The next morning Josie arrived, bright and early after her meeting, to find Wendy unconscious and on a ventilator. Panicking, she hurried out of the room and toward the nurses' station at the end of the hall.
"Wendy Case, room 242, what happened?"
The nurse knew the patient without even having to check the chart. "She overdosed last night, the doctor's don't think she's going to make it."
"OD?" She whispered to herself. "How? She's here, how did she get the drugs?"
The nurse pursed her lips and shrugged. "That's exactly what the hospital wants to know," she said with annoyance.
"Yeah," Josie nodded. "I'm sure they do. Thanks for the information." Walking back to Wendy's room she sat in silence for a while, whispering a prayer or two every now and then, until the door squeaked open.
"Hey," Jax said mournfully. "Guess you heard?"
"I did," Josie sniffled. "How's Abel? I was hoping to find out from Wendy but no one else can tell me because of the privacy laws."
Jax smiled at that and nodded. "He's great, surgery went well, they're a lot more optimistic."
"That's wonderful," she squeezed Wendy's hand. "I'm happy for you. I'm happy for Abel," she added. Her smile fell a little as she looked away from Jax to Wendy for a second. "Do you know where she got it from? The drugs?"
"Nah," Jax shook his head. "No guests signed in but I'm thinking if you're smuggling that much crank you ain't gonna sign in."
"No, probably not."
"Do you want to see him? Abel?"
Josie smiled at that and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I would."
Guiding her out of the room, Jax led the way down to the tiny room filled with equipment where Abel was recovering. Jax showed Josie into the room proudly.
"That's my boy," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"He's so small," she muttered under her breath in shock. "He's gorgeous, Jax," she spoke louder and with a smile on her face.
"He is, isn't he?" Jax looked at Josie over the incubator, proud as ever, and smiled. "I really appreciate everything you did for my family."
"You're welcome," she shrugged awkwardly. "Would you mind if I came by to see him? I have a bunch of clothes and uhh, books and stuff for him but until he's home, I'd like to visit."
Jax cocked his head to the side and looked at her for a minute before starting to nod. "You might have to compete with Gemma but yeah, I think that would be good."
"Thank you, it means so much." She beamed at him as Gemma and Tara strolled up the hall and slipped into the room with them. "Hi," Josie said quietly.
Gemma ignored the greeting and hugged her son as Tara checked Abel's monitors and skimmed his chart. "He's looking good," she said happily. "Vitals and strong and his pulse ox is getting higher."
There was a tap on the glass and when they looked up Hale, Clay and Opie were staring back at them. Jax huffed, his mood and body language immediately turning dark, and left the room. Josie watched as they talked, clearly tensions were high, and one by one Gemma, and Tara joined them in the hall.
She shuffled in her spot, monumentally uncomfortable in the situation until Opie popped his head in. "Hey, why don't we get some coffee?"
She knew it was less of a suggestion or question and more a direction so she nodded and headed down to the cafeteria with Opie.
أنت تقرأ
Brothers In Arms
قصص الهواةOpie and Jax were the closest of friends, more like brothers, but after an untimely death and a new face, will their friendship crumble when they set their sights on the same prize.
