A/N: Thanks for pointing out the spelling mistakes. I guess that's what I get for proofreading only twice before submitting :P Thank you all for the nice reviews. It's really encouraging and I appreciate it! As always, read and review!

Chapter 16: Here for You

It was the fifth of Fall. Jack remembered that day like it had only happened yesterday. He was in the hospital when it happened. Every once in a while he liked to go and visit Elli and buy some bodigizer so he could work a few more hours a day on the farm. On this particular day that's where he happened to be, chatting away the time with the young and perky nurse.

"So how are things going on the farm?" Elli smiled then reached behind the counter to find the bottle of bodigizer.

Elli was very naïve. She never got out much, as her job had her indoors all day either filling out paper work or helping the doctor. She had no idea what had happed with Jack in the past two weeks and he liked it that way. Made her more enjoyable to talk to.

"Things are going well. Nothing bad has happened yet. I'm expanding my chicken coop too, Gotz is working on it as we speak."

"That sounds so exciting!" She was still smiling as she put the bottle of medicine on the counter. "You know the price."

He nodded and put the gold on the counter, then took the bottle and put it in his pocket. "How are things going around here?"

"You know, the usual. Jeff is here every other day with a stomachache. Doctor says it's just in his head, but nobody can convince Jeff that. Too bad we don't have a shrink in town!" They both laughed together.

"It's good to hear that it's nothing serious."

"Yes well even though it isn't serious, that fact doesn't stop the rumors from spreading! Last I heard people were saying that Sasha was slowly poisoning Jeff to death. We've had inquiries to his health condition from various worried people in town. It's never a dull moment here!"

Elli laughed again and Jack smiled. He needed to surround himself with people like Elli; she never thought a bad thing ever. Well, except maybe when Stu brought her bugs for a gift. Even so, the woman was always positive and always seemed happy. She was nice to be around.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Jack was lost in thought, thinking about what a nice gal Elli was, while Elli tried to find something to say. She laughed nervously and looked like she was blushing slightly.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly someone burst through the door. Elli jumped up from her seat and Jack quickly turned around to see who it was. There was Rick, his hair in disarray and his eyes looking wild.

"Where's the doctor? I demand the doctor at once!"

Followed behind Rick was Gotz, carrying a slumped over and weak looking Lillia. Hearing the commotion from his office, the doctor rushed out to see what was the matter.

He moved quickly towards one of the rooms where the patients stay. "She's gone into relapse! Quick Elli, get the IV!"

Everything happened so quickly Jack wasn't sure what to do. Elli moved the IV into the room, Gotz had set Lillia down on the bed, and the doctor had gotten to work hooking the frail woman up to everything.

Elli pushed everyone outside of the room into the waiting area. Jack was still standing by the counter, unsure of what to do to help. "What happened Rick? The doctor is going to need to know."

"I don't know!" He cried. "I was outside taking care of the chickens when I heard a crash. I went inside and there was my mother passed out on the floor! I don't know what happened! I ran to Jack's farm but he wasn't there. Luckily Gotz was and he carried mom over here." Rick was sweating. He tried to push the hair out of his face.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Jack asked as he moved away from the counter and towards the center of the waiting area. He didn't want to be completely useless.

"All we can do is wait now until the doctor figures out the problem. I'm sorry." Elli turned around and left the waiting area.

Gotz slowly sulked out of the hospital. Things like this reminded him too much of the past and he didn't want to stay. Rick sat down on one of the chairs and Jack sat next to him. They sat in silence until Karen burst into the hospital, a look of fear in her eye.

"Rick! There you are! I just got the news." She ran to his side and hugged him. That's when he began to cry. He was a grown man crying. He cried into her shoulder. Feeling awkward, Jack got up and left the hospital.

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The next day Jack's chicken coop was finished. He was looking at it proudly. It had taken him more than a season to save up for, but it was well worth the wait. Now he could expand and have more than 4 chickens. He only had 3 now, and was looking forward to putting tomorrow's eggs in the incubator to eventually hatch into baby chicks.

As he stood admiring his new building, Jack noticed out of the corner of his eye someone approaching his farm. He turned to see a very stressed out Rick coming towards him. "Uh hey Rick." Jack approached him.

"Hey Jack I uh… I need a favor from you." Jack nodded. "My mom is doing alright now, but she needs bed rest and 24 hour care. Popuri isn't around anymore so uhh… well I heard you got your coop expanded…"

"Go ahead and ask Rick."

"Could you take care of some of the chickens? I won't have the time anymore. I don't know what I am going to do! I can't contact Popuri because I don't know where she is! We'll be ruined!"

"Alright! I'll do it!" Jack sighed. There went his plans for raising more chicks of his own.

"Oh Jack thank you so much. You can keep or sell any of the eggs you get. That'll be my payment."

Jack nodded. He ended up spending most of the morning helping Rick move his chickens over to Jack's newly expanded coop. Jack wasn't a big fan of Rick, but he was never one to turn down anyone in need.

That afternoon Jack was outside working in his fields since he didn't get a chance to do so that morning. It was warm even though it was fall, and the sweat dripped off his forehead. Some of the crops were already starting to come out of the ground and Jack was excited to see how they would turn out.

He was working so hard that he didn't even notice that Karen was right behind him. She gently tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. There she was, looking beautiful as always. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying for many hours.

"Karen what's wrong?" He tried to brush the dirt off of the front of his overalls.

"Lillia is dying."

He nodded. "Let's sit down under the apple tree." Karen followed him over to the tree and she sat down next to him. "I'm listening Karen."

"Lillia is like a second mother to me," she said between sniffles. "I don't know what I'll do without her."

"I heard that she would be alright, that she just needs bed rest."

Karen sighed. "That's just Rick in denial. She has cancer Jack. It's a rare form. Her husband went to look for a cure, and nobody knows where he is." She started to cry again. "It's just so hard! Rick has to take care of everything now that Popuri is gone! He can't handle it all alone. I hate that selfish brat! I hate her!"

She was bawling now, and not knowing anything better to do, Jack pulled her in close and just held her. She cried into his shoulder. "It'll be alright Karen. I'm here for you, just like you are always there for me."

Before Jack could know what was happening, Karen had leaned up and her lips were touching his. He was shocked for a moment, but before he knew what he was doing, he was returning her kiss. It was sweet, soft, gentle, and full of emotion. He pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around him.

It was the most perfect kiss. Nobody had ever kissed Jack the way that Karen had. She held on to him on like she needed him. The kiss continued and he gently put his hand through her hair. She was absolutely the most beautiful creature in the world.

After that moment he never thought of Popuri again.