"Well, Mr. Hart, it appears that your wife has decided to breathe on her own."
"That noise is for that?" Stephan asked.
"The noise alerts us to any change, good or bad. This is good." The doctor turned to the nurse. "Lets go ahead and excabate her."
Jonathan and Stephan stood back as the doctor and nurse removed the tube from Jennifer's mouth. They added a smaller less intrusive tube on her nose.
"Well Mr. Hart, Mr. Edwards, this is a good sign. We still need to be concerned about the coma but at least she is sustaining her own life."
Jonathan wasn't sure how to feel. He hated that the doctor always negated any thing good with something bad. He looked at Jennifer. It was amazing how much better she looked without the tube extending from her mouth. She was his sleeping beauty. He leaned over her and kissed her lips.
"You are doing great, Jennifer. Keep working your way back to us," Jonathan whispered.
Jet lag, travel and stress wore on Stephan so he decided to lie down on the extra bed. Jonathan moved the suitcase, removing a book he brought.
"How about some Pride and Prejudice?" Jonathan asked Jennifer. She enjoyed Jane Austin immensely. Jonathan sat on the side of the bed and began to read:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Hours passed. Days passed. Jennifer continued to survive without life support but would not wake from her coma. Jonathan and Stephan continued their vigil by her side. Each day they took time to comb her hair, massage lotion into her skin, sing and read to her. They would move her arms and legs to ward off atrophy. When one began to feel hopeless which was several times a day, the other was there to encourage positive thinking.
Jonathan dedicated all his time to Jennifer, leaving Hart Industries in the hands of his trusted executive staff members and Deann. Occasionally he would call to get updates but mostly he didn't care.
At the end of the week, Jonathan made plans to pick up Max in Yosemite. He dreaded looking into Max's huge brown eyes and telling him about Jennifer's condition. He wasn't afraid of how Max might take the news. He was more afraid of his own condition. Would be able to support and comfort Max as a father should?
Jonathan flew to Merced early in the morning. A waiting car drove him to Yosemite. He was told the group should arrive between 1 and 3 so Jonathan waited in the vast beauty of Yosemite but didn't notice it.
"Mr. Hart? What are you doing here?" the guide asked as the arrived from their hike.
"I need to speak with Max." The strain in Jonathan's voice let the leader know that the situation was serious.
"Max? Hey, Max. Your dad is here."
"My dad?" Max trotted down the hill past the other campers. "Dad, what are you doing here?"
Jonathan cleared his voice. "I need to talk to you." Jonathan could see the worry growing in Max's eyes. "Let's go over here and talk." Jonathan led him to a park bench.
Max eyed his father. What ever it was, it was bad. He had never seen his father so run down. "Is it mom?" he said almost too afraid to ask.
"Yes," Jonathan nodded. "She is in the hospital in a coma."
"Coma?" Max mulled the words in his mind trying to make sense of it all.
"Yes, it's like she is sleeping but can't wake up."
Max nodded. He had heard the term before. He just couldn't actually picture his mother in such a condition. She was always so lively and active. He didn't know what to say, too stunned to even think.
Jonathan realized that Max was having difficulty processing the information. He couldn't blame him. Who would ever thought the spark of life would leave Jennifer.
"Your grandfather is with her now."
"Can I see her?" Max asked.
"I guess so." Jonathan didn't know if that was wise. He didn't know much about psychology. He had always parented Max by instinct which up to now was pretty good.
Jonathan and Max returned to L.A. and headed directly to the hospital. As they approached Jennifer's room, Max looked in at her through the window of the ICU. His eyes transfixed on her in horror and his body stiffened in apprehension.
"You don't need to go in," Jonathan said seeing Max's reaction.
Max looked at Jonathan, his eyes wide. Blinking he said, "No, I want to see her."
Jonathan and Max entered Jennifer's room. Max walked slowly towards her bed.
"Does she know we are here?" he asked looking to Jonathan for reassurance.
