Just Breathe
*Chapter Three*
A Tragic Twist of Fate
********************
Rafe's frantic message caused Alison to quickly shift her eyes back onto the road. She asked herself a million and one questions within only moments, giving her no time to react to anything. Not Rafe's please, or how he had been continusly begging of her to slow down.. and most of all, when she witnessed herself in an head-on collison with another vehicle.. a semi, she froze like ice. Knowing this could possibly be the end of her life as she had come to know it, and accepting the fact that there was no stopping a collison, she slowly turned towards Rafe.. his scared, blue eyes burning into hers. And before everything quickly went black, Alison whispered something to him that neither would possibly remember...
"I love you, Rafe."
Moments afterwards, Alison's small car collided with the huge semi.. soon thereafter, Rafe, Alison and the truck driver's future's laid uncertain..
********************
Jack and Livvie sat in their apartment. Jack sat on the far left of their black leather sofa, switching violently through the channels on the television, while Livvie sat at the other end, appearing to be deep in thought about something or another. She turned towards her boyfriend slowly, her eyes burning on him, while his eyes stayed glued on the televison.
"Jack?" she began slowly.
Jack's attention was taken off the televison and diversed on his questioning girlfriend. "What's up?"
"I was just curious about something..." her voice softly trailed off with silence.
"Yeah?"
"Have you heard from either Jamal or Alison lately?"
Jack looked off into the distance for moments on before answering, "Actually, I heard from Jamal yesterday, but.."
"But what?!" she demanded, her tone revealing worry. "I'm sorry, Jack." she added shortly. "I'm just, I'm getting this horrible feeling that something really bad has happened. And I just, I took my frustration out on you."
"It's okay, Liv, really." he assured her. "Actually, I think I know why you've been getting bad vibes.."
"Yeah?" she questioned, expectantly.
"Well, yesterday, when Jamal called.." his voice trailed off into the distance, as he found himself not being able to find the right words to say. "Livvie, something horrible happened when Jamal went to see Valerie at the hospital.."
Livvie couldn't even begin to fathom what possibly could've happened during Jamal's visit to the hospital.. a million thoughts ran continusly through her mind, "Jack," she began lightly. "Please, tell me.. what happened?"
"What happened.." he repeated, distantly. "It was horrible, Livvie.. when Jamal told me what happened, I couldn't believe it. I didn't even want to imagine how it all went down." he added. "Yesterday, Jamal went to see Valerie, and I guess everything was going just fine.. up until the subject of Alison came up, that is. I guess, from there, Valerie completely lost it. She blamed Jamal and Alison for taking everything away from her.. her daughther, her family.. everything."
"And...?"
"Well, from what Jamal had said on the phone, Valerie somehow got a hold of a gun before his visit, and she eventually ended up pulling it on him. He tried talking to her, and from what I heard, it seemed that Jamal almost got through to her, but it just wasn't enough.."
"Oh my god.." Livvie's tone revealing nothing more than bewildered shock. "If you talked to Jamal, and he told you all of this, then.. Valerie, she must be-- she's dead? Jamal killed her?"
"Livvie," Jack began, sighing deeply. "It was an tragic accident. Nothing more, and nothing less. It was never suppose to happen, but eventually, it did.." his voice trailing off with silence. "There's nothing we can do now, but wait here for word on what happened."
"But, I--" she was suddenly cut off by the ringing of the telephone.
Livvie was about to get up, but Jack quickly beat her to the punch, stopping her from moving. "Let me get that.. your in no shape or form to be talking to anyone else right now." he answered, sternly. Soon, approaching the telephone, he picked it up in his hands, "Hello?"
"Jack?" questioned a familiar voice.
"Your talking to him," Jack answered softly, distracted by Livvie.
Not realizing the distance in his voice, she continued on as if nothing else even mattered.. because at that point, nothing else really did. "Jack, I.. I was, um.."
