Thanks for the reviews! *hugs and kisses* Here is chapter 1, as promised. This is where the real theme will really fall into place, but the plot won't really begin until chapter 2. If you skip 1, though, you will be so lost when 2 comes, so please read!
Legal: I do not own the rights to Three's Company or its characters, thanks.
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Chapter 1 : The Animal
Hospitals. Growing up Janet had hated them. Not the people in them and certainly not what they stood for--saving lives was definitely not something to hate. It was just the atmosphere and the way they smelled and how people in there were dying. They had just given her the heeby-jeebies. Her family was very reserved and they never did anything that could put them in the hospital. The only times Janet had been to the hospital were either to visit sick people in a charitable way, or for something regarding Terri's job. But this was different. Oh, this was so different.
This was Jack.
She sat in the waiting room. Terri hadn't come out to see her yet. She was probably busy saving their best friend's life. But that was okay. Janet didn't necessarily mind being alone, but she didn't trust herself being alone with her mind. Horrible thoughts kept crossing it and making her shiver with uncertainty. *What if he's in a coma? What if he becomes a vegetable? What if he loses his legs or arms? What if he...dies?* She pushed the last thought aside and pinched herself for being so pessimistic.
The outside door opened and a pretty brunette, probably around Janet's age, came in, her brow furrowed anxiously. She paced the floor for awhile and then sat down a few chairs away from Janet. Biting her nails nervously, she glanced over at Janet. "Your husband?"
Janet didn't feel like explaining to the woman the rooming situation between she, Jack and Terri so she merely nodded. The woman nodded herself. "My husband was in a car accident. I can't believe it. We haven't even been married for a year." Her voice broke.
Janet's heart went out to the woman. She sat down next to her and patted her hand awkwardly. "It will all be okay. I'm Janet."
The woman wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and mustered a small smile. "Laura."
Janet smiled herself. She felt a tiny bit better. Only seconds ago she would have thought it impossible to smile, but this woman needed a smile. And so did she.
Janet listened to the woman reminisce about her wedding day with her "Steve". She went on and on about how perfect they were for each other and how much Steve loved football. Then she asked Janet how she met her husband.
Janet's eyes widened as she remembered that she was "married" to Jack. She cleared her throat. "W-well, it's a really funny story." She gave a soft chuckle. "You see, my roommate and I found him sleeping in our bathtub."
Laura's eyebrows rose. "Your bathtub? That's a how-we-met story I've never heard before!" She laughed.
The laugh filled the waiting area and caused one of the receptionists to look up in surprise. Janet laughed herself and felt an odd sort of warmth fill her body. A story about meeting Jack in the bathtub caused the whole room to light up. Jack would have loved that! "Laughter. Jack must love it. He was always making me and Chrissy laugh...me and Cindy laugh...me and Terri laugh..." She felt tears sting her eyes. "I wish he could make me laugh just one more time."
This time it was Laura's turn to pat Janet's hand. "It will all be okay," she said softly, repeating what Janet had said to her earlier.
Just then a group of doctors came in from the nearby hallway. Both Janet and Laura stood hopefully. "Mrs. Randall?" A skinny doctor with thinning hair and a gaunt face spoke.
Laura took two great strides over to him. "Yes?"
"I'm Dr. White. Your husband's going to be okay. He's conscience now. We have to patch up some broken ribs and he'll need physical therapy, but he's really just fine."
Laura placed a hand over her heart. "Can I see him?"
The doctor extended his hand. "Right this way."
They walked toward the hallway. Laura looked back at Janet with a smile as big as the Grand Canyon. Janet waved, giving her a smile as small as a penny. *How good for Laura. But what about me?* She looked up toward heaven, hoping for an answer like what Laura got.
Another group of doctors walked out from the hallway, Terri with them. Janet leaped up and approached them. She glanced over at Terri. The pretty blonde was avoiding Janet's gaze. This couldn't be good.
"Miss. Wood?" Spoke a kindly-faced black man with graying hair.
Janet nodded. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm Dr. Huxtable. Miss. Wood, I'm afraid we don't know what's wrong with Mr. Tripper."
