Author's Notes: Jack is going to live although he is in very bad shape. The separation is nearly upon us, although I will continue the series until they are reunited for a happy ending. Thank you for your kind reviews. Reviews are greatly appreciated and inspiring.

Part 18

Age 12 Years 9 Months

When the doctor had finished setting Jack's bones and applying the casts, Jack resembled a mummy. Part way through Jack had mercifully passed out from the pain, but Samantha remained by his side and hurt for him as she heard the doctor manipulating Jack's bones. As the doctored labored over Jack, Samantha caressed his left upper arm and left fingers, the only parts that were unbroken save Jack's spine, skull and right hip. Around his ribs they tightly wrapped soft wrap bandages in case they had to resuscitate him again. Looking at the red marks from the paddle charge on Jack's chest, Samantha prayed for her husband.

Samantha felt dizzy and nauseated as she stood beside Jack and watched. Several times she left briefly for fresh air and sat with her head between her legs on a bench outside. It seemed like everything kept spinning around her, she felt so strange. Must be because she was so worried about Jack, she dismissed the feeling and went to rejoin her husband. When they were ready to take him up to ICU, Janet Fletcher showed up from the home to take Sam back to participate in Christmas with the other residents.

Whereas Samantha would have floundered at such a confrontation before, she had gained confidence from Jack. Coldly she informed Janet"My father arranged leave for me until late Christmas afternoon, his plans may have changed, but I have no obligation to report to that dump before then. My Jack may not live through the night, I'll be damned if I leave his side."

Janet looked shocked, then snapped"Look I don't know what the hell you think is so damn special about that little freak, but get over it! If the little bastard lives, he'll marry some society brat like himself, not some poor little girl whose daddy doesn't want her."

Samantha clenched her fists and turned around as Janet continued her tirade. Ignoring her comments, Samantha went to the elevator to go up to ICU. Janet was left spluttering as the elevator doors closed and Samantha headed upstairs. No one would take her away from Jack, he was her husband and she wouldn't leave his side. As the elevator climbed, Samantha grabbed the rail as the dizzy feeling returned.

When Samantha got off the elevator, she found Nurse Sara who told her"This way dear, I'll take you to his room. Now try not to be too concerned, we had to give him some oxygen, he was struggling for breath and we've got him on a heart monitor since he isn't doing as well as we'd like. But he has woken up again."

"Is Jack going to" Samantha trailed off, she couldn't say it.

"I can't honestly say, but right now you can help Jack by praying for him and by staying by his side. Everytime he rouses up he starts asking for you and it's straining him further. If you're by his side hopefully it will keep him quiet. We've given him plasma once tonight already and we don't want to give him more unless we have to."

Samantha walked into the room and looked at Jack. Ironically it was the same room he had been in before and terrifyingly he had looked radiant then compared to now. His skin was deathly pale and at the edges of the casts, his skin was bruised an angry black and purple. His lips were chapped and raw from his biting them in pain earlier and his eyes had a sunken look as he looked up at her.

"Jack" Samantha sighed and sat on a chair that was drawn up to the bed. "I'm sorry it took me a couple minutes, I ran into Janice Fletcher."

Looking up at Samantha, Jack's eyes narrowed at the mention of Janice. The woman had been rude to his Samantha before and he suspected she had dared to do so again. As he gazed at Samantha, Jack felt frustrated. There were so many things he wanted to tell her and he not only couldn't now, he might never get the chance to say them. Although he had suffered lots of injuries courtesy of his Gauchers Disease, he'd never hurt anywhere close to as badly as he did right now. Jack wanted to hold Samantha more than anything and all he could do was extend the fingers on his left hand a little.

Nurse Sara entered and took Jack's blood pressure. When he looked at her inquisitively, she told him"67 over 49."

As soon as the words were out, she regretted them as a look of definite understanding crossed his face. Sara remembered he was terribly bright, but surely he didn't know just how bad the reading was. Through his oxygen mask Jack shot her a weak and ironic smile, there was no doubt he knew how bad it was. Looking from Jack to Samantha, Sara couldn't decide if she hoped Jack would live or die. While she hated to see a person die so young, she knew her patient was in an almost inhuman amount of pain and it would be hours before they could dare risk pain medicine.

Under his mask Jack fidgeted and the nurse lifted it for a moment, he whispered"Water please."

"Sweetie you can't have a glass of water, but you may have a few ice chips. I'll go get them."

Sara disappeared and brought back a small foam cup and a plastic spoon"Would you like to give him ice"

Samantha nodded and when the nurse lifted the oxygen mask and left, got a few crystals on the spoon and brought it to Jack's lips. When he tried to speak, she stopped him"No, don't darling. You need to stay quiet."

"Billy" Jack rasped.

"I know, I figured it out when I found you. Billy won't hurt me, but I can't promise not to hurt Billy."

