Jonathan and Jennifer sat silently as their world seemed to crumble around them.
They had never expected to face a situation like this.
Here they were, just a few weeks away from celebrating 25 wonderful years of marriage, and it looked as though their dreams for the future were about to become a nightmare. Jonathan wrapped Jennifer's shoulders. She was shivering.
He wanted to say something, something reassuring, comforting or whatever that could break this heavy silence. But his mind was too foggy. Jennifer finally stood up. She turned towards her husband and as their eyes met Jennifer could see that he was just as frightened as she was. He put his arms out and she paused a moment then walked into his embrace. Moments later, she pulled away slowly, softly touching the curve of his face with her fingers before brushing his cheek with a gentle kiss. They had been through a lot together and somehow, though it seemed impossible now, they would get through this together. Hadn't they always said that they could do anything together? "Will you be alright darling?" Jennifer asked.
"I've been poor before. I'll survive ... with you by my side, I'll always be the richest man in the world." He knew Jennifer loved him for him and yet he felt apprehensive. He had survived poverty, but it had been hard. He hated to think that Jennifer would now know how hard it could be.
Jennifer knew instinctively what he was thinking. She couldn't care about the loss of material things. She knew she could survive without them...but she could never survive without her beloved Jonathan. Without him there would be nothing.
Besides they would not starve she still had the Edward's trust and although it wasn't much it was enough, to get by until...until Jonathan figured out how to get back what was theirs. She knew his every thought and she could tell he was fuming over this recent set back.
She also knew that Jonathan was not the type to live off her money or her father's money. She knew that their love was unconditional. But something told her that he would not be happy knowing that the Edwards trust is what was getting them by until his plan came into motion. That is if his plan worked. The look on his face told her all she needed to know. Jonathan went into the den and returned with a small briefcase.
"It's time," he said. It's all up to you now, Jennifer. They won't have a chance when they know you they are up against.
"Thank you for the encouragement darling". Sighed Jennifer." I'll give it everything I have, but whether this works or not, it will never change the way I feel about you". With that Jonathon held Jennifer's face in his hands and gave the deepest look of love and adoration.
An hour later, they walked in to what had once been Jonathan's office and met with them, Jonathan's board of directors, the ones who had started this whole chain of events.
All of them, sitting around an oval table. None of them stood up while Jennifer walked to her chair. Some looked right at her, defiantly, some didn't, pitiful. She stood for a moment at the end of the table, staring at all those men in their very expensive suits, with their very expensive briefcases. She wanted to yell at them, yell that if they could afford all these expensive stuff it was because HER husband was, no is, the most brillant man in that world. Hart Industries would be nothing without him because Hart Industries are Jonathan Hart. But she tried to calm down, swallowed her anger and then prepared herself to speak.
"Gentlemen...Let's get down to business, shall we? I'm sure that you are all aware that Jonathan Hart is no longer owner and CEO of Hart Industries. I am not going to sugar coat this for you. You started this chain of events. I am going to finish it."
"What you have done to my husband is a complete betrayal. You all acted in your own interests not in his, or each others. You knew he was ill and you were all worried about losing money." Jennifer was in full flow and she didn't miss them. "You will all have to live with the consequences of your behaviour. Jonathan may no longer be your CEO...but I am and you will all answer to me for what you put him through!"
The board members attempted to look smug but Jennifer could see concern, she could feel the fear. She smiled triumphantly. "I'm sure you know now that your pathetic attempts to 'protect' Hart Industries and your own wallets actually hurt the company. Indeed, the company's drop in share value from $128 to $22 per share has resulted in the ability for someone, anyone, to come and take over the company." She paused for effect and then went in for the kill. "That is unfortunate for you because as of stock market closing today ... which is in about 10 minutes, there will be no need for a board at Jonathan Hart Industries." A door opened and a group of professionals walked in. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet the board of the newly merged Hart Corp." There was a gasp. Could Jonathan and Jennifer really effect a hostile takeover of his own corporation? Jennifer smiled and sat down. "Oh I hope you won't be too upset, we don't have a plaque for you in recognition of your service." Feeling wonderful, Jennifer sat back in her chair. A beep on the intercom interupted her moment of triumph. "Mrs. Hart? Hurry, something is terribly wrong with Mr. Hart."
