"Matt, I'm doing the right thing." Jeff said within his voice laid his heart.
Matt slowly pulled the car to a stop seeing the light was red, and turned to the younger Hardy boy locking eye's with Jeff. In his eye's Matt seen the intensity and love Jeff had growing inside him for this small child. No longer worried, Matt grinned. "All right man, let's stay here." He said turning back to the road and beginning down the road once more.
"You don't have to stay." Jeff said surprised that Matt wanted to stay with him. "Go back and relax!"
"No, Jeff. I'm staying." Matt replied stubbornly.
Jeff remained quiet the rest of the way back to the hotel, he was still confused about Matt's wanting to stay behind, but what confused him even more was the fact he wanted to stay behind himself. Just that morning he was complaining about going to the hospital and now he wanted to stay here for a month. It was all for the little girl. For Lexie. He was connected with her, not sure how or why. Jeff just knew he had to be there for her.
The rest of the night was thick with an odd silence, Matt had tried to make some small talk as they ate their dinner. Jeff remained off inside his own
thought's, his mind on Lexie and her condition. Finally Matt just gave up and went to bed, Jeff followed shortly after.
In his dream's, Jeff dreamed that Lexie lived with Matt their father and himself. She wasn't sick, and lived a full life. Knowing what it feel's like to be loved and to love. It felt to real to him, as he could feel the warmth of her hand clasped firmly in his as they walked down the dirt trail behind his home. He could hear her laugh, soft musical tones filled the air with each sound she made. It was as real as real can be to him, the thought of it forced him to bolt straight up in his bed. Glancing at the clock, next to his bed, Jeff groaned. It was only 2:30 am. Pressing his back against the bed, he glanced up at the ceiling and then closed his eye's.
The morning came slowly for Jeff, since the first time he had woken up it seemed as though he got up each half hour after that. Tossing and turning just made the thing's worse, finally at 4:30 Jeff groaned loudly and got out of bed. A quick glance over at Matt's bed, he noticed Matt was still sound asleep. Grumbling to himself, Jeff grabbed some cloth's then walked into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him. Without a word, Jeff started the water and began to strip. With his mind still focused on Alexis, Jeff climbed into the shower. Neither caring or concerned of the water's temperature, he simply let the water beat down onto him.
Sighing he leans his forehead up against the wall, under the shower head. Jeff watched as the color's of his hair swirled around and around in the drain. They hypnotized him, beckoning him to see past the color's that held him and to the beauty that laid behind it. Grabbing the soap, he quickly lathered himself then rinsed off. A small grin swept his face as he began to wash his hair.
"I'm beginning to understand." Jeff thought. "Understand it all." Washing the soap out of his hair, Jeff turned the faucet's off then got out of the shower. After a quick towel dry, Jeff dressed then as quiet as he could, he left the hotel room. Walking in the hall's of the hotel, his mind worked overtime. If there was only something he could do for Alexis, something that could help ease her pain. Or even just to give her a few moment's of happiness. He had to do something, anything for that child. Twenty minute's after the shower, Jeff was back in the car on his way back to the hospital. His stomach no longer fluttered with the butterfly's he had when he first went. It was now warmed over by his heart, which claimed love for the child.
The closer he got to the hospital, the further the warmth spread. When Jeff pulled into the hospital's main parking lot, his whole body was tingling. With a grin stretching from one ear to the other, Jeff got out of his car and made his way into the hospital. Praying that they would give him some special time with Lexie, since visiting hour's were surely still quite far away.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist said as he neared the station.
"Ah, yes. I'm here to see a child named Alexis? My name's Jeff Hardy, I know I'm not on her visitation list, but I'm sure if you would only ask the nurse Denise she can explain thing's to you." Jeff replied hurriedly sounding a little more excited then he had wanted.
"Alexis.." The woman repeated looking down at her paper's. "Well, Mr. Hardy is it?"
Jeff nodded.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot visit with the child right now."
"Why? What's wrong?? Is she all right??? What happened?" Jeff demanded, his voice strong and deep yet full of concern. The woman behind the desk stood up and walked out from behind it until she stood right in front of Jeff.
"I'm sorry Mr. Hardy...Alexis was rushed into surgery early last night. We haven't heard any word on her, the doctor's are still working with her"
Jeff felt his body begun to cave, his heart thumped. The tear's flooded down his face, Jeff sat in the chair behind him, dropping his face into his
hand's...Jeffery Nero Hardy cried.
Minutes passed like hours as Jeff sat in the waiting room. No one would give him an update on Alexis, and he now feared the worst.
