The explosion sent figurative shock waves through Kayla's and Steve's dining room. The distance and the water had kept them from feeling literal ones. Steve was the first to dash out. Kayla followed behind, leaving Stephanie in the care of her mother. Instinctually, Jennifer scanned the room for Jack and, not seeing him, ran out after Steve and Kayla.

Adrenalin, love, and her track career in high school made Jennifer a faster runner than Steve or Kayla and she reached Jack a splintering second before Steve. He laid unconscious just beyond the debris field and his right hand appeared injured. Wreckage and rubble were strewn everywhere within about a 15 feet radius. Small trees were blown over and huge amounts of earth had upended.

One glance at Jack and Jennifer's world fell apart. Jack wasn't moving, she noticed the blood but couldn't tell where it came from. Grief coursed from her head to her stomach; her heart quickly feeling rancid. She dropped down to the dirt. She tried to avoid the onslaught of images—his eyes closed, his bloodied hand, his pants were torn and she could see a bit of the boxers she had given him as present.

Jennifer stayed there, unmoving. She could not move forward, could not move back. She could only kneel there, face buried in her hands, hoping for an impossible altered reality. She couldn't breathe. It seemed like all her oxygen had been sucked away. All fight left her.

"What happened?" Jennifer begged to know through her tears. "Oh, Jack, Jack! Talk to me!"

Steve felt for his pulse and looked him over to check for injuries besides his badly cut and broken hand. Soon after, Carly reached them and pulled Jennifer away from Jack and set about examining him in full doctor mode.

Kayla noticed the shreds of obliterated paper and she let out a terrified scream as she fell to her knees in horror and realization. She saw the truth here. Hideous reality penetrated her in an instant and her mind struggled to escape the sinking vortex. Anger welled up next—she knew this was no accident and that there could only be one monster responsible.

Steve didn't want to leave his brother, but Kayla wasn't normally one for hysterics. He was instantly at her side. "What's wrong?" Steve asked, desperate to know more of what was happening.

Kayla grabbed at a few bits of the wrapping paper fragments and thrust them at Steve. "This was from one of Stephanie's presents! Jack asked me about it, but I was too distracted." Kayla pointed at the creek, at the center of the debris field and beginning to hyperventilate, "Stephanie would have opened it if Jack…. How did he know? Why didn't he ask for help?"

"Lawrence?" Steve asked, just starting to process the wicked chain of events that led to this mess. His seething anger grew and he grabbed Roman, anxious to put him on high alert as well.

The ambulance sirens could be heard now and were steadily, quickly getting louder. The paramedics arrived and Carly quickly communicated Jack's vitals so they could avoid that step before transferring him to the back board and then onto the guerney. Carly and Jennifer both climbed into the back of the ambulance with him.

Jennifer had been focused only on Jack since the moment she'd heard the explosion. She didn't know about Kayla's and Steve's suspicions yet. She didn't know that Jack had just saved all of their lives.

J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J

Jennifer spent the next several hours pacing the floor of the hospital outside the operating room or slumped in a chair when she'd gotten tired of pacing. The doctors had taken Jack immediately into the operating room for exploratory surgery on his head injury and to remedy what they could with his right hand. Jo had one of Jack's handkerchiefs—it had fallen on the ground at Steve's and Kayla's house during all the commotion. She interminably twisted it around her fingers.

Kayla stayed also for Steve's sake…and for her own, she reluctantly admitted. Lawrence (it had to have been Lawrence!) sent a bomb to their home disguised as a little girl's birthday present! It was beyond monstrous, beyond inhuman. Three words kept repeating over and over in her mind—she couldn't get past the third word of the sentence: If Jack hadn't…

Steve and Roman were at the police station, looking over Lawrence's jail visitors, trying to find anything to definitively tie him to the bomb. Abe was at Steve's house, assisting the forensics team.

From Carly's initial triage, she had communicated with everyone that she didn't think Jack's injuries were life-threatening, but they wouldn't know more until he had a proper examination.

