Chapter 5 (part 2): Steady
"Jack." Sue whispered, tears streaming down her face. She reached out and clasped one of Jack's hands in hers. Suddenly Bobby touched her shoulder to get her attention.
"Don't let go. His blood pressure leveled off when you took his hand." he told her, nodding slightly towards the monitor. She looked over at it to discover that Jack's blood pressure was now steady even though it was lower than where it had been.
"He may be aware of her presence." The doctor told them, talking more to the others than to Sue. "Often the presence of someone close can improve a person's condition. Besides, studies have shown that people in comatose or near comatose states have been able to hear people talking to them."
"So you're saying that Sue can help him?" Bobby asked, a spark of hope igniting inside him.
"There is that possibility, but there are no guarantees." The doctor told them.
"A chance is a chance. Sue, you have the day off to stay with Jack." Bobby told her. "I'll clear it with Garret." Bobby then turned to Lucy. "We should let the others come in." She nodded and they started out.
"I'll come back after work." Bobby told Sue as he left. She nodded slightly as the others entered. Nothing really needed to be said. Before they left, Tara turned back to Sue.
"Lucy is taking Levi back to your apartment and we'll all take care of him." Sue nodded, knowing that that meant that Lucy would be taking Levi to work with her. Myles, Dimitrius, and Tara walked out, followed by the doctor, leaving her alone with Jack. She then turned her attention back to him, wishing she could do more to help him.
"Hold on Jack." She told him. "Hold on to me."
Sue had cried on and off over the past few hours, and Jack's condition hadn't changed. It had surprised her that when she had loosened her grip, Jack squeezed her hand ever so slightly. She realized that Jack was truly aware of her presence. He didn't seem to want her to let go of his hand. Bobby would be returning in another hour or so, and Jack's condition had neither improved nor declined. He was staying where he was. Sue realized that he had listened to her and was holding on where he was. She had no clue as to what was going on in his mind, but she could almost feel his fear. It was very probable that if she hadn't grabbed his hand that they might have lost him. The doctor or a nurse had come in about every twenty minutes to check on him. She knew that right now he was in the position of being on the crumbling ground at the edge of a cliff and one wrong move would put him over the edge. If he died, she didn't know what she'd do. They had a bond of love even if they wouldn't admit it. I really do love him. She admitted to herself finally. She wished that she could be certain whether or not he could hear her. All she needed was for him to get better. After he accomplished that, she might try to admit her feelings to him, but he just needed to get better soon.
"I won't leave Jack." She told him, believing he could hear her. "Trust me. Keep holding on." Somehow she knew that he did trust her. It was the happiest feeling she'd had for a while.