Chapter Twenty-Four
(Next morning. Salem University Hospital.)
Chloe sat in an exam room and nervously kicked her heels against the exam table as she waisted for Craig to finish going over to her chart. Craig looked up from the chart and smiled at her, "Good news..."
Chloe grinned at him. "So, I have more than 6 months to live?"
"Absolutely. There's nothing wrong with you. And as long as that head of yours continues to feel good, I don't see any reason for more tests or anything."
Chloe smiled and hopped off of the exam table. "Yay. I'm so glad to hear that. You know how I hate getting poked with needles, even if you did give me a Winnie the Pooh band aid."
Craig grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Wellllll... I was all out of the regular kind. Anyway, Nancy is in my office, she'll drive you home after she's done with her scheduling."
Chloe grabbed her purse off the counter and shook her head. "Nahhh, tell her not to worry about me. I've got a couple things to do today. But, thanks."
"No problem... And, if by any chance that headache comes back, call me immediately."
Chloe walked to the door and opened it. "I will..."
She waved goodbye to Craig and headed down the hallway, passing the waiting room. A voice from behind her called out, "Chloe?"
Chloe turned quickly and saw Jan standing in the waiting area. She looked like she had been up all night crying, and hadn't slept at all. Chloe walked back and stood in front of her. "Jan? Are you okay?"
Jan nodded, trying to hide the pain that was evident in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. But... Listen, Chloe... I don't know what kind of magic tricks you have up your sleeves, or whatever... but, thank you."
Chloe raised both eyebrows in surprise. "What?"
Jan looked at her with complete sincerity and it was the first time that Chloe could recall seeing her be genuine. "I said, thank you. You really freaked me out last night, and I didn't want to believe it. Jason was with me when you called, and he was drinking. I didn't get in the car with him like you said... And... I tried to stop him but..."
Jan broke into tears and put a hand on her forehead. Chloe instinctively placed her hand on Jan's arm to comfort her. "What is it, Jan? What happened?"
Jan spoke through her tears. "He drove home... I told him not to. I even tried to take his keys, but he wouldn't listen to me. He... drove the car off the road, he hit a tree..."
Chloe gasped in shock. "Oh my God... Is he going to be okay?"
Jan crossed her arms and shrugged sadly. "I don't know... I mean, they said that he'll probably make it. As long as things don't get any worse. But..." Jan paused again and her voice wavered even more, "... he might not walk again. I don't know, they're waiting to see if the swelling goes down."
Chloe put her hand over her mouth. "Oh Jan... I'm so sorry."
Jan tried to speak but the sobs were coming down harder. Chloe figured that she had nobody to turn to most of the time, and instinctively hugged her. She let Jan sob into her shoulder until her breathing slowed and the sobs subsided. Not once did Chloe think how strange it was to be comforting her worst enemy, the thought would only come to her much later.
Jan stepped back and wiped the tears off of her face. "Chloe... you saved my life."
"I... I don't know about that."
Jan shook her head vehemently. "No, you did. The police, and Jason's dad... they saw the car, they told me that there was no way I would have survived if I had been with him. It's a miracle enough that Jason is alive, but YOU saved me. I don't know how you did it, but thank you... I'm so glad you did."
Chloe was amazed. She wasn't sure where her visions were coming from, but at least one good thing had come out of them. "Jan, I don't know how it happened either. I can't explain it in a way that will make any sense. I just feel bad because I couldn't help Jason too."
Jan sat down with a sigh and Chloe sat in the chair beside her. "No, Chloe... it's my fault. I should have done more, I should have done everything I could to stop him. This is my fault."
"You can't blame yourself. I'm sure you tried your best. Blaming yourself isn't going to help him. You have to have hope. He'll get through this. Jason is young and strong and healthy, he's got a really good chance of recovering from his injuries because he is so strong. Just have faith, and be strong. He'll be okay... and so will you."
Jan nodded slowly. "I hope you're right... You just HAVE to be right. I don't know what I'll do if he's not okay. He's the only person I've got, Chloe. He's the only person who even cares that I exist."
"You know... now is not the time for me to be making judgments on your character. But, I'm just telling you that if you open yourself up to people, you're not always going to get stepped on. People will care about you, if you let them. I know that you've had a lot of pain in your life, and you feel like nobody loves. I used to feel the same way, but then I opened up to people, let them in and now I don't feel that way anymore. Love and friendship isn't always a bad thing that makes you hurt, sometimes it can be really wonderful."
"I wish that were true..." Jan frowned sadly.
Chloe looked at her curiously. "Jan, tell me something... do you LOVE Jason?"
