A/N: Thanks to itsnotrightbutitsokay for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lost and Unforgotten
Karen and Jack ran down the hallway of the Intensive Care unit of St. Stephen's hospital.
When she saw Edward, who was sitting on a chair in the middle of the hall, Karen yelled, "Eddie, what's going on?"
"Oh good, you guys came," Edward said, glancing up at them when they stood in front of him. He sounded like he was in a daze, his speech slow.
"What happened to Kath, Eddie," Karen asked, kneeling down in front of him and grasping his arms.
"She woke me up a few hours ago," Edward said, staring at Karen, his eyes void of any emotion. "And said she was feeling contractions. I brought her here as fast as I could and..." Here he trailed off, tears starting to course down his cheeks.
"What, what happened?" Jack asked impatiently as Karen stared at her brother in law.
"Katherine lost the babies, a half-hour ag-go," Edward said. He freed his arms from Karen's grip and buried his face in his hands, sobbing softly.
"Did they say why?" Karen whispered as she slowly stood up.
"I think the doctor said something about an infection in Katherine's womb," Edward said through his tears. "Karen...sh-she's in an operating room right now."
"Why?" Karen cried out, surprised.
"I don't know, the doctors didn't have a chance to talk with me yet," Edward said.
"I'll go get a nurse," Jack said. He took Karen's arm gently and then led her to the chair next to Edward. "I'll be right back Kare," he said when she was sitting down. He stood up to leave when Karen grabbed his arm.
"Oh god Jackie," she said, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled him down to her and hugged him tightly.
"She'll be fine Kare, she's strong," Jack said. He slowly let go of Karen, placing a kiss on her forehead before walking over to the nurse's station. "Excuse me," he said to the nurse who was talking on the phone.
"Yes, can I help you at all sir?" the nurse asked after she hang up the phone.
"I'm here to see Katherine O'Neill and I was told she's in operation," Jack said.
"That's correct sir," the nurse said, looking at a chart in front of her.
"Well my wife is her sister and she'd like to speak with a doctor about Katherine's condition," Jack said, a little annoyed.
"Unfortunately sir, all the doctors are busy at the moment. You'll need to wait until the ones working on Mrs. O'Neill come back from the OR to talk with them about her condition," the nurse said.
"Well can you at least tell me why she's in the operating room so I can tell my wife?" Jack asked.
"I can't divulge that information to you sir, you're not her immediate family," the nurse said, sounding irritated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on the patients."
Jack walked back to Karen and Edward, frustrated and annoyed at the lack of information. "I'm sorry Kare," he said to his wife. "They wouldn't tell me anything."
"It's okay poodle," Karen said sadly. "I can wait."
Sitting in the chair next to Karen, Jack took her hand and enveloped it with both of his, squeezing it comfortingly from time to time as they waited.
Forty-five minutes later, Karen was dozing, her head resting lightly on Jack's shoulder.
"Kare, a doctor's coming," Jack said, shaking her lightly.
"Are you the family of Katherine O'Neill?" the doctor asked when he reached the three.
"We are," Edward said instantly. "Can you tell me how my wife is doing?"
"In a moment sir," the doctor said. "First, I'm sure you'd all like to know why she was taken to the OR." When the three nodded, he continued, "Well, it was determined that the infection in Mrs. O'Neill's womb spread through the whole uterus and it was necessary to perform a hysterectomy."
"C-can she ever have children now?" Edward asked, his voice shaking.
"I'm sorry Mr. O'Neill, but no, it's not possible" the doctor said, lowering his eyes.
"How is she?" Karen asked.
"She'll be returned to her room in a few moments, and you'll be able to visit her for a few moments each," the doctor said, looking down at the file in his hands.
"Doctor, my wife asked you a question, you're supposed to answer it," Jack snarled, standing up.
The doctor sighed and said, "After she gave birth to the fetuses, Mrs. O'Neill was extremely weak." As he spoke, a stretcher appeared and was being pushed down the hallway; Katherine was on it. "Unfortunately, with the hysterectomy...it doesn't look like she'll be able to survive."
Karen's mind seemed to snap at that point at she jumped out of her chair, clawing at the doctor. "You're lying, you're fucking lying you son of a bitch!" she screeched. She pushed to doctor against the wall and then ran over to the room where her sister's stretcher had gone into. She saw her sister on the hospital bed, and Karen started screaming, "Kath! Katherine! Wake up, wake up!" She was going to go into the room, when someone grabbed her around the waist.
"Wait, Kare, don't do this!" Jack was yelling, struggling to hold onto his wife. "You'll just hurt her more!"
"I've got to be with her Jack, now!" Karen screamed.
"Mrs. McFarland, I think it would be in your best interest to calm down and give your sister time to regain consciousness before you sit with her," a familiar voice said from behind the two.
"Who are you?" Karen asked, instantly stopping trying to struggle out of Jack's grip. She recognized the doctor, but couldn't remember his name.
"Doctor Stiles," the man said. "I oversaw Katherine when she was here with a coma."
"I thought you worked at St. Francis?" Jack asked.
"I transferred here three months ago," Dr. Stiles said. "Now please Mrs. McFarland, I need to help the nurse get Katherine situated so she'll be able to start her recovery."
"The doctor said-" Karen began to say.
"Please, I would like to get everything set up before I speak with you," Dr. Stiles said.
"Come on Kare, I'll buy you some coffee in the cafeteria and then you can see Kat when we come back," Jack said, putting an arm around her waist.
Karen allowed her husband to lead her to the elevators.
"I'm going to stay here," Edward said as the two passed him.
Jack nodded and they continued on.
While they were going to the second floor, to the cafeteria, Karen turned to Jack and put her arms around him as she buried her face in his chest. "This can't be happening to her. She's not so close to death, not again," she mumbled into his shirt, her voice trembling slightly.
"Kare, I'm sure she'll make it through this," Jack said, stroking his wife's hair softly.
"But you heard that doctor say that she probably won't survive," Karen said, glancing up at him.