Jennifer ran down the hall from the board room to what was once again Jonathan's office. All the fears and uncertainties of Jonathan's recent illness sprang back to life. The doctors had warned he could suffer another attack if he didn't reduce his stress levels. Right! The situation forced on them by this business crisis was unlikely to be conducive to a relaxed and leisurely recovery. Another wound to be laid at the collective feet of the former board of directors of Jonathan Hart Industries.
She burst into the room only to run right into the wall of her fears. Her beloved husband lay gasping on the floor, his face dark red and rolling with sweat. She dropped to the floor next to him and began to undo his tie and shirt collar. The secretary said, "He collapsed right after I called you. An ambulance is on its way." Jennifer nodded and gathered him into her arms. Worried that she might be doing the wrong thing she propped him up against her to try to ease his breathing and wiped his forehead with the handkerchief from his suit pocket. Where was that blasted ambulance?
The new position seemed to help and he relaxed against her as some of the pain began to slack off. She looked down and saw him open those incredible blue eyes. The pain and fear she saw in them made her want to bawl like a baby but she had to be brave for his sake.
"Jennifer," he whispered. "No Darling, don't talk, rest, save your strength. It's all right, I've got you. You're safe." "Jennifer, my love..." His voice trailed off and his eyes drifted shut. She held him tighter. Surely that ambulance should be here by now.
Finally she heard the sound of running feet approaching the office and looked up to see a team of paramedics hauling a stretcher enter the room. Just then Jonathan's body stiffened in spasm and then relaxed completely. To Jennifer it seemed as if the world went silent. All that she could hear was that awful slow, final exhalation from the man she held in her arms. "Jonathan! NO! Jonathan! Wait! Come back! Oh please help him, " she cried to the paramedics. "He's not breathing!"
She stared helplessly as the medical personnel took him from her arms and began to perform CPR. Their precise movements were incomprehensible to the watchers. As well rehearsed as any ballet company they worked quickly in conjunction with the doctors at the dispatching hospital to start IVs and medications and monitors in an attempt to pull off a miracle. Finally, they brought out the defibrillator and applied electric shock to try and stimulate Jonathan's heart. There was no reaction. "Again! CLEAR!" the paramedic yelled. They increased the voltage and hoped for the best. This time, into the silence that resulted from held breaths came a beep...beep...beep. Faltering at first and then gaining strength the monitor reported the return of Jonathan Hart's heartbeat. It appeared they had their miracle.
Jennifer followed the stretcher down the hall to the elevater. She had asked the paramedic if she could ride in the ambulance. He told her she could but she would have to ride up front. Jennifer took a quick glance at the clock on the wall and knew the market had closed and that the board memebers were out of luck. She only hoped that the plan would work. She did know that Hart Industries was not her top concern now. Her husband’s health was. The Paramedic had called ahead and upon there arrival to Mount Siani Hospital was L.A's top cardiologist. Jennifer waited anxiously by her husbands side. She had never seen him like this before. He looked so weak and tired. His eyes were red and his skin was cool and clammy. It was a shade of grey that she had never seen before. There were so many wires and so many bags with clear liquids hanging above his head. She could not pronounce half of the words on the bags and really had no idea what they were for....she did know they were saving her husbands life. "Mr and Mrs Hart. After careful review of the tests and your cardiogram my partner and myself have come to the same conclusion. You have two arteries in your heart that are blocked. You need to have open heart surgery to correct the blockage or the next time you may not be so lucky." "How soon?" Jennifer asked. We are preparing the operating room right now. We have to get him up there now." Jennifer sat there in total shock. She was terrified of lossing him. Max had died during surgery. That was the only thing she could think about as she watched them roll Jonathan towards the operating room. "I am sorry Mrs. Hart but this is as far as you can go." Jennifer leaned down and looked into this crystal blue eyes..... I love you Jonathan Hart. When you wake up I will be at your side. She kissed him on the lips and watched as they took him through the doors.
