CHAPTER 7

Elizabeth was almost constantly by Jack's bedside, spending hours praying and reading her Bible, finding comfort in many of the verses that spoke to her. She sat back and didn't realize she had nodded off until a gentle knock startled her awake. She awakened to see a beautiful woman probably in her late 50s, but looking years younger, standing in the doorway. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" she said, slowly standing.

The woman came over beside her and put a hand on her shoulder as she looked at Jack. Then she looked again at Elizabeth. "I'm Anna Thornton. Jack's mother."

"Oh, Mrs. Thornton, I'm so glad you came!" Elizabeth turned and gave her a hug. "Jack has told me so much about you!"

Anna returned the hug. "Please, call me Anna. He's told me a great deal about you as well, my dear. From the moment he met you." She smiled at Elizabeth.

"He was pretty upset with me when we met." Elizabeth looked down at Jack.

"Yes, he was, but he quickly got over it."

"It surely didn't seem like it," Elizabeth remembered.

Anna just gently smiled, knowing Jack held back on his true feelings not long after meeting the woman standing with her. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I had just hoped it would be under better circumstances."She looked at her son lying unconscious. "The nurse down the hall said he is stable. Is there any change?" Anna walked to the other side of the bed and held Jack's hand.

"No, I'm afraid not. He's been unconscious since the night of the shooting." Elizabeth choked back a sob.

"Well, we will continue to pray!" And she pulled up another chair and joined Elizabeth at Jack's bedside.

Elizabeth and Anna drew closer as they spent time together with Jack. Elizabeth even developed a friendship with Faith as well.

Jack would sometimes get restless in his unconsciousness. "Elizabeth! No!" he cried out.

"Sshhhh…Jack, everything's all right now. I am here. It's okay." She grew concerned that his wound would open back up during these fits,but he seemed to hear her voice and would calm down.

Jack later took a turn for the worse and developed a fever. Elizabeth watched in distress as his temperature continued to spike. He lay motionless. The hospital staff did all they could but could give no guarantees.

Elizabeth, Anna, and Faith gave him round-the-clock care. Finally the fever broke in the middle of the second night. Exhausted but relieved, Elizabeth fell asleep in a chair next to him as she held his hand.

As the sun broke through the window the next morning, Elizabeth felt a slight squeeze of her hand. She looked up. "Jack? Jack?"

"Elizabeth," he whispered weakly.

"Jack!" she smiled. He opened his eyes slightly. He tried to move and grimaced. "Jack, don't move. You've been seriously wounded. You've got to be careful!" She bent forward and gave him a tender kiss on the forehead.

"Charles. Elizabeth, stay away from Charles!"

"I know, Jack. I know. I saw what happened. Charles has been arrested. Everything has been taken care of. You just need to heal now."

He smiled slightly and drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Relief washed over her. She left the room to find his mother and Faith.

After hours of sleeping peacefully, Jack woke up again, more alert but still weak. He looked over and saw Elizabeth dozing in the chair next to his bed. He smiled as he recalled another time he caught her sleeping, when he left the note on her forehead. He watched her for a while, then called her name. "Elizabeth." She quickly opened her eyes.

"I'm here, Jack." She bent over and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. He smiled. He leaned forward as much as he could as she gave him a small drink of water.

"What happened?" he asked. He was trying to remember everything, but his mind was cloudy.

"You caught the men in the counterfeiting ring. You and Constable O'Reilly. Jack…I know Charles shot you. I am so sorry!" She placed her hand on his cheek.

Jack didn't respond right away. His memory was slowly coming back. "I saw him propose to you at the schoolhouse. I had to walk away; I didn't know what else to do; I was afraid what I might do if I stayed. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry you saw that. I went for a walk with him and told him no. He didn't take it well and even continued to press when he knew you had left Hope Valley. But I knew I didn't love him, and I certainly didn't want to marry him. I have never considered marriage to him. I love you, Jack! I always will. "

"I love you, too." He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't even get word to you after I left."

"I was so worried. But that doesn't matter now." She paused before asking, "You were at my house earlier that evening. Before you were…" she struggled to get the words out. "Before you were shot. Weren't you?"

He looked at her. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I just…had a feeling really. So I called for a cab and had the driver take me close to Mountie headquarters. I saw you when you started following the other car, and I had my driver follow yours. I saw the whole thing, including Charles shooting you." Tears started to come to her eyes as she recalled that horrible night. She tried to blink them away.

"I remember seeing you, but I thought then it was only a dream," Jack replied. She saw the concern in his eyes. "Elizabeth, do you know how dangerous that was? You could have been seriously hurt or even killed?"

"I know that, but I had to see you! I missed you so much." She said through tears as she tenderly touched his cheek again, then continued the story.

"My father did some further investigating later that night and into the early morning. He found that Charles was stealing money from Hamilton Shipping. His family has been in a financial crisis. Oh, Jack, I'm so glad you're all right." She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.

She continued to tell him what had happened since, including the arrival of his mother, and Elizabeth's new friendship with Faith. They continued to talk until she noticed he was getting tired again, so she let him go back to sleep. She then left to send a telegram to Abigail with the good news.

To be continued...