Thanks to: Joetheone, onefreetoroam, dreamcatcher33, kipperoo453, Valandil Eluch, YouthAwareness, Marina Bayae, and Aayla Security for all of the fabulous reviews :D

Sorry this chapter took so long to get up! I had a lot of trouble finding the right words, thanks for not hunting me down and killing me while you waited.

Title: The Ground Shook Beneath Him
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters and/or places belong to Annie Proulx. No profit is being made.

Jack's walk lasted almost an hour. It took him that long to wear off a discernable amount of his pent up energy and nerves. The birds seemed to be getting annoyed with his presence when he finally turned around to go home. He was nervous to see Junior on the porch biting her nails, tear stained face drying in the sun.

"Junior, what's wrong?" His voice carried a note of concern, though mainly not for her, for whom he thought was hurt. Who his gut told him was hurt.

"Jack, the hospital called. We gotta go."

"What's wrong, Junior? Tell me what happened."

"They said somethin' about Daddy needin' ta go back ta ICU. Somethin' about 'im bein' unstable."

The ground under Jack shook. No, he was trembling. His knees gave out from under him, and he collapsed in a pile of dust on the ground. "Jack! Jack, get up! We gotta go!"

"I cain't!"

She walked over to him, unsure of what to do. "Why not?"

"'Cus what if he...what if he-"

"Dies." She finished a sentence everyone had thought of, but had not wanted to voice. Jack's sobs were so quiet she barely noticed them. She put a hand on his shoulder, "That's why we need ta go, inn't it? In case he does die?" She, too, had tears wetting her cheekbones, her hand vibrated as she patted her father's boyfriend.

He slowly stood, wiped tears from his eyes, and shook the dirt off his jeans. "Where's Francine?"

"Jus' gettin' yer jacket, and her's too."

"Mmk." He loped over to their old truck, fished his keys out of his pocket and climbed in. He leaned over to push open the door for Junior before starting the loud engine.

Jack had had too much driving to and from the hospital as of late. He figured it would be just as easy to rent a hotel room close to it. Cost him about the same as the gas.

-------

Ennis had tubes in his nose, IVs in the crooks of his elbow; he was a mess. He grasped Jack's hand, though, as soon as the man walked into the room. "Jack," he whispered quietly, trying not to let his girls hear, "I was gonna die, Jack. An' all I could think was, 'Ima die, an' never see Jack again.'"

"Butcha did, buddy. I'm right here, cowboy."

"What if I die after yeh leave?"

"Yeh ain't gonna die, Ennis. Yer gonna be home real soon, right as rain." They all knew Jack was lying through his teeth, but it gave them a sweet, false sense of security at the moment.

A skinny, young doctor came in just then. "Are you Ennis' family?"

"Yes ma'am, we are."Jack nodded his head after Junior answered the shorter blond.

"Where's his wife?"

"Well, it's that bitch who put 'im here." Ennis squeezed Jack's hand in protest to this comment. No matter how correct, Jack should not have insulted the girls' mother in front of them. Their faces hardened.

"Oh. I see. Well, it says on here his next of kin after that is his brother."

"K.E.?" Jack's face took on a look of shock.

"Yes. Do you know where he is Ennis? We'll have to get him out here to sign some papers in case anything...happens again."

Ennis shook his head. "I'm sorry, yeh'll havta find 'im yerselves. I dunno where he's at now, hadn't talked in damn near 15 years."

"I see." She scribbled something on her paper.

"Listen, lady," Jack spoke up, his voice scratchy as though overused, "how long would it take ta change the next a kin?"

"Quite a while. A month, maybe. Three weeks at least."

"Cain we do it?" He looked at Ennis, asking the man for another favor. But this was a favor Ennis would willingly give.

"A course we cain. Where's the paper stuff fer us ta fill out?"