Just in Time
Jessica woke abruptly, a snippet of a song playing in her mind.
Just in time
You found me just in time
She kicked at the sheets, trying to free her feet as she glanced at the clock. 3:15. She groaned as she sat up and gave the sheets a vicious tug.
Before you came
My time was running low
"Stop it, Jess," she murmured. "He's alright." You don't know that. "The hospital would have called. Mort would have called." She laughed humorlessly. "Mort would be here." She sighed and pushed her bangs away from her eyes. "He's alright."
She felt drained, emotionally and physically, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She reached for her robe and pulled an arm through it as she stood. She made a half-hearted attempt at straightening the bedclothes before giving it up as a bad job and heading downstairs to make a cup of tea.
The phone rang at quarter past 4. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Fletcher?"
"Yes." She wrapped the phone cord around her wrist. "What is it?"
"Mrs. Fletcher, this is Dr. Jones."
Jessica drew in a sharp breath. "What are you…what's…"
"No, no, Mrs. Fletcher! I'm sorry. I'm making a very poor job of this. Dr Hazlitt is alright."
"What?" asked Jessica dumbly.
"Mrs. Fletcher, Dr. Hazlitt is alright. He's expected to make a full recovery. In fact, he'll be moved out of the ICU this morning."
Jessica began to cry softly. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I don't know why I'm making such a fuss."
"Don't you?" asked the doctor quietly. "It's quite alright, Mrs. Fletcher. We all feel that way about the doc. He's something special."
Jessica sniffed and tried to collect herself. "He is," she agreed quietly. She wished she had a tissue handy. "When will he be moved to a regular room?"
"Sometime later this morning."
"And how long will he be in the hospital?"
"I'd like to keep him under observation for the rest of the week, but…" He chuckled. "I'll be lucky to get him to stay here overnight."
"Leave that to me, Doctor," said Jessica crisply. "I'll be over as soon as I can."
"About that."
"Yes?"
"I hope you won't be angry, but I took the liberty of phoning Sheriff Metzger first. He'll be over around 5 to bring you to the hospital."
Fresh tears sprung to Jessica's eyes. "Not at all. It was very thoughtful of you, and I do appreciate it. I think I'll hang up now so I can be ready when he arrives."
"We'll see you soon, Mrs. Fletcher. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Doctor. And thank you."
Jessica placed the phone in its cradle and hugged herself as another fragment of that maddening song drifted into her mind.
I was lost
The losing dice were tossed
My bridges all were crossed
Nowhere to go
But you do have somewhere to go, she reminded herself firmly, then glanced at the kitchen clock. Yes, she would have time for a quick bath, if she hurried. She knew Mort would be here at 5 on the dot, if not earlier. He'd been just as worried as she. No, Jessica corrected to herself. Almost as worried as I.
She took the kettle off the burner, turned it off, and made her way upstairs.
Seth woke, groggy, tossing and turning until he remembered where he was. "Oh," he said flatly.
"Good morning."
"Jessica? What are you doing here?"
He sounded weak, almost frail. She composed herself before speaking. "Mort ran me by this morning," she said in as cheerful a voice as she could muster. "Dr. Jones called and said you were on the mend. That you'd be moved to a regular room this morning."
"But why are you here?" asked Seth in a querulous voice.
"Perhaps they thought you'd be better able to mind your manners with me around," she answered tartly.
Seth gestured aimlessly at the wall. "What time is it? It's either very early or very late."
"It's just gone 6 o'clock."
"In the morning?"
"Yes."
"Jones shouldn't have rung you so early, Jess!"
"I was awake."
"Couldn't sleep? What's wrong?"
Jessica laughed quietly. "Trying to diagnose me, doc? What do you think?"
Seth was quiet for a moment, and Jessica leaned over his bed and brushed the hair away from his eyes. He clasped her hand gratefully. "I'm sorry it's so early, woman, but I'm awfully glad you're here."
Jessica squeezed his hand. "There's nowhere I'd rather be." Seth barked a laugh, then winced. "What is it?"
"Nothing, Jess. I'm just a little stiff and sore, that's all. Nothing that getting out of this hospital bed won't cure."
"About that," began Jessica.
"About what, Jess? There's no need for me to be here any longer. You said so yourself!"
"That's not precisely what I said, Seth. I said that Dr. Jones allowed that you were alright to move out of the ICU and into a private room."
"A private room-"
"A private room," said Jess firmly, "and he'd like to keep you for a few days."
"A few days!" Seth began to shuffle around in bed, trying to work himself up to a sitting position.
