Three Weeks [COMPLETED]

Chapter 35 - "What is going on?"

A weighted silence descended as the last reverberations of the slamming door disappeared. Kit and Jaxon didn't move, their eyes transfixed on it. Jaxon's stance remained tense, ready if Edison returned. She knew he wouldn't. She had seen the look on his face.

Jaxon turned and studied her. He took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Hey, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

She gave a small nod. She turned back towards the television and pulled her hand out of Jaxon's.

"Can you turn the TV up?" she asked.

He quickly did and they returned to silence.

Rachel and Scott returned, the doctor and nurses came and went. They removed the tubes from her nose, she remained silent, wrestling with her regret, until the meds began to wear off. Her pain returned, needy and impatient, but she found relief in it.

She paged the nurse and waited for the cool, easing sensation of the medicine slipping into her system. The inevitable drowsiness followed.

***********

When Kit woke, the sky outside was dark, and there was no hum of movement outside the door.

She tried to sit up and Rachel jumped from her seat.

"Hi sweetie, What do you need?" She gently took Kit's hand.

"Water," Kit said.

Rachel quickly filled a small cup and held it to her lips. It helped soothe Kit's dry, sore throat.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked.

"Better," she said.

The painkillers were holding the pain off to bearable level and sleeping had helped. She could feel some strength returning.

"Good," Rachel said. "I heard from your parents. They made their connecting flight. They'll be here in about seven hours."

Kit nodded slowly and looked around the room. Rachel answered her searching gaze.

"I sent Jaxon and Scott home a little bit ago. They were worn out and hungry."

Kit looked at her aunt and saw she was in a similar state.

"Did you sleep?" she asked.

Rachel smiled lovingly. "I rested."

"Did you eat?"

"Not yet. I didn't want you to be alone when you woke up."

"I'm up now."

Rachel studied her. "Are you sure you're okay? I promise I won't be gone for long."

"I'm fine," Kit said.

"I can see if one of the nurses will sit with you."

Kit shook her head. "I'm fine. I have the call button. Go."

"Okay."

For the first time since she had woken up in the hospital, Kit was alone. Her thoughts jumped to her parents, wondering where in the air they were at that moment. She could imagine her dad antsy with fear, every part of him jumping as he tried to contain his emotions. Her mother would be right beside him, as steady as a rock, keeping her worry inside.

It was easy to imagine her parent's fear and it kept her own at bay, so she let the scene play out in her head. She imagined their sleepless worry, their hands clasped as they drew strength from each other. It was how they had been when this had started, and she imagined it was how they would remain until it was all over. She found hope in the idea of her parents continuing on as she knew them to be, even when she wasn't around to see them.