Jan looked down at her feet and sighed. "I think I do. I didn't realize it before, because well, he's far from perfect... In fact, he's pretty much a pain in the ass... but despite that, I do love him. Only I just realized it last night, when I thought I was going to lose him."
Chloe nodded stoically. "Then tell him... You have to tell him as soon as you can. Life is too short not to."
"And if he doesn't love me back? What if he's just using me?"
"I don't think you have anything to worry about... he may not realize it either, just like you... but I'm sure he does love you. You just have to be open to it, be capable of loving and being loved, and you will be."
Jan nodded and smiled weakly at Chloe. "I never thought I'd say this in a million years, but... Chloe, you may be right."
Chloe shrugged and smiled back at her. "I don't claim to have all the answers. I just hope I can help a little bit."
"You have. But, why do you want to help me?
"I don't know. I certainly have no reason to want to help you... but I think that somewhere deep down you're a good person, you just need someone to recognize that. Listen, if you really just need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on... I guess you can call me. See, there's something I never thought I would say. We're even now."
"Thank you... I mean that."
Chloe smiled and nodded. "I know you do. And, if it makes you feel better you can feel free to go back to hating my guts after this is all over."
Jan shook her head and looked at the floor. "I don't think I will... Maybe I misjudged you... maybe I misjudged myself."
Chloe raised both eyebrows and smirked, "MAYBE? You know, I'm not such a bad person once you get to know me."
Jan nodded and replied, "Well, I am. I'm a pretty rotten person."
"Yes, but you're not without hope. At least you recognize that you're rotten. That's the first step to getting help, they say."
Jan rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. "Maybe there is a twelve step program for bitches."
Chloe nodded. "And, I'm the founding member. I've had my own 'issues' too, just like you. I'm still working on them."
Jan stood and pointed towards the elevator. "I'm going to go upstairs, maybe they'll let me see Jason now... I have to tell him... you know."
Chloe stood and nodded knowingly. "I know. Good luck with that."
"Thanks... uhm, could you tell Phillip and the others what happened. I'm sure they'd want to know, they've all known Jason for a long time."
"Of course, I'll make sure everybody knows."
Jan smiled weakly and turned towards the elevators. "Thanks Chloe...", she said as she walked away.
Chloe nodded and turned towards the exit doors. She stepped outside and took a walk towards Dot.Com.
***
(chapters are short, but I'll try to keep them coming as quick as I can)
(Next morning. Salem University Hospital.)
Chloe sat in an exam room and nervously kicked her heels against the exam table as she waisted for Craig to finish going over to her chart. Craig looked up from the chart and smiled at her, "Good news..."
Chloe grinned at him. "So, I have more than 6 months to live?"
"Absolutely. There's nothing wrong with you. And as long as that head of yours continues to feel good, I don't see any reason for more tests or anything."
Chloe smiled and hopped off of the exam table. "Yay. I'm so glad to hear that. You know how I hate getting poked with needles, even if you did give me a Winnie the Pooh band aid."
Craig grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Wellllll... I was all out of the regular kind. Anyway, Nancy is in my office, she'll drive you home after she's done with her scheduling."
Chloe grabbed her purse off the counter and shook her head. "Nahhh, tell her not to worry about me. I've got a couple things to do today. But, thanks."
"No problem... And, if by any chance that headache comes back, call me immediately."
Chloe walked to the door and opened it. "I will..."
She waved goodbye to Craig and headed down the hallway, passing the waiting room. A voice from behind her called out, "Chloe?"
Chloe turned quickly and saw Jan standing in the waiting area. She looked like she had been up all night crying, and hadn't slept at all. Chloe walked back and stood in front of her. "Jan? Are you okay?"
Jan nodded, trying to hide the pain that was evident in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. But... Listen, Chloe... I don't know what kind of magic tricks you have up your sleeves, or whatever... but, thank you."
Chloe raised both eyebrows in surprise. "What?"
Jan looked at her with complete sincerity and it was the first time that Chloe could recall seeing her be genuine. "I said, thank you. You really freaked me out last night, and I didn't want to believe it. Jason was with me when you called, and he was drinking. I didn't get in the car with him like you said... And... I tried to stop him but..."
Jan broke into tears and put a hand on her forehead. Chloe instinctively placed her hand on Jan's arm to comfort her. "What is it, Jan? What happened?"
Jan spoke through her tears. "He drove home... I told him not to. I even tried to take his keys, but he wouldn't listen to me. He... drove the car off the road, he hit a tree..."
Chloe gasped in shock. "Oh my God... Is he going to be okay?"
Jan crossed her arms and shrugged sadly. "I don't know... I mean, they said that he'll probably make it. As long as things don't get any worse. But..." Jan paused again and her voice wavered even more, "... he might not walk again. I don't know, they're waiting to see if the swelling goes down."
