| Chapter 22 Gideon ran his hand through his hair shaking his head, "I can't believe it." "There's nothing the doctors can do?" Tracy asked. Lucas shook his head, "All they can do is wait and hope he gets a heart before he...." "Is there nothing we can do Gideon?" Jade asked. Gideon closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at her, "No, we can't." "But this doesn't make since," Tracy said, "Why put all of them through this, if he's to leave now?" "That's not for us to say," Gideon said, "There is a reason we can't help him right now." Tracy sighed, "I know. It's just frustrating." "I know," Jade said, putting her hand on Tracy's arm. Gideon bit his lip and looked at Lucas, "I want you to stay here, Tracy, go back and help them through this." Tracy nodded her head, "I'll do my best." "You always do honey," Jade said, smiling at her. Tracy smiled back, "I'll send William if we need you." Gideon nodded his head as she disappeared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian crawled back into bed, exhausted. He had been taken down for the preliminary tests and had been gone for several hours. It was now early evening, and he was hungry and tired. Lyn sat on the side of the bed, brushing a stray curl from Brian's forehead, "You look like I feel." Brian laughed, "That bad huh?" Lyn nodded, "Are you hungry?" "Starving," he said. "I'll send someone down to the caf� on the corner. I don't think you want what the cafeteria has to offer," she said scrunching up her nose. Brian laughed, "You own the place, make them serve better food." Lyn smiled, "I'll work on that. Now what would you like to eat?" Brian shrugged, "I don't really care. I could eat a horse right now." Lyn made a face, "Well fortunately they don't have that on the menu. How bout the soup and sandwich of the day?" "Sounds good," Brian said, watching as Lyn called in the order. After she hung up the phone, she took his hand in hers, "Are you really doing OK?" Brian nodded, "Yeah, I'm still stunned I think. I wasn't expecting this at all." "Neither was I," she said. He squeezed her hand, "Don't worry. I've made it though a lot of times when the doctors thought I shouldn't have. I plan on fighting this with everything I have." Lyn smiled at him, "You never cease to amaze me." "What?" he asked. "You. You get the worst news anyone could possibly get, and you're trying to comfort me. I should be the one comforting you," she said. Brian smiled, "You are Lyn. Just by being here with me, by loving me. That's all the encouragement I need. We just found each other, and I'll be damned if I leave you now." Lyn laughed, "Bri you just cursed." He shrugged his shoulders, "There are worse words. I could adopt Nick's favorite word." Lyn threw her hands up, "Oh please don't. I think I've heard that word enough." Brian laughed, pulling her to him, "We will get through this, together." She nodded as a nurse came into the room. "Evening, is everything alright in here tonight?" she asked. Lyn smiled at her, "Everything is great. Can you spare one of your nurses for a few minutes?" "Sure Ms. Jackson, what do you need?" the nurse asked. "Can someone go across the street and pick up my order?" she asked, handing the nurse some money. "Yes mame, we'll have it up shortly," the nurse said, leaving the room. Brian laughed, "Now I know how Nick felt." Lyn looked back at him, "What do you mean?" "Just that you own the place, and everyone here essentially works for you. It's kinda neat," he said. "I guess," she conceded. They sat in silence for several minutes. Brian could tell she was deeply bothered, and wanted to say something, but never came out and said it. He pulled her attention from the TV and made her look at him, "Say whatever it is you've been trying to for the past few minutes." She smiled at him, "That apparent huh?" Brian nodded, "Yeah it is, so spill." Lyn sighed, "I was just wondering if you wanted me to call anyone." Brian looked down at the bed and shook his head. He couldn't imagine calling his family and the guys, not right now. Everything was still sinking in, and he was sure it hadn't hit him yet. "Not right now. I need time to process this, work through how to tell them," he said. Lyn nodded, "I understand, but they love you to Bri. They need to know soon." He looked up at her, "I know, I just can't right now." Just then the same nurse from before walked into the room. "Here we are Ms. Jackson," she said, setting the bag on the tray table. "Thank you," Lyn said, getting up and unpacking its contents as the nurse left the room. "Oh you're in luck," she said. Brian looked curious, "What is it?" "Broccoli and cheese soup and roast beef sandwich," she announced. "Yummy," Brian said, sitting up more. Lyn sat the table in front of him, then sat in the chair next to the bed while he ate. "Don't you want some?" Brian asked. She shook her head, "No, I ate what the cafeteria brought up earlier. That's how I knew you wouldn't like it." Brian laughed, taking another bite. Just then Tracy appeared in the room, scaring them both. "God Trac, give me a heart attack why don't ya," Brian said before he thought about it. Lyn looked at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean...." Brian started, taking her hand in his. "It's OK," she said. "What are you doing here?" Brian asked, looking at Tracy. "Gideon sent me back," she said. "So you know what's going on?" Lyn asked. She nodded her head, "Lucas came and told us." "You didn't tell Nick and Tara did you?" Brian asked, concerned. Tracy shook her head, "No, they don't know." "How are they doing?" Lyn asked. "Really well. The plan seems to be going off without a hitch," Tracy informed them, "Now the question is, how are you?" Brian smiled, "I've been better, but I'm hangin in there." "Good, keep that attitude, it'll help you," she said. Lyn looked at her sister, "They didn't send you back to heal him did they?" Tracy shook her head, "No honey, they didn't." Lyn looked at the floor, trying to stifle the tears she felt stinging the back of her eyes. Brian squeezed her hand, "It's OK Lyn. I'm sure there's a reason for not healing me." Lyn looked up, "I know, but it's so frustrating." Tracy laughed, "Those were my words exactly." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick, Jered and Ephah were sitting in the great room talking when Tara came running in. She didn't say anything, but grabbed Nick and pulled him down the hall with her. Jered and Ephah glanced at one another, wondering what all was going on. Serenity and Evi walked into the room smiling. "OK, what gives?" Ephah asked. "She's learning really well," Evi said. "But we wanted her to practice a few things," Serenity added. Jered laughed, "So Nick's the Guinea pig?" Both girls nodded. "Oh this should be interesting," Jered said, fully amused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Honey, what's wrong?" Nick asked as Tara pulled him into their room and locked the door. "Nothing," she said, walking towards him. Nick backed up until he ran into the bed, "Um, what are you doing?" Tara smiled at him, "Homework." Nick was beginning to get nervous. The look in her eyes reminded him to much of Aleisha. "Baby, you're starting to scare me a little here," he said as she wrapped her arms around him. "Nick, I would never hurt you," she said, "But they will know if I don't practice this." "How would they know?" he asked. "Trust me, they'll know. Just relax and have fun with it. If it gets a little weird, I'll stop," she said, pushing him down on the bed. Nick looked at her wide eyed, "Um I don't guess I have a choice huh?" Tara shook her head as she climbed on top of him. "Uh well, OK then," Nick said, suddenly finding her lips on his in a heated kiss. He tensed for a second, then relaxed. Feeling the most intense desires coursing through him. He remembered this feeling. Then when Aleisha had done it, it frightened him. He had fought it. But now, with Tara, he just let go, savoring all the emotions running through him. She broke the kiss and looked at him, "You like?" Nick nodded his head, "Oh yeah." Tara smiled, continuing on with her assignment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jered sighed, "How long are they gonna take in there?" Serenity laughed, "As long as it takes. Why are you so concerned?" "I'm not, I'm just curious," he said, stifling a laugh. "Well, I'm sure we all have better things to do than to hear the details of Tara's practice session," Ephah said. The three looked at him and shook their heads. Ephah rolled his eyes, "Kids." "I mean, damn already. They've been in there for hours. What the hell is she doing?" Jered asked. Evi giggled, "More like what is she not doing." They all laughed. Just then they heard Nick scream at the top of his lungs. This silenced the laughter. The four sat there glancing at one another, wondering if they needed to go see if anything was wrong. Tara beat them to it. She came running down the hall in only a t-shirt. "Um I think maybe I over did it a little," she said, looking scared and worried. Serenity and Evi got up and followed her into the room, the guys on their heels. Nick was laying in the middle of the bed, the sheet pulled up to his waist. Tara stood by the bed, biting her thumb nail as Evi and Serenity checked on Nick. Jered leaned over, "You can do that to me any day." Tara glared at him, "Don't ask for something you can't handle," she said, walking over to Nick. Ephah laughed, "Tara, one. Jered, zero." "Oh shut up," Jered hissed, walking out of the room. Ephah laughed harder, walking over and placing his hand on Tara's shoulder. "I think he'll be fine," Serenity said, standing up. "Yeah, just take it a little easier next time," Evi said. Tara looked at both of them, "So I didn't hurt him?" "No honey," Evi said smiling, "Quite the opposite actually." Tara sighed and smiled, "So um to much of a good thing then?" Serenity nodded, "He'll be fine when he wakes up." "See, no need to worry," Ephah said, turning to leave the room. "We kept some supper warm for you," Serenity said. "Thanks," Tara said, "But I think I'll stay with him until he wakes up." "OK, suit yourself," Evi said as they left the room. Tara sat on the side of the bed and put her head in her hands. Memories of when Nick was going through training and had a similar �accident' with Lyn flooding her mind. She laughed, shaking her head. "The teacher is now the student," she said under her breath. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian lay asleep in bed as Lyn and Tracy talked. It was well past dark and it was still storming outside. Tracy did her best to comfort Lyn and encourage her, but Lyn was still worried. How could she not be? The man she loved was facing death if he didn't receive a new heart. "Lyn honey, sometimes we can't see the big picture, but it's there," Tracy said. "I know," she said, looking at her sister, "I can't lose him Tracy. I love him so much. Just the other day we were talking about the future ya know. How many kids we wanted, where we were gonna move to, growing old together. And now....." Tracy put her hand on Lyn's shoulder, "You can still have all that. You just have to trust that He knows what He's doing." Lyn sighed, "I'm trying. I really am, but when I see him so tired, I just wonder .... why him? Why now?" Tracy hugged her, "You can't do that. It'll make life hard if you're always wondering why. Just accept this, and help him through it. God will take care of things, that I do know for sure." Lyn nodded, "I'm trying." Tracy pushed her back and looked at her, "Try harder. Brian's counting on you to help him, OK? God will give you the strength you need for this, just ask Him." Lyn smiled, "I will. I'm glad they sent you back." Tracy smiled, "So am I, sis. So am I." Chapter 23 |