It sounds like more than a bad dream -- how sick is he? And what kind of ring did she show him?

kav

Whew, that was a relief, but what has kept Jack in the hospital for two weeks?

WOW thank god it was just a nightmare, a realy scary
one at that, but whats jack doing in hospital, and what kind of ring
is sue wearing,please cath hurry back and put us at ease lin

sorry, showing him her ring finger was meant to show her wearing no ring at all, so he could see she didn't have a wedding ring, have edited the post

cath

Glad you're back!!!! We did miss you!!! Great post!!! It was all a dream!!! I for one sisn't miss Sue calling Jack 'honey', did anyone else notice that???

Jen

Thank God it was a dream, I mean a nightmare!!

Cath, we DO miss you when you're not here and we are sorry that mean guy raised his fist to you!! How dare he???

Joy

I just knew it was a dream which is why I was laughing. But I've suddenly stopped laughing because Jack has been in a hospital for 2 weeks and that is not a laughing matter!

Well that was good that it was a dream but what's Jack doin in hospital?

I noticed that one too! What happened to Jack????

So glad it was only a bad dream though

Glad to see you back

She called him "honey", but if she's not wearing any ring, then she's not wearing Jack's ring; and Jack's been in the hospital for 2 weeks- what is going on?

Jack, apparently.

Ditto! Yep, I definitely noticed that Jen!
Great job, Cath! Now what's happened to Jack that he's been in the hospital for 2 weeks?

Cath, do you want us to form a posse and come have a little talk with the mean guy at work that raised his fist at you?
Sorry to hear that work's been so horrible!

thank you trace and joy for your concern, it's due to his head injury and the horrible hot weather here but it doesn'ty make for a great day when it happens regularly

yhm give the man abreak he's been out of it for 2 weeks, brain function is slower than normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cath

OKay, we'll cut him some slack, but if utters something other than good mornig or could you call me a doctor etc. we'll have some words with him!!!!

Jen

Thank goodness it was a bad dream but whatever happened to Jack that landed him in the hospital for 2 weeks??

Yeah, cath, are you still being occupied with long shifts???

Jen

Cath, loved that last post, I knew Jack was entangled in a nightmare, I mean seriously Sue and Randy...nah just couldn't happen!

BTW...I'm sorry your going through such a tough time at work, and although it most probably is his illness, you shouldn't have to endure it day in and day out. Nurses like you are precious!

yah i knew it all the time!!!....she couldn't be that cruel

Sue and Randy couldn't happen?

maybe in my next challenge story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry I didn't post this morning, ran out of time before i had to head for work by the time I'd finished reading everything else

Chapter 6

‘Two weeks……….? What happened………..? Was I shot………..?’ His head was pounding and his throat was so sore it felt as if someone had taken a scrubbing brush to it……his voice rasping…. he racked his brain but had no recollection of anything…… as he looked around he realised the sheet of the bed was raised over his hips.

Sue shook her head and swallowed hard, ‘you were out running…….. well about to go running………. you’d just left your apartment building…….. couple of kids had stolen a car and were joy riding…….. they went through the red lights by your place…….. lost control as they tried to turn the corner…….. ploughed into you and then into the apartment block……. witnesses said you went up in the air …crashed down onto the sidewalk about 20 yards away…… you had 2 broken legs, shattered pelvis………….. a few fractured ribs, broken left arm and were unconscious……by some miracle you had no internal damage or major head trauma, although you gave it a nasty crack………. beautiful bruise over your right eye…but no injury to the brain……… must be that thick skull you have Hudson…..they kept you sedated for a week and on a respirator to help with the breathing and enable the bones to start healing, and we’ve been waiting since then for you to wake up, lazy so and so……….‘

Sue tried to smile but tears trickled down her face as she spoke, her heart breaking as she remembered seeing his broken body as they wheeled him in to the ER, the way the team had left her to make decisions about his life, should they resuscitate him if his heart stopped……… ? Was he an organ donor……..?