Time stretched out, twisted and elongated. Jennifer could no longer stay bottled up within her own thoughts and worries and went to sit down next to Kayla, "What do you know?" she whispered.

Kayla inwardly groaned; she didn't want to alarm Jennifer. However, if it were her and that was Steve, then she would want to know everything. "Jack asked me about one of Stephanie's presents. I was trying to take care of everything so I didn't really pay attention."

"Yeah, he came into the dining room after we sang 'Happy Birthday' and he asked everyone…" Jennifer strained to remember.

"He asked who had brought the present with purple flower wrapping paper," Kayla completed the sentence. She then held up one of the fragments she scavenged from the scene; she only took one tiny bit and left the rest for the cops.

Jennifer gasped; she saw the tiny slip with a purple flower. "That wrapping paper contained what…what exploded?"

"One of Stephanie's birthday presents," Kayla said coldly, icily. Her tone was so cold and defiant that she had tears in her eyes. "If Jack hadn't…"

Jennifer brought her hands to her mouth in horror. "Oh my God!" she stuttered out, starting to feel like she was going to throw up.

"Jennifer maybe you can help. Jack isn't awake so no one knows why he targeted this present. Maybe it was this wrapping paper that drew his attention. Can you give me anything to help Steve and Roman?" Kayla held the paper up and dropped it into Jennifer's waiting palm.

Jennifer squinted as she studied it. "It looks familiar."

"Lawrence's villa maybe or the embassy in New York City? I think it was him and so does Steve."

Jennifer struggled, but her mind was too clouded over from the worry. "You think it was Lawrence?"

"Don't you? We already have some circumstantial evidence connecting Lawrence to the boat explosion. He's definitely capable to target a…one-year-old little girl and everyone standing close by as she opened her presents—including Bo, Carly, Frankie, you, Jack, Steve, and me. He could have wiped out all his enemies in Salem with one explosion. What a great gift to give himself."

Jennifer couldn't contemplate that almost reality. It was too horrific. No one could be that cruel and heartless. She turned her attention back to the little flower pictured on the wrapping paper.

She had certainly seen Lawrence cruel, but she couldn't imagine him being this diabolical. During the whole time Jack was in surgery, all Jennifer could do was sit and worry. Worry and wait. Wait and blame. Blame herself. She brought Lawrence into their life. Stupidly, she had thought she could masquerade as Katerina and then pull out of the charade and that Lawrence would just be nice. She had brought him into their lives, into their home. She should have recognized him as the snake that he was and never have allowed him to sink his venomous fangs into her or anyone that she loved. If Jack didn't make it or if Jack was permanently injured, she would never forgive herself. Never.

And so she paced. Paced and sat. Sat and waited. Worried and sat. The clock inched forward. She was desperate for news, but if the news was bad, she never wanted it to come. And would prefer instead to stay in this moment, frozen in time.

Finally Carly emerged and everyone jumped to attention, anxious to hear the prognosis. "Jack should be fine."

Jennifer's whole body relaxed in profound relief. Hours and hours of unbearable tension had taken their toll.

Jo jumped up, needing more details, "He was in surgery a long time. Why for?"

"We wanted to be sure that there was nothing wrong with him seriously. There was no cranial bleeding or bruising, which was our most important consideration and concern. It appears he has only a minor concussion. He will likely have some temporary hearing loss due to his proximity to the blast. It will probably last a few days and he may have some limited, but permanent hearing loss particularly in his right ear. We won't know that until he wakes up and we're able to assess him better.

Jennifer was still concerned. This wouldn't be over for her until Jack walked out of the hospital. "When will he wake up?"

"It should be soon. But there's no way to tell for sure. The one other major issue is his right hand. That required some extensive reconstruction and he may need some additional surgeries later on to recover full functionality, but I understand that is not his dominant hand so the long-term effects should not be too significant. All things considered, he is very lucky."