Chloe put her hand over her mouth. "Oh Jan... I'm so sorry."
Jan tried to speak but the sobs were coming down harder. Chloe figured that she had nobody to turn to most of the time, and instinctively hugged her. She let Jan sob into her shoulder until her breathing slowed and the sobs subsided. Not once did Chloe think how strange it was to be comforting her worst enemy, the thought would only come to her much later.
Jan stepped back and wiped the tears off of her face. "Chloe... you saved my life."
"I... I don't know about that."
Jan shook her head vehemently. "No, you did. The police, and Jason's dad... they saw the car, they told me that there was no way I would have survived if I had been with him. It's a miracle enough that Jason is alive, but YOU saved me. I don't know how you did it, but thank you... I'm so glad you did."
Chloe was amazed. She wasn't sure where her visions were coming from, but at least one good thing had come out of them. "Jan, I don't know how it happened either. I can't explain it in a way that will make any sense. I just feel bad because I couldn't help Jason too."
Jan sat down with a sigh and Chloe sat in the chair beside her. "No, Chloe... it's my fault. I should have done more, I should have done everything I could to stop him. This is my fault."
"You can't blame yourself. I'm sure you tried your best. Blaming yourself isn't going to help him. You have to have hope. He'll get through this. Jason is young and strong and healthy, he's got a really good chance of recovering from his injuries because he is so strong. Just have faith, and be strong. He'll be okay... and so will you."
Jan nodded slowly. "I hope you're right... You just HAVE to be right. I don't know what I'll do if he's not okay. He's the only person I've got, Chloe. He's the only person who even cares that I exist."
"You know... now is not the time for me to be making judgments on your character. But, I'm just telling you that if you open yourself up to people, you're not always going to get stepped on. People will care about you, if you let them. I know that you've had a lot of pain in your life, and you feel like nobody loves. I used to feel the same way, but then I opened up to people, let them in and now I don't feel that way anymore. Love and friendship isn't always a bad thing that makes you hurt, sometimes it can be really wonderful."
"I wish that were true..." Jan frowned sadly.
Chloe looked at her curiously. "Jan, tell me something... do you LOVE Jason?"
Jan looked down at her feet and sighed. "I think I do. I didn't realize it before, because well, he's far from perfect... In fact, he's pretty much a pain in the ass... but despite that, I do love him. Only I just realized it last night, when I thought I was going to lose him."
Chloe nodded stoically. "Then tell him... You have to tell him as soon as you can. Life is too short not to."
"And if he doesn't love me back? What if he's just using me?"
"I don't think you have anything to worry about... he may not realize it either, just like you... but I'm sure he does love you. You just have to be open to it, be capable of loving and being loved, and you will be."
Jan nodded and smiled weakly at Chloe. "I never thought I'd say this in a million years, but... Chloe, you may be right."
Chloe shrugged and smiled back at her. "I don't claim to have all the answers. I just hope I can help a little bit."
"You have. But, why do you want to help me?
"I don't know. I certainly have no reason to want to help you... but I think that somewhere deep down you're a good person, you just need someone to recognize that. Listen, if you really just need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on... I guess you can call me. See, there's something I never thought I would say. We're even now."
"Thank you... I mean that."
Chloe smiled and nodded. "I know you do. And, if it makes you feel better you can feel free to go back to hating my guts after this is all over."
Jan shook her head and looked at the floor. "I don't think I will... Maybe I misjudged you... maybe I misjudged myself."
Chloe raised both eyebrows and smirked, "MAYBE? You know, I'm not such a bad person once you get to know me."
Jan nodded and replied, "Well, I am. I'm a pretty rotten person."
"Yes, but you're not without hope. At least you recognize that you're rotten. That's the first step to getting help, they say."
Jan rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. "Maybe there is a twelve step program for bitches."
Chloe nodded. "And, I'm the founding member. I've had my own 'issues' too, just like you. I'm still working on them."
Jan stood and pointed towards the elevator. "I'm going to go upstairs, maybe they'll let me see Jason now... I have to tell him... you know."
Chloe stood and nodded knowingly. "I know. Good luck with that."
"Thanks... uhm, could you tell Phillip and the others what happened. I'm sure they'd want to know, they've all known Jason for a long time."
"Of course, I'll make sure everybody knows."
Jan smiled weakly and turned towards the elevators. "Thanks Chloe...", she said as she walked away.
Chloe nodded and turned towards the exit doors. She stepped outside and took a walk towards Dot.Com.
***
(chapters are short, but I'll try to keep them coming as quick as I can)
