Author's Notes: Reviews are appreciated and make me type faster.
Part 16
Age 12 Years 9 Months
Jack roused with a groan and mentally cursed Billy Watkins. Feeling cold, he wondered briefly if he'd been shut in the refrigerator again. No, his clothes were wet and he could breathe, opening his eyes, Jack pulled himself up to his knees and looked around. The widow's walk on top of the orphanage, not good, he thought. Crawling to the trapdoor, Jack wiped the snow from it and vainly tried to open the door. The final tug sent him sprawling backwards and Jack grabbed his head, in addition to hurting from the snow shovel, he felt very dizzy.
Shivering from the cold, Jack tried shouting and rapidly gave up, the widows walk on the roof was five stories up and no one in the house could possibly hear him. Standing up, Jack looked down and swallowed, the ground below was very far away. Dizziness swept over him and he sat down and wrapped his arms around himself. Teeth chattering, Jack tried to think of what to do. With Samantha gone, no one would miss him and come looking for him and he knew he'd never survive until she got back.
A hot aching feeling began to fill Jack's lungs and a rasping cough shook his frame. His earlier illness had left Jack's lungs slightly weakened and the time in the frigid air was rapidly making him sick again. Pins and needles shot through his body as it rebelled against the cold air, his jeans and t-shirt offered little protection against the icy night. Standing up Jack tried to move around the tiny widows walk to warm up but the dizziness nearly made him fall over the railing and he sat down resignedly.
Tonight he was going to die, Jack realized. Only a little more than a week away from taking Samantha away to start a new life and he wasn't going to live beyond a few more hours. Looking at his wedding ring, Jack smiled slightly. At least he'd gotten to marry his Samantha, nothing could take that away. Would he see her again in the afterlife? Heaven didn't sound very good without his Samantha. A cough shook his body and a loud crack seemed to echo in the night as Jack heard one of his ribs break.
Pain was starting to overtake him as the burning in his lungs seemed to increase and his side began to throb. Jack stretched out and looked up at the stars trying to distract himself. Was his Samantha looking out the window at the night sky? A bride for only a month as of yesterday and she was going to be widowed. Although he promised he would live when he was in the hospital, there was no way he would be able to keep his promise now. As snow covered his body, Jack closed his eyes against he swirling white, he felt so tired, maybe he would sleep for a little bit.
Samantha paced at the hotel in exasperation as she called the cab company for a second time, they had lost her pick-up on the list and it would be another hour at least. The clock was approaching the midnight hour and she wanted to see Christmas in with Jack. Right now he was probably in the attic listening to the very bad album by Konstantine's sons and missing her like she was missing him. Sighing at the clock the watched as it ticked slowly and hoped the cab would arrive soon, she missed Jack horribly and couldn't wait to be in his arms again. Their first Christmas, the first of many, she thought happily.
Lying in the snow, Jack's thoughts drifted in and out of consciousness. Samantha filled his mind and made him smile. Damn Billy Watkins for cutting his time with his Samantha short. He was fixated on Jack's Samantha and that was why he was here now. A horrific thought shot through Jack and he sat up quickly and painfully. If Billy got away with this, Samantha would be at his mercy without Jack to protect her or at least warn her. Standing up, Jack looked around frantically, his wife needed to be warned somehow. There had to be a way down, his Samantha was too important to abandon.
Staring at the Christmas lights that starred the house and surrounding trees, he felt irritated by their cheery presence, but at least they provided some much needed illumination. Some well meaning church had bought the decorations and paid to have them installed at the orphanage. An orange cord looped through the railing caught his attention and Jack followed it with his eyes. One end disappeared into a tall tree near the house and the other end connected to some lights on the next level down.
Carefully taking the end that extended into the tree, Jack tugged on it. It took several pulls but at last the cord released. The lights on the tree went out and Jack slid backwards and hit the railing as the cord snapped backwards. A groan of protest came from the railing and Jack took a deep breath before standing up. Around him the night sky was swimming and he fought to focus. Samantha needed him, he couldn't let her down.
Lying on his stomach he reached through the rail and tugged the end of the cord attached to the lights below, several lights got knocked loose as Jack struggled with the cord. As he struggled with the thick orange cord, it got scraped on an edge of the banister and Jack got a nasty shock just as the cord finally released from the lights below. The electric shock added to the tingling sensation from the cold and he felt so dizzy.
Jack turned over on his back and looked up at the sky and prayed, "Please. God I have to warn my Samantha. Do anything you like to me, but I have to get to my Samantha."
His only answer was the continuing blur of snow and he hoped that God had been listening, his Samantha needed him. Another cough tore through Jack and as the coughing fit went on for several moments, he heard another rib crack. A metallic taste rose up in his mouth and he spluttered a spray of crimson on the snow. Blood wasn't a good sign and Jack knew he had to move quickly if he was going to warn Samantha.
