Whispers of What We Were
Chapter 16
"Jax!" Tara scrambled off the bed; her vision a little blurry from her hit to the head earlier. She could see however that Jax had been shot in the stomach and blood was soaking through his hoodie.
"You ok?" He asked her, short of breath.
Tara nodded. "We have to get you to a hospital."
"Just fix me up Doc."
"DeMint Jax, I can't fix this. Now is not the time to be funny. I'm calling an ambulance. You're going to need surgery," Tara ran to grab her cell phone and towel. She put pressure on Jax's wound and dialed 9-1-1 with her other hand.
"I love you Tara." Jax managed to sputter out.
"Shh… I love you too Jax. So much."
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"Yes hello. This is Dr. Tara Knowles. My husband has just been shot…"
Jax smiled as she called him her husband before he succumbed to the massive blood loss and closed his eyes.
SOASOASOASOA
Nine Years Ago
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Tara and Jax both smiled goofily at each other before kissing passionately at the alter. Everyone cheered for the couple.
"Thank you for making me the happiest man alive Mrs. Knowles-Teller." He whispered in her ear. She looked so beautiful in her white gown. They had decided to wait a few months after Emily was born to get married. Tara thought a shot gun wedding was a little tacky.
"Ditto husband." Tara replied before turning her attention to their baby girl; who at five months old was reaching out for Tara while being held in Gemma's arms.
"Hey Em. Now you can have my attention. Mommy was just a little busy getting married." She said as she took her from Gemma's arms.
Gemma made her way over to Jax. "That's all I get? Twenty minutes of her undivided attention." He joked as she watched his wife and daughter lovingly.
"You better get used to that. But I am taking the kid for the next three days so the two of you can enjoy your honeymoon."
"Thank you mommy."
Gemma laughed and gave her son a hug. "Congratulations baby. Your wife looked great up there."
"She always does."
SOASOASOASOA
To say Tara was uncomfortable was a huge understatement. When the paramedics had arrived at her house, she quickly changed and called Donna. She had heard the shots coming from the house but thankfully the kids had already been asleep and weren't woken by the noise. Tara had also called the hospital ahead and made sure there was a surgical trauma team waiting for them when they arrived.
Donna had called Opie who was still at Gemma's with the whole club. Now, seated next to Opie in the surgical waiting room at St. Thomas, all eyes were on her.
Because Jax had shot Kohn dead, there as no need at retaliation and no one had to go anywhere which was hard for the club members. Usually when a brother got hurt, there was always a chance at retaliation. No one from the club was used to this waiting game.
An hour after telling everyone what had happened; she couldn't stand them all staring at her anymore. She knew Jax would be in surgery for a long time and if he survived it would be hours before anyone would get a chance to see him.
"I need some air." She muttered before leaving the waiting room.
She made her way to the neonatal floor, checking on a few of her post-op patients. All of them were recovering well; it was a welcome distraction. She finally found herself at the familiar window, looking at all the healthy newborns. She smiled as one of them yawned.
"Peaceful here huh?"
Tara turned her head and saw Gemma. "I just couldn't sit in there anymore."
"I know baby. I've been looking all over for you. The police want to talk to you."
"Umm, ok." Tara answered, hands shaking.
Gemma noticed how unsteady Tara seemed to be. "They can wait a little longer." Gemma put her arm around her daughter-in-law.
Tara looked at her, tears filling her eyes. "Gemma, I am so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen." She cried.
Gemma pulled Tara in for a hug. "I know you didn't baby. Shhh… He'll be ok."
"I don't know what I'd do without him." Tara cried into her shoulder. "God, there was so much blood."
Gemma tensed. Tara was a doctor and her words made her sound very unoptimistic. She continued to sooth Tara. Gemma could break down later, but right now her daughter-in-law needed her.
SOASOASOASOA
A half hour later, Gemma led Tara back to the waiting room where two officers from the Sheriff's department as well as Chief Unser were waiting for her.
"Dr. Knowles… If we could have a few words?" One of the officers asked. Tara nodded and led them into an adjacent office from the waiting room.
Gemma watched her go into the office, remembering the day when Tara had been sixteen and doing pretty much the same thing with regards to her father. The poor girl had really rotten luck with men in her lives. The only one good to her was fighting for his life somewhere in this hospital.
"She gonna be ok?" Clay asked from inside the waiting room.
Gemma nodded and made her way over to her husband. "As long as Jax will be ok… She'll be ok." She sat next to him against his muscular frame. She turned her attention to the rest of the club. "You guys should really head home. We'll call if there is any news."
"We'd be doing the same thing there." Juice said shrugging and making himself more comfortable in one of the chairs.
"Yeah, we're not going anywhere." Chibbs added.
Gemma nodded. These guys truly were her family.
"How did we not know this guy was after the Doc?" Tig asked with a little outrage. Tara was family, and he was pissed she had gotten hurt without SAMCRO knowing about it.
"I don't think she realized how much of a fucking nut job he actually was." Clay offered.
"She obviously told Jax." Gemma added. "And I think Emily knew something."
"What?"
"The kids accidentally brought him up once and Emily shut down on me when I asked her about him."
"That's unlike her." Clay said and everyone around agreed.
"Thank god they weren't home." Gemma said, tears finally filling her eyes. "This could have been so much worse."
The door opened and Tara came back into the waiting room. "What did they say?" Opie asked, making room so Tara could sit next to him again.
"It was self defense. Josh shot first. There shouldn't be any charges laid." Tara ran her hands through her hair, obviously frazzled. "They've uhh… just removed his body from the house."
"We'll get someone to clean it all up." Clay said.
Tara nodded. Of course they had people to clean up bloody murder scenes.
"Dr. Knowles?" Everyone turned to the door.
"Dr. Lennox." Tara greets the Trauma surgeon.
"If I could talk to you in private?"
"They're all family." She replied without hesitation. Everyone else got up and stood behind Tara.
A bit intimidated, the surgeon spoke. "As you know, Jackson had significant blood loss when he was brought in. Anesthesia had quite the time trying to stabilize him; but they did."
Everyone let out a breath they had been holding.
"There was a substantial tear to the spleen so we did remove it but he should make a full recovery. My team is just closing him up now but he'll be pretty out of it until sometime this afternoon. I don't expect him to wake up before then. I'll send someone to take you to him when we are all done."
"Thank you Dr. Lennox."
"No problem. All the best."
After he left, Tara and Gemma cried tears of joy as the club moved to comfort them. Tara looked at her watch. Five-thirty in the morning.
"Hey Ope… Can you please check on the kids? I'm sure Donna has been up all night worrying. Don't tell the kids anything yet. Let them enjoy their day. I'll call Donna a little later and maybe she could bring them by tonight."
"Of course." He hugged Tara and left.
"Tara baby, we're going to head home for a couple of hours and come back later ok?"
"You don't want to see Jax first?" She asked, shocked that Gemma wasn't her usual overbearing self. Normally she would bowl Tara over to get at Jax.
"You go be with your husband. He needs you now, not me."
Tara nodded as Gemma leaned in for a hug. "Don't ever leave us again young lady." She whispered in her ear.
Tara smiled and wiped at her tears. "Never again."
END CHAPTER
A/N: So he's ok. And Kohn is out of the picture…. The legal way.
Once again I have written this quickly while at work so shhhhh.. Don't tell my boss! Haha. Thanks!
