Like some small crystals the last few rain drops were streaming down the
windows of the buildings in the LA area, they flickered in the sun, which
was rising in the east. Its orange yellow beams of light creeped through
the corridors of the Community General Hospital and into the rooms.
Jen Andrews didn't notice that it was already morning, she was sleeping on the couch in the rest room, barely hearing the noises from the ER and the reception desks.
In one of the hospital rooms Mark and Amanda were also sleeping deeply. Amanda was laying on the free bed, Mark was sitting on a chair and a slight snore filled the still warm air. The shouting, bumps and voices of the beginning day didn't seem to disturb them. Steve silenty watched his father from where he was resting and wondered what he would do without him. His father had helped him so often, had always been there for him ever since he could remember, no matter what had happened. Steve was lucky with his family, he knew that, but he also knew that a dad like his was more or less an exception. The detective watched the big yellow fireball rising outside and smiled sadly at the sight. He secretly asked himself what Dane Travis would have done if he had known about all this. Simply the fact that about everything in connection Jesse's father was to be expressed with the word 'if', made Steve clench the fingers on his healthy hand.
'If he had known...If he had been here...If he had been really interested..'
Steve shook his head. Did that man ever care? If...thinking that, Steve chuckled sarcastically...if Dane knew at all what great son he had? Yesterday Mark had risked his life for Jesse's and Steve understood why. He would have done the same and also Amanda and knew that Jesse would have done the same for each of them. Steve threw a look at his friends and his father, at these people who meant everything to him. His small family...
It was when one of the nurses and a new intern accidently clashed in the hall and a tray with empty coffee mugs landed on the floor that Mark woke up. The loud bump had torn him out of a dream, which hadn't been the nicest he had ever had anyway, actually he was quite happy when he realized that it had only been an awful nightmare.
Blinking to figure out where he was, Mark soon knew that not every detail in his nightmare had been a monstrous product of his subconscious. Trying hard to seperate imagination from reality, he looked around and, recognising his friends and his son slowly, he got aware of the events they had been through and why they were here.
Mark stood up from his chair and walked over to Jesse's bed, once again he felt like a heavy stone which was only held by a thin thread was hanging over him and would come down within the next few seconds. Jesse wasn't moving, his skin hadn't got much of its usual color back. Mark cursed himself for falling asleep. Actually he had wanted to stay awake, but somewhen he hadn't managed any more to keep his eyes open.
His son was sitting next to Jesse and staring down at him. He hadn't noticed that his father was awake, but he heard someone moving in the room. Mark could tell from the black shadows under Steve's eyes that he hadn't slept all night.
"Hey son..."
"Hey dad..."
None of the knew what they should talk about. None of them wanted to fill that silence, with what anyway? No word could meet the demands of that awful situation where they were both in, not sure if they would like to know if their hopes, their prayers hab been heard....or not.
"I'm scared..." mumbled Mark.
Steve nodded slowly. "Me too.."
Jesse could move as he noticed surprisedly. He could feel his heart beating and his blood running through his veins. His eye lids were heavy, but different to all those hours, days before, there was chance that he would be able to lift them. Jesse didn't remember anything. Not where he was and why, his memory had been swallowed by a deep black hole.
The last thing he knew was -now that he was thinking hard, he noticed his terrible headache- Mark had gone and hadn't come back, Jesse had wanted to follow him, but...yeah, but what? Had he passed out? He obviously had got unconcussious, however, he couldn't tell if he had been out for five minutes, five hours, five days...Suddenly Jesse's heart was racing again. Mark was in danger!
Mark and Steve looked puzzledly at their friend, who started to stir. Both father and son didn't know if that was real or if their tired brains were already fooling them.
"Mark!" murmured Jesse.
The older doctor, who had been too stunned to move at all, suddenly realised that Jesse was talking to him, more, he was saying his name. He sat down on the bed and took Jesse's hand, which clenched tightly around his. "I'm here!" he said and when he saw that the knuckles in his fist were becoming white he repeated calmingly. "It's ok, Jess, I'm here!"