"I don't know, Champ."
"Are you sure it is a good idea for him to see her like this?" Stephen whispered.
"No. Did you let Jennifer see her mother?"
"Jennifer was older."
The two men watched as Max approached Jennifer's bed. He felt too weird to talk to her since she wouldn't talk back. He looked at all the tubes and wires hooked up to her and fear ripped through his body. He stepped back afraid she might reach out and grab him.
"It's been a long day. Why don't I take you home," Jonathan said. He wanted more than anything to stay with Jennifer but he knew his priority now was with Max.
When they headed home, Jonathan realized that he hadn't done anything to clean up the blood and mess in the house. Not wanting Max to see it, he took him to the Hart Corporate apartment instead explaining that it was much closer to the hospital incase Jennifer awoke.
"Dad? What will happen if mom doesn't wake up?" Max asked as Jonathan went to check on him in bed.
"I don't know. Some people stay in comas for years."
"But then they wake up and everything is okay, right?"
"I don't know son. I think some never wake up." Jonathan's body was hot with anxiety. He didn't want to give false hope to Max but the truth was so scary even to Jonathan.
"They sleep forever?"
"Well, I think sometimes they die."
Max was silent, his eyes filling with tears. He quickly wiped them away not wanting his father to see him cry. Jonathan's heart broke at Max's attempt to be brave.
"I have cried a lot over the last week," he confessed to Max. "It is very sad. Your mother is such a wonderful person. I don't know where I would be without her."
"Tell me again about how you met her," Max asked seeking comfort in happy old stories.
"Well, I first me her in a bar in the Ritz Hotel in London. Remember, we took you there once."
Max nodded as he thought about how cool it was to sit in the exact stools his parents had sat in when they met.
"I was immediately in love with her. How could I not be? She was so beautiful. I invited her out and was surprised she said yes since I was a stranger."
"She just wanted the scoop," Max chimed in.
"Yes. Here I thought I was this handsome, debonair guy, and she just wanted a story." The two smiled.
"Still, I won her heart. I asked her to marry me two days later."
"You forgot the part where you put her in jail."
"I see you have been listening to your mother's version of this story," Jonathan said ruffling Max's hair.
"Yes," he replied sheepishly.
"I didn't put her in jail, I just had to detain her until my business was done. I didn't want her to leave. It was Max's idea you know."
Max smiled to hear about his namesake. "If mom dies, will Max watch over her?"
Jonathan's heart cried out at the thought. "I think they will both watch over us."
After Max went to sleep, Jonathan called Ruthie. Ruthie came to live with the Harts after little Max was born. She was like a member of the family. Jonathan felt bad he hadn't thought to call her. Every year at this time, she took a vacation to Palm Springs with some of her girlfriends. Normally he wouldn't think of bothering her but he realized he needed help.
"Mr. Hart! You should have called me right away," Ruthie's voice was hurt and angry.
"Yes, Ruthie, I know. I just haven't been thinking straight."
Ruthie knew first hand of the loving relationship between Jonathan and Jennifer. She understood his devastation and forgave him. "I will be back right away, Mr. Hart." Jonathan explained about the house and Ruthie assured him she would take care of everything so he and Max could return home.
Jonathan awoke to his normal routine. For a month now, he got himself and Max up to spend the day with Jennifer at the hospital. Stephen sometimes stayed with them and other times remained at the hospital. On this particular morning, Jonathan came downstairs to find Max already eating breakfast and Ruthie cleaning up.
"You are up early," Jonathan said.
"Yes," Max said sheepishly.
Jonathan looked at Max, realizing something was on his mind. "What's up?"
Max licked his lips, fearful of how his father would take his announcement. "I don't want to go see mom today."
Jonathan tried to hide his surprise. A flicker of anger lighted in him. "Why not?"
"She doesn't even know I am there. She is so scary looking and I don't like it," Max blurted out.
