CHAPTER SEVEN
The monitor beeped a steady rhythm as Katie's heart fought to keep beating. Jessie stared into the black abyss of the hospital room, imagining the moment they first kissed. Her soft lips, her gentle touch, her soothing embrace; a single tear fell from Jessie's eyes as she remembered every inch of her love. Jessie walked to the window, opening it to allow the cool breeze the wash over her. The cool draft rushed across her warm skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Mmm, it's cold," a soft voice said.
Jessie turned around suddenly, "Katie?" she whispered into the darkness. The open window allowed a stream of moonlight to flow over Katie. Jessie peered through the darkness and saw that Katie was moving. "Katie?" Jessie gasped as she ran to her love's side.
A small grin formed on the unconscious girl's face, "Jessie," she murmured under her breath. "Why can't you love me?" Katie's forehead furrowed in pain as she said these words, "No, Jessie!" she shouted, shaking her head and thrashing her arms. "Jessie!"
Jessie placed her hand on the girl's warm face. Katie's scared exterior almost instantly disappeared and a look of calmness came over her. Jessie gently stroked the girl's cheek, silently whispering, "I love you...come back to me Katie."
"She can hear you, ya know. Her heart can always hear you Jessie," a soothing voice said from behind Jessie.
Without even turning around she knew who it was, "Eli. It's not what it looks like." She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up into the warm, comforting eyes of her brother. "It's not..." her voice trailed off as she realized that her brother already knew the truth. "How did you find out?" she whispered.
"How could I not notice? You've been so much happier since Katie came into your life." He glanced at the sleeping girl, whose hand Jessie was still holding. "I love you Jessie. I want you to be happy. Katie makes you happy...how could that be a bad thing?"
Jessie smiled as she saw the sincerity in her brother's face. She threw her arms around his neck and her strong composure faltered, allowing the fear and pain that had been dwelling in the pit of her stomach, to finally be released.
*****
Grace sat outside Katie's room, tapping her fingers on her knees as a small distraction to the silence. Eli had gone to see Jessie, and now Grace was left sitting alone, in the hallway, to ponder their previous encounter. He loved her. He had said it, loud and clear. This is the moment she had waited for ever since she laid eyes on him, but how could she feel any sense of happiness when Jessie's girlfriend was lying, unconscious in a hospital bed. The pit of sorrow that had momentarily left at the thought of Eli had returned. Grace jumped as a small hand gently touched her shoulder. She turned slightly and looked into Jessie's teary, blue eyes.
"How is she?" Grace asked, her voice softly echoed through the empty hallway.
Jessie shrugged, "She called my name, in her sleep. Eli is in there with her now." Suddenly, the tears began to fall. "Oh Grace, I don't know what I am supposed to do without her. She looks so fragile, so weak. How can I possibly help her?"
Grace pulled the young girl into a tight hug. "You've done everything right, Jessie. She knows you are here, loving her, wishing for the moment when she will be back in your arms. She knows how much you love her. She can feel it."
Jessie sniffled, "That's what Eli said too."
"Yeah," she smiled, "Great minds think alike."
Jessie smiled, "I see it, you know." Grace shot her a puzzled look and Jessie continued, "You and Eli. I see what's going on between you two."
Grace's eyes grew as she searched for words, "Me and Eli? T-There's nothing going on with me and Eli. We're...me and Eli. The same as we always have been. We...
Jessie lifted her hand up and placed it on Grace's knee. "Stop! It's ok. I love you both, so much more than I ever thought I could. I see the way he looks at you, it's love. No questions about it. I can see it, and it is only a matter of time before the world will see it too. And I am ok with it, honestly." She glanced at the closed door that leads to her girl. "If this has taught me anything, it's that you cannot take anything for granted when you love someone. Nothing. Because you never know when or how that love will end."
Grace leaned forward and once again hugged the shaking girl. "I thought I was supposed to be comforting you."
Jessie giggled, "We can take turns. It's what sisters are for."
Suddenly, the duo was interrupted by Eli flinging to door open. The girls jumped and stared at him with wide eyes. "Eli, what is it?" Grace asked; panic spilling out through her words.
"It's Katie. Get a doctor! Hurry!"