Thankfully Bobby had been the one to inform his parents, but the hours they had spent in the waiting room had dragged by……… each minute feeling like a day.

‘The kids………….?’

‘Died at the scene…………. they couldn’t cut them out quickly enough to get them medical help……police reckon they were doing about 80 miles an hour……….’

‘What a waste……………..’ Jack tried to wriggle his toes, breathing a sigh of relief as he felt them move…….. he wasn’t paralysed.

‘Nothing hurts, Sue……….’

‘They’ve had you on some pretty hefty pain killers……….’ She watched as he touched the raised sheet, ‘it’s a metal frame………. they had to pin your pelvis…… to fix it……….

Jack nodded in understanding.

‘I’m gonna go get the doc…….. let her know you’re awake…make some phone calls…. then we’ll talk later………. Ok hun………..?’

He nodded, sinking his head into the soft pillows and felt her squeeze his hand before she left.

His mind flashed back to grocery shopping when they were undercover, he’d suggested she call him honey or dear when they were out, she’d opted for ‘honey’ but never used the term since……………….

poor jack hope hes ok and recovers very quick with sues help
and with loads of love and fuzzies lin

does Jack have amnesia??? what in the world is going on Cath?

Ouch! Poor Jack! I hope he recovers quickly! You really scared me for a minute there, I thought he was going to be paralyzed!

Great job, Cath! I look forward to more!

Maybe there's something else he doesn't remember?

yeah, I think he doesn't remember some other things as well and Sue did promise him that she didn't marry Randy!

Just when I thought we might be going somewhere with the word 'beautiful', she came back with that smart retort..

By the descripton of that accident, it sounds like it was indeeed a miracle that Jack survived it.

You're right, Ivory, I don't know how Jack survived the accident!!

Has he maybe forgotten that he and Sue now have a relationship???

Joy

Poor Jack, he's gonna be very sore when those painkillers wear off Maybe Sue can take care of him and take his mind off things; after all, she is calling him pet names!

Great post Cath

Maybe Sue needs to kiss his memories back?!?!?! Sorry, fuzzyholic here!!!! Cath, another brilliant post!!!! Glad he can remember some things though!!

jen

Cath, I've given you wrong ideas haven't I....don't listen to me, I don't know what I'm talking about, never mind the fact I'll have everyone after me wanting to kill me for planting the idea in the first place! Am I talking you out of the idea yet

As for Jack.....memory lapse, amnesia...don't care, he's awake and for now seems in good spirits, albeit is a bit hazy!

Chapter 7

As Sue waited outside the doc checked him over and sat him up a little in the bed, ‘well Mr Hudson……. everything looks good……… now you’re awake we can start feeding you, get you up and about, then in a few weeks you can go home…………… I take it your girlfriend will be able to look after you………’

‘She’s….. she…….. she’s not my girlfriend……… we work together……..and from what she said about the apartment block I’m not sure I’ll have any place to go………I thought I might go home……. Wisconsin……..’

The doc raised her eyebrows, ‘not your girlfriend………? She’s been here ever since your accident……firstly in Intensive Care then when we took you off the respirator and moved you to this room… she only left your side when the staff were with you…….. we set her up with a cot because she refused to go home………. some nights we’d come in here and she was lying on the bed with you………. said that way she’d know you were awake since she didn’t have her dog to tell her

Jack swallowed hard; she’d slept on the same bed? Why did he have to sleep through that……….?

He heard the doc continuing to speak, ‘ …………….Wisconsin……..? Forget it……. you can’t fly and to travel that long in a car….. you’ll be in agony …….. my advice? Stay local if you can’t get in your apartment, make sure you have someone to help out……… I’ll ask the nurses to get you a drink and something light to eat but take it slowly……. we don’t want it coming back, the effort of vomiting will put pressure on all your wounds, particularly your pelvis……………..’