Jonathan was stunned. And then he felt remorse at not realizing how the whole situation was affecting Max. "Okay," Jonathan agreed. "What are you going to do instead?"
"Mom signed me up for soccer camp. It starts this week. I want to go."
Jonathan looked at Max. A part of him could not believe Max could go on 'life as usual' and another part of him admired him for it.
"I can take him Mr. Hart," Ruthie chimed in.
Jonathan looked at Ruthie and then at Max. "Okay, champ." Jonathan smiled to let Max know he meant it.
Max smiled back. "Thanks dad." He ran out of the room to get ready.
"Its good for him to do something normal. Take his mind off his troubles," Ruthie said.
"Yes," Jonathan agreed. He wished sometimes that he could do the same.
"It has been over a month now Jonathan. I am finding it harder and harder to think of her as just sleeping. She feels lost to me," Stephen said as Jonathan arrived at the hospital.
"People have come out of coma's a lot longer than this," Jonathan stated. He threw Stephan a folder. "Here read this. It has some hopeful information on comas. I had Stanley get it for me."
Stephan looked through the folder but really had no interest reading medical mumbo jumbo. "I think I will take a walk. I need some fresh air."
Jonathan watched Stephan go and went to sit on Jennifer's bed. God he missed her. He reached out to touch her face. His heart ached to see her this way. He wanted to hold her and protect her from the demons preventing her from returning to him. He pulled his legs up on the bed and turning sideways, he lay down beside her. Her hair tickled his nose as he rested his head on the pillow. He reached on arm over her and laced his hand through hers.
"Oh Jennifer," he whispered in her ear. "I am getting weary too. Where are you? We have our own heaven here on earth, together. I don't think I will be able to go on without you..."
Was that a squeeze he felt on his hand?
Jonathan lifted his head to look at his hand entwined with Jennifer's. "You squeezed my hand!" Jonathan's heart leapt. He looked into her face to see some sign of life but there was none. "Jennifer," he whispered softly, slowly. Again he felt a squeeze.
Jonathan got up and paged the nurse. "She squeezed my hand!"
The nurse gave Jonathan a look of pity. It happened all the time. Involuntary movements that gave loved one's false hope. But, following protocol she called the doctor.
The Doctor was equally as unenthusiastic. "We will check it Mr. Hart but, I must inform you that it is not uncommon for coma patients to experience involuntary movements or twitches..."
"This wasn't a twitch doctor. It was a squeeze. She squeezed my hand." Jonathan went to Jennifer's side and took her hand in his. "Darling, show him. Squeeze my hand again." But this time there was no response. "Please darling. The doctor thinks I am grasping at straws, show him I am wrong." Jonathan watched his hand. Please he thought to himself. Jennifer squeezed his hand.
The doctor smiled but still wasn't convinced. "We will check her over but as I said, it may mean nothing." The doctor left to get some supplies.
"I need to get you a new doctor," Jonathan said. "This guy is just way to pessimistic for my taste." Jennifer squeezed his hand again. Jonathan brought her hand to his lips. "That's right Darling, come back."
Jennifer's eyes began to flutter. Jonathan watched with tears of joy as Jennifer awoke from her long sleep.
He smiled at her as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He brought his face near hers and whispered, "Welcome back sleepyhead." Jennifer managed a smiled.
The doctor entered the room again and was surprised to see Jennifer staring at him. "Why Mrs. Hart." The doctor checked her over, running some tests. Jennifer wasn't able to speak. "It's because of the tube you had in your throat. We will get you some cool water."
"Mr. Hart, if you would. Try to keep her awake for a little while. Don't want her lapsing back. Once she has some water she should be able to talk. She will be weak and maybe confused but it seems that she is well on her way to a full recovery."
"What's going on?" Stephan asked entering the room. "Jennifer! Look at you. Oh you look beautiful!"
"Doesn't she?" Jonathan leaned over and kissed her again.
Jennifer was certain they had gone mad. She felt like she had been hit by a truck and was sure she looked it too.
