Jackson marched down the hospital corridor, although rather than take his usual station outside the ICU, he strode through the doors into Erica's room.
At first he took the visitor sitting by the bed to be Kendall, but them he noticed the wheelchair and the startled expression in a pair of deep brown eyes.
"Bianca!" he cried; amazed to see her. The head brace was gone, although it had left a ring of red marks across her forehead, and here she sat by her mother's bedside as wonderfully whole as Jackson had ever seen her.
"Uncle Jack." said Bianca, grinning back at him, "Surprise!"
"They let you out!"
"It took some persuading but yes they let me out." said Bianca, "I'm a living breathing miracle. So no more surgery and no more brace. Although, I've strict instructions not to move my head too much!"
Bianca's expression grew serious again and Jackson's eyes were drawn back to the pale woman lying in bed. He wasn't ready yet to confront Erica right now, he was still so delighted to see his niece so well.
"Is a hug out of the question?" he asked.
Bianca gave him an accommodating smile,
"Only if it's a gentle one."
Jackson lent down and wrapped his arms tenderly round her. She felt like skin and bones, her body wasted away from all the months of inactivity, but he felt the warmth of the arms that hugged him back. When he stepped back from the embrace he took a moment to wipe the tears from his eyes.
"How is she?" he asked, ready now to focus at the real reason for his visit - Erica.
"She's not good." said Bianca sadly, taking one of her mother's pale hands in her own in a measured, ungainly movement. Her body was obviously still not quite under her control. "They've had to put her on dialysis. No one knows what's wrong. She shouldn't be this ill, not from the bullet wound. It's like she's given up. Like she's refusing to fight and I've no idea why!"
"I know why." said Jackson.
Jackson addressed Erica's unconscious form in a firm steady voice.
"I know why you've given up Erica. I found the letters; you didn't hide them very well!"
"Letters?" Bianca asked bemused.
"Erica had been getting letters. Some crazy person was writing letters to her - two, three times a day; threatening her, calling her a fake and a phoney. Letters which Erica chose to ignore. That is until the threats started getting serious. But even then you still couldn't tell anyone; instead you decided to run away. Run and hide out in LA and hope it would all blow over. Why was that I wonder, were you too proud to ask for help, too scared we'd think you were crazy, did you think you were doing the noble thing, like it was some great sacrifice."
There was an edge of anger and accusation in Jackson's voice as he continued.
"It didn't blow over though did it? That crazy person picked up a gun, marched into room and killed people. No one was prepared, because no one knew the threat even existed, so people died. Looking at you now Erica do you know what I see. I see a coward."
"Uncle Jack!" Bianca gasped.
Jackson ignored her protest.
"You keep going on about the Kane women and their strength and you know what that is hogwash! You beautiful daughter here has gone through hell, faced things no one should ever have to face and she never stops fighting. Never! And you know what that's not something she got from you. Oh no – that's a Montgomery trait. If you're any example then the Kane women are only good for one thing, running away. I dare you to prove me wrong. Your lying here dying because you're either too guilty to face me and your daughters and apologise for your mistake or you think that executing yourself like this is some kind of justice, without for one moment caring about the mess you leave behind for your children."
The anger in Jackson's voice was fading, because it was never really anger at all and tears were now pouring down his cheeks.
"Because of you I lost my daughter," he sobbed "So Erica Kane, you are going to keep fighting. Do you hear me; you are going to keep fighting! Because I refuse to lose any more people that I love!"
…