Taking his attention off Livvie and averting it towards his phone coversation, he suddenly realized who was on the other line. "Natalie? Is that you?" Jack seemed excited to hear from her, yet Livvie's face instantly turned to ice at her name.
"Yeah, it's me.." her voice softly trailed off with silence. "Look, Jack, I know that me and your girlfriend aren't exactly the best of friends, but I didn't know who else to call."
Jack hadn't seen, or even spoke to Natalie since their final goodbye on the docks only a year before. Back then, Jack was a carefree spirit who didn't give a damn about anything.. or anyone. That was when rich, Natalie Barrington entered his life.. when he least needed someone the most-- when his mother died.. when he had nobody to turn to.
Jack and Natalie have been through alot with each other over the years, sharing a deep connection with each other with all that they've been through. The most important above all else was that Jack and Natalie changed each other.. she showed him what it was like to love, ..and live. And he showed her that there was more to life than just money.. much more. Yet, it was never enough for them.. their differences were their ultimate downfall, and the two eventually went their seperate ways when Jack fell hard for Livvie Locke, and Natalie got involved with bad boy, Jason Morgan.
"Natalie, what's wrong." Jack's tone revealed a huge amont of cocern for the woman he once loved. "What happened.." his voice trailed off with silence as he soon felt Livvie's eyes burning a whole through him, he turned towards his girlfriend, sharing those same, cold stares. "Can you hold on just one moment, Nat?"
"Sure." she remarked, understandably.
Placing his hand over the reciever, Jack gave Livvie a disapproving look. "Look, Liv, you have nothing to worry about here, so you can just cut the jealousy bullshit out, alright?" he slowly approached the door, "I'm going to take this outside." he added, before opening the door, stepping outside, and silently closing the door behind him. "Okay, Nat, what's going on?"
Natalie glared through the window of ICU, there laid her sister, Alison, hooked to at least twenty different tubes. She watched on hopelessly, wondering how something like this could possibly of happened. For hours now, the tears had come, and just couldn't seem to stop.. and when they did, thoughts of death would plague her mind. Oh, how she'd wish it were her in that bed, so close to death.. not her sister. She'd give absolutely anything to take back every bad thing she had said, or even did to Alison.. but even she knew, it was too late for regrets.
"I'm at the hospital." she stated clearly.
"What?" Jack choked out, he felt terrifed. "Are you okay? Your not hurt, are you?"
"No, no.. no, Jack.. it's not me. It's.. it's Alison, she's intensive care. She was involved in a tragic automobile accident with some other guy, Rafe Kovich, I think that's his name.. anyway, things are looking really bad for her, and him. They might not make it." with every word, her tone got more frightening. "I'm scared Jack, I.. what if, she-- what if Ali dies, what am I going to do?"
Jack couldn't believe a word that Natalie said, he didn't want to. Alison was one of his best friends, and just the thought of her dying, it scared the hell out of him. It wasn't only that, with Natalie, he felt as if he owed it to her to be ther for her.. he couldn't let her suffer alone. "Okay, Nat, you just sit tight.. I'll be there soon."
Turning off the phone, and entering the apartment, Jack locked eyes with Livvie.. she seemed to still be angry at him. She hated how Jack would always jump at the chance to come to Natalie's rescue and just forget about everything else, especially her.
"So.." Livvie began, calmly. "What did Cinderella want this time.. is her white night on his way to the rescue, yet again?"
"Livvie," he began distatnly. "please.. don't start, not now."
Livvie studied Jack closely. Something was wrong.. something was terribly wrong. "Jack," she began lightly, worried. "What's wrong."
"I have to go to the hospital." he stated clearly. "Alison was in a terrible accident, and she.. she might not make it. And Natalie, this is killing her inside-- she honestly thinks she might lose her sister." he explained while grabbing his coat and car keys.
"Oh my god," Livvie remarked, placing her hand over her mouth in shock. "This isn't happening," she approached Jack, embracing him. "please, tell me, Jack.. this isn't happening."
