As always a grande merci beaucoup for the lovely reviews and with being a writer who likes to give back to the reviewing community, like the big 100 for example, an award awaits if the 100th review is achieved with this Chapter.
Enjoy :)
He refused to leave her bedside. Determined to be the first person she saw upon waking and he was convinced she would. His investment of faith coming from personally witnessing the kind of person she was. Strong, confident and sure of what she wanted and as a result he firmly believed she would prevail over this.
"She has to." He whispered it in a bid to defeat any residual doubts thanks to his natural worry.
He asked for her at reception, expecting to be told she was here but all he got instead was an extended silence. Leading for him to assume that something was wrong, especially when he witnessed an overhearing Doctor whisper to the Receptionist.
"I'm sorry Sir but Doctor Austen isn't available at the moment so…."
"What's goin on?" Jimmy cut her off asking.
"Nothing Sir, she's just….."
"Why don't we quit with the lyin sweet cheeks and just start explainin." Jimmy loudly interrupted, getting increasingly agitated with getting no answers.
"Is there a problem here?" a voice suddenly inquired and upon turning around to confront the source Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief instead.
"Jimmy, what're you doing here man?" Marc asked.
"I was lookin for Kate and…." Jimmy replied, breaking off when he saw Marc cower his head in thought. "What?"
"Marc what is it?" Jimmy more or less demanded now, genuinely worried at the fact that even Marc was hesitating with the same question, "where's Kate?"
Patience was a virtue, but to Kathy it was more an inconvenience, especially as time passed without word from Jack. The least she expected was an explanation for his abrupt departure at lunch.
However what she wanted more was an explanation for his infidelity. Only then could she learn to forgive it.
"What's keeping him?"
As selfish and suspicious the request may have come across, Jack also saw sense in it being that he was the only close family she had. Aside from Claire and Charlie and they'd been through enough of late to be loaded with a new wave of worry.
He'd made a call to her Mother and as tense filled as the conversation was, she confirmed her attendance. With that she hung up, not even bothering to convey any form of thanks, but at the same time he didn't expect it.
He didn't expect any form of gratitude from her, cause in her mind he was still the reason her daughter had hit the lowest point in her life. His effort to get Kate help softening the animosity a tad, but Diane still kept a wary eye when it came to him.
There was no doubt in his mind that she would blame him for this and to a certain extent it was. At least it's what he still believed.
"Jack?" came the question followed by a knock on the half open door. Jack's expression changing from one of fatigue to confusion and disgust when he saw that Marc wasn't alone.
"I…." Marc moved to explain but Jimmy piped in straight with the accusations.
"What did you do to her?" he accused looking straight at Jack with anger.
Marc, sensing what would follow decided to quickly step in for Kate's benefit.
Thankfully Jimmy took that into consideration, at the last minute none the less, yet he failed to refrain from making his demand known to Jack.
"Get out of here!" Jimmy pointedly hissed though failing to phase through Jack's equally invested challenge of fury. Jimmy's threat only strengthening it.
"And who the hell do you think you are?" Jack challenged.
"Someone who actually gives a damn about her rather than screwin with her." Jimmy responded, putting emphasis on the "S" word in a deliberate attempt to expose what he knew Jack had done.
Jack wasn't stupid and there was a brief moment where it showed through his eye widened gaze, but he disguised it quickly enough for Marc to not catch on.
"You don't know the first thing about her or what we have."
"HAD, you mean." Jimmy remarked leaving Jack to award his insinuation with a simple….
"Just go." Jack warned, in a low and dangerous tone.
"No." Jimmy defied, not moving an inch from where he stood, furtherly aggravating Jack to a physical extent.
"Jimmy." Marc warned but neither Jimmy nor Jack took heed. However Marc refused to just stand there, especially when the first punch was thrown and effortlessly blocked by Jack. Jimmy going in for a second but Marc was quick enough to stop it.
"Let me go!" Jimmy shouted, trying to break free from Marc's grip at the same time and Jack used Jimmy's physical restraint as an opportunity to lay it all out once and for all.
"I'm gonna say this once and so help me God I better not find myself repeating it." Jack stated, grabbing Jimmy by the collar to make sure he heard what was said next, "stay away from Kate."
Jimmy's immediate response was another attempted struggle, but Marc pulled him away screaming profanities. Jack in the meanwhile just refocused on a woman who was undoubtedly his best friend, but was it more?
His slip up certainly blurred the line.
Regardless of the question, he chose to focus on the present instead and do everything in his power to see Kate well again. Even if it cost him his own life in the bargain; taking Jimmy's capability into account, but he was determined to see this through.
Unafraid in light of his still instinctual need to protect her.
He was livid and disgusted, more at Jack rather than his own actions yet Marc and the alerted security solely judged him for the latter.
The one shred of success he did however achieve was firm confirmation from original suspicion. The crumbs gathering with each moment of disappointment his Sister suffered and he was sick and tired of it.
"Kathy needs to know Jack for the guy he really is." Jimmy vowed, aware that revelation of this would shatter her, but he was equally convinced she would be better off as a result.
Then he would save Kate.
"Game on Jackass"
She was concerned, not to mention worried as any Mother would over their child, but she was also angry. Mainly at the assumption that Jack was probably responsible for it once again and what enraged her even more was the fact that her daughter had to continually suffer. After the enduring the hell she did with Wayne this was just another thing she did not need.
"This has to stop." Diane firmly vowed to herself, determined to rescue her daughter from this hell.
She wouldn't be coming home alone this time.
And you thought Kathy and Jimmy were the least of the obstacles lol.
Next Chapter: An "unwelcomed" welcome and a final ultimatum…..