Jessica put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Seth." He stopped squirming and looked at her. "Listen to me." She felt him relax under her touch. "Dr. Jones wants to keep an eye on you, at least overnight." Seth opened his mouth to protest, but Jessica quirked an eyebrow at him. "I think you should at least agree to that."
"I can't stay in here another night, woman. The Lord only knows what this little holiday in the ICU has cost me."
"You let me worry about that."
"You?" Seth shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. No way. I'm not a charity case, Jessica."
"Did I say anything about charity?" snapped Jessica. "You wouldn't even be in here if it weren't for me, for Eudora and…" She brushed a hand across her eyes. "We almost lost you, you stubborn ass! You're going to stay in the hospital at least tonight, and you'll let me take care of the bill. It's the least I can do."
"Jessica, I…"
"I won't hear it, Seth. No argument. I—"
Seth waited for a moment, but it appeared Jessica was unwilling to continue. "What?"
"I want what's best for you, that's all. And for now, that's listening to the doctor and staying in the hospital. We'll see what he says tomorrow."
Seth studied her face in the dim light. If he didn't know better… He reached up gingerly to squeeze the hand that was gripping his shoulder. "Alright, Jess. I won't make a fuss about tonight. But tomorrow…"
He trailed off and Jessica laughed. "Alright. Tomorrow then. But I'm warning you, Seth Hazlitt. My Irish is up."
Seth smiled, careful not to laugh. It really was the only time he hurt.
Seth, ensconced in a private room, was blessedly alone. Mort had come to pick up Jessica. He could tell she was on the trail of something. He agreed with Jess that Eudora was far too intelligent to have left so much to chance. She would never have done something so blatantly stupid as leave a basket of poisoned apples in Jessica's kitchen. Of course, he'd never look at a basket of apples the same way again.
But something was different. Something was different about Jess, about the way she was treating him. He knew it was foolish to have fallen in love with her, but what could he do? Easier to put out the sun than stop himself from loving her. It had happened so gradually that he'd hardly realized it himself until recently. Then he'd had to work double-time to keep her from noticing. He tried to maintain a sharp, curmudgeonly demeanor around her, but he knew he failed more often than he succeeded. He knew pity when he saw it, and he could see it written all over Mort's face. Eve and Phyllis, too.
Oh, he knew what he saw in the mirror. He knew he wasn't rich, handsome, trim like those men she was photographed with. Too often for his liking. But something kept her coming back to Cabot Cove, and he didn't think it was just Frank's memory. His heart fluttered in his chest at the thought…"Bah," he said to himself. "You're just sewing a vest onto a button."
"What's that, Dr. Hazlitt?"
Seth, startled, bit back a harsh reply. He knew Jessica checked in with the nurses, and Joanna was a particular favorite of hers. "Just muttering to myself, that's all."
"I'm here to check your vitals, then I'll be out of your hair." She busied herself with taking Seth's blood pressure and temperature. "Mrs. Fletcher said she'd be back tonight. Asked us to set up a cot in here for her." Seth's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and he clamped down so hard on the thermometer that, for a moment, Joanna was worried he might snap it in two. She shouldn't tease him, but honestly. The two of them were crazy for each other. It was written all over their faces. She knew everyone teased her about reading too many romance novels, but they couldn't deny she was good at spotting would-be couples. If Joanna said it, it was almost certain to happen. In this case, she didn't have to say a thing. Well, not much, anyway. She pulled the thermometer from the doc's mouth and casually held it up to the light. "Temperature's normal, and your blood pressure readings are good. Dr. Jones will be pleased."
"No more so than I, young lady, and you can tell Jessica Fletcher—"
"Tell her what?" said a familiar voice. Joanna smothered a giggle, but not before Seth caught a glimpse of her face. She really would have to leave soon or she'd lose it right here in front of the two of them. And that wouldn't be good.
"I'll just write up your vitals for Dr. Jones, Doc. I'll be back later. Hello, Mrs. Fletcher."
"Hello, dear," said Jessica equably. "Has the patient been behaving?"
"The patient is right here, woman."
Jessica winked at Joanna as she scooted out the door. "And were you nice to Joanna?"
"I'm always nice," said Seth grumpily. "What's this about your asking for a cot?"
"I'm staying the night," said Jessica calmly, and she held up her overnight case.
"You most certainly are not! You won't get a moment's peace in a hospital. Besides, it's unseemly."
Jessica stared at him. "Unseemly?"
"Yes, woman. What will people say when they hear that you've spent the night in my hospital room? A private room?"