"We all are," Jennifer replied. "I couldn't imagine losing him. Not like this."

Kayla came over to Jo and put her arms around her, "That must be such a relief to you…to all of us, really. I'm going to call Steve and update him. I know he'll want to know."

J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J

Vague forms appeared as Jack's mind emerged from darkness. Jack winced; there was just too much pain coming from too many body parts. Jack blinked several times to clear his vision and felt harsh pain in his hand and head. He wanted to battle the pain and identify that familiar metallic taste on his lips. But mostly he wanted to see…and hear.

Jack had glimpses of consciousness through the heavy black curtain covering his mind, first noticing the piercing throbbing where he had been hit—in his right hand as he tried to protect his head. After several attempts of focused movement, he began to discern his surroundings. His head pounded. In the wan glow of early morning, Jack struggled awake, trying to shake off the heavy veil of sleep. Hunger clawed at him, swiping away all other capacities.

Until…until his left hand swept forward along the bed and felt silky lustrous strands of hair. He smiled to himself. He angled himself slightly so he could slightly see her with his peripheral vision. She was sitting next to the bed and had laid her head down on the bed beside him and was sleeping. He didn't want to wake her, but he wanted to feel more of her than a few strands around his fingers. His left hand felt incredibly heavy; it required all his strength to lift it. But he did; he pushed against gravity and was able to put his hand on top of her head.

Almost immediately she woke up. An incredible smile brightens her face. "Jack!" she said, but Jack couldn't hear her. She continued talking, but he tried signaling her that he couldn't hear.

Jack's heart swelled with love for her. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she looked like she hadn't slept well in days. He didn't know the full extent of his injuries, but he could see her and she was here so nothing could possibly be too bad as long as he had her.

Realization dawned on her face; she remembered what Carly had said—that the explosion likely would cause temporary hearing loss. That was okay; she didn't need words. She reached up and kissed both of his cheeks and kissed his lips.

He smiled at her—his 'Jennifer smile'—and reached up to caress her cheek. He glanced down at the bed; he didn't want her going anywhere. Jack slowly scooted over to the far side of the bed and lifted the covers.

She recognized what he wanted and a shy smile came over her face. She didn't want to hurt him, but knew that he couldn't hear her objections. She eagerly nodded; being the granddaughter of Tom and Alice Horton had to count for something.

Because of his injuries, he couldn't hold up the covers long. Jennifer took them from him and gingerly climbed in. She was very careful about doing so and made herself as small as possible to not inadvertently hurt him. But she loved this closeness. She had been frantic with worry and needed this closeness more than she would have ever admitted. She had an overwhelming need for him—like oxygen.

A few hours later, Steve returned back to Jack's hospital room. He spotted Jennifer sleeping peacefully in the bed next to his brother and figured that he had woken briefly and invited her into his bed. At times like this, seeing Jack and Jennifer curled up with each other, knowing what Jack had done, what he had risked for all their sakes, he was astounded again by the transformation of his little brother. He was on a path of genuine enlightenment, the path of a true human being and it was marvelous and quite fulfilling to witness.

Steve had been quiet, but had made enough noise which brought Jack around. He opened his eyes and saw his brother, then looked down to check on Jennifer still sleeping soundly.

Steve tried to straighten the bed covers to make Jack more comfortable, "You've been out for two days. She never left the hospital."

Jack shook his head and pointed to his left ear. He was feeling stronger now and able to move a little better.

Steve repeated his words in sign language. "Jo neither," he added. "Kayla too, mostly."

Jack nodded, "Can you prove it was Lawrence?"

"Not yet,"Steve signed."How did you know? No one's been able to figure that out."

"The wrapping paper. It's a flower from Lawrence's country and a favorite of his mother's. Leopold told me."

"Why didn't you ask me for help?"

"You helped me enough already. Besides, I wasn't sure. Big part of me thought I was just chucking a toy train in the creek. But if it was from Lawrence, I knew I just had to get it out of your house."