‘So……… will I be back at work………? I mean with these injuries will I be able to work for the bureau again………..?’

‘Yeah……… there’s no nerve damage from your injuries so everything will be fine… give it at least 3 months, but if you work at getting fit it won’t be a problem……….how soon after that depends on how determined you are…but don’t push yourself too hard……. I know you FBI types, trying to run before you can walk….realistically, 4 months deskbound…… 6 months before you’re fully fit for active duty…….. …’


Jack nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, looking up as he saw the door open and Sue step inside and smile at him, ‘everything Ok?’

‘Yup, he should be home in a few weeks, I’ll get him something to eat and drink……… just make sure he takes it slowly…….. we’ll get him up out of bed tomorrow, wounds are healing well……….. see you later and try and get some rest…….. not too much talking………..’ the doc left grinning as she did so, ‘not my girlfriend? Who was he trying to kid?’

I get the feeling Jack is forgeting something!!!

Joy

Okay I take back what I said before, I'm fearing he really has lost parts of his memory, so Cath what is it, memory loss or is it wishful thinking that he's forgotten?

please cath dont let him forget anything were
him and sue are involved, or at least get him to remember quick
so he can right it cant wait for the next post lin

*peeved sigh* cath, you are teasing me! Me thinks Jack needs a 'memory kiss'. Can only be adminstered by true love and is long and ver yfuzzy!!!!! Me thinks nurse Sue is about to enter!! Drumroll please!!!!!


Great writing!!

jen

Glad that the doctor's report was good.

Jack is sure gonna have his patience and his determination tested during the coming weeks.

Maybe the next post will give us more insight on just where J/S are in their relationship.

Great writing, Cath!
Hopefully!

Here we go again...not his girlfriend my tush!

Chapter 8

Reaching out Jack took Sues’ hand and squeezed it, signing ‘thank you’ with the other.

‘The doc told me you’d been here all the time………..’

‘Ted told me to take time off…I had leave due….. your parents came down for a few days but your sister-in-law went into labour early…….. she had a little girl, Leah…….. but both of them were really ill………. they went back to look after your nephews while your brother stayed at the hospital……they reckoned you were well cared for here….…. I’ve rung them and they’ll come down as soon as possible…….. Leah and her mom are doing well now………. I rang Bobby who’s letting everyone else know but they’ll visit tomorrow…… he said it was about time you ‘woke up and stopped scaring the heck out of everyone’…….. ‘

‘Where’s Levi?’

‘With Luce……….. how are you feeling?’ she sat on the edge of the bed and held his hands.

Jack shrugged, not totally sure how he was feeling, he had no recollection of anything connected to the accident, all his memories were clear up until changing to go running…………knew he’d taken Sue for dinner that evening, taken her home, come close to telling her he loved her…and chickened out……….. again….. maybe it was as well that he didn’t remember getting hit by the car, he didn’t figure it would be something he’d ever want to remember.

‘I remember we’d been out for dinner………. It was your birthday, I took you home……. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go for a run………I’m sorry, I wrecked your birthday didn’t I?’

Sue grinned at him, ’not unless you deliberately decided to get hit by a car no……and technically you got hit on the day after my birthday since it was about 1.30 AM….. but if you want to make it up to me you can take me out again……. I never say ‘no’ to a free meal……… especially when the company is good……’

‘You mean Levi? I don’t think I’ll be any sort of company for a while……. Doc says I can’t go to Wisconsin…….. it’ll be months before I can drive………’

‘Tell you what….. when you’re home I’ll cook a dinner for you……….’

‘That would be good, thanks Sue…… .. what’s with the apartment block?’

‘They’ve worked round the clock to fix it……put the other residents up in a hotel… should be ready before you go home……… but you won’t manage alone…….. I think Bobby’s gonna suggest staying with you, unless your parents stay………….was I really marrying Randy……and pregnant with his baby…and you had Levi……....?’

