Chapter 16

Since Janet said she didn't want to go to the hospital to be checked out and there was no evidence of physical harm, Lt. Tanaka released her into Jack and Jonathan's care after she gave him her statement.

"You'll remain at the estate," Jonathan said, his tone signaling that he would not take "no" for an answer.

Janet and Jack nodded mutely.

Frank approached them as they were about to leave the station.

"Miss Wood?" he said.

"After all we've been through, please, call me Janet," she said, with a tentative smile.

"Of course. Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you and keep you safe."

"It wasn't your fault," she assured him. "I don't blame you. They ambushed us. What could you have done?"

He nodded in resignation. "I still feel terrible that I didn't do the job I was assigned to do, but I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad we're both okay," she said.

"You did your best," Jack acknowledged, shaking the man's hand.

Frank nodded and then left with Lt. Tanaka, who was ready to take his statement.

Once they arrived at the estate, Jonathan brewed a pot of tea.

"If you'll excuse me," he said, after making sure they had what they needed, "I'm going to call the hospital to check on Magnum's condition."

"I hope you hear some good news," Janet said.

After Jonathan left, Janet reached for the saucer and tea cup, but her hand was shaking so badly, the saucer slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor, followed by the tea cup, which spilled liquid onto the carpet.

She sprang up from the chair when she realized what had happened and covered her hands with her mouth. She looked down in horror at the mess she had made.

"I'm sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. "How clumsy of me."

"Janet, it's okay," Jack said, having already picked up the pieces of the fine China and about to place a napkin on the carpet to absorb the tea.

"But I broke the cup and the saucer and made a mess on this lovely rug," she said, unable to control her emotions.

"Janet," Jack repeated softly and patiently, standing next to her and forcing her to look at him so he could reassure her, "it's all right. Breaking a cup and saucer is not the end of the world."

She nodded, but he could tell he hadn't managed to convince her. Seeing her looking like a lost child who didn't know if she would ever find her way home made his heart ache.

"Maybe you should have gone to the hospital," he said. "A doctor could have given you something for your nerves."

"No," she said, moving away from Jack and walking to stand near the oak desk Higgins used for his work. "I can do this, Jack. I can work my way through this. I just need some time. That's all. Not a bunch of pills that are going to make me think I'm losing my mind."

"Okay," he said, coming up behind her and gently massaging her rigid shoulders.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief when she didn't pull away.

His fingers worked their magic as she felt herself starting to relax under his expert touch. In the blessed silence that engulfed them, she heard the ticking of the clockon the mantel above the fireplace. Time. That was what she needed. Time and Jack's understanding and help were all she needed. Except for one thing. Whenever she closed her eyes, she heard the loud gunshots ringing in the air and saw Thomas lying facedown on the ground, not moving. She would be fine, she told herself, as long as she never had to sleep again.

Terri waited anxiously outside the Emergency Room for news about Thomas' condition.

"How is he?" Rick asked, surprising the overwrought nurse with his sudden appearance.

"I don't know," she said, looking helplessly frantic.

She worked at the hospital, but she couldn't find out anything, and it was driving her mad.

"What happened to TM?" TC asked.

"I don't have the whole story, but from what I've been told, he was trying to find the warehouse where the gang members hung out and, instead, he stumbled upon the warehouse where Janet and Frank were being held. He was going after Carlos' girlfriend when he was shot from behind by one of the other kidnappers."

"Is he conscious?"

"Is he gonna live?"

TC and Rick fired their questions at Terri at the same time.

"He wasn't conscious when they brought him in," she answered, her voice growing low. "I'm praying he's going to make it."

"Thomas," TC said, pounding his fist against his thigh, "why did you go after them alone?"

"I knew I should've gone with him," Rick said, berating himself for not being with his friend. "But he wanted me to stay with Tony."

"You couldn't have known this was gonna happen," TC said.

"I thought he was just going to look around. I didn't know he was gonna get himself shot!"

"If only he'd called," TC said, trying not to think about the condition his friend was in. "We coulda been watching out for him. We could have warned him."

"We just have to hope he pulls through," Terri said, trying to be the encouraging one even though she felt far from upbeat.

"Did they say what his injuries are?" Rick asked.

Terri shook her head. "The only thing I heard when they brought him in was that they thought one of his lungs had collapsed, and they needed to find out where the bullet was lodged."

"C'mon, TM," TC said, unable to sit or stand still. "You know you can't die now. You know you have every reason in the world to keep fighting."

"Are you talking about his daughter?" Terri couldn't help but to venture a guess.

Rick and TC exchanged curious glances.

"You know about her?" Rick asked, tilting his head as he tried to picture Thomas telling her about Lily.

Terri nodded. "Lily, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," TC confirmed. "I guess TM must think you're all right if he told you about Lily."