"Yes, but Dr. Stiles thinks she will live, and he was her doctor when she was in the coma," Jack pointed out.
"I can't lose her Jackie," Karen said, tears forming in her eyes. "She means too much to me."
"I know Kare, I know," Jack said. He kissed her on the forehead and said as they stepped out of the elevator. "You just be there for her while she recovers and she'll get better faster."
Karen stood in the doorway of Katherine's room; she was clutching a small bouquet of blue flowers that Jack had gone out to buy an hour earlier. She watched quietly as Edward kissed her sister's forehead and then murmured lovingly to her.
"She's awake Karen," Edward whispered when he reached the doorway. "And she's been asking for you for a long time now." He squeezed Karen's arm and then walked out into the hallway.
Hesitantly, Karen walked further into the room. "Hi Kath," she said quietly as she sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Oh Kare," Katherine said hoarsely, holding her arms, which were shaking slightly, out to her sister.
Immediately, Karen leaned over and wrapped her arms around Katherine, being careful not to disturb the IV in Katherine's hand or oxygen tubes going into her sister's nose. She held Katherine tightly for a long time as her sister's body shook with quiet sobs. "Shh, honey it's okay, you'll be alright," she murmured comfortingly.
"I lost my babies Kare," Katherine said. "It's my entire fault too."
"Oh Kath, no," Karen said quickly, letting go of her sister. "It was just an accident, you didn't do anything."
"I asked them to show me my babies after I birthed them," Katherine said, tears streaming down her cheeks now. "They were so small...oh god they didn't even have a chance..." She started crying hard, too weak to cover her face with her hands.
Karen didn't say anything, but she got out of her chair and sat on the edge of the bed. She then lay down next to her sister and put her arms around her. "Don't think about it honey, you've got to rest and get better," she said comfortingly.
Katherine kept crying though, unable to stop herself. A long while later though, her tears stopped flowing so quickly and she turned to Karen. "Thank you for being here Kare," she whispered. "For always being there for me."
"Oh honey," Karen said, choking up a little. "I'm just doing what a sister is supposed to do."
"I love you Kare," Katherine said, squeezing her hand weakly.
"I love you too Kath," Karen said. She let go of her sister's hand and hugged her tightly again.
"Kare," Jack said, coming into the room. "Dr. Stiles says that he wants to check on Kat before he leaves so we need to go."
"Wait, Jackie-boy, come here," Katherine said. "I want to tell the both of you something."
"Hey Sister Katherine," Jack said, walking over to the bed, helping Karen out of it.
"Christopher...Dr. Stiles let me know that there's a possibility I'll die," Katherine said, her eyelids lowering slightly. "If that happens, you'll both be getting custody of Amber."
"Kath, don't say that, you'll get stronger and be out of here in no time," Karen said quickly.
"I want you to give Amber the love that I won't be able to give her as she grows up," Katherine said, ignoring her sister's comment.
"Don't worry Kat, we'll do that," Jack said. He put an arm around Karen's waist and said, "Come on Kare, we should get home so you can get some sleep."
"I'll be back later Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek. "You get some rest and get better soon."
"I will," Katherine said, a tear running down her cheek.
Jack and Karen then left the room and they spoke with Edward quickly while Dr. Stiles went into Katherine's room.
"Hello Katherine," the doctor said quietly, closing the door.
"Christopher, what is it?" Katherine asked softly.
"I just wanted to look you over before I go home," Dr. Stiles said. He looked at the machines next to Katherine's bed and then at her chart. "I hope you'll rest as much as you can."
"I will, I have to get back to my family," Katherine said as she closed her eyes.
Dr. Stiles picked up Katherine's hand and softly kissed the top of it. "I hope you do so, soon," he murmured before he left the room.
Three days after the miscarriage, Karen was sitting next to her sister's bed while Katherine was sleeping.
Nothing much had changed in the past few days. Katherine wasn't any stronger, but she wasn't getting worse either.
Karen held her sister's left hand lightly, and after a while she studied it. The hand was small, like Karen's and Katherine was only wearing her wedding band.
"I took off the engagement ring because my fingers were swelling up a little bit," Katherine said suddenly.
Looking up, Karen saw that her sister was awake. "How are you feeling Kath?" she asked.
"The same," Katherine said. "Kare, I want to tell you something."
"What is it?" Karen asked. "Something else about Amber?"
"No, Kare, I...don't think I want to get better," Katherine said softly.
"What are you talking about?" Karen asked, surprised.
"I feel so awful Kare," Katherine said, crying. "I lost my babies...and I can't give Edward any children ever; I'm barren. What do I have to live for?"
"Kath, you have Eddie and your daughter and son," Karen said quickly. "And I want you to live; I'd miss you so much if you left us Kath."
Katherine turned her head so she wasn't looking at her sister. "Can you leave me alone?" she asked.
"Do you want me to tell Eddie to come in and sit with you?" Karen asked, standing up.
"No, I want to be alone for a while, I need to think about some things," Katherine answered.
"Alright, I'll come back later tonight before visiting hours are over," Karen said, she kissed her sister's forehead and hugged her quickly before leaving the room.
Katherine looked out the window of her room and watched as the rain fell softly. She glanced down at her left wrist and touched the scar there. For the rest of the afternoon, Katherine thought about whether or not she truly wanted to live anymore, now that her body could not bear her husband's children.
Karen was playing with Elizabeth about an hour before she was going to go back to the hospital, when Jack ran into the room.
"Eddie just called me," he said, looking worried. "He said Kat's taken a turn for the worse and we should get to the hospital right away."
Twenty minutes later, Karen and Jack were back at the St. Stephen's, once again running down the hallway to Katherine's room. They went inside and were surprised to see a Catholic priest standing near the bed, talking with Edward.
"What's going on? Who is that guy?" Karen asked Will and Grace, who were next to the bed with Patrick and Amber.
"Edward called him to give Katherine her last rites," Will answered, looking scared.