Jennifer had never been more frightened, she knew that she would never be able to go on without Jonathan, he was too much a part of her and without him there would be nothing. They were all each other had now that Max and her Dad were gone. As she stood and looked down the corridor towards the operating room Jennifer felt completely alone. It was September, soon it would be their Silver Wedding and she knew that Jonathan would have something exciting planned for her, he knew how much she loved surprises. That was one of the things that made their relationship as special as it was, he always knew what she was thinking and feeling. She had seen that in those beautiful blue eyes when he had looked at her, he understood how fightened she was and she knew that would make him determined to pull through if he could. Their life together had been full of wonderful experiences and they had been so lucky, but as selfish as it may seem to some, she wanted more, not more material things or exotic trips...just more time with Jonathan.
On the trip down the corridor Jonathan was thinking about Max as well. What would happen to Jennifer if he didn't survive the surgery? He was torn between the anguish of the thought of his beloved left alone in the world and comforting knowledge that she had the strength to survive whatever life threw at her. The surgical prep medications were loosening his control over his emotions and making it a little easier to admit to himself how scared he was. He hated not being in control and he knew that once the anesthetic was started his fate would be up to the skill of the doctors. And God. He didn't make a big deal about it but the training he got from the nuns at the orphanage had stayed with him and reassured him in this and other crises. But all the faith in the world couldn't make it easy to lie there and think about what was going to happen. It was almost a relief when they came to take him into the operating room. The surgery staff talked to him and tried to reassure him as they readied him for the procedure and there was music playing softly in the background. Strangely, that little homely touch made him helped relax him most of all, especially when he realized that the song playing was Fascination. They were playing "Our Song"! Surely that had to be a good omen. The anesthesiologist started up her machines and placed the mask over Jonathan's face. As he slide into unconsciousness he was smiling at the memory of dancing with Jennifer in his arms.
Jennifer stood staring at the closed door in front of her. "Now what?" she asked herself and jumped when someone answered her. A nurse approached and showed her to the surgery waiting area. "Mrs. Hart, this type of surgery can take several hours. When they're finished someone will come here to talk to you about your husband's condition. Since it will be quite a while before you hear anything you might want to go down to the cafeteria or one of the coffee shops to get something to eat. You need to keep up your strength. Just please, before you leave this area, tell attendant where you are going so you can be reached if necessary." Jennifer nodded her thanks and went over to tell the attendant who she was and then found a seat. For awhile she sat lost in thought. Lord, what a day they'd had. A roller coaster ride beginning with the high of completing the takeover plan and the successful triumph in the board room to the depths of despair when she'd thought she'd lost him back at the office with just about every other emotion in between and it wasn't over yet. She tried reading some of the papers and magazines laying about the room but restlessness overtook her and she started to pace the hallway outside the waiting room. Eventually, nature took over and her stomach gave off a loud grumble. It felt like something of a betrayal to be hungry when Jonathan was in such danger but it had been a long time since breakfast and she'd been too nervous to eat much then. She went to the attendant and asked for directions to the cafeteria and told him she'd be back soon. She took the elevator to the street level and found the cafeteria with no problem. After eating something that she didn't really taste she began the journey back to the 6th floor. She decided to take a cruise through the gift shop and picked up a crossword puzzle book and a packet of dried fruit to snack on later. She boarded the elevator and pushed the button. The car began to rise and then came to an abrupt halt At the same time there was a loud grinding noise and the lights went out. Jennifer was trapped between floors in complete darkness!