The monitor beeped a steady rhythm as Katie's heart fought to keep beating. Jessie stared into the black abyss of the hospital room, imagining the moment they first kissed. Her soft lips, her gentle touch, her soothing embrace; a single tear fell from Jessie's eyes as she remembered every inch of her love. Jessie walked to the window, opening it to allow the cool breeze the wash over her. The cool draft rushed across her warm skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Mmm, it's cold," a soft voice said.
Jessie turned around suddenly, "Katie?" she whispered into the darkness. The open window allowed a stream of moonlight to flow over Katie. Jessie peered through the darkness and saw that Katie was moving. "Katie?" Jessie gasped as she ran to her love's side.
A small grin formed on the unconscious girl's face, "Jessie," she murmured under her breath. "Why can't you love me?" Katie's forehead furrowed in pain as she said these words, "No, Jessie!" she shouted, shaking her head and thrashing her arms. "Jessie!"
Jessie placed her hand on the girl's warm face. Katie's scared exterior almost instantly disappeared and a look of calmness came over her. Jessie gently stroked the girl's cheek, silently whispering, "I love you...come back to me Katie."
"She can hear you, ya know. Her heart can always hear you Jessie," a soothing voice said from behind Jessie.
Without even turning around she knew who it was, "Eli. It's not what it looks like." She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up into the warm, comforting eyes of her brother. "It's not..." her voice trailed off as she realized that her brother already knew the truth. "How did you find out?" she whispered.
"How could I not notice? You've been so much happier since Katie came into your life." He glanced at the sleeping girl, whose hand Jessie was still holding. "I love you Jessie. I want you to be happy. Katie makes you happy...how could that be a bad thing?"
Jessie smiled as she saw the sincerity in her brother's face. She threw her arms around his neck and her strong composure faltered, allowing the fear and pain that had been dwelling in the pit of her stomach, to finally be released.
*****
Grace sat outside Katie's room, tapping her fingers on her knees as a small distraction to the silence. Eli had gone to see Jessie, and now Grace was left sitting alone, in the hallway, to ponder their previous encounter. He loved her. He had said it, loud and clear. This is the moment she had waited for ever since she laid eyes on him, but how could she feel any sense of happiness when Jessie's girlfriend was lying, unconscious in a hospital bed. The pit of sorrow that had momentarily left at the thought of Eli had returned. Grace jumped as a small hand gently touched her shoulder. She turned slightly and looked into Jessie's teary, blue eyes.
"How is she?" Grace asked, her voice softly echoed through the empty hallway.
Jessie shrugged, "She called my name, in her sleep. Eli is in there with her now." Suddenly, the tears began to fall. "Oh Grace, I don't know what I am supposed to do without her. She looks so fragile, so weak. How can I possibly help her?"
Grace pulled the young girl into a tight hug. "You've done everything right, Jessie. She knows you are here, loving her, wishing for the moment when she will be back in your arms. She knows how much you love her. She can feel it."
Jessie sniffled, "That's what Eli said too."
"Yeah," she smiled, "Great minds think alike."
Jessie smiled, "I see it, you know." Grace shot her a puzzled look and Jessie continued, "You and Eli. I see what's going on between you two."
Grace's eyes grew as she searched for words, "Me and Eli? T-There's nothing going on with me and Eli. We're...me and Eli. The same as we always have been. We...
Jessie lifted her hand up and placed it on Grace's knee. "Stop! It's ok. I love you both, so much more than I ever thought I could. I see the way he looks at you, it's love. No questions about it. I can see it, and it is only a matter of time before the world will see it too. And I am ok with it, honestly." She glanced at the closed door that leads to her girl. "If this has taught me anything, it's that you cannot take anything for granted when you love someone. Nothing. Because you never know when or how that love will end."
Grace leaned forward and once again hugged the shaking girl. "I thought I was supposed to be comforting you."
Jessie giggled, "We can take turns. It's what sisters are for."
Suddenly, the duo was interrupted by Eli flinging to door open. The girls jumped and stared at him with wide eyes. "Eli, what is it?" Grace asked; panic spilling out through her words.
"It's Katie. Get a doctor! Hurry!"