Jack nodded as she continued with a grin, ‘did you ask the doc to check your head……..? I think you might still be a little concussed…………’ she tapped him lightly on the top off his head

‘Yeah…she says I’m OK…..…you were…. I was desolate……….. I’d never felt so lonely ………. I wanted it to be me……..’

Squeezing his hands and gazing into his dark chocolate brown eyes she took a deep breath, ‘in your dream…………?’

‘It wasn’t a dream………. it was my worst nightmare, watching you marry someone else when I love you …….. when my heart belongs to you, Sue……’

Throwing up a prayer that Jack was telling her what she wanted him to tell her………… what she’d wanted him to tell her for so long, Sue asked quietly, ‘is this your pain meds or concussion talking…………..?’

Squeezing her hands and looking her in the eye Jack took a deep breath before answering, aware his throat was feeling much worse now he’d been trying to speak, ‘no………… it’s my heart telling you what I should have told you years ago……….. I love you Sue……… so much……for so long…. I’ve never said anything because I didn’t think you’d want me……… I thought you’d want a man who was deaf, who understood your world……… I didn’t want to ruin our friendship………….. I don’t know if you feel anything for me….. if not, then I’m sorry I’ve said anything……… when I’m fit I’ll change units…………’

Tears filling her eyes, Sue lifted his hands to her mouth, kissing them lightly, ‘you really didn’t think I’d want you………….? Jack you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to see you tell me you love me………. how long I’ve wanted to tell you I love you…I’m here because I love you, hun……. I didn’t think you’d want someone who was deaf……. you could have any woman you wanted……….’

‘I don’t want anyone else Sue…….. I only ever wanted you……….. ‘

Leaning forward she kissed him lightly on the lips as they sealed their love, before Jack gave in to the exhaustion he felt and fell back onto the pillows, drifting off to sleep as Sue slid onto the bed beside him, kissed his head and held his hands tightly offering up a prayer of thanks that he would make it and they had finally admitted their feelings………………..

FADE

I’m thinking of a sequel for this one, not sure if it’s a good idea though

How sweet! They finally admitted love.

I think it's a great idea!

That's our Jack ... went right from denying Sue was his girlfriend to declaring his heart. Only, change units? Would that be part of the sequel?

Great story, as always, Cath. One more for the challenge?

My mind is still reeling from the number of broken bones in poor Jack's body But I guess the accident knocked some sense into him, eh? Always knew he had a hard head -- but didn't think he'd have to be bounced on it to get the message through.

kav

I was hoping that Jack remembered clearly and that it was a case of him getting his nerve up.

I hope you write the sequel. The only thing that would definitly not be a good idea is if Jack's galant heart suddenly goes into an arrhythmia that they can't control and they loose him or he suffers heart damage.

cath that was great and wow to another sequel
lin

I agree with Kav, that knock to the noggin did some good! He went from out right denying his feelings, to seeing what things could be like if he did nothing, to going all out and barig his soul! Way to go Hudson

Not sure of a sequel Cath.....well if I can speak for most of us on the board, I think it is a might fine idea! We wanna see him recuperate to seeing where things lead, whether he back pedals again!

*nods head in what I hope is a convincing way* sequel would be a veeeerrrry good idea Cath!!!!!! Ivory, where do you get those scary ideas??? *shudders* Me thinks jack's been through enough!!!

Great writing!!!

Jen

rest assured he won't be popping off anywhere, i never kill off any of the team

nor will there be any backtracking

cath

Cath, that was a perfect ending!! We should note, though, that it took a car hitting him for him to wake up and declare his feelings!!! Is that stubborn?? No, I believe the word is tenacious!!

A sequel?? It's always a good day when Cath writes more about our favorite team!!!

Joy

Not a good idea? I think a sequel would be a GREAT idea! That was such a beautiful ending Cath. I'm glad they finally revealed their true feelings.