"What happened to her?" Karen asked.
"The doctors think she gave up trying to get stronger, and her body complied," Edward said as the priest left the room. "She's almost in a comatose state and they're sure she's going to die."
Karen's legs seemed to collapse underneath her and she nearly fell to the ground. Jack caught her and then helped her sit on the edge of the bed. "Kath," she said, taking her sister's hand. "Katherine O'Neill, you'll get better or so help me I'll have you wear one of my skirts at your funeral if you die."
"Karen!" Grace exclaimed, shocked.
"She probably can't hear you Karen," Will said.
"What do you know Truman?" Karen snapped. "She'll come back, she just needs to realize that there is a reason she's here." She got off the bed and said to Edward, "You'll call me if anything happens, right?"
"Of course Karen," Edward said, smiling weakly at her.
"Come on Jackie," Karen said, taking her husbands hand.
"You're not going to stay with her?" Grace asked.
"Her husband should be with her right now," Jack pointed out.
"That's right Eddie," Karen said. "You need to talk to her and tell her you still love her even though she can't have kids anymore."
Edward looked down at his wife and then nodded. "Grace, Will," he began. "Jack and Karen are right. I hope you don't mind taking the children home for me?"
"It's fine Edward," Will said. "Come on Gracie, let's go."
"Karen, did she tell you something before you left here earlier this afternoon?" Edward asked when Will and Grace and the kids were gone.
Looking at Jack, Karen let go of his hand and then walked over to her brother in law. She whispered something to him and when he collapsed down in the chair next to him, she spoke out loud. "I think you might want to talk to her shrink," she said. "Her name is Susan Petrach."
"Thanks Karen, I think I'll give her a call tomorrow," Edward said, taking his wife's hand, tears starting to fall down his face.
That night when they got into bed, Jack turned to Karen and asked, "What did you tell Eddie earlier?"
Karen looked over at Jack and then sighed, "Kath told me that she was contemplating suicide when I saw her."
"Oh my god, again?" Jack said.
"Yeah," Karen said. "She was so sad Jackie. She wanted to have those babies so badly she told me. And now that she's lost them she's devastated...even more because she can't have another."
"Poor Kat, nothing seems to go right for her," Jack said quietly. He looked up at the ceiling, quiet for a moment, when he felt Karen tremble a little. "Kare? What's wrong?"
"I wanted her to have the kids too," Karen answered, tears falling from her eyes. "I wanted her to be as happy as I was when I gave birth to Ebie. And now... Now I've lost my unborn niece and nephew and I might lose my sister. I can't take it Jackie, it hurts too much."
"Oh, Kare," Jack said, turning on his side and holding Karen to him tightly. "Listen, why don't you and I go somewhere for the weekend? Just the two of us, and we can forget about this for a couple of days."
"I'd love to Jackie, but, I don't want to be away from Kath in case she...she..." Karen trailed off, not able to finish.
"Okay, but if you ever want to leave the city, tell me and we'll go as soon as we can," Jack said.
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, kissing him on the lips softly. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes. "Good night Jackie."
"Night Karebear," Jack responded, kissing her forehead.
After that, Karen tried to fall asleep, but her mind kept whirling with thoughts about her sister and what had happened that day. She turned over and then turned back towards Jack several minutes later. Karen did this for a long time until she felt Jack's hand on her arm. She turned towards him and opened her eyes; he was staring back at her.
They gazed at each other for a lengthy amount of time, not saying anything; but they knew what the other was thinking.
Finally, Karen whispered, "Jackie, I..."
Jack didn't let her finish, bringing her head up to his and kissing her as passionately as he could, making her lips swollen. When he pulled back so they could both breathe, he started to say, "Kare...?"
"Please," Karen begged, a tear falling down her cheek.
Nodding, Jack leaned forward and kissed the drop of water off of her face before kissing her cheeks and mouth. As Karen sighed, he lay her down on the mattress and started to unbutton her pajama top slowly. He opened the blouse wide and kissed each nipple on her breast softly before he started to suck on them.
Shivering, Karen ran her fingers through Jack's hair, feeling tears fall from the corners of her eyes and down onto the pillow. She wasn't crying over her sister now, she was crying because she loved Jack so much and because of his love for her. Before he could pull off her pants, she pulled his head up to hers for a long, intense kiss. "Jackie, make love to me...all night," she whispered when they pulled apart
"Yeah, all night Kare," Jack murmured. He brushed his lips down her chin and then down to her breasts. While he sucked on one, he reached down and pulled off Karen's pajama bottoms and then her panties. He moved from her breast, back up to her mouth, kissing her deeply.
With Jack lying down on top of her, Karen could feel his erection pressing into her thigh. "Wait, wait Jackie," she said, moving away from his lips reluctantly. She pushed him off of her so he was sitting down on the mattress. She sat up as well and reached out, unbuttoning his shirt. When it was off, she kissed his chest once and then placed her mouth on his left nipple.
Breathing harshly, Jack allowed Karen roll her tongue on his nipple for a few minutes before cupping her face in his hands. He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed it roughly. When he pulled away, he noticed with some surprise that there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked as he kissed first one cheek and then the other.
"Nothing poodle," Karen said, shaking her head slightly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too Kare," Jack said. He kissed her ardently for a few moments, when he felt hands on his trousers, trying to unbutton and unzip them. He smiled and then helped Karen take the pants off, along with his boxers. When he was as naked as she was, he looked at her and said, "No teasing Kare."
"Not right now Jackie," Karen responded as he lay her down on the mattress. "Maybe later."
Jack smiled brightly and then lowered himself down to Karen. He paused for a moment at her entrance and then thrust his member in her as gently as he could. He gave a small gasp then, which was more of an expression of belonging then anything else.
Karen breathed in deeply as she felt herself tighten around Jack. She looked up at her husband and said, "Don't close your eyes Jackie."
"Never, I want to watch you while I fuck you," Jack said before he started to move in and out of her slowly.
