Stephan took the earliest flight from Dulles Airport to LAX. He tried not to dwell on the desperation and agony in Jonathan's voice from the phone call earlier that morning. Jennifer was a strong woman. It wasn't possible that she would lose her life when there was so much left to live. Certainly God wouldn't take the only family he had left. He had endured the loss of his wife. It wouldn't be right to have to suffer the ultimate loss, that of a child.
Stephan took a taxi from the airport to the hospital, arriving around lunchtime. He had prepared himself for the worst in terms of Jennifer's condition. However, it was Jonathan's condition that took him by surprise. It wasn't the day old growth of whiskers, or the redness in his eyes. The once strong and ever confident Jonathan Hart now was a shell of a man. Overwhelmed by fear and grief, Jonathan could hardly lift his head from the side of Jennifer's bed when Stephan entered the room.
"How is she?" Stephan asked dropping his bags down near the door and rushing to Jennifer's side.
"The same. They checked to see if she was breathing on her own but she's not. She is still in a coma. They say the longer it lasts, the worse her prognosis."
"But it's only one day. Surely, they haven't lost hope."
Jonathan said nothing.
"Where is Max?"
"He is on a camping trip. I can't reach him."
"Have you gotten any rest?" Stephan asked.
"Off and on. I want to be awake in case she comes too."
"What happened?" Stephan asked hoping his voice didn't sound accusatory.
Jonathan shook his head as he relived the scenes of the night before. "A woman who once had an obsession with me... she shot her... in our bedroom...."
"Shouldn't people like that be locked up?"
"She was. I don't know, maybe they thought she was better. Maybe she escaped. I don't know. I tried to save her. Really I did." Jonathan looked up at Stephan.
"I am sure you did. Did they get the woman?"
"She killed herself. She called me and killed herself while on the phone with me."
Stephan shuttered at the picture that came to mind.
"I called the police once I realized who it was. I told them to call Jennifer and tell her not to go home. I don't understand..."
A nurse entered the room. "Mr. Hart, there is a call from a Deann."
"Can you take a message?"
"That is your secretary isn't it?" Stephan asked.
"Yes."
"Have you called and told them about Jennifer?"
"No. I only called you."
"You go and handle your business. I will watch Jennifer."
Jonathan looked at Stephan in shock. How could Stephan think he would leave Jennifer for even one second?
"Jonathan, you at least need to let them know what is going on so that they can take over for you."
Jonathan knew he was right but what would we say. To think about Jennifer's condition was painful enough. To speak about it was impossible. Jonathan heaved himself up to take the call.
"Hello, Deann." Jonathan's voice was heavy.
"Mr. Hart. I saw on the news last night, about Mrs. Hart. I am so sorry."
"Thank you."
"I wouldn't have bothered you but I can't initiate the emergency plan for when you are unavailable without your authorization. Mr. Sims is here and ready to take over while you are with Mrs. Hart."
"Yes, Deann. That would be fine."
There was an entire process required before an alternate could take over full control of Hart Industries but Deann realized Jonathan wasn't going to be able make it.
"I will take care of everything Mr. Hart."
"Thank you." Jonathan hung up and returned to the room. As he entered the room, he realized that he secretly hoped Jennifer had awakened during his absence. The fact that she hadn't tore at his heart.
Stephan was sitting on one side of Jennifer's bed humming a nursery rhyme she had liked as a child. Jonathan returned to his spot on the other side of the bed and took her hand.
"I don't know what all the fuss is about," Stephan started. "I mean she is alive. She is warm. So she is in a little coma. Well she was shot. Her body needs some time heal itself."
Jonathan looked at Stephan not comprehending what he was saying. "Look at her Stephan. The life... has drained out of her. Without all those tubes she would be dead. She is hanging by the tiniest of threads. God, the doctors were here this morning giving me preliminary talk on organ donation..."
"For God sake boy, pull yourself together. You forget I have done this before. I did it just like you and it got me no where. Your problem is you have lost hope. Well, I won't count Jennifer out just yet. You know she was in coma once as a child. She got thrown from a horse. But Jennifer, she came through. And they knew a whole lot less about medicine then than they do now. You have got stop sulking and feeling sorry for yourself. She is going to be horrified when she sees you." Stephan got up and went to his luggage. "Here," he said throwing Jonathan his grooming bag. "At least go shave and wash up."
Jonathan was stunned. Stephan was right of course. He was being selfish. And he had lost hope. He picked up the bag and headed to the restroom. Even he was astonished at what he saw in the mirror. It was a completely different man, a defeated, hopeless man.