Janet looked around at the other doctors, hoping that one of them would pipe up, "Oh, I do!" But none did. She turned back to the black doctor. "But...but what do--"
"Please come with me."
The doctor motioned for the other doctors to stay there and took Janet's arm. He led her to a room where all Janet could hear was the sound of metal objects crashing around. There was a window on the door and the doctor pointed to it. Janet peeked through and her eyes grew wide in shock. Jack was in there. He wasn't unconscience and he didn't appear hurt, but something was definitely wrong. He was like some wild animal; running about the room and knocking over things, occasionally making strange snarling noises. He suddenly stopped and sniffed the air, then his head snapped toward the door. He ran over and banged on it with such a force that Janet jumped back, genuinly afraid. The doctor put an arm around her shoulder and brought her back out to the waiting room. He handed her to Terri and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."
The doctors turned and went to the receptionist. Janet slumped into a chair, her legs too weak to support her. Terri sat beside her and heaved a tired sigh. Neither spoke for awhile. Then Janet shook her head and said with confusion, "But...but how did this happen?"
Terri shook her head as well. "I don't know. We don't have a clue. We know that Jack wasn't in a car accident. A man found him lying beside his car outside the Bistro. The man called the police and they suspected that Jack had been about to get in his car when he was mugged and murdered, but then they realized he was alive so they called for an ambulance. They used his license to find his number and that is when they called you. They brought him into the hospital and I asked to be the assistant nurse to the doctors who were going to work on him. They said it was okay and I went back there. They took his pulse and ran a few tests and they thought he seemed just fine, except that his pulse was strangely quick. But before they could figure out what was making it so fast he woke up... roared, I guess is the only word for it, grabbed one of the doctors and threw him across the room! They tried to strap him to the examination table, but...oh, Janet, it was like in those comic books when an odd chemical spills on the normal guy and makes him ten times stronger or something because he just kept throwing doctors and he broke the straps...when the doctors finally realized they couldn't get him strapped down we all hurried out and locked the door. I don't understand either, Janet. I've never seen Jack act so much like...like..."
Janet knew what she was trying to say and finished for her. "Like an animal."
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Interesting? Kind of like a twisted horror movie, heh heh. Anyway, it will start to become a real story in the next chapter so stay tuned. Please R&R!
Legal: I do not own the rights to Three's Company or its characters, thanks.
=-=
Chapter 1 : The Animal
Hospitals. Growing up Janet had hated them. Not the people in them and certainly not what they stood for--saving lives was definitely not something to hate. It was just the atmosphere and the way they smelled and how people in there were dying. They had just given her the heeby-jeebies. Her family was very reserved and they never did anything that could put them in the hospital. The only times Janet had been to the hospital were either to visit sick people in a charitable way, or for something regarding Terri's job. But this was different. Oh, this was so different.
This was Jack.
She sat in the waiting room. Terri hadn't come out to see her yet. She was probably busy saving their best friend's life. But that was okay. Janet didn't necessarily mind being alone, but she didn't trust herself being alone with her mind. Horrible thoughts kept crossing it and making her shiver with uncertainty. *What if he's in a coma? What if he becomes a vegetable? What if he loses his legs or arms? What if he...dies?* She pushed the last thought aside and pinched herself for being so pessimistic.
The outside door opened and a pretty brunette, probably around Janet's age, came in, her brow furrowed anxiously. She paced the floor for awhile and then sat down a few chairs away from Janet. Biting her nails nervously, she glanced over at Janet. "Your husband?"
Janet didn't feel like explaining to the woman the rooming situation between she, Jack and Terri so she merely nodded. The woman nodded herself. "My husband was in a car accident. I can't believe it. We haven't even been married for a year." Her voice broke.
Janet's heart went out to the woman. She sat down next to her and patted her hand awkwardly. "It will all be okay. I'm Janet."
The woman wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and mustered a small smile. "Laura."
Janet smiled herself. She felt a tiny bit better. Only seconds ago she would have thought it impossible to smile, but this woman needed a smile. And so did she.
Janet listened to the woman reminisce about her wedding day with her "Steve". She went on and on about how perfect they were for each other and how much Steve loved football. Then she asked Janet how she met her husband.