"Oh Jackie...yessss," Karen hissed, putting her arms around him and digging her nails deeply into his upper back.
After driving in and out of Karen for a few moments, he whispered, "Faster?"
"Please..." Karen responded in a long drawn out moan.
Jack complied and soon after built up a rhythm, kissing her breasts before moving up to her face so he could watch her hit her edge.
Twenty minutes later, Karen could feel her body start to shudder a little and she stared up at Jack. "Oh...oh Jack, I'm going to... Ahh! Oh god, Jack!" she screamed as the most pleasurable orgasm ripped through her.
Staring down at his wife as she climaxed around his member, Jack groaned and felt himself climax deep inside of Karen. When he had stopped, he lay down on top of Karen's chest, but lifted his head up so he could look at her. She was flushed and she was sweating furiously, but she had a satisfied smile on her face, he never thought she looked more beautiful and he told her so.
"Thank you poodle," Karen said. "And you are always handsome no matter what you're doing."
Jack smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it out. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said, her eyes bright with tears.
Leaning down, Jack kissed her deeply and then turned so he was on the mattress.
Karen sat up after they stopped kissing, and she looked down at Jack. "Are you up to it again poodle?" she asked as she started moving up and down slowly on his member.
"Yeah, just keep moving like that Kare...oh god," Jack groaned huskily. He reached up then and ran his fingers over her breasts, teasing the nipples into taut peaks. When he heard Karen moaning in pleasure from that, he sat up and put his arms around her back, taking her right breast into his mouth and sucking on it eagerly.
After a long time, Karen pulled herself off of Jack and kissed him gently on the lips.
"Why did you stop?" Jack asked, breathless.
"I wanted to try something new," Karen said. She got on her hands and knees and looked back at Jack, who had a hesitant look on his face. "What's wrong Jackie, I thought you liked taking me from behind?"
"I do," Jack said quickly. "But Kare...it's like you're saying you're no better then a girl dog...a bitch."
"I thought I was your bitch Jackie?" Karen said.
Jack thought for a few moments before going over to her. He slipped in two fingers inside of her, making Karen gasp in pleasure. He moved the fingers in and out a few times before withdrawing and then pushing his member deep into her. "Oh god Kare, you're so beautiful," he said, kissing her back as he started thrusting in and out a little frantically.
"Mmm, I love you Jackie," Karen moaned as he reached around and started kneading her breasts with his hands. A few minutes later, she felt her legs weakening and she said, "I can't stay up poodle."
"Go ahead and fall Kare," Jack said, moving his hands reluctantly from her breasts.
Karen slid down slowly to the mattress as Jack continued to make love to her furiously.
Now that he didn't have her breasts to tease and hold, Jack reached up and entwined his fingers with Karen's, which were out next to her body. He then moved them so they were up next to her head.
Turning her head from side to side, Karen started giving own low, husky cries of passion as she neared her climax. A few minutes later, she screamed into the comforter underneath her as she crashed over the edge. Soon after that, she found herself climaxing again and again while Jack continued to thrust into her, screaming and crying every time.
"Christ...oh my god...Kare," Jack groaned as he felt her climax repeatedly around him. With one final groan, he reached his release and buried his face into her hair as he swore profanely until he was sated.
Karen was still trembling a little when Jack kissed her back once and pulled away from her. She got up slowly, with some help from him and turned to face her husband. "No man has ever, ever, made me come that many times," she said.
Jack smiled as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "You are an amazing woman Kare," he said.
Grinning, Karen crawled up to him and then straddled his lap, settling herself down on his member. "I wanna fuck you now Jackie," she said seductively. "But not here." She writhed in his lap a little and smiled when he groaned.
"The tub?" Jack gasped out.
"If you can make it to there," Karen said, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picked her up. As he carried her towards the bathroom, she moved up and on his member and licked and nibble his ear lobe; one spot that she knew got him turned on when she did that to it.
"Oh man, Kare...I don't think I'm going to make it to the bathtub," Jack groaned, gripping her back a little more tightly. He went over to the chez lounge and laid back on it so Karen was on top of him.
"This is good enough," Karen said, licking his ear lobe one more time. She sat up and started to move up and down faster, moaning with pleasure.
Breathing quickly, Jack put his hands on her waist and helped her move more rapidly until he felt she was nearing her edge, and he was nearing his.
They climaxed at the same time, yelling out the other's name as loudly as they could.
Karen collapsed on top of Jack when she was completely spent.
"Bath or shower Kare?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.
"Bath, poodle," she answered, kissing his bare chest a few times.
After waiting a few minutes, Jack pulled Karen into his arms and walked with her over to the tub.
True to his word, Jack made love to Karen all that night. When they had finished making love for the unknown number of time. Jack looked at the windows facing east and saw the sky was lightening. "Are you okay Kare?" he asked, looking down at his wife.
"I'm perfect Jackie," Karen responded, looking up at him. "Not even tired."
"I know, me neither," Jack said, smiling down at her."
"Would you think I was a horrible person if I said I wanted to stay in bed with you all day?" Karen asked, reaching down and stroking his member lightly.
"No, but you don't want to go and...uh visit..." Jack asked, closing his eyes in pleasure.
"Later on in the afternoon Jackie," Karen said. She put her hands on Jack's ass and then pushed him down so he entered her slowly, making her gasp out his name in pleasure.
After he was inside her, Jack quickly took over their lovemaking, sucking on Karen's breasts and stroking the skin under them.
When she reached her climax a long time later, Karen arched her back, and moaning, tried to force Jack even deeper inside of her.
That made Jack reach his edge, and he screamed her name as he thrust in and out of her frantically.
When they were both satisfied, Karen pulled Jack down onto her chest and stroked his head a few times. Sighing in contentment, she said, "I love you my sweet, handsome Jackie."
Smiling in gratification and lifting his head so he could look into her eyes, Jack said, "I love you too my beautiful, vivacious Karebear."
