This chapter was recently posted up, but I didn't think it was good enough after reading its shortness a few times. So I've expanded on it a little, and I hope you readers like it better.

Chapter 19

For most of the final five hours, Mark didn't move from his chair. He was simply breathing, existing. But at the time, even though he knew she was stable, he knew that was all he knew Jennifer was like, too.

Stephanie, who had woken earlier, glanced worriedly at Roger. "Do you think he's OK?" she asked him.

"Yeah, he's all right," Roger said, looking down at her. "He's just being Mark, aside from being in shock."

"What do you mean, 'being Mark'?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, you know how he gets," Roger said. "He's numbing himself to the world right now, while Jen's still in the coma." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm not mad at him for doing that; it's his way of coping. Don't worry, he'll come around."

Stephanie nodded and looked at the clock. 3 P.M. Four hours to go.

While Stephanie and Roger were silent for a long moment, they saw Mark move. Then, to their surprise, he stood up.

"Mark?" Stephanie asked cautiously, going over and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you OK?"

Mark swallowed and nodded. "I— I think I'm going to go for a walk," he stammered.

Stephanie and Roger met each other's gaze in a silent signal. They knew what Mark was up to. He was running again.

"Roger, let him go," Stephanie said to him, grabbing him before he could go after Mark. "He'll be back. He just needs to think it all over for a while."

"Baby, last time he was gone like this, he was running from the pain of losing Jen in one way, which was his own damn fault, and then he almost lost her for good," Roger said, frustrated. Roger shook his head. "No, I can't let him do this again. If he keeps this up, he really is going to lose her, by her choice or not, no matter how much we keep telling him that."

Stephanie opened her mouth to say something, but she held back. Roger wasn't in a listening mood; nor was Mark. Stephanie didn't know how she was going to change their minds alone.

Stephanie went over to Jennifer's bed and sat down in Mark's chair. She took Jennifer's hand and thought for a moment before speaking to Jennifer.

"Hey, Jen, it's Stephanie," she began. "The doctor said you might be able to hear us if we talk to you… so I'm giving it a try." Stephanie swallowed. "Mark's taking all of this really hard. I don't know if he's talked to you yet or not, but he's really struggling. He tries to hide it, but we can tell. When he hides his emotions, it only makes it worse. Roger and I are here if he needs to talk, but he's not. He needs you, Jen. I know he wasn't acting like it for a while, but he really does." Stephanie smiled grimly. "You're the one who kept him on his feet."

Stephanie squeezed Jennifer's hand fondly and a bubble of hope grew in her chest when she felt Jennifer, ever so slightly, squeeze back.

Stephanie was surprised. She squeezed Jennifer's hand a second time and felt it again. This time, reassured, Stephanie stood up. "I'll be right back, OK, Jen?" she said. "I'm gonna go get Doctor Riggs."

Even though she knew Jennifer couldn't verbally respond yet, she did know that Jennifer could hear her. She went out into the hall and got a nearby nurse to page Doctor Riggs. A few minutes later, he came to Jennifer's room.

"You're right, Stephanie," Doctor Riggs said, "Jennifer is waking up. I suggest you go notify her husband."

"OK," Stephanie said, and she went out to the lobby to make the phone call. "Roger? It's Stephanie, where are you? Where with Mark? OK, well, you need to get to the hospital now… Jennifer's waking up… Doctor Riggs confirmed it when I was there… Yes, come now… OK, see you soon."

Stephanie hung up her cell and went back to Jennifer's room to wait for Mark and Roger to come back. Right as Jennifer opened her eyes, Mark and Roger walked into the room. Doctor Riggs quickly performed an exam on Jennifer's vitals and then stepped away.

Mark went over to Jennifer and took her hand. "Hey," he said to her, smiling down at her. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for any sign of recognition. But Jennifer didn't speak. She simply stared back.

Mark took Jennifer's hand and caressed it gently. "Jen?" he asked. "Say something, honey."

Jennifer took in a deep breath and slowly opened her mouth to speak. "Hi," she said simply.