Tears were in Steve's eyes now. "Jack, thank you just doesn't seem adequate. You saved…you saved all of us. The magnitude of what Lawrence wanted to do; the magnitude of what you prevented. There are just no words."

Steve put his palm on the backside of Jack's head, then leaned down so their foreheads touched. When Steve pulled back, Jack reached up with his uninjured hand and wiped away the moisture from underneath Steve's right eye. It was an incredibly intimate exchange between two men—especially these two men.

Steve pulled back. Jack glanced at Jennifer; she was still sleeping beside him.

Steve started to sign again, "It's just incomprehensible. My daughter. My wife. Our mother. Jennifer. Everyone we care about."

Jack nodded, "Something needs to be done. We can't be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives." Jack brought his left hand up to his face, nervously moving it around as he debated his options. He was trying to decide his path forward. "I learned something in Europe. Something that can help. I hoped to never have to use it, but it's gone too far now."

Steve's eyes perked up. "I remember you mentioning something you learned in Europe. So, what is it?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I need to be the one to use this information." Jack's words came out slowly and carefully. "I'll need to speak with him myself—when I'm out."

Steve couldn't accept that; he was getting pissed. "Uh-uh. We can't wait for that. What do you know? Don't hold out on me."

Jack shook his head. "I've got to do this my way. Just trust me. Please."

"Dammit Jack!" Steve said louder than he intended.

Although he couldn't hear, Jack looked over at Jennifer to see if that woke her up.

Steve threw up his hands and started pacing again. "Look, I'm sorry, man. I'm just…scared." Steve's voice started to break and his hands had difficulty making the signing motions. "That's my little sweetness," he choked out. "That would've been…everyone…everything."

After a few tense moments, Steve restored the police officer façade. He was signing very slowly now. "Did Lawrence know that you would recognize this flower on the wrapping paper and figure it out? Was this a very dangerous warning or did he really intend…"

Jack shook his head; there was no reason to think it had been meant as a warning, "Lawrence really had no way of knowing that I had that conversation with Leopold. We were out in the garden, just the two of us. It was just a throwaway comment. I probably wouldn't have remembered at all except that Leopold had mentioned Lawrence's mother and I was curious to hear more about her. I don't think Lawrence could have known that I'd recognize it. I'm not sure why he used it."

Steve glanced at the door, "Jack, I need to get back to the police station and follow up on what you told me. You know I—I feel—."

Jack could see what Steve was going to say. Emotions and feelings still made Jack uncomfortable. He still felt inclined to minimize them and deflect them whenever possible. Jack interrupted him, "We'll talk later. Let me know if you find anything concrete to connect Lawrence, but I suspect you won't. He won't ever be so careless like he was with the videotape again."

Steve understood Jack changing the subject; he was like that too. "Thank you," he signed anyway. "Anything you need…"

Jack was sleeping soundly later on when Jennifer woke up later. She loved the security of sleeping beside him, knowing that he would be okay. She wanted to feel him close, feel his heart beat in addition to hearing the comforting confirmation of the heart rate monitor.

She lightly traced her index finger across his face. He was warm. She wanted to memorize his features. She didn't just find him handsome, she adored every characteristic because each was evidence of what made Jack uniquely him. Jennifer whispered to him, though she knew he couldn't hear her even if he was awake, "I love you Jack. I love you so very much. You're my hero."

She put her head back down on his chest and fell once more into a peaceful sleep.

A while later, they both managed to be awake at the same time. Jennifer awoke and saw Jack propped up a little on his pillows staring at her. Jennifer started to slide out of the bed to make more room for him—she figured it had to be uncomfortable for him sharing the twin size bed with someone else.

He stopped her from leaving; he wanted her close by. Even sitting by his bed would be too far away. Jennifer understood and gave him dozens of soft kisses on his face. She then gingerly picked up his left hand and held it palm facing up. D-O Y-O-U N-E-E-D A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G-? She spelled out in his palm with her forefinger.