Janet's eyes widened as she remembered that she was "married" to Jack. She cleared her throat. "W-well, it's a really funny story." She gave a soft chuckle. "You see, my roommate and I found him sleeping in our bathtub."
Laura's eyebrows rose. "Your bathtub? That's a how-we-met story I've never heard before!" She laughed.
The laugh filled the waiting area and caused one of the receptionists to look up in surprise. Janet laughed herself and felt an odd sort of warmth fill her body. A story about meeting Jack in the bathtub caused the whole room to light up. Jack would have loved that! "Laughter. Jack must love it. He was always making me and Chrissy laugh...me and Cindy laugh...me and Terri laugh..." She felt tears sting her eyes. "I wish he could make me laugh just one more time."
This time it was Laura's turn to pat Janet's hand. "It will all be okay," she said softly, repeating what Janet had said to her earlier.
Just then a group of doctors came in from the nearby hallway. Both Janet and Laura stood hopefully. "Mrs. Randall?" A skinny doctor with thinning hair and a gaunt face spoke.
Laura took two great strides over to him. "Yes?"
"I'm Dr. White. Your husband's going to be okay. He's conscience now. We have to patch up some broken ribs and he'll need physical therapy, but he's really just fine."
Laura placed a hand over her heart. "Can I see him?"
The doctor extended his hand. "Right this way."
They walked toward the hallway. Laura looked back at Janet with a smile as big as the Grand Canyon. Janet waved, giving her a smile as small as a penny. *How good for Laura. But what about me?* She looked up toward heaven, hoping for an answer like what Laura got.
Another group of doctors walked out from the hallway, Terri with them. Janet leaped up and approached them. She glanced over at Terri. The pretty blonde was avoiding Janet's gaze. This couldn't be good.
"Miss. Wood?" Spoke a kindly-faced black man with graying hair.
Janet nodded. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm Dr. Huxtable. Miss. Wood, I'm afraid we don't know what's wrong with Mr. Tripper."
Janet looked around at the other doctors, hoping that one of them would pipe up, "Oh, I do!" But none did. She turned back to the black doctor. "But...but what do--"
"Please come with me."
The doctor motioned for the other doctors to stay there and took Janet's arm. He led her to a room where all Janet could hear was the sound of metal objects crashing around. There was a window on the door and the doctor pointed to it. Janet peeked through and her eyes grew wide in shock. Jack was in there. He wasn't unconscience and he didn't appear hurt, but something was definitely wrong. He was like some wild animal; running about the room and knocking over things, occasionally making strange snarling noises. He suddenly stopped and sniffed the air, then his head snapped toward the door. He ran over and banged on it with such a force that Janet jumped back, genuinly afraid. The doctor put an arm around her shoulder and brought her back out to the waiting room. He handed her to Terri and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."
The doctors turned and went to the receptionist. Janet slumped into a chair, her legs too weak to support her. Terri sat beside her and heaved a tired sigh. Neither spoke for awhile. Then Janet shook her head and said with confusion, "But...but how did this happen?"
Terri shook her head as well. "I don't know. We don't have a clue. We know that Jack wasn't in a car accident. A man found him lying beside his car outside the Bistro. The man called the police and they suspected that Jack had been about to get in his car when he was mugged and murdered, but then they realized he was alive so they called for an ambulance. They used his license to find his number and that is when they called you. They brought him into the hospital and I asked to be the assistant nurse to the doctors who were going to work on him. They said it was okay and I went back there. They took his pulse and ran a few tests and they thought he seemed just fine, except that his pulse was strangely quick. But before they could figure out what was making it so fast he woke up... roared, I guess is the only word for it, grabbed one of the doctors and threw him across the room! They tried to strap him to the examination table, but...oh, Janet, it was like in those comic books when an odd chemical spills on the normal guy and makes him ten times stronger or something because he just kept throwing doctors and he broke the straps...when the doctors finally realized they couldn't get him strapped down we all hurried out and locked the door. I don't understand either, Janet. I've never seen Jack act so much like...like..."
Janet knew what she was trying to say and finished for her. "Like an animal."
=-=
Interesting? Kind of like a twisted horror movie, heh heh. Anyway, it will start to become a real story in the next chapter so stay tuned. Please R&R!