Her worst nightmare had become reality ... nothing in the darkest recesses of her imagination could be worse than being trapped in a dark elevator, alone. Fearing that she might pass out from fright, Jennifer sat on the elevator floor and took several deep, cleansing breaths. In a matter of moments, she pulled herself together. "Okay. Think, Jennifer. Think! You've been in far more difficult messes than this ... but Jonathan, my dear sweet Jonathan, was always there with me." Shaking her head, dismissing what "isn't" and concentrating on what "is," she stood and felt her way to what she presumed were the doors. Finding the minute break between the doors, and with all the strength she could muster, she made it happen ... the doors opened ever so slightly. To her great relief, she wasn't caught between floors, just nearly so! Giving her last ounce of strength, she forced the doors open another few inches, and another, and another, until the opening was just wide enough for her to fit. Hoisting herself up to the floor with a wistful "thank you" to her personal trainer, she was on solid ground ... of what floor, though, she had no idea. Once again, she thought she may be on the verge of passing out as the lights on whatever floor this was, seemed very, very dim. And, eerily silent. Glancing to her right, she noted the floor number on the wall … Fifth Floor, Cardiac Care … Jonathan’s floor. Within seconds she realized that the hospital had lost electric and was surviving on a generator. Surviving? “Oh my God … Jonathan … surgery … electrical outage … survival …”
It was hard for Jennifer to have one clear thought. She pressed herself against the wall with her eyes closed. She felt her own heartbeat. What if Jonathan`s heart would stop right at this moment. She looked down the endless corridor. "I have to find him!" Jennifer was running - running to safe his life and her own. She would never be able to live without him. The air was stuffy and it was difficult to orientate. All these doors
It never struck her as odd that there was nobody around, the hallway was deserted. She ran from door to door looking frantically for him, she had to find him, had to save him. Her own heartbeat was pounding in her ears and she finally reached the bottom of the corridor and the doors to the operating room were in front of her. She paused a moment wondering what she should do, finally instinct took over and she rushed forward and pushed the doors open. Jonathan was there, he was lying on the operating table linked up to machinery. It was completely quiet though, the only noise was the whining of the heart monitor as the straight line moved slowly across the screen. Jennifer looked at it, his heart had stopped beating, he was totally lifeless. Jennifer let out a blood curdling scream ..."JONATHAN!!!"
Jennifer heard the muffled voices, miles away it seemed:"Mrs. Hart." Louder: "Mrs. Hart." Almost frantic: "Jennifer." She felt her body move slowly at first, then with more urgency. When she opened her eyes she was surrounding by unidentifiable forms, all in white ... so much white. Still groggy the fleeting thought of angels and muses played on her barely-functioning brain. Slowly, her vision and her brain, cleared and the forms took shape. Doctors? Nurses? Where had they all come from so suddenly. She remember. Tears welled in her eyes. Yes, she remembered looking, searching for Jonathan and finding him ... in the operating room ... with no heart beat. She began to sob uncontrollably.
Jennifer knew her whole body was shaking but she had no control over it, why were these Doctors and Nurses there with her, they should have been with Jonathan, they should be helping him, not her. She felt her tears hot on her cheeks and she wanted to tell them that they must go to Jonathan but she couldn't talk. Then she knew she was going mad, she could hear him. Losing Jonathan had caused her to lose her mind. "Jennifer!" there it was again... then he was beside her, she could see him and he was smiling at her. "Good morning sleepy head, did you sleep well? That was some night last night!" Jennifer slowly sat up and looked at him. Jonathan lifted the breakfast tray from the night stand and placed it in front of her. "Happy Anniversary Darling...have I got a surprise for you!" Jennifer looked at him still unable to comprehend what was going on. Then it dawned on her and her eyes filled with tears of relief and happiness. "Oh Jonathan...I just had the most terrible nightmare!" Jonathan grinned at her. "I'm not surprised the amount of champagne you had last night!
Contributing writers for this story were:
NancyD, SarahD, LeslieT, JanM, JodyP, Lo, SilviaL, MajaR,
SusanB, TeresaH, BettyL, MichelleP, DWelch