"What's up, guys?" asked Amanda yawningly. She had been woken up by the noises next to her. At the sight of Mark at Jesse's bedsite, she smiled a bit relievedly. That seemed to be a good sign.
Jesse felt a a warm hand grabbing his and heard a muffled voice:"I'm here..." It was Mark, Jesse was certain about that. That voice was talking furtherly:"Can you hear me? Jess, can you hear me?"
Jesse relaxed now that he had the feeling that everything seemed to be alright. Slowly he opened his eyes. The bright light of the rising sun blinded him at first and his view was blurred, but having blinked a few times, he could now clearly recognise his friends, who were standing around his bed, all of them looking almost as astonished as relieved.
Mark smiled gently. "Hey there..." He stroked Jesse's forehead and noticed that the fever had really become lower and his friend seemed to breath much more calmly. A pair of blue eyes stared at them, happily, confusedly and wearily at the same time."Hey guys...why...what happened?"
Mark shook his head. "Later, Jess...right now we're just happy that you finally came around!"
Jesse groaned. He felt like a tank had run over him, but on the other hand the sight of his friends being just there made him feel healthier. They were always there for him, one more time he had a proof that he had met the best people in the world, and though he didn't know if he really did deserve them, he just enjoyed his luck right now.
"You really scared us, pal!", smiled Steve, feeling a heavy stone tumbeling from his heart down to the floor. Jesse was gonna be alright, he just knew it. He had made it through. 'I knew you would never give up!' Steve thought and couldn't help but grinning proudly.
Amanda nodded agreeingly. She secretly wiped a tear away, which was about roll down her cheek.
Jesse felt warm, but it was not that sharp heat, which had overwhelmed his body for the past days, it was just a wonderful coisiness. "It's good to see you, guys!"
Then he suddenly frowned at Steve. "Urm...Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"That sun burn looks really bad, since when have you had that?"
Steve the colour of Steve's face was now similar to that of his arm. Getting red, he hid his arm behind his back, but it was already too late. Mark and Amanda had already burst into laughter and even Jesse was grinning in his own mischievous way again.
Two weeks later at BBQ Bob's
"Hi, Jess, everything ok?", asked Mark as he entered the restaurant together with Amanda about ten minuted after the last guests had left. Jesse was cleaning the counter. He looked completely normal, healthy, youthful and had got his enthusiastic self back.
"I'm fine, thanks!", answered Jesse and added, rolling with his eyes. "And I would be even better if Steve wouldn't ask every thirty seconds how I feel!"
Mark chuckled. "Well, he is worried about you!"
"I can't fight the feeling that he's more worried about the possibilty that I accidently burn his ribs..."
"Which you almost did!" said Steve walking out of the kitchen over to his father and his friends.
"I didn't!", snapped Jesse. "I just like it if the meat I eat isn't raw any more..."
"Well, I don't know about Elgin, but when the ribs are as black as the night we call them burned here!" retorted Steve.
"Kids...kids..." Mark laughed. "Stop teasing each other and let's eat!"
Jesse and Steve both pointed at each other. "He's started!"
"Me?"
"Yeah! Exactly you!"
"At least I can cook!"
"Does that mean I can't!?"
"That means that you can't make difference between burned and crunchy!"
Mark and Amanda shook their heads and smiled at the two -like kids- quarreling men behind the counter. "Well", started Mark, "At least everything is back to normal!"
Amanda gave him a mischievous look. "Depends on what you call 'normal'!"
THE END
Ok, it's over, it's all over and done!!! I hate writing ends *sniff* and I'm glad that's it's ready now, though. Thank you for all the reviews, they have been a big help and encouragement. Good for you? Bad for you? Who knows... ;-) Thank you for all your patience and your will to overlook small or less small mistakes. Thank you for bearing some unprofessionell English and my Jesse addiction! *grin* You will hear from me!...
