Karen scolded her son.
"It's the truth!" He yelled back with much ardor. "You haven't come back to Kingsport in almost 2 years!"
"I've, just, um, been really busy…"She said lamely.
Jamie turned away from her, looking at cars go in and out of the parking lot. "No one is that busy," he whispered hoarsely, not looking at her. "I mean, I'm sure you must've had some holidays. Thanksgiving or Christmas……..25 months mom…That's not busy, that's just not caring."
Karen sat stiff in her chair, not knowing how to respond to her sons accusation. She stared at the cracks in the floor tile, before a small smile appeared on her face.
"You were born in this hospital, you know that?" she told him.
"What?"he asked, turning around.
" April 21, 1984.At 8:36 PM…"she said, still staring at the wall, a reminiscent look in her eyes. "It was clear that night. I had to drive my self here, because your father was working late. I kept asking where he was, and they said he was on his way. I was just about to give birth to you, when your father showed up, scrubs and all. He caught you, and then placed you in my arms. You opened your eyes, saw me and smiled. You were such a happy baby.."As her sentence trailed off, she raised her head, looking straight into Jamie's eyes. "I've been gone a long time, but I never stopped caring about you. I know I've made some mistakes in the past, horrible unforgivable mistakes. But if your willing, maybe we can start over?"
"Mom?"Jamie asked, tears evident in his eyes.
"Yes?"
"I've missed you so much,"he said embracing her fiercely. She laughed lightly and returned the hug with fervor.
"I missed you to, sweetheart." She said, her happy tears falling onto the dark mass that was her son's hair, wetting it. She then softly kissed the top of his head. "I promise I'll stay this time. You'll never have to be alone again, I swear it."He just nodded and sniffled into her shirt. And they sat there, holding each other, reassuring themselves that things were going to be better.
*That night*
Jamie slept peacefully, truly peacefully, for the first time in years that night. Karen slept by his bedside, in a stuffed chair, her head resting on the bed. Unbeknownst to the sleeping pair, a tall black haired man entered the room, sticking to the shadows.
"Mom always did like you best." the figure sneered, his chestnut brown eyes glinting with hatred. He ran a hand through his dark black hair as he leaned against the wall. Jamie stirred a bit, and the figure quietly left the room.
"Some day I'll make her love me, and then we'll see who's her favorite. Mother and son slept on, never to know about their strange encounter. Only one thing mattered at that moment: They were safe for now. For now….
(A/n: Yes, I know my emotional bit needs some::cough:: Work ::cough,cough:: But tell me what you think!Once again I apologize enormously for the lateness of this part. Only one part to go!)