"Since we've been staying at the estate, we've talked a few times. I know he felt as though he were being pulled in two directions,trying to stay focused on finding his daughter while alsotrying to help Janet and Carlos."

"Yeah," TC said, shaking his head. "This hasn't been the easiest time for him."

"But like you said, TC," Rick concurred, "Thomas has every reason in the world not to give up."

"Let's just hope that somewhere in that deep fog he must be in, he remembers that."

Rick looked at Terri. He couldn't help it. He now thought of her as someone whom Thomas liked and was attracted to. Why else would he confide in her about Lily? He didn't talk about that situation with just anyone. And that realization made him think Thomas had even more reason to fight to stay alive. Maybe he had finally found the woman who could help him get over his late wife Michelle once and for all.

The piercing scream woke Jack from a fitful sleep. He almost fell out of the chair he had been slumped in as he tried to make his way, in the dark, to Janet's bed. He found her thrashing about on the mattress, drenched in sweat, with the sheets tangled around her shapely legs.

"Let me go!" she yelled, when Jack tried to touch her to get her to stop moving and screaming.

"Janet, you're having a bad dream," he said, trying to bring her out of it. "It's just a dream. Just a bad dream."

He turned on the bedside light as she sat up in the bed, her cheeks tear-streaked, and grabbed for the sheet to try to calm herself.

"I knew I should've never tried to go to sleep."

"But you have to sleep some time," he said, sitting next to her on the bed.

She flinched but then accepted the light brushing of his knuckles along her soft cheek as he tried to wipe the tears away with the pad of this thumb.

"I can't sleep," she said, shaking her head. "Every time I close my eyes, the images are so real. It's like it's happening all over again."

"Janet," Jack said, scooting closer to her and running the palm of his hand down one of her bare arms, "I was thinking that maybe we should leave for LA tomorrow. I think as long as you're here, in this same environment, you're not going to be able to get over what happened. But if we go back to LA, you'll have new things to focus on, and maybe it will help you to put this incident behind you sooner. What do you think?"

"I can't leave, Jack," she said, causing her friend's heart to plummet.

"Wha-what are you talking about? You said you wanted to go back to Los Angeles. With me."

"I do, but as bad as this situation is, I can't leave tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, you're not finished with your conference."

"I can't concentrate on that now," Jack said. "I got enough out of it."

"Well, for another, I can't leave this island until I know that Thomas is going to be all right."

"Are you serious?" Jack said, not trying to sound callous or heartless, but wondering why Janet would continue to cause herself misery.

"Yes, Jack. It's the right thing to do."

"Even if you know that Terri will be with him 24/7 if she could and that she is just a phone call away from you finding out the very latest news."

"Yes. Now, I know you can't stay here for how ever long it takes, so as soon as I start feeling better..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, holding up his hands. "What do you mean you know I can't stay?"

"You can't, Jack. You have a restaurant to run. You're supposed to leave this weekend."

"Janet, are you purposely not understanding me or did you hit your head when you were kidnapped? Because if you did, then I am taking you to the hospital right now."

"What are you talking about?" she said, rolling her eyes. "I did not hit my head."

"Then why are you talking nonsense?"

Janet looked hurt at Jack's words. "I am not talking nonsense."

"Yes, you are if you think I am going anywhere while you are still on this island. Because that is not happening, my friend. Not at all."

"But Jack, you can't stay here indefinitely, and it may be a while before I can leave."

"Why can't I stay?" Jack challenged, knowing he could be just as stubborn, if not more, than Janet.

"Because you have a restaurant to run, silly."

"I don't care about the Bistro, Janet. I care about you. Angelino will take of the place for me. I'll call him tomorrow."

"You would really do that?" Janet asked, feeling the tears starting to well up in her eyes again and hating that she was being so emotional. "For me?"

Jack reached out his arms to embrace her. She went into them willingly and let herself be comforted, once more, by his gentleness.

"Of course, I would do this for you."

He planted a soft kiss in her hair and then laid his cheek against its softness while he continued to try to comfort her.

"If you need to stay here until you find out if Thomas is going to be all right, then I'm going to be right here taking care of you."

Janet let herself go at his kindly spoken words and gestures. She clung to him more tightly than she ever had as he allowed herto release the tension he knew had built up inside of her.

"Let it all out," he coaxed, holding her closerwhen he felt her body begin to tremble again. "That's what these arms are for. It's going to be okay, Janet. I promise you it is."

He wanted so badly to tell her that he loved her, but he knew the time wasn't right. Her emotions were too raw, and he could tell she wasn't able to focus for more than a couple of minutes on any one thing before her mind flew back to the ordeal she had just endured.

He could wait. He would be with her and he would help her in any way he could. And then, when the time was right, he would tell her just how much she had come to mean to him. Maybe what she had alwaysmeant to him on some level.And by then, maybe, just maybe, she would be ready to start her new life and put this chapter behind her.