"Just you," he answered.

A-N-Y P-A-I-N?

Jack hedged on that one. He did have pain in his head and right hand, but it was far less than when he had first woken up and found her sitting beside the bed and had invited her to climb in. "It's manageable."

I L-O-V-E Y-O-U. I-F A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G H-A-P-P-E-N-E-D T-O Y-O-U, I J-U-S-T C-O-U-L-D-N'T G-O O-N.

Jack smiled at her; he loved the words, but he still felt shy and conspicuous. He dreaded what his mom would say. Jo would probably cry too.

Y-O-U S-A-V-E-D E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. Y-O-U A-R-E A H-E-R-

Jack snatched back his hand. He wouldn't let her finish that word.

Jennifer wanted to insist on his heroism, on his bravery, on his courage. But he didn't want to and with his hearing gone for the moment, it was too complex a subject to debate right now. Reluctantly, she let it go. She took his hand once more and spelled out.

F-I-N-E. T-H-E-N L-E-T M-E J-U-S-T L-O-V-E O-N Y-O-U.

"Sure," Jack replied. "That you can do anytime."

J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J

Jack woke up from a medicine-induced sleep and saw that Kayla had replaced Jennifer at his bedside. Kayla had a concerned, but sweet smile and Jack instinctually smiled back. Kayla's eyes moved to his hospital overbed table; Jack followed her gaze and saw that she was offering a Luke Skywalker action figure—like the one she had teased him about at Stephanie's birthday party before everything had gone horribly wrong.

Jack felt warmth; genuine unguarded warmth from her. It reminded him of when Steve was in the hospital last October after the boat explosion and fighting for his life. All barriers had broken down between them during those dark, worrisome days. They had gone for walks together; she had fallen willingly into his arms for much-needed hugs and comfort. Despite the horrendous circumstances, it had been gratifying to Jack that there was a need and that there was role for him with Kayla.

Those tense, awful days in October were a time out of time; they were disconnected from reality, the past and future, and the goings-on in everyone else's life. All that mattered was that one hospital room and the husband and brother they each loved. When Steve had thankfully recovered and the crisis had past, Jack and Kayla had an unspoken agreement to retreat back to their own lives and the closeness was over. It seemed that the hospital had brought it about once more.

Jack realized how much of their history had played out in this hospital. It started when he was sick with Hodgkins and she had cared for him. Then, unknown to both of them, Steve was pushing them at each other. Basically, their entire courtship played out with him weak and emaciated in a hospital bed. Then, in the aftermath of the rape, he had fallen off the roof and Steve had agreed to give him a kidney. Stupidly, he had asked her while still in the hospital for another chance with her. She had made him realize how much he had hurt her.

He spent the next several months, feeding on hurt and anger until Kayla was hurt by Harper and lost her hearing. He secretly visited her as she laid in her hospital bed and he was finally able to let go of his anger and stopped treating her so nastily and bitterly. Yes, many of their seminal conversations had played out around hospital beds. They had served as sign posts or milestones during their long complicated relationship. The crises of injury or illness served to amplify their emotions or precipitate their conversations.

"Is that for me?" Jack asked in a playful mood. He still didn't have his hearing so he said that a little too loud. Kayla signed that he was shouting and he repeated in a lower voice, "Is that for me?"

Kayla nodded.

Jack picked up the little figure and ran it through his palms "I had a dream recently where I was this character—Jack Skywalker—and you were Princess Kayla—so my sister, I guess, just like in life. Harper was Darth Vader, the father trying to pull me back to the dark side." Jack gave an ironic smile and Kayla placed her hands over Jack's. Jack stared at her hands on his for a long moment. "I haven't mentioned that dream to anyone else. Jennifer's going through her own stuff right now…"

Kayla lifted her hands and started to sign, "Jack I need to thank you—."

Jack took hold of one of her hands and shook his head. "No, you don't."