Jack slowly pulled away from Livvie.. he felt exactly the same way she had about this entire situation. He hated it. Who wouldn't? "Oh, it's happening.. although I wish it weren't, there's really not a damn thing we can do about it, but be there for Alison when she wakes up."
"If she wakes up." Livvie replied distantly.
"Don't say that Livvie." Jack pleaded with her. "Alison WILL wake up.. and as much as I hate the guy, Rafe will wake up as well."
"God, how did this happen?" Livvie pondered, aloud.
"I don't know, Livvie, I honestly don't know." Jack answered. "Look, I really need to get to the hospital." he turned away from Livvie, approaching the door.
"I'm going with you!" she quickly grabbed her coat, and rushed out of the apartment with him.
********************
Walking up to Natalie with two cups of coffee, Jason took a seat next to her in an empty chair just outside of ICU. "Are you alright?" he questioned his girlfriend, sincerely.
"I, I don't know." she answered, shakily. "Honestly," she began, glancing up at him with tear-bound eyes. "if Ali doesn't make it through this terrible ordeal, I don't think I'll ever be okay."
"I want to say that I understand what your going through, but really, I can't. I mean, before my accident, I probably could've.. but ever since then, I haven't really been the emotional type, you know?"
"I know, Jason, and believe me.. I'm not looking for understanding, or anything else for that matter. I just, I.. I want my sister back. So badly." she cried, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend.
Jason comforted her as best he knew he could. Holding her in his arms, while running his fingers through her blonde strands every now and again, he reassured her that everything would be okay.. yet, even he knew that was a lie.
Jack and Livvie came rushing in through the ER, both looking in every direction for someone who knew details on Alison's condition. They went through three or four different nurses with an inquisition before Jack spotted Natalie from a distance.. crying in the arms of her boyfriend, Jason Morgan. At first, he felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of Natalie in the arms of someone such as Jason, but it was only a momentary thing for him as he soon realized, he was the one who drove her there.. into the arms and life of the mob.
Jack grabbed Livvie by the hand, immediately rushing over to Natalie and Jason, "So," he began, abruptly getting their attention.. causing them to break their embrace. "how is she?"
"Jack!" Natalie exclaimed. Excited, and overwhelmed with emotions, she embraced him as quickly as she stood up. Once getting that warm feeling that everything was going to be okay now that he was there, she broke away from the embrace, looking up into his warm, brown eyes. "Nothing has changed since I called," she began softly. "she's still in ICU, and.. well, Ian made the decision to induce a coma."
"Was that really necessary?" Livvie questioned. "I mean, the coma won't cause any problems, or will it?"
Natalie looked pass Jack, glaring intensely into the eyes of the woman who stole the love of her life from the very palm of her hands. Back then, she hated Livvie for being the one who held the key to Jack's heart, but with time.. she eventually learned to move on, and she realized that even if Jack was the only man she would ever truly love, it didn't neccessarly mean he was the only man she was meant to be with. For now, she vowed to make the best of things by befriending Livvie, even if it was the last thing she wanted.. all that really mattered to her at this point was the recovery of her beloved sister, and fighting over a lost cause was the furthest from her mind.
"I believe that Ian knows what is best when it comes to his patients." she remarked. "He is a liscensed doctor, ya know." she stated matter-of-factly.
Livvie wanted to hit her with a comeback so badly, but even she knew that it would make her look like the bad girl. "Of course, I know he's a doctor." she let out a slight, invoulantary chuckle. "Yet, I bet even you didn't know that Ian has been known for making the wrong decisions and even costing patients their lives, have you?"
Natalie's smile turned to ice at Livvie's remark. She hoped more than anything that her last remark was anything but true, soon turning to Jack, she questioned him, "Jack, is this true?" her words revealing a tragic tone of fear.