"As it happens," said Jessica coolly, "everyone I've told has been happy to hear that I'll be close by to keep an eye on you."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Just exactly whom have you told?"
Jessica cocked her head as she set her case on the chair and began rummaging through it. "Mort. He was kind enough to run me home so I could pack, then he drove me all the way back here. Beverly called, and I told her my plan." Jessica looked at him. "By the way, she approves. Then Eve called and I told her as well. I figured that would save time."
"But, but…" Seth spluttered.
"They'll find out eventually anyway." Jessica shrugged. "You've always said hospitals are the biggest gossip mills in any town."
"I don't think this is a good idea, Jess, but I see I'm not going to get a say in it."
"There!" she said pleasantly. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Seth grunted, and Jessica laughed as she finished unpacking her case for the night.
She'd never admit it to Seth, but he was right. She wasn't getting a moment's peace in this room, and neither was he. Every few hours a nurse came in, so that just as Jessica was drifting off, the light by Seth's bed would turn on and she'd strain to hear their muffled whispers.
And the cot! Thin, lumpy, altogether uncomfortable. She was hopeful that Dr. Jones would release Seth tomorrow and that Seth would agree to stay over at her house until he was completely out of the woods. She wasn't going to let anything or anyone interfere with him ever again.
She was just beginning to drift off when heard Seth humming that same maddening tune that had woken her the night before.
"Seth," she whispered. "What's that song you're humming?"
"I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't mean to disturb you."
Jessica got up as best she could and made her way to Seth's bedside. "It's alright. It's just…that song. I've been humming it since yesterday. Since you were admitted to the ICU actually, and I just can't remember the name or all the words. It's been driving me mad."
Seth smiled. "Well, I can help you there. It's called Just In Time. Lots of the greats recorded it." He began singing, his voice a quiet rumble.
Just in time
You found me just in time
Before you came
My time was running low
I was lost
The losing dice were tossed
My bridges all were crossed
Nowhere to go
Now you're here
And now I know just where I'm going
No more doubts or fears
I found my way
Jessica joined him on the last verse.
'Cause love came just in time
You found me just in time
Then you changed my lonely life that lovely day
She reached out to stroke his cheek. "You changed my life, though it certainly wasn't a lovely day."
Seth swallowed. "What are you saying, woman?"
"I'm saying that you found me just in time. I'm saying that I love you, Seth. I love you, and I've been so afraid that I wouldn't have the chance to tell you."
"You love me?"
"I do, darling. I knew it before all this." She waved her hand at the hospital equipment. "But I was too afraid that telling you would ruin everything. But now you're here, and I know just where I'm going." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "I love you, Seth." Seth put a hand to his lips. It felt real, but surely this was a dream? "You're not dreaming, Seth. Could a dream do this?" She nudged him, and he automatically moved over to give her space to climb in bed next to him. "Seth? Are you ok?"
"I'm just…overwhelmed, Jess. Is this real?"
"It's real, my darling."
Seth laughed shakily. "Only you might be surprised what my dreams can do."
"I look forward to finding out," she said as she kissed his jaw.
"I love you, Jess. I have done for a long time."
Jessica sighed as she settled into his embrace. "I know, dear. I'm sorry it took me so long to catch on. But I have now, and everything will be different. Wonderfully different." She nuzzled his neck. "But first we have to get you well. Properly well." She propped up her head so she could look him in the eye. "And that means following doctor's orders to the letter."
Seth let his hand drift to her hip and squeeze. "You've given me all the incentive I need, woman."
Jessica laughed and kissed him firmly on the lips. "Just in time," she said.
"A-yuh," said Seth. "Just in time."
Joanna peeked in on them a few hours later, then closed the door quietly behind her. She'd let them sleep for a few more hours. Hopefully Mrs. Fletcher would be in her cot by then. If not, Joanna would do her best to give them as much privacy as she could.
"What's that look for?" asked one of the other nurses.
"Oh, nothing," said Joanna. "Just thinking of that latest romance I finished."
"You and your romances," said the older nurse, not unkindly. "You'd do better to get your head out of the clouds and plant your feet firmly on the ground."
Joanna nodded, biting her lip to keep the huge grin from her face. Let them tease. Soon enough, they'd be eating quite a large helping of crow.
The End
A/N: I've been suffering from an unusual bout of writer's block. AARGH. I have a one shot that I just cannot seem to finish. This idea came to me this morning after reading Laura's wonderful story His Beating Heart. I'm just so pleased I could finish it! I hope you enjoy it.