Kayla pulled her hand out of his grasp and gave him a determined, but kind smile. "I must. This isn't the first time that you've come between me and disaster. Do you remember long ago, when Mike Horton's research lab was bombed, before we were married, before you got sick."

Jack nodded, but added, "You're going a little too fast. It's hard to keep up. My sign language lessons were a long time ago."

Kayla slowed down her signing motions, "Steve and I were buried underneath the rubble for two days. You found us. You saved us. Then you found Marina's key so Steve was able to free me from Victor Kiriakis. You stopped your father on my wedding day to Steve; he could have killed both Steve and me. And at Steph…"

Jack interrupted her, "Don't forget that I'm a walking disaster too. I brought you into my father's house where Harper was poisoning you. You almost died from that. He attacked you in that fire and you lost your hearing and I—I hurt you…."

Kayla put her finger up to Jack's lips; he was immediately silenced.

Kayla lifted up her hands to start signing, but the words and gestures came slowly. "Life doesn't work like a balancing scale. If you put a lot of good deeds on one side of the scale; it doesn't cancel out or negate the bad things on the other side of the scale. The bad things can never be canceled out. However, they don't have to carry the same significance or the same weight. I forgave you a long time ago as I'm sure you did read that letter to the editor that I put in the Chronicle last fall. I haven't forgotten though and I don't think you will ever forget either.

Kayla paused, what she intended to sign next would be difficult. She was glad she was signing it, not speaking it."But, I'm glad you are in my life. I want you in my life—and not just as Steve's brother. When all is said and done, my life is better for having known you and I do…deeply care for you."

Kayla had debated, gone back and forth, about whether she should say 'and I do…consider you like a brother' or what she actually did say. Ultimately, she decided it would be more honest and more personal by not injecting Steve into her feelings for Jack and keeping it independent from her marriage. Besides, there really wasn't and there probably never would be an easy description, an easy label for what Jack and Kayla were to each other.

Jack was overwhelmed, both by her words and by his response to it. He bit his lip, his well-worn custom to ward off tears. He lifted her right hand; he felt that it would be acceptable. She offered no resistance and didn't pull her hand back. He closed his eyes and kissed the knuckles on her hand—as though he were a white knight at last.

J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J&J

The next day, Jack was starting to hear again in his left ear. It was difficult to hear, but at least people didn't need to write or use sign language with him anymore if they spoke directly into his left ear. He knew it would probably be a while before he had his hearing back in his right ear or got to use his right hand again. He and his brother made quite a pair. Jack had one kidney, one workable ear, and one usable hand. His brother had one kidney and one eye.

Jennifer was in Jack's hospital room when a nurse came in, "Sorry, honey, but would you mind stepping out for a bit?"

Jennifer was instantly concerned. "Why for?"

"Well, it's time for Mr. Deveraux to get cleaned up a little."

"Do you mean like a sponge bath?" Jennifer asked.

Jack smiled. Unfortunately, he'd been in these hospitals enough to know the drill. He knew what was coming.

"Actually yes," the nurse replied. "A sponge bath and a shave."

Jennifer shook her head. "Uh, uh. I'll do it myself."

The nurse stood firm. "Sorry ma'am. We've bent the rules enough already."

Jennifer put her hand on the end of the bed blocking the nurse's way. "If anyone is going to bathe my fiancée, it is going to be me. I used to be a candy striper. I know how." Jennifer fibbed a little bit with the last part, but she was determined.

When Jennifer said 'candy striper' Jack's heart rate noticeably increased. The machine he was hooked up to started beep-beeping much faster. Jennifer looked over at it, caught his eye, and grinned mischievously.

She was flirting shamelessly knowing that he was laid up and couldn't do anything beyond just enjoying that she was going to cater to his hygienic needs.

Jennifer wasn't above begging. She really wanted to do this. "Please?"

The nurse looked from her to her patient and then back to Jennifer. "Very well, but I will be monitoring my patient's heart rate at the nurse's station. It needs to stay within a normal range—that means below 110 bpm."