Giggling, Karen pulled Jack's head down to hers and they kissed ardently for a long time until they eventually made love to each other once more.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lost and Unforgotten
Karen and Jack ran down the hallway of the Intensive Care unit of St. Stephen's hospital.
When she saw Edward, who was sitting on a chair in the middle of the hall, Karen yelled, "Eddie, what's going on?"
"Oh good, you guys came," Edward said, glancing up at them when they stood in front of him. He sounded like he was in a daze, his speech slow.
"What happened to Kath, Eddie," Karen asked, kneeling down in front of him and grasping his arms.
"She woke me up a few hours ago," Edward said, staring at Karen, his eyes void of any emotion. "And said she was feeling contractions. I brought her here as fast as I could and..." Here he trailed off, tears starting to course down his cheeks.
"What, what happened?" Jack asked impatiently as Karen stared at her brother in law.
"Katherine lost the babies, a half-hour ag-go," Edward said. He freed his arms from Karen's grip and buried his face in his hands, sobbing softly.
"Did they say why?" Karen whispered as she slowly stood up.
"I think the doctor said something about an infection in Katherine's womb," Edward said through his tears. "Karen...sh-she's in an operating room right now."
"Why?" Karen cried out, surprised.
"I don't know, the doctors didn't have a chance to talk with me yet," Edward said.
"I'll go get a nurse," Jack said. He took Karen's arm gently and then led her to the chair next to Edward. "I'll be right back Kare," he said when she was sitting down. He stood up to leave when Karen grabbed his arm.
"Oh god Jackie," she said, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled him down to her and hugged him tightly.
"She'll be fine Kare, she's strong," Jack said. He slowly let go of Karen, placing a kiss on her forehead before walking over to the nurse's station. "Excuse me," he said to the nurse who was talking on the phone.
"Yes, can I help you at all sir?" the nurse asked after she hang up the phone.
"I'm here to see Katherine O'Neill and I was told she's in operation," Jack said.
"That's correct sir," the nurse said, looking at a chart in front of her.
"Well my wife is her sister and she'd like to speak with a doctor about Katherine's condition," Jack said, a little annoyed.
"Unfortunately sir, all the doctors are busy at the moment. You'll need to wait until the ones working on Mrs. O'Neill come back from the OR to talk with them about her condition," the nurse said.
"Well can you at least tell me why she's in the operating room so I can tell my wife?" Jack asked.
"I can't divulge that information to you sir, you're not her immediate family," the nurse said, sounding irritated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on the patients."
Jack walked back to Karen and Edward, frustrated and annoyed at the lack of information. "I'm sorry Kare," he said to his wife. "They wouldn't tell me anything."
"It's okay poodle," Karen said sadly. "I can wait."
Sitting in the chair next to Karen, Jack took her hand and enveloped it with both of his, squeezing it comfortingly from time to time as they waited.
Forty-five minutes later, Karen was dozing, her head resting lightly on Jack's shoulder.
"Kare, a doctor's coming," Jack said, shaking her lightly.
"Are you the family of Katherine O'Neill?" the doctor asked when he reached the three.
"We are," Edward said instantly. "Can you tell me how my wife is doing?"
"In a moment sir," the doctor said. "First, I'm sure you'd all like to know why she was taken to the OR." When the three nodded, he continued, "Well, it was determined that the infection in Mrs. O'Neill's womb spread through the whole uterus and it was necessary to perform a hysterectomy."
"C-can she ever have children now?" Edward asked, his voice shaking.
"I'm sorry Mr. O'Neill, but no, it's not possible" the doctor said, lowering his eyes.
"How is she?" Karen asked.
"She'll be returned to her room in a few moments, and you'll be able to visit her for a few moments each," the doctor said, looking down at the file in his hands.
"Doctor, my wife asked you a question, you're supposed to answer it," Jack snarled, standing up.
The doctor sighed and said, "After she gave birth to the fetuses, Mrs. O'Neill was extremely weak." As he spoke, a stretcher appeared and was being pushed down the hallway; Katherine was on it. "Unfortunately, with the hysterectomy...it doesn't look like she'll be able to survive."
Karen's mind seemed to snap at that point at she jumped out of her chair, clawing at the doctor. "You're lying, you're fucking lying you son of a bitch!" she screeched. She pushed to doctor against the wall and then ran over to the room where her sister's stretcher had gone into. She saw her sister on the hospital bed, and Karen started screaming, "Kath! Katherine! Wake up, wake up!" She was going to go into the room, when someone grabbed her around the waist.
"Wait, Kare, don't do this!" Jack was yelling, struggling to hold onto his wife. "You'll just hurt her more!"
"I've got to be with her Jack, now!" Karen screamed.
"Mrs. McFarland, I think it would be in your best interest to calm down and give your sister time to regain consciousness before you sit with her," a familiar voice said from behind the two.
"Who are you?" Karen asked, instantly stopping trying to struggle out of Jack's grip. She recognized the doctor, but couldn't remember his name.
"Doctor Stiles," the man said. "I oversaw Katherine when she was here with a coma."
"I thought you worked at St. Francis?" Jack asked.
"I transferred here three months ago," Dr. Stiles said. "Now please Mrs. McFarland, I need to help the nurse get Katherine situated so she'll be able to start her recovery."
"The doctor said-" Karen began to say.
"Please, I would like to get everything set up before I speak with you," Dr. Stiles said.
"Come on Kare, I'll buy you some coffee in the cafeteria and then you can see Kat when we come back," Jack said, putting an arm around her waist.
Karen allowed her husband to lead her to the elevators.
"I'm going to stay here," Edward said as the two passed him.
Jack nodded and they continued on.
While they were going to the second floor, to the cafeteria, Karen turned to Jack and put her arms around him as she buried her face in his chest. "This can't be happening to her. She's not so close to death, not again," she mumbled into his shirt, her voice trembling slightly.
"Kare, I'm sure she'll make it through this," Jack said, stroking his wife's hair softly.
"But you heard that doctor say that she probably won't survive," Karen said, glancing up at him.
