Authors Note: So sorry it took so long to get another chapter up! It's been crazy busy around here as usual.
"Yeah," Jude said quietly. "He um, he can't move or talk for that matter."
"Oh," Sadie said quietly.
The next few days were whirlwinds for Jude. She would sit with Tommy and talk and sing to him while he stared into space. At times she wondered if he truly did understand what was going on. Sadie would bring her a change of clothes every evening and she usually took showers in the special family facility. Every few days she would go back to the hotel and grab a few books or a new lyric book.
During this time Jude and Leila became good friends. Leila would explain all the complicated medical terms the doctors used and usually kept her company while Tommy was sleeping. They shared secrets and acted like they'd been best friends since Kindergarten. Jude learned that Leila was a single mother of 23 and her little girl was named Autumn.
The doctor assumed Tommy was well enough to remove the ventilator and attempted to pull the breathing tube out. As soon as it was disconnected, Tommy was left gasping for oxygen. It pained Jude to see Tommy like that, laying there, fighting for every breath. He had always been so strong and had always watched out for her, now the roles had switched.
Shay had called Jude and sent a few cards while Portia never seemed to leave the hospital ward. She had began to wear on Jude's nerves and Kwest and Sadie had both taken the hint that Jude did not like Portia. Kwest tried to divert Jude while Portia was visiting but it didn't seem to work too often.
Portia insisted that everyone had to leave the room so she could be alone with Tommy. Once Jude heard this she stormed into the room and was about to slap Tommy's ex before Kwest grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.
"What the hell are you doing Kwest?"
"Saving Tommy from viewing a catfight between his ex-wife and his current girlfriend."
"She is such a bitch! No wonder why Tommy divorced her."
"You left that comment wide open, but I'm not even going to comment," Kwest said with a smile.
"Who does she think she is Kwest? She kicked his grandparents out of his room. Seriously, what is she? God?"
"You know what Darius is like, Portia tends to be a female version."
"Just what the world needs," she said sarcastically.
"I'm not going to debate on that one."
"Keep her away from me or her pretty little face won't be so pretty anymore."
"Gotcha chief," Kwest mock saluted.
"Very funny. Tommy's grandparents and I are going to head back to the hotel. I need to take a shower longer than five minutes and grab a few books. Watch him for me?"
"Of course," Kwest hugged her. "Do me a favor and relax a little. Tommy'll be fine."
"I'll try but I won't make any promises," she said as she walked away to find Jessica and Andrew Quincy.
"Hello honey," Jessica greeted her with a hug.
"Hey. I'm sorry about Portia."
"She always was a demanding woman. You're much better suited for Tommy," Jessica said.
"Thanks. Do you want to run back to the hotel now?"
"That sounds good," Andrew said. "We'll take our rental car."
Once that arrived at the hotel Jude quickly shed her clothes and jumped into the steaming shower. She had just rinsed her hair when the phone rang. She groaned and quickly wrapped a towel around her body while proceeding to the living room.
"Hello."
"Jude, it's Leila."
"Hey, I thought you were off duty tonight."
"I was."
"What do you mean was? What's wrong?"
"Tommy was sitting up, without the ventilator, talking to Portia and all of a sudden he went into cardiac arrest."
"What? He was talking? And nobody called me?"
"Jude he went into cardiac arrest before anyone could. He got maybe four words out."
"Is he okay?"
"There's a significant amount of brain damage. The brain was deprived of oxygen for too long."
"What are you saying?"
"He's on life support."
Jude started shaking as the phone clattered to the floor. She sunk to the floor, succumbing into a ball of tears.
Okay now that everyone wants to kill me now...go read and review:P