"Great!" Jennifer exclaimed and then leaned over Jack's bed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Back in five."

Ten minutes later, Jennifer was back and wearing her overcoat. Indulgently, the nurse had brought in the sponge bath supplies. Jennifer had a wicked grin. She shrugged out of the coat and revealed she had changed into a candy striper outfit. She took a little hat from her pocket and placed it on her hair.

"Mr. Deveraux, I presume?" Jennifer asked, slowly and seductively.

"Remember the nurse said I had to keep my heart rate below 110 or she'd come back in here like some school hall monitor. Just seeing you like that and I'm almost there."

"Well, we'll have to make sure that she doesn't come back in." Jennifer, keeping her eyes on him, reached behind her and locked the door.

Jack was still bed bound and consigned to wearing the standard hospital gown that tied in the back and on the side. Jennifer started by reaching for the tie at the back of his neck. She made sure that while she was doing this that she leaned over in front of him so he could easily see her cleavage down the front of her candy striper outfit. He did see. She was wearing a red bra the same color as the red pin-striping of her costume. When their eyes met afterwards, she gave him a wink so he'd know those were her exact intentions.

She loosened the gown's tie at the back of his neck and pulled it free, exposing his well muscled chest. He still had some lacerations and cuts from the explosion, but they looked superficial and the more serious ones were bandaged up and she would be careful to avoid those.

She reached for the bowl with warm water and started caressing his chest with the damp sponge.

"Is the water too cold for you, Mr. Deveraux?" she whispered in his left ear—the one with less hearing loss. Her breath was hot and tingling on his ear lobe and his neck.

"It's hot. I mean, it's warm," he corrected himself.

This wasn't all fun and games. She knew she did need to bathe him—more or less—and set out to do it properly. But she wanted it to be slow and enjoyable for him. She was enjoying it too. She liked having free reign over his body.

Whenever the heart monitor started beeping too fast, she clicked her tongue like he was misbehaving and slowed down or transitioned her attention to an elbow or some other similarly less-erotic location. However, she paid loving, cleansing care to each finger on his left hand, the palm, the back of his hand, his arm, his shoulder, his neck, his broad chest and then down the right arm until she reached the bandages for his injured hand. She carefully leaned him forward and washed his back and slowly dried it with the towel.

She leaned over and whispered in his left ear, "I liked it when you were my doctor on the island. Remember?"

He smiled and slowly nodded.

"You were hesitant about washing my back, coming too close. There was no need to be scared then. And I'm not now. I love doing this for you."

However, that heart rate monitor was going to get tricky now. She pulled down the blanket that had been pulled up to his waist. Keeping her gaze on his green eyes, her hand slowly inched up his leg, underneath the hem of his hospital gown.

Jack's eyes got wide. "Jennifer?" How far was she going to take this? he wondered.

"Shhhh," she soothed. "Nurse Jennifer knows best."

When Nurse Jennifer reached her intended target, Jack's heart rate nearly instantaneously doubled. The monitor had been amusing before, communicating his increasing excitement. But Jack had enough of the infernal device beep-beeping at him and he ripped the electrical leads off his chest and flung them on the ground. When the device screeched from flat-lining, he reached over and turned it off.

Once more his concentration returned to Jennifer. As Jack tightly gripped the mattress with his left hand, he managed to say between shock waves of overwhelming sensations, "Jennifer, that's a great...job."

She wickedly grinned at his wordplay. He propped himself up on his elbows wishing to see her better. Jennifer wanted to do this, wanted to watch his enjoyment. Jack, besides enjoying the obvious pleasures of her attentions, wanted to watch her too.

Jennifer and Jack were alone in this room. There were no ghosts. For the first time, there was no Lawrence. There was no specter of Lawrence hovering around them, influencing her, affecting her. It was only the two of them. And Jack loved watching her in her cute candy striper getup while she explored him because he knew that she was free.