JC was glad that he was flying on a private plane back to Florida.  He had been pacing and throwing things around the cabin when he wasn’t checking in with the hospital every hour on the hour. 

“Still no change,” he muttered after the fourth such call.  On one hand, he was praying and hoping that Liz would be awake soon as his concern was mounting over the length of time she had been unconscious.  On the other hand, he wanted to be the first person she saw when she awoke. 

Jogging to the front of the plane, he asked the other routine question, “How much longer?”

The two pilots looked at each other before one turned back to JC.  “Sir, we are going as fast as we can, we should be touching down in just over an hour and a half.  Do you have a ride arranged to the hospital?”

“Yeah,” JC mumbled as he paced toward the back of the plane, dodging the pillows and blankets on the floor that he had tossed around.  He had called his dad from the plane a couple of hours ago to let him know about the situation and to ask him for a ride to the hospital.  It was too bad he wasn’t in a helicopter that could just set down on the roof of the hospital. 

Punching numbers in the phone gave JC something to do and would hopefully kill a couple more minutes, “Hey Dad, there’s been no change with Liz but we should be landing in about an hour and a half.”

“JC, Liz is young and strong, she’s going to pull through this.”

“I just wish that everyone had accepted her.  I should have been there for her instead of running to the other side of the country to get some distance between the family and all the problems.  I’m never going to leave her again.”  He spoke forcefully now before sinking into a seat and rubbing his forehead. 

“No, Josh, I should be apologizing because I never should have let the situation get so out of control.  I thought that everything would blow over and everyone would get over the suddenness of your marriage.  I failed you, Josh, and you can never know how much I want to fix everything for you as I could when you were younger.  But this can’t be taken care of with a hug or a band-aid, but I can promise you that whatever you need, I will be there for both you and Liz….your mom is coming around, this accident made her realize how important you are and she told me she will do anything to help as well.  She regrets what she did and said…anyway…Josh, you’re my son, and I love you.”

JC was stunned for a long moment.  This was the longest speech he had heard from his father in a long time.  “Thanks Dad, I love you too.”  He spoke around the large lump in his throat. 

He sniffed then cleared his throat as the line remained quiet for a time. 

He heard his father sigh through the phone.  “JC, I’m going to get off and head to the airport.  I want to be able to leave as soon as you land, I’ll be waiting as close to the door as I can with the car running.  Give me a call when you touch down to make sure we can meet with no problems.”

“Okay,” JC was still having problems speaking.

Now it was his dad’s turn to clear his throat.  “JC…Liz will be okay…you have to believe that.”

“She has to be…she’s my everything.”  With that and knowing that his dad would understand, JC pressed the button to disconnect the call and leaned back in the seat, sitting still for the first time since the seat belt sign had been turned off. 

He was startled awake a while later when the pilot came on the intercom.  “Sir, we are beginning our descent, you need to put your seat belt on.”

JC sat up and scrubbed at his face with both hands before finding the seat belt and clicking it into place.  With his head resting against the back of the seat, JC rolled his head so that he could look out at the lights growing bigger in the window. 

It took an eternity for the descent, then the landing, then the slow taxi down the runway.  JC was up and bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting impatiently for the stairs to be locked into place. 

The next second he was off and running, pressing the send button on his phone to connect to his father.  After getting the directions to where his father was, JC argued that he should be the one driving. 

But even more insistently, Roy argued that JC was in no condition to drive. 

Roy won.

Leaning forward in the car, JC urged his dad to go faster. 

Not taking his eyes or his hands from the wheel or the road in front of him, Roy murmured assurances as he took the final corner to the hospital faster than was safe.  JC jumped out at the door. 

During one of his earlier phone calls to the hospital, the hospital administrator had arranged for JC to use a private employee entrance to avoid the press and have a private escort up to Liz’s room. 

Roy watched from the car as JC ran up to the door that opened before he was halfway up the walk.  JC disappeared inside with the nurse even as Roy sent yet another prayer heavenward. 

He would park the car and find the waiting room near Liz so that he could be there if JC needed anything. 

***

JC jogged down the hallway, slowing only to recite the room numbers aloud to himself.  “318…320…322…350?  Wait…”  He paused in the hall; somehow, he must have missed a hallway that led off to her room.  Spinning around, JC almost tripped over a nurse who had approached him from behind. 

“Sir, can I help you?  Visiting hours haven’t begun yet today.”  She looked up at him warily. 

He seized her by an arm.  “Yes, Liz…I mean Elizabeth Chasez, my wife, where is she?”

She looked him up and down, not willing to take any chances with the press that had tried sneaking in on many occasions.  “Do you have some ID?”

“ID?  I had to learn about my wife on E! news and not this hospital.  No one would give me any information and yet when I finally get here, I’m asked for identification!”  He dug his wallet from his back pocket and flipped his driver’s license at her then pulled out every card flinging them at the nurse as well.  “There!  Is that enough ID for you?  Do you want more?”  He pulled out all the cash in his wallet and tossed it at her feet to join the cards then tossed his wallet down as well. 

His eyes were wide and crazy, darting around the area, still looking for his wife’s room number.  The nurse lowered her voice and calmly asked JC to follow her.  “I’m sorry, sir, we’ve had several people try and sneak in this evening.  We’ve moved your wife, please follow me.”

“Is she awake?  How is she?”  He demanded, right on her heels as they walked quickly down the hallway. 

“She is still unconscious and has been intubated to help her breathe.”  The nurse paused before she swiped her ID to allow them into the critical care unit.  “Sir, your wife is very bruised and there is a lot of swelling.  She doesn’t look the same – you need to be prepared.”

JC ran a hand through his hair, begging her with his eyes.  “Please, please…take me to my wife.”  His voice cracked. 

Swiping her card, she pushed through the entry that unlocked with a click.  She stopped at a room near the nurses’ station.  “The doctor will be in to perform rounds shortly; if you need anything just ask one of us.”

JC nodded; his attention already on what was just behind the door.  He took a deep breath and stepped into the dimly lit room…