"Yes, but Dr. Stiles thinks she will live, and he was her doctor when she was in the coma," Jack pointed out.
"I can't lose her Jackie," Karen said, tears forming in her eyes. "She means too much to me."
"I know Kare, I know," Jack said. He kissed her on the forehead and said as they stepped out of the elevator. "You just be there for her while she recovers and she'll get better faster."
Karen stood in the doorway of Katherine's room; she was clutching a small bouquet of blue flowers that Jack had gone out to buy an hour earlier. She watched quietly as Edward kissed her sister's forehead and then murmured lovingly to her.
"She's awake Karen," Edward whispered when he reached the doorway. "And she's been asking for you for a long time now." He squeezed Karen's arm and then walked out into the hallway.
Hesitantly, Karen walked further into the room. "Hi Kath," she said quietly as she sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Oh Kare," Katherine said hoarsely, holding her arms, which were shaking slightly, out to her sister.
Immediately, Karen leaned over and wrapped her arms around Katherine, being careful not to disturb the IV in Katherine's hand or oxygen tubes going into her sister's nose. She held Katherine tightly for a long time as her sister's body shook with quiet sobs. "Shh, honey it's okay, you'll be alright," she murmured comfortingly.
"I lost my babies Kare," Katherine said. "It's my entire fault too."
"Oh Kath, no," Karen said quickly, letting go of her sister. "It was just an accident, you didn't do anything."
"I asked them to show me my babies after I birthed them," Katherine said, tears streaming down her cheeks now. "They were so small...oh god they didn't even have a chance..." She started crying hard, too weak to cover her face with her hands.
Karen didn't say anything, but she got out of her chair and sat on the edge of the bed. She then lay down next to her sister and put her arms around her. "Don't think about it honey, you've got to rest and get better," she said comfortingly.
Katherine kept crying though, unable to stop herself. A long while later though, her tears stopped flowing so quickly and she turned to Karen. "Thank you for being here Kare," she whispered. "For always being there for me."
"Oh honey," Karen said, choking up a little. "I'm just doing what a sister is supposed to do."
"I love you Kare," Katherine said, squeezing her hand weakly.
"I love you too Kath," Karen said. She let go of her sister's hand and hugged her tightly again.
"Kare," Jack said, coming into the room. "Dr. Stiles says that he wants to check on Kat before he leaves so we need to go."
"Wait, Jackie-boy, come here," Katherine said. "I want to tell the both of you something."
"Hey Sister Katherine," Jack said, walking over to the bed, helping Karen out of it.
"Christopher...Dr. Stiles let me know that there's a possibility I'll die," Katherine said, her eyelids lowering slightly. "If that happens, you'll both be getting custody of Amber."
"Kath, don't say that, you'll get stronger and be out of here in no time," Karen said quickly.
"I want you to give Amber the love that I won't be able to give her as she grows up," Katherine said, ignoring her sister's comment.
"Don't worry Kat, we'll do that," Jack said. He put an arm around Karen's waist and said, "Come on Kare, we should get home so you can get some sleep."
"I'll be back later Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek. "You get some rest and get better soon."
"I will," Katherine said, a tear running down her cheek.
Jack and Karen then left the room and they spoke with Edward quickly while Dr. Stiles went into Katherine's room.
"Hello Katherine," the doctor said quietly, closing the door.
"Christopher, what is it?" Katherine asked softly.
"I just wanted to look you over before I go home," Dr. Stiles said. He looked at the machines next to Katherine's bed and then at her chart. "I hope you'll rest as much as you can."
"I will, I have to get back to my family," Katherine said as she closed her eyes.
Dr. Stiles picked up Katherine's hand and softly kissed the top of it. "I hope you do so, soon," he murmured before he left the room.
Three days after the miscarriage, Karen was sitting next to her sister's bed while Katherine was sleeping.
Nothing much had changed in the past few days. Katherine wasn't any stronger, but she wasn't getting worse either.
Karen held her sister's left hand lightly, and after a while she studied it. The hand was small, like Karen's and Katherine was only wearing her wedding band.
"I took off the engagement ring because my fingers were swelling up a little bit," Katherine said suddenly.
Looking up, Karen saw that her sister was awake. "How are you feeling Kath?" she asked.
"The same," Katherine said. "Kare, I want to tell you something."
"What is it?" Karen asked. "Something else about Amber?"
"No, Kare, I...don't think I want to get better," Katherine said softly.
"What are you talking about?" Karen asked, surprised.
"I feel so awful Kare," Katherine said, crying. "I lost my babies...and I can't give Edward any children ever; I'm barren. What do I have to live for?"
"Kath, you have Eddie and your daughter and son," Karen said quickly. "And I want you to live; I'd miss you so much if you left us Kath."
Katherine turned her head so she wasn't looking at her sister. "Can you leave me alone?" she asked.
"Do you want me to tell Eddie to come in and sit with you?" Karen asked, standing up.
"No, I want to be alone for a while, I need to think about some things," Katherine answered.
"Alright, I'll come back later tonight before visiting hours are over," Karen said, she kissed her sister's forehead and hugged her quickly before leaving the room.
Katherine looked out the window of her room and watched as the rain fell softly. She glanced down at her left wrist and touched the scar there. For the rest of the afternoon, Katherine thought about whether or not she truly wanted to live anymore, now that her body could not bear her husband's children.
Karen was playing with Elizabeth about an hour before she was going to go back to the hospital, when Jack ran into the room.
"Eddie just called me," he said, looking worried. "He said Kat's taken a turn for the worse and we should get to the hospital right away."
Twenty minutes later, Karen and Jack were back at the St. Stephen's, once again running down the hallway to Katherine's room. They went inside and were surprised to see a Catholic priest standing near the bed, talking with Edward.
"What's going on? Who is that guy?" Karen asked Will and Grace, who were next to the bed with Patrick and Amber.
"Edward called him to give Katherine her last rites," Will answered, looking scared.
"What happened to her?" Karen asked.