Mark heaved a deep breath of relief. "Thank God," he said, and he hugged her, careful not to press on her broken ribs. "You're OK."

Jennifer smiled. "Yeah," she said, "I guess so. Sorry I didn't speak earlier… I was pretty confused about where I was."

"You're at Bellevue Medical Center," Mark said. "You were in a car accident. Don't you remember?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No," she said, "I don't remember any of it. Is that a bad thing?"

Mark nodded understandingly. "That's OK," he said, rubbing her hand lovingly. "We'll work on that. I'm just so glad you're OK. The woman that hit you… she died at the scene…" Before he could stop them, tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh, Mark, please don't cry," Jennifer said, looking up at him and putting her hand on his cheek. "I'm OK, see?"

Mark looked down at the many bandages and casts on his beloved wife's body and almost chuckled, but he ended up choking it back. Leave it up to Jennifer to be so optimistic and understanding about something like this. "Jen," he began, "I'm so sorry… about what I said that day… that day we separated… I'll do anything, if you'll just come home."

Jennifer smiled weakly up at him. "OK," she said, "let me… let me think about it until I get out of here… then I'll let you know, OK?"

Mark swallowed and nodded, heaving a shaky sigh. Tears brimmed in his eyes and Jennifer smiled at him and put her hand on his cheek.

"All right," he said, nodding. "I'll go with that. I'm gonna go for a walk, OK?" he asked her. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll be back later, though, I promise."

Jennifer nodded. "OK," she said. "Bye, Mark."

"Bye, Jen," Mark said, and then he left.

"Mark, what are you doing here?" Roger asked, seeing Mark sitting on the window seat at the loft. "You should be with Jen at the hospital."

"I know," Mark said, looking over at him. "I'm just thinking."

"Mark, you said it yourself at the hospital, your 'thinking' a while back wasn't working out," Roger said. "You love Jennifer. She loves you. You're going to have a child together, this time for sure. The doctor said there was absolutely nothing wrong with your child this time. What's there to think about?"

"But why will it work 'this time', Rog?" Mark asked, looking over at him with a lost look in his eyes. "Why did it happen before? You can't call something like that a fluke. Why did it happen to her at all, first time or not? I know it worked out for you and Steph, and I'm not saying I'm not happy about that, but why me, why us?"

"I don't know, Mark," Roger said, going over to sit next to him. "Nobody may ever know. Not even the doctors know why it happened to her that day. But the point is, she's alive and she's OK from this accident, and you two are finally going to have that child you've wanted for ages and deserve entirely. There's nothing more to 'think about', except about your beautiful wife and future son or daughter. It'll come quicker than you think, you know."

Mark smiled at Roger. "I know," he said. "OK, all right, I'll go back. After all, I told Jen I'd quit running."

Roger nodded and patted Mark on the back. "Good," he said. "Want company?"

"Sure," Mark said. "It's always good to have company when you want to be alone. Company's the best kind of loneliness out there.'

Roger laughed and they went back to Bellevue. When they got there, Mark went up to Jennifer and sat down next to her and took her hand. "Can you forgive me for what I did?" he asked. "I was such a jerk."

Jennifer chuckled. "But it's OK now, Mark," she said. "I'm going home in a few days and I'll be walking again in a few weeks. The doctor said there's no chance of paralysis. Mark, we've having a baby. What could possibly beat that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Mark said, looking at her. "Having my wife back at home, maybe?"

Jennifer smiled. "OK," she said, "I forgive you. I'll come home."

Mark let out a sigh of relief and tears started streaming down his face. The two of them, reconciled, hugged each other and Mark smiled happily. Things were finally getting back to normal.

I was listening to the movie soundtrack online tonight, and that definitely helped me with re-writing this chapter, listening to SOL, Rent, OSG, LMC, T4U, OT, ICY, ICYR, and WYO over and over. I love getting lost in my beloved albino pumpkin head mo fo's voice; it's totally awesome and my favorite.) You should tune into it if you're interested; it's not all of it, but if you're like me, and can't find the soundtrack anywhere in your town to buy (CURSES!), you'll listen to it a lot. I've put the website on my profile. Please review.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07