Edited 2019

AN: I am profoundly sorry for not updating. My classes are taking up all of my time. Please review and vote in the poll that I have up on my profile.

Disclaimer: If I owned them then I would not be going this far in debt for school.

Chapter 34

I woke up the next morning to get ready for church. Across the hall the door to Eric's room was open. I noticed that all of his stuff was gone and the bed was made. I knew that his father would be coming back soon but I didn't think that he would leave without saying something. I took a shower and washed my hair. When I got out, I blow-dried it straight. I then put on a minimal amount of makeup and got dressed. I was surprised to see Eric, his father and a blonde woman sitting at the table with Gran. The table had fruit and French toast on serving trays. Gran smiled when she was me and asked. "Sookie dear, could you fill up my coffee cup for me?"

"Sure Gran. Does anyone else need anything?" I looked around the table. Eric had his head turned away from me and was talking to the blonde woman that I still did not recognize.

Mr. Northman asked. "If you don't mind could you top me off as well?" I did and then got a plate out to serve myself. Noticing that there was no room to sit at the kitchen table with everyone I went to sit by myself in the dining room. I put my plate down and went back to get myself a glass of milk. Entering the kitchen I almost ran into the blonde woman. Now that I was face to chest with her she looked more familiar. It was Pam Eric's older sister. She was dress impeccably in a classic channel suit and pearl.

"I'm sorry I should have looked where I was going. Excuse me." I said blushing and stepping to the side to let her through.

"Don't worry about it Sookie. If I had such cute girls running into me like that I think that I would stand in doorways more often." She said with a flirtatious smile walking past me.

"Gud, Pam lämna henne ensam. Hon är för ung för att få vad du menar och hur som helst hon gillar pojkar. (God, Pam leave her alone. She is too young to get what you mean and anyway she likes boys.)" Eric interjected in Swedish.

"Hur vet du att hon inte gillar den kvinnliga formen också? Jag slår vad om att hon skulle göra om hon försökte det. Jag kunde förmodligen till och med övertyga henne. (How do you know that she does not like the female form as well? I bet she would if she gave it a try. I could probably even convince her.)" Pam countered.

"Jag vet att hon gillar mig och har kysst mig. Om hon skulle gå för någon av oss skulle det vara jag. (I know because she likes me and has kissed me. If she was going to go for either of us it would be me.)" Eric retorted. Pam was about to respond when Mr. Northman came into the hall.

"It is rude to speak in Swedish when others cannot understand what you are saying. Go get in the car. Sookie, Adele we will see you later at church and for lunch." Mr. Northman chided his children walking out to the driveway. Eric and Pam ignored him and continued to banter back and forth in Swedish as they went to the car.

"Sookie, bring your plate in here, you can eat while I get your brother up. I swear that boy could sleep through an atomic bomb and still not move." Gran muttered that last part to go retrieve Jason.

I did as I was told and ate in the kitchen. It was rather peaceful until I heard a rather girly scream, a string of cures words and then the distinct sound of someone getting smacked upside the head. A few minutes later Gran reentered the kitchen followed by a red-faced sopping wet Jason. It looked like Gran had gone for the instant shower approach this morning. After everyone was done eating and dressed Jason drove us to church. Jason went off to sit with Crystal so that left Gran and me to find our own seats. We were going to take up the rest of the pew that Eric's family had saved when John spotted me almost as soon as my bum touched the bench. He asked Gran if I could go sit with his family. She was fine with that. As we were walking away she said. "I will see you later sweetheart just remember that this is God's house so no funny business you two." John just laughed and took my hand steering me to where his mother and sister were sitting.

Today Reverend Norris' sermon was about love and devotion. It seemed to be an extension to the sermon early in the year about forgiveness. His point was that love is unconditional both the love we have for others and God's for us. Also when we fight or ignore those people they will always be there for us just like God. You would think that I would have taken that as a hint, but I was still so caught up in the warm fuzzies that I had from the attention John was giving me. John invited me to lunch with his family after the service. Gran told me that it was fine when I asked her, she just reminded me that I needed to be home for dinner. Eric seemed especially put out when I was leaving. Pam was smiling at me and whispering in his ear with a devilish look on her face. Whatever she said made him madder than before. I tried to keep the smile on my face as I walked back to where John and his family were waiting.

We went to a little bistro at was serving a nice mixture of things for brunch. I got a spinach, garlic and pork frittata with some grilled asparagus and sweet tea. John got steak, home fries, and eggs with juice. All of which he devoured quickly and then started in on my food. I had to threaten him with bodily harm to quit. It was a nice lunch and I enjoyed getting to spend some time with his mother and sister. Frannie was super funny, epically when she was picking on John. I had never seen him blush and stammer so much because of one little girl before. I'd always thought she didn't like me but as lunch went on I learned that was not true. She had been wary of me because she knew how much he liked me. Frannie seemed happy as long as John was. His mother was somewhat quieter. I was not sure if she liked me or not. I had a distinct feeling that she thought that I was just using John or saw him as temporary. I guess she just did not want me to hurt her son, not that I intended to.