"The doctors think she gave up trying to get stronger, and her body complied," Edward said as the priest left the room. "She's almost in a comatose state and they're sure she's going to die."
Karen's legs seemed to collapse underneath her and she nearly fell to the ground. Jack caught her and then helped her sit on the edge of the bed. "Kath," she said, taking her sister's hand. "Katherine O'Neill, you'll get better or so help me I'll have you wear one of my skirts at your funeral if you die."
"Karen!" Grace exclaimed, shocked.
"She probably can't hear you Karen," Will said.
"What do you know Truman?" Karen snapped. "She'll come back, she just needs to realize that there is a reason she's here." She got off the bed and said to Edward, "You'll call me if anything happens, right?"
"Of course Karen," Edward said, smiling weakly at her.
"Come on Jackie," Karen said, taking her husbands hand.
"You're not going to stay with her?" Grace asked.
"Her husband should be with her right now," Jack pointed out.
"That's right Eddie," Karen said. "You need to talk to her and tell her you still love her even though she can't have kids anymore."
Edward looked down at his wife and then nodded. "Grace, Will," he began. "Jack and Karen are right. I hope you don't mind taking the children home for me?"
"It's fine Edward," Will said. "Come on Gracie, let's go."
"Karen, did she tell you something before you left here earlier this afternoon?" Edward asked when Will and Grace and the kids were gone.
Looking at Jack, Karen let go of his hand and then walked over to her brother in law. She whispered something to him and when he collapsed down in the chair next to him, she spoke out loud. "I think you might want to talk to her shrink," she said. "Her name is Susan Petrach."
"Thanks Karen, I think I'll give her a call tomorrow," Edward said, taking his wife's hand, tears starting to fall down his face.
That night when they got into bed, Jack turned to Karen and asked, "What did you tell Eddie earlier?"
Karen looked over at Jack and then sighed, "Kath told me that she was contemplating suicide when I saw her."
"Oh my god, again?" Jack said.
"Yeah," Karen said. "She was so sad Jackie. She wanted to have those babies so badly she told me. And now that she's lost them she's devastated...even more because she can't have another."
"Poor Kat, nothing seems to go right for her," Jack said quietly. He looked up at the ceiling, quiet for a moment, when he felt Karen tremble a little. "Kare? What's wrong?"
"I wanted her to have the kids too," Karen answered, tears falling from her eyes. "I wanted her to be as happy as I was when I gave birth to Ebie. And now... Now I've lost my unborn niece and nephew and I might lose my sister. I can't take it Jackie, it hurts too much."
"Oh, Kare," Jack said, turning on his side and holding Karen to him tightly. "Listen, why don't you and I go somewhere for the weekend? Just the two of us, and we can forget about this for a couple of days."
"I'd love to Jackie, but, I don't want to be away from Kath in case she...she..." Karen trailed off, not able to finish.
"Okay, but if you ever want to leave the city, tell me and we'll go as soon as we can," Jack said.
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, kissing him on the lips softly. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes. "Good night Jackie."
"Night Karebear," Jack responded, kissing her forehead.
After that, Karen tried to fall asleep, but her mind kept whirling with thoughts about her sister and what had happened that day. She turned over and then turned back towards Jack several minutes later. Karen did this for a long time until she felt Jack's hand on her arm. She turned towards him and opened her eyes; he was staring back at her.
They gazed at each other for a lengthy amount of time, not saying anything; but they knew what the other was thinking.
Finally, Karen whispered, "Jackie, I..."
Jack didn't let her finish, bringing her head up to his and kissing her as passionately as he could, making her lips swollen. When he pulled back so they could both breathe, he started to say, "Kare...?"
"Please," Karen begged, a tear falling down her cheek.
Nodding, Jack leaned forward and kissed the drop of water off of her face before kissing her cheeks and mouth. As Karen sighed, he lay her down on the mattress and started to unbutton her pajama top slowly. He opened the blouse wide and kissed each nipple on her breast softly before he started to suck on them.
Shivering, Karen ran her fingers through Jack's hair, feeling tears fall from the corners of her eyes and down onto the pillow. She wasn't crying over her sister now, she was crying because she loved Jack so much and because of his love for her. Before he could pull off her pants, she pulled his head up to hers for a long, intense kiss. "Jackie, make love to me...all night," she whispered when they pulled apart
"Yeah, all night Kare," Jack murmured. He brushed his lips down her chin and then down to her breasts. While he sucked on one, he reached down and pulled off Karen's pajama bottoms and then her panties. He moved from her breast, back up to her mouth, kissing her deeply.
With Jack lying down on top of her, Karen could feel his erection pressing into her thigh. "Wait, wait Jackie," she said, moving away from his lips reluctantly. She pushed him off of her so he was sitting down on the mattress. She sat up as well and reached out, unbuttoning his shirt. When it was off, she kissed his chest once and then placed her mouth on his left nipple.
Breathing harshly, Jack allowed Karen roll her tongue on his nipple for a few minutes before cupping her face in his hands. He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed it roughly. When he pulled away, he noticed with some surprise that there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked as he kissed first one cheek and then the other.
"Nothing poodle," Karen said, shaking her head slightly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too Kare," Jack said. He kissed her ardently for a few moments, when he felt hands on his trousers, trying to unbutton and unzip them. He smiled and then helped Karen take the pants off, along with his boxers. When he was as naked as she was, he looked at her and said, "No teasing Kare."
"Not right now Jackie," Karen responded as he lay her down on the mattress. "Maybe later."
Jack smiled brightly and then lowered himself down to Karen. He paused for a moment at her entrance and then thrust his member in her as gently as he could. He gave a small gasp then, which was more of an expression of belonging then anything else.
Karen breathed in deeply as she felt herself tighten around Jack. She looked up at her husband and said, "Don't close your eyes Jackie."
"Never, I want to watch you while I fuck you," Jack said before he started to move in and out of her slowly.
"Oh Jackie...yessss," Karen hissed, putting her arms around him and digging her nails deeply into his upper back.