Jack didn't know how to answer that, because even he knew that Livvie was right about Ian.. he did cause a patients death once.. but that was all in the past. Turning towards Livvie, and giving her a disapproving look, she shrugged and whispered, 'I'm sorry'. He quickly turned his attention back to Natalie, "That's the last thing you need to be worrying about right now." he answered, sternly. "Just focus your attention on Alison, and her alone, okay?"
Natalie sighed deeply, "I will." she answered. "In fact, I don't think I could think about anything else, even if I wanted to."
********************
Only a few rooms down from ICU, Rafe laid unconcious in a hospital bed of his own. His face was swollen and bruised, he had recieved multiple deep, cuts all over his body from the broken windsheild in Alison's vehichle.. a broken leg, and a few broken ribs. Aside from that, everything else was just fine. The doctors' considered him to be lucky, some even referred to his remarkable, quick recovery as a "miracle", or being "touched be an angel".. but what they didn't know was that he, was of course, an angel.
Unlike Alison, Rafe wasn't admitted to a coma, even though he had been thrown through the windsheild during the accident.. Ed had been watching down on him, making sure that he'd live through every horrible, heartbreaking moment of this accident. In bed, Rafe was still unconcious.. but sleeping. Every now and again, he'd whisper Alison's name as he was reliving the accident over and over again in his dreams.
"Alison! Watch out!" he yelled frantically as he witnessed the on-coming semi in their lane. Alison's eyes soon averted to the road, but it seemed to be too late.. before either was able to take in what was about to happen, Alison was saying goodbye to Rafe, and Rafe was being thrown from the car.
That image replayed continusly in his mind as he woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around himself, taken in by the view of the room. He couldn't exactly remember how he got there at first, then the accident came into play and all Rafe could think about was Alison. She was all he ever thought about. He knew that there was a minor possibility that she could be dead, but he wouldn't accept that.. he couldn't. All he knew was that he had to see her, he had to make sure she was alright.
Using up all the strength that he could energize at the time being, he forced himself out of bed, eventually falling to the floor. He held his leg in great pain, realizing that it was broken.. he knew he wouldn't be able to walk to get to Alison. Deciding to go with his last resort, he crawled to the door, reaching for the handle and forcing it open. Just down the hall he saw Livvie, Jack and two other people he couldn't recognize gathered together in front of Intensive Care.
"Livvie!" he called out loudly. "Livvie!"
Hearing her name being called, Livvie turned in the direction of the person who had been calling her. It was Rafe. *Rafe?* she questioned herself. She turned away for a slight moment, looking to Jack, Natalie and Jason. Noticing how they were deep in their own conversation, she decided to slip away and go to Rafe. Rushing quickly down the hall, she kneeled down to Rafe's height. "Rafe, are you crazy? What are you doing out of bed?"
"Livvie," he began slowly, pain filling his tone of voice. "I have to see her.. I have to see Alison."
"Rafe, your in no way, shape or form to be going anywhere at the moment. Alison's fine.. she-- she's resting right now." she lied.
Rafe watched Livvie's facial expression while she talked, and he immediately knew that she was lying. "Your lying, Livvie." he stated. "Alison's not at all alright, is she?"
"I--" her voice was suddenly cut off by a loud, annoying alarm. She whipped her head towards the ICU and watched as doctors rushed into Alison's room.
"SHE'S FLATLINING!" yelled Dr. Eve Thornhart.
Livvie's face flushed a ghost white at the doctors announcement, while Natalie stared blankly through the window, placing her hand against the glass as tears fell hopelessly down her cheeks. Jack watched hopelessly in fear as the doctors rushed to help Alison, he soon turned to look at Natalie, his heart broke as he watched a part of her die. The only thing he knew to do was wrap his arms around her, and assure her that Alison was a strong woman, that she'd live through it. But even Jack was unsure of his own words.
"Alison! No!" Rafe cried out abruptly. Feeling as though his heart was being ripped to the seams. He was losing the only woman he had ever loved. "You can't die.. not now. Please, don't die on me. Please." he whispered solemnly to himself. Hoping that god would hear his prayers.