"Excuse me?" He said to the receptionist. The woman turned toward Jeff.
"Yes, Mr. Hardy?"
"Have you heard anything, anything at all yet?" Jeff asked of her, his eye's pleading for some answer. The woman looked deep into his eye's. before shaking her head.
"I'm sorry Jeff." She said. "Nothing's come down. If anything does I'll be sure to alert you."
"Damnit!" Jeff exclaimed smashing his left fist onto the table, the force caused the receptionist to jump. "Why can't you people ever give straight answers! Where's Nurse Denise? I want to see her! At least she will be able to tell me what's going on here! Where the hell is she?"
Jeff's faced shown bright red, full of anger. His eye's ablaze with fear and anger. Frightened by his demeanor, the woman reached for the security button.
"What's going on here?" A voice came from behind Jeff.
"I'm about to call security. This gentleman has gotten way out of control for me." The receptionist stated.
"Me? Out of Control? I just want to know what's going on with my daughter!" Jeff demanded once more, not aware of the word's he just spilled from his mouth.
"Jeff." The voice behind him whispered. The person was now directly behind Jeff, with their hand on his, urging him to turn around. "Look at me, please."
Jeff turned, the fury in his eye's softened some as he caught the eye's of the new nurse.
"Denise, what's going on?" He begged, his attitude quickly changing. "What happened"
"Come with me Jeff." She replied taking him by the hand. She led him off into a smaller office, closing the door behind them. "Please, sit"
Doing as he was asked, Jeff sat. Not once taking his eye's off of Denise. "Is she all right?"
Denise took her seat opposite of him.
"Last night Alexis's doctor walked into her room to find her not breathing, she had a considerable amount of blood coming out of her ear at the time. He quickly then rushed her up the the OR. Jeff they're doing all that they can." She said and then paused. "I'm sorry."
"No." Jeff replied sternly. "This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. Alexis has to be all right."
"Jeff, out there you said something about her being your daughter. She's not your daughter Jeff." Denise said.
"I..she..daughter." Jeff mumbled out loud. With tear's in his eye's he looked towards the door. "She has to make it."
"I'm sorry Jeff." Denise repeated, her own eye's full of concern for the young man.
"Your sorry? That's all you can say to me. Your Sorry?" Jeff yelled, his voice trembling as well as his body. "You said she had two year's!!!"
Denise looked at Jeff, the tear's beginning to form in her own eye's.
"Jeff, honey, please you have to understand when I said two year's. She's been here for a year and a half already. I'm sorry. But were doing the best we can."
Jeff stood his face twisted in anger, and walked over to the wall.
"Well, your best isn't good enough!" He screamed once more, then smashed both fist's into the wall leaving considerable dent's in the wall, and causing Denise to jump at the reaction. With a grunt he walked out of the room, heading down to where Alexis room was. If anything, he'd wait there for her.
Denise sat in the office, both confused and hurt from Jeff's outburst.
"How can he be so attached to this child." She said to herself trying to ponder the answer to it. "How."
Back in Alexis's room, Jeff sat and waited. His mind a jumbled mess and his heart seeking answers.
"She doesn't deserve this." He said to the empty room, then looked up at the ceiling. "Why?! Why do you always have to do this!"
Jeff buried his head into his hand's, wishing silently to send it all away.
In the office, Denise flipped through her contact list. She felt she should call Jeff's brother Matt, who hopefully may be able to settle Jeff down. She smiled when she finally came across the name of the hotel. Grateful to herself that she took the time to write it all down when Vince first contacted her about the Hardyz accepting the job. Quickly she dialed the number, getting a sleepy Matt answering.
"Hello." He drawled out.
"Matt? I'm sorry to wake you." She replied remembering how early it was. "We have a slight problem down here."
"Huh? Down where." Matt said, gradually awakening.
"At the hospital Matt." Denise responded.
"What's the problem?"
"Your brother."
Those two word's took what ever sleep he had in him away. Jeff. Glancing over at his brother's empty bed, Matt felt his stomach turn.
"Is he all right?" Matt asked her.
"Well, in term's no." She replied, then went into explaining what had just taken place. Matt listened amazed, his brother was never this emotional.
"All right." Matt said after she had told him everything. "I'm on my way down there now. Just don't let anyone near him until I get there, including Alexis."
"Fine." Denise sighed. "Please hurry."
"I will."
The two hung up then, Denise sat back in her chair and glanced at the two dent's in her wall. While minute's away Matt Hardy rushed around to get ready and leave.