After driving in and out of Karen for a few moments, he whispered, "Faster?"
"Please..." Karen responded in a long drawn out moan.
Jack complied and soon after built up a rhythm, kissing her breasts before moving up to her face so he could watch her hit her edge.
Twenty minutes later, Karen could feel her body start to shudder a little and she stared up at Jack. "Oh...oh Jack, I'm going to... Ahh! Oh god, Jack!" she screamed as the most pleasurable orgasm ripped through her.
Staring down at his wife as she climaxed around his member, Jack groaned and felt himself climax deep inside of Karen. When he had stopped, he lay down on top of Karen's chest, but lifted his head up so he could look at her. She was flushed and she was sweating furiously, but she had a satisfied smile on her face, he never thought she looked more beautiful and he told her so.
"Thank you poodle," Karen said. "And you are always handsome no matter what you're doing."
Jack smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it out. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said, her eyes bright with tears.
Leaning down, Jack kissed her deeply and then turned so he was on the mattress.
Karen sat up after they stopped kissing, and she looked down at Jack. "Are you up to it again poodle?" she asked as she started moving up and down slowly on his member.
"Yeah, just keep moving like that Kare...oh god," Jack groaned huskily. He reached up then and ran his fingers over her breasts, teasing the nipples into taut peaks. When he heard Karen moaning in pleasure from that, he sat up and put his arms around her back, taking her right breast into his mouth and sucking on it eagerly.
After a long time, Karen pulled herself off of Jack and kissed him gently on the lips.
"Why did you stop?" Jack asked, breathless.
"I wanted to try something new," Karen said. She got on her hands and knees and looked back at Jack, who had a hesitant look on his face. "What's wrong Jackie, I thought you liked taking me from behind?"
"I do," Jack said quickly. "But Kare...it's like you're saying you're no better then a girl dog...a bitch."
"I thought I was your bitch Jackie?" Karen said.
Jack thought for a few moments before going over to her. He slipped in two fingers inside of her, making Karen gasp in pleasure. He moved the fingers in and out a few times before withdrawing and then pushing his member deep into her. "Oh god Kare, you're so beautiful," he said, kissing her back as he started thrusting in and out a little frantically.
"Mmm, I love you Jackie," Karen moaned as he reached around and started kneading her breasts with his hands. A few minutes later, she felt her legs weakening and she said, "I can't stay up poodle."
"Go ahead and fall Kare," Jack said, moving his hands reluctantly from her breasts.
Karen slid down slowly to the mattress as Jack continued to make love to her furiously.
Now that he didn't have her breasts to tease and hold, Jack reached up and entwined his fingers with Karen's, which were out next to her body. He then moved them so they were up next to her head.
Turning her head from side to side, Karen started giving own low, husky cries of passion as she neared her climax. A few minutes later, she screamed into the comforter underneath her as she crashed over the edge. Soon after that, she found herself climaxing again and again while Jack continued to thrust into her, screaming and crying every time.
"Christ...oh my god...Kare," Jack groaned as he felt her climax repeatedly around him. With one final groan, he reached his release and buried his face into her hair as he swore profanely until he was sated.
Karen was still trembling a little when Jack kissed her back once and pulled away from her. She got up slowly, with some help from him and turned to face her husband. "No man has ever, ever, made me come that many times," she said.
Jack smiled as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "You are an amazing woman Kare," he said.
Grinning, Karen crawled up to him and then straddled his lap, settling herself down on his member. "I wanna fuck you now Jackie," she said seductively. "But not here." She writhed in his lap a little and smiled when he groaned.
"The tub?" Jack gasped out.
"If you can make it to there," Karen said, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picked her up. As he carried her towards the bathroom, she moved up and on his member and licked and nibble his ear lobe; one spot that she knew got him turned on when she did that to it.
"Oh man, Kare...I don't think I'm going to make it to the bathtub," Jack groaned, gripping her back a little more tightly. He went over to the chez lounge and laid back on it so Karen was on top of him.
"This is good enough," Karen said, licking his ear lobe one more time. She sat up and started to move up and down faster, moaning with pleasure.
Breathing quickly, Jack put his hands on her waist and helped her move more rapidly until he felt she was nearing her edge, and he was nearing his.
They climaxed at the same time, yelling out the other's name as loudly as they could.
Karen collapsed on top of Jack when she was completely spent.
"Bath or shower Kare?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.
"Bath, poodle," she answered, kissing his bare chest a few times.
After waiting a few minutes, Jack pulled Karen into his arms and walked with her over to the tub.
True to his word, Jack made love to Karen all that night. When they had finished making love for the unknown number of time. Jack looked at the windows facing east and saw the sky was lightening. "Are you okay Kare?" he asked, looking down at his wife.
"I'm perfect Jackie," Karen responded, looking up at him. "Not even tired."
"I know, me neither," Jack said, smiling down at her."
"Would you think I was a horrible person if I said I wanted to stay in bed with you all day?" Karen asked, reaching down and stroking his member lightly.
"No, but you don't want to go and...uh visit..." Jack asked, closing his eyes in pleasure.
"Later on in the afternoon Jackie," Karen said. She put her hands on Jack's ass and then pushed him down so he entered her slowly, making her gasp out his name in pleasure.
After he was inside her, Jack quickly took over their lovemaking, sucking on Karen's breasts and stroking the skin under them.
When she reached her climax a long time later, Karen arched her back, and moaning, tried to force Jack even deeper inside of her.
That made Jack reach his edge, and he screamed her name as he thrust in and out of her frantically.
When they were both satisfied, Karen pulled Jack down onto her chest and stroked his head a few times. Sighing in contentment, she said, "I love you my sweet, handsome Jackie."
Smiling in gratification and lifting his head so he could look into her eyes, Jack said, "I love you too my beautiful, vivacious Karebear."
Giggling, Karen pulled Jack's head down to hers and they kissed ardently for a long time until they eventually made love to each other once more.