********************
*Chapter Three*
A Tragic Twist of Fate
********************
Rafe's frantic message caused Alison to quickly shift her eyes back onto the road. She asked herself a million and one questions within only moments, giving her no time to react to anything. Not Rafe's please, or how he had been continusly begging of her to slow down.. and most of all, when she witnessed herself in an head-on collison with another vehicle.. a semi, she froze like ice. Knowing this could possibly be the end of her life as she had come to know it, and accepting the fact that there was no stopping a collison, she slowly turned towards Rafe.. his scared, blue eyes burning into hers. And before everything quickly went black, Alison whispered something to him that neither would possibly remember...
"I love you, Rafe."
Moments afterwards, Alison's small car collided with the huge semi.. soon thereafter, Rafe, Alison and the truck driver's future's laid uncertain..
********************
Jack and Livvie sat in their apartment. Jack sat on the far left of their black leather sofa, switching violently through the channels on the television, while Livvie sat at the other end, appearing to be deep in thought about something or another. She turned towards her boyfriend slowly, her eyes burning on him, while his eyes stayed glued on the televison.
"Jack?" she began slowly.
Jack's attention was taken off the televison and diversed on his questioning girlfriend. "What's up?"
"I was just curious about something..." her voice softly trailed off with silence.
"Yeah?"
"Have you heard from either Jamal or Alison lately?"
Jack looked off into the distance for moments on before answering, "Actually, I heard from Jamal yesterday, but.."
"But what?!" she demanded, her tone revealing worry. "I'm sorry, Jack." she added shortly. "I'm just, I'm getting this horrible feeling that something really bad has happened. And I just, I took my frustration out on you."
"It's okay, Liv, really." he assured her. "Actually, I think I know why you've been getting bad vibes.."
"Yeah?" she questioned, expectantly.
"Well, yesterday, when Jamal called.." his voice trailed off into the distance, as he found himself not being able to find the right words to say. "Livvie, something horrible happened when Jamal went to see Valerie at the hospital.."
Livvie couldn't even begin to fathom what possibly could've happened during Jamal's visit to the hospital.. a million thoughts ran continusly through her mind, "Jack," she began lightly. "Please, tell me.. what happened?"
"What happened.." he repeated, distantly. "It was horrible, Livvie.. when Jamal told me what happened, I couldn't believe it. I didn't even want to imagine how it all went down." he added. "Yesterday, Jamal went to see Valerie, and I guess everything was going just fine.. up until the subject of Alison came up, that is. I guess, from there, Valerie completely lost it. She blamed Jamal and Alison for taking everything away from her.. her daughther, her family.. everything."
"And...?"
"Well, from what Jamal had said on the phone, Valerie somehow got a hold of a gun before his visit, and she eventually ended up pulling it on him. He tried talking to her, and from what I heard, it seemed that Jamal almost got through to her, but it just wasn't enough.."
"Oh my god.." Livvie's tone revealing nothing more than bewildered shock. "If you talked to Jamal, and he told you all of this, then.. Valerie, she must be-- she's dead? Jamal killed her?"
"Livvie," Jack began, sighing deeply. "It was an tragic accident. Nothing more, and nothing less. It was never suppose to happen, but eventually, it did.." his voice trailing off with silence. "There's nothing we can do now, but wait here for word on what happened."
"But, I--" she was suddenly cut off by the ringing of the telephone.
Livvie was about to get up, but Jack quickly beat her to the punch, stopping her from moving. "Let me get that.. your in no shape or form to be talking to anyone else right now." he answered, sternly. Soon, approaching the telephone, he picked it up in his hands, "Hello?"
"Jack?" questioned a familiar voice.
"Your talking to him," Jack answered softly, distracted by Livvie.
Not realizing the distance in his voice, she continued on as if nothing else even mattered.. because at that point, nothing else really did. "Jack, I.. I was, um.."
Taking his attention off Livvie and averting it towards his phone coversation, he suddenly realized who was on the other line. "Natalie? Is that you?" Jack seemed excited to hear from her, yet Livvie's face instantly turned to ice at her name.
"Yeah, it's me.." her voice softly trailed off with silence. "Look, Jack, I know that me and your girlfriend aren't exactly the best of friends, but I didn't know who else to call."
Jack hadn't seen, or even spoke to Natalie since their final goodbye on the docks only a year before. Back then, Jack was a carefree spirit who didn't give a damn about anything.. or anyone. That was when rich, Natalie Barrington entered his life.. when he least needed someone the most-- when his mother died.. when he had nobody to turn to.
Jack and Natalie have been through alot with each other over the years, sharing a deep connection with each other with all that they've been through. The most important above all else was that Jack and Natalie changed each other.. she showed him what it was like to love, ..and live. And he showed her that there was more to life than just money.. much more. Yet, it was never enough for them.. their differences were their ultimate downfall, and the two eventually went their seperate ways when Jack fell hard for Livvie Locke, and Natalie got involved with bad boy, Jason Morgan.
"Natalie, what's wrong." Jack's tone revealed a huge amont of cocern for the woman he once loved. "What happened.." his voice trailed off with silence as he soon felt Livvie's eyes burning a whole through him, he turned towards his girlfriend, sharing those same, cold stares. "Can you hold on just one moment, Nat?"
"Sure." she remarked, understandably.
Placing his hand over the reciever, Jack gave Livvie a disapproving look. "Look, Liv, you have nothing to worry about here, so you can just cut the jealousy bullshit out, alright?" he slowly approached the door, "I'm going to take this outside." he added, before opening the door, stepping outside, and silently closing the door behind him. "Okay, Nat, what's going on?"
Natalie glared through the window of ICU, there laid her sister, Alison, hooked to at least twenty different tubes. She watched on hopelessly, wondering how something like this could possibly of happened. For hours now, the tears had come, and just couldn't seem to stop.. and when they did, thoughts of death would plague her mind. Oh, how she'd wish it were her in that bed, so close to death.. not her sister. She'd give absolutely anything to take back every bad thing she had said, or even did to Alison.. but even she knew, it was too late for regrets.
"I'm at the hospital." she stated clearly.
"What?" Jack choked out, he felt terrifed. "Are you okay? Your not hurt, are you?"
"No, no.. no, Jack.. it's not me. It's.. it's Alison, she's intensive care. She was involved in a tragic automobile accident with some other guy, Rafe Kovich, I think that's his name.. anyway, things are looking really bad for her, and him. They might not make it." with every word, her tone got more frightening. "I'm scared Jack, I.. what if, she-- what if Ali dies, what am I going to do?"
Jack couldn't believe a word that Natalie said, he didn't want to. Alison was one of his best friends, and just the thought of her dying, it scared the hell out of him. It wasn't only that, with Natalie, he felt as if he owed it to her to be ther for her.. he couldn't let her suffer alone. "Okay, Nat, you just sit tight.. I'll be there soon."
Turning off the phone, and entering the apartment, Jack locked eyes with Livvie.. she seemed to still be angry at him. She hated how Jack would always jump at the chance to come to Natalie's rescue and just forget about everything else, especially her.
"So.." Livvie began, calmly. "What did Cinderella want this time.. is her white night on his way to the rescue, yet again?"
"Livvie," he began distatnly. "please.. don't start, not now."
Livvie studied Jack closely. Something was wrong.. something was terribly wrong. "Jack," she began lightly, worried. "What's wrong."
"I have to go to the hospital." he stated clearly. "Alison was in a terrible accident, and she.. she might not make it. And Natalie, this is killing her inside-- she honestly thinks she might lose her sister." he explained while grabbing his coat and car keys.
"Oh my god," Livvie remarked, placing her hand over her mouth in shock. "This isn't happening," she approached Jack, embracing him. "please, tell me, Jack.. this isn't happening."