So don't say I haven't warned you!
Jen Andrews didn't notice that it was already morning, she was sleeping on the couch in the rest room, barely hearing the noises from the ER and the reception desks.
In one of the hospital rooms Mark and Amanda were also sleeping deeply. Amanda was laying on the free bed, Mark was sitting on a chair and a slight snore filled the still warm air. The shouting, bumps and voices of the beginning day didn't seem to disturb them. Steve silenty watched his father from where he was resting and wondered what he would do without him. His father had helped him so often, had always been there for him ever since he could remember, no matter what had happened. Steve was lucky with his family, he knew that, but he also knew that a dad like his was more or less an exception. The detective watched the big yellow fireball rising outside and smiled sadly at the sight. He secretly asked himself what Dane Travis would have done if he had known about all this. Simply the fact that about everything in connection Jesse's father was to be expressed with the word 'if', made Steve clench the fingers on his healthy hand.
'If he had known...If he had been here...If he had been really interested..'
Steve shook his head. Did that man ever care? If...thinking that, Steve chuckled sarcastically...if Dane knew at all what great son he had? Yesterday Mark had risked his life for Jesse's and Steve understood why. He would have done the same and also Amanda and knew that Jesse would have done the same for each of them. Steve threw a look at his friends and his father, at these people who meant everything to him. His small family...
It was when one of the nurses and a new intern accidently clashed in the hall and a tray with empty coffee mugs landed on the floor that Mark woke up. The loud bump had torn him out of a dream, which hadn't been the nicest he had ever had anyway, actually he was quite happy when he realized that it had only been an awful nightmare.
Blinking to figure out where he was, Mark soon knew that not every detail in his nightmare had been a monstrous product of his subconscious. Trying hard to seperate imagination from reality, he looked around and, recognising his friends and his son slowly, he got aware of the events they had been through and why they were here.
Mark stood up from his chair and walked over to Jesse's bed, once again he felt like a heavy stone which was only held by a thin thread was hanging over him and would come down within the next few seconds. Jesse wasn't moving, his skin hadn't got much of its usual color back. Mark cursed himself for falling asleep. Actually he had wanted to stay awake, but somewhen he hadn't managed any more to keep his eyes open.
His son was sitting next to Jesse and staring down at him. He hadn't noticed that his father was awake, but he heard someone moving in the room. Mark could tell from the black shadows under Steve's eyes that he hadn't slept all night.
"Hey son..."
"Hey dad..."
None of the knew what they should talk about. None of them wanted to fill that silence, with what anyway? No word could meet the demands of that awful situation where they were both in, not sure if they would like to know if their hopes, their prayers hab been heard....or not.
"I'm scared..." mumbled Mark.
Steve nodded slowly. "Me too.."
Jesse could move as he noticed surprisedly. He could feel his heart beating and his blood running through his veins. His eye lids were heavy, but different to all those hours, days before, there was chance that he would be able to lift them. Jesse didn't remember anything. Not where he was and why, his memory had been swallowed by a deep black hole.
The last thing he knew was -now that he was thinking hard, he noticed his terrible headache- Mark had gone and hadn't come back, Jesse had wanted to follow him, but...yeah, but what? Had he passed out? He obviously had got unconcussious, however, he couldn't tell if he had been out for five minutes, five hours, five days...Suddenly Jesse's heart was racing again. Mark was in danger!
Mark and Steve looked puzzledly at their friend, who started to stir. Both father and son didn't know if that was real or if their tired brains were already fooling them.
"Mark!" murmured Jesse.
The older doctor, who had been too stunned to move at all, suddenly realised that Jesse was talking to him, more, he was saying his name. He sat down on the bed and took Jesse's hand, which clenched tightly around his. "I'm here!" he said and when he saw that the knuckles in his fist were becoming white he repeated calmingly. "It's ok, Jess, I'm here!"