Jonathan splashed water on his face. The cool water shocked his senses. Taking out the shaving cream and razor, he removed the stubble on his face. Jennifer always preferred a clean- face. She said she liked how it felt on her lips and neck. Jonathan found a comb and ran it through his hair.
When he finished he looked again at the man in the mirror. As he studied the face, the old familiar Jonathan, the determined, hopeful, persevering Jonathan slowly reappeared.
"I am going home for a minute," Jonathan told Stephan when he returned. "Here is my cellular number. Call me if anything happens. I will be back in an hour."
Stephan nodded and returned to Jennifer.
An hour later, Jonathan returned with a suitcase.
"Moving in?" Stephan asked.
"Just taking your advice... about not giving up hope," Jonathan replied. He set the suitcase on the extra bed and opened it to reveal a host of Jennifer's belonging. He began to set some pictures on the table near Jennifer's bed.
"Jennifer, remember this picture? Max took this on our trip to Africa. Remember after the Sheik took all my money and the ruby." Turning to Stephan he said, "She was so mad at me about the ruby."
"And remember this. This is the day Max was born. You look gorgeous. I don't think you even broke a sweat." Jonathan placed other pictures around the room, telling her about them as he did.
He went back to the suitcase to get a bottle of gardenia lotion. Jonathan always preferred the lilac but Jennifer was partial to the gardenia. He squeezed a small amount of lotion into the palm of his hand. Careful not to disrupt the IV lines in her arm, Jonathan lovingly massaged the lotion into her skin from her shoulder to her fingertips.
"Do you remember that boat trip we took to Mexico and we ended up in jail?" Jonathan asked her while performing his massage. Stephen's eyes widened in surprise but he kept silent. "You were so clever in getting us out of that. You know, I was thinking, it has been awhile since we've taken a boat trip. We should do it soon, with out the jail part of course."
"How about a round the world trip. We could take the boat or not. I know you think school is important but what better education for Max than seeing the world?"
Stephan was in awe of Jonathan's love for Jennifer. He had known that Jennifer was completely in love and happy with Jonathan. But to see that love conveyed so purely warmed his heart. If she did die, he would be comforted by the fact that she had a wonderful life.
Taking Jonathan's lead, Stephan took some lotion and massaged Jennifer's other arm. "I don't suppose you ever told Jonathan here about the time you ran away with Tommy Macelroy."
Jonathan raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "I haven't heard that one."
"Yes, well, Jennifer was all of 7 years old. She and Tommy had had enough of parents and ran away to the little museum in town. It took us almost the whole day to find them. In the end Jennifer, you were glad we found you. You said Tommy wasn't as interesting to talk as your old Pa here."
"Jennifer is wonderful at conversation," Jonathan said softly.
"Yes, she is. Smart girl."
Jonathan finished with Jennifer's arm and proceeded to her leg. Moving the sheets back from the side to expose her leg from the thigh down. Jonathan admired the grace and strength of her legs. Taking more lotion into his hand, he started from the thigh and worked his down.
"Did you ever tell your dad you danced on Broadway?" Jonathan asked Jennifer.
"No she didn't."
"This was only a couple of years ago. An old classmate of Jennifer's who actually turned out to be crazy, asked her to help him with a play. Well the play kind of fell apart but you and I danced on Broadway. Let's see....what was it we danced to?" Jonathan thought a moment and then sang, "You were meant for me. And I was meant for you...."
"That's lovely," Stephan said. Finishing with Jennifer's other arm, Stephan took a seat. He didn't feel comfortable continuing on with her leg. Besides, it seemed to be very cathartic for Jonathan.
"Jennifer, you always loved to dance. Oh, you would dance around the house. Of course, your mother enjoyed dancing too. I have always admired how you developed her grace and style. Your mother would have been so proud of you. She sure would be please by your choice of mate."
Jonathan smiled at Stephen's compliment. "I don't know if Jennifer told you but I fell in love with her the minute I saw her."
"She always did have that effect on men."
"Yes she does. That's why I knew I had to marry her right away before anyone could snatch her away from me."
"Oh, I don't think that would have been a problem. You see Jennifer called me after your first date in London. She was so pleased to have the beginnings of her story. But she said to me that night that she was going to marry you. She knew you were the one. It is so fortunate that you two met. Of course you didn't make it easy for her..." Stephan chastised.
"No I guess I didn't." Jonathan said remembering how hard he tried to avoid the persistent reporter, Jennifer Edwards.
A high pitched beeping noise arose from one of the many machines surrounding Jennifer's bed. Both Jonathan and Stephan jumped back startled by the noise. A nurse ran in.
"What is it?" Jonathan asked, his heart pounding in panic.
The nurse left quickly and returned with the doctor.
"Doctor what is going on?" Jonathan begged for an explanation. The noise was deafening.