Sitting up, Jack unthreaded the orange cord from the banister and studied both the cord and the railing carefully. Moving his hand over each spindle of the rail, Jack tried to gauge which part was the most solid. Wrapping the cord around the railing, Jack began to knot it tightly, securing the cord. Standing up he looked downwards and fought a wave of nausea, Samantha needed him. He swore to protect her always and he would no matter what the risk. All that mattered was his wife, he swallowed and moved toward the railing.
Cautiously, Jack tied the end of the cord around his waist and moved one foot over the edge of the railing. Taking a deep breath, he swung his other foot over and stood on the narrow ledge facing the railing. Bending his knees slightly, Jack took a step backwards and spent several tense moments dangling on the edge before his feet found the side of the house. His breath came in shallow pants from nervousness and the effect of the cold on his lungs. Pausing his descent, Jack coughed hard and turned his head to spit the blood that filled his mouth over his shoulder.
Dizziness and nausea threatened to overwhelm Jack as he glanced at the drop. Closing his eyes he conjured Samantha's face and found the courage to continue. Each step was nerve-racking as Jack made his descent. Vainly he tried to open a window into the attic as he dangled at the fourth level. Bring his right hand backwards, he tried to smash the glass, but only succeeded in making a small crack in the glass and loud cracking sound in his hand. Although he attempted to grasp the cord with his injured hand, the pain was too great and so he had to proceed using only his left hand.
Nervously, Jack looked at the cord, there wasn't a great deal left, hopefully he could get as far as the second floor and make enough noise to wake someone. Descending to the top of the third floor, Jack could see the windows of his own set of rooms below. As he took another step down the side of the building, he paused as he heard a strange sound. Taking another step downwards, Jack stopped to take a breath. Coughing hard he spat more blood as he listened to the strange sound again. There was the sound of cracking wood and Jack's legs flailed in the air as the railing gave way and he began to fall.
Jack fell from the top of the third floor to the snow covered ground below with a sickening cacophony of breaking bone and a large piece of the rotted railing fell and splintered on top of him. His last thought before blackness claimed him was that the knots had held and the irony of it. Snow began to drift over Jack's unconscious form and the wooden banister. Although unconscious Jack struggled for breath and coughed spraying blood across the pristine snow.
"At last!" Samantha exclaimed with joy as the cab pulled up in front of the hotel.
Racing out to the cab, she fought an urge to scream at the driver. Even though it wasn't his fault, Samantha had been pacing furiously waiting for the taxi. The buses had stopped running about an hour before her father was called away, so she had to wait for the cab. If it hadn't have been snowing so hard, she would have walked despite the distance and the late hour because she was so anxious to see Jack.
Drumming her fingers on the window of the cab as it slowly made it's way through the snowy streets, Samantha smiled, Jack would be so surprised. Tomorrow while the other residents were distracted by the gifts various charities and churches brought, she and Jack could spend the whole day in his rooms, undisturbed. Humming I'll Be Home For Christmas, Samantha thought happily of all the delightful and wicked things they could do tomorrow. A blush stole over her face as she remembered the canister of whipped cream they smuggled into Jack's room, maybe they could try something new in honor of the holiday.
Anticipation coursed through her as they drew nearer to the orphanage, they were still several blocks away, but Samantha could hardly wait. She would sneak in and climb into bed with Jack if he was asleep or grab the mistletoe and kiss him if he was still awake. This was the best Christmas of her life, she was going to be with the man she loved and they could make plans for their move in the next week or so. Closing her eyes, Samantha could practically feel Jack's arms already.
At one time her father's abandoning her for work would have ruined her holiday, this year it made her holiday. Jack had pointed out early in their relationship that since neither of them had families that were worth much, that they could be each others family. Now that she was married to Jack, they would always be a family and nothing and no one would ever change that. Her husband was all the family she would ever need, except for one day when they had children. Samantha looked down at her flat stomach and smiled at the thought of one day carrying Jack's child.
The cab turned onto the street where the sprawling Victorian house was that served as the orphanage. Smiling widely, Samantha paid the driver and grabbed her bag out of the cab. Stepping outside, Samantha smiled as she looked upwards and saw the glittering lights of their Christmas tree in the fourth floor window. Walking towards the house, she looked up at the attic window again with a smile. Her smile fell as she realized the railing on the widows walk was missing on one side.
Jack was always so careful, surely he hadn't- Samantha couldn't even bring herself to imagine it and walked closer to the house when she realized the lights were out in the one tree on the side of the house. Her gaze traveled to the ground and she noticed the small lump with the railing on top. Through the snow the orange electrical cord caught her eye and she dropped her bag and made her way over to the cord. Standing beside the strange pile, Samantha's face contorted in horror as she saw the gleam of Jack's wedding ring on his hand peeking out from the snow...