Jack started to laugh and then coughed and grimaced as a small trickle of blood spilled from his mouth. Through the pain he felt embarrassed to have Samantha see him like this. Taking a tissue from the bedside table, she dabbed the blood gently and cautiously pushed his hair back. Opening his mouth to try and speak Samantha shushed him.

"I love you Jack" she assured him and fed him another spoon of ice. "I promised to be your comfort and companion. You're my husband and I'm your wife, a little blood is no big deal."

As Samantha spoke she was unaware that she was being watched by Janice Fletcher in the doorway. Married? They were far too young, but she had a feeling something had transpired and perhaps it would be something the Senator would pay to keep quiet. A vicious smile curled her lips as she turned away and headed for the orphanage, Janice wanted to check exactly when Prince Albert's parents would arrive.

Nurse Sara came back in and took Jack's blood pressure again, she didn't want to tell Jack but he gave her a determined look. "63 over 43. I think I'm going to get the doctor on the phone and see what he thinks."

Samantha looked terrified as Sara left and Jack rasped, forcing words out painfully and slowly"He'll think I'm not going to last much longer. Samantha. I love you. Forgive me: Jack gasped and panted. "Don't want to leave you."

"Jack" Samantha said fearfully.

"Love you" Jack told her then began to cough.

An inhuman tearing sound came from within his chest as he began to cough. The force of the coughing lifted his wounded torso from the bed and Samantha stood up. As she ran to fetch Sara, Jack continued to cough misting the white sheet with a red blood spray and he began to gasp. Sara ran into the room with Samantha on her heels and another nurse as well. The sight of Jack covered in blood sickened Samantha and she fought a wave of dizziness as Sara began barking orders at the other nurse.

"Get me a suction machine now, then get Dr. McClintock on the phone and call the trauma team."

Samantha stood back against the wall as she heard Jack fighting for air. There was a gurgling sound an it sounded as if he was drowning in his own blood. A moment later the other nurse appeared with a wheeled machine that Sara grabbed from her, she took a clear plastic tube and pushed it into Jack's mouth. Across the room Samantha could see as Sara flipped the switch that a wash of Jack's blood was going up inside.

The trauma team came running and Jack was given whole blood instead of just plasma as they worked to clean him up. When Sara retracted the suction tube from Jack's throat, a member of the trauma team took a sterile tube from their cart and intubated him to hopefully keep his throat clear even if he aspirated more blood. The heart monitor went berserk and sounded and alarm and a man on the trauma team cursed loudly.

"Shit, don't do this kid, your chest is little more than bloody pulp now" The man exclaimed as he looked at another team member.

"We don't dare try chest compressions with his ribs like this and he already has a collapsed lung. Try the paddles, it's out best bet."

Around Jack the trauma team worked feverishly for over an hour as Samantha watched silently and prayed. Please God, don't take Jack. They finally had Jack stabilized although still in poor shape. While they worked on Jack he slipped into unconsciousness and although he was responsive, he remained asleep. As the trauma team left, Sara noticed Sam and walked to her.

"Samantha, you should have left, this was nothing for a little girl to see. Let's get you sat down" Sara lead her to the chair. "I'm going to get you a little something to drink. Jack won't be waking up for a while, he's exhausted from his body fighting so hard to live."

But I'm not a little girl, Sam thought. She was a married woman whose husband might not live. When Sara returned, Samantha politely accepted the glass of juice as the nurse changed the bloodied top sheet. Hour after hour passed. First it was daylight and then Samantha gradually fell asleep in her chair as Jack continued to sleep under the mass of tubes and machinery that were monitoring him and keeping him alive.

Samantha had roused and watched her husband worriedly for about an hour as the afternoon sun came streaming in when an elegantly dressed couple swept into the room.

Shooting Samantha a calculating look, the woman told her"I'm Albert's mother. The nurses told me you spent all night looking after my son."

"Yes, I'm"

"Samantha. I've been told by both the nurses and Ms. Fletcher from the orphanage. While it was very kind of you, you look exhausted. Ms Fletcher is going to take you home for just a couple hours and then she'll bring you back."

"Oh but I wanted to look after Jack"

Miriam's eyes narrowed slightly and she smiled at Samantha"My dear I understand and appreciate. You can come back later, after all it wouldn't be good if you were to get sick too now would it"

"N-no" Samantha agreed reluctantly. For some reason she had a bad feeling and felt like she shouldn't leave. But these were Jack's parent's and they had come to look after him. Jack wouldn't like it if she got sick, maybe she would leave for just two hours to change clothes and give them a short time alone with him. Samantha wondered if she should tell them about their marriage. No, best leave that for later when Jack was awake.

"Who better to look after him in your absence than his own dear mother" she smiled at Samantha.

"Could I have just one minute alone with him before I go"

"Of course my dear."

Samantha waited a moment until they left. Pressing a kiss to Jack's cheek she whispered"I love you Jack. I'll see you very soon."

Giving Jack a final kiss, Samantha left the room and his parents descended...