"What's up, guys?" asked Amanda yawningly. She had been woken up by the noises next to her. At the sight of Mark at Jesse's bedsite, she smiled a bit relievedly. That seemed to be a good sign.
Jesse felt a a warm hand grabbing his and heard a muffled voice:"I'm here..." It was Mark, Jesse was certain about that. That voice was talking furtherly:"Can you hear me? Jess, can you hear me?"
Jesse relaxed now that he had the feeling that everything seemed to be alright. Slowly he opened his eyes. The bright light of the rising sun blinded him at first and his view was blurred, but having blinked a few times, he could now clearly recognise his friends, who were standing around his bed, all of them looking almost as astonished as relieved.
Mark smiled gently. "Hey there..." He stroked Jesse's forehead and noticed that the fever had really become lower and his friend seemed to breath much more calmly. A pair of blue eyes stared at them, happily, confusedly and wearily at the same time."Hey guys...why...what happened?"
Mark shook his head. "Later, Jess...right now we're just happy that you finally came around!"
Jesse groaned. He felt like a tank had run over him, but on the other hand the sight of his friends being just there made him feel healthier. They were always there for him, one more time he had a proof that he had met the best people in the world, and though he didn't know if he really did deserve them, he just enjoyed his luck right now.
"You really scared us, pal!", smiled Steve, feeling a heavy stone tumbeling from his heart down to the floor. Jesse was gonna be alright, he just knew it. He had made it through. 'I knew you would never give up!' Steve thought and couldn't help but grinning proudly.
Amanda nodded agreeingly. She secretly wiped a tear away, which was about roll down her cheek.
Jesse felt warm, but it was not that sharp heat, which had overwhelmed his body for the past days, it was just a wonderful coisiness. "It's good to see you, guys!"
Then he suddenly frowned at Steve. "Urm...Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"That sun burn looks really bad, since when have you had that?"
Steve the colour of Steve's face was now similar to that of his arm. Getting red, he hid his arm behind his back, but it was already too late. Mark and Amanda had already burst into laughter and even Jesse was grinning in his own mischievous way again.
Two weeks later at BBQ Bob's
"Hi, Jess, everything ok?", asked Mark as he entered the restaurant together with Amanda about ten minuted after the last guests had left. Jesse was cleaning the counter. He looked completely normal, healthy, youthful and had got his enthusiastic self back.
"I'm fine, thanks!", answered Jesse and added, rolling with his eyes. "And I would be even better if Steve wouldn't ask every thirty seconds how I feel!"
Mark chuckled. "Well, he is worried about you!"
"I can't fight the feeling that he's more worried about the possibilty that I accidently burn his ribs..."
"Which you almost did!" said Steve walking out of the kitchen over to his father and his friends.
"I didn't!", snapped Jesse. "I just like it if the meat I eat isn't raw any more..."
"Well, I don't know about Elgin, but when the ribs are as black as the night we call them burned here!" retorted Steve.
"Kids...kids..." Mark laughed. "Stop teasing each other and let's eat!"
Jesse and Steve both pointed at each other. "He's started!"
"Me?"
"Yeah! Exactly you!"
"At least I can cook!"
"Does that mean I can't!?"
"That means that you can't make difference between burned and crunchy!"
Mark and Amanda shook their heads and smiled at the two -like kids- quarreling men behind the counter. "Well", started Mark, "At least everything is back to normal!"
Amanda gave him a mischievous look. "Depends on what you call 'normal'!"
THE END
Ok, it's over, it's all over and done!!! I hate writing ends *sniff* and I'm glad that's it's ready now, though. Thank you for all the reviews, they have been a big help and encouragement. Good for you? Bad for you? Who knows... ;-) Thank you for all your patience and your will to overlook small or less small mistakes. Thank you for bearing some unprofessionell English and my Jesse addiction! *grin* You will hear from me!...
So don't say I haven't warned you!