Jack slowly pulled away from Livvie.. he felt exactly the same way she had about this entire situation. He hated it. Who wouldn't? "Oh, it's happening.. although I wish it weren't, there's really not a damn thing we can do about it, but be there for Alison when she wakes up."
"If she wakes up." Livvie replied distantly.
"Don't say that Livvie." Jack pleaded with her. "Alison WILL wake up.. and as much as I hate the guy, Rafe will wake up as well."
"God, how did this happen?" Livvie pondered, aloud.
"I don't know, Livvie, I honestly don't know." Jack answered. "Look, I really need to get to the hospital." he turned away from Livvie, approaching the door.
"I'm going with you!" she quickly grabbed her coat, and rushed out of the apartment with him.
********************
Walking up to Natalie with two cups of coffee, Jason took a seat next to her in an empty chair just outside of ICU. "Are you alright?" he questioned his girlfriend, sincerely.
"I, I don't know." she answered, shakily. "Honestly," she began, glancing up at him with tear-bound eyes. "if Ali doesn't make it through this terrible ordeal, I don't think I'll ever be okay."
"I want to say that I understand what your going through, but really, I can't. I mean, before my accident, I probably could've.. but ever since then, I haven't really been the emotional type, you know?"
"I know, Jason, and believe me.. I'm not looking for understanding, or anything else for that matter. I just, I.. I want my sister back. So badly." she cried, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend.
Jason comforted her as best he knew he could. Holding her in his arms, while running his fingers through her blonde strands every now and again, he reassured her that everything would be okay.. yet, even he knew that was a lie.
Jack and Livvie came rushing in through the ER, both looking in every direction for someone who knew details on Alison's condition. They went through three or four different nurses with an inquisition before Jack spotted Natalie from a distance.. crying in the arms of her boyfriend, Jason Morgan. At first, he felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of Natalie in the arms of someone such as Jason, but it was only a momentary thing for him as he soon realized, he was the one who drove her there.. into the arms and life of the mob.
Jack grabbed Livvie by the hand, immediately rushing over to Natalie and Jason, "So," he began, abruptly getting their attention.. causing them to break their embrace. "how is she?"
"Jack!" Natalie exclaimed. Excited, and overwhelmed with emotions, she embraced him as quickly as she stood up. Once getting that warm feeling that everything was going to be okay now that he was there, she broke away from the embrace, looking up into his warm, brown eyes. "Nothing has changed since I called," she began softly. "she's still in ICU, and.. well, Ian made the decision to induce a coma."
"Was that really necessary?" Livvie questioned. "I mean, the coma won't cause any problems, or will it?"
Natalie looked pass Jack, glaring intensely into the eyes of the woman who stole the love of her life from the very palm of her hands. Back then, she hated Livvie for being the one who held the key to Jack's heart, but with time.. she eventually learned to move on, and she realized that even if Jack was the only man she would ever truly love, it didn't neccessarly mean he was the only man she was meant to be with. For now, she vowed to make the best of things by befriending Livvie, even if it was the last thing she wanted.. all that really mattered to her at this point was the recovery of her beloved sister, and fighting over a lost cause was the furthest from her mind.
"I believe that Ian knows what is best when it comes to his patients." she remarked. "He is a liscensed doctor, ya know." she stated matter-of-factly.
Livvie wanted to hit her with a comeback so badly, but even she knew that it would make her look like the bad girl. "Of course, I know he's a doctor." she let out a slight, invoulantary chuckle. "Yet, I bet even you didn't know that Ian has been known for making the wrong decisions and even costing patients their lives, have you?"
Natalie's smile turned to ice at Livvie's remark. She hoped more than anything that her last remark was anything but true, soon turning to Jack, she questioned him, "Jack, is this true?" her words revealing a tragic tone of fear.
Jack didn't know how to answer that, because even he knew that Livvie was right about Ian.. he did cause a patients death once.. but that was all in the past. Turning towards Livvie, and giving her a disapproving look, she shrugged and whispered, 'I'm sorry'. He quickly turned his attention back to Natalie, "That's the last thing you need to be worrying about right now." he answered, sternly. "Just focus your attention on Alison, and her alone, okay?"
Natalie sighed deeply, "I will." she answered. "In fact, I don't think I could think about anything else, even if I wanted to."
********************
Only a few rooms down from ICU, Rafe laid unconcious in a hospital bed of his own. His face was swollen and bruised, he had recieved multiple deep, cuts all over his body from the broken windsheild in Alison's vehichle.. a broken leg, and a few broken ribs. Aside from that, everything else was just fine. The doctors' considered him to be lucky, some even referred to his remarkable, quick recovery as a "miracle", or being "touched be an angel".. but what they didn't know was that he, was of course, an angel.
Unlike Alison, Rafe wasn't admitted to a coma, even though he had been thrown through the windsheild during the accident.. Ed had been watching down on him, making sure that he'd live through every horrible, heartbreaking moment of this accident. In bed, Rafe was still unconcious.. but sleeping. Every now and again, he'd whisper Alison's name as he was reliving the accident over and over again in his dreams.
"Alison! Watch out!" he yelled frantically as he witnessed the on-coming semi in their lane. Alison's eyes soon averted to the road, but it seemed to be too late.. before either was able to take in what was about to happen, Alison was saying goodbye to Rafe, and Rafe was being thrown from the car.
That image replayed continusly in his mind as he woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around himself, taken in by the view of the room. He couldn't exactly remember how he got there at first, then the accident came into play and all Rafe could think about was Alison. She was all he ever thought about. He knew that there was a minor possibility that she could be dead, but he wouldn't accept that.. he couldn't. All he knew was that he had to see her, he had to make sure she was alright.
Using up all the strength that he could energize at the time being, he forced himself out of bed, eventually falling to the floor. He held his leg in great pain, realizing that it was broken.. he knew he wouldn't be able to walk to get to Alison. Deciding to go with his last resort, he crawled to the door, reaching for the handle and forcing it open. Just down the hall he saw Livvie, Jack and two other people he couldn't recognize gathered together in front of Intensive Care.
"Livvie!" he called out loudly. "Livvie!"
Hearing her name being called, Livvie turned in the direction of the person who had been calling her. It was Rafe. *Rafe?* she questioned herself. She turned away for a slight moment, looking to Jack, Natalie and Jason. Noticing how they were deep in their own conversation, she decided to slip away and go to Rafe. Rushing quickly down the hall, she kneeled down to Rafe's height. "Rafe, are you crazy? What are you doing out of bed?"
"Livvie," he began slowly, pain filling his tone of voice. "I have to see her.. I have to see Alison."
"Rafe, your in no way, shape or form to be going anywhere at the moment. Alison's fine.. she-- she's resting right now." she lied.
Rafe watched Livvie's facial expression while she talked, and he immediately knew that she was lying. "Your lying, Livvie." he stated. "Alison's not at all alright, is she?"
"I--" her voice was suddenly cut off by a loud, annoying alarm. She whipped her head towards the ICU and watched as doctors rushed into Alison's room.
"SHE'S FLATLINING!" yelled Dr. Eve Thornhart.
Livvie's face flushed a ghost white at the doctors announcement, while Natalie stared blankly through the window, placing her hand against the glass as tears fell hopelessly down her cheeks. Jack watched hopelessly in fear as the doctors rushed to help Alison, he soon turned to look at Natalie, his heart broke as he watched a part of her die. The only thing he knew to do was wrap his arms around her, and assure her that Alison was a strong woman, that she'd live through it. But even Jack was unsure of his own words.
"Alison! No!" Rafe cried out abruptly. Feeling as though his heart was being ripped to the seams. He was losing the only woman he had ever loved. "You can't die.. not now. Please, don't die on me. Please." he whispered solemnly to himself. Hoping that god would hear his prayers.
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