After lunch, John dropped his mother and sister at home. He took me to the lake, well really it was just a big pound but everyone called it the lake. He got a blanket out of the trunk and spread it on the ground. We laid there for a while just listening to the sounds around us. It was soothing and I got sleepy. I was almost out when John leaned over and shyly kissed me on the lips. When he went in for another it was more aggressive, and his weight was mostly on top of me. We kept kissing as his hand slowly started to travel up my side. I didn't mind until his hand went to my chest. It was something that we had not done yet and it made me feel weird. I was confused because it felt good but at the same time, it was just not right. I pushed on his shoulder to get him to stop and to give me some space. He didn't get the hint.

"John, please stop," I said. He pulled away with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked worriedly.

"No, I just need a minute. I have not done anything like that before." I answered and blushed a lovely shade of crimson.

"We can stop. I really like you Sookie, I want you to be comfortable with me no matter how long that takes. I can be patient." He kissed me on my check and laid back on the blanket pulling me on to him. I put my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for understanding John, I like you a lot too, I am just not to that point yet." We stayed like that not talking. He would run his hand through my hair, which made me feel sleepy. I closed my eyes for a few minutes concentrating on the rhythm of his heartbeat. It was soothing laying there. It also gave me time to think about my reaction to his heavy petting. I really did like him and being with him made me feel safe and cared for. The only problem was that I didn't want the physical aspect of the relationship to go beyond kissing, holding hands and hugs. I wasn't sure if I was ready to explore that at all or just with him. Around four-thirty he drove me back to Gran's house. Gran was in the garden weeding when we pulled up. I pecked him on the check hopping out of the car.

"Sookie, could you grab me the trowel from the shed? This one weed seems to be determined to just keep on growing. You can help me by digging out some holes for the bulbs."

"Ok, but can I go change first?"

"Get me the trowel and then change." She said turning back to her gardening. I ran to retrieve the trowel and then to my room to change. I put on a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt that had seen better days. Back down in the garden, Gran was on her side. I sprinted over to her she was unconscious and not breathing. I started CPR and after a few rounds, she started breathing again. I screamed for Jason or anyone to come and help.

With tears in my eyes, I said. "Gran hold on, I'm going to call for help. Please be ok." I ran back into the house and called 911. When I was giving the dispatcher directions Eric, Pam and his father came running in the door.

"Sookie what is wrong? We heard you scream." Eric said.

"Gran collapsed in the garden. I am on the phone with 911 and they are on the way. I don't know what happened. She was fine and working in the garden when I went upstairs to change so I could help. When I came back she was on the ground. What if she dies or something? What are Jason and I going to do? And where the hell is Jason he should be here and he is not." I was becoming more and more hysterical with every sentence.

"Let me have the phone. Eric, take Sookie into the living room to sit and calm down. You will be no help to her if you faint or pass out. Pam, go back out and make sure she is still breathing." Mr. Northman said taking the phone from my hand. Eric led me to the sofa and pulled me down on to it next to him. He put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder.

"Sookie you need to breathe and relax. You did what you could. Help is on the way. We can call Jason he is with Crystal and her family. I am sure he will come running when we get a hold of him." He was trying his hardest to soothe me.

"We should call Hadley too. She should be here too. Gran can't die she just can't. Oh, Eric!" I buried my face in his chest crying. Mr. Northman came into the living room.

"I am going to go wait with your Gran. The dispatcher said that the ambulance should be here any minute. Pam is going to come over and wait for Jason to get here. When the ambulance gets here I will take you and Eric to the hospital. Unless you want to ride with her?"

"I want to go with her, I should be outside with her now," I said standing up. My knees gave way and Eric caught me.

"I will help you outside we can all wait together," Eric suggested as he pulled me up and half carried me out to where Gran was. She was still in the same spot on the ground. I lost it and started to cry harder. If I would have stayed outside maybe Gran would have been alright. When the EMT's got there, they loaded Gran on to a gurney and into the ambulance. I road in the back with her. When we got to the hospital the doctors rushed around doing many things I didn't understand. Before long she was hooked up to so many beeping. I was almost out of tears when a female doctor came to speak to me. she had a heart attack followed by a series of small strokes. She said that Gran would need to stay at the hospital. Pam had shown up about thirty minutes after we got there. She was steering a semi-catatonic Jason. I did